2024-04-19: Civility
- Log: Civility
- Cast: Elisa Kafim, Yuliana Kafim, Leina Ashta
- Where: Cafe, Britannia Mainland
- Date: 2024-04-19 (ICly March 0099)
- Summary: Elisa, Yuliana, and a new acquaintance share a meal and a business transaction. But a chance encounter with Leina sends everything off the rails.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Jamilah and Benedetta Saad are a couple who have a lot of money. That's the most important thing to note about them at the moment. A lot of money, and an interest in antiquated technology. Unfortunately, the seller this time required a meeting in person...
Which is why they're at a lovely little cafe in Britannia, sitting at a table with a gentleman with a well-kept beard. Elisa has finished setting down a briefcase beside her chair, which she doesn't intend to take with her when she leaves.
"And it has been a pleasure to meet you," she says, and she does not look like Elisa; she looks like a dark-skinned, black-haired woman named Benedetta. she does have fabulous earrings in green, but that's just a coincidence, surely.
The man smiles back, inclining his head over his meal. "Yes," he says, "I think this is a fine day for the both of us." He has set down a small key drive. "And will become more pleasant still."
She taps a few keys on her phone, and the key drive beeps.
"Very fine," the woman agrees, and looks to her wife. "Don't you agree, my darling?"
It is a lovely evening, warm even here, such tthat eating outside is something of a luxury. The sun is setting, bathing the area in orangey pink radiance. The small tables are glass, the chairs metal. There are large umbrellas above each table.
And the sidewalk is easy to traverse nearby and beside. There are all kinds of people passing, and few paying attention to them.
But for those with eyes to see and ears to listen...
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Jamilah Jamaluddin Sulaiman Saad is a woman whose features are obscured by a light grey niqaab; certainly she must be heavy-set, under her grey and gold abaya, but it's difficult to make out many details. Her hand, resting on Benedetta's arm, is brown and scarred.
She is, of course, Yuliana Kafim, but Britannia doesn't have to know that. Jamilah is a rich foreign national who is happy to patronise Britannian business. For instance...
When her wife looks to her. "I do," she replies, smiling, though the expression's carried through her eyes. Her voice, at least...
Well, it's not like Yuliana's the only mezzo-soprano in the world.
"The meal was lovely," she says, "and I daresay the arrangements will be quite mutually beneficial."
If he doesn't need his Salamis Kais, why, could it really hurt to sell them off?
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
The silent treatment had lasted eighteen minutes, before finally Brisa sighed, and stated, "Alright fine, I'll bite. 'What do you hate about Britannia?'?"
Leina smiled all of a sudden, as she answers, "Why I'm glad you asked!" Brisa took on a look in the moment as if it were 'Why me?'
"The wedding shopping. Britannia's wedding culture is - the actual worst."
Brisa looked over her sunglasses at Leina briefly, her expression with a 'Really?' "You've been dating a month. It's not that serious between you two yet, right?"
Leina gives her an exasperated 'Don't be ridiculous' look before smiling, "My brother's wedding."
"Righttttt. Isn't your brother kind of a-?" "Kind of a?" "Human Trashfire?" "Excuse me? Wow." "Sorry that-"
"He's my Spacenoid trashfire."
Three others of the security detail, three other women in business dress, mostly suits were off clearing the area around the cafe, as part of their routine, before given the goahead.
"I'm gonna start ordering while they do the rounds." She'd already coordinated food for all of them, by text.
That's when Leina entered the cafe, in a business casual herself. Rolled up sleeves on a light blue button down blouse, a long below the knee layered skirt in navy blue, a pair of smart flats.
A waiter passes by the couple, the Saad's, it's an ordinary event, it's part of their job. He doesn't understand...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NdtMA5_9Hg
that he's entered the void
His presence vanishes, he vanishes. As far as Leina can tell, he ceases to exist. Leina Ashta stops, turns, and looks at the waiter.
As he returns.
Leina eyes Jamilah from behind. She turns towards her, eyes curious. A step.
Another step.
"Yuliana?"
One by one, four women begin to realize that the cafe wasn't as clear of threats as they thought it was.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
"Heh heh heh..." The man laughs, as if from a funny joke. "You are a pleasant pair. I hope we can do more business in the future."
Elisa smiles. She has the normal amount of teeth.
"But I--"
'Yuliana?' Leina says, and Elisa notices her voice. She says to the man, "But I think it is time we parted."
He looks a little nervous. "...I agree," he says. "Until next time, Mrs. Saad."
He stands up--and moves to take the briefcase as he walks past Leina, a little hurriedly.
