2022-08-09: Describing a Sunset

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<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Tsutsujidai used to be a relatively obscure place. People who went there generally went there by accident. However, over time, those accidents became intent. Those of that world, and those of the outside world, mixed more and more--until the Chaos Breaker effect took place, and now Tsutsujidai threatens to mix with the real world too.
        
        Before that happened, Kaworu and Yuta had talked about Akane and learned that each of them knew the truth of who and what she is. They'd agreed that they should tell their respective friends about it, but Kaworu had deferred to Yuta on if and when to actually do it--and then gotten shot shortly thereafter. And shortly after he recovered enough to leave the hospital, Tsutsujidai went from their friends' problem to everyone's problem.
        
        So the best thing is to tell everyone. If everyone has the same understanding, then they can improve how they approach Akane herself... especially since she's doubled down on being the villain of her own story.
        
        Kaworu and Yuta have thus reached out to their respective organizations--NERV and the Shuffle Alliance--and to people outside those organizations who are known to be involved, like a certain ZAFT agent. Nouvelle Tokyo is as neutral ground as they're going to get, and Kaworu's used his influence as a NERV administrator to rent a large meeting room in a generic office building. There's a whiteboard in the back and everything.
        
        Kaworu, for his part, is dressed in his school clothes, despite having used his influence as an administrator and also school being out for the summer: a white dress shirt, a violet undershirt, tucked into belted black pants, and popped gray sneakers. His right arm is in a sling, and a wooden walking cane with an ergonomic metal handle hangs on the table near his seat. He's seated at the back as Yuta greets those who arrive, busily drawing up a diagram on the whiteboard.
        
        AKANE SHINJO is at the center in red marker, circled; under it, he's written "The God of Tsutsujidai." Over Akane's name, also in red, is written "Tsutsujidai," which for some reason is not circled but enclosed with a heart that links to Akane's bubble. Akane's bubble then links over to another circled name to the left, this one black: "The Devil of Tsutsujidai." The connecting line says in red, 'Designs Kaiju,' and in black, 'Brings Kaiju To Life.' Another circle branches down from these two in purple, circled around "Anti." Several other arrows splay out from Akane to various names of Tsutsujidai residents; the Gridman Alliance kids are written in blue, while some of their classmates, like Ako and Marusan, are written in green. Over them all, in red, is written: "Akane's creations."
        
        Kaworu's still working on it as people come in, but people can probably start to get an understanding as they settle in. Or get very confused. Either or.

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

As Kaworu works at the whiteboard, Yuta stands by the door to the office room. Much like Kaworu, he's wearing his own school uniform -- has he ever wore anything else? Each guest and ally gets a little wave and a greeting, focused on a few particular points.

First, there are refreshments in the back of the room. It's a nice spread, everything from sweet treats like cookies and mini brownies to salty snacks like popcorn and pretzels. Drinks are present as well. There's a good number of water bottles, arranged like little soldiers in formation, along with a few soda bottles from Tsutsujidai itself. Each one seems to have a marble stuck inside. Weird.

Second, Yuta hands each person a piece of scratch paper and a pen. "In case you get an idea while someone else is talking." He explains, with a smile. "Or just to take notes, if you want."

And third, remember not to speak the Devil of Tsutsujidai's name. Yuta gently reminds each guest that the Devil can somehow listen in whenever his name is written or spoken, and it's of the utmost importance that he not eavesdrop on their planning meeting.

"Please sit wherever you like!" Yuta says, bowing politely.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

A meeting to discuss Tsutsujidai, Akane, and Alexis... Rikka isn't particularly excited about it, admittedly, but it's probably something she should be at even if she isn't really feeling it. She arrives early, not long after Yuta if not with him, and offers Kaworu a nod of greeting as she takes a moment to look him over and see how he's recovering.

She grabs a bottle of water rather than any of the soda from the refreshment table - she can't stand the carbonated stuff. She takes a seat, and that's when her eyes track to the whiteboard.

...Akane's creations...

Yeah, she came face-to-face with that reality not too long ago. She was made like this, to be her friend, from the very beginning...

...She's a little more subdued than usual. It's been rough. 

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime tends to show up to these exposition periods but she doesn't really have much else to share. This is like the Fifth Meeting she's had which coincides with it being run by the Fifth Child. What are the odds of that?

Actually there's one things she knows she hadn't ended up sharing but mostly because that felt like Kaworu's job to talk about. There was always the risk of a Chaos Bringer event and once people treated going to Tsutsujidai as part of every day life--perhaps this result was inevitable.

Nidaime happily bounces up on top of the table and scootches out all the way to the front by pushing with her hands and butt until she gets there and then she kicks her legs back and forth.

"Hi Kaworu!!" Nidaime says. "I'm so happy to see you again!!"

She looks to Yuta. Okay maybe there's a second thing but--

Yuta hands Nidaime a piece of paper. She balances the pen on her nose and starts chewing on the scrap paper.

"I want you to know that Anti's doing great! He learned to not drink the pool water! Eheheehee, I remember when I drank pool water."

She beams. "Did you know Kaworu..."

"It doesn't taste like water at all! It tastes gross!!!" 

<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.

Chibodee is here. He doesn't understand entirely what he's doing but he never does. Right now, he's here to protect Anti -- a victim of the Devil Gundam, in his mind -- and Nidaime, who has shown him the virtues that to him are at the heart of the Shuffle Alliance.

Chibodee wears the same stuff every day. He's clean, tidy, and smells like cheap detergent, but he's here. He examines the whiteboard with some scrutiny. There's worry in his eyes as he traces the diagram. Are more people in terrible danger? What might this person do if they have the Devil Gundam's technology?

Chibodee goes back to the snack table and gets some pretzels and a bottle of water. He's got to think this out, figure out where he's got to plant his knuckles. All of this has so many moving parts. Why won't the Crest just point to what he's got to do?

Chibodee smuggles Nidaime some pretzels. This much he knows helps.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Liam came prepared for a meeting. He copied down his notes on actual paper, put them in a sealed paper folder, and left with ample time for transit. He put on his NERV jumpsuit and beret, took the train to Nouvelle Tokyo, and found the building and room. He looks every bit the soldier as he walks in, tall and burly and uniformed, his head clean-shaven. There's even appropriate intelligence sealing on the dossier: BURN AFTER READING.

        With a nod of gratitude to Yuta, he approaches the snacks, acquires a lemonade and some cookies, and--

        Turns to see Akane Shinjo's name on the board, with all the details spiraling out around it. Liam freezes for a good three seconds, eyes wide and darting from point to point. He adjusts the paper packet, but doesn't open it--yet. He thinks back to the young woman in the Starbows who knew BioNet, and offered to keep him safe. His throat tightens.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Riika Sheder had an interesting time getting here. Getting to Tsutsujidai? Not too bad for her - even easier now than it was before, but it was always a convenient place and time to meet.

Nouvelle Tokyo, as a ZAFT agent? Not so much.

But she did make it. It may be a little worrying to the Federation types as to that a ZAFT agent could infiltrate a major city, but it's not like she has anything to cause an issue. It's a lot easier to infiltrate when you don't have any weapon more dangerous than a pocket knife and didn't bring your Mobile Suit.

Riika shows up not in uniform. The colour of the day is green; her blouse is a pleasant green, her skirt black, her tights dark forest. Her hair is its usual red-auburn, though, and her glasses have their faintly pink-tinted lenses in place. In Tsutsujidai she might have worn the ZAFT pin, halfway between a stylized hourglass and a Z with a line through it, but she left it at home before she came to Nouvelle Tokyo. She's not quite that foolish. She was in a better disguise most of the way down, but here she'd better be herself and identifiable.

She is, perhaps, a little surprised at the sheer variety of people here. Most of them are younger than she is (a whopping nineteen) which she isn't sure what to think about at all. "Hello," she says, perhaps taken aback by the... informality? Not that ZAFT goes in for ranks and such, but they tend to be professional nonetheless. Mostly.

She accepts paper without objection, but gives Yuta a slightly long look as she passes, en route to the table. Her seat is completely randomly placed. She isn't trying to end up near, or away, from anyone in particular. Riika figures two thirds of them will know she's ZAFT but has no idea who, if anyone, will cause difficulty because of it; best to just act as if she belongs, and then maybe she will.

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

        Not too long ago, Tsutsujidai was simply a place of rumor and speculation to Aurum-1. She engaged first in an investigation... and then later a battle, taking place within the strange sub-dimension. Only now it is not a sub-dimension any longer? She remembers watching through one of her ReZEL's optics the strange new PLANT growing small in the distances. Though its nature was perhaps the furthest thing on her mind at that point...

        ... Ouka Nagisa was punctual, as always. She came carrying not much more than herself, clad in her Boosted Child battle dress uniform. She has less reason to dress in her school uniform now that Tokyo-3 Municipal is out of session. As she walks into the room she regards Kaworu briefly, a relieved smile coming to her face. This is the first time she has been in the same room with him since the assassination attempt against him. Should he come to regard her in turn though... she'll not hold his gaze, instead turning away feeling a pang of shame.

        In turn her gaze comes across Yuta and she gives the young looking boy an appraising look. First he directs her to get a refreshment... her eyes glance across the spread, particularly the sweets. Maybe she should try to sneak some to Seolla? Regardless she just takes the water bottle for now. Then she blinks as he hands her a piece of scratch paper and a pen. 'In case you get an idea while someone else is talking.' Thanks to her conditioning Ouka doesn't need to put her ideas to paper... but by the time she decides to return the items he is already directing her to sit down. Thus, with water bottle and pen and paper in tow, Ouka moves towards one of the chairs and sits quietly.

        She stares now at the board and at the bubble chart. She recalls encountering another chart before, but this one within the bounds of Tsutsujidai being created and curated by the being identified on the white board as the 'God of Tsutsujidai'. Her expression is contemplative... and her words are held to herself.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.


School may be out, but Shinji is also in his school uniform, having unfortunately connected it to NERV as much as attending school. Life did a bit of an upheaval on Shinji, he's grouping a lot of those events together, it's easier. But at least he's not the only NERV representative who did. Not that he wants to think of it as representing anything...

He arrives with the other NERV pilots, including Kaworu, who gets a few glances but not any words. He thanks Yuta quietly for the pen and notes, but doesn't find the courage to sample any food before shuffling off for a place to sit.

This is a lot of people. But it's no worse than school hallways... right?

Shinji's knowledge of Tsutsujidai isn't zero, but it's fractured and, frankly, obscured in anxiety over the whole ordeal. Plus, Akane Shinjo... The name on the whiteboard has been haunting him. Someone to 'save', Yuta said... Shinji hopes that's true, if some of the fears he's been cultivating are correct.

He lets out a sigh louder than he means, brow already furrowed as he puzzles over what information he already has and holds his pen against paper.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Alouette knew this day would come - when Akane Shinjo's activities turned from a personal problem to a professional one. She isn't exactly here to learn - she's known enough ever since meeting Akane in person, but regardless she chose to be here as one of 3G's representatives. As a representative in a professional meeting, she wears her typical uniform, although she is surprised of the atmosphere of the office with all the snacks... perhaps Kaworu is not as formal as she thought. Aside from Kaworu, the other representative is Yuta Hibiki, and although he is taking a cheerful appearance, she wonders if he and her other friends from Tsutsujidai are really holding up okay...

Alouette offers a nod of respect as she greets Kaworu (he IS another of her bosses after all). To those she is familiar with, including Yuta, Rikka, Nidaime, and Liam, she waves with a smile. Yuta offered papers and pens to take notes, but unsurprisingly, Alouette already came prepared with both her chart from Akane as well as her own personal notebook. Additionally, she takes a bottled water, but avoids the snacks.

There are also a lot of unfamiliar faces though, and one side of her wants to "prove" herself to them despite her appearance... but that will have to wait until the meeting actually starts.

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

It's probably just as well that the meeting *isn't* in Tsutsujidai proper, Garrod reflects as he makes his way into the building and then into the room. He's keeping an eye out for familiar faces, just on the off chance that he recognizes anyone - not that he's met most of these people face-to-face. At best, he's heard some of their voices over the radio.

... well, okay, he recognizes two faces. Yuta's is not one of them, but it's hard not to know who Chibodee Crocket is regardless of affiliation, and Nidaime is the one person he can think of whom he's seen outside of a cockpit. (Then again, does the giant turtle even have a cockpit? ... probably not, but kaiju are weird, it wouldn't surprise Garrod if there actually *was* a convenient hollow somewhere on that shell. Although in that case, why would the green-haired girl ride around on the outside?)

"'Sup," Garrod greets Yuta on arrival, nodding politely but still somehow diffidently. He accepts the note paper and the reminder - it'll be easier for him than some; seeing the name written on the whiteboard is literally the first Garrod's even known there *was* a name behind the kaiju. Two names, in fact. But one to Not Be Spoken. Easy enough ... probably.

Garrod grabs a bottle of water ... considers, nabs one of the marble-soda bottles out of curiosity (and maybe to take with him) ... selects a mix of sweet and savory snacks, trying not to overload on munchies ... then picks out a chair at the back of the room, which should put him conveniently close to both the refreshments and the door.

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

Gemini really didn't know why she was the one who had to come to these things. Surely Miss Ratchet would be more suited for something like this...But Mr. Sunnyside insisted on it...

~"Gemini, there's more to being a member of the Revue than doing shows and fighting demons. There's a lot of boring stuff that everyone has to get used to. The others have to go to these meetings from time to time, too."~

Even so...Gemini didn't know nothin' about this Tsutsujidai stuff. Guess that's why she was here. She sat there in her casual white shirt and orange pants, nibbling on a pretzel and idly doodling on the edges of her scratch paper. She knew she should be focusing on the meeting, but...Oh my god...It's Chibodee Crocket! She knew he was one of the big cheeses of the Shuffle Alliance, but...He's a real Neo-American hero! Right in front of her in the flesh! She wondered if he could give her an autograph once the meeting was over... 

<Pose Tracker> GaoGaiGo Team has posed.

Mamoru Amami and Ikumi Kaidou are known around NERV, but they haven't been involved in Tsutsujidai. However, a briefing is important, especially if other GGG members are going to be involved.

The two are dressed in their usual jackets and other GGG uniform pieces (they're a known number, they do not Care, it's easier than changing from flight practice), as they both approach Alouette. Ikumi gives her a nod, while Mamoru actually speaks quietly. "Hanging in there?"

And then, they took a seat after grabbing water (and Mamoru grabbing cookies). They'll probably be quiet, knowing nothing, but they wanted to get the intel. 

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.


Rei Ayanami, not very sartorially adventurous, is also in her school uniform as she comes in. She had walked with Shinji, not saying anything, which is not much of a shock. She had diverted to obtain a bottle of water and to say -

"Hibiki," while looking directly at the face of Yuta Hibiki -

From there, she also chose to obtain two mini brownies, perhaps chosen at random, before moving to sit a little behind Shinji and to the right. Once seated she scans the room; her gaze rests on the name, the circle, the diagram. She eats one of the brownies, perhaps meditatively.

<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.

Once more it pays to have a brother operating in the NERV infrastructure when meetings about forces attacking the Mazin clan happen, and that's what brings Koji to the meeting place today. Smiling with familiarity at Yuta and accepting the scrap paper, he nods to Kaworu (with another fond smile for Nidaime, close in the Administrator's orbit) and moves to take a seat, popping out the stand of a tablet computer and setting it down on the desk, tapping his stylus thoughtfully on the wood.

Chibodee Crocket, huh? That's not too much of a surprise given who Nidaime's talked about. This is getting to be an even bigger deal than he thought. The bald young man with the soldier bearing - Liam? - who helped thwart the attack on Shiro. The NERV kids. A lot of these presences make sense, though the girl with the pink-hued glasses gets a curious arched brow. Oh - hey, Mamoru and Kaidou! Those two get a full Koushiryoku Beam of a smile from the older brother of their close friend.

Koji's gaze turns to the chart being presented to the assembled, and he lets out a breath, remembering the conversation he and Guy had with Yuta and his friends during their visit to Tsutsujidai and how Yuta revealed he knew the truth behind the strange city to everyone there.

"The heart of a god," he murmurs thoughtfully. "Snared by a devil. Those words just keep comin' back, huh, gramps?" 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.


        A jumpsuit, worn by many pilots in NERV holds fit to the tall and lithe body of the Kraken-esque Evangelion's pilot. Knee high boots that are left loose at the top, and some kind of wrap or sleeves with gloves under the jumpsuit that also cover the girl up to her throat. Alouette Kaas waits, back against a wall, with a companion also in a typical NERV uniform. A smile curls up at the corner of her lips when she catches Kaworu's eyes and momentary attention.

        "Nagisa! It's still heart fasting to see you out of the hospital. Today, Tetsuya Hyde here, from NERV Zaftra, has accompanied me. He was checking the O Z compensator for the tentacles on Null-Sigma. "

        Alouette turns and gestures to her companion, and in turn gestures from her companion to Kaworu, to complete the introduction. Her white 'hair' is gathered into a thick braid, and pulled over one shoulder, revealing the undershave and the blue and orange under layers. It shifts as she moves but the weight keeps it over the shoulder.

