2023-02-21: Green Apple
- Cast: Yuta Hibiki, Rei Ayanami
- Where: Tsutsujidai: Junk Shop Aya
- Date: U.C. 0097 02 21
- Summary: A few days late, but no less the sweeter for it. Rei comes to visit Tsutsujidai, gifts are exchanged, and Gridman tries something new!
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
>hi rei :)
>i know youre busy so please feel free to say no
>but i was wondering if youd like to spend some time together today?
>i have this crazy plan i think would be fun for us!
>or at least something to laugh about lol!
>and rikkas mom just made a fresh cake!!
>let me know <3
Oh no. He sent a heart. He wasn't even thinking. Is that too much? Is it too soon for that? Does Rei even like that kind of thing? Gridman thunks his head forward onto the counter before him.
"Gridman, please be careful." Max rumbles, sitting at the table behind the 'young man'. Sheryl Nome's latest album plays gently through the kitchen.
"R--right." An arm is placed onto the counter, safely pillowing Gridman's head.
---
Dressed in his favorite semi-nice clothing, Gridman waits just inside the door of Tsutsujidai's favorite Junk Shop. With a few pokes, he closes a series of browser windows.
what is valentines day
first valentines day gift
valentines day girlfriend
what is white day
how to make chocolate
valentines day two boys
valentines day gift not food
It's going to be fine.
Besides, Rei and Kaworu don't seem to care hugely about things like holidays or gifts. Gridman has the feeling that time matters most to the two of them. Thankfully, time is something he has a lot of, lately.
>akane im gonna try it
>if i explode or something please make up a cool story to tell people about why
A nervous, almost furtive glance to the repaired Junk against the back wall. It's going to be fine.
<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.
bzzz
Rei checks her phone.
> hi rei :)
Rei's face flushes slightly, and she steps away from the kitchen space where she was working, to pursue privacy.
She pauses, looking around. Neither of the other occupants are upstairs at that time.
Rei looks down and reads the rest.
> yes
> i will come
> i needed to see you
After this, Rei clearly didn't look at the phone, but one way or another she arrived. When she did, she had an insulated box tucked under one arm, even as she opens the door and is REVEALED.
Right there.
Her cheeks pinken again. The first thing she says to Gridman is nothing - the first thing she does is hand him the box, which is rather light, and still feels cool despite what may have been a meaningful transit. Rei then bows her head and says, "I am sorry that I did not send it sooner."
Whether or not the holiday is something to 'care about'...
... Rei had to make up for lost time.
Inside of the box is approximately one tangy-green-apple's worth of apple slices. Each of them has been dipped into what seems to be mid-brown, milk-infused chocolate and then left out to dry. The craftsmanship (craftsreiship?) is quite neat, although they are otherwise undecorated.
One might ask 'that probably took practice. Where did the others go?'
The answer is almost certainly Mari.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"Rei!" Gridman says, thrilled, as she comes into the shop. His phone is shoved into a pocket, and he opens his arms for a hug...
And receives a box!
"Oh! Thank you! Uh--" Gridman grins, shaking his head. "I'm sure it's absolutely perfect. Let's sit down so I can open it!"
Leading the way to the couch, Gridman takes a seat and eagerly, but carefully, works the box open. His eyes light up at the sight. Apples!
"You remembered. Apples are my favorite." His voice is emotional, and he laughs in delight. "You remembered!"
Placing the box down on his lap, Gridman picks up a single slice. He holds it so carefully, as though its something immensely precious, and observes it from all angles. The grin on his face is every bit as bright as the Tsutsujidai sun.
"Rei, this is incredible. Thank you so much! I'm so happy." Gridman takes a bite! Yellow eyes slip closed, and he makes a pleased little sound. "It tastes so good!"
"Would you like to eat them with me? I know that's not traditional, but I think it'd be more fun." A quiet laugh. "I've been researching Valentine's Day for days, trying to figure it out. It's really kinda complicated, isn't it?"
Another chomp, finishing off the apple slice. "I've got something for you, too. I know I should wait a month, but... I don't want to!" Gridman wrestles his phone out of his pocket, quite the task while sitting down. Tap, tap tap. Scroll...
The screen displayed to Rei proclaims: "Sheryl Nome Benefit Concert!"
"It's a free concert, so that's not really the gift. But I've got a plan. Vit's place has a huge screen, and we're going to decorate the room. It'll be like we're really there, almost."
<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.