Elisa gestures to his chair. "Come," she suggests. "Sit."
"It will ensure there is no unpleasantness."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Yuliana does note the presence of a Newtype in the cafe, of course -- though she tries not to pay attention to that gnawing sensation that something should be there and isn't, and what's left behind is looking through.
Leina may note -- even with her obscuring clothing -- that her head tilts, just so, and then focuses forward again.
At least, until --
'Yuliana?'
-- Elisa feels her wife's fingers tighten, around her arm.
It's close enough to her apparent name that the man could, perhaps, excuse it as a little casual racism -- just not entirely remembering what her name is. Wouldn't that make sense, in Britannia? "Be well," she smiles, to the businessman, as he hurries off. It doesn't quite reach her eyes this time.
Once he's gone, she tilts her head.
"How... lovely to see you," she says, to Leina, though her words are markedly stiff. "I've not seen you since Ahmed's wedding, wasn't it? What a wonderful time..."
(The last time Yuliana saw Leina, she was showing her some of her art therapy in the Photon Power Labs. A single, staring eye, its tendrils choking out the canvas.)
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
There are six cameras on this street. Two are fake, aren't even hooked up. A deterrence by their presence. Three aren't even remotely facing the right direction now, but one will shortly.
And one is - catching the glimpse of the man brushing past Leina Ashta right now.
Right now - not important.
Not a priority.
Later.
Brisa has reached inside of her coat, and has spoken into an earpiece.
"That sounds right." She says to Yuliana's statement, it doesn't even sound stiff. Perhaps it's the benefit of someone who's practiced acting before.
It's a natural.
"It was a lovely time, I still remember the Henna design you had painted on your right hand. Flowers and lace."
Is she even EXPANDING the lore for Yuliana's story? It is perhaps easier than thinking of art therapy. But Leina smiles at Elisa, dropping her voice just subtly.
"Well that's kind of the problem." Leina says with a shrug, and a smile, "Me sitting I think ensures there will be some. It means people will think I'm under threat."
All the same, she does it. There's no reason to provoke something uncivil. Her purse she puts over the back of the chair, and she sits down, crossing one leg over another.
"Am I?"
It's asked in a way, where it almost wouldn't be upsetting to her if she was. Even though it is.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Elisa pats Yuliana's hand. The man is nervous enough that he doesn't seem to need to excuse anything. He has definitely been seen. Perhaps his disguise will be enough to save him trouble over all this. ...Perhaps not.
Yuliana is stiff, but Elisa is, if not warm, then at least smooth.
"It was lovely," Elisa says of the design. And then, Leina indicates her trouble, and Elisa laughs gently. "I think that is inevitable now, don't you?"
A pause, and then, "No, you are not. Not today. Today we are guests. We do not wish... 'threat.'"
"Though it is a pity you are not here to learn. There is much and more I would teach." A pause. "Darling, is there anything you wish of our young friend?"
Elisa casually continues, "It is well to see you in good health. And out and about, no less. We, also, enjoy to travel."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"Wasn't it lovely?" Yuliana asks, but distantly, as her gaze falls to her hand on her wife's arm. Her wedding ring is lovely, too, rose gold bands with onyx and diamonds and emeralds. It surely cost a fortune; it fits right into their disguise. She tries to calm herself, feeling Elisa's cool hand on hers.
But this isn't the first time Jamilah has come out into the world. She's been seen, here and there; the records will show it. Her passport has been stamped in Britannia, and the AEU, and in Moralia... she's quite the traveller.
It was all reasonable enough not to be questioned; it's a treasure trove of intel, now they've stumbled over it.
"Of course not," Yuliana answers, immediately, when Leina asks if she's under threat. She and her wife are of one mind, apparently, even if Yuliana is quicker to say it. "We're just having an outing together... we don't mean any harm." Not today, anyway.
She looks to her wife, and her smile is worried. "Don't get me wrong," she says, and says this clearly for any surreptuous ears, "it's not that I'm not pleased to see her, after so long. Of course I've quite missed her company, but... I shouldn't like to cause her trouble. Don't you think we're dragging her away from her work?"
She feels unsafe, anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Well better to make a decision than none at all, don't you think?" Is Leina's easy response to Elisa, as if her standing there, deciding whether to run away or not would in fact - look much worse.
"Hm? Learn? Well actually I am. I don't really come to Britannia for pleasure ... Research for a paper."
She puts up a hand open palm to the side, as if in a dramatic shrug, "Besides I didn't even think you'd be here on business. It kinda has me wondering what business would even interest you enough to conduct it here?"
