2023-09-18: Lives Entwined
- Log: 2023-09-18: Lives Entwined
- Cast: Rena Lancaster, Anita Rosetta
- Where: Ra Mari II
- OOC - IC Date: 2023-09-18
- Summary: Rena is finally cleared to leave the hospital after her injuries in the Neo Zeong II. Anita is there to help her get back home.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena spent over a week in the medbay. After a few days, she had more freedom to move around -- and used it, just yesterday, to help Anita and the others save Omoikane -- but she ultimately had to stay there until they were absolutely certain that the crystal in her chest wouldn't come loose through ordinary movement.
That would be a very bad outcome, medically.
But just today, she was cleared to go back to her quarters. She is now outside of the medbay, near the automated tram system used for getting around the immense interior of the Ra Mari II. She wears a dark green T-shirt and blue jeans. Her hair is combed, and there's still a bandage on one arm -- where she had an IV -- and she looks better than she did a few days ago.
Her two sports bags lay on the ground by her feet. She is waiting for Anita; she looks at the bags, and her fingers twitch, because she wants to pick them up, but...
The crystal below her collarbone gleams a deep sea blue.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Finally, Rena has been cleared. That's a huge relief. Anita has been worrying about her since the incident, so the moment she hears that Rena is ready to go back, she immediately drops everything to go get her.
...This being Anita, she doesn't really have much to drop on a day when she's not on duty, but it's the principle of the thing, really.
And so, Rena doesn't have to wait for long. Anita arrives shortly, a smile crossing her face at the sight of her. She's really glad to see her up and about.
"Hey, Rena. How're you feeling?" Anita asks with a casual wave as she approaches. She spots the sports bags, then. It doesn't take long to put two and two together."Here, let me get those for you..."
Anita steps over to pick them up.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Annie!" Rena says, almost jogging up to her -- then catching herself, realizing she shouldn't move too fast, and slowing down as she gets closer to her. She reaches a hand out, hand finding Anita's, and she squeezes once.
"I'm feeling better," she says. "Still pretty sore... and I've got lifting restrictions for another week." Rena's eyes shift, down towards her bags.
"Th-thanks," she says. "It'll take a little getting used to."
She tilts her head to the side. "How, um... how are things?"
It's been strange to not see her every day. Living in the same space for the last few months made it strange to have a room by herself again.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita smiles as Rena calls out to her - but she's halfway to suggesting Rena slow down before Rena catches herself. Rena's hand finds hers and squeezes it and, in response, Anita's wraps around it for just a moment.
"That's good..." Anita replies, as Rena says she's feeling better. Sore, though, and she's got lifting restrictions... Anita grimaces. "Yeah, I'd be surprised if you weren't... Lifting restrictions, though. I've been there."
Fortunately, Anita's here to help! She doesn't mind doing the heavy lifting for her while the restrictions are still on. She nods at Rena's thanks, then offers an encouraging smile.
As for how things are... Anita thinks for a moment.
"Things have been okay? It took a little for everything to settle down." Anita replies then shrugs with a small smile. "...That big room's been feeling awfully empty with just me, though."
It looks like that feeling has been mutual.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Yeah... there was still a lot of, um, trauma. Like, the physical kind. From what happened," Rena says. "They said the crystal is secure, but they don't want to risk aggravating the injuries for little bit."
Rena looks her over -- she wonders, for a second, but she can quickly guess when Anita had lifting restrictions.
She watches Anita as she lifts her bags, and then she smiles, and leans against her side. "I bet," Rena says, with a smile. "It was for me, too. I, um..."
Rena hesitates. "...I'm sorry, Annie. I-I know I had to have you worried sick. Through all of this."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
That one earns another grimace from Anita.
"I don't doubt it. Fa told us a little of what was up when we all went to visit you." Anita replies, then nods. "....That's good, at least. I guess they want to make sure everything's had time to heal up and... settle."
Which, she sure doesn't blame them for. She doesn't want to think of what would happen if the injuries opened up again.
Rena leans against her, and Anita leans against her too for a brief moment. So, Rena felt the same way... It doesn't surprise Anita that they both really missed each other. She smiles, though, as Rena apologises, and shakes her head.
"Hey, you don't have to apologize. It's not like you asked for any of this to happen." Anita assures her. "I was worried, yeah... but it's not your fault."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Ah... yeah. I don't remember a lot of it, until... um... I woke up, for the fight," Rena says, with a shake of her head. "I blacked out the moment it happened."
She winces, just with the memory of it. She sighs a little, happily, as Anita leans against her. She missed that. She missed this. Her arm slides around her girlfriend's waist, and she stays that way as they make their way onto one of the trams.
She looks at her, Rena's mouth opening for a moment.
"I..." She hesitates. "...I knew it was dangerous. I was told it was dangerous. I feel like I should have done more."
She laughs, once. "I-I guess feeling guilty about it is very 'me,' though."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"...Yeah. That doesn't surprise me. It seemed like it was, uh. A lot." Anita replies. With everything that happened...
Rena sighs - and Anita seems similarly content as Rena slides an arm around her waist. She missed this, too.
They make their way onto the tram and, conveniently, finding a seat lets her set Rena's bags down for a moment, allowing her to take Rena's free hand. She smiles, as Rena laughs about feeling guilty being very 'her'.