        Alouette watches others gather, find seats, an settle in. Alouette smiles, and waves seeing Nidaime, Ouka. She is glad to see Shinji and Rei, and waves too when Mari arrives, and even tries to hide her blush when Asuka came with them. Normally brightly flushed from chest to cheek, with the distinct hexagonal pattern beneath the surface, her layer worn under her flightsuit provides some cover, as she fidgets and tries to look away. Respite comes, as she focuses her attention is on the information to come, and what matches her investigation, and answers she is still seeking. 

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


It's just a quick train ride over to Nouvelle Tokyo, and Asuka arrives with the rest of the NERV pilots wearing a pink tank top and a white skirt along with a pair of sneakers. Meeting with the Gridman Alliance makes her low key uncomfortable after her past history with her, thus she doesn't say anything to anyone on arrival, even Riika, much less Ouka. She'd never apologize for her behavior due to that insufferable pride of hers...

... but she does regret it all the same. Still, she sits down by Shinji, rather than standing apart as Yuta greets them all. At first, she leans back, arms crossed in her chair. Not saying anything at all, just looking around at the others in attendance. Eventually though, her eyes fall upon Kaworu's whiteboard in progress.

Akane Shinjo. A God. The idea seems so absurd that it can only be true. Nothing about that place makes sense, so why shouldn't she be a God?

'The Devil' - knowing his name, she knows better than to say it out loud.

Anti... the news Nidaime brings causes her to breathe a sigh of relief.

However when she arrives at the Gridman alliance kids, Ako and Marusan, and the 'Akane's creations' her eyebrows shoot up. It's subtle, the small quaver in her blue eyes, the way her resting grumpy expression falls away - and she just stares.

She'd assumed that the people were all residents of the PLANT, Junius 7, transplanted - maybe memories altered.

Akane's creations leaves little doubt.

She doesn't say anything. She can't let herself say anything. As a creation of NERV, an inhuman thing, she can see the writing on the wall, the parallels. What does that mean for them? Did they even know it? ... It doesn't feel like they could have, they're too normal. Yuta thought she was a good person, Rikka seemed horrified by the fact she'd fought in a war.

Asuka looks away from the board, closes her eyes and takes a long deep breath. Suddenly she feels so much worse for how she treated them. At least she had the benefit of knowing what she was from the start, she knew her purpose, what her place was in the world. She knew exactly what she had to work towards being.

The same, and yet not. What a crummy God, the cruelty of it makes her sick, to give them the illusion of a normal life, of being normal people. Then snatching it all away.

She can't even begin to look Rikka's way right now. She just uses this time to compose herself before this begins in earnest.

<Pose Tracker> Yuka Ohta has posed.

The past few days have been... eventful. People who are used to seeing Yuka around have still been seeing her, especially at work, but she's been... quieter. A little more subdued and distant, like she's thinking about something else. Even when she's working on kaiju business, she's not quite had the usual levels of excitement anyone knows her for.

That carries over to this meeting, where she's not even bothered changing out of her STORAGE uniform and glasses... Well, she's here as their main representative anyway, so it only made sense. She came along with a great deal of note-taking equipment of course. But on arrival she slips in silently. Just making a small wave in Kaworu's direction so he knows she's here and paying attention. It's pretty likely the whole meeting with Akane will come up tonight, if he doesn't already know about it. So if anyone can guess what's got her seeming out of sorts... Well, it's not important. Making sure everyone has complete and detailed notes, with excellent annotation, is the best thing she can do for everybody's sake.
Lucine Azul teleports out.

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

"NERV gear, huh?"

Nearly an hour before the events that occurred in the meeting room occurred, Orpheus finds himself muttering the words as he looks over the attire that Alouette has prepared for him on this day. He wanted to be involved, and wanted to be kept in the loop with the events that led to Kaworu's attack. Yet, no matter the alias he had, whether Oz , or Orpheus the Ashford student, neither of these would have proved well with this sort of group. So a new alias needed to be taken up.

As he'd arrive with Alouette, he'd find himself wearing the regular NERV staff accommodations. Though with a bit of added features as well. Atop his head rested a beret atop his blonde hair, underneath his collar was a voice changer that was meant to augment his voice if the need to speak up came, and an oddly large visor that covered the entirety of his eyes to the point it nearly looked as though the thing was a mask. It was definitely attire that felt different from the usual, though it wasn't like he wasn't used to putting on disguises, pretending to be something he wasn't. If anything, it had become second nature to him. As long as no one was able to pick up on who he was, not able to recognize his face, nor his voice, that's all that mattered. So with a click of a switch. . .

"Let's go. . ."

Before Alouette had even made their introductions, he couldn't help but look at those who were entering. A small aside to Alouette as he sees the place filled. "All of these people are friends of Kaworu or this Yuta? Were certain there's no chance of a leak?"

There were certain NERV members he was familiar with, members he's spoken to, members he's pretended to be. Though there were plenty of faces that he wasn't familiar with, faces he's only seen through intel. To those who don't know him, which would be all. . .He certainly gives off a 'No funny business' aura. How he's affiliated with Aloutte probably in and of itself seems strange. Though at the very least when he starts arriving at the entrance, he stands a bit taller than Yuta looking down at the young man. His face concealed, incapable of garnering what sort of expression he gives as he sizes up the young man, he does at least speak up. "Thanks for helping prepare this. . ."

With the pleasantries out of the way, he steps away giving a slow nod as Alouette introduces him back to Kaworu, before going towards the provided snacks. In truth, he's not that hungry, but taking one at least meant that he was trying to give off the appearance of being considerate and appreciative. Though as Alouette starts taking her seat, Tetsuya as she had decided to name this alias, opts to sit a bit further back. He sits himself on a corner seat where he only needs to have one person sit next to him at most. Like the others he's already beginning to take notes regarding the situation, though more than anything he's staring down the two main presenters. Even through the visor he has the look he has can be felt directed towards the two as he waits to hear what information they plan to present to them all.

<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.

        Renais Cardiff, of all people, needs little briefing. She may not be part of the 'Gridman Alliance', but she has been close to this matter since her reappearance. But still, she comes. She's seated quietly at the table, a slow roil of emotion pouring off of her behind a stoic expression.

        There's a bottle of Ramune and an impressively tall stack of brownies beside her. She easily pierces the seal on the bottle and takes a sip. In one corner of her page, she replicates the relationship map, taking her own notes.

        - Devil hates 000
        - Saw it up close
        - Play 000 & devil against each other?

        The last is crossed out after a moment's thought. Maybe before, but such a battle would cause damage to the PLANT...

        Renais finally deigns to look to the others. She gives Koji a small nod, and Asuka... she seems unsure what to do. She simply looks at the girl for a long moment. Her eyes turn toward Yuta and Rikka next, regarding them a long moment. How does one ask if another is okay, when one knows the answer is 'no'?

        In this moment, she's not sure how to express her concern. So she simply looks, eyebrows just slightly furrowed... then down through her glasses, back at her page. She takes a bite of the brownie from the top of her stack. 

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu pauses in writing to smile over his shoulder at those arriving, from Rikka and her sober reflection on her newfound reality, to Alouette Pommier and her nod of respect, to Ouka's smile followed by averted eyes, to Renais and her concerned looks at several others, to Yuka's wave of greeting, to Koji's murmured comment on the whiteboard's contents, to (in particular) Nidaime and her enthusiastic greeting.
        
        "I'm happy to see you too, Anocillus II," he replies. "And I'm glad to hear Anti is well." He chuckles a little at her declaration. "That's probably because of the chlorine." He looks from her over to Alouette Kaas and her 'companion' from NERV Zaftra, and his smile broadens a hair. "I see. I expect NERV Zaftra would be interested in this information after recalling Zoia Surovy."
        
        His gaze flicks over to Shinji; likewise, he gets a long, lingering look but no words. There are things they need to discuss, but... now isn't a good time. For now, he gives Rei a soft look, ignores Asuka, chuckles at Mari, considers C.C. neutrally, and returns his attention to the whiteboard to finish up some lines. He trades the dry-erase marker for his walking cane, eases himself up to his feet, and regards the room.
        
        "Good afternoon, everyone. You're here because you have an interest or connection to the seeming alternate dimension known as Tsutsujidai, which for a time was accessible through Nouvelle Tokyo, and now is accessible only via space," Kaworu states, his voice calm, clear, and even. "You may have heard that Tsutsujidai has a 'God' that created it, or of a 'Devil' that has loosed their kaiju onto this world. These things are true, and at the same time, they are untrue.
        
        "Simply put, Tsutsujidai is not an alternate dimension, as such. It is a reflection of the heart of a girl named Akane Shinjo--her wishes for the world made manifest. The so-called Devil of Tsutsujidai enabled her to create it and her kaiju, from the Venora that restore the city each day to the various monsters she sent out to 'destroy' it--though since she does fix the city each day, it's more like she's editing it to remove the things she dislikes."
        
        Kaworu nods over to Yuta; he's the one who would have pictures of Akane to show the others. "Originally, Akane created this world so she could be left alone in peace, as an escape from this world in which she once lived. The Devil, without her awareness, used the kaiju she made to edit her world to draw the ire of those in this world, as well as bargain with those in BioNet. This is why Anti, the auto-intelligence kaiju Akane Shinjo made to defend her world, ended up piloting a Death Knight; the Devil arranged for this to happen."
        
        He smiles again at Nidaime. "...Though thankfully, it seems Anti's no longer infected by DG Cells."

<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.

Chibodee is an oldhead in this crowd in his mid-20s. God, but he feels ancient. He's been through one apocalypse already and it will only get worse from here. He eats pretzels because Cath can't tell him to stop and he craves salt. His mother always felt him a lot of salty stuff because it would keep better.

Chibodee drinks some water. He is the most fan-friendly Gundam Fighter by branding and will sign anything. Anybody who is a front-line pilot doesn't pay for autographs. He'll wait around for Gemini and anybody else. That's just how he is.

Chibodee eats pretzels. The man loves them. Saltier the better. They take the edge off -- even Chibodee can feel people are hurting around him. The bad guys need to be stopped. That's all he needs to know.

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

Those who greet Yuta get a bright smile in return. His gaze lingers on Rikka, worry clear on his face. Yuta wishes he knew the right words to comfort her, to make all of this seem bearable... But he's barely keeping his own head above water. Maybe the meeting would help ease her concerns.

Nidaime manages to get the young man to laugh. "Don't eat that, Nidaime, you'll choke!" He says, as she gobbles the pen down. But she's scooting away before he can interfere. Pick your battles, Yuta.

Liam looks every bit as concerned as Rikka. Yuta tilts his head slightly. Why was this affecting him so much? The packet Liam carries looks so official, Yuta feels a little nervous just being in the same room as it.

"H--hi there." Yuta offers to Riika, as she looks him over for a longer moment. Ouka is intimidating as well, Yuta breathing a little easier once both of them are seated.

"Hey Shinji." Yuta grins at the other boy, feeling better for his presence. "Thanks for coming." Alouette Pommier gets a wave in return.

Garrod asks what's up, which makes Yuta blink. "Uh -- not much." Is Yuta's reply, with a shrug. When Rei enters, Yuta smiles brightly at her. "Ayanami! It's good to see you again!"

Koji's familiar smile is comforting as well, easing Yuta's nerves. This was a room of friends and allies, after all. Asuka hurries by without greeting him, but... "Hi Asuka, thanks for coming.." Yuta tries, giving her a wobbly smile.

The sight of Orpheus makes Yuta startle. When he does nothing aggressive, Yuta assumes he must be here for the meeting, and gives him a tiny wave. It's good to be polite to your allies, even if they're a little... scary looking.

"Hey Reinais." Yuta says, quietly. His eyes are steady, but it's clearly because of great internal effort. Yuta is giving this meeting his all -- his own feelings and sorrows could come later.

Yuta breathes out softly once he's made it through all the greetings. That was a marathon. He takes a seat at the head of the table near Kaworu, a little stack of papers awaiting him. Yuta shuffles them quietly as Kaworu begins to speak once more. Once the other boy nods to him, Yuta stands, holding up a picture of Akane Shinjo. It looks to be her school picture -- she looks like a normal girl, really. With lavender hair that falls in an ombre coloration, a school uniform, and a comfortable hoodie, she could fit in next to any of the teenagers in this room. "This is Shinjo." Yuta murmurs, sticking the picture to a free portion of the whiteboard with a magnet.

"I know Shinjo's hurt a lot of people here. Her kaiju have destroyed places beyond Tsutsujidai. I won't say it's not her fault, but --" Yuta fumbles, bunching his hands into fists at his side. "She's being manipulated. The Devil has her, he's -- twisting her. Making her feel alone, and scared, and turning her creations into monsters." This was the most important part. Yuta's eyebrows draw together in an almost pleading expression. "Our goal here isn't to kill her, or fight her. We have to save her from the Devil, from her own feelings of despair and lonliness. It's... just figuring out how to do that..."

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

For all that Garrod really doesn't look like the bookish sort, he *does* take quite a few notes as Kaworu begins laying out the situation beyond the relationship chart. There are a couple of details which bring surprise to his face, but he's more focused on getting down all of the relevant details that he can while they're still fresh in his mind. There's one question which is rearing up in the back of his head and might be increasingly relevant, though ...

"Do we know if this Shinjo girl is a Newtype or something?" he asks, either not thinking or just not remembering to raise his hand. "I mean, how did she make Tsutsujidai if she needs that 'Devil' to bring her kaiju to life?"

And it sounds like they already know the kaiju aren't limited to Tsutsujidai. Garrod has a question or two further about that, but ... one thing at a time. If possible.

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime gives Alouette Kaas a HAPPY WAVE. She seems to be in a good mood, though that's not really atypical for Nidaime. She smiles at Chiobdee because he's a bro. Maybe they have something in common besides their briefly shared mentors.

She gives Asuka a big teethy smile too and and then the pen balancing on her nose falls! She catches it with her hand...! ""Eheheheh... I had no idea he had so many friends."

Nidaime is not hurting particularly. She never had that kind of close relationship with Akane that makes any of this hurtful to her. She knew all along what she was. Not an enemy, perhaps, but certainly...twisted in her own way.

"Yeah!" Nidaime says, outright standing up on the table and spinning on a hand. "You helped save someone! That makes you incredible!"

She flops back onto her butt and scoots forward again.

Nidaime at least didn't eat the pen (SHE LEARNED THAT LESSON QUICK) but she is eating the paper. She obediently stops when Yuta tells him not to, insteadd going back to wiggling her feet. "Even if you want to kill her, it could be dangerous to do so for the innocent people of Tsutsujidai. This situation is unprecidented, but it's possible they might not be able to exist without her yet. So that, unlike me!....Is not really on the table."

She collects one of Chibodee's pretzels finally and starts munching on it. She swallows once. "Oh wow this is much better than paper."

She abandons her paper to munch on the pretzel.

"But I don't think...anyone's here really the type to try that.." She does look to Renais quietly and then back down at her hands, munching on her pretzel, thinking about how to approach Renais later.

"Why do they add chlorine to water if it's just going to make it taste nasty." Nidaime complains softly.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Riika Sheder looks at each of the others in turn. Some she recognizes; Asuka and Shinji get slight smiles; Chibodee gets a longer not-quite-a-stare because yes, you are famous even on the PLANTs, Chibodee; Kaworu himself gets a polite nod because Riika still has to apologize to him but isn't willing to derail the meeting to do it.

She had been going to listen - take notes for a while, maybe ask to be acknowledged later - but Yuta's words convince her to speak up more quickly than she otherwise would.

She rises. "I can confirm some of that," Riika says, raising her voice. "Hi; most of you probably don't know me by face, but I'm Riika Sheder, with the PLANTs. I got assigned by ZAFT to figure out what's going on with Tsutsujidai, because of its... connection with Junius Seven. They still wouldn't exactly be happy that I came out here," she adds, privately hoping that she is not about to get in the deep trouble from Command. Again. "I swear I'm not here to cause any problems, and whether you believe me or not is up to you, but I do have some things to say."

Riika glances toward Kaworu for a moment before continuing. "I worked with Cloak - the Devil," she corrects herself, her cheeks reddening slightly. "It was a very bad idea and I regret it, but I did it. I'm technically wanted, here, so I suppose if you'd rather bring me back to prison than work together on this, well, now you know and I guess you've got your shot. But I'm here because I need to know about Tsutsujidai... and Akane."

"The Cloak's very good at manipulating. But if you have any questions... I'll answer what I can. Which might not be everything; I don't know everything! I've also spoken to Akane more than once," Riika continues, seating herself again. "She's from this world, but she's not, as far as I can tell, a PLANTs citizen. I looked up all the censuses I could get my hands on - is censuses the right word? It sounds so bizarre - um, anyway. I couldn't find her, so either 'Akane Shinjo' isn't her real name, or she's not originally from the PLANTs."

She glances over at Nidaime, then: "You're the one that made the announcement about the Chaos Bringer, aren't you? I recognize the voice." Pause. "Because it keeps it clean. Just not for drinking."

