2023-08-26: Farewell

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<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

In the once-empty house adjacent to Junk Shop Aya, farewells are being said. Not the farewell, perhaps, that many residents of Tsutsujidai would expect, or even, perhaps, the farewell many of them would want.

But it can't be helped.

Refreshments have been prepared, laying out atop a long table to the side. Ramune, water, and tea, accompany finger foods and small desserts. Colorful floral arrangements draw the eye, one placed on each small table throughout the room. Chairs are provided for anyone who is in need of rest. The wide, open front room of Akane's home looks more as though it were hosting a wedding reception than a farewell party. Perhaps that's been done purposefully.

---

"I'm sorry." Gridman lowers his head. "If there was another way, I'd take it, I promise. I don't want to be away from you, but I can't just absorb your souls. You're my family, and--"

Before he can go on, Gridman finds himself swept into a hug. Enormous arms hold him tightly, lifting him off the ground a few inches.

"We know." Max's voice is thick with emotion. He can't manage more than those two words.

The other three Neon Genesis Junior High Students step forward, hugging Gridman together. For a long moment, he's at the center of a group hug -- who could blame him if his shoulders start trembling?

"I'm going to miss you all so much." Gridman sobs, hiding his face in Max's lapel.

---

Gridman has chosen a nostalgic outfit for today. It's best if Yuta wakes up in familiar clothes, he thinks. Wearing Tsutsutjidai High's uniform and his old sweater vest, the Hyper Agent waits at the back of the room. He's managed a wobbly smile. Tears are all-but certain, but he's going to start things off with a brave face.

Max and Calibur stand at his side. Borr hovers around the room, always in motion -- adjusting the flower arrangements, or refreshing guests' drinks. Vit, for once, has traded his cell phone for a semi-professional camera. He snaps pictures of everyone who has come, especially when they're with Gridman. So what if Gridman can't take anything with him back to the Hyper World? The pictures will be ready when he gets back! And he /will/ be coming back. That's not even a question.

---

"Ugh. I should've been taking better care of this place." Gridman half-sneezes at the dust that rises as he steps into Yuta Hibiki's apartment. It's been quite a while since anyone used this place...

"Hey, don't worry. We bought the whole apartment complex, so even if Yuta refuses our help, he won't have to worry about paying rent." Vit offers, breezily.

Borr steps forward, a duster already in hand. "Nothing to do but get busy! Vit, you stock the kitchen. I'll do the cleaning."

"Thanks for helping, you two." Gridman smiles. "I'll go make sure his room is tidy."

Walking across the living room, Gridman opens the door to his... no, Yuta's bedroom. It was never really Gridman's. It's every bit as dusty as the front room... A pair of airsoft guns lie abandoned atop Yuta's desk. Gridman leans against the door frame as memories wash over him.

Laughter echoes from the past, surrounding four boys as they play video games far too late into the night.

"I guess this is goodbye." Gridman steps inside, a wan smile on his face. "At least the laundry's done."

---

"U--um." Gridman speaks up, as the room fills with his loved ones. "Thank you all so much for stopping by. I don't have long, but I promise I'll make time to at least say goodbye to each of you."

"I must return to the Hyper World. Alexis Kerib must be delivered to a proper containment facility." There are additional reasons. Gridman does not mention them. "I intend on returning as soon as I can, but I have no idea when that will be. My comrades--"

Gridman looks up to Max, then Calibur. The samurai nods.

"The Neon Genesis Junior High Students will be staying behind to safeguard Tsutsujidai and honor our alliances. If you are in need, now or in the future, please don't hesitate to approach them."

"As for me," Gridman manages a wobbly smile once more. "I promise I'll never forget any of you. Thank you for the life you've given me here in the Earthsphere. I love each and every one of you, more than I could ever express."

With that, the Hyper Agent bows, conveniently hiding his tear-filled golden eyes. 

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Shinji has never been to Akane's house before. Kaworu has been to her house, but not actually inside. It's a new experience for both of them, thus, to walk inside for Gridman's farewell party. Both of the Evangelion Children knew that this day was coming; Kaworu had spent a little private time with Gridman and Rei a little while ago, while Shinji...
        
        Well. All considered, goodbyes are hard for him. He wasn't sure if he should even show up today, but Kaworu had asked him if he wouldn't regret it, and he had to admit to himself that he would. Though school hasn't quite gotten back into session, they show up in their school clothes, Shinji in his steel blue undershirt, Kaworu in his violet.
        
        So when Gridman thanks them all and dips into that bow, Shinji has trouble himself keeping his tears in check. Working his jaw for a minute to try to find words that won't make those tears spill, he gives up and instead bows back.
        
        Kaworu remains standing, hands tucked in his pockets, a melancholy little smile on his lips. "Orpheus sends his regrets that he couldn't be here," he tells him. "Circumstances have caused him to have to withdraw from school."
        
        "Wh-what? Him too?" Shinji wonders, rising up and discreetly wiping his face. It doesn't clear away his gloomy expression. "It feels like everyone's leaving all of a sudden..." 

<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.

It's time.

Gridman's mission is complete, and now it's time for the Hyper Agent to return to the place he came from.

It's strange to be the one seeing a friend off, rather than the one walking into the sunset... but Gai Kurenai is deeply familiar with goodbyes.

Akane Shinjo's house, just next to Junk Shop Aya, is the perfect venue for this farewell. After all, it has the space for it.

Gai has contributed to the repast on offer, having cooked a large batch of yakisoba for the guests to partake in. He's at the kitchen counter right now, sipping from a ramune bottle while he keeps an eye on the noodles, handing out paper plates to the other guests.

He nods to Max, the first of Gridman's team he met, while the Hyper Agent lay wounded. "I look forward to continuing to work with you," he says with a firm nod.

Gridman bows, and Gai can feel the twinge in the young man's heart. Turning the yakisoba down to a simmer and leaving the counter, he crosses the floor, placing a hand on the shoulder of Yuta Hibiki. "It's alright. Don't hide your tears from your friends, Gridman. Parting ways is supposed to be emotional." He nods over to Shinji, whose emotions are also welling up. 

<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.

When Eight York got the message, she considerd everything going on--Laplace's Box opened, Mineva making political moves, and more. ...She decided she could /make/ time for an ally who was going to be gone, and so it happened; besides, she's not in command right now. She doesn't have to arrange time off. She just has to arrange passage.

...But given all that's happened, even in Tsutsujidai Rezza insisted on Eight bringing an escort. So she had one, a man with a stony expression and perfect blue hair who, as she walks in, moves to stand on the wall instead of making himself an obstruction.

Eight herself is dressed in red and light brown, comfortable boots (well, they're supposed to be comfortable. Nothing is going to make Eight's feet /that/ comfortable right now that involves standing up), a nice long red dress, and a jacket. Her hair is down; no sign or insignia of rank.

nd she smiles once, at Gridman. "Thanks for inviting me," she says first.

"...I'll rely on them," Eight says of the NGJHS, but, "But I won't forget you, either."

She can feel the emotion of the moment...

She shouldn't really have tears in a situation like this, but she has to hold some back anyway. "I hope when you think of me, you'll think of a friend. ...I'll do the same." 

<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.

Qivi has been in Tsutsujidai more often recently, but she's not here all the time - she has other things calling her away sometimes, and now that Tsutsujidai both has its protectors back and doesn't seem to need as much protecting, she isn't quite as necessary as she was for a while.

But 'less' is a long way from 'never'. Even if this wasn't quite what she'd pictured when she was invited to... whatever this is. A farewell? An ending, or just an interruption?

Qivi was not as close to Gridman as some people here were. She knew him, of course; she'd met him, fought with him, talked to him. She considered him a friend, someone she could trust, but not someone she knew well enough to count him as one of her closest friends.

It doesn't seem to matter, because Qivi is the sort of person who can't keep her feelings bottled, and today she's not even trying. "You're going away? Like - " He said he didn't know how long. She can't even ask him if it's forever.

