2022-11-27: VERTEX - Kaworu Nagisa/Akane Shinjo - 27 Nov 0096
- Log: 2022-11-27 VERTEX: - Akane Shinjo/Kaworu Nagisa - 27 Nov 0096
- Cast: Akane Shinjo, Kaworu Nagisa
- Where: Online
- OOC - IC Date: 0096-11-27
- Summary: Akane bothers to check her phone, and asks a few questions.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane finally bothers to check her phone after more than a week.
Nausea-inducing, but... she needs to know how things are going outside her tiny world to decide what to do next. With one hand half-assedly mashing clay into her desktop and rolling it between her hands, she begins tapping at VERTEX with the other.
> Kaworu.
> How are Asuka and Rei doing
> I would really rather you guys didn't come back. Can't stop you. Can't really do anything about it but here we are
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu doesn't need to pick up his phone to check incoming messages on it, so he doesn't. Presently, he's in his own room--still the quiet, empty hotel room in the Manyoso Inn, a place that Shinji and Rei both hate but nonetheless is still a step up from his previous living situation--sitting at his desk, admiring the gifts he's received this time around. To the delicate tune of a music box rendition of Ode to Joy, he responds:
> Akane, I'm glad to hear from you. I thought you might be upset with me still. How are you doing?
> The Second Child is angry, but that's normal for her. Rei is actually more lively than usual. She asked Mary to move in with her, and to my knowledge, that's proceeding apace.
> I'm sure you do. Unfortunately, Tsutsujidai has long become an issue for everyone. Even without that... Dr. Cektru has shared the warning you gave her with NERV, but I don't intend to abandon you.
> Even if I chose your victims over you.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
An exasperated sigh escapes Akane's lips.
> Fine
> Are you for real
> I kinda didn't figure they'd just go back to normal like that. Guess that's an okay illustration of how much this all mattered
> What do you mean an issue for everyone?
> I'm just. in here. If I could deal with Gridman I would stop being your problem
> But I guess that doesn't matter because I'm not making
Akane hits enter early and frowns.
> Never mind
> I'm still making kaiju
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
> Hmm. I don't know that I believe that you're fine, but I did ask knowing that.
> Yes, I am for real. Have you ever known me to be anything but truthful with you?
> Being angry may be normal for the Second, but Rei being lively is quite unusual for her. That being said, she was in far more dire straits than usual while under the influence of your kaiju.
> ...Actually, although being angry is normal for the Second, she was less explosive about it than usual. I don't really understand her very well, but something does seem different about her.
> When I told her I consider you a friend, though, she was very upset about that.
> So all this did matter.
> Whether it mattered in a positive way or not is another issue.
Kaworu considers the rest of Akane's texts--especially her early entry and sudden reversal.
> I'm talking about Tsutsujidai's extreme dimensional instability. You were aware of this, correct?
> Though I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Alexis has been hiding it from you.
And to the matter of her still making kaiju:
> Oh?
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
> I would be mad at you if I were her too
> Having crappy friends kinda sucks for everyone
> You're right though
> I was kinda nasty to her
> She said something kind of messed up to me about me screwing up Rikka and when I was in the middle of doing my thing I decided to prove the point by chucking it at her instead.
> I'm even pretty bad at wanting friends.
Akane's lips purse at 'extreme dimensional instability.'
> I didn't realize that that was an actual problem anyone but me had to like. Worry about.
> Alexis has mentioned it
> But it just means I need to hurry up and work on the next kaiju.
> ... So I can deal with Gridman, so things can stop being unstable.
> Thanks for that
Everything follows, sure -- but the order of those thoughts...
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
> You've been a very good friend to me.
> I don't like or agree with many of the things you've chosen to do, and to protect those who would be affected by those choices, as a NERV administrator, I must oppose you.
> But as an individual, I trust you.
> You could have revealed my secrets at any time, but you haven't. And I trust that you won't.
Kaworu personally thinks it's very easy to be nasty to Asuka, considering how nasty she is to everyone else. But all considered, Akane certainly did cross a line. He won't tell her that it's all right. That one gets a simple:
> I see.
And after a moment of consideration, he adds:
> What did she say specifically, if I may ask?
He breathes a faint sigh and sets the music box down as she repeats that she needs to 'deal with Gridman,' that doing so will fix everything. It's a line she's repeated often. It's a status quo she continues to buy into, no matter what he says to her.
> I take it you still believe that killing a 'Vessel of Light' will solve all your problems.
> Or is it back to just Gridman, now?
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Kaworu... really is the kind of friend Akane doesn't deserve, she thinks. It makes this very difficult.
