2022-02-04: Espella Family Breakfast
- Cutscene: Espella Family Breakfast
- Cast: Jude Espella, Felicia Espella
- Where: Espella Family Home, Area 11
- Date: February 4, 2022
- Summary: The Espellas have a heated argument over breakfast.
Jude had two days to stew. Her anger was boiling. Science. Science was that NERV pilot's reason for hurting her precious Gikogilar.
She had barely touched her cereal. Felicia wasn't very attentive all the time, and wasn't awakened whatsoever, but even she could sense the emotion coming off her daughter, sitting across the dining room toast with a bagel and lox.
"Jude. You need to eat - you won't have time on the way to school."
Jude finally looked up from her dry chocolate cereal and stared her mother in the eyes, dark meeting dark. "I'm not going."
Felicia sighed. This wasn't the first time, but usually it was assignment-related.
"Why not?"
Jude's tone went cold.
"I'm going to crush NERV."
For Felicia, the world stopped for roughly thirty seconds. Her bagel lingered in her hand, lox ever so steady on top, as she finally realized what her daughter had said. A normal mother would be appalled. Felicia thought Jude was foolish.
"You're skipping school...to take on the Federation's anti-kaiju wing...with one of your pets?"
Jude's anger rose, as she dropped her spoon. "They're not pets. I've told you, mother, they're my friends."
"And they're not strong enough. That Oz told you to lay off them - either listen to his advice, or perhaps allow me to-" Felicia was cut off.
Jude knew her mother's intent. 'Allow me to use my science, make them stronger.'
"No! They're perfectly fine the way they are! Without you, or Gelfand, or Becker, or anyone else messing them up!"
Felicia's glasses glinted as she placed her bagel down and put her palms together.
"And that's why three were injured in a week, in decisive losses?"
"I've still got my trump-" Jude stammered in frustration, but was cut off.
"You're going to fail. Just go to school. Bring up the plan of attack with Pygman, or Brocken, or Ashura." In roughly that order, Felicia thought.
But her reason was cut off by her cynical biting words. Jude pushed her bowl aside, causing it to clatter, as she forced her way out of her chair.
"Shut up!" Jude shouted, grabbed her bag from the nearby shelf, and stumbled her way to the front door.
"Jude!" Felicia called out, but was met with only the slamming of the door.
Felicia crushed her palm into a fist. She'd have to make another excuse to the school - a sick call, probably.
There was no reasoning with her at this stage, after all.