2023-03-04: A Sign
- Cast: Rita Bernal, Kaworu Nagisa
- Where: ???
- Date: U.C. 0097 03 04
- Summary: Kaworu keeps his promises.
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Where before, Kaworu's dreams welcomed Rita with the endless white expanse of possibility, now darkness greets her. Formless and intimidating -- only broken by little blinking red lights. They serve as a beacon to guide Rita's winged form to her friend. Even in this dark space, the little canary glows, a beacon in her own right. Kaworu's soul guides her, down, down...
"Hello, Kaworu." Rita smiles, stepping out of the brilliant light that heralds her shape changing. "Have you been well?"
Where before, Rita appeared as an immaculate vision of purity and loveliness, now... Something is wrong. The edges of her white sundress simply... fade out of existence, instead of terminating in a neat scalloped hem. It doesn't shine as brilliantly as it once did, as though it's been soiled, run through the dirt.
Despite everything, that smile is still eternal. Rita's hair and eyes are gently luminous in the darkness, gold-and-green, in perfect contrast to the being in front of her.
"I'm eager to hear what you've decided on. And I'm curious about this place." Sweet and breathy, Rita's voice is as gentle as ever. "It's so different."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Perhaps it's intimidating, but it's not meant to be: simply lights in the darkness to guide her soul to his, reaching high into the infinite dark like a spire. Kaworu rests near the bottom, seated upon a 'rung' of sorts with one leg tucked in close, the other leg dangling off the side, one arm draped across his folded leg and the other arm resting on the rung at his side. He gazes up into nothing, calling silently out to Rita to draw her closer with the blinking of those red lights.
So when she arrives in the shining that is her presence, he smiles at her with his usual ineffable calm. "Hello, Rita," he greets her in return. "I have been..." He takes in her appearance, dimmer than before. "But you seem troubled," he concludes. "Has something happened?"
He laughs a little at her comment on the place, and he looks back up. "It's nothing special. I thought it might be nice for it to look a little different from last time. It's meant to be a bit of a space motif, though I know it's much too simple to be space properly. Still, I thought it would be more comfortable for you."
He regards her anew, his own smile ever-present. "I met with Yuliana Kafim," he adds. "She said that she would prefer to communicate with you via sign language after all, and taught me the basics of the forms that she understands best. I've done more research on them, and I believe I can educate you well enough to speak with the Phenex's hands."
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Rita, upon landing, sits comfortably next to Kaworu. "I've never seen a place like this before. I like it!" She copies his posture, somewhat, dangling both her legs off the side of the beam they rest on. "Is it a place you've been to?"
Kaworu's calm echoes through this space, soothing and constant. Rita takes a soft breath, then looks away, up to the endless darkness. "It's my sister."
"Since I was a child, I've seen a path to the future. Now that I'm like this, I can see the way time fractures into possibility. It was much easier with just the one path. Now..." Rita waves a finger in the air, letting a stream of green-blue-pink trail after it. "Now I have to make decisions. And people suffer for them. When I was alive, I never had to."
Looking back to Kaworu, Rita brushes some of her hair behind her ear. "This place is perfect. Thank you for being so thoughtful, I always enjoy seeing new places."
"Oh! You met with Yuli!" Rita can't see anything regarding the Void-touched, after all, even in her wide vision of possibility. "I hope she was kind to you. She can be a little bit prickly. Thank you very much -- and soon, I'll be able to thank her, too."
With a soft motion, an illusory pair of Gundam-like hands appear over Rita's own, as though she wears a pair of transparent gloves. Testing them, she wiggles her fingers, then nods to Kaworu. "I'm ready."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"It's not dissimilar to a place I've seen," Kaworu replies, gazing back up into the endless dark. "But I wasn't the one who visited it, no."
He doesn't offer more explanation than that; going into it would require talking about other universes and timelines, and perhaps Rita would understand, but perhaps she would not. It's enough for him for now either way.
He looks back at her as she explains--about her sister, about her seeing the flow of time. His smile turns ruefully sympathetic. "I see. It must weigh heavy upon you." He doesn't press further, and his smile sweetens anew at her words of gratitute. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it, Rita."