<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.


Chibodee understands that Nidaime would eat paper perhaps more than anybody else in the room. Chibodee has lived off a lot of things that most humans would find horrifying. "Yeah, more of these, sometimes with mustard," he mutters to Nidaime. "The... chlorine thing, it sucks, I had to learn that the hard way too."

Chibodee lets a lot of this talk wash over him. Facts aren't feelings and he will ultimately figure out what to do in the moment. As long as people have the right hearts in the moment, it will work out.

Chibodee, with his mouth half-full. gets inspired by Yuta. "Does she like a boy?" A beat. "Or, a girl. Or... you know." Am I being an asshole? Oh, God. Oh, God, I'm being an asshole. "I'm not exclusionary. Fuck."

Chibodee eats a mouthful of pretzels. Better to stall for time.

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

        As with the briefing on the Angels, so is it again here with the briefing on Tsutsujidai: Ouka was sent to receive, and not to give. She remains at her seat with her scratch paper, her pen, and her still unopened bottle of water, and merely watches the information unfold before her. The only additional information provided comes in the form of glances she makes towards others in attendance.

        One of those comes when Alouette Kaas calls out the name 'Nagisa!' Her golden eyes flash slightly as she looks towards the girl. However she quickly realizes she wasn't the Nagisa mentioned, as she has not (to her knowledge) been kept in a hospital. Her eyes glance towards Tetsuya Hyde as well, but no more a glance...

        ... if there is confusion over there being two Nagisas in the room though, it's not helped by how they react similarly to Asuka's presence. Ouka's own eyes briefly touch on the figure of Asuka... and just as quickly look away. There's no scowl, no anger, no resentment. Barely any sense of 'recognition' at all. She simply has no interest in regarding Asuka any further.

        Toward the end of Kaworu's introduction to the topic, Anti is mentioned... as was his DG Cell infection and treatment. It is at that moment that the more pressing concern during her departure from Tsutsujidai in the ReZEL reasserts itself into the present: The fingers on her left hand start to itch. Terribly. Her eyes glance down at the gloved hand. She cannot see through her gloves but she knows, logically, that they are fine. That there is no infection there. Still she remembers what it was like to watch, frozen as she was by her command codes, as the silvery scales creeped up her arm.

        'G-Hound unit, STOP!'

        Liam's voice rings through her head. She can hear it again. She can feel it again. Rather than scratch it, she merely flexes the fingers of her left hand, focuses her mind on her breathing, and tries to listen to the counting of seconds within her head. She might glance at Liam and Chibodee quickly... but just as quickly glance away.

        Even if she wanted to say something, then as now, she can't say anything. And even then - what would she say? It was her in that suicidal G-Hound unit. She was following orders. She was infected, but she is fine now? What would any of that serve.

        No. She is here to receive, and not to give.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.


When Yuta replies to her, Rei seems about to say something -- and pauses, as if puzzled, but gives him a distinct and clear nod of reply. It will have to do for now.

Rei Ayanami watches Kaworu as he moves towards the front to address them all. He speaks of categorically impossibly things; except that Rei has been to Tsutsujidai eleven times (she has counted (eight of them were pizza-related)) and knows that it is real. And now it is in the ZAFT colony zone; also real.

Rei shifts into place and brings out a very small notebook from the blouse pocket of her uniform. She opens it and writes in some things; a loose abbreviated summation of what Kaworu is saying in scrawling hiragana. She underlines something while Yuta is speaking - in fact, draws a square around it.

She then looks up towards Riika as she speaks.

Rei actually asks Riika a question, lifting her voice to 'normal conversational volume' for clarity. "Can you call kaiju forth without the Devil?"

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Liam stares at the whiteboard until Kaworu speaks, his gaze somewhere between the present and past. Kaworu's voice finally promots him to action, and he steps forwards, walking around the table with his ramune and his cookies and his carefully-labeled dossier that now seems like a bad joke.

        BioNet is using her. BioNet is using her, and she's capable of this.

        Liam mutely plants himself into a seat, and swivels to face the board. He's reeling so badly that Orpheus barely gets more than a glance; he can feel his heart starting to race. He takes deep breaths, trying to head the adrenal surge off at the pass.

        "How does a heart become that?" Liam breathes, fear edging into the numbness on his face. "Does everyone have a heart like that, in this 'Cognitive Layer?'"

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

Gemini has moved to holding her pencil between her teeth, moving it up and down as she absorbs the information. Almost sounds a lot like how Demons feed on spirit power to her...This Devil sounds like bad news.

"So if Tsutsujidai is a reflection of her heart, is it...real? Sorry if that's a weird question, but...y'all live there, right Yuta? What happens if we get rid of the devil?"

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

"That doesn't make any sense," Nidaime says skeptically. "Water makes things clean that's why Leina keeps making me dump a whole bunch of it on myself."

She brightens though. "Mmhmm! That's me!"

Chibodee shares his own life experience and Nidaime's face gets filled with DEEP CONCERN AND WORRY and she scootches on over to give him a one armed hug.

"I'm sorry water lied to you." She says with absolute sincerity.

DOES Akane like a girl or a boy?

Nidaime puts on her thinking cap. She also puts a mustard cap on her pretzel at Chibodee's suggestion.

Her eyes bug out cartoonishly at this new delicious sensation.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka takes a moment to look around. There are a lot of familiar faces here - and a lot of unfamiliar ones, too. The reach turned out to be pretty far... Ordinarily she'd be more inclined to mingle, she handles herself pretty well in big social situations, but as she is now she figures she can hold off. She can introduce herself, at least - she has that much in her.

"...I'm Rikka Takarada - I'm from Tsutsujidai, like Yuta." Rikka introduces herself, for the benefit of those not already familiar. To those she is familiar with, Alouette Pommier, Renais, Nidaime, and Rei, primarily, she offers a brief nod. Rikka's gaze settles briefly on Asuka, though - she only catches a brief glimpse of that look on her face. She doesn't seem to be looking her way...

Her attention returns, then, to Kaworu as he begins the explanation. She sits up a little as he begins, taking everything in. Most of this she knows, but some of it she didn't, or could have if she put the pieces together.

Akane is from this world, originally, and she made Tsutsujidai to be left alone.

"...And that's why she made us. To populate her world, to keep her company, to be her friend..." Rikka murmurs, more to herself than anything - though loud enough to be heard.

Yuta speaks next, then, and Rikka listens. She nods along with what he says, and... there's a quiet, appreciative look in his direction when he specifies that their goal isn't to kill or fight her.

"...Yeah. I think she's... desperate." Rikka says. She still remembers that look, when their eyes met on the day Akane declared war...

She looks toward Riika, then, as she speaks. She's never met her, but she's heard of her. She worked with Alexis, too. ZAFT... she's only heard of ZAFT from reading up on this world's history. She doesn't have any problems with that, but she can imagine how it must have complicated things.

"...Thanks. For coming here. I imagine it probably wasn't easy for you..." She offers.

She also pointedly tries to avoid reacting to the question of whether or not Akane likes anyone, even if she's interested in the answer.

<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.


"It wasn't so bad," Chibodee tries to reassure Nidaime, hugging her back. "I just threw up a little."

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Alouette Pommier feels a little relieved when the GaoGaiGo Team arrives - she feels less alone among all the unfamiliar stares. She knows they don't exactly have the same investment or stake in this as she does, but she appreciates it all the same. "Ikumi... Mamoru." she whispered, smiling. "I'm fine.. I think. But thanks for coming with me," she answers Mamoru. Truth be told, she still has a lot to process about this emotionally, but for now, she's kept those thoughts aside - she would rather not lose her composure in a meeting. Renais is here too, and she also quietly greets her. "Hello, Renais.. I'm glad you're here, too."

As the meeting begins in proper, everyone begins offering the information they know. Most of it she knows: Tsutsujidai is a world made from the heart of Akane Shinjo, its people, including Yuta and Rikka, are "repli-compoids" made by her, there are kaiju used to mold the city to her desire, and these kaiju were made in collaboration with BioNet. What Alouette *didn't* know was the intel given by Riika Sheder: where did Akane Shinjo even come from, she wonders.

She offers her own piece - the part that feels most relevant to her. "You know, aside from the Devil using BioNet for the kaiju, Akane is working with BioNet too. She seemed.. rather unapologetic about it, but I don't think she wants to view them as an ally... she said she's used to unfair relationships." She pauses for a moment, and takes in Rikka's statement. "I agree she's desperate. She's scared of the world and she's lashing out in the only way she knows, no matter how awful it is, right? I can understand that." Alouette thinks if she wasn't taken in by 3G she would probably be the same way - especially considering it's BioNet involved.

<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.

Koji takes a long look at the picture Yuta hands him, and frowns deeply, tapping on his tablet to bring up a list of files, opening a selection of images and blowing one up to compare directly to the photograph in his hand.

It's different, but... It's also not. That said, this may not be the right time to bring this information up; it is sensitive and a little speculative, and... well. If somebody dumped his life story on a bunch of people and he found out, that would hurt him. Then again, perhaps the time is long-since past for delicacy.

The other 20-something in the room offers the Famous Neo-American Gundam Fighter a sympathetic grin, but then the talk turns to the nature of the Cognitive Layer and he starts speaking. "From talking with Nidaime," he nods here to the small turtlesque girl by Chibodee, "my understanding is that, ordinarily, the Cognitive Layer should be beyond our ability to perceive or interact with it, requiring the abilities of... higher powers, I suppose, to gain access to. However, it exists and has its own denizens - beings that might be better described as 'living concepts', I suppose?" This last aimed at Nidaime for confirmation. "It's a place where ideas have power and can be manifested if you have proper guidance, which is how the devil tricked Shinjo; he offered up her heart's desire - a world untouched by conflict beyond the One Year War - on a silver platter."

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


Asuka doesn't return the nod to Yuta, or Riika's smile, she's retreating, but tries not to make it look either of their ways - and only grunts when Nidaime gives her a toothy smile.

Asuka does spy Renais eventually For a while she just stares at her from across the room, though there's not hostility, it's more... she doesn't know what to do either given their last meeting, and her discomfort over that is making her grumpy.

Kaworu though greets the room, and Asuka just falls back into listening like she was in a university lecture. She doesn't take notes, she never needs them.

'A reflection of the heart of a girl named Akane Shinjo.' More and more of her theories get ruled out in short order. She wishes this place would make sense.

'An escape.'

That part she'd at least surmised. However, learning Anti piloted the Death Knight thanks to the Devil, causes a slow frown, despite the good news of him not being infected by DG Cells.

Yuta though adds far more, 'She's being manipulated' Her eyes narrow, she's not certain she'll give her a pass so easily after what she's seen of her. However, she doesn't blurt that out readily. Instead she turns to Riika, listening to her report.

"If she's a 'God' then maybe she remade herself." She suggests, even beyond her possibly using another name. "New everything even." There are parts of how Akane looks that Asuka could imagine would be a power fantasy for many girls, certainly she's jealous of some aspects of her appearance.

Koji brings up some concepts that she hasn't heard of before, and she tries to absorb them, struggling perhaps a little with how to order this kind of thing scientifically in her mind. A cognitive 'Layer'.

When Rikka speaks though, she does look at her, out of the corner of her eyes. 'To populate her world, to keep her company, to be her friend.' And there's suddenly this, angry look in her eyes, as she lucks away and clucks her tongue, "Tck." It's easy to mistake it as being upset with Rikka perhaps... but no, she's just upset.

Manipulated or not, desperate or not, she does not like Akane Shinjo very much in this moment.


<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

Social concerns will have to be pushed aside. That's something Shinji's gotten more used to. But he still can't help glancing to the others. Alouette introduces someone from another branch of NERV, and if Shinji's thinks there's anything weird, he doesn't say anything. It's not like he gets told very much about how NERV works. There's no reason to doubt any of it, and no reason to doubt Alouette. Rei's eating a brownie, and a mental note on that gets stored away. Asuka sits near him, and she gets something that isn't quite a smile, but his face relaxes to something that isn't so checked out and anxious to be here. It goes back to that just as quick as he returns his full attention to the whiteboard.

God. Devil. Truth. Untruth. A world that's a heart... Shinji shows little surprise at this new information. Kaiju and Angels. The state of the world. Disasters are just... how things are.

He only frowns when Yuta explains more of Akane and the Devil. Loneliness and despair. His fingers squeeze in, crinkling the paper of the notebook he's holding.

Riika says Akane Shinjo wasn't on any census... Shinji's tongue is heavy. Should he say anything...? Would it be useful? It might not even be true.

"Um," is all he manages to get out, for now, but part of him hopes it gets lost in all the discussion.

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

Mari Makinami Illustrious did not, in fact, arrive with the other Evangelion pilots, or even any of the members of NERV. She's just... not there, yet, with no real reason given; getting in contact with her when she doesn't feel like being contacted is ultimately an exercise in frustration and so, this may simply be another one of those times she simply decides not to be around.

And so it remains, at least until Kaworu and Yuta start in formally on the matter of Akane Shinjo and her be-cloaked patron. At this point, there's an additional person among the plethora of them, dressed in simple denim cutoffs and a camo tanktop, lingering near the snacks. She plucks up one thing, and another.

She's gone from there by the time someone looks again.

And the next time she shows up, it's as a shadow cast over one Shinji Ikari.

                "Ufu."

-flumpf-

These are the twin sounds of Mari Makinami Illustrious as she drapes on poor Shinji from behind, arms falling loosely over his shoulders and chin bumping nice and neatly against the top of his scalp. Despite appearances, she seems perfectly comfortable like this, her expression content as a cat in a sunbeam as she takes a little, testing sniff. Of Shinji? Of the room? Of everyone in it?

Yes.

"Of course he's fine," she says nonchalantly of Anti's current status. "He's a tough kitten. He just needed to learn it's not so bad to let someone give you a supportive hug without scratching them sometimes~."

In her hands, Mari holds two things: a platter of two brownies in one, and a bottle of ramune in the other. She dangles them in front of Shinji's line of vision like a silent offering, looking down at the young man as he "um"s out a moment of indecision. Her lips curl upward.

She has some more she'd like to say, but first: "Got something to share with the class, Puppy Boy?"

She needs to give someone a little push.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        'Akane is working with BioNet, too.'

        Liam's gaze flicks over to Alouette, and stays there for a long, uncomfortable moment. "Estimated date?" he says, his voice slipping towards that hollow, clipped tone he uses when stressed. "We met, once. She identified me. We spoke."

        Implied, of course: Is he now in even more danger? Is Alouette?

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.


        Alouette Kaas. Investigating the Assassination attempt on Kaworu for SEELE, and by proxy for NERV. Officially Mari was the lead investigator for NERV. They had yet to compare notes. This would be the first chance to do so. Alouette does her best to hide irritation with details that are new to her, yet seem 'so obvious' laid out as they are.

        Occasionally her eyes move away from the board, and look around the room to the others here. Curiousity about those she doesn't know, and how they know her NERV Fellows. She watches for them; Rei Ayanami, Shinji Ikari, Mari Makinami Illustrious, Liam 7-020, Kaworu Nagisa, and Asuka Shikinami Langley. This feeling has been nagging her and she seeks to identify it. Something about her collective, her, friends. It hits her at the same time Riika speaks up, she feels protective of them.

        Alouette Kaas pushes off the wall rising to her full height just about two meters and approaches Riika, not at a run, but quickly.

        "You allowed these things to happen? You dolls let Kaworu come to harm?"

        Alouette stopped before reaching Riika, but she was angry, and being impatient. More information was likely to come. Riika and the others were not the real target, but that was evading her still and for such a long time.

        Alouette looks to Kaworu and Yuta, letting her fists drop to her side. A long inhale and exhale as she tries to gather herself. She adjusts her standing, more relaxed, but still a kind of accusatory posture. She looks around the room, waiting, expectantly as if demanding more.

        "All of you just accept this? The "Devil" makes a sad girl a "God" and we just accept this?"

        Alouette Kaas listens to Asuka and then Shinji makes a noise... but nothing more and and that just feeds back into Alouette's anger. No, she thinks and she pushes past and moves around people and chairs and up to the board, where Kaworu and Yuta are. With the bottom of a fist, Alouette punches the circled 'Akane Shinjo' on said board looking at Yuta, reluctant to be aggressive with Kaworu.

        "Where is Akane Shinjo?!"

        When the sing song voice of Mari Makinami Illustrious drapes warmly over her anger and the room like shedrapes her arms over Shinji, and Alouette blinks, stunned as Mari is able to do. It's super effective. 

<Pose Tracker> GaoGaiGo Team has posed.

As Alouette (Kaas) speaks up, both Mamoru and Ikumi are moving, in separate ways. Ikumi Kaidou is on guard, the blue-haired young man moving to make sure she doesn't threaten anyone, as Mamoru moves to comfort vocally. "Hey, hey. Nobody accepts this. That's why we're here - to fix it. But we can't just hurt her, from everything we know - she's a victim, too."

An eye to the other Alouette and Renais. It's good to see both of them, and hopefully they have good insight.