She does ask Elisa, before noting why that's notable to her, "You're an existential journey that's a bit of a paradox, trying to become closer to the human condition, while deciding that the human condition mostly isn't worthy of your grace."
A roundabout way of saying 'you decided to unplug from this world why are you doing weird business deals in Britannia cafes under false identities.'
Yuliana of course had insisted it's just an outing but - she has eyes, and if she's being made to sit down, why not talk.
She does smile at Yuliana however as she says it's nice to see her, but she can certainly see her unease. This close, she doesn't have her other senses, but the old symptoms otherwise are almost gone.
It's almost like she's far too used to it, save the absence of certain things.
Leina can understand her discomfort. It'll probably only be a few minutes until - they arrive.
She doesn't need to tell Yuliana that, but, her acting like she's under threat might splatter her with her wife's blood, so she tries to keep it calm, casual.
So long as she's low key herself - not fearful - that might not happen.
"You aren't - but I'm gonna be on the clock after this. You know how it is?" Leina looks at Yuliana as if to solicit sympathy, "Debriefing protocol to convince someone I'm not brainwashed after a contact like this - hours."
There is something, apologetic in her eyes, like she's sorry to be so flippant when Yuliana is obviously unsafe, as if she can communicate it.
But it's better than the alternative, far better.
"Your wife looks a little under the weather." She notes, as if to hint them towards another outcome without... escalation.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
"True," Elisa agrees with Leina about decisions. "It is always better to act with decisiveness." She strokes Yuliana's hand; yes, these identities may be a problem, now. She and Yuliana are of one mind on this... meaning no harm.
"Hmm. That could be," Elisa admits, of dragging her from her work. "But it is so rare that we get to entertain her."
Research for a paper. "Studious," Elisa says approvingly, and then smiles. "It is a good question, isn't it?"
A beat, "I've decided to engage more with the world," Elisa says in answer to Yuliana's question. "To get out and about more. To leave my home more. I must interact with people..."
"And do business."
But Elisa can tell, too. She considers leaving on the spot. But Leina speaks.
"Hmmm, yes. They would assume that," Elisa says. "They are really quite unfair to me, don't you think? It's as if they don't think me a civilized woman."
But her wife...
"That is true. I think perhaps we will leave, soon. Would you prefer that, darling? Our meal is concluded. We could go home."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"Good luck with your paper, dear," Yuliana says, whether it's a metaphor or not.
And she assures her, "It's nothing untoward. There are things these people no longer need... we're not doing anything unreasonable making these purchases. It's just something of an art project..." Glancing away, her eyes close, behind her niqaab. "... we must have something for our patron, after all."
The Empress at the End of All Things.
It's a good thing Elisa is trying to keep her calm, through that hand still grasped so tightly.
She looks to Elisa, first, when her lashes unveil those endless green eyes again -- and then to Leina. "I was the one to encourage her," she says, of Elisa's engagement with the world. "I thought there was much she could see, if only she had the chance to see it. We're being quite careful not to cause a fuss... isn't the consideration laudable?" Her pout might not be visible, but it's certainly audible. They don't have to use fake passports to walk around outside!
(It just stops people from causing a fuss.)
She frowns, though, and she is sympathetic, when Leina puts it like that. "That's quite unreasonable," she says, in perfect accord with her wife. "But I regret that they'll interrupt your day, as... as a precaution, like that." 'As well', she almost said, but of course that would give the game away.
And Leina might notice the glances from the corners of her eyes as she tries to identify the sniping routes to the cafe.
Her fingers tighten, around Elisa's arm.
"Yes, I think... I think we had better go. I'm feeling a little lightheaded," and it's not even untrue, with all the pressure of how unfair it is people judge her just for existing bearing down on her. She manages to be apologetic, in her fashion, looking to Leina. "Do excuse the trouble. I didn't... expect to see you here."
She leans on her wife, and says, a touch sullen: "... let's just go, darling."
She can't even eat lunch... without NUNE rounding on her as soon as they realise who she is.
It's not FAIR.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Thanks." She says cheerfully to Yuliana, "I might need it, my teacher is very..." She trails off, like she's deciding on a word choice... "...deep in his bullshit."
She gives Yuliana a momentary look, nodding at the idea of a patron, "A very demanding patron, as I understand." She notes absently, "Perhaps originally Britannian before achieving dual citizenship? It would make sense."
She doesn't mean any harm by saying so, to her it just makes sense - if it accidentally breaks Yuliana's brain some that's an unintended side effect.
It returns in time to her statement, "To do business." She echoes, "Hm." It's like she's thinking on that. Power to open the way? Power to overthrow the Empress? What kind of Earthly power does she need?