Qivi pushes herself up from the seat she'd taken, standing. "You can't just - go and come back? I know he's gotta go - wherever." Qivi is a little vague on exactly where the Hyper World *is*. "And I know there's - other things." The whole 'Yuta' situation. "But still!" 

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Liam told Gridman that he'd be there to see him off. He's spent the last few days in Tsutsujidai, in Keiko Sakurai's guest room; the Community Garden director /insisted/ on giving him a place to stay that wasn't a hotel. After everything that's happened, simply being part of a household is healing. Mrs. Sakurai has the family she'd only hinted at. Countless similar stories are playing out all across Tsutsujidai. It's a reminder that things here have a fresh start, thanks in no small part to Gridman himself.

        It's not going to be the same without him, but it will heal, and it will keep growing.

        The concept of a "going-away party" feels strange to Liam, whose heart has been scarred and scarred again by grief. He's taking part in it anyway. He sits in a nearby chair with a bottle of lychee ramune, and this time, the practice has paid off--the marble is giving him no difficulty. He's wearing a sleeveless athletic hoodie in bright red, charcoal-grey shorts, sandals, a little connemara-green pendant... and the accessories he and Gridman picked out together. He lets others have some time talking to Gridman first; the two had words a few days ago, at the Garden.

        "It's... okay to feel that," Liam says, to Shinji. "I think that's... normal, given how much we care for him. Healthy, even." 

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         It felt weird for Lina to come back to Tsutsujidai.

         The town where she had spent months disconnected from reality. The town where she had fully awakened to her abilities. The town where she met the woman she'd eventually fall in l

         Shush.

         GGG had received word of Gridman's departure, and while she had never really known the Hyper Agent that well, she felt a professional obligation to see him off as the occasional ally he had been. She was out of uniform and out of jacket, in her sleeveless compression top and jeans, standing near the doorway to the room.

         "Wish we had gotten to know each other a bit better, little compagno. Arrivederci." 

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

It cannot be helped. Duty is duty, even if it extends into realms beyond the ones where they exist.

Rei Ayanami came here, wearing her colorful dress. It is a nostalgiac dress for her, even if it is not honestly that outrageous - people who go to department stores have doubtless seen it; it was popular last year and Rei probably got it on sale.

Rei has not touched any of the offered drinks or snacks. Her hands clasp together loosely as she stands, near Shinji and Kaworu.

She reaches up to push back some of her hair. It's an echo of something but she doesn't know what. Her heart is beating very fast, even if it has not shown much impact on her exterior self. She looks downwards as Gridman speaks, as others say their farewells.

Some pat of Rei wants to reach out to Shinji but in this moment she cannot do more than look at him mutely. Words fail her; even her thoughts slip quietly out of linguistic formation for several long moments, before grounding, once more, in the shapes by which the world is made; shapes of sound and mark and memory. 

<Pose Tracker> Knight has posed.

        Two faces won't be seen here.

        Even so, the Kafims send a thoughtful message to Gridman's phone...

        > Be at peace. We will remember your resolution.

        ... which of them sent that, anyway?

        Anyway.

        There's /another/ face that hasn't been seen, in the week after Gridman's victory.

        It wasn't Nidaime. /Nidaime/ came to them as soon as she could, and lavished praise and affection on both Gridman and his cohort. Fixer Beam -- just like her dad! /Wow!/ Having witnessed Gridman find his heart's power, maybe she, too, can access her ancestral ties to healing... she was never able to match her father before, but her own heart feels lighter, now.

        But someone else...

        Someone else is...

        A cane impacts the raised stoop of Akane's house.

        And it stays there, for long moments, through breathing which grows more laboured by inches.

        And Knight looks up at the Shinjo family door.

        He was always -- put it crassly -- an outside cat. Even when Akane was kind to him, back then, she never let him in. It's not just his surgical scars which are aching, now, where the doctors forcibly put him back together after Alexis opened all his insides to the outside. ... he's told that a normal human would have never survived the trauma. He believes it. Alexis meant to kill him, and only his uncle's typical carelessness about following up with the black sheep saved him.

        Even when Alexis Kerib visited him, when he'd look up at this closed door...

        His face tenses through the cheeks, lips pressed to thin line.

        He lifts a hand, and he opens the door.

        (Marvels, for two-fourths of an instant, that it opens.)

        It takes some time for him to get from the entryway to Akane's room. The one time he was here, brought in uninvited...

        ... but it's different, now.

        Tap, tap. His cane has four claws on the end, and it would be nice to call them kaiju's feet and not just a function of /gripping./ Knight's typical suit is more loosely buttoned, now, and it can't entirely hide the bandages and dressings all pressed to his chest, front and back. He has made... some effort to appear normally.

        To appear.

        And it's with some effort that he fixes Gridman with that stoic expression, without his lips twitching in discomfort. "I told you."

        Deadly serious, "... at the end of my life, I'll defeat you. Until then... you'd better survive, Gridman."

        It's his way of saying goodbye. 

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Today is the day Gridman returns to the Hyper World. It's not goodbye, but it /is/ farewell for now. ...It's sad. Rikka isn't looking forward to it, really, but at the same time, she wouldn't miss it for the world.

Of course, for Rikka, it doesn't take long for her to make it over to Akane's place. It's just next door, after all. When she arrives, though, it's with Utsumi right next to her. They're both wearing familiar outfits, too - the same ones they were wearing when they met.

School doesn't start until /next/ week, but it's only fitting.

They enter... and Utsumi marches up to Gridman immediately, slapping a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"When you get back home... tell everyone of my exploits." He says with a serious expression - that soon lightens up with a smirk as he steps back. He and RIkka settles themselves in... and soon, it's time for Gridman to speak. Rikka listens quietly. At least for now, her eyes are dry - they've already forged their bond, said what needed to be said.

(She's probably going to be a wreck once they're through here and she's back home, though.)

"We're the ones who should be thanking you. So... thanks, Gridman. We feel the same way - we love you, man." Utsumi says with a smile, and Rikka nods.

"Thanks, Gridman." She says. "Next time you come back here... you better send us some kind of sign. We might not be in the same place, we might be different... but we'll always know it's you. We won't forget you."

They're both surprised to see Knight here, after he'd been missing - but Rikka can't help but feel relieved. 

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

In a way, he wonders if this is his fault.

After all, one of them does have to return. But seeing the gathering of hearts assembling to see the Great Hero off, a pang of guilt rings in his own. Should he have offered to go instead? Should he have just offered to leave on his own, knowing that Gridman could almost certainly fulfill his wishes while he was gone?

And the way he'd been acting lately, leaving so much of himself behind...

...Will he really be alright?

Gridman Sigma is wearing a form that does not belong to him. The face of Takeshi Todo, the first soul Gridman saved, smiles sadly at the other Hyper Agent. "Hey," he says, gently. "It's like Gai said. There's no need to hide what's in your heart now, of all places, Gridman. We know it hurts, so... Be sure to get a good look at all of your friends' faces. Even if you can't take aught else back home, you can at least bring back their warmth, right?"

In the end--

He knows that Gridman has made his decision. Whatever reasons are truly motivating this departure, they are his own. Even if Sigma insisted, Gridman would never just accept that he'd go instead, would he?

"Next time you return, I'll make sure Takeshi is here to finally meet you properly," Sigma says, lifting his own Acceptor-bound arm, "You can be sure of that." 

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Sousuke Sagara's orders were non-negotiable. No contact. Not while the current mission lasted. But... perhaps just...it wouldn't be against his orders, per se. Something small.

A single note card rested on the mailbox, when the day came.

        Good bye. Good luck.
                --Sousuke



Namiko...suspected, but didn't quite know.

When she arrives, it's how she always dresses to hang out with friends, in a tee shirt and skirt, with her favorite red hoody tied up around her waist. She has her very best megawatt grin on.