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

BioNet. Garrod doesn't know a great deal about them, but he's heard the name often enough - criminals aiming to destabilize the world, or at least that's the working definition for BioNet in Garrod's mental lexicon. And *that* does a lot to explain why a kaiju, if it was indeed one made by Akane and her diabolical sponsor, was so far away from Tsutsujidai ...

His thoughts get blown off the rails when Alouette Kaas starts challenging the locals. Garrod is visibly wondering if he - or somebody else - should do anything about that when the anger is suddenly derailed just as thoroughly.

Ironically, he has a guess at the answer to Kaas's question ... but under the circumstances, not only is he *not* inclined to volunteer it, but he's recalculating how much he wants to stay involved. He reminds himself quickly of his own question - and the reason behind it. If Akane is being *used* by somebody ....

Not unlike the way those scientists were trying to use Tiffa ....

Then yes. Helping her is more important than punishing her. Garrod takes a deep breath, then swigs some water before looking over his notes again. He still needs the answer to his own first question, anyway.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Riika Sheder's lips purse. "Then I need to talk to you," she says to Nidaime. "Not - not a bad talk or anything! I just need to know a little more, because it's right near where people live. It's moving away from the other Junius colonies," for which she is particularly glad, "which is why you can get to it at all; if it was right where Seven used to be ZAFT would never let anyone else to it. But it's still pretty close, and if it's a danger more than I think, I need to know."

Rei asks a pretty good question. Riika is already shaking her head. "No, I can't. There was a clay model with some materials he gave me, a little nodule. But I can't do anything without it. I certainly can't make a monster."

"Mecha Trembulor was mine, but he helped me with it, and I couldn't do anything with it myself. There was a machine that I used the model with, a little tablet - " She holds her hands apart, describing its size. It's not very big; bigger than a phone, smaller than a portable computer. "I don't have it anymore - it was taken by the Nadesico when I surrendered, I assume they gave it to NERV. The model, I could make again, I guess, but it wouldn't do anything without the machine or the other things he helped with."

"That's how I summoned the earlier kaiju too, except he gave me the finished model first. I didn't make that one." Riika hesitates. "It was the one that was in Africa. Apparently the same kaiju's been in Tsutsujidai? I never saw it there, though."

Riika doesn't know about Asuka's conflict. "Maybe. All I know is that I couldn't find an Akane Shinjo, so that's a dead end. I don't have time - or the ability - to look through an entire picture database of Junius Seven, even if I could - and if she was from, say, Junius Three or something, I'd never find it. I ran a name search and that's the best I can do. But she doesn't..." How does she put this. "I think she's an Earthnoid," is what Riika eventually settles on.

But Alouette comes at her. Riika holds up her hands. "I didn't have anything to do with Kaworu coming to harm! I promise, I never hunted anyone in particular. I attacked a Lunar facility because it's where the - the nuclear missiles that were deployed on Bloody Valentine came from. He warned me to stay away from *him*, and I didn't - and that's my fault. But I didn't hurt him, either."

Riika does not attack, but she isn't a helpless target for Alouette either; she's popped back to her feet, and she takes half a step away, as if preparing to move - either towards or away, it's unclear. Her body language is, intentionally, as 'safe' as she can make it; no fists, no weapons, though she can't stop herself from tensing up.

"I messed up doing it," Riika admits. "Absolutely. I shouldn't have - done what I did. I don't expect you to accept it. But please don't call me a doll again. Yes, I'm a Coordinator. But that doesn't matter right now, does it?"

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

A sense of dread crawls through Shinji. His instincts try to warn him, but it's too late.

"Wah!"

His entire body tenses under Mari, notebook dropped in his lap and pen flying upward before falling back down to join it. His hands are awkwardly clawed at the air, but Shinji refuses to move, as if that's going to activate Mari's prey drive.

Only once she provides an offering does he slowly uncoil and correct his posture, taking the bottle and platter half with the expectation he's just holding it for her for the moment.

Spotlight's on him now, and Alouette's getting agitated and --

"UM," he says, louder. "...Did you check the schools in Nouvelle Tokyo...? There... there was student there by the name of Akane Shinjo. I'm sure of it...! Even if she's not the same girl, the name should still be there... r-right?"

<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.

        Renais makes a noise. "Akane mentioned at one point that her father worked for Chasseur," she explains, rubbing her chin. "If she's using her real name, I should be able to tug some strings and see what falls out. If Shinjo is her real surname, we should only have a few candidates... Aside from GGG Japan transplants, I don't recall many Japanese in Chasseur."

        She sighs, and takes a drink, holding her bottle of ramune through several layers of napkins. "I... did work with her. With Al--with the Devil, when I was still under 000's influence. He said that... the problem was 'beings of light'... something he identified Gridman as. All that must happen for him to be able to 'fix' the world was... to kill a being of light.

        She's about to say more, when Alouette Kaas interrupts. She stares. "What do you mean 'accept'?" she asks, testily. "If by 'accept' you mean 'sit and do nothing', no. We are not." The cyborg stands. "We are TRYING to separate an abuse victim from her abuser! But he's set up a god-damn world of cards around her, and if we don't take care, then that world collapses. People. DIE." She moves around the table to stand in front of the woman. Close enough that her unnatural heat can be felt. "And what are you here to do about it?" she asks, quietly, with venom on her tongue.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.


Rei glances towards Koji Kabuto as he begins to reveal what he discussed with Nidaime. (Rei also looks at Nidaime, although more with mild surprise than anything.) What Koji is saying is given a range of notarizations. There is a phrase that ends up written in Britannian letters: ONE YEAR WAR

Another revelation, this time from Takarada. This one actually makes Rei stop writing and leave a black line across her page of notes. Rei is quiet and still for several seconds, a look of complete astonishment on her face, although it is not particularly exaggerated. After this, she shakes her head; she closes her mouth; she looks down at her notebook. A page is turned.

Then turned back. Riika is given one slightly delayed nod, and Rei clearly just put a big X on the page. Another page forwards. She writes things down. She writes. Alouette Kaas speaks. Exclaims really. Rei kind of stops writing; the pen is slipped into the notebook loop and Rei holds it in her hand.

<Pose Tracker> GaoGaiGo Team has posed.

As Renais lashes out with venom, Mamoru raises a hand. "Please, can we not fight? I understand that this is difficult, and she's a friend of yours, but we're all ostensibly allies here. We need to be on the same page if we're going to help everyone who needs it, and stop the Devil and BioNet from causing more pain."

Ikumi nods, especially towards Shinji. "It seems we have a lead there. A school record. We should focus on that, instead of in-fighting."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu watches Yuta sidelong with an expression somewhere between somber and sad as he adds in his own explanation--and his statement that they need to save Akane, and figure out how. Liam blurts out his own questions about the Cognitive Layer. Koji answers those, though, seeking Nidaime for confirmation; Kaworu lets him do so.
        
        He then looks over at Garrod as he asks if Akane is a Newtype or something. "Or something, yes," he states. "She had his help for that as well. She described it to me as having worked off a template that he prepared for her."
        
        Riika speaks up. Kaworu gives her a nod, encouraging her to say her piece; he doesn't react to her announcing that she's with the PLANTs, beyond stating simply, "I believe you." He listens to her say, and nods again once she's done. "This is true. While grooming Akane Shinjo, the Devil has also been grooming several other young women on the side. For," his expression darkens, "his entertainment."
        
        Alouette Pommier weighs in, noting that Akane is working with BioNet now. "Correct," Kaworu states. He glances at Liam and adds, "This is a recent development. I spoke with her about this. She seems to believe that she's beyond salvation, and therefore her only recourse is to sink deeper into Hell. My personal impression is that her joining with BioNet is an elaborate attempt to have someone put an end to her existence."
        
        He glances over at Shinji then, partly as the Third Child attempts to speak up with no force behind it, but perhaps partly for other reasons. Before he can decide how to proceed, though, Mari drapes herself atop him and gives him a prompting of her own. The side of Kaworu's mouth quirks up in affection, and when Shinji suggests that Akane should exist in the records of Nouvelle Tokyo, he gives him a thoughtful look--but doesn't say anything.
        
        This is because Alouette Kaas lets her anger brim over, decrying the sympathy shown towards Akane and storming up to the whiteboard to slam a fist into it. While she might be targeting her anger at Yuta and not him, Kaworu gives her a level, if sober, look. Renais stands up to have her own say at Alouette Kaas, though, and Kaworu raises a hand at them. "Renais. Alouette. Please, calm down," he says gently. "There's something I should make clear here." He pauses. "Akane Shinjo was not responsible for my shooting. But the Devil was responsible for the attack on Tokyo-3 that took place shortly thereafter."
        
        He looks around at the room. "...When I first entered Tsutsujidai, I met the Devil. He introduced himself to me as the guardian of Tsutsujidai, and at the time, I believed him. However, it became soon clear to me that he had no actual intentions of protecting Akane's heart. When I confronted him about this, he bade me say nothing to her about it, or he would bring a kaiju down upon Tokyo-3." He glances out at those who were there when a massive kaiju appeared out of nowhere over Tokyo-3. "...I didn't, but I did try to find a way to make his machinations known to her. The kaiju that manifested shortly after I was hospitalized was his punishment."
        
        Rei wonders if one can call up a kaiju without the Devil. "It's possible. But I don't believe Akane has progressed to the point where she can," he replies.
        
        And then: "Yes," Kaworu tells Rikka--and Chibodee, at the same time. "The people of Tsutsujidai may have been created by her, but they do not need to stay as empty dolls. Those of the Gridman Alliance have 'reality'--but so also do many of Akane's classmates. Ako Furuma, Ramo Marusa, Namiko, Hass, ... All of these people have gained depth and interiority over time. And part of the reason why is because Akane cares about them deeply." Kaworu gaze falls on Rikka. "You in particular have her regard, Rikka Takarada."

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Alouette Pommier turns to Liam - she had no idea he had interacted with Akane too, but she can sympathize with his worries and offers him everything she knows. "About a week ago, she told me and couple others, mostly those from Tsutsujidai, she was working with BioNet. She completely changed her appearance to match - which makes me think it's a very recent development." She looks over to Liam and whispers, "Be careful around her, please. I don't want to see the Devil target you."

In the other side of the room, Alouette Kaas is outraged. She can understand her frustration, she really can, she even wanted to snap at Akane herself when she found out she was collaborating with BioNet but.. she can't agree with this. "Miss Kass," she speaks up to the other Alouette "I understand your feelings but I don't think Akane was involved in harming Mr. Nagisa at all, actually," she explains, and holds up Akane's chart. "The day Akane confessed to me about everything she was doing, she didn't seem to know about the attack on Mr. Nagisa at all.. and if she was already confessing to what she did why would she lie about that?" Looking back down at her notebook, she says more quietly, "We are in serious danger right now, we have better things to focus on than infighting."

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

Yuta takes the questions as they come, though with far less grace than Kaworu. It's stressful to field an entire room of questions, even when most of them are coming from your friends!

"A Newtype..?" Yuta repeats, glancing to Kaworu. "I don't think so. I don't really know what those are, though. As for if she likes someone... She's been pretty cold to me and my friends. She doesn't text me back, and she and Utsumi fight constantly. Rikka..." Yuta thinks back to the declaration of war. Shinjo hadn't been cold to everyone, actually. She and Rikka... "I think she likes Rikka the most, of everyone."

Rei asks about kaiju, and Liam about Akane's heart. "Actually, Nidaime might be able to answer that, Liam. She knows more about Tsutsujidai than any of us. I don't think she can make kaiju without the devil, though. But -- I don't know if Alexis can make kaiju on his own, either?" Yuta scratches the side of his face. "There's so many mysteries."

Gemini's question gives Yuta pause. "I don't know what would happen to us. I hope we'd be okay." His voice is soft. "What do you think, Nidaime?"

Yuta's still lost in thought when Alouette pounds her fist into the whiteboard. Yuta's eyes widen, and he takes a half-step back. "I won't let you hurt her." He says, quietly. There's fear in his eyes -- he's not used to aggression, not in this form -- but he doesn't look away. "I don't accept any of this! I fight to protect everyone, but this won't end with hurting Shinjo!"

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

"Mmhmm. Tsutsujidai previously existed in the Cognitive Layer. Akane isn't the first person to go there but because she was still connected to this world it ultimately caused that Chaos Bringer Effect you saw. Gridman and 'The Devil' are from somewhere else originally too."

"Mari!!" Nidaime says with absolute joy in her eyes. "Have a pretzel!! Try it with the yellow stuff!"

She glances to CHibodee, then back to Mari. "The must-ard!"

"I mean." Nidaime says. "Why wouldn't we accept it? Akane isn't the first person to do this? It's just she's the first person to do it in a way that people of this Layer are able to observe."

"Usually when a Newtype goes into the Cognitive Layer," NIdaime says, shoving pretzel in her mouth. "They aren't connected like this. If you think about it as that connection to this reality being the only difference, it isn't too difficult to accept at all."

She frowns. "And nobody 'let' Kaworu come to harm."

She has some mustard on her hands, she's now licking it off along with the salt.

"Other stuff moves through there too."

Shinji mentions that there's a student named Akane Shinjo in...one of the schools of Nouvelle Tokyo? Didn't Auntie Sayla havea trouble finding out where she had been in reality?

She glances back to Alouette and she laughs beautifully, seemingly for a moment at her rage.

"Thank you for caring so much about Kaworu." She says. "But we all love Kaworu! We don't want anything bad to happen to him either...! You're not saying anything I didn't say to myself, ehehe...~ I still feel really bad about it."

She smiles all the way through it despite her words, laughs despite her absolute honesty.

Kaworu says Akane is not responsible for the shooting. This makes sense to her. "Akane makes kaiju not gunmen." She agrees since that makes sense to her.

She looks to Rei for a moment. Her smile doesn't so much as flicker.

"And..yes. The Repli-Compoids are essentially human in every way that matters. The only real difference is where they come from. So they're not dolls at all. Not even the ones who are under the sway of the fog."

She kicks her legs back and forth some more. "Um, Repli-Compoids are what we call Compoids that emulate humanity."

<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.

Chibodee hears a bunch of proper nouns that just don't sink in. A girl has godlike power; surely she just needs to find someone to love and accept her and this whole thing would come to an end. Until then she might need to get punched until she explodes. This is how life works for him.

Chibodee nods when Nidaime pronounces mustard. THere's some good, dark, seedy mustard on the table. Chibodee is a guy who likes flavor and is not shy about using the dip. Nidaime is saying things, and Chibodee goes along. It makes sense to him.

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

Garrod nods to Kaworu as the direct answer is provided. Not a Newtype, but some kind of talent or ability - something that drew the Devil to her. And she's not unique in that regard, it sounds like. Nidaime adds some further insight while Garrod is making that note, and he nods to her, adding those details to the page he's steadily filling; his handwriting isn't the tidiest, but it's legible enough that he won't go back and wonder what he was writing.

He's curious about this 'Chaos Bringer' Effect that people keep talking about - it must be related to more than just where Tsutsujidai can be reached from, or it wouldn't have an established name like that; otherwise they'd just talk about displacing or breaking connections or something.

"So this 'Devil' is the big problem we need to eliminate," Garrod says - maybe not consciously addressing the room, but his voice is a bit clearer than if he were just thinking out loud. "I'm willing to bet he pushed the BioNet connection on her, or at least dangled it in front of her ..." He frowns a bit, trailing off.

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

Yuta places Akane's picture on the board and with it begins his speech.

"This is Shinjo." Yuta murmurs.

So this is the one that might have information on the attacker. . . Noted.

"She's being manipulated. The Devil has her, he's -- twisting her. Making her feel alone, and scared, and turning her creations into monsters."

So she's being dragged along. . .Does that mean it was to his discretion?

"Our goal here isn't to kill her, or fight her. We have to save her from the Devil, from her own feelings of despair and loneliness. It's... just figuring out how to do that..."

So they still aren't sure if they can stop her though. . . That's fine, as long as no one intends to kill her. Getting information from her should be easier that way. . .

The entire time that Yuta talks of Akane, Orpheus finds himself slowly letting his own thoughts on the matter drip though. And yet. . .Those thoughts are cut off when. . .

"Alouette. . .Go back to your seat. . .Please?" Before the sound of Mari's voice had penetrated the room. Tetsuya could be seen gripping Alouette's fist before it went to punch into the picture of Akane. At the same time he acts as a barrier between Alouette, Riika, and Renais. He had been lost in his thoughts far too long, not immediately realizing as Alouette had begun getting so riled. By the time he had been paying attention again she had already been storming the front of the room. He'd been quick to follow, very quick. The entire time she starts bolting towards Riika, and Mamoru and Ikumi seem as though they're ready to intervene, the visor wearing young man looks to the both of them as if to let them know he has it under control. As Riika finds herself in the face of the raging storm that is Alouette, though behind her is something. . .More calm, yet at the same time just as dangerous. A vibe that says he's not going to let Alouette cause real harm, though at the same time, like a snarling beast she can feel that if she oversteps on her end, she'd very well be bitten. . .

