2023-05-29: Memories of Courage and Miracles
- Cast: Alouette Pommier, Banagher Links
- Where: Garuda, Banagher's Cell
- Date: U.C. 0097 05 28
- Summary: Aumerei sets Alouette up to visit Banagher's cell, and although Banagher bargains to give up the Box and sacrifice himself, Alouette reminds him that his courage is still needed. (CW: Allusions to brainwashing and torture.)
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
He still has a connection to the Unicorn. He can feel it, just out of reach. His bond with the machine is different than the ones he has with other living creatures, especially when the Gundam is powered down. He's got to reach with all his strength, and even then...
That brilliant white light dances right at the edges of his fingertips. Eyes squeeze shut more tightly. He reaches, r e a c h e s--
...
But the Light of Possibility eludes him.
Banagher opens his eyes, puffing out a frustrated breath. If he could manage even one Miracle, he could get everyone out of here, he knows it. Akane has her plans, and he's still ready to negotiate with Vist, but it would be so much better to end this for good.
Especially if it means blowing Martha, Alberto, and that disgusting doctor to hell.
Trusting Akane is the best bet he's got, and that means complying. But the anger and defiance Banagher displayed when he was being dragged from his Gundam have returned. He's not throwing himself against the cell door anymore, but fury radiates from him in waves, countered only by his grief.
Don't give up. Banagher reminds himself, again, sitting on the thin mattress of his cell bed. His hands clench in his lap. If he's made a Miracle happen before, he can do it again. It's just a matter of figuring it out.
But each failure comes with an increasing feeling of dread and desperation. What if he can't reach the Unicorn? What if Akane gets found out and her plans fail? What if his negotiations only make Vist hurt all the girls more?
The young pilot has not yet been drowned in his despair, but the waves of it lap near his neck. He has to be capable of more than this. He has to do more than just sit by while they're hurting Leina, Audrey, Rikka, Akane, Alouette--!
Tugging at the thin prison-scrub pants covering his thighs, Banagher takes a shaky breath. Try again. Golden eyes close, and he reaches.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette spent much of her first day aboard the Garuda in medical. But for all that time, the answers she received were… quite limited at best. Personnel were evasive as to the contents of the reports they were writing. She hasn’t even been particularly briefed as to the reasons behind her capture. But when it comes to a man as cruel as Doctor Murasame… the possibilities are myriad.
A clear attempt to weather her own indomitable spirit, knowing she’s all too familiar without a single word needing to be said.
This place is filled with loneliness too, all too hard to bear for someone who thought she might never have to be alone again. But BioNet’s labs aren’t the only lonely ones in the Earth Sphere.
It means she’s cooperative when she’s informed that she will be visiting Banagher Links’s cell tonight.
He’ll notice she looks a lot different, though. Very meticulous about her appearance, she was clean, orderly and well-dressed in her customized uniform when they met on Orbit Base. This time, her golden curls are a lot more ruffled and messy without time for the proper routine, and she’s dressed in a rather plain and sterile medical gown.
“Banagher Links, I remember your face,” she starts in what’s probably an awkward sounding greeting. But to her, it’s a good sign that she can remember a person she’s only truly met once. “I… was hoping you’d be able to escape in time.” Evidently, she didn’t know until now. Information control is quite easy in a place like this.
“I’m here on Aumerei’s orders.” During the battle, she called her Akane. It’s taken some time to get accustomed to this identity, but once she does… it’s effortless. “I don’t know what she’s trying to accomplish by putting us together,” she admits. “But we might as well make the best of it. You must be pretty lonely too, huh?”
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher was barely aware Alouette was taken during the battle, all his attention on Leina, once she was revealed. It's only in his conversation with Akane that he learned Alouette's capture, and the thought weighed him down.
It hasn't escaped his notice that Vist has only taken young women, save for himself. Is it Martha's doing? Alexis Kerib's? Murasame's? Whatever the case, it's disturbing, and fills the young pilot with terror for his fellow captives.
A voice breaks through his almost-meditation, and golden eyes blink open. "Alouette..?" Banagher stands, rushing to the door, then stepping back so she can be allowed in. He is very, very carefully still, trying to ensure she won't be hurt for his defiance.
He manages a smile, something created out of immense effort and very little success. "I remember your face too. I'm so sorry. This is -- because of me, all of it. If I'd just given in sooner, I could've saved all of you."