After it becomes apparent she does not need to hold the party up, she also has an entire plate of Gai's yakisoba. "You know...I still remember when we first /really/ talked, when Duma came to Tsutsujidai," she reflects to Gridman, giggling. "You were so excited, like a little kid. And then when it looked like something might happen, you got so, so serious, so, so quickly. I thought you were really cool."

Her lips split into a big grin. "And then you kept proving it. It's 'cuz of you that Hass and I are safe, even beyond this whole city. We won't forget that! So..."

Unable to help herself, she steps up to offer a big hug, pulling Yuta's body and Gridman's heart close. "You'll always be our hero. Come back any time you need us." 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Alouette had known the day was coming ever since Alexis Kerib's defeat. As much as Gridman tried to hide it, as much fun as they had in their last few days, the melancholy surrounding Gridman was unmistakable.

So when Alouette shows up to that one final house party, to see the Hyper Agent off, wearing that flower crown she received yesterday, Gridman might notice there are tears in her eyes. They are not tears of sadness; they are tears of joy through and through. And though Gridman might never have seen her cry before, there's no shame in them today.

"/Au revoir/, Gridman, until next time." She smiles. "I know you won't forget any of the memories you made in our world... but even more than that, I hope the memories you make on your next mission are just as sweet. You deserve that more than anything, really!"

"After all... you learned how to become a true hero in your time here. There's going to be a lot of people who need your help in worlds beyond... and I know you're capable of answering their call, so take as long as you need. We'll be waiting for you, always, and when you do, you'll get to see all the ways we changed, too!" 

<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.

Renais Cardiff holds a bottle of melon ramune in hand, marble rattling gently as she tips it up for a sip while Gridman speaks. Akane's house is familiar to her, now. Comfortable to her. But... she feels understandably melancholy.

As he finishes speaking, it's time to start saying goodbyes. There's a nod to Sigma, and she adds, "Let yourself cry. It's better to let yourself feel the emotion, let it pass through you." She steps forward, then, and opens her arms to him; she can't quite bring herself to initiate the hug. Maybe that would be too much--a finality she can't quite allow herself, yet.

Embraced, she hugs tight. "I'm sorry we didn't get to know each other better, Gridman. We owe you a lot... and knowing you has truly been a privilege. I meant what I said when we were fighting Alexis. No matter what happens, where you go from here... we've all been made better for knowing you. I hope you can return soon, but even if you can't..."

She pulls away a bit, still hugging, so she can look into his eyes. Hers are shimmering. "I won't forget you."

=-=-=

Hass, meanwhile, has never been here before! There's a sigh on her lips--she wishes it was a happier occasion. She's not hungry, really; now and then, she's stealing bits from Namiko's plate, but otherwise, she's just sipping tea through a straw.

"Gridman," she says quietly, eyebrows gently furrowed. "... We never really got to meet after you really woke up, I don't think. There's a lot I can't remember, but I know you've been fighting for us. I... I mean, we wouldn't be here without you. I owe you my life... and you saved Akane. I don't want you to leave, because I want to get to know you more. I want to be friends. But..."

"You're a hero. I know there are more people out there. People like us, and people like her..." Under her mask, her lips turn upward in a sad smile. "People who need your help. So while it's goodbye for now, and that's sad... you should be happy. Because you did something for us that we could never repay. Everyone in Tsutsujidai... I know none of us will ever forget you." 

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Shinji and Kaworu both made it. Gridman didn't really doubt that they'd show up, but their appearance still brings a smile to his face. Though, as Shinji loses control over his tears...

"Ah -- man, I don't want everyone to remember me crying!" Gridman answers Gai, blinking rapidly. It's no use. Gridman has always been a sympathetic crier. "It's been a really emotional week already. Looks like it'll stay that way until the very end."

That's not such a bad thing, if Gai says it's okay, after all.

Max inclines his head to Gai. "Thank you. All of us will be counting on your strength in the days ahead, Mister Kurenai."

"Wait, Orpheus left school?" Gridman looks to Kaworu, blinking once, then twice. "Is he alright? I should've known something was up when I didn't hear from him after the pageant."

But more loved ones are here. Though the thought makes him uneasy, he's going to have to leave Orpheus' well-being in the hands of his friends. Captain York -- no, Eight, is here, /very/ pregnant. Her skin has the glow Gridman has seen on people expecting children before.

"You look beautiful, Eight!" Gridman says, a sweet smile on his face, despite the tears still in his eyes. "I -- I will. I promise. You gave me advice when I needed it most, advice no one else could have. I'd be, um," He takes a second, wiping at his eyes. "I'd be honored if you remembered me. I wish I could've met your children, but I /know/ they'll become amazing human beings, just like their mother."

Max subtly hands Gridman a tissue -- he has a box of them in his large hands, suddenly -- and the Hyper Agent wipes at his face. Shinji is offered one next, along with a somewhat-heavy shoulder pat. Borr appears next to Captain York with a small packet of tissues. Pregnant ladies deserve the best.

"Thanks Max." Gridman wipes at his eyes. "Um. Yes, I must return to the place I came from, Qivi, I..." Her unspoken question is clear. "I don't know how long I'll be. Hyper Agents are regulated. It's a job, rather than a simple title, so I might get assigned somewhere else, next. But my brother says we get vacation time! So I'll be home as soon as I can!"

He's trying very, very hard to make himself sound positive and optimistic. Even so, Gridman's smile wobbles.

Borr stops by Liam's chair. "You holding up alright? I heard it's been a lot, lately. Make sure you're not overdoing it out there. There's a lotta people in this city who'd be worse off without you, Liam."

A pilot with green hair and that accent... Lina, Gridman remembers. He bows to her. "Thank you. I feel the same way. I'll be counting on you to protect this world in my absence, Lina."

"Hey there, kiddo." Vit says, appearing at Rei's side. "Not sure what to say, huh? I get the feeling. And from all of us... If anything ever goes wrong, or you're scared, or you don't know what to do? Come to Tsutsujidai. We'll take care of you, Rei. Not just for Gridman's sake. You're important to all five of us."

Elisa and Yuliana's message arrived earlier. Gridman checked it, hiding Oshansoo-san away from his comrades. He doesn't reply -- he doesn't need to. Something in his heart knows that Elisa and Yuliana's word is as binding as any contract in this world. When he returns, they'll be ready for him.

Calibur's head tilts to the side, perhaps hearing a sound no one else in the party can. "Hmm." He steps forward, angling himself just /so/ in a way that creates a clear path from the doorway to Gridman. Sometimes, the extended silhouette you get from carrying three swords is very helpful.

Knight faces down Gridman. The Hyper Agent's heart twists with worry, but he has a feeling Knight wouldn't want to be fussed over. Instead, Gridman regards his would-be double evenly, golden eyes serious.

"I'll be waiting." Gridman promises, in turn. "I won't let you down, Knight."

If Calibur slides a chair next to Knight in the moments that follow, it surely will not undercut the drama. If he allows it, Knight will be settled at one of the tables dotting the room, along with a bottle of Ramune and a healthy selection of snacks. Healing takes a lot of energy, no matter what sort of being you are.

As Knight is being cared for, Utsumi approaches, and Gridman smiles at his friend's dramatic words. "Mm." He responds. "How about... 'Utsumi the Brave'? Steadfast ally of Gridman. True friend, through thick and thin."

Gridman grins at Utsumi and Rikka. His Gridman Alliance. "Thank you both. I'm leaving this city in your hands, until I come back. As for a sign... How about..."

With a slight blush, he raises his left arm above his head, fist clenched, in the same gesture Gridman made as he defeated Alexis.

"It'll be pretty clear, right?" Gridman laughs a little, lowering his arm again.

Sigma draws close, and Gridman practically magnetizes to his brother, leaning against him for support. These emotions are overwhelming... It's good to have someone here who can understand as perfectly as anyone could.

"I -- I will. I won't forget a single one of them, no matter how long I'm away." Tears fall again. "And I can't wait to meet Takeshi. Make sure he knows he'll always be welcome in Tsutsujidai, okay? Everyone here... we're all cheering for his healing and happiness."

