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 Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 6:27 pm
The day after everything had happened, after the world ended, after her illusions shattered, Ana brought Rosie to work with her, begging Evan to let her stay until closing as there was someone chasing her…not…true. Not true yet at least but…it wouldn't be untrue for long either.
She worked hard as she always did and slipped Rosie food when she could, grinning and offering falsely cheerful smiles whenever she could.
By the time it was closing time, Ana pulled the window shut and looked to Evan, watching him as he worked at cleaning the equipment.
“Evan, I hope you don’t mind too much…but I need a favor, if you could…?”
She glanced at Rosie and nodded slightly. They were safe in here. Nobody could see now that the truck was closed. She could power up just like they talked about.
“I’ve heard that you have people that can help…well. Rosie…Ilse needs help. So I hope you’ll bring her to those friends, please. I don’t want to think about her getting hurt. I love her too much for that.”
It didn’t out herself, obviously. It didn’t draw too much attention to the fact that she knew things that Evan had told Lysithea…but at the same time, she knew that Evan wasn’t stupid.
“Please? Will you help her for me?”
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 8:19 pm
Rosie was antsy, to say the least. Everything had gone very sideways for her, and she was running from the Negaverse once again--but this time, it was with much more planning, and much more help. And she got to spend the day at a food truck, with Ana's very nice friend, and there was food, so it was at least better than a dark alley and a youma attack.
She did her best to stay out of the way, but she paid attention to everything going on, especially since she expected she might have to work somewhere not too unlike this once she had a new life. After all, Rosalie Lund would be gone, whether she remembered her or not.
That was a little sad. She'd announced her retirement on Twitter, her retreat from the spotlight to tend to her own mental health, and the supportive messages ticked in, but so did the confused ones, and the downright hateful ones. Finally, she'd had to log off twitter, and put her phone into the bag of her clothes she'd brought with her, shoved at the very bottom so she wouldn't be tempted to check it again, and she retreated into a game on her Switch, chasing down a happy ending with a handsome man with long blue hair.
And finally, the food truck was closing up, and it was time.
She took a deep breath, saved, and shut down her game, shoving it back into her bag.
"I'm sorry to impose," Rosie said softly, "but I tried to leave before, and....it didn't work, and I ended up trapped for a lot longer than I wanted to be in the Negaverse. I'm lucky to have someone helping em this time."
The same person who had helped her before.
She produced her henshin pen, took a breath, and powered up.
"I guess...it's time?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 8:16 am
Evan had, of course, accommodated Ana and Rosie’s request. He assured her that he knew what it was like to have trouble after you, and she was welcome to stay in the truck and out of sight until they could work things out.
He didn’t ask many questions, though. He didn’t know if he wanted to know the answers, or if things were just too personal. He was quiet for most of the day, diligent.
When Ana started talking to him, at first he was oblivious. Not because he couldn’t figure it out, but because he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions.
Except–oh, s**t. She was a Negaverse Senshi.
Ana was dating her. Ana trusted him? To help? Why?
No, he wasn’t going to think about it, he was just going to do it.
He nodded, sort of numbly at first. Things were clicking into place, rushing.
“Um. I can do that,” he said after a few seconds. “It’s not imposing. No, you–yeah, no. This is a good thing. Do you–are you ready, like, right now? Or like, do you need some place to stay to get things ready first, or…?”
His eyes darted to Ana inquisitively, worriedly, because he didn’t know exactly how she fit in, but–
He had every reason to be worried.
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Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 5:00 pm
Ana watched as Ilse transformed from her simple Rosie and gave a pleased sigh, drinking in the sight of her for one last time, and she shook her head. “Nah. She’s good to go with you now, Evan. She has everything she wants with her, and there are a few things at my place still that I could bring to work if need be…but. She needs out.” She gazed at the senshi and sighed softly. “He’s seen now, Ilse, go ahead and power down so nothing comes to fight off the “bad guy” attacking the food truck…”
Swallowing thickly, Ana moved forward and drew the senshi into her arms, hugging her fiercely. “...I’ll miss you. I love you.”
Maybe she would see her again sometime soon, honestly…she didn’t know but. Regardless, Ilse would be safe, and that was what mattered right now.
Faustite would go…insane she was sure and…well.
Ilse wouldn’t be caught in the crossfires now. It was fine.
“You’re going to be okay, I promise. Evan is wonderful, and he’ll see that you get out and get all the protection that you need. I’m sure of it.”
…Even if…well. What happened to herself wasn’t Evan’s fault, she was sure about that.
…After all, he was just a human. Just a civilian.
Blissfully normal.
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Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 5:42 pm
Ilse nodded at Ana's explanation. "I got everything important. Didn't really think I'd have time to make more than one trip." she sighed, briefly, for all the things she'd left behind--cosplays she'd spent hours on, half-finished pieces, the majority of her photography and streaming equipment. Her desktop, though she'd wiped it clean and its contents were stored on an external in her bag.
But she was here. She had her files, and her notes, and she would have whatever of her memories she retained, and she would no longer be in service to the people that had taken her and Ana and tried to break them and make her into something they weren't. She would get a second chance.
At the request, she powered down, back into Just Rosie, because it was true that they didn't need to make things any more complicated.
When Ana pulled her into a hug, Rosie went easily, squeezing her in her arms and taking a deep, slightly shaky breath.
"I love you, too," she said, voice soft and a little trembling. She knew that tears were threatening to well up and over, but she didn't want to cry--didn't want to make this any harder than it had to be. "We'll find each other again."
It was a promise, whispered into Ana's hair, for her and no one else.
She stepped away, and turned to Evan.
"If Ana trusts you, I trust you. So...if we need to go somewhere else, that's fine."
And she should probably contact Mikellos, but she didn't want to make things more complicated for this poor civilian that was helping her escape. So she would do that after, and they could figure out the next step in their plan.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2022 9:58 am
Evan’s stomach was churning and he felt nervous about watching this obviously private scene. He understood how important that it was to help, but this wasn’t for him.
He looked away while they said their goodbyes, because it was the only bit of privacy that he could offer in the small food truck. For a moment, he just rubbed at his arm and scrutinized his absolutely spotless counter as if finding a single speck would ruin him. When Rosie spoke to him, he jerked his attention back to the two and nodded.
“It’ll be okay,” he promised. “I’ll send out a few texts and see who we can get to help. I’m going to drop the truck off at home, but you can come sit with me. Um, be safe, Ana, okay? But–Rosie, you’ll be okay. We’ve got this. I know some good people.”
He drew in a steadying breath and gave his best effort to smile. “It’s gonna be okay. Promise.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2022 8:04 pm
Ana swallowed hard and shoved her hands deep into her jacket pockets. It was going to be okay…she’d never see Rosie again…but..but it was going to be okay.
She lost her Cleeia, her brother and now her girlfriend all in the span of two days, but it was going to be okay. She was going to be okay.
..She didn’t have much of a choice at this point to be anything other than okay.
Swiftly, Ana glanced at Evan and gave a nod. “See you Friday for my next shift Evan. And thank you for this. Rosie would be fine, safe. Ilse would be fine and safe…Faustite wouldn’t be able to reach her….and now…all Ana had to do was get through the next afternoon and night alone so that she could go and confront her brother.
…This was fine. It was all just.
…Fine.
Without another word she left the food truck, leaving the two to do whatever had to be done.
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