Once Alouette is safely in the cell with the door closed behind her, Banagher relaxes, taking a step toward her. "I couldn't do anything once I knew they had Leina." He murmurs, eyes lowered. "And I can't do anything now. They won't even take me to the Vists so I can surrender."
Looking back up to Alouette's face, Banagher notices she's been left in only a hospital gown. "I can't believe they haven't even given you clothes. These people are sick."
With quick motions, he pulls his thin prison-scrubs shirt off, folds it, and then offers it to her. "I wish I had a hoodie to give you, but this should help a little. I know it's gotta be cold in here. I'm fine without it, it was always cold back home."
"Akane..." Banagher steadfastly refuses to use anyone's Vist-assigned code names. "I don't know either, but, you're right. I've been pretty miserable on my own."
The cell is bare except for his bed and a bench. He sits on the edge of his bed, leaving plenty of room for Alouette on either the bed or the bench, should she wish to join him.
"How are you doing? You don't have to hide anything. Or say anything, if you don't want to." Banagher's shoulders are slumped. "I'm just worried about you, and-- if it'd help to talk, I'm here. I promise, I'll give them the stupid Box and get you all home safe. Just please hold on for now.”
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
“I’m glad you remember,” Alouette starts, “Even if it means seeing me in this state.” There’s a forced smile. “They were supposed to give me something to wear after the tests. Which makes me think this meeting was very.. haphazard.” Again, she doesn’t really know what Aumerei’s thinking.
But when Banagher attempts to pin the blame on himself, Alouette sharply frowns. “Don’t give me that, please.” Her tone is flat, maybe a little pained. “I had very many chances, once I realized my Cosmo Robo was being targeted and figured out what Aumurei was trying to do.” She explains. “I kept fighting because I wanted to, and because I’d never forgive myself if I ran away. I don’t regret the circumstances that brought me here, and I’d make the same decision every single time.” She concludes.
“You were right to focus on Leina, because I know how important she is to you.” She adds, looking him closer in the eye. But when he hands her the prison clothing, she isn’t sure whether to accept. “I really doubt they’re just going to replace this for you, Banagher. Kindness often goes punished in these spaces.” She hands it back carefully.
She does take a spot on the bed, though, and when he asks her how she’s doing, she considers for a moment. “Well… for all my words about not regretting my choices for a moment I’m still pretty… scared,” she admits. “But it feels good to say that, too. I guess you can’t have courage without having fear to overcome.”
“There’s a lot of people who are waiting for me. My family at 3G, my girlfriend, and my mom. All I can do for now is keep them close to my heart… although it feels like my heart is going to shatter.” She /did/ get hit by what looked like a very heavy betrayal.
The box, though? “You can’t do that, Banagher.” She warns, sharp. “You told me about Laplace’s Box. About how only you can find it, or something similar. This is going to sound cynical, but they have absolutely no reason to keep you alive once they have it.” She looks at him dead in the eye. “I won’t accept a play like that.”
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Of course I remember. You're an amazing person, and you look just fine, really. Way better than I do." That hard-won smile turns into a frown as Alouette explains her lack of clothes. "Should we risk bugging the guards about it? They've brought me clothes once before, but I'm worried they'll take you away if the wrong person finds out you're here."
Banagher nods, accepting Alouette's words. "Sorry. I know you're a capable pilot, I didn't mean --" He sighs, running a hand through his sweaty, messy hair. "It's hard not to think about all my mistakes now. But... I'm really glad Akane has someone like you. And Rikka." A little smile. "And me, if I can be selfish."
"Leina..." Banagher closes his eyes, then shakes his head slightly, still holding the shirt out. "Like I said, I'm okay without a shirt. I don't want you to be stuck like this. If you're sure, I won't press, but know that I'm fine either way. It's the only thing I can do right now, after all, so I may as well try."
"They can't do that much to hurt me right now, so I may as well be the one offering kindness." Either way, Banagher sits down heavily, exhaustion and grief weighing him down. "I'll keep trying to help you all out. If they want to stop me, they better be ready to break my arms."
"It'd be strange if you weren't scared." Banagher says, gently, as Alouette sits down with him. "I'm terrified, and you've had it way worse than I have. The fact that you can still remember and believe in the people waiting for you says a lot about how brave you really are, Alouette."
"I'm sorry." Banagher reaches out, slowly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in something like a sideways-hug. He'll stop immediately if it seems she doesn't wish to be touched. "But try not to give up on the people you love. You're right to have faith in them. I'm sure, even right now, they're coming up with a great plan to get you out of here."