As Renais steps up, Gridman hurries into her arms, hugging her tightly. "You gave me so much, Renais, please don't be sorry. You're the one who gave me a birthday, remember? It's something I treasure." Tears fall quickly now, and Gridman angles his face so they won't damage Renais' outfit. "T--thank you. Please give Sayla and Leina my best, if you get the chance. And please take care of yourself, too."

"W--wait, really?" Gridman can't help but blush at Namiko's compliment. "Cool..? I never thought I'd be cool!"

The mention of Duma's name brings a sad look to Gridman's eyes, but he shakes his head slightly. Just another matter to entrust to his friends. Nothing can be done.

"Thank you, Namiko." Gridman hugs her tightly. "Please take good care of Rikka. You know she always takes on too much for others. I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Of course, Hass is with Namiko. The two have always been inseperable. Gridman smiles to see that fact remains true, despite everything.

"We're friends, Hass." Gridman takes her hand softly, squeezing it in both of his own. "You've been so brave and strong. I wish I could stay to watch you become an even more amazing person. I'll ask you, too -- please watch over Rikka for me. And take care of each other, too. This city is different from anywhere else in the Earthsphere. I don't want it to lose what makes it special, and... I think you're a key part of that."

Alouette's flower crown gets a pleased "Hey!" from Borr, somewhere in the crowd. Their handiwork has lasted well, and the flowers are only /just/ starting to wilt.

"Au revoir." Gridman repeats, somewhat clumsily, to Alouette. "I can't imagine anywhere being as wonderful as here, but I'll give it a chance. Nothing can replace you guys in my heart, though!" Gridman smiles, laughing past a little sob. "By the time I'm back, I know you'll all be ready to blow me away. I can't wait."

Turning slightly, Gridman walks to Kaworu. He needs a moment. He'll get back to saying goodbye, just -- he needs a moment, first. Taking Kaworu's hand in his own, Gridman leans forward, hiding his face in his boyfriend's shoulder.

"I'm not ready." He whispers. "I knew it'd be hard, but I didn't think it'd be /this/ hard." 

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

'Don't you want to say goodbye?'

The words of Misato Katsuragi.

'Why bother?'

Asuka had replied to the point of near reflexiveness.

'Well it's your last chance to speak to him.'

'Who would want to?'

Again, reflexive. The longer and longer she thought about it. The longer it bugged her. The boy in the hospital bed.

Who told her in no uncertain terms the boy she knew was dead.

The giant taking a stand for an Angel.

Whom she stabbed.

Who also looked out for her.

Was there anything to forgive? Should she ask for it? It really wasn't her style.

In the end, she doesn't go. She made the excuse of being on standby just in case. But when noone can see her, she lays in the grass outside of Tokyo-3, staring at the sky.

Eventually she takes a breath-

"Things weren't boring while you were around at least. Kept me on my toes."

Even if she doesn't have the courage to say it face to face, to say it to anyone...

"And a lot of people seem happier when you're here with them."

As she thinks of Kaworu... Rei... Shinji... Rikka... Akane...

... eyes closing, she eventually just says quietly, "Take care of yourself, wherever you end up. Don't do anything too stupid out there." 

<Pose Tracker> Yuka Ohta has posed.

When she found out about this particular farewell, Yuka had already been in the area. She may not be as close to Gridman as she could be. But they've worked together a few times. And she has a few things she'd like to say. To thank him, primarily. For the help he's provided the world of course. But also in particular, for saving Akane. Even if it was part of his job, he still went beyond what was strictly necessary.

But also, some assurance. "We'll make sure things are safe here while you're gone, no matter what pops up. You've always got allies around the corner too, so don't forget that." She'd already intended to keep an eye on Tsutsujidai in the first place. Protecting it in the way she's able. And well... hopefully whatever mission he gets sent on next, he'll make some good friends who can help him out there too.

Every connected point of light, makes the vast universe a little warmer. Why shouldn't that be true for him, as much as anyone? It's a little odd to see her as restrained as she is. But she doesn't want this to end on a misunderstanding. That would be a tragic way to part. 

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Shinji offers Rei a watery smile when she looks his way, but doesn't offer him comfort. He's not sure, honestly, if he'd feel better or worse if she had, and he doesn't hold it against her either way. Rei's improved a lot since when they first met, but she's just not an expressive person. He's more embarrassed when Gai points out him getting emotional, even if it's in the context of saying this is what the correct emotional response is, and his cheeks burn.
        
        Liam--well, Liam might be even more emotional than him in some ways, so when he chimes in on how it's healthy, even, to feel sad about Gridman leaving, it helps change embarrassment to... he's not sure, but at least he doesn't want to hide anymore. "...thanks," he murmurs, glancing down all the same.
        
        Kaworu half-turns to look over his shoulder when Knight arrives. The warmth in his smile pushes out the melancholy, and he meets his eyes with a slight nod as he enters. His gaze follows him in, but also moves past him to Rikka and Utsumi as they express their love for Gridman in turn. They aren't the only ones, and with good cause. Gridman has done so much for everyone, and he doesn't even see it. Something else he and Shinji have in common, Kaworu reflects.
        
        Shinji sucks in a deep breath as the others give their own farewells, far more eloquently than he thinks he could manage, and looks up at Gridman. His smile is wobbly, but he does at least manage it. He gives a little nod to Eight in particular--he's not sure how far along she is in her pregnancy now, but she looks quite far along by now. He silently hopes she's doing well. "S-sorry. But I'm glad we could be friends," he says softly to Gridman, accepting that tissue. He knows he'll need it. "I'm going to miss you when you're gone. But... you have to do this, right? And it's not like it'll be forever..."
        
        A little part of him thinks that his father 'had to' focus on his job to the decisive exclusion of his son. Shinji squelches that thought--for now. This is neither the time nor the place to explore those particular feelings, though he does think of Guy and what he said before.
        
        "I'm sure he would tell you he's all right," Kaworu tells Gridman, of Orpheus. "He didn't want to make a fuss about it, so he asked me to be discreet." His lashes lower. "...It's very like him."
        
        This is Gridman's farewell, though, and not Orpheus's. When Gridman comes in close, Kaworu un-tucks his hands and holds him. Shinji discreetly shuffles away to give them some space. Gently, as Gridman buries his face in his shoulder, Kaworu strokes his hair. "It's all right," he reassures him. "We'll meet again, perhaps." 

<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.

There are many people here. Gridman touched a lot of lives. Eight hadn't meant to cry about it, but between sympathetic emotion and her hormones, she can't help but shed some tears all the same. She smiles back to Gridman anyway. "Thanks," she says, and she thinks he really means it. "I just told you what I thought was best. ...I'm glad it was of help to you." She nods, then. "I will, and... Maybe when you come back, you can." Borr appearing next to her with tissues is appreciated; Eight takes one, and carefully dabs at her face. But Gridman has to return...

Eight doesn't tell him not to go; he must, after all. For his work... and because there's a boy who needs to live his life.

When Knight comes in, Eight turns to look at him. He makes something of a notable entrance, after all. The things he says...

It seems like him.

"..You're right," she says to Liam after that. "A farewell should be a little bitter. ...But a little sweet, too. Because we get to remember we got to have this person in our lives." 

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Rei doesn't smile back at Shinji, but -- well; he understands. They do understand each other, don't they? Even if it's an understanding of silences.

Rei looks at Vit, surprised. Vit is, of course, perhaps the most 'ordinary' seeming of the NGJHS group. But it surprised her, even so. "... the words are hard," Rei says. "But, I am..."

Trying

"... Thank you," Rei says, then, her lips trembling for a moment.

Rei, for all of her gentle and quiet demeanor, verging (it must be said) on the inanimate occasionally, rarely says that.

Others speak their mind. Older than her. Some of them significantly older. Others pregnant; Rei glances at Eight York's abdomen for a moment, and perhaps it gives her a certain sort of resolve, whatever the internal thoughts that come from this might be.