> That I screwed everything up by taking Rikka's purpose away from her.
> Which I guess I kinda did
> I tried to fix it. With the kaiju
> She doesn't want to go back to the way things were
> Which I guess is a sign of how hard I screwed her up.
> So yeah. I guess she's pretty insightful
Akane leans back in her chair in frustration.
> I mean any of them would probably work
> But Gridman's the most accessible
> And Hibiki is
> Well I mean he lives here so it's less of a big deal for anyone else
> Besides
> How many giants of light can there even be
> Four at once is already plenty
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
> Her "purpose," hm... Yes, that's something that would make the Second Child very angry indeed.
> I understand you may already know about that, though. She informed me that you had access to at least some of her memories.
> Yes, she can be quite insightful... It's honestly surprising to me when she is, every time. I'm used to her being too self-absorbed to care about anyone else.
So Bujack was Akane's attempt to fix things. Yes, that sounds right to Kaworu, based on what he'd seen. The attempt was earnest, even if the actions were misguided. He considers this, then asks:
> What was Rikka's "purpose" meant to be?
The topic shifts to the Vessels of Light. Sure enough, it's still more than just Gridman--but Kaworu had wanted to be certain. She'd specified him, after all. He considers asking her why she doesn't simply destroy Yuta's home or come to Yuta personally and stab him. He chooses not to. If Akane is subconsciously keeping herself from realizing these are options, then that's one button Kaworu doesn't want to push.
The talk of 'four' giants of Light brings him pause, though. He of course has his own thoughts, but he knows that's not what Akane is thinking of. It can't be.
> Who are you counting as a 'giant of light'?
It's always best to check.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Talking about her crimes is easy at this point, especially if it gives her an opportunity to look both very smart and observant and very heartless.
(Sometimes Akane doesn't know how she comes off.)
> Oh yeah. I was poking around in there for a while. Her head is a MESS
> She has like no actual happy memories and no unhappy memories where you could have another person come in in a way that makes sense.
> It was honestly a challenge. I had to staple together two super different thoughts to make a dream that would hang together
> Total nightmare. No idea why she'd want to go back to that
Breezing on. More questions.
Akane slumps her way through answering them.
> I don't want to say. You'll hurt her if you bring it up and I don't really want you knowing it at this point either way
> oh uh
> The giant of light thing
> GaoGaiGar, Gridman, and the two Ultramen
> Why?
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
> Yes, it's very difficult to understand why an otherwise intelligent young woman would want to remain in an emotionally destructive living situation.
Kaworu doesn't really do sarcasm. But he can certainly do it's-funny-because-it's-true humor.
But, on the matter of Rikka... he rests his chin on one hand as he responds, as ever without touching his phone:
> I see. I understand. One's intended "purpose" is... a delicate issue.
Akane may recall what he told her once about his own purpose. He doesn't answer her question directly, though, instead opting to ask:
> Could you please remind me how you define what a giant or vessel of light is?
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
> It's something that isn't human
> Cares about human pain
> Moves to address it
Akane processes something. She'd been wavering on counting some other things in that category, besides the obvious ones.
> I'm not sure I think of you as not human anymore
> Like I'm smart enough to know what you're working up to pressing here
> So let me just dumpster that.
> Besides, like, given what you said already... I think even if you tick the boxes you probably wouldn't count anyway.
This conversation is getting just a little too tense for Akane, though -- she was getting bored in her room, but...
> I think we should probably leave it at that for now.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu is willing to wait for Akane to make the connection on her own. He isn't sure she will--she's intelligent enough to do so, and stubborn enough to refuse--but he honestly doesn't expect her to respond in the way she ultimately does.
So:
> What?
A pause.
> Even if you don't personally consider me not human, that doesn't change what I am.
But before he can press on the matter, to ask her why she thinks that or why he wouldn't count anyway, she indicates she doesn't want to discuss it further. He frowns. Even so:
> All right.
> Is there something else you'd rather discuss, then?
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
> I thought it was pretty obvious
> But whatever
> Anyway
> I'm kinda out of ideas
She doesn't just mean about conversation topics, either, but you'd need to see her to notice that she's stopped rolling clay around on her desk.
It really hasn't become any more particular shape the entire time.
> Maybe we'll talk again later
Akane sets her phone down. That's that for now, she thinks.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu's frown deepens at Akane's claim that his being human is 'obvious.' Still, he doesn't press further. He's already made his own feelings on that matter known.
For now, she indicates that she doesn't wish to talk further, but leaves open the possibility of a future conversation. If it's actually a way to keep him from saying anything further, he doesn't realize that much. He simply responds:
> I'd like that.
And then he leaves her be for now.