Banagher blinks at Alouette's sudden sharp tone, then, his eyes wide. Then they soften, and he shakes his head softly.
"I'm sorry, Alouette. I have to. Have you seen Leina? She's practically skin and bones. She hasn't been eating or sleeping, and she's convinced the only thing she can do is leave everyone behind, once this is over." The young pilot's emotions set his hands trembling. "I don't."
His voice breaks.
He tries again.
"I don't-- think she's going to last much longer, the way they're treating her. And even if she could, I can't bear it. Knowing she's suffering when I could put a stop to it." Banagher's breath comes in a panicked gasp, overwhelmed by the thought.
"I believe in the people who are coming for us, I really do, but Martha doesn't give a damn about Leina. She'll sacrifice her in a heartbeat." Unbidden, tears drip down his face. "I'm the only one with bargaining power. I'm going to use it. Getting you, Rikka, Akane, Audrey, and Leina home safe is worth my life, if that's what things come down to."
Banagher laughs, and it turns into a sob.
"I'm sorry. I'm not as brave as you, Alouette. Martha and Alberto knew exactly how to stop me. I’ve been in here, trying to reach the Unicorn to do a Miracle, but it isn’t working. This is all I can do to save Leina."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
“Thanks…” Is all Alouette says as Banagher tries to reassure you. “I really miss wearing nice clothes, honestly. The medical gown’s fine for now, it’s long enough.” She doesn’t feel like dealing with the guards either.
“It’s not even just that,” she shakes her head, about being a capable pilot. “My decisions are my own, and I’ll never regret placing my trust in someone no matter what happens.” Banagher seems to think that makes her, and himself, and Rikka good for Akane. “I guess it is good that she’s surrounded by so many stubborn fools.” She smiles.
“Leina.” She nods. “It’s so hard to believe, that this has been going on for so long.” She crosses her arms. “We just talked last week, you know. About saving the pilot of the Banshee, and Elpeo Puru’s soul. I don’t even think… she was aware.” So she needs to make sure Leina gets a second chance too.
“I don’t know.. what they did,” Alouette admits, when Banagher tells her it’d be strange if she wasn’t scared. “You’ve probably figured this out, but this isn’t my first time in a place like this. Back then, it was all I knew. I was a very cold-blooded child.” She thinks of her younger self, in that BioNet ‘childcare centre’... in actuality, a weapons development lab. “It’s different this time. It means facing the possibility of going back to the person I was before I made all those memories.”
“But there’s no need to compare, either.” She adds. “You’ve been through hell too, and all because you were someone’s son, and because you loved someone. How is that fair?”
She’s hesitant, but she takes the hug. There’s warmth in it, even if physically, it’s very cold. “I won’t,” she affirms when Banagher tells her not to give up on them. “I can’t, as long as I am who I am.” She wonders about that plan… what /can/ anyone outside do?
They might have to take things into their own hands, but she still can’t accept what Banagher’s proposing. But he’s doing it for Leina. She pauses, taking in his argument, his passion for saving her.
“She’s suffering a lot, and it hurts to see it…” she agrees. “But you still can’t do it, Banagher.” It hurts to say that, too. “What you have isn’t really bargaining power. What makes you think they’ll uphold their end of the deal after you’re gone?” Her sharp blue eyes continue to meet his golden eyes. “Once you’re gone, Banagher, it’s done.. you don’t have any more chances to make things right for her.”
“I’ll admit, I don’t have an alternative plan. Not yet. But I want you to consider the weight behind the sacrifice you’re suggesting, please.”
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"I get what you mean. I wish I had a hoodie." He nods at Alouette's decision, putting his shirt back on. "I've got a spare in the Unicorn, but I bet it's long gone by now. It was one you could only get at a Sheryl Nome concert."
Banagher looks far away for a second, lost in the memory of happier times. Alouette speaks again, though, and brings him back to the present. "I respect that." He murmurs, staring at the bare cell wall. "And I hope your heart will never change."
"Do you have any idea how long Vist has been doing this to Leina?" A sharp note enters Banagher's voice, barely-contained fury. "I want to gather as much information as I can while we're here. Anything that would help her recover. I don't think they're going to let me see Audrey, and I can't exactly trust this to Rikka or Akane."
Golden eyes look up at Alouette. "I know you're going through enough, but please, Alouette. Please let me save Leina. I'll get you out of here, and if you can get the information we've figured out to Sayla Mass, I'm sure it'll make a difference."