As the line continues, Gridman comes to them -- he turns towards Kaworu, so close to her, and yet so far away. Rei's hands turn over each other for a moment. They fall still...

Her right hand reaches out wordlessly to clasp Gridman's.

She speaks to him, without looking. Her voice is very quiet and has a certain creak in it, itself not often heard. "At the concert," Rei says, "you said something to me. I answered."

A beat or two passes. Rei feels her heart beat. She can estimate it at 130 bps, a subtle feeling in the hollows of her wrists and her temples.

"... I will keep trying," Rei continues, her head turning abruptly to look at him. Her lips tremble for a moment. "Until, I see you again."

Her hand holds his for a full eight seconds longer, before the grasp relaxes. 

<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.

There's a lot of people here. Apparently it wasn't an unexpected thing to a lot of them - even Qivi knew something was coming even if she didn't know all the details, and a lot of them were closer to Gridman than she was. And after Alexis, it was really only a matter of time; she should be more surprised it didn't happen earlier.

Qivi's expression becomes stormy for a moment. Already standing, she can't stand up again to burn off energy, so she paces for a moment before apparently reconsidering, turning directly toward Gridman -

And going for a hug. Qivi is pretty strong, and she realizes she's probably overdoing the squeeze pressure after a few seconds and relents, taking a step back.

"Well, I don't know shit about Hyper Agents, really, except what you showed me just by how you do things," she says, her voice thick with emotion. "And I don't really know what to say, but - shit. You did good. And you take care. I'll be here when you get back, at least to visit." She gives Gridman a friendly thump on the shoulder in lieu of another uncomfortably tight hug before she steps back, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

And then, because she needs to fuss over *someone* after that: "You can have my chair," she offers Knight, seeing as he is literally on a cane and needs it more than she does. "I'm done with it." Because she doubts he would ever take it if he thought she was giving it up for him, specifically.

(She doubts he'll take it anyway but, you know. The offer is made.) 

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        A smile dawns on Liam's face as Borr asks their question, tempered a little by the mood in the room. "Won't do anything you wouldn't do," he says, and it's as much gentle ribbing as it is a promise. His smile brightens, though, as he thinks on the other thing Borr said. "Thank you, Borr..."

        The door opens again. Liam turns, at first casually curious--but his eyes widen when he sees the cane, and the bandages that aren't /quite/ hidden. Liam's mouth opens, a little, as he issues a direct challenge for the future, and for a moment, he's not sure how to process it--but he still has fuzzy memories of how Knight challenged /him/ while he was under Crucible's control. He rises, and finally joins the group closest to Gridman. "None of us will forget," Liam says, turning to Renais.

        Gridman says he's not ready. Eight says it should be a little bitter. "Yeah," Liam says. "It's... not fair." He said that /a lot/ when talking to Gridman earlier. "I, ah." Liam fidgets a little, and plucks a second ramune off a nearby table. "...would it be... too corny, to propose a toast? To Gridman, and to the future?" His voice shrinks a little, and he looks to Gridman, the very image of self-consciousness.

        And then Rei speaks up, and tears well up in his eyes. 

<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.

Gai smiles - and it's not a wistful or sad smile, but one full of hope. "They'll remember more than just your tears, Gridman. I told you before, about how I carry my friends with me, didn't I? You'll be with us, just as we go with you. You might not be able to carry the physical reminders, like I do... but the heart can carry a lot within it."

This city itself is proof of that, even in its comparative smallness.

A moment here, as someone he doesn't recognise enters - wounded, but fierce. Knight swears to defeat Gridman, and Gai's smile broadens into a grin - he's reminded of another swordsman, with a darker countenance, who would probably swear something similar even now, with their relationship as it is. "You both might be waiting a long time," he remarks dryly.

As he said to Alexis - maybe they do make each other worse... but he's fine with that.

Liam proposes a toast, and Gai raises his ramune bottle, matching the absurdity of this with a firm expression. "To Gridman, and to the future." 

<Pose Tracker> Knight has posed.

        Calibur acts without a word, but Knight sees it, anyway. He's grateful.

        "Good. I'm not dead, yet." A beat, and Knight insists: "That means you have to come back."

        He takes a breath -- hitching, just so, in his chest -- and sinks down, slowly, into Qivi's chair thoughtfully pilfered by Calibur when she offers. It's a bit of an awkward seat, because /he/ has a sword strapped behind him, too. He manages.

        "You..." Knight looks up, to the ceiling, for a moment, as his heart beats. "... kept us on our toes. It wasn't boring. I hear them... even if they're not here, they're thinking of you."

        He reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a card he rescued from Akane's mailbox. Don't ask why he thought to check it. Those murmurs aren't here to be explained.

        He hands the card to Calibur, rather than getting up, which might be everyone's hint that he's hurting. "... it's for Gridman."

        His gaze tracks to Kaworu and to Eight and to Liam and to Gai, feeling their eyes on him, before he nods to Rikka and Utsumi.

        He takes a bottle of ramune, and drinks it, looking down at the red soda.

        "You taught me the colour of human blood. Thank you. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be a kaiju... the Gridknight Alliance won't be leaving just yet. We'll keep them safe until then."

        He feels...

        ... he feels...

        ... he delays his drink until the toast. He doesn't know what a toast is, but he can see Liam grasping the ramune, so he can intuit it involves them. Observing Gai, he raises the bottle, instead. 

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Guy is here along with Renais and Alouette, hanging to the back. But...he couldn't let the young Hyper Agent depart from afar.

"The last time I saw something like this, Galeon officiated a wedding," Guy quips, which is a joke for basically nobody in the room. His smile's small, if not as tired as it was that day on the hilltop ten years ago. "...I guess we never really got to know each other that well, Gridman. You've come a long, long way from those early days...I think a lot of us feel this responsibility. When the Primeval War ended, Mamoru felt he needed to explore space with Galeon...and that led him to a whole new adventure." ......which was deeply unpleasant for everybody involved BUT: Guy smiles instead of leaning on that part. "And now he's back here, working for GGG again. My point is just, don't be worried about us all back here. Take care of what you need to. Meet the new challenges ahead of you. Someday, maybe you'll find yourself here gain."

He puffs up proudly. "And until then, you'll be carrying the promises of everyone on Earth with you. We're not perfect...we fight all the time really...but there are people here ready to be friends. And you're proof of how hard we'll fight for that." 

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"'Utsumi the Brave', huh... I like it." Utsumi replies with a grin. A steadfast ally, and a true friend - that's certainly how he'd want people to hear of him, more than as some kind of hero. If Gridman can carry that story with him, he'll be satisfied.

"We'll look after it." Rikka assures. "This city is precious to all of us."

A sign... with a blush, Gridman raises his left hand in a familiar, triumphant gesture.

"Crystal. That's a sight none of us are going to forget." Rikka agrees. The sight of Gridman standing victorious on the horizon... it was a striking sight.

They both catch Knight's nod - Rikka smiles back, while Utsumi gives a nod of acknowledgment.

But, Liam proposes a toast, and they're both more than willing to oblige.

"To Gridman." Utsumi agrees, raising his glass of Ramune.

"To Gridman." Rikka toasts - her glass, this time, is tea. She's already put herself through the carbonation once for the sake of friendship - she's not going to do it again when it isn't a mandatory part of the experience. 

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Lina's cheeks flush just a bit as she chuckles and turns her head the other way. Just about everybody else in the room was bawling their eyes out, but that wasn't really her style. She preferred to grieve in private, and didn't cry easily to begin with. Composing herself, she gives the Hyper Agent a thumbs up.

         "Don't have to worry about that. I'm part of the Gutsy Galaxy Guard. It's what we do!" 

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

It all feels so... Final, doesn't it? And for these humans, it might seem that way. Hyper Agents are bound by their duties, and it's impossible to say what the circumstances of Gridman's return would look like. How long will it take? How much time will pass? How many of these people, gathered today, will be there to greet him when he returns...?