This sensation goes doubly so for Renais. The moment that she steps forward to bare down on the girl, the young man steps forward as well. "That's enough. This young woman has been through a grave deal, herself. If we're hoping to exercise forgiveness for a girl who's having her feelings twisted by a manipulator, I hope you'll be willing to exercise that same forgiveness for someone who's suffering from the damage that's been caused." By the time Mamoru wants everyone to settle down, he's already looking back towards Alouette, "Alouette. . .Go back to your seat for now, okay?" It's a stern yet calm voice. Like that an older sibling would give to a younger one. Though as he says it, he releases his grip on the girl before waiting to ensure she gets back to her spot safely.

Tetsuya turns back to Renais though, "You are right though, something needs to be done. This issue needs to be resolved. So. . .How do you plan to resolve this?"

This time his question turns towards Yuta and Rika alike. "There's surely the matter of helping your friend, to remove the influence of. . .That thing. Though when all is said and done, how do you believe this story will end? Forget the question of figuring out how to deal with her loneliness, to pull her out from this nightmare. When the smoke settles, and you've removed this 'blight' from her heart. . .What kind of 'peace' do you hope will fill it instead?" 

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

Gemini sighs and goes silent as the emotions get heated. Shucks, she sure was no good at handling situations like this. All this Cognitive stuff, and Newtypes...she was just a poor cowgirl, none of this makes sense to her! But she does know one thing...

"This Devil sounds like a real piece of work! Playin' with a poor girl's heart like that...despicable!"

A voice inside Gemini's own heart, inaudible to even her. ~Hell hath no fury.~

"I reckon if we just get rid of him, we don't even hafta do anythin' to this Akane!" 

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


Shinji seems to be working out a thought from his head, and Asuka sideeyes him from right beside him. She's not about to offer him courage, he's not even asking for help. Pushing him just means he's gonna have to get up in front of the whole class after all. Which is when a familiar shadow FLUMPS down upon him.

What Mari has to say about Anti causes Asuka to raise a single eyebrow, wondering if she's being teased indirectly here. Deciding she can't rise to the occasion without giving things away. Though when she pushes him to speak up, Asuka, "Does he even have a choice with you clinging to him, you Catty Four Eyes?"

Asuka seems, grumpier than usual perhaps over this turn of events. Though she's not even certain why she's jealous over Mari clinging to Shinji...

... who's that even directed towards?

Shinji though speaks up, and Asuka gives him a look of surprise, "Where'd you learn that one?" She sounds, genuinely impressed?

Alouette though speaks up, and the word dolls to Riika causes her eyebrows to shoot up. As she mouths 'What the hell?' with a certain confusion, like she's not certain what set her off here. Unless it's simple Britannian prejudice instilled within her, which she finds unlikely. And then she learns that it's directed at Akane, and suddenly she realizes it's potentially because of her prior theory.

"I know what I wrote in the report before, but that was just a working theory, Tako-atama. Lot of details I didn't know then that I know now. You wanna get mad at her, get mad. But at least make sure it's for the right reasons."

Which is why when Yuta speaks up about not hurting, Asuka looks his way and asks bluntly eyes boring into him, "So what are you saying then? She's allowed to attack us as many times as she wants? No consequences? Just because the Devil is telling her to do it? Pretty sure lots of people throughout history have used that excuse before. Just because hers is real, does that mean you're gonna let that all slide?"

<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.

Two pieces of information slot things into place and Koji clears his throat over the outbursts of miss Kaas and Renais. "Mister Ikari is correct. I did a little digging after the kaiju attack that preceeded the recent Tokyo-3 attack - an attempt on the life of my younger brother Shiro which was, fortunately, repelled with no loss of life. Miss Cardiff's statement about Chasseur confirms the datapoints I have. There is an Officer Shinjo assigned to the AEU's police forces, on long-term duty." The implications of that are clear - an absent father. "Her mother is similarly of small presence in her life, apparently working as a scrap dealer."

"Before Officer Shinjo was transferred to the AEU, his family lived..." A flash of anger crosses his face, this subject one of a few Koji Kabuto, hero of the Hell Wars, feels frustrated and powerless about, "... In Nagoya Ward. They were lucky enough to move to Nouvelle Tokyo before Britannia got the border control tightened."

"Akane Shinjo has a number of minor disciplinary marks on her school record, chiefly 'uniform code violations' and attendance issues that escalate over several years before she announces that she's transferring. However, there's no record of what school she transferred to. The date of her posting the school this notice matches up with the most significant... incident of the decade:

The outbreak of the Bloody Valentine conflict."

He pauses to let this information sink in among all present, before finishing up. "Considering all these factors, I think this gives us an indication of Akane's mental state when Tsutsujidai was created as well as the kind of profile the Devil enjoys targeting - and it sounds as though her condition has only worsened since then."

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        As high-strung as Liam seems at the moment, Koji's words do not go unheeded. He's been wondering what Nidaime meant since she first mentioned the Cognitive Layer, but now he has an answer... as odd as it is. Normally, his analytical methodology and his alert, adrenaline-driven focus at least try to work together, but this time it's like working on two different queues at once. Assauge fear. Obtain knowledge. He keeps trying to do both and everything seems to be getting worse.

        At Alouette's excalamation, Liam rises to his feet--smoothly, in sharp contrast to his tone of voice. "Kaas," he says, his voice tightening with tension. "Deescalate immediately--"

        And she does, thanks to Mari. Liam lets out a breath, and sinks back into his seat. Something approaching normal human emotion returns to his eyes as he gets more information. Akane is being abused. The Devil has set things up very precisely, and extracting her from his clutches will be extremely difficult. BioNet would surely try to stop the loss of such a valuable resource.

        And now, BioNet has claws in her directly, not just through the Devil.

        "I know," Liam says, to Pommier. "I don't want him to target you, either. Anti might be beyond their reach, now, but they have others."

        "Do you know what a 'being of light' is?" the cyborg says, turning to Renais. "Is Gridman the only one, or are there others--"

        The 'assauge fear' stack has spooled down to a managable level. Liam realizes he forgot something. "...Thank you, Doctor Kabuto," he says, turning to Koji with a vaguely sheepish look in his eyes. "I have no training in theoretical physics or dimensional theory.

        And then, Koji drops the bomb: an actual biography of Akane Shinjo. His hands tense. She tried to lure him in.

        Or was she that desperate for help, and unable to tell him without the Devil hearing? If Tsutsujidai is the theoretical-physics analogue of a fairy realm, he was gravely mistaken about who the fairy ruler was.

        "Junius Seven," Liam says, his gaze drifting to Riika. "Bloody Valentine. Was that what made her... run?"

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

Kaworu gives Shinji a look, and Shinji only sort of cowers from it because Mari's still draped over him, limiting his ability to escape in on himself without becoming more a more difficult piece of furniture. And wouldn't that be rudely inconvenient of him.

On top of all of those concerns (some of which should not be concerns, but, Shinji), he grapples with all the other information. The Devil. Grooming. A lonely girl. A... really sad girl that he thinks he might have known once, but who is gone now, because no one thought to say anything. They weren't close. Not even really friends. But what if he had said, just once, 'I was listening'?

Is it too late for this Akane Shinjo, too? Yuta doesn't want it to be, but the room is getting so heated, and Shinji's words are getting tangled up in his throat.

There are others, thankfully, more eloquent and graceful than him trying to diffuse the situation. That makes it easier to hear and answer Asuka, already feeling a tinge of shame for how he's about to brush away whatever impressive implication he's given her.

"I went to the same school."

Koji speaks up now, and Shinji stares. "Wait... she is the same one?" 

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

Snacks and drink are taken. A verbal push sends Shinji tumbling forward with a question. Mari's smile grows a bit wider.

But since Shinji can't quite see that, he gets a double thumbs up once Mari's hands have been relieved of their burden, instead.

"See?" she murmurs, voice mostly lost to the din of the heated argument brewing between Alouette Kaas and Renais. "You were holding onto something important. You did good, Puppy Boy."

She pulls back after that, a single hand patting Shinji supportively on the shoulder as she stretches to a full stand. It's not long - she pauses only to offer Asuka a suspicious wink as the girl grumps - before the bespectacled Evangelion pilot is wandering off once more, leaving Shinji with those snacks (are they for him? is he supposed to be holding them?? are they all part of an elaborate ploy!?) as she meanders her way towards the board. She inspects it thoughtfully from her new, closer vantage point, even as she speaks next.

"I agree with her," she says simply, nodding her head Alouette Pommier's way. "Akane Shinjo didn't have anything to do with Kaworu's attack."

She says this with unerring confidence. But really -- unerringly confident is just Mari. Isn't it?

"It's better to focus on this for now. It's okay. You'll figure out who did it eventually. I'm sure of it."

And with that, a familiar voice calls out; Mari blinks. She looks over Nidaime's way with wide-eyes -- and then a new smile blooms at her lips. "Oho!" coos the Undesignated Child, seconds before she breezes her way towards Nidaime, raising a single palm up her way. "Hi, my future karoake partner~. Give me a pretzel with all the must-ard you think I can handle!"

It is as she waits that her gaze turns back towards the board. A thoughtful hum escapes her lips as the others stitch together the pieces of Akane Shinjo.

"If you want to be close to God, you need to understand God," muses Mari. She looks out to the others. "But I'm betting just reaching out to her isn't working, or else we wouldn't be here."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Asuka makes a 'tck' noise at Rikka's comment. Ordinarily, she'd have something to say about that... but, she doesn't have it in her at the moment, so she just looks away - unaware of the true reason Asuka is upset.

Riika says something very interesting, then, and Rikka takes note. A clay model, that she used a tablet with... Akane showed them a model too, didn't she?

"...That must be how she makes the kaiju. She's always been pretty creative..." Rikka comments, then glances around Yuta, Alouette Pommier, Nidaime, and Renais. "...Do you think that model she showed us was the same kind?"

Before she can continue on that thought, there are two sudden revelations - Shinji says that there was a student in one of Nouvelle Tokyo's schools by the name of Akane Shinji, and Renais says that Akane mentioned that her father worked for Chasseur.

"...Is that true?" She asks. "...I didn't know that..."

...It sounds like there's a lot of things she doesn't know yet about Akane. Rikka takes a breath, briefly balling her hands into fists. ...It's just another reason they need to work hard for Akane's sake - she wants to know more about her.

But before she can continue that train of thought, Kaworu has something else to say about her.

"So that's why..." Rikka starts, but shuts herself up quickly. Akane wanted someone to end her existence. So that's why, when they spoke on the bus, she said she should just kill her... She tears up, just a little, but quickly tries to hide it.

"...So that's why she's running around dressed as a villain. That's... stupid." Rikka says - though she sounds more hurt, than anything. And maybe a little ashamed, that she never noticed sooner.

She pauses, though, as Kaworu lists off some familiar names.

"'Depth' and 'interiority'... They're changing, too...?" Rikka comments... and then repeats quietly, under her breath, "...We can change..."

...It's hard to tell, but... it's like a bit of a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. If they can change, grow in depth and interiority...

Then that means, though she was made originally as Akane's friend, whatever she's feeling now, it's her own true feelings - not something that was programmed into her.

...This look of realisation passes quickly, though, as both Kaworu and Yuta points out that Akane seems to like her the most.

"H-hey, d-don't just say it like that..." She says, a slight pink tinge appearing on her face.

She straightens up a little, though, as Orpheus asks her a question. There's something a little serious about him.

"...I don't... have any big goals. I just want to give her a chance to find her happiness - to be able to choose that for herself. I don't know how, but... I'll do anything to give her that chance." Rikka says.

And Koji has some information, too, about Akane. Her mother is a scrap dealer... Is that why she was made to live in the Aya? To have a friend with similar circumstances? 

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

Bloody Valentine. Garrod grimaces eloquently as the name of that atrocity is mentioned; from what Koji is saying, Garrod can *easily* believe that it would have been the final straw to push Akane into fleeing from reality.

"So she got roped into making kaiju, not just for Tsutsujidai but for BioNet, and BioNet figured out how to sell and use them as far away as Africa ..." Garrod shakes his head. "I mean, I don't know if the beam-eater who attacked that factory was a Shinjo Original or not," he admits. "I've seen maybe three kaiju in or near Tsutsujidai, and I know one of those probably *wasn't* hers."

He eyes Asuka briefly; she's finally said enough - and in familiar tones - for him to match up who she is. He's probably not going to volunteer his own identity by way of bringing that fight up, though.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.


        Disarmed as she was so suddenly by Mari, Alouette Kaas took a moment to find her place again. When she did it was with less steam than before. Though the response that dots the room doesn't help foster that.

        Alouette looks to Asuka. What is she doing? Where is her anger? No attitude? No pithy remarks? Her concern is answered as Asuka reinforces her. Akane has a bill due.

        Alouette doesn't let Renais go unanswered, and turns from her watching of Asuka, to walk to Renais with a table separating them. She locks eyes silently, watching from her full height before she speaks. Her tone is quieter now, aggressive in answer to the venom laced question.

        "Ignorance and complacency doesn't excuse complicity. How sweet that you are friends, or, you've learned from your mistakes. Akane Shinjo may be used by the Devil but it is because of Akane that Administrator Nagisa was explicitly targeted and recieved a near fatal wound. What will I do about it? Anything I need to."

        Alouette lets it settle in not just for Renais, but for everyone. Her concern isn't for everyone else. She does her job enough for those NERV charges her with. Tokyo-3. Krugis and the Middle East before that. Earth when SEELE decides. But not the Kaiju. Then Yuta said it, and Alouette highlighted the name she had found in her investigation, the one she had been trying to provoke with this display. Alexis.

        "Your goal, may be to save Akane Shinjo. Those aren't my orders. If you can save your friend and stop the one behind the attack, fine. But if Akane, or saving her, or you, get in the way of that. I will do anything I have to."

        Alouette Kaas turns her back to Renais intentionally, and then walks back to the wall near Orpheus/Tetsuya. She puts her back against it once again.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Riika lets out a breath. "I didn't," she says to Shinji, "because I've never been to Nouvelle Tokyo before. I could only look up the PLANTs. But - you went to that school?" She seems startled. Nobody mentioned that to her before...

Seeing that she seems unlikely to be attacked as Alouette's attention goes elsewhere, Riika slowly lowers herself back down to a seat. "I can confirm what Renais says. The last time I spoke to Akane, she asked if I would kill one to 'move the city block back where it belongs'. I, uh, wasn't interested. But I did try to get her to tell me what a Vessel of Light was."

Riika counts on her fingers. "Ultraman, Betterman, Evoluder, Gridman - she put it as 'something that cares about human pain and tries to fix it, but isn't human'. And then Tsutsujidai wouldn't be a problem for the PLANTs anymore, which is the only reason she seems to think I'd care. Though I did tell her that's what they assigned me to do. I think that the Cloak is just trying to get her to do it - she couldn't tell me *how* it would help, only *that* it would help."

Koji provides information. Riika looks grateful - she recognized him of course, but she hadn't said anything to him because, frankly, kind of intimidating? But 'the outbreak of the Bloody Valentine conflict' - that gets Riika to darken again, this time with anger of her own. And whose fault was that? she thinks, but doesn't say.

"Back before," Riika says. "Before I stopped working with him, I mean. I spoke to her, then, and told her that I was going to try to make sure there was never another attack like that. She said she'd 'given up on thinking anyone can stop something like that'." Riika is quoting, despite the fact that this was four months ago - her memory is perfect for things like that. "So... she was pretty upset about it. But she lied, otherwise, about her background. She didn't want to tell me anything."

She doesn't know *anything* about the Repli-Compoids, or Compoid, or whatever situation. It's beyond her. She's learning, but she's not sure what to say about it. Yet. Wait, she does have one thing: "It doesn't matter where you come from or how you were made," Riika says, "people are people." The last time she pulled that line, they didn't believe it coming from a Coordinator, but she really does seem to mean it. Riika even gives Rikka a smile, and not so slight as her 'I am being polite' one from before. Maybe she did hear that bit about Akane.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.


When Nidaime looks towards her, Rei does not look back. If she saw the smile it may have been lost on her. She folds her hands in her lap, the little notebook tucked into the hollow of one hand.

Rei sets back in her chair. Other people are moving. Familiar objects in the environment. Mari isn't very far away, nor is Ikari. She can hear the Second, and of course the Administrator up front. The others...

Rei's eyes saccade for a moment towards Rikka Takarada as her mouth forms a thin, small line for a moment. After this, Rei turns her head; eventually she looks towards the window, veiled though they are by blinds.

<Pose Tracker> GaoGaiGo Team has posed.

As Riika reveals what a Vessel of Light is, Mamoru and Ikumi look at each other. They can't solve the Alouette Kaas situation, so..."Wait, are *we* Vessels of Light?" Mamoru asks.

"This may be a problem." Ikumi responds.

<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.

        Renais' attention turns to Kaworu, Ikumi, and Mamoru as they try to talk her down. It's a glare at first, but it softens... but her hackles raise again as Koji explains what he knows. And more, as Alouette responds to her.

        "And you don't care what Kaworu has to say about it?" she asks in reply, fists tight, the knuckles of her flesh-and-blood hand whitening. "That you would destroy a city full of people in killing her? That there are people from that city IN THIS FUCKING ROOM?"