"I--"
Vist's cruelty always goes deeper. Banagher starts to tremble. Making Leina investigate her own torture. How much worse can it get?
"I -- I'm sorry. I don't know what they could've done... I've been in here the whole time." Banagher grits his teeth. "The doctor -- Murasame. He's got some sick thing with experimenting on girls. And I know they can mess with memories. With what they've done to Leina and Rikka..."
"I promise, Alouette, I'll keep reminding you of who you are now every time I can. For as long as we're in here, I'll fight to help you stay true to yourself." Banagher mentally grasps for ideas, eyes darting. "Is there anything that would help remind you? Anything core to who you are?"
She's mentioned a girlfriend, a mother, friends -- Banagher wonders if any of their names would be powerful enough.
At the mention of Banagher's father, he lets out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "My father wasn't even a part of my life. My mother took me and left him when I was a child because he started experimenting on me. It's all so pointless."
Shoulders slumped, Banagher keeps his arm around Alouette, trying to offer whatever warmth he has to her.
"I never should've gotten involved in any of this. I'm nothing like Amuro Ray, what was I thinking..." Tears drip down Banagher's face. "Trying to pilot a Gundam and change the world. All I've done is hurt people."
Golden eyes turn to Alouette, stricken, as she insists Banagher can't give himself up.
"I won't give them the exact location until all of you are safe. I'll make them go on an awful treasure hunt like I had to." He doesn't sound confident. "Half a location, then all of you home. Then the other half. And after that..."
He looks away again, back to that bare cell wall.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
“A Sheryl Nome concert…” Alouette dwells on that. “Rikka and I went to a few, and a Ranka Lee one too. It wasn’t even that long ago. Miss Sheryl even managed to help us save Akane back then.” Looking away, back to the cell door, she frowns. “As silly as it sounds, I miss listening to music too. And I’m not exactly in the mood to sing my own right now.”
“Thanks. As do I hope yours stays true.” She smiles. “Remember when you visited Orbit Base and said that you wanted you and the Unicorn to be a symbol of hope? That’s my foremost memory of you… I still believe that can come true.”
Does she have any idea how long Leina’s been in this state? She wracks her brain, and thinks back to the first Puru-1 deployment. “It had to be a few months at least? This goes as far back as February… but we don’t know how long the preparation phase could’ve been.” She considers. “Days? Weeks? Months? It depends on the conditioning skill of Dr. Murasame.” Disgust reaches her face as she says his name.
“If we can get back to 3G, we might be able to help her there. Ever since they took the fight to BioNet, deconditioning is a skill they procure.” She nods. “Miss Swan is amazing at this sort of thing, and it’s a little different, but Dr. Sai has been working with Algernon victims for her entire career. They’ll be able to help her in some form for sure.”
Banagher wants to save her himself, though. “I know you do. And I know we’ll get our chance.” But the mention of Sayla gets her tone to audibly drop. “Oh gosh…” The last thing she told Sayla was that she believed in her… and then she went and got captured. She can’t imagine what she’s feeling about Leina, her own ward, and Akane and Rikka either. “Mmm.. we do need to contact her.”
Banagher apologizes and then makes a promise that he’ll help her remind her of herself. “I… thank you. I don’t.. want to do anything that I regret. ” The things that remind her of herself. “Well, I don’t suppose we can get ice cream in a place like this. I don’t have my pager, either…” Nothing else immediately symbolic comes to mind.
“Tachi-chan.” She suddenly says. “That’s the nickname I was going to call my girlfriend next time we went on a date.” She explains to Banagher. “It was supposed to turn her into a blushing mess, but I suppose I have to hope I don’t keep her waiting too long.” A weak smile forms.
His father… “He /what/?” She almost looks livid for a second. “All because of the Unicorn? I’m glad your mother was able to get you away from that life… even if it’s haunting you again now.”
“You’ve made miracles too. And you know what I think? Every one of us is capable of that, all unique in nature. The blame is with people like Martha Vist Carbine and Dr. Murasame, not you just for trying to help people.”
Banagher unconfidently explains his plan next. “Are you sure they’ll accept that? They’d just think you’re trying to trick them. And it still means you’d be stuck here even if you did.”
“There’s also the matter with Dr. Murasame. I really don’t think his loyalties lie with Mrs. Vist-Carbine. I don’t have anything to do with the Box, but he still wanted me. And… I don’t think he’ll let go of me so easily.”