How to describe his meeting with Yuliana? Kaworu considers it for a moment. "Yes. She was quite kind to me this time. We didn't get along well when first we met, but we have an understanding now, thanks in part to you," he decides upon. He shifts to better face her as she calls up those Gundam hands over her own hands and raises his own slender fingers so she can see them clearly.
"She said she is proficient in the Britannian, OCU, and Da Han Zhong, or Chinese styles. We'll cover all of them, but we'll start with the OCU Sign Language, as it should over the broadest range of people," he explains. Britannians are not exactly known for their accommodating natures, though there are of course exceptions. "Now..."
It takes some time, but he does cover the basics with her--the alphabets or equivalent thereof, as well as signs for common sentiments such as 'Hello,' 'Goodbye,' 'How are you,' and 'Be not afraid.'
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
If Kaworu wasn't the one who visited it, how did it wind up in his memory? Rita looks at him curiously. In this moment, she is reminded all the more of how similar they are. Perhaps Kaworu has a future he's fighting for, as well.
As Kaworu lets Rita keep her secrets, she lets him keep his.
"Yuli gets insecure around people like us." Kaworu isn't a Newtype. That doesn't matter to Rita -- though it probably does to Yuliana. "But her heart is kind, and loyal. Even though they tried to turn us against each other in the Institute, she never stopped loving me." A smile so wide Rita's eyes squish closed. "And I never stopped loving her, either."
Rita manages a soft laugh, despite her dimmed state. "Of course she knows so many. This will be such a help, Kaworu. Even beyond Yuliana, so many people can't hear my voice. It's very frustrating."
Thankfully, Rita is a quick study. The alphabets prove to be some of the most difficult signs to make -- Gundam fingers struggle to bend inwards fluidly. Undeterred, she presses forward. If a few letters are outside her reach, so be it. Rita can substitute from other languages. Yuliana is intelligent enough to solve a bit of a puzzle.
She seems to take particular joy in "Be not afraid", laughing softly as she signs it several times in succession.
Once she's mastered what Kaworu has so far provided, Rita looks at him seriously. Her eyes ignite with otherworldy radiance, their gaze somewhat faraway. "I'd like to learn--"
Possibility splits. Rita observes herself asking Kaworu a thousand different words, in a thousand different timelines. Perhaps Kaworu, with his otherworldly soul, will realize what she's doing?
"--sister."
"--bird."
"--heaven."
"--song."
"--run."
"--follow."
"--danger."
"--hope."
"--light."
"--Gundam."
"--past."
"--future."
"--Void."
"--Witch."
"--friend."
"--love."
"--save."
"--protect."
"--Narrative."
"--monster."
"--exist."
"--Haro."
"--Colony."
"--soul."
"--fight."
"--flower."
"--remember."
"--forgive."
"--together."
"--burn."
"--whatever it takes."
Endless words, in endless combinations. Rita watches Kaworu's steady kindness encompass such a spectrum of possibility as to be overwhelming.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Rita looks at him curiously, and Kaworu smiles back. They're very similar indeed.
"She believes people don't exist," he says conversationally of Yuliana, as if this were a thing to just mention in passing as he just did. "I proved to her otherwise, and she found it quite upsetting. She and her wife were going to have a conversation about it after I left. I imagine they've done so by now. But yes--she was altered and forced to hate people like us, and she found that upsetting as well. I wasn't certain about her at first, but she is as you say."
Indeed, the only reason he'd approached her at all was because he had promised Rita he would help her. He'd thought it would be the most expedient to deal with the issue of the Void, but... it proved a different sort of challenge than he'd expected. Ultimately, he'd agreed that it would be best to stick with the sign language Rita had originally asked him to teach her.
For now, they move forward with the lessons. Kaworu is patient and calm, and unbothered by the challenge of Gundam fingers. Even if he were not, though, Rita is an excellent student, and it takes hardly any time at all to convey knowledge to her. He laughs along with her as she delights in particular in the 'be not afraid' sign. Truly they are alike.