Rei bustles over to sit. Rei is wearing her winter school uniform, for the most part, although she has also brought an additional jacket in a vague and inexpensive-looking shade of green which was presumably meant purely for supplementary warmth. There was an addition in the form of a knit cap, which she has not yet taken off. It is dark blue.
Gridman speaks with emotion.
Rei not-quite-smiles as she settles downwards. The slice comes up, examined - the chocolate a glossy shell on the faintly rugose texture of fresh apple slice. It's not completely fresh, of course, but then, the apple was likely harvested in an orchard on either a colony or in the southern hemisphere of Earth some time ago. It's well cut, though. Well shaped. And crisp...
The sweetnesses intermingle.
Rei's eyes turn to the side as that not-quite-smile stays on her face, hands folded on her knee. "I am glad you enjoy it," Rei says, quietly, though there is the sure impression that yes: she's glad to hear this. Then back ahead.
"Oh... I will take one, if you want to share," Rei then says, reaching out. "It's complicated, but I did not want to neglect the responsibility. -- ?"
Blink, blink. "Benefit Concert," Rei echoes.
"Telepresence," Rei then says. "It makes sense." A beat passes. "Why is it a 'benefit' concert?"
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"You look nice today." Gridman says, with a shy smile. "The hat's a pretty color on you."
Gridman himself is dressed in some nice jeans, a red undershirt, and a nice blue button-up shirt. It's /very/ colorful. The ever-present snowflake necklace is framed just below his collarbones.
"This is so much better than just plain chocolate." Gridman offers a slice to Rei, smiling brightly, as he takes another for himself. "You're really talented. And I'm inspired! I'll do my best when it's my turn!"
Determined, Gridman clenches his fist -- thankfully the hand without his chocolate-apple slice.
"Sheryl Nome's singing to benefit the Yumi Foundation." Gridman takes a bite, covering his mouth with one hand so he can talk and chew at the same time. "My friends Leina and Sayla help run it. They help displaced war orphans and things. They've got an office here in Tsutsujidai."
Gridman swallows. "I'd really like to go in person, but I don't want to leave the city unguarded that long. So this is the next best thing. The Neon Genesis Junior High Students and I are getting together a nice donation, too."
"Does that sound fun? If it doesn't, that's okay." Gridman looks a little nervous, suddenly, his hand halfway to another apple slice.
<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.
"Is that so?" Rei says, about her hat. She shifts her position and takes the offered slice of apple. That same expression, not quite a smile but in its neighborhood, stays on her face.
"I'll look forward to it," Rei then says, before taking a crisp little bite out of the apple slice.
"Benefit," Rei echoes. Gridman has other friends who Rei doesn't recognize the names of. If she has met them, she can't remember. The thought bobbles around in her head, but that same head tilts slightly to the side - "Is that so?"
"What are you donating?" Rei asks. She takes another bite out of the apple slice. It's a small one. Maybe she's treasuring it, too.
"It sounds fun," Rei says. Another bite.
There is another of those quizzical looks, but Rei seems to weigh things for a little while, before asking, "Then you collect donations for the concert? I haven't been to one before. Even with telepresence. But, it sounds fun."
Crunch.
"Is it measured by mass or cash value?"
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Gridman nods. "It really brings out how white your hair is. It reminds me of clouds and a blue sky."
The very same sight he wants to see with all his friends by his side. Gridman realizes his choice of imagery a moment after he says it. His eyes go soft, and he leans in to Rei. Quick, quick, before he can think the better of it, Gridman presses a kiss to her cheek.
"Um." He laughs nervously, leaning back. "The Neon Genesis Junior High Students have /so/ much money, somehow. They just arrived in Tsutsujidai with it. And we get paid by the Shuffle Alliance... So, yeah, just some money."
"I wish I had something cooler to donate, but I guess organizations like the Yumi Foundation can do a lot with money, so it's fine. Sheryl's going to gather it up and give it to them at the end." Crunch. "The concert's free for everybody, but you can donate if you want to. I guess they'll measure both?"
Gridman lifts his phone up again, swiping to another picture. It shows him and Rikka together -- though he has blue eyes -- in swimwear. His arm is around her shoulders in a friendly sort of way, and they both look thrilled.
"Rikka and I went to the beach concert Sheryl put on. It was really great. The music is fun, and she does holograms and dances." Rei seems interested. What a relief! "Rikka's a huge fan."
It's time. There are a few apple slices left, but Gridman puts them aside, looking at Rei seriously. "I'd like to try something. Akane and I talked about it, and since I can alter my size from 70 meters to 35 meters, it makes sense I could alter it more. I'd like to... try and appear this size, but in my own body. I don't know if it'll work."