        She fumes silently for a moment after that. "... I'm going to track down her father," she says simply. "Kaworu-san, I'll send you what I find."

        With that, she turns on her heel and leaves the room. The door slams shut behind her.

        It was that, or break someone's jaw.

<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.

"... That's a really... convenient definition." Koji frowns. "A neat little way to box a whole bunch of people who'd try to reach out to her into 'eliminate with prejudice'.

        "I kinda have to credit the Devil, it's a hell of a spin to turn 'people who want to help' into 'people who need to die."

Renais storms out and Koji winces. He'd go after her, but... There's still something else to take care of here. 

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


Asuka just glares at Mari as if to say 'Who are you winking at!?' still uncertain what element of that interaction she was jealous of. Though now she listens to Koji and him relaying so many details of where Akane Shinjo came from, expanding on what Shinji said, still seeming genuinely impressed by how they figured it out.

However, Rikka's statement of saying all she wants to do is give her a chance to find her happiness. And her eyes just narrow, and Asuka just stands up - glaring at her for a moment, "Big surprise you'd say that."

The NERV pilot's gait becomes violent, arms swinging straight armed like blunt pendulums as she starts to make towards the exit, "After all, that's what she made you to do! To like her company so much that you'd give her the choice she'd never let you have."

In short order, she stalks right out of the room. She can't stick around to listen to this anymore... but later on, she'll be kicking herself...

...she's not even mad at Rikka... yet she lashed out at her again, just like always.

At least she has an easier target than herself this time in Akane Shinjo.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Information flows: about Akane's old school, about the vocations of her parents and their lack of presence in her life, about what Vessels of Light are. Kaworu doesn't weigh in on those matters, but he does listen; the parts about Akane's past in particular are things he didn't know.
        
        Mari muses that if helping Akane were as easy as just talking to her, they wouldn't all be here. Kaworu nods. "I've tried talking to her several times. The most recent time, she told me that I and several others who've been concerned for her were too late. She was quite adamant about it." He flicks a look over Asuka's way. "...She has severe trouble being honest with how she really feels."
        
        Meanwhile, even as her eyes tear up, Rikka seems relieved. That's a good thing; Kaworu suspects she holds the key to unlocking Akane's heart. In the same way, when she blushes and protests, he gives her a smile and a faint laugh. "It's true, though," he says. "When I spoke with her about salvation, her first thought was for you." He pauses; then he gives her a soft, bittersweet smile, gaze lowering to the table.
        
        "...No doubt she pushes you away because she feels she's incapable of bringing you happiness... That being near you will only bring you more misfortune. That it's better for you if she stays away." He lifts his chin to glance somberly--and meaningfully--over at Shinji. "...It's easy to fall into that trap with the Devil dripping poison into one's ear, but it truly is a foolish belief, isn't it?"
        
        Alouette Kaas makes it clear she still blames Akane for the attack on Kaworu, whether she was directly involved in it or not. Kaworu's lips pull back into a faint grimace, especially as Renais shouts back at her. "Alouette..." What to say to her, when her fury is on his behalf? Captain Hebikura made it clear to him that he can't just tell those who care about him not to care.
        
        Renais sees herself out. Before that, though, she tells him what she intends to do and that she'll be in touch. He nods once. "Thank you. We'll speak later, then."
        
        He watches her go, followed shortly by Asuka. His gaze lingers on her for a moment. Then, carefully, he eases himself back down on his seat.
        
        "...As Renais Cardiff suggested," by way of saying she'd investigate Officer Shinjo, he means, "we should consider what to do next about this matter. However, though we now all have the same information, it seems we are not in accord." He looks over at Yuta. "Yuta, would you please share what you intend to do? If we know each other's intentions, then at least we can each move with that in mind."

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"Don't worry, I will be careful," Alouette Pommier responds to Liam. Now that he mentions it, she never really thought of herself as a potential target of the Devil. Sure, she fits the archetype of traumatized teenage girl but with the way he operates, she thought it would be too much of a bother for him to try and manipulate her under the noses of 3G... not that she would let him manipulate her in the first place. "After all, I've been learning to protect myself too!" she adds with a wink. Returning to a more serious face, she ends with, "Although I appreciate your concern all the same, I'll admit I haven't been entirely careful in my investigations of Tsutsujidai..." She doesn't regret it though.

Next, the group discusses more information about Akane she didn't know - her background - with accounts from Renais, Kaworu, Koji Kabuto, and others. Alouette feels indescribably weird about this, and deigns not to weigh in on it any out loud. Is this how Akane felt when that Devil leaked her BioNet file to her? This does confirm that Akane isn't just a regular human though, a suspicion she had for awhile. How else would she find the perfect angle to hit Alouette with in her declaration of war?

Riika explains what a "Vessel of Light" is and it worries Mamoru and Ikumi - Alouette tries to reassure them. "Maybe so, but does the term really say anything meaningful? I think you have perfectly good reasons to care about humanity. And who's to say it's not just a phrase made up by the Devil."

Finally, Renais lashes out on Kaas and storms out in anger. Pommier can't disagree with Renais' logic even if she doesn't think infighting will help. Once again speaking up, she says "Renais is right. Do you really want to see so many people die just because you want to end this quickly? That's... heartless." She glances over at Rikka and Yuta. They.. and everyone else in Tsutsujidai don't deserve that punishment. Just another reason Alouette would like to help Akane.

<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.

Koji nods over to Mamoru and Ikumi. "By that definition... It sounds like, yeah, you two would count, but, like I said. Weirdass, extremely-convenient definition.

Hell, by that definition, the Brave Robot Corps count, too; so if you ask me, it's mixin' up 'who' you are for 'what' you are even though both of you'd try and help people whether or not you had your powers, right?"

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

Yuta is asked what kind of peace he hopes for. He blinks -- none of his plans or daydreams had ever gotten that far. "I... guess," He begins, scratching at the side of his face. "I'd be happy if we could all go back to class together. We could go to the Deculture Festival together, as friends. No more kaiju, no more Devil, just... being normal classmates."

Meeting Asuka's gaze, Yuta nods. "I promise, I'll stop her kaiju whenever they appear. I don't want to let this slide, but -- I can't think about it right now. I just want to save her, and... the rest can come later." It's a weak response, and Asuka certainly won't let it slide, but it's all Yuta has in the moment.

"Shinjo..." Yuta's heart sinks, listening to Koji's information. "She must've been truly in despair after that happened. If someone found her in that moment, someone who offered her safety and power, when she was afraid and powerless? Anyone might've taken that offer."

"Wait -- seriously?" Shinji gets a wide-eyed look. "That's got to be useful information! That's amazing, Shinji."

Mari is right. Yuta looks down for a moment. If just reaching out would do it, his texts and memes would've gotten some kind of response by now. He doesn't have a reply, but his silence surely gives Mari all the answer she needs.

The second Rikka speaks up, Yuta is paying attention to her, nodding. "It must be the same kind of model. It was so detailed, it can't be a coincidence." Yuta's eyes draw together as Rikka tears up, but -- he doesn't know what to do. He walks across the room and grabs a napkin, handing it to Rikka in what he hopes is a casual manner.

Alouette's agression makes Yuta take a deep breath, and glance to Kaworu for backup. "I'll do whatever I have to, as well. If you come for her, I'll stop you." He can't help but brush a hand against the wristband on his left arm. Yuta watches Alouette walk back to her wall, then closes his eyes for a moment. He really didn't want to have to fight a person...

When he opens his eyes again, it's with a mile toward Riika. "Thank you, that really means a lot to me. We've all been struggling with the thought that we were just... invented to be imaginary friends, or something."

"Renais!" Yuta calls, as she storms away. Like Koji, he wishes he could go after her, but there was still a meeting to finish. Yuta makes a note to try and contact her later.

As soon as Renais has stormed out, Asuka gets violent too. Yuta takes a step toward Rikka, as though to protect her from Asuka's wrath, but... it's not necessary. The pilot leaves, and Yuta looks sadly to Rikka. "...Rikka.. she doesn't mean that. Not deep down."

Kaworu sits down. Yuta mirrors him, sitting across the table. "My goal is to keep Tsutsujidai safe. That comes first for me, even above Shinjo's well-being. If she or the Devil send out any kaiju, I'll stop them." He fusses with the papers left at his spot at the table for a moment. "Most recently, she announced she's going to attack the Tsutsujidai Deculture Festival. I have to think of a way to keep everyone safe."

"Beyond that," Yuta continues, "I think our best bet is finding a way to defeat the Devil, Kaworu. Maybe we could have two teams -- one team to work on reaching Shinjo, and one team for trying to destroy the Devil?" 

<Pose Tracker> GaoGaiGo Team has posed.

Mamoru and Ikumi both sigh as people leave, but they nod to Alouette Pommier and Koji Kabuto. "You're right." Ikumi says, followed by a nod from Mamoru and a remark. "We're Braves. We'd do anything to help people. Human or alien - the Earthsphere is our home in the end...!"

And then Mamoru nods to Yuta. "That's a great plan!" He's gonna spend some time thinking where they fit, if at all - this was mostly information briefing.

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

"Sounds as good ta me as anythin'!"

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

A Vessel of Light is... something that cares about human pain and tries to fix it, but isn't human. Rikka frowns a little, at that.

...How much do Repli-Compoids like herself, Yuta, and Utsumi count as for 'human', according to that metric...?

...That's only a hypothetical so she tries not to dwell on it. She doesn't like the idea of that - as Koji says, that's a pretty convenient definition.

She's still a little teary-eyed from her earlier revelation, but Yuta approaches her with a napkin. She pauses... and then accepts it from him.

"Thanks, Hibiki..." Rikka says, wiping her eyes.

Riika says something that means a lot more to her - that it doesn't matter where they come from or how they were made, people are people. Rikka offers her a smile in return - a genuine one.

"...Thanks. That means a lot." Rikka replies.

She looks back toward Kaworu again. Akane's first thought was for her, huh...

"...Yeah. It really is foolish." She murmurs. "Pushing me away and making herself suffer isn't going to make me any happier... I just want to be there for her."

But how could she prove that to her...?

She briefly catches a glimpse of Rei's expression, but it's soon interrupted by Renais turning to leave. ...She doesn't blame her, or try to stop her.

But then, Asuka.

Asuka whirls on her, glaring, and Rikka stands up, frowning. Her words... Rikka breathes in sharply, as doubt creeps back into her mind at Asuka's words. But, her expression sharpening, she balls her fists again and counters, as Asuka turns to leave,

"I didn't say that because she made me to. That's what I want." She replies, watching her leave. She has to believe that, if she wants to keep going. The door closes and Rikka sits down again, arms folded in front of her and mood soured. Yuta tries to assure her that Asuka didn't mean it and Rikka huffs slightly, but tries to relax.

"...Maybe not. But she didn't have to say it." She replies. She quiets, though, as he explains his plans. And then, two teams...

"That's... a good idea." Rikka comments. She already knows what it is she wants to do - that was never in any doubt.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

Shinji blushes fiercely at the praise even if his petulant face says he knows, or at least thinks, Mari is patronizing him. She releases him, but leaves him with a bunch of horrible snack etiquette related questions.

The blush does not get any better with anyone else's praise.

Riika expresses her confusion, and Shinji's gaze shies away. "Yes. Sorry I didn't mention it before now. I didn't think... I thought..." His voice gets progressively quieter. "I thought she died."

There's more being said that Shinji is sure is going over his head as much as he's scrambling to keep up, except for a very, very critical part about why killing Akane would be bad beyond that this sounds like an achingly wrong move on instinct.

There's enough going on that Shinji's not sure where to focus until Kaworu says some distressingly echoing words. Shinji's gaze snaps toward him before he can stop himself, and then his face doesn't know what to do with the look he's being given. A devil dripping poison... What does that mean? --

-- oh no there goes Asuka. "A-Asuka!"

He's shouting to, what, stop her? (Good luck.) Distract her? (Maybe?) Thankfully Asuka leaves instead of committing a violence, which is only a kind of thankfully situation. So Shinji kind of only relaxes half of his tension.

With Renais and Asuka gone, some of the room loses its tension, too. Not all of it. Kaworu and Yuta speak of plans, and what suddenly seemed overwhelming starts to make a little bit of sense. Divide and conquer.

"Oh. If they were separated, then he couldn't threaten her as a last resort..."

This is a thing he was worried about, apparently.

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

"If you need outside help to protect the Festival, let me know, and we'll figure out how to get me there," Garrod offers to Yuta. "I doubt I can do much with reaching out to Shinjo ... but taking down the Devil? I'll be there with all the firepower I can bring. If there are other consequences which have to fall on Shinjo, we'll figure out how to deal with them after that."

He looks at his page of notes, adding a few things, annotating one or two of his previous notes. There isn't a lot left he can think of to say, especially after the flare-up about Akane's own fate.

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

        Golden eyes watch the interaction between the individuals in the room. Alouette Kaas's outburst, and the attempts of various other parties to bring her to heel. The heartfelt urging to see Akane as a victim of circumstance... and the stark refusal of others. The various revelations - that Akane isn't some sort of extradimensional entity... but something far more mundane that somehow has been wrapped up into and pulled into another world in an attempt to escape form the horrors of this reality. That she created a world unto her own... and all the people in it. That these people are... people? What makes someone into a person?

        This line of thought causes a spike of pain to lance through her head, a shock of torment loosening her fingers and allowing the thought to slip free. The only external sign of this is a slight wince. This one subtle movement has, save for the subtle rise and fall of breathing, been the only hint for the last few minutes that she is alive and not some sort of life sized hina doll.

        Meanwhile the room continues to grow more chaotic, and the meeting begins to fall apart as more people leave. Renais, and then the Second Child. Aurum-1 wonders who is right though? Does Akane Shinjo deserve another chance? To her it seems like there is a dissonance... if the citizens of Tsutsujidai are living beings with their own hearts and feelings, then surely that magnifies Akane's crimes to the point they are tantamount to a serial killer spree at best and genocide at worst. However if they aren't people, and in fact just 'creations' under her control... then that lessens the magnitude of her crimes.

        This isn't a question for me to answer though, Ouka thinks to herself. She is the sword, and the arm that wields it - the brain and the heart are not her own. Whether she'll cut through that which binds Akane... or Akane's throat, shall be determined for her.

        And so the conversation proceeds towards that direction: The vague outline of the problem has been identified, but how will those gathered pursue its conclusion? One team to reach Shinjo, the other to destroy the Devil.

        "As of right now..." Ouka begins, her voice soft yet unyielding - like steel clad in silk, "... Neither Seolla nor myself have orders regarding Tsutsujidai or Akane from either G-Hound or The School. As such, pursuant to my role as a NERV Auxiliary, I will perform my utmost at whatever task is given to me. Unfortunately my combat background lacks any experience with killing Devils, or attempting to calm emotionally vulnerable deities. As such I will provide support in whichever role NERV HQ considers me most useful at this time."

        Once she is finished saying her piece, Ouka goes back to Receive Only mode. 

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        "I'm glad," Liam says, managing a tiny little smile to Alouette Pommier. She seemed to handle herself well against that kaiju. That's something. "If you... need a bodyguard, I have experience."

        The revelations keep coming. Shinji went to the same school, even. God, Liam thinks--were the pieces of her old life there this entire time? Is there anything left of his old life, something someone might track down and wonder about?

        Kaas speaks again, and Liam looks at her, his stare the same blank-yet-intense look he has so often in the cockpit. His objective is clear--Akane Shinjo is another victim of BioNet, and even if she weren't, her death might destabilize reality even further.

        And then Renais grows angrier, and Liam curls back into his chair, going very, very still. He agrees. He wouldn't use that language. He does, however, remain silent in the face of the elder cyborg's outburst, the gleam of her armor reflecting in his eyes. And then she's gone, but Kaas is still there, and Liam's throat feels dry. He reaches out, picks up the lemonade bottle, and takes a very deliberate drink from it.

        "Your call," Liam says, to two people who are both significantly younger. A good weapon exercises limited autonomy, but someone else decides how to best deploy it.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

"It's okay," Riika says to Shinji. "I was just surprised, that's all."

The two leave, and Riika frowns. She feels vaguely guilty. Riika doesn't know Renais well, but she'll have to call Asuka later - well, Asuka she doesn't know real well either, but better than Renais, certainly.

Yuta and Rikka get another smile. "Any time. Actually, she mentioned you to me once too, because our names are so similar... Honestly, I should give you two my contact information too; NERV has it, but you're not in NERV, are you?" She got that much out of it.

Riika pushes up her glasses, absently. It's a pointless gesture because they don't really ever slide down her nose and haven't now, but it keeps her hands busy and her head down for a moment.

"Based on what I've been told," Riika says, slowly, "I should be focusing on making sure Tsutsujidai won't cause any problems to the PLANTs. The whole - Chaos Bringer thing, I don't understand it, which is why I want to talk to you." That with a tild of her head toward Nidaime. "Well, and a couple other things. But..."