Sigma squeezes his brother's shoulder gently. Emotions are hard. Especially the ones surrounding farewells. It's okay, he can cry.

"Of course," Sigma answers. "I'll be sure to tell him all about how his very first hero saved another world. I will come up to visit when I can. Maybe bring you news of how everyone is doing here, hm...?"

That's right. This isn't a forever goodbye. It's just--

The end of a long, miraculous holiday.

"And even if that might take a while, I can at least write," Sigma adds, as if that could ever make up for what Gridman is leaving behind. "Remember, always, we are beings of bonds and communication. No matter where you go, you'll never truly be alone."

Liam proposes a toast. Others join in, as if giving proof to his words. Sigma smiles and lifts his own cup of tea. "To Gridman." 

<Pose Tracker> Knight has posed.

        Knight, on hearing everyone echo a particular line, enters the fray with: "Gridman!" It's not quite /to/ Gridman, but... well, he's got the spirit. 

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Though it's Gridman's hands that Rei touches, Kaworu smiles over at her too, seeing that wobble in her lip and in her heart. His gaze casts over to Knight again when he passes on the words of someone who isn't here... but he leaves that alone. Instead, he rests his free hand on Rei's shoulder, then--when the two of them are ready--gently disengages himself from her and Gridman both.
        
        He and Shinji will both join in on the toast. For Shinji, it's easier than grappling with the many, many, many difficult feelings that keep cropping up here.
        
        "To Gridman," they chorus. 

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

"To Gridman!" 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"That's right, Borr. I wanted to thank you for your handiwork... just about everyone on the cruise loved them, you know." And that's enough stroking Borr's ego, because she adds, "Even when these flowers soon wilt, they'll always be a symbol of our friendship. Just because they wilted, doesn't mean they never bloomed brightly before."

When she notices Knight's presence, her eyes widen a little bit. He came all this way for Gridman... of course he did, he learned from no one more than he did the Hyper Agent himself. Alouette offers him a nod, and a resolute look. But the words he relayed... somehow she has an idea who they came from.

Guy's quip gets a very different look from her... that really /did/ happen, huh? But she understands the intent behind the story he told. "It was the same for me, too. I never got the chance for much of a farewell... but even I found my way back to the people I first called friends. So... you won't be alone, even when we're apart, okay?"

Alouette then looks to Liam, enthusiastic when he proposes a toast. "Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Liam!" She refills her glass to the very top, and once everyone's ready... "To Gridman~" Her glass clinks with all the rest. 

<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.

Renais nods. "I'm... really glad I could do that. Give you such a happy memory." She laughs softly. "The look on your face when I showed you the sparklers... I don't think I'll ever forget it. No matter what, Gridman... you are my friend."

She lifts her bottle. "To Gridman!"

=-=-=

Hass blushes, seeming to float a little at Gridman's words. "I... I will. I promise. And I'll try to hold on to that..." She steals a fond look toward Namiko. "You're definitely cool, Nami." Looking at Gridman again, she continues, "You're amazing, too, and... I hope we can see you again soon. If we don't... at least I know you'll never forget us!"

She holds up her tea, nudging it against Namiko's drink. "To Gridman!" 

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Yuka makes an appearance! Gridman remembers her from the assistance she's granted his loved ones, and reflexively, he bows. "Thank you for all you've done. I have faith in you, Yuka, and -- I promise. I won't forget!"

For all Yuka's worry, nobody seems to mind her presence -- in fact, Max gives her one of his stoic nods. Everyone here tonight is an ally, at least to him.

"I'm so glad too, Shinji." Gridman says -- then steps in close, hugging the other young man. As he does so, he whispers, "You're really, really important to Kaworu. Please take good care of him for me. It's something only you can do."

With that, Gridman steps back, a few more tears tracking down his cheeks. "It won't be forever. I'll make sure of it!" Gridman tries to sound encouraging, despite the wobble in his voice. "If you guys see Orpheus, please tell him I said thank you. And that I hope he'll find happiness. I have faith in him."

Kaworu's embrace is comforting, giving Gridman the boost of strength he needs. "We will." He promises. "We will, we will..."

Even as the Hyper Agent repeats his promise, someone takes his hand. Gridman raises his head from Kaworu's shoulder, even though this warmth is familiar.

Rei.

He holds tight to her hand, hanging on the few words she chooses to express herself with.

"I love you, too." Is his answer.

As Rei's grasp relaxes, Gridman, gently, pulls her into his arms, holding her tight. A second later, he reaches out for Kaworu, too, letting the three of them have a small, private embrace in the midst of the party.

Buying time for Gridman, Borr gives Eight a wink as she accepts the tissues. "Hey, if you're looking for name ideas, 'Borr' works for a girl /or/ a boy. Just a thought."

Gridman laughs as he releases Kaworu and Rei. "I can't wait to meet them, Eight. I'll be waiting. Please give my best to your crew, as well. They were always kind to me when I was aboard."

Qivi hugs Gridman, /tightly/ and the young Hyper Agent blinks in surprise -- once, then twice. Returning the embrace, he hugs her tightly in return. If anyone could take it, it'd be Qivi! "T--thank you so much..." Gridman sniffles, golden eyes misty. "I'll be looking forward to it. We can have some of Mrs. Takarada's cake together!"

Borr, now standing with Liam, laughs. "Remember, in all possible situations, you can always knock some shit over and bail. That's gotten me and my kid out of stuff you wouldn't believe."

But they give him a genuine smile. "Of course, Liam. We're here for you, yeah? Don't be a stranger."

Gridman looks up at Liam as the young man approaches. "A -- a toast..?"

The idea catches on. Gridman flushes pink as his name is called with such joy and love. Golden eyes, welling up with tears, shimmer in the light of Akane Shinjo's home. How far they've come. How far /he's/ come, from a voice in a box to a real person, someone so loved.

Even though his tears fall, Gai promises they'll remember more than just Gridman's tears. He keeps his head high, smiling widely. Max places a hand on his comrade's shoulder.

"We'll never be apart, not really." Gridman murmurs. "All of us are connected to each other. Our bonds could never be broken."

Calibur, upon being handed Sousuke's note, gives Knight an appreciative noise. A hand claps his shoulder, and then the samurai returns to Gridman, offering it to him. Gridman reads it, then holds it close to his heart for a moment. "Thank you," he murmurs. "I hope you learn how to smile, alongside the people you love."

Knight looks up to the ceiling, echoing... someone's words. Gridman knows they aren't Knight's, at least, and he nods. "Thank you, Knight. I have so many people to be grateful for, even the ones who couldn't make it here..."

It's a humbling feeling. Gridman wipes at his eyes again.

(Of course, as Knight's familiar call joins the chorus of toasts, Gridman can't help but startle a little. It's practically an ingrained response at this point -- in any world, at any time, Knight's growl can even make a Hyper Agent's heart stutter in fear.)

Guy is present, too, and Gridman smiles to him as he approaches. "I would've liked to go to a wedding... Maybe next time." He doesn't know exactly what Guy is talking about, of course, but he's willing to make an effort. "I've always done my best, just as you have. Please keep watching out for Akane. I'll carry the promises and the bonds I've made here until I'm home again!"

Gridman extends a hand to Guy. They're not quite friends, so a hug wouldn't be right, but a handshake feels natural.

Utsumi and Rikka join the toast, and Gridman's tears fall in earnest. Even his close friends can call out to him like this, knowing how imperfect he is? The truth of how well he's done begins to settle into his heart. Gridman brings a hand to his chest, laughing. Sorrow and joy intertwined... What a complex, human emotion.

"I -- I can't wait, bro." Gridman says to Sigma, leaning into his shoulder-squeeze. "I'll write to you as soon as I figure out how to send a letter. No matter what, I know you'll be with me, Sigma. I don't think I could've made it without you."