Soon they come to the end of the lesson, and Rita begins to convey her desire--first with her words, then with more than words. He watches her and so observes this in his own way. Mazinger Infinity had given him a terrible headache and forced him to lie down for a time. This isn't quite so bad by comparison, but it does throb momentarily (though it wouldn't have even been that once, and he reaches up to rub the side of his head where he'd once been shot pensively).
"That will take a while," he replies in understatement, unruffled even so. "I assume you are prepared?"
For a normal human being, it would certainly be overwhelming. He is not a normal human, and headache or no, he takes it in its stride--both as a part of her lessons, and as something for him to remember about her.
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Rita looks genuinely surprised. "You were able to convince her that we exist? That's remarkable. She's felt that way for a very long time. I wonder what..." A noticeable pause before Rita says the name, "Elisa. Thought of it. Yuliana always surprises me, for better and worse. Maybe things will end up alright after all."
Perhaps not. In the future, maybe Kaworu and Rita will have one more thing in common. The Void cannot be suffered to exist. Humanity will never reach their true path if it stands in the way.
Kaworu's laugh is pleasant, especially in this dim space. Rita's smile brightens into something genuine when she hears it. Her true smile is imperfect -- a dimple on one side, but not the other.
"Oh--!" Rita looks distressed as Kaworu rubs his head. "I'm so sorry, Kaworu. I didn't know this would hurt you. If you ask me to, I'll stop, right away."
Even as she waits for his reply, her eyes gently dim, more of their green hue peeking through the light of the resonant plane. Kaworu has been so kind. Rita won't let herself hurt him. Just the thought of it makes her form flicker in and out of existence.
"I don't need rest." Rita says, gently. "But I know you do. I'm happy to continue as long as you're feeling well enough. Please don't push yourself too hard for me, Kaworu."
Letting the illusory Gundam hand fade from one of her own, Rita reaches out, squeezing Kaworu's hand with great care. Concern shines from her expression, though somehow that smile doesn't fade.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"I was able to prove to her that I exist, and I told her that other people exist also," Kaworu clarifies. "She seemed like she believed me, but Elisa Kafim may have convinced her otherwise afterwards. She didn't seem keen on it. I don't know; I haven't spoken with either since." He's been busy with other things, including studying more on three different forms of sign language. His smile does gentle at her 'maybe' though. "That would be nice."
Even if it does turn out poorly, though, there is always next time... though perhaps not for Rita.
Her abrupt concern is met with another smile, and he shakes his head slightly. "It's just the result of an injury I sustained last year. It does haunt me still from time to time, but it isn't a problem," he reassures her. (At least, he assumes it's not a problem.) As her form flickers, though, his smile fades momentary.
He's about to say that he doesn't need rest either... but in this specific case, perhaps he does. He did almost die. On a grand scale, that means nothing, but he swore he wouldn't be so foolish anymore. That's been a difficult oath to keep, but he ought to abide by it when directly reminded.
"We can rest for a bit, then, and continue on with your lessons next time," he offers. She reaches out, and he accepts and returns her grasp. "You had quite a few requests. It would be good to save some for a next time."
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
"Elisa hasn't hurt me, and she helped save Yuliana. But I don't trust her." Rita says, quietly. "I know Yuli loves her, but I think Elisa might be the very worst person for her to be with. I can't see their futures, but I... feel the future I'm fighting for can't exist as long as Elisa has power."
Rita lowers her gaze. "I hope I'm wrong."
She isn't wrong very often.
Concern grows all the clearer in Rita's gaze, and the miraculous light extinguishes completely. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you, Kaworu? I don't want you to be hurt."
"Alright." Rita smiles, happily keeping her hand in Kaworu's. It's a sweet, companionable sort of thing. If Kaworu wishes it to stop, Rita will let go without taking offense.
A little laugh. "The idea of being able to talk with my friend again is very exciting. I'm sorry for asking so much! For now... I'd like to hear about your favorite place you've ever been."