"I want to help Akane too. He's treating her like he treated me, except worse, for longer. I've spoken to Akane a lot - even some casual conversations, just about modeling and Tarabaman, and..." Her expression darkens again. "I know what it's like to have the world go out from under you because of Bloody Valentine. But I also want the Cloak stopped. So I'll help how I can."

And hope it ends up right.

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime, still smiling despite how horribly things are getting, splorts a whole bunch of mustard on a pretzel--honestly an ~~~extravagant~~~ amount of mustard-- and scootches across the table to give it to Mari.

"I'm so excited for karaoke." She says. She doesn't care if the assassin gets caught or not she just wants Kaworu to be okay. Luckily, Mari is a completely uninvolved sweetheart. "I've never gone to karaoke before. My mom says it's really fun. I want to sing all the songs on the karaoke machine with you."

At this point it's pretty much all out of her hands but when Kaworu calls out Yuta, Nidaime turns her head towards Yuta. Yuta says he'll fight Alouette if it comes to it... He's drawing a kind of line in the sand there.

She feels... not invisible, exactly, but helpless. Like she'd done everything that she could do and all she can do now is wait to see what happens. But not exactly helpless either. Like some kind of mix that's neither of them but somehow both of them at once, a kind of half and half of badfeels.

"Dad's too slow. Whenever he or I get to the Devil, he's already gone or moving on. Gridman needs to..."

She trails off and instead rolls off the table. That's right, not invisible or helpless exactly but that weird sense of not really being there, like trapped in one world while the world you long for is seperated. Once by a barrier wall, now by... a crowd, invisibility. Maybe that's for the best too. If she feels a part of this world, that might mean something is--

--No, mother said. Nidaime shakes her head and hops off the table. She is giving Mari a pretzel from Chibodee. Connection to connection. It's real.

And yet, all these words, she thinks, and yet... And yet Anti communicates so much with silence.

"I'd really appreciate it if nobody murdered anyone." Nidaime tries one last time. "Because..."

She takes in a deep breath. "Murdering people is wrong."

"And two wrongs don't make a right." She adds.

<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.

"If anything's gonna fight a Devil, there should be a Mazin involved. To show him how it's done." Koji says this deceptively calmly; the way the air hangs still before a storm breaks. "Besides, he's probably the one who orchestrated the attack on Shiro, he's racked up a debt that needs paying; so I'll back Gridman up."

Whoever Gridman is. Getting Z to the battlefield is a thing he'll work out later.

"There's something I've noticed, though, about the kaiju attacks, that might be a clue about the Devil. I know Liam recognised the Fuji attacker and that it was using the powers of the one that I suppose would be Mecha Trembulor, since that was the Luna attack, and the Tokyo-3 attacker was a similar kind of hybrid, correct?"

When he receives confirmation, Koji pushes forwards: "None of these external attacks are new designs. I suspect that while the Devil certainly has the power to manifest these kaiju from works of art, he cannot himself create new ones - he can only... transplant the ideas associated with one onto another."

"He lacks the spark of ingenuity that drives human beings to create."

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

Steady, Tetsuya stays steady as he makes sure that Alouette's able to say her final peace without things breaking out. He hadn't been expecting to use it, and he imagines it would have been quite the problem if he had to, but there were a few moments where he wasn't sure whether or not tensions would be rising high enough that he'd have to use the. . .'Ace' up his sleeve.

At the end of the day though, things seem to settle to some extent, even if it meant the departure of certain individuals like Renais. Considering the alternative though, yes, this option was better. Not the best, not close for those here more than likely, but if it kept conversation from devolving it was better that way.

It also allowed for Tetsuya to be able to listen more in depth to what's being thrown around. In truth, with all the noise, it's sometimes difficult to follow the conversation but there's a few things he's heard that's given him enough of an idea of who this girl is.

Though before he can think on it like before, he finds a response from Yuta. One that's. . .Honest. And for some reason, this starts bringing a soft smile to the masked NERV Agent's face. "It's a start. I assume you already know the path you're on will be rough, even painful. Though, if you have that end in sight. If you have a tangible goal. . .It should make that hardship somewhat more easy to bear. "

Perhaps it's advice that's just as tangible as Yuta's goal, but it's something that Orpheus can say from experience. Speaking from experience though, he sees a familiar face. The face of someone trying to hide themselves. Their feelings, their past, their very being. Though as soon as that face looks as though it's going to succumb, Kaworu and Yuta alike find themselves aiding the girl. Perhaps it's overkill for someone like him to add on, but she's also given him an answer, so he feels he should be responding to her as well. At first, he steps away from the trio. . .Though only before returning with three snacks from the table. One for Kaworu, one for Yuta, and one for Rikka. He says nothing to the two men, but when handing Rikka hers, "You remind me of someone once upon a time. A person who wanted to make others happy, even when they didn't want to be. My advice to you is. . ." At this point he points to Rikka and the napkin that was being used to wipe her tears. "This Akane has been wearing a mask. A mask to change herself, and to hide her face from even the world itself. . .If you'd like to truly help her, if you want her to be happy. . .I think you should be the one to face her without hiding anything. Whether it be wrath, sorrow, or tears. . .Cause that's what we are human." He adds a final emphasis on that word. Human, as he looks back to Yuta, Rikka, and Kaworu as well. He wants to emphasize that point. That as of right now, as of what he's seen. . .He's okay at least calling them that.

At this point he steps away from the three as he makes his way back to Alouette. He imagines she's still steamed after all that's transpired, and his words are likely entirely counter to her own thus far. Still, he offers to bring a hand atop her head and just try to gently pat her. He leans down and whispers softly for her in a voice that seems much more familiar. "Whatever happens from here, we will find the truth. . .But, we can't do it without cool heads. . .So promise me, you won't go off on your own like that again?"

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Rikka isn't taking the harsh words flung at her very well - Alouette Pommier gives her a sympathetic gaze. "Rikka... You're walking the path you think is right, and I don't think you should let anyone stop you. Besides, Akane thinks she doesn't deserve someone like you, you're making your own choice to help her against that, aren't you?"

Liam offers to be her bodyguard, and Alouette almost laughs even though she realizes it's a serious suggestion and not a joke - not in a bad way, though. "A bodyguard... not the worst idea. Although it kind of defeats the purpose if we *both* need to avoid the Devil, right?" Still, she genuinely appreciates the kindness.

"That sounds like a good plan," she agrees with Kaworu and Yuta. Not dissimilar from the plan she thought of in the Gridman Alliance meeting. She decides she would have to be in the first group - she doesn't know if she's truly capable of reaching Akane, but she would still like to try, and she already made a promise to stay away from the Devil anyways. With that, it seems the meeting is just about over. Information has been shared and a basic outline of a plan has been formed, which is good - even though the situation got heated many times, although maybe that is an inevitability when bringing together people from different groups with different motivations. After saying her goodbyes, Alouette leaves the office room with Mamoru and Ikumi. 

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

"Well, listen, if a Devil is anything like a demon, it's the Combat Revue's specialty! I've been rarin' to get some action anyway, it's been too quiet on the colony!" Gemini smirks and laments that she does not have her hat with her to wave and to yee and haw and such. 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.


        From the wall Alouette Kaas is silent as she watches Renais leave. Asuka follows soon after, but punctuates her exit with what would have otherwise gone unsaid. It wasn't popular and got a less than welcome response from many in the group.

        Alouette looks to Nidaime. She hadn't known how to respond to the girl's laughing remarks. Not because they were out of place but because they were so like Alouette herself, Alien to these situations. Alouette pushes off the wall and gives a reassuring nudge to Orpheus as she moves to sit by Nidaime. She sits quietly for several moments, listening to the additional information alongside the smaller girl, waiting for a longer pause. WHen she finds it she leans in closer to Nidaime with a whisper.

        "I don't like upsetting everyone. I needed to raise everyones emotions to a breaking point so that people would reveal information they otherwise didn't want to. I don't want any people to die. I want to protect those I love."

        Alouette offers a soft smile and a nudge to Nidaime, before resuming her dour, agitated veneer. She hopes that Kaworu picked up on the (she hopes) subtle gestures and overture she just made. The tall girl is content to remain seated next to Nidaime for the moment, absorbing the additional forth coming information. She stares at the paper before her from time to time, a thought continuing to run through her mind. To write the name over and over on the sheet of paper. 

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.


Repli-Compoid.
The same as a human.
Many are not awake. Dolls.
Awakened by regard.

Rei looks at the thin slivers of Nouvelle-Tokyo visible through the blinds of the meeting room. Others are leaving; she can hear the Second go, and Renais shortly therefore. The events seem to orbit in their alignment while she doesn't look at them.

Indistiguishable from other humans.
Takarada. Utsumi. Shinjo.
Hibiki.

Something passes faintly. The light outside changes. It changes back; it was not an augury of anything.

Rei looks down at her knees, sticking pale just out the cut-off point of her skirt's hemline.

Rei looks upwards. "I want to help," she says, "but I don't know how to reach someone."

<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.

It's dreadful, Chibodee thinks, all this -- the horror of it. There are so many granular details, so many interlocking pieces, wheels within wheels within wheels. So much between him and the straight line he wants. How is he ever going to get through it?

Chibodee moves over and puts his hand on Nidaime's shoulder. Maybe he can't grapple with these immense issues, but he can help a person. He can care for her. And maybe that's enough.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu's gaze lingers on Shinji for a long moment. Did he understand what he was trying to say...? He smiles ruefully. Asuka and Renais storming out breaks that moment, and there's still a meeting to attend to besides. Kaworu will simply have to trust that Shinji will put it together... though he certainly does owe him a more direct apology, too. But later. When there's not so much of an overwhelming crowd. Rei isn't looking very good over in her corner, either...
        
        "That seems wise," he tells Yuta. A faint smile Rikka's way. "I suggest Rikka Takarada command the team to help Akane. As for the Devil..." He glances at Nidaime, then back at Yuta. "I know you want to help Akane, too. But Yuta, I think it would be best if you command the team to defeat the Devil." He nods to Riika as she weighs in on the matter, about how much Bloody Valentine affected her, about how much it must have affected Akane, too.
        
        Koji makes an observation about the kaiju that Alexis has been fielding. Kaworu nods slowly. "Yes... I'm certain you're right. When I confronted him about Akane, the Devil told me this: 'The world hurtles toward an inevitable end; are we not permitted to amuse ourselves in the interim? If their pain is constant and their hearts are sensitive, we really must do our best to find some joy in it.'" (Riika's not the only one with an excellent memory, it seems.) His expression and voice are both flat as a steel rebar. "If he uses girls like her as a form of 'amusement,' then it only follows that he lacks that spark himself."
        
        He shakes his head. However, as Ouka and Liam make their own positions known, Kaworu gives them both considering looks. "If neither of you have a strong connection to Akane, nor the confidence to battle the Devil, then it would indeed likely be best to act as support. I'll let Yuta and Rikka decide for themselves what they'd like of you, though--assuming they accept the positions I proposed. I imagine most people know right away which group they'd like to be in." A nod towards Garrod and Alouette Pommier. He looks back at Yuta and Rikka. "I'd like to support both of you as well. At this point, I'm too involved with both of them."
        
        'Tetsuya,' or rather Orpheus, hands out a snack to him, Yuta, and Rikka then, before stopping to give Rikka his take on the matter. Kaworu watches him; when he looks back his way, he breaks into a soft smile. "...Thank you," he says quietly.
         

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

Mari Makinami Illustrious receives one (1) pretzel, drowned in mustard. She plucks it up, looking at it wonderingly. A whole glob og the yellow stuff just kind of plops off and splatters on the floor.

"Ah, it's perfect~," she proclaims. And lest one think she's being sarcastic -- the Child-with-Glasses immediately takes a savoring bite of it, chewing happily. As if just experiencing 'as much mustard as she can handle' is a wonderful experience.

Which is why, when she's swallowed her first bite, she asides to Nidaime: "Every song. I solemnly swear this: You're gonna love it." First experiences, after all, are precious.

Yuta's reaction, and Kaworu's words, are really all the answer Mari needs in response to her observation. Her only initial reaction is a soft "hum" as her half-lidded eyes track the retreat of Renais, a thoughtful glint in those blue depths. They turn on Alouette Kaas next, equally inscrutable.

The little, 'tsk tsk tsk' wag of her index finger helps make the intent a bit more clear, at least.

"... Alas!" Mari finally begins, a hand resting on her chest. "What words can reach the heart of a God who's deliberately cut it off from the entire universe?" That Akane is just a girl, a lonely, desperate girl -- doesn't that make it worse? "When someone has a strong belief, your words might as well be paper balls thrown at a locked door."

Ultimately, though, Mari seems strangely disinterested in the metaphysics of what is going on here; maybe she just doesn't understand. Maybe she doesn't care. Or maybe...

"Sometimes what's needed is someone willing to knock the door off its hinges and take hold of their hand directly, instead."

... her priorities are just elsewhere.

And so, Mari takes another bite of her mustard with pretzel, tearing a chunk free to chew on thoughtfully as she watches Asuka storm off next. This time, her brows furrow, even if briefly. The smile at her lips dims, just a little, as she chews. "..."

And she swallows with a sigh.

"Hey!" suddenly starts the bespectacled agent of Euro-NERV, waving her pretzel in the direction of Rikka and Yuta. Miraculously, none of the mustard flies off it. It's a mystery as to how. "Would you two mind giving me a tour of Tsutsujidai sometime? I'd love getting to know it through the eyes of the people who live their wonderful lives there~."

It's an abrupt and maybe strange request, made all the stranger by the fact that Mari doesn't wait overlong for an answer before she's pivoting on her sneaker heel to start a lazy route out of the meeting room. "If you'd be okay with that, give me a call! Tabby Cat has my number." She also does not provide any context as to who 'Tabby Cat' is but, fortunately, he's in the room.

And so, just as abruptly as she arrives, Mari leaves, wiggling her fingers in a most warm and friendly way to people as she goes - and blowing Rei and Shinji a kiss in particular before she slips out of the room without so much as another word.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        "By Tabby Cat, she means me," Kaworu adds.

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

Yuta smiles as people voice support for his idea. Maybe he wasn't so bad at meetings, after all! He starts a new list on the whiteboard, two columns labeled "Devil" and "Shinjo". Rikka's name, automatically, goes under the "Shinjo" column.

It's alright, Shinji," Yuta says, gently. "There's no way we could've known it was the same girl. But if there's anything you can remember about her, anything at all -- I'm sure it'd be helpful now." Shinji's name accompanies Rikka's.

"Thank you, Garrod. I'll take you up on that." Yuta puts the lid on his marker for the moment, sighing. "The kaiju she showed off, the one she's going to attack the festival with? It looked pretty intense. I could use the help."

Ouka's name is added to the side of the two columns, with a nod. "We'll consider you back up for now, then. Thank you, Ouka."

"We're not in NERV, but we're allies with them. Or I'd like to think so, anyway!" Yuta glances at Kaworu with a smile. "Your contact info would be great." Yuta writes "Riika" beneath the Shinjo column as well -- that might get a little confusing.

Yuta looks at Nidaime, watching her hop off the table. "What does Gridman need to do, Nidaime? Do you know something that could help us? Believe me, I don't want anyone to get murdered, either."

Koji's name goes under the "Devil" column, Yuta looking grateful to have something to put there. He adds "Gridman" to that list -- rubbing at his wristband for a moment, again. After a moment, Yuta writes his own name under "Shinjo". He could manage both. It was his responsibility. "That makes a lot of sense, Koji. That's why the Devil needs Shinjo." Yuta turns back to Koji, looking determined. "All the more reason to keep them apart!"

"O-oh, thank you." Yuta says, taking the treat from Orpheus gratefully. "That's very thoughtful of you. I promise, I won't back down from this path!" The young man says, taking a bite of his newly-gifted brownie. "No matter what happens. I will save her."

Noting down Alouette Pommier's name in the Shinjo" column, Yuta gives her a little wave as she leaves. "Thank you, Alouette!"

Gemini's name goes to the "Devil" column, with a grin from Yuta. "You're going to be a great help. It's really nice not to have to fight alone!"

Yuta writes "Rei" off to the side, for now. "Thank you for wanting to help. We can figure it out as we go, right?"

Kaworu speaks, and Yuta frowns a little, but nods. "You're right. I'll stretch myself too thin if I try to do everything... Rikka, I'm counting on you!" Yuta erases his name from the second column. Kaworu's name goes off to the side with the other undecided allies, for now. "Just be careful you don't spread yourself too thin either, Kaworu. You're still recovering, too."

"I think..." Yuta glances at Rikka. "I think Ayanami would do best with Rikka. I believe in her strength, and her ability to understand others both, but... something's telling me she has a way to reach Shinjo that the rest of us don't. If I'm wrong, it's okay to say no, Rei." Yuta smiles at her.

"Ah -- sure, Mari, we'd be glad to." Yuta looks a little bewildered, but waves as she leaves. That girl was like a summer rainstorm.. "...why are you Tabby Cat, Kaworu?"


<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

"Mecha Trembulor was the one I brought to Ptolemaeus," Riika confirms for Koji. "It was supposed to eat the energy out of the missiles and shut it down, but it got a little - wait, it got used again later? Except... with something else?"

