Delicate

a 3xR story

Chapter 1 My Reputation's Never Been Worse

AC 200

Relena bailed out from what might have been her tenth meeting in three days. It was a chaotic time to be the ESUN's representative right now. If a couple of years ago, uprisings on freedom were rampant, this time, name any issue, any cause and there would be a group fighting for it. People knew how much they fought for this peace and freedom and they intend to stake their claim on it. Everyone has something to say, everyone was oppressed in one way or another. People on Earth, question the efforts put into the Mars Terraforming Project, asking if the Earth was so hopeless that funds are pouring for the red planet. People in the colonies, levy for more representation, they want to be heard and treated not as 'naturalized earthlings' but as a new race of humans with a superior knowledge in technology. The list goes on.

Relena wondered how it got this complicated. Only now did she realize what the soldiers had been telling her all along. That the battles of the soldiers were far easier than the battles fought by politicians, like her. For them, it was about killing and taking the enemy out, simple and straightforward. Identify the enemy and defeat him. But, for her, there was no enemy, if there was, it was some abstract ideal, the people she had to represent has come up with. Defeat inequality. Fight poverty. Provide representation. And there was no single way to do one thing without somehow compromising another group's belief.

At twenty, Relena was dubbed as a mature, young woman. From being the beacon of peace when she was 15, to providing a new hope for a new habitat at 17 and now, she was expected to understand this multitude of new age concepts and rally for the championing of these causes.

It made her want to just self detonate.

Relena stared at the ceiling of her room, just as she notified Pagan that she won't attend this particular meeting where conservatists condone the use of endemic plants on Earth for Mars. She was trying to see their reason but she just can't understand why they would not want Mars to flourish just as the Earth has. They said, it was like, 'playing God'. Relena found that to be stupid. But, of course, she could not say that. She was fed up. It was impossible.

She used to love these people. These people who wished for peace. These people who longed to live and let live. 'Why can't everyone just get along?' she thought to herself, as she buried her face to her pillow.

Soon, enough, her phone rang. It was her private line. This was probably Milliardo or Noin, worried again why she missed another appointment.

"Relena, you have to at least listen to these people." Noin pleaded. "They're one of the oldest allies of the Sanq Kingdom. Can't you just fake it like before? Please,"

They must have turned to Noin to get to her. "Tell them I'll meet them after lunch." She sighed defeated. It was hard to say 'no' to Noin.

"The Earth is a sacred place, the flora and fauna here was meant to remain here. We cannot 'play God' and force to recreate another world in a barren planet."

There was that phrase again that just made Relena's ears bleed. 'Playing God'.

'Who are they kidding? If they were playing God by trying to provide a new means of sustaining life on Earth, weren't the humans from centuries ago who made all this medical breakthroughs playing God too?'

Another conservatist, an old lady, with pouty lips and gray hair with streaks of silver in it added to the earlier comment, "How would the animals survive there? We cannot sacrifice them. The plants though we cannot understand them have roots that have embraced this Earth and this planet alone. It would be—-"

BLAG!

Relena struck the hardwood conference table with her palms. All her fury and impatience concentrated on the action, causing it to be louder than what she intended to. And she chose to let go.

"I think all of you are entitled and small-minded to even think that people behind this idea of providing life at Mars is playing God. Just because you have monopolized and lavishly enjoyed the Earth's resources, you cannot even spare a little of it to those who have known nothing but hunger and poverty! I think you are nothing but selfish aristocrats who fear that the peasants who used to work for you and obeyed all your wishes will now have the chance to live in abundance!"

And the room was silent. Relena was immediately escorted out of the conference hall. The foreign minister told Relena to rest for a week.

To be continued...

A/N: Hi! I finally gave in and started my 1st 3xR fic! I love that this ship has finally sailed and I'm all for it! I got so inspired with Taylor Swift's latest song, Delicate. The song is on loop as I am writing this fic. I love the message of the song and the vulnerability and tenderness conveyed in the lyrics and even in the sound. I imagine dark streets, quiet moments, mysterious backdrops amidst a budding romance.

I would love to hear your thoughts and please bear with me as I attempt to depict Relena and Trowa in here. I have read several stories on this site and there were a lot of different ways the authors depicted these two, this is my personal touch. I hope you appreciate it. Thanks!

I do not own Gundam Wing and the song, Delicate and even Taylor Swift. But, I love all of them! And they inspire me so much!