What might it cost humanity to get it?
Already this Demi-Goddess feels far too fickle to trust to stay of one mind forever.
Leina makes a soft hum sound, "It is a rare thing, but - it's also just reality." She notes, "It's not that they assume you're uncivil. It's that civility are the rules by which any action is acceptable, so long as they are followed. Take Major Pham - Dr. Devi. They were all quite civil in public, weren't they?"
There's a shrug of her shoulder, "I'm not trying to compare you to them, just to state what civility is. That's at least how I was taught it, in Neo-Zeon. Now... my teacher wouldn't say that certainly. He was quite earnest." Her eyes look up briefly, "Back when I knew him at least."
"Oh not to say it isn't laudable to keep civility a part of your wife's journey." Leina notes to Yuliana, "There's so much potential for a fuss after your wife attacked the Imperial Palace."
As mixed feelings as she might have for assisting the Britannian military from time to time, she can't help but think she made the correct call that day.
"It's - routine." Is eventually all she says of the interruption, because it is what it is, "Just... an intensive routine in my case."
She does nod to Yuliana and Elisa as they decide to go, and under the table her hand has a palm out, because in the distance Brisa is, still considering taking the shot.
Despite everything she's been told.
"It's hardly your fault we crossed paths, who could have predicted I'd come to Britannia for school research."
Rather than just apologize in return straight up, she decides to tell her an anecdote that she might find funny.
"I'm not sure you ever knew, but during all that unpleasantness with Vist, Alexis liked to hang out around me. He did it often enough that he almost blew Vist's cover. ... I had to explain it away, that he was just doing it to get to someone else. Et cetera et cetera. The point is, and you might find this funny."
As she leans forward, just subtly. "Mom gave me something around then - I have a button in my purse, if I really feel threatened then I press it and Domon Kasshu is supposed to show up in four minutes - four. We're at what? Four minutes and change now?"
The hand is still up beneath the table to signal Brisa 'Don't do it.'
"Just imagine - it could have been a Gundam Fight champ that showed up!" Her eyes flick towards Yuliana, "Neo-Japan Champ sure - but I thought, if someone was going to ruin your outing, that'd at least be a fun one for you right?"
It's not her threatening them, it's more just trying to give Yuliana the signal that - no she doesn't feel threatened herself - at least right now, since that didn't happen and every second now that they stay is one second less before a response team shows up.
(And if they did, and something did happen - it'd be very fair, Yuliana.)
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Elisa respects a good paper. ...Well, she used to. Does she now?
It might surprise Leina, how Elisa reacts to that possibility of Britannia. Instead of huffing, or showing insult, or crushing anyone's will--
"Hmph," she says, and rolls her eyes. Like a person!
"Britannia does not have a monopoly on demands," Elisa points out.
Business. But Yuliana shares more of their business, and Elisa does not stop her; it's natural to talk while nervous. And it's fine. "Art is important, isn't it?" she asks. "I've taken up sculpting. Did you know?"
It's true, it's just not the art they're talking about.
"Ah. Zeon," Elisa says, sniffing as if that explains the entire idea Leina is going on right there. "So I suppose it would be better if I lashed out?" she asks, but shows no signs of doing so.
Something funny...
"Alexis, that scamp," Elisa remarks fondly. "A pity he became a problem."
She strokes Yuliana's arm, again. And then--the button.
"That would have been entertaining," Elisa says of Domon Kasshu. "Much more entertaining than those you have now."
"But very well," she says. "But I suppose, if civility is not to their liking..."
"That I should find something else, next time."
Elisa rises to her feet, helping Yuliana up, and begins to turn. There's a perfect shot at her heart, if one chose to take it. But then she extends her hand, and the portal rips open before them, green and black and strange.
"Come, darling. Let us go."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"Huh?" Yuliana blinks, canting her head. "No, that couldn't be..." And one might expect her to start going on a tear about how of course her God isn't Britannian, before she finishes her thought, reassuring her wife in a surprisingly earnest manner: "... haven't you noticed She has an OCU English accent? I doubt a Britannian would have such a thing."
(Leina may not have, but Yuliana has heard the Void speak many times -- and she's a gifted polyglot. She notices the pattern of the words, even if their presence is terrifying.)
She scowls, though, when Leina mentions Dr. Devi and Major Pham. "You saw how he acted," she says, more dour. "... and the Doctor avoided going out in public. Tch..." Beneath her niqaab, her lips purse, resenting the idea that she might share any qualities with Divya. "It's not like we're Titans or anything," she says, out loud, ENTIRELY sulking.