Rita looks back to her friend. It'll be nice to spend time simply talking, learning more about each other. That's how people become friends, isn't it? Maybe that's more important than fate, at least in this case.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Smile slipping away behind a serious look, Kaworu regards Rita for a moment as she admits she doesn't trust Elisa. He trusts that Rita has a reason for saying that, but it seemed to him that Elisa loved Yuliana just as much as Yuliana loves her... though that of course is not the same as being good for her.
"What is the future you're fighting for?" he wonders instead. He doesn't remark on whether she's wrong or not.
His smile does return, if ruefully, at Rita's growing concern. "I've already been hurt, and I've already recovered from it. What remains now is only the lingering aftereffects," he reassures her. "If I do think of something you can do, I will let you know, though, Rita."
Kaworu quite enjoys physical contact, and would initiate it far more often if he weren't frequently holding back. He holds Rita's hand, and lets her hold his, for as long as she likes.
"It's no trouble. I hope you're able to speak with Yuliana Kafim to your heart's content," he tells her. His favorite place, though... His expression turns thoughtful, though his smile remains. "My favorite place... Let me think... I'm not very attached to places, but if I had to choose... I hold the days I've been able to attend school with Shinji very dear. Perhaps I could consider 'my school' one of my favorite places, then."
On its surface, it might not be an exciting answer. But what he's really saying that what matters to him is less the places he's been and more the people he's been with in them.
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
"I saw it when I was still a child." Rita's voice takes on a dreamy tone. "All of humanity, ascending together. We'll reclaim the soul's original form, and never hurt each other again." A stream of miracle-light trails from her fingertips. "This life isn't all there is."
Being tangible enough to /have/ physical contact is always a treat for Rita. Kaworu's tendencies are welcome here. Hugging Leina, holding Kaworu's hand... She so rarely got to enjoy a kind touch when she was alive. At least she can dream of it.
"That'd be nice." Rita agrees. "We were always rushed to tests or surgeries, back in the Institute. I never had a moment like this with Yuli. I think the first thing I'm going to ask her is..." Rita closes her eyes, thinking. "'Do you want to fly together?'"
Kaworu's answer would perhaps be surprising to others, but not Rita. She simply nods, understanding in her eyes. "I treasure the days I was able to spend in school with Jona and Michele, too. Once, we even went on a field trip to see gardens." She laughs, a slight flush coming to her cheeks. "The teacher said not to, but I stole a leaf from one of them."
"Who is Shinji, Kaworu?" She asks, smiling. "He sounds very important to you, from the way you say his name."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
All of humanity, ascending together. We'll reclaim the soul's original form, and never hurt each other again.
Kaworu says nothing. There are many things he could say, but he keeps them to himself. He likes Rita, but... if that is her wish, then... there may come a time where they must stand against one another as enemies.
He makes a mental note to confer with Mari about it, and gazes off into the inky distance as he listens to her. Rita seems like someone who cares very deeply about humanity, and in particular her close friends. He's not familiar with any Jona or Michele, but he recognizes the affection in her voice as she speaks of them, just as she speaks of Yuliana. Her anecdote about the gardens in particular draws another smile from him at her.
"He is. Shinji is my dearest friend. I love him very much," he replies, warm and simple. "It sounds as though these Jona and Michele are similarly important to you, too."
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
If Kaworu's reaction to Rita's spiritual mission disturbs her, she doesn't mention it. Perhaps she's lost in her reminiscing, perhaps she simply isn't worried -- but either way, their friendship will endure, at least for now.
"I'm so happy you have someone like that, Kaworu." Rita's eyes are terribly gentle, doe-like in the darkness. "Yes, it's the same for me. Jona and Michele... I love them so much. They're the reason I'm doing this."
Rita kicks her legs playfully, her toes ever so gently luminous against the inky sky. "We met many years ago, in Australia. After all of our parents died, we went to the same school, until one day, we went on a field trip..."
Even if she can't tell Kaworu everything, it's nice to speak about the ones you love. He's welcome to do the same, should he wish to -- Kaworu is such a kind person, Shinji must be the same to have earned his regard.
Until Kaworu wakes, they'll pass the time, two luminous beings amid a shadowy world.