He blushes softly. "I want to be myself around you, at least for a minute. Is that okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.
Clouds and a blue sky.
Rei's eyes turn downwards now. This time the not-quite-a-smile gets a little closer for a moment -- and then a kiss brushes her cheek. Her skin has that soft-softness that isn't quite youthfulness, but otherwise she smells faintly of the thousand scents of travel and a fairly neutral soap, together with a distant fragrance of the scent of chocolate, and some sort of fragrance from her hat. It must be new.
Her face is turning red. A hand comes up, to touch where his lips brushed. There is a pause, and a small, hidden glance; one that shows only her eyes, but there is surprise in them, and perhaps delight, or at the very least, openness. There was no pulling-away; no recoil. Her hand's hiding her mouth.
Several seconds pass, in breathless silence. Rei's hand comes down, her eyes staying on Gridman's. Her mouth is in a calm state, and perhaps the moment passes into mystery. But presently--
On the topic of the Junior High Gentlemen, Rei has less of a black infinity of emotional mystery. She straighens up. "Understood," Rei says, looking at him, at the news. "Money is a good thing to donate, I think. It will not spoil and it is easy to track, if someone should act wrongly. It is like a transmitter."
Rei may have overheard budget meetings.
The phone comes up. Rei looks towards it. "Holograms, too? Does she have recordings?" Rei says, before suddenly leaning inwards, nearer, in a faint rustle of clothing.
"Pure Shield," Rei says. "Yes, I recognize her. I have bought that." She straightens back up. "It's very good," she concludes.
There is then another beat.
Rei blinks slowly, once. "Yes," Rei says. "But," she adds, raising a hand slightly, "should we do it in the road? No. Behind the shop?"
Rei is already looking towards the rear - but her eyes turn, sidewise a little, to glance at Gridman. "I don't mind if it's here, though."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Rei turns red. Gridman does, too, but there's a fluttering feeling of delight in his chest that brings a silly grin to his face. "Y--you smell nice, Rei."
Gridman glances away, scratching at his cheek. It feels like he needs to catch his breath, for some reason. She didn't hate it. He glances back. Their eyes meet in a furtive little glance, and Gridman laughs -- almost a giggle. Maybe she even liked it, a little?
Rei's hand touches her cheek. Yeah, she must've liked it. At least a little. Part of Gridman wants to shout and do a flip. This moment is so different than the quiet intimacy he experienced with Kaworu, but it's still wonderful.
"Ah -- yeah! Leina is the expert on this stuff. If they had a need for Hyper Agents, we'd be there. But if donating money is what we can do, we'll do it!" Gridman may be a bit more enthusiastic about the whole idea, post-kissing Rei's cheek. Everything in the world feels a bit more sparkly.
Rei leans in close, and Gridman blushes again. Suddenly, he understands why girls are always sharing headphones in school -- being pressed together like this, looking at the same phone..! It's electric!
There are indeed recordings. "Oh, yeah, clips of her shows are up on her social media. Here, if you go..." Gridman taps to a browser, copies a link to Sheryl's video page and VERTEXes it to Rei. "There!"
"Behind the shop is a good idea. I don't want to blow this place up if I can't do it." Gridman looks a little jittery, now, all that excited energy turning to anxiety. "Okay. I'll do my best to appear back there, and if it works, we can come back in."
"One more for luck!" Gridman pops another apple slice in his mouth, and one is offered to Rei.
Standing, the Hyper Agent walks to Junk, putting a hand atop the ancient computer. It's turned on, but the screen is blank. Even looking at that empty space makes Gridman shudder, remembering the days of being trapped inside.
"I'll go into Junk here, and appear out there. Hopefully. Um, stay by the building, so I won't accidentally... step on you or anything, please."
Is this a bad idea?
Giving Rei a hopefully-confident smile, Gridman turns to Junk. He slides his ever-present wristband off his arm, revealing the Primal Acceptor. Raising it, placing a hand against the device...
"Access... Flash!"
Gridman's form dissolves into brilliant white light which leaps into the computer. Everything is quiet for a moment.
Should Rei walk outside, she will see blue light appear just a few feet off the ground. It's a good deal smaller than usual. That's a good sign. Pixels of light gather, stutter, gather again...
And in a burst of brilliance, Gridman emerges, standing just a /bit/ taller than Rei. He stumbles slightly, glancing around, disoriented.
"W--woah. That's really weird. I did it, right?" His voice echoes in a metallic sheen, much like it used to, when he first woke up in the hospital. Gridman raises his hands, looking them over, front and back. "Yes!"