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
<poem>
"Leina loves Sheryl." Banagher says, almost absentmindedly. "I bought her a whole set of jewelry... The concert was pretty overwhelming for me, but seeing how happy Leina was made it worth it. …Really, Sheryl helped save Akane?"
Banagher looks a bit incredulous, but not disbelieving. Sure, why not? Weren't people talking about Sheryl Nome in the comms during the fight at Dakar, too? ...is Sheryl Nome a pilot, along with a music star?
He pauses, the absurdity of the thought bringing him out of his misery for a moment.
"I don't think that's silly. Wearing the clothes you want, listening to the music you want -- it's signs that you have control over your life, right? It makes sense that the little things would stand out."
Banagher lowers his head at the mention of his dream. His mouth opens once, then closes. He tries again.
"I'd like that." Is all he can manage, in the end. It feels impossible to imagine any sort of hope existing here, especially centering around Banagher himself.
A nod. "It feels disgusting to think of what that Murasame's doing as skill, but... you're right. They could've had her any amount of time before the first deployment."
Banagher clenches his free hand so hard his bones creak, puzzling out the timeline through a haze of fury. Had they taken Leina when Sayla was still missing? How long --
Alouette speaks up again, then, telling Banagher about one of 3G's abilities. He's still, almost as if he hadn't heard her.
"I didn't know --." For the first time, a hint of light sparks in Banagher's eyes. "I had no idea there were programs to help with this kind of torture. That's--!" Banagher's tears fall more quickly for a few seconds, but a smile crosses his face, true and unforced. "That's all I needed to know. There's something that can be done to heal Leina."
"We /will/ get her back to 3G, then." Banagher vows. "And Rikka, as well. Everyone."
Though it fades from his lips, a ghost of Banagher's smile lingers in his eyes. "Tachi-chan. I'll remember, I promise. I'm sure she's going to love it, Alouette."
"My mother was an amazing woman. I hope she can't see me like this." Banagher offers, quietly. "She worked so hard to keep me safe."
Despair hangs heavily around the young man still, but it seems to be easing -- as though Alouette's courage has worn away at it. "You're right. Everyone has light inside of them, and that's what allows Miracles to happen. I couldn't have done it on my own."
"Maybe that's why I can't get through to the Unicorn. I'm trying to do this alone, when before, it took dozens of people. If I had that again..." Banagher goes quiet for a moment. "Maybe we could all get out of here."
"I think you're right, though. We can't trust Martha or Murasame to honor their word. We need some way to force them into doing what we want, or we have to find our own way out of here."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"Concerts were totally new to me until recently.” She knew Leina was a Sheryl fan too… it’s just a shame she’s on hiatus for some months, because it’d be the best thing they could do once they get out of this mess.
"I really like them, though. And I have a lot of respect for the idols for working through so much pressure to put smiles on people’s faces. So I’m glad you two were able to enjoy it too."
“And yes. Obelisk, one of her recent songs, was actually written for Akane. And… Rikka performed for her in Tsutsujidai, while it was blocked off from the world. Unfortunately for that reason, Sheryl /herself/ wasn’t able to make it… but I was able to put together some pretty convincing stage lights and holograms.”
She wonders about Sheryl at Dakar too. Was it some PR thing gone horribly wrong when the place turned into a battlefield? She hopes she’s doing alright, she was captured before she could see what happened to Sheryl’s machine.
She also looks genuinely happy that 3G’s ability to decondition brings hope to Banagher. “There are. And as one of the people they saved, I’m living proof of it.” She smiles. “If I can simply pay it forward by giving others that chance… I’m satisfied.” Besides rescuing Guy and Mikoto, that’s another reason she joined 3G at all.
“Hehe…” she grins, but also flushes, as Banagher repeats the nickname she cooked up for Sho. Just thinking about that, gives her hope as well. She can’t let herself be stuck in a place like this as long as she put something /THAT/ embarrassing out there unashamedly.
“She sounds like it,” Alouette agrees about Banagher’s mother, but from the sound of it… she’s no longer alive. “I think even if she can, she’s wishing for your safe return home.” And that’s enough of a reason for it right?
“Exactly. Coming up with a miracle like that is going to require all of us. That’s why I know we can make it. Everyone else here… the only person they really have on their side is themselves. It’s going to be hard… but let’s just stay strong until we can put that miracle together.”