"Maybe just a little. But... I think you did everything you could've done." Anita replies, with a small laugh of her own. "It's also like you to try, even knowing how dangerous it was, because you cared. 'Cause you wanted to help people who were suffering. And that's something I love about you."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Yeah... yeah, it was. I'm okay, though," Rena says. Her voice is quiet. "I'm back here, with all of you. And... and you came for me. Everyone did."
She sits down, with Anita, and her fingers squeeze Anita's. She looks at her, her brown eyes peering into Anita's blue. She smiles a little bit, before she tilts her head. Did she try everything she could?
She can't argue. And, in the end, they helped the ghosts pass on. Rita survived; word came to her about that. But then Anita finishes explaining, saying what she loves about her, and Rena bites her lip. Her eyes have a few tears in them.
She hugs Anita, leaning her head against her shoulder. She hisses, once -- it stings a little -- and then she smiles. "A-Annie," Rena stammers. "I'm... I'm glad. I wanted to do the right thing, but... I worried that I hurt you, hurt Eight, hurt everyone who cared about me."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
She's okay. And... she's back, with them. Anita offers her an encouraging smile.
"Honestly, I was about ready to charge right back in there, but a lot of stuff started happening and Enba had to convince me that it was better to deal with that situation first so we could all come back to help you together..." Anita admits with a small laugh. That's a pretty hot-headed maneuver for Anita... it's no wonder that it took an even cooler head than her own to get her back on track.
They sit down, and as Rena looks into her eyes, Anita looks back, hand held in hand. Rena hugs her, and Anita wraps an arm around her - though at that hiss, Anita adjusts her body just help avoid any risk to the crystal.
Rena worried that she hurt them all... Anita offers her a small smile.
"I'm not gonna lie, it was a rough situation for everyone." Anita admits. "But we know that hurting us isn't what you wanted. You were hurting, too. I can't speak for Eight or anyone else, but... I'm just really glad you're still with us. That's all that matters to me. We can figure out how to address everything else as we go."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena laughs a little. "Th-that sounds like you," she says. "I'm glad you didn't. There was a lot happening, and..." She shakes her head, before she smiles. "I don't need to tell you. But... I'm glad you wanted to come for me."
She smiles, her head tilting a little bit to the side.
She wipes at her eyes, with her fingers.
"Y-Yeah," Rena says. "I... I'm glad you know that. And I know. We'll... we'll figure it out. Together," she says. Then, she leans forward, her forehead resting against Anita's. "But..."
She pulls back a little. "I love you," she says. "You... you came for me. And I don't ever want to be apart from you like that ever again. I don't want you to worry you'll be alone, again."
She remembers what she told her, outside of Denver Colony.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Rena says that sounds like her, and Anita laughs, too. They really have each other figured out, huh...? She nods, though.
"Yeah... It was for the best I didn't." She agrees, looking a bit sheepish for a moment, before smiling back. She's glad... it feels nice to hear that.
"Together." Anita agrees, leaning her head against Rena's in turn. Rena pulls back a little. Her words... Anita remembers them, too. She remembers how warm they made her feel - and even now, she gets choked up a little as Rena assures her. The assurance that she won't have to worry she'll be alone...
Eventually, though...
"...I know." Anita replies. "I love you too, I..."
She hesitates for a second.
"If anything does happen, I'd chase after you again as many times as it took. And I know you'd do the same for me."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena reaches her hand up, fingers resting on Anita's cheek. She watches her, her thumb gently brushing across her cheek. Her eyes blink a couple of times.
"I know," Rena replies, her voice kept quiet. She is glad that no one else is in this tram -- and that the trip takes a little time. She leans back in, closer to Anita.
"I would," she says. She smiles. "I--I'd go to the ends of the Earth Sphere for you, Annie. I, um..."
She leans her head down, resting it back on Anita's shoulder. She has to shift a little to keep herself comfortable, but it's easier this time. "...Our lives are entwined. Wherever you go, I'm with you. Now and forever, Annie."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Rena rests a hand on her cheek, thumb gently brushing across it. Anita rests her hand over hers, eyes shutting for a moment as she leans into the touch.
And Rena, too, knows, and confirms what Anita knows - that she'd go to the ends of the Earth Sphere for her. Still... actually hearing that means the world to her. Rena rests her head on her shoulder, and Anita rests her head on her, too.
Their lives are entwined. Where she goes, Rena will be with her...
"Now and forever." Anita agrees.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Having Anita rest her head on her like that gives Rena a warm feeling that she wouldn't trade for anything. She wraps both of her arms around her, staying still like that. She keeps herself at a careful angle, to not bother her wound.
"I'm so lucky," she says, quietly. "That I found you."
And many other things. That she got to know Eight. That she went to Winter Wonderland. That she was reunited with Leina. That she made all of the friends she did.
But right now, it's one thing that she feels most grateful for.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Rena wraps her arms around her and, carefully, Anita wraps one around her as well.
"I think we're both pretty lucky. We musta done something right, to be able to meet each other like this." Anita replies.
There was a time when she never even could've imagined that she'd have a chance to feel like this. But now... that's a fear she knows she'll never have again.