"You would be well within your rights to lash out," she assures her wife, when Elisa wonders if she ought to lash out, "just as you were, at the Palace. But," she sighs, deeply, overburdened, "we didn't come here to cause trouble... still your hand this afternoon, all right?"
Elisa might seem by all rights to be the reasonable one -- but Yuliana is the voice of reason.
And God help you all.
She wrinkles her nose, thinking of Alexis, because evidently she's ended up reflecting on him more poorly. (Because he hurt her, primarily.) "Desperation leads to strange bedfellows, I suppose. But really... I'd be quite embarrassed if an old comrade showed up to fight me like this! You know, darling, I fought with Domon against that Devil Gundam's wretched offspring? Of course, I was still a less experienced officer, back then... so I had to watch him put it all to rights, in the end. But it was really quite impressive!" She was just another REA lieutenant responding to the situation, but her country was quite impressed with her bravery, when she got back.
It rather covered up any bloody questions about her reputation, for a while.
And when Elisa threatens the public -- tellingly -- Yuliana doesn't stop her.
She takes Elisa's hand, rising up, and grasps her arm to steady herself.
"I shouldn't like to meet dear Domon like this," she concludes, as if in explanation. Glancing back to Leina, she says: "Be well, dear. I do hope that they don't interrupt your research too terribly. Perhaps we'll meet again, one day..."
(She's scheduled to go back in a week.)
And she dips her head, and steps through the portal with Elisa, under the Empress's gaze.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Just a large market share." Leina quips back, rather swiftly, after all she's not really a fan of Britannia for more than it's wedding market. Though Yuliana's comment gets an odd look, "Accent? It..." She trails off, then blinks owlishly, "... she's Australian?"
That's a weird fact she'll have to live with, she supposes she could be Kiwi but - no.
She couldn't believe that to ever be true of the Void Divinity.
"I didn't." She answers Elisa on sculpting, but her eyes trail up to Elisa, and-
"You know Alexis once took me for art therapy. Sometimes I wonder, if my work is still out there."
Yuliana protests the characterization, and Leina noted, "Oh the Titans were never civil." Leina notes, "Or subtle, didn't you ever think it strange they used Zeon aesthetics for an Earth recruited military force?"
However, Elisa does ask a question about lashing out, even as Yuliana tries to validate that - and deescalate at once, and Leina's eyes look upon her as she gestures her hand again beneath the table.
There's a prolonged moment of quiet, but then rather than just let Yuliana's statement stand... "How many people do you estimate are on this street?" She asks as she looks away, out to the street.
"A hundred-? At least? Their lives must seem so small to you. But - anyone here could have been Yuliana, by an accident of birth."
It's a simple statement of fact to her in the end, "Before you perceived her - would she have borne the same significance as anyone else here?"
They're all casual questions, meant to defuse a fickle will, indeed - she is unconvinced that Elisa might not do that just to teach her a lesson.
And it can only matter if she told her her motives for asking this way.
"Scamp is... a word, for him." She notes, a little sullenly. Does she mourn him in a way? But, she shrugs to her with a rueful smile, "Hey give Commander Avery some credit. He's a great conversationalist. You shouldn't all assume we're like our President, that's the lifelong military discipline at work. Besides - I feel like Yuliana's father and him would get along splendidly."
In the end, the portal appears, and the screaming starts, tables start being overturned as people start scattering, and- the two depart.
Though the screaming wasn't from that, it was the sudden sounds of jump jets as six Beguir Pentes land in the middle of a Britannian street.
Leina sighs, as her skirt flaps under the table from the sudden presence of the nearby engine, murmuring-
"Our lives are small." She notes again, up against the machines that tower far above the area, and it's people, remembering how she felt when she first saw them as a child.
And first saw them used to kill people.
Brisa finally approaches, and the other three climb down, apparently each of them had moved to a vantage to give her cover - just in case hostilities broke out.
"They're gonna have my head." "They will not-" "You sat down at the table with them."
Leina looks at her like she's sprouted another head, "Yes? What was the alternative?" "Run!" "And if she'd killed everyone on the street in retaliation?" "Then you'd still be alive!"
Leina scoffs at that, pointing to herself as if to say 'I AM alive' before smoothing out her skirts as she stands up, one of the lead mobile suit pilots opening the hatch and calling down.
"You think you could have stalled them a little longer!?" Squinting, she puts a hand on her hip and calls out while looking up, "Please, you weren't going to kill Elisa Kafim. Now that you're here though... pull the footage from any cameras on the street. We need to run an ID on the man who bumped into me about five minutes and change ago."
A coincidence perhaps - but also a lead.
"Work fast enough and he may not even make it out of town."