<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.
'You smell nice.'
Is that so? Rei thinks, but doesn't say.
But the topic is not that moment. It came - but they didn't seize it. Perhaps neither of their grasps are strong enough to, yet. Or perhaps there is no great hurry. Rei looks at the phone as Gridman sends warmth to her through digital apparatus. "Mm," Rei says, at the pan, nodding once, and --
There is a pause, but then the apple slice is offered to her. With a single, more decisive nod, Rei takes it, and she crunches into it. She rises from the seat--
"Junk is a very classical design," Rei observes, perhaps only now seeing Junk 'qua junk' instead of something in the background of when she was cooking pizzas with Takarada. She finishes off the apple slice, but she has her mouth full when Gridman gives her that smile.
Her lips quirk up.
ACCESS---
--- FLASH!
And he's gone.
Rei puts her hat back on, tugs it into place, and walks towards the rear exit.
There is blue light -- something stuttering, appearing. Rei lingers near the door in case she needs to duck inside or take shelter, but -- --
There he is!
And approximately Hibiki-sized, as well. Rei looks upwards, and answers him first by reaching up to cup his face with one hand. Her thumb runs over one side of his face. "Yes," Rei says, looking upwards. "Do you feel this?"
Rei glances towards the nearby litter and random objects behind the junk shop, as if something about the scenario is setting off a feeling. But then back up to Gridman; it was brief, and she's still not-quite-smiling.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"I don't know why it's so old. But we couldn't be here without it." He shrugs. He pats the ancient tech. "Maybe because we appeared in a Junk Shop, so it's looking the part."
Right as Gridman vanishes, his eyes return to Rei, seeing her lips tilt upwards. Golden eyes widen, and he grins in delight as his body turns to light. She really smiled..!
Really, changing his size isn't as difficult as Gridman anticipated. It was like forcing a wheel out of a ground-in path, but once he figured it out, it became effortless.
The instant Rei's hand touches Gridman's face, his attention snaps up to her. A soft touch, in this form. He's not being struck, or slashed, or hurt at all. Bringing one of his hands up to cover Rei's, he leans into her touch.
"Yeah. It's... warm. And different. Not like the skin in the other body. This feels like..." If he was in Yuta's body, he would close his eyes. Instead, he stares into Rei's. Affection glimmers in their yellow light.
A teeny, tiny spark escapes Gridman's hand where it touches Rei's. It's nothing more than static, really -- but in a /warm/ sort of sense. "It feels like that."
Standing before her in his true form, Gridman wonders if he looks weird, or silly. All his armor and brilliant colors are impressive at 70 meters, but at five... maybe six feet-- does he look like a clown? Maybe he should find a suit, like the Neon Genesis Junior High Students wear...
Shyly, he looks down, carefully tilting his head so the crest atop it won't bonk into his girlfriend. Like this, he can see her lips so clearly. That's a smile, from Rei, that halfway point. She's happy. She's not laughing at him.
"W--wh." Gridman manages, his voice echoing in the empty yard. "What do you think? Maybe I should've brought a jacket."
<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.
An ancient computer. Kin to the MAGI.
Perhaps.
"Is this, then, your real form?" Rei asks, her voice quiet, looking into the space where eyes should be.
Something about how she says it is...
Her fingers twitch, just a little.
Rei's head tilts slightly to the side. Then to the other. Then - her head tilts up, and she says,
"Do you want mine?"
Of course, it's rather small, but if it IS cold, it can help. And maybe a generic muted foresty kind of green is just the sort of accent an ACTION GRIDMAN needs...
Soon enough, inside, Rei pours a cup of tea. She had that idea independently as well. "It's pleasant, when things are unexpected, but in a pleasant way," she says, and even if it's not the most florid thing she's ever said, there's real heart behind it. As she moves to set back down, there is a certain electricity there as well; a firmness, a tone that differs from her usual placidity that borders on the faintly liquid, almost tranquilized. Now, though, it can be surely said that she is 'here', and the reasons are wholly delightful.
"Will it be alright if I listen to Sheryl Nome before the concert?" Rei asks.
One never knows, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.
Later, perhaps:
"Dr. Akagi," Rei begins.
"Hm?"
"Do you listen to music?"
"Sometimes..."
"Sheryl Nome. Do you know Sheryl Nome?"
"Rei," Ritsuko says, turning around in her chair, "I'd love to follow up here, but --"
"We only have four panels." ("Oh.")