Ego-stroking is always welcome, especially for one Buster Borr. "Hey, sounds like all my effort paid off. If you want to preserve the flowers, I've got some good methods. I'll VERTEX the instructions to you, Alouette."

"I'll never forget that moment either, Renais." Gridman laughs. "If they don't have sparklers in the Hyper World, I'm going to invent them. Everyone deserves to experience something so beautiful."

"I have faith in you, Namiko, and you too, Hass. I'll be back as soon as I can." Gridman wipes at his eyes again.

As the toast concludes, Max, Calibur, Borr, and Vit each take a glass.

"To Gridman." Max intones, with pride.

"T--to Gridman." Calibur adds, one hand on Knight's shoulder.

"To Gridman!" Borr shouts, grinning.

"To Gridman." Vit offers, with a wink.

Max hands Gridman a fresh glass of sparkling, sky-blue ramune. Gridman looks down at it with a little smile, then raises his glass with a call of, "To the future!"

"Hey, this is great timing. Everybody gather in close around Gridman, we're taking a group picture!" Sky Vitter announces, putting his glass down. "I'm gonna put this one on the mantle, so no weird faces."

This seems to be excellent timing on Vit's part, as shortly after the picture is taken, pink light blossoms into existence above Gridman. In the same color as Grimdan's Fixer Beam, a portal opens near the ceiling. It looks... strange, like something that doesn't quite belong in this world.

"Looks like it's time." Gridman murmurs. 

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko giggles to Gridman. "You're /so/ cool," she affirms for him.

And then wiggles up next to Hass, adding, "I am also cool, yes," with an evil smile. And then, raising her drink, she adds, "To Gridman!"



Guy laughs, and claps a hand firmly into Gridman's, holding his gaze. "Believe in your oaths to these people. To continue onward, with courage, believing in everything they've shown you."

        "I believe we'll meet again, Gridman. Someday, in the sea of stars."

Parting, as the toasts raise, Guy finds his way over to his own drink, raising it up high. "To Gridman!" 

<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.

Eight, too, acquires a ramune. So does her bodyguard, since someone is being nice! Eight finds herself looking between Gridman and those who seem to better understand the nature of a Hyper Agent... And of course, Borr. She laughs. "I'll keep that in mind," Eight asures Borr.

Regardless, "To Gridman," Eight agrees.

Even as the ceiling seems to open up...

"Take care of yourself," she says. "I'm going to believe in that, too. In you." 

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        "Noted," Liam says, to Borr. "That's good advice. And don't worry, I--I won't. I'll be around as often as I can. I have so many so many friends here, too.

        Liam's self-consciousness fades as more people take up the toast. He realizes he hadn't really joined in, and quickly opens the fresh ramune so he has something to toast with. "To Gridman," he says, with a wide smile and tears glimmering in his eyes.

        It's picture time. Liam steps into the back, letting shorter people in front so she's not blocking them. He offers the camera his brightest smile for posterity, and as the portal opens, his breath hitches.

        "...This is it, then. Gridman--" Liam reaches out his hand for one final fistbump. "Stay safe. Wind at your back, sun on your face, until we meet again." 

<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.

The swirling light above their heads indicates that the moment's come and Gridman will soon depart.

Gai takes in the assembled here, and decides a little bit more strangeness isn't that far-fetched. He reaches into his coat, pulling out the Orb Ring. "Gridman... before you go... might I ask for a boon from you?"

He holds out the Orb Ring, its crystal pulsing gently. "It would be an honour if I could share in your strength, for the battles to come. Fighting so hard, all for the sake of a single person... It is a kind of strength that's rare and beautiful." 

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It startles Shinji when Gridman comes over and gives him a hug, but--not in a bad way, he finds. He could barely stand touching or being touched not that long ago. When he first met Kaworu, he'd dropped something (was it water? was it soup? it's been long enough that Shinji can't quite remember) on himself and fallen on the floor, and Kaworu had held out his hand to help him up--and Shinji had picked himself up rather than get touched. So instead, Kaworu had brought him a towel.
        
        That's what he thinks of, at least, when Gridman whispers in his ear how much he means to Kaworu, and the color rises in his face. When he'd drawn a mental line between Gridman and his father, it'd been favorable to his father. Now he remembers Alexis Kerib telling him (mocking him) about how much Kaworu cares for him, and now Gridman's saying the same thing... He really doesn't know how to feel about that either, so he just murmurs, "I-I will."
        
        Whatever kind of relationship they have, Shinji wants Kaworu to be happy... just like Kaworu's always said he wants him to be happy.
        
        Kaworu watches the two in silence, that faint smile still on his lips. When he and Rei and Gridman complete that embrace, he shuts his eyes and enjoys the moment. Fun vs. fate... but in the end, fate always wins. He's grateful for the time they had together regardless.
        
        They'll all stand together for that photograph, smiling at Vit behind the lens. But after that, that pink portal opens in the ceiling.
        
        "...You're really going, huh," Shinji says quietly. As sad as he still looks, he glances at Guy, and there's a little more resolve in his eyes now. "...Yeah. We'll meet again."
        
        Kaworu only smiles at Gridman, acceptance and affection in equal measure in his red eyes. They've had their moment, and Kaworu isn't going to take these last moments away from the others--and especially not from Gridman himself. He'll smile for him to the very end and beyond. 

<Pose Tracker> Knight has posed.

        It's nice that he can still put the fear of God into Gridman. Knight even cracks a smile, for all of 2.8 seconds, when he sees that little startle.

        And, of course, he drinks the soda. Luckily, Nidaime's taught him how soda works by now, so he isn't shocked.

        "Understood." He nods, to Vit, when he requests the picture. He looks beside him, and rumbles: "... Samurai Calibur," in a subtle request for assistance getting over there.

        He does not make a weird face, except insofar as his typical stern-faced intensity is /always/ a little weird.

        And then, the light...

        "So it's goodbye for now. All right." Knight nods, still quite stern. (Still keeping that discomfort from his face. He can grouse about all that later, when it's not the last time Gridman will have looked at him.) "Your heart is prepared."

        Here, he learns that it's important to say farewell. 

<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.

Qivi wasn't expecting Knight to actually take her up on it, but with Calibur's assistance, the unexpected becomes reality. She gives Calibur a thankful nod at that, which is also good recovery time for her.

A toast goes up. She didn't suggest it but she's certainly not going to let it pass by unanswered - "To Gridman!" She has to reach to scoop up her ramune bottle, and honestly it's mostly empty anyway, but it's the energy that matters.

And the photograph. Despite being half Meltrandi, Qivi is not actually especially tall in her micronized form; five foot four or five, maybe. It puts her right in the middle of the pack and so that's where she puts herself; close enough and far enough forward to be seen, not so much that she's front and center.

She is grinning, in the picture. Even if her eyes are wet too, if you look real close.

Afterwards, the portal opens. It's goodbye again, but Qivi uncharacteristically doesn't have anything to say this time. She gives a thumbs-up instead - and then, a little wave, when he's actually ready to go. 

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Lina, still remaining in the back, looks up at the light and gives a quiet, but weary sigh. Coming back down to Gridman, she closes her eyes and gives a soft nod.

         "...Appreciate how blessed you are that you're able to say goodbye. Not enough are afforded that luxury."

         Her voice is wavering just a bit, lacking the cheer it had just a bit earlier. A voice that was holding up a great weight. 

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka and Utsumi share a smile between each other as everyone offers a toast between Gridman. There was a time, once, when it was just the three of them - then three became seven, and now... just look at how many hearts Gridman has touched. Enough to pack full this once-empty(in so many ways) room - and this is only scratching the surface. Gridman laughs, and they join in - and once Vit calls everyone up for a picture, they readily join in. They both crowd in close - Utsumi resting a hand on his shoulder as he smiles for the camera. Rikka, too, offers her best smile.

...And then, it's time. Pink light appears above Gridman.

"That's it, then...?" Utsumi says, looking up, and then nods his agreement toward Gridman. "...Guess so."