Riika's brow furrows. She hadn't heard, because she doesn't get the complete suite of Earth news for much the same reason nobody here gets full details of what goes on in any given PLANT: they're at war. She knew there was an attack at Fuji with a big kaiju, but no details beyond that. Even showing up and finding things out herself, like now, is dangerous. If any soldiers showed up who weren't as... controlled as Ouka is, she'd be in trouble just sitting here.

"*Huh*." That a thoughtful exhalation more than anything else. It makes sense. It just didn't occur to her before.

Riika, thinking, catches Rei looking down at her knees. She's not entirely sure what set her off - she does not know Rei at all. She's never spoken two words to her before, if you don't count the contents of this meeting.

"It's hard," she agrees. "Best you can do is try. I wasn't any good at it when I was your age either." oh god, Riika thinks, am I old

(Riika is 19.)

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

"Yeah!!!" Nidaime says, pushing herself into the rebound. Nidaime never dwells in miserable feelings for long. If it's been more than one or two pose rounds that means something terrible has happened. "Every song!"

She wonders how a turtle can make their way through a hard world with so many cat people in it. Asuka, Mari, Kaworu, Anti... there's probably more cat people she hasn't even met yet!

Yuta asks her what Gridman's power is and Nidaime says, "Well... Gridman has the power of Fixing." She tells him. "Dad can do it too, but not like Gridman or mom can."
 

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

"Yeah!!!" Nidaime says, pushing herself into the rebound. Nidaime never dwells in miserable feelings for long. If it's been more than one or two pose rounds that means something terrible has happened. "Every song!"

She wonders how a turtle can make their way through a hard world with so many cat people in it. Asuka, Mari, Kaworu, Anti... there's probably more cat people she hasn't even met yet!

Yuta asks her what Gridman's power is and Nidaime says, "Well... Gridman has the power of Fixing." She tells him. "Dad can do it too, but not like Gridman or mom can."

Nidaime never has to worry about secretly being the old person. "I don't know how to do it myself yet. But maybe if Gridman could remember... Well--if he doesn't, don't worry about it! It's not easy to do. I assume. Cause I haven't been able to do it yet. So it's probably not easy."

"We're friends right, Yuta? I feel like I've only been able to say things that hurt all of you. And I mean, they're true things but... I mean, that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. I know that."

Alouette whispers to Nidaime.

Nidaime doesn't whisper back. She understands the first sentence. When Alouette finishes the second one, her eyes widen and she says, "Oh no way...! WOW..." and then she says she doesn't want any people to die. "Oh me too!" And then she says she wants to protect those she loves. "YEAH it's hard when you don't know how to protect who you love? But maybe so long as you love them it'll be okay? That's what momma says."

She bobs her head at Alouette, "Wow... I totally believed you did want to kill her... You had me fooled completely." Her eyes are wide with wonder at this ability of Alouette's she didn't know she had. "Are you..."

She finally lowers her voice to a whisper too. "A spy?"

Waku Waku???

Her heart, such as it exists, is pounding. Chibodee rests a hand on her.

Nidaime scootches a bit closer because she wants a hug. Or perhaps, to hide in her shell. Her shell being Chibodee Crockett. He's a big guy who can cover Nidaime's back even more easily than her backpack.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

Killing IS wrong, thank you Nidaime.

And Alouette was... trying to raise emotions? Well, it worked!! This briefing is going to give someone grey hairs, and no one here is old enough for that.

But if there's anything Shinji knows now...

Shinji takes a deep breath, nodding to Yuta. He glances a bit to Rikka as well -- an important friend to Akane.

"She was written up a lot. In trouble with teachers. About her hair, or... speaking out against everything that was happening." There's a guilt in his expression, like maybe he should have been, too. Like everyone should have. "I didn't speak to her much. People like that made it easy not to speak at all." Easier to stay out of sight. Keep his head down. It feels awful now. It might've back then.

"But she... didn't seem happy," Shinji admits with a frown. "Then one year she disappeared. Vanished completely... Everyone said -- ... it was easy to assume the worst." He doesn't want to say it, what the rumors implied.

"If I remember more, I'll tell you," he promises. But he doesn't seem confident.

When Rei speaks up, Shinji's attention falls on her in a stare before becoming a warmer smile. Reaching someone is hard... but maybe it isn't impossible.

Mari does Mari things like blowing kisses, and Shinji double takes, now giving Rei a look that seems to be hoping she understands the Mari.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        '--nor the confidence to battle the Devil--'

        Liam flinches, inwardly, though there's no sign of it on his face. But isn't Kaworu right? If he can't even bring himself to choose-- (It's not his place to choose.) --then wouldn't he be a liability-- (A weapon does not choose.) --in other circumstances? (What if he chooses wrong?)

        Yuuta starts writing down names. Liam waits for his to show up, but it doesn't, and agonizing seconds tick past. In the meantime, he turns to what Koji and Riika have said.

        "It was used to augment an assassin-type kaiju deployed at a Sheryl Nome concert," Liam says, because Riika deserves to know that, at least. "If Doctor Kabuto is correct, that means the Devil's tactical flexibility is broad, but ultimately limited."

        A moment of awkward silence. Liam looks at Yuta for a moment, but doesn't quite meet his eyes. "No one deserves to be used by BioNet," he says, "but how do you save someone who doesn't think they can be saved?" Tears start to mist his eyes as repressed emotion threatens to boil out. "And what good would a weapon do?"

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

"It's not a matter of confidence."

        It's perhaps a bit shocking to hear Ouka speak up again so soon, after she has been quiet for most of the meeting. It is just as surprising that she is now holding Kaworu in a steady gaze when at the beginning of the meeting she seemed unable to meet his eyes. However there she is staring at him with the cold imperious look. That same look that often convinces others that Ouka is taller than she actually is. The gaze of the Aurum Class - The School's Perfect Boosted Child.

        "That my experience is in fighting and dispatching human opponents is merely an admission of fact. I have not had an opportunity to spar against Devils or Gods in my time at The School. However, if finding a way to dispatch the Devil is what must be done, then I will be the one to do it. So too if the task before me is to restrain a Mad God. The decision of where I am best applied..."

        Her gaze moves from Kaworu towards Rikka and Yuta. If Yuta thought Ouka was intimidating before... she likely appears now as a storm personified. "... is up to whoever is given my command. Whichever I am assigned to, regardless of difficulty or risk, I will perform at my utmost without fail."

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.


Several things happen; at least they are positive (the Administrator addresses her; Hibiki writes her name on the board) or neutral (Mari blowing a kiss at her). Rei's shoulders lift slightly. She looks towards Riika then, blinking once.

The destroyer of the Federation's nuclear stockpile.
The Commander was hurt.
...
yet,

"Yes," Rei answers Riika. It sounds obscurely relieved.

She looks at Shinji. Her expression is almost completely neutral, other than, maybe, the slight inclination of her eyebrows indicating -- indicating something; it's strangely similar to one of the ways Mari holds her face.

After this, she glances at Ouka. This time it's easier to see the little ghost of an expression: concern.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Alouette Pommier offers her sympathy, and some encouraging words.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I am. Thanks, Alouette..." Rikka replies with a nod. She can't help but smile a little, too, despite her current mood, as Riika points out that Akane mentioned her once because their names are similar.

"Oh yeah?" Rikka replies, and then nods. She rummages through the pocket of her hoodie, drawing out her phone. "Yeah, good idea."

She'll gladly trade contact information with Riika.

Orpheus approaches her with a snack from the refreshment table, then and she accepts it cautiously, listening to what he has to say.

"...Face her without hiding anything, huh... That's easy enough to say..." She murmurs. It isn't a rejection of the idea... just an acknowledgment that it's a big undertaking. She looks toward Rei, then.

How to reach someone...

"There's not just one way to do it... It's kind of like... baring your heart to someone, and accepting theirs in turn." Rikka replies, then pauses and clarifies, "Not like... literally, I mean. Their thoughts and feelings, and yours - the good and the bad."

She looks back toward Kaworu, then, massaging the back of her neck. She didn't think she'd have to command anyone...

"...I'll do my best." She decides, a bit awkwardly. As for the question of Rei, Rikka looks toward her.

"What do you want to do?" Rikka asks.

She looks toward Yuta, then, and nods.

"Yeah. Same for you, Hibiki." Another member of the Evangelion team, addresses them, then, asking for a tour of Tsutsujidai. Rikka blinks, at the abrupt way she acts and then vanishes... and then looks toward Kaworu as he points out that he's Tabby Cat before back toward Yuta.

"Yeah... I'm fine with giving out a tour." She agrees.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.


        Alouette looks to Orpheus, and Kaworu trying to reassure them silently. Rei and Shinji too. Yuta too, if a look can convey such with a stranger. She had accomplished her objective and apologies can be made later. Alouette Kaas looks at the juvenile spirit turtle girl with a flat serious expression after she asks about her being a spy.

        "I'm an Octopus."

        Alouette begins making a funny face puffing her cheeks and rolling her eyes trying to make Nidaime laugh. Of course there was a truth to what she said to Nidaime. Dolls can recognize dolls. Even Octopus NERV Dolls. 

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

@emit "Fixing -- I remember talking about this once before. Maybe your mom can help Gridman remember." Yuta smiles at Nidaime. "I'll work on it with him, in any case. Thank you."

Yuta's heart sinks at Shinji's words. "It's not your fault." He says, quietly. "I hope you can remember more, Shinji."

"Liam, you seemed close to Anti. Do you think you could reach Shinjo, the way you reached him?" His voice is soft, watching Liam's eyes tear up. "Maybe... you can emphatize with her. About the Devil. About BioNet. I won't ask you to fight if you're not ready, or you don't want to." Yuta brings his free hand over his heart. "I feel like you have a part to play here. I don't know where it is, but -- I'm certain there's something only you can do."

After listening to Ouka, Yuta nods, and moves her name to the "Devil" column. He struggles to meet her gaze -- that intensity is nothing he's used to. "I -- would be grateful for your help, Ouka." Yuta manages, giving her a wobbly smile. "Thank you."

Yuta's eyes widen at Alouette Kaas's sudden change in demeanor. Along Nidaime's likely laugh, he laughs as well, grinning. "W--what -- an octopus?" Yuta decides to just accept it.

"Am I missing anyone?" Yuta asks, looking at his list. In the Shinjo column is RIkka, Shinji, Riika, Alouette P, Liam, and Rei. In the Devil column is Yuta, Koji, Gemini, and Ouka. Kaworu's name is off to the side, uncategorized. "I don't want to assume anyone wants to join in, or anything. So please speak up if I've missed you!"

<Pose Tracker> Chibodee Crocket has posed.

Chibodee will hug Nidaime. Sometimes all he thinks he can do is hold on to individual people in the storm of all the things that are continually happening. He puts more pretzels into her pockets. She might need them.

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

"You can put me down for shooting the Devil," Garrod reminds Yuta. "At least, I hope there'll be enough moonlight to do it when the time comes."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Is Kaworu trying to stretch himself too thin? Yuta has a point; it would probably be wise to commit to one or the other. He knows who he should commit to, too, even as he regards the two lists Yuta makes with a bittersweet gaze. But for now, he leaves his statement as is.
        
        Why is he Tabby Cat, though?
        
        "Mary didn't tell me her reasoning," he replies truthfully. "But she does enjoy giving others nicknames."
        
        He likewise doesn't explain why he's pronouncing her name 'Marry' instead of 'Mah-ri,' even though the former is objectively more difficult to say in Japanese.
        
        (Ironically, it's unrelated to any Iscariots.)
        
        He doesn't talk back to Ouka as she clarifies; he does meet her imperious gaze, though. When she's done, he listens to what Shinji has to say about the Akane Shinjo he knew. Alouette Kaas shoots him a glance, and he returns it steadily until she turns back to Nidaime. As for the rest... it seems as though things are resolving well for the time being, so he watches over the rest of the proceedings until it's time to disperse.
Garrod Ran teleports out.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Kaas has posed.


        As she is leaving, Alouette Kaas stops before Yuta. She has something in her hands, but she holds on to it, wanting to speak before giving it over.

        "Asuka said the things that needed to be said, otherwise I was putting on an act, an Agent Provaceteur. I needed information for my mission and I couldn' assume it would just be given. I apologize for the stress and harm caused."

        Alouette offers a gentle pat on the shoulder meant to be reassuring, and a soft smile. She hands a folded piece of paper as she leaves. When unfolded, it reveals a target recticle, and in the Center "ALEXIS". Alexis is also written all over the page elsewhere, each one crossed out except for the one in the recticle. Alouette Kaas put her name on a list. 

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.


Rei considers Rikka's question seriously, her head tilting down again to look at her knees for several seconds. Her eyes turn towards Alouette for a moment in regards to the octopus comparisons, but then she looks up to Rikka and says: "The project is ongoing. I don't know."

"Ikari," Rei says, "you choose."

Gemini Sunrise teleports out.

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime, already wrestling with the idea that Alouette is a spy is now also dealing with the reality that Alouette is an octopus as well?! "Wow..." Nidaime says. "You don't smell like an octopus at all..." Strangely enough for the person who laughs all the time, this time she's just kind of in wondrous awe here. "I don't even see the tentacles... You must be a great spy." Nidaime says.

Nidaime, still shoeless, listens to Yuta. "She will. If you want her to." Is what she says about that. She's visibly more relieved now that the fighting is over, even if it was spywork it was stressful spywork for her.

It must have been even more stressful for Kaworu so she slides him one of the many pocket pretzels Chibodee has lent her with mustard all over it.

Other than that she's hugged. It grounds her and she remembes hse is here. It's a nice feeling. 

<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.

"Administrator, once we've concluded here, there's another matter I'd like to consult with you about, regarding the Research Institute's Mount Fuji facility," Koji says, seriously. "I would prefer it to be in private, though."

While everyone else trails out, he remains seated, though he also turns to Riika as she prepares to head out. "Miss Sheder, I don't know if you know her, but - if you have the opportunity to get in touch with a Miss Hahnenfuss, please send her my regards." Is that a treasonous sentiment? Fuck it, he still feels bad about that, and the opportunity's here. 

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Riika is addressed by Koji.

Intimidating, again!

"Actually, we work together," Riika says, smiling slightly. "We're both in the test pilot corps, officially - I've just been spending time elsewhere. Like, uh..." She waves her hand as if to take in the Nouvelle Tokyo meeting room. "I can pass that on."

Does she know where Shiho used to work? If so, she's not saying anything about it. But she doesn't seem *that* surprised, either. 

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

It's not your fault.

But even so, what if he'd just... Anything? Or would he have only made it worse?

A list is made, and Shinji takes a deep breath to steady himself into accepting. Akane Shinjo's column. Trying to reach Akane.

His worried thoughts are broken when Rei addresses him.

"M-Me?! Um..."

Give him a moment and maybe, eventually, he'll respond to that.

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

@emit Orpheus couldn't help but feel like since the last time Alouette had. . .Grown. . .Maybe that wasn't the proper word, but even from the last few times he's seen her the way she acted now felt better. She seemed. . .Happier, more alert? After what she had shown him with her power, those memories. . .He had been concerned and truth be told. . .He still was. But at the very least he knew as she nudged him so and then struts her way to Yuta revealing her intentions. He finds himself pulling his beret down for a moment, "She's gotten much better at that then I remember. Maybe too good in fact. . ." One could almost be concerned with how much training she's received.

Eventually it's Tetsuya's turn to be picked from the board and he makes his way up following Alouette up well. . .he turns to Yuta and speaks up. "Mmm, that's right, there was going to be this part of it wasn't there. . .? Unfortunately, I can't guarantee that I'll have a . . .Unit prepared once you prepare to face this cloaked one. However. . .Should the time come, I believe that Kaw--The Administrator can confirm that when it comes to reconnaissance, I might be of use." 

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

"Thanks, Garrod!" Yuta quickly adds his name, shooting him a grateful look.

"I guess... we'll just accept it!" Smiling playfully at Kaworu, Yuta shrugs. It seems he's still in good spirits, despite everything.

"Alouette..?" Yuta looks up at her as she pats him on the shoulder. "It's alright. Thank you for coming, all the same." He unfolds the paper as she leaves, blinking in surprise. That was a decision made. Was... this enough for the Devil to have been able to hear their meeting? Yuta anxiously glances at Kaworu. All the same, Alouette's name is added to the "Devil" column.

"Could you please ask your mother if I can meet with her soon, Nidaime? I'm not sure how to contact her." Yuta admits, smiling ruefully.

Yuta nods to Orpheus, writing his name off to the side with Kaworu's. "Thank you. That'll be a huge help!"

As his friends and allies filter out of the room, Yuta stays behind. He's hardly going to leave Kaworu to clean up all on his own, after all. Insisting his friend stay seated, Yuta tidies up the left-over refreshments, eating a few of them himself. Snapping a picture of the lists on the whiteboard with his phone, Yuta is careful to erase every bit of it afterwards. With a stretch, a sigh, and a friendly farewell to Kaworu, he makes his way home to Tsutsujidai.

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