He looks back down.

"Don't worry. We'll make sure to look after Yuta for you, too. ...Go get 'em." Utsumi says, with one last grin.

Rikka hesitates for a moment - and then steps in to give Gridman one last, quick hug before stepping away and offering him a smile.

"...Remember. Even on the other side... we'll always be with you, alright? You're not alone."

Whenever, forever... 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"I might have to take you up on that, Borr." Alouette nods with a smile. "And I'll visit plenty, too, don't worry." Her gaze turns to Max, to Vit, and Calibur as well. They still have plenty of memories they can make together.

Such as this one, immortalised in a group photo. Alouette is still a little teary-eyes, she looks like a bit of a mess, but she gives it her biggest smile, undeniably filled with joy..

But all good things must come to an end, as that pale, beautiful light emerges. It might be the closest look she ever gets to the Hyper World, but she's more concerned with the emotion behind it.

"So this is it... thank you for everything." She fixes her gaze on Gridman one last time, echoing Guy's words. "...Yes. Someday, in the sea of stars." 

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko, of course, smiles like the sunlight for the photo. Guy's got his classic heroic grin on, holding up his G-Stone hand for a heroic reminder of strength.



A portal of light appears. Namiko leans over to Hass. "Damn, that's the company car?"

But then she's back to smiling for Gridman's farewell. "I'll take care of Rikka for you. /And/ Akane! Rikka Squad, inseparable!" she belts, hands on her hips. "So..."

She sniffs a little as it starts to finally hit her and she rubs at her nose awkwardly. "So go on. There's a lot more people who need help now than us. We'll show everyone the strength you gave us."

Guy's said his peace, and just crosses his arm and nods at Alouette's confirmation.

And somewhere far away, in a transport heading back to Earth, Mithril pilot Eva Santos mutters, "Got some weird signals back there...some kind of distortion forming. Seems small, but wanna turn back?"

Sousuke Sagara leans over from his seat to stare at her screens.

"...not a problem," he decides, and sits back, hands folded in his chair. No more note cards for him.

"He's just going home." 

<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.

"Those whose hearts have been linked by Acceptors are destined to reunite someday," Sigma says, drawing his brother in for a hug. "And if you can't figure it out, I'll just have to come up there and help. Don't let them try to talk you into overworking yourself, okay? I don't want to go months without hearing from you because the powers that be decided to consign you to infinite paperwork."

He may or may not be serious about the existence of such a thing as Infinite Paperwork.

He's-- probably not. But Hyper World Bureaucracy is probably not pleasant, in any case.

...But. All good things must come to an end. Even this celebration.

The portal home appears overhead. Sigma regards it with a sad smile, then turns his face back towards Gridman. "...One more thing, Gridman. Compared to the last time you came down here, you've made an impact in so many more lives. Hyper World isn't something unknown to the people of this dimension anymore, so the higher ups won't be able to ignore it for long. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but... I'm hopeful it means we'll see you again sooner rather than later."

Sigma steps back, meaningfully moving out of the halo of light shining down onto Akane's floor. "Until next time, brother. I love you, we all do. So make sure to take care of yourself." 

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Rei's face contorts. No, it crumples.

She doesn't cry, and perhaps she can't - Kaworu might have seen it happen, in different contexts, but Shinji surely hasn't, other than the tears that come from dust or chopped onions.

Her face flushes and she smiles at Gridman, brief and momentary, before she's drawn into an embrace. One that Kaworu joins shortly thereafter. Being let loose afterwards feels to Rei somehow like a fall backwards, but --

Rei rubs her neck without thinking as Qivi comes in and gives him a TIGHT hug. Rei blinks several times, Qivi being something of an outside context problem for Rei's perspective on life. At the call for a toast, she goes over to get a beverage, choosing one without even really looking.

Rei raises the glass (or bottle, or can; she literally did not look) high.

"To Gridman," Rei says, her voice husky.

She is standing next to Shinji Ikari as she says it. Rei's eyes turn upwards, towards that strange light. It shines on her face, and the reflection is faintly uncanny, although the flush on her cheeks sets it off, nicely perhaps; and the smile doesn't quite leave her face, small though it may be. 

<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.

Hass looks on in muted awe as the portal opens, "Whoa... what do you think Hyper World looks like? Wait, I can just... hey, G-" She pauses. "... Nah. Don't really have time..." she murmurs, sighing. "Next time you're here... you've gotta tell us what Hyper World is like, Gridman."

-=-=-

Renais grins at Hass' comment. "Agreed. Tell us about your adventures when you get back, as well." She gives Sigma a look. "You... *aren't* serious about that, right?" As a former Science Crime cop, she knows what peacekeeping paperwork can be like on Earth, so she can only imagine how bad it is up there.

She looks solemnly toward Gridman. "You have my condolences, Gridman." Her face breaks into a smile, and she adds, "And my best wishes. Good luck with the mountains of whatever passes for paper up there." 

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Gridman's heart beats fast in his chest. Those beats are numbered, now, and steadily decreasing.

"Thank you, Eight." Gridman says, once again. "As long as you're with the people you care about, you're unstoppable. I believe that with everything I am."

One more fist-bump with Liam. Gridman leaves his hand extended a little longer than he has in the past. "Until we meet again, Liam. Please try and take as good care of yourself as you do of everyone else, okay?"

Golden eyes are soft where they meet Shinji's gaze. "Thank you. I believe in you, Shinji, in every way. You're so much stronger and braver than you give yourself credit for. Don't forget, okay?" One more smile. "I'll see you again, as soon as I can."

At Knight's call, Calibur blurs from view -- and then Knight and his chair do as well. Half a second later, they appear in place for the photograph. No movement required on Knight's part.

Qivi, who has expressed all she needs to, gives Gridman a thumbs up. The Hyper Agent mirrors the gesture, adding in a wobbly, teary smile.

Lina's advice gets one more bow from Gridman, and a soft, "Right. I'll never take it for granted."

"In the sea of stars," Gridman echoes, to Alouette and Guy. "Thank you, too, Alouette, for everything. I wouldn't be who I am today without you."

Gridman manages a smile for Namiko. "You're amazing! This strength was always yours. I just helped you see it. Nobody's cooler, or stronger, than Repli-Compoids. The whole world's going to figure that out soon."

"I will. I won't forget a single thing this time. I'm sure the Hyper World is full of amazing sights." Gridman reassures Hass and Renais -- only to laugh, at Renais' condolences. "Don't worry. I'll start writing in crayon or something, and they'll stop asking me to sign stuff at all!"

Sigma pulls Gridman in for a hug, and the older (at least, by some measure) of the two clings to him. The hug, no matter how long it is, isn't enough. "I wish we had more time." He whispers, then manages a watery little laugh. "Y--yeah, don't worry! They'll learn better than to try and get /me/ to figure out paperwork. Y--you can just tell them how bad my math homework was, if you've gotta bail me out."

"I... have?" Gridman blinks. Once, then twice. "I hope I've made a change for the better, in this world, and the Hyper World. Good or bad... I'll make sure you know, brother. I love you, Sigma. Don't worry, I'll be just fine!"

"Goodbye for now." Gridman offers Knight one more handshake. "Your heart has grown more than anyone knew possible. Don't stop now, Knight. By the time I see you again, I'm certain you'll have more Light within you than anyone."

"Kaworu," Gridman calls, reaching out for his boyfriend one last time. Taking Kaworu's pale hand in his own, Gridman steps close. He leans in -- most of the way to a kiss, but not all the way. Kaworu can complete it if he so desires. Gridman has never taken more than Kaworu was willing to give.

"I love you. So much. Thank you for all the fun we've had together." Gridman gives Kaworu a smile. "And for everything else. I wouldn't change a second of our time."

Keeping one hand knit with Kaworu's, Gridman reaches out to Rei, his heart breaking a little more at the broken look on her face. Just as he did with Kaworu, he leans in for a kiss -- one that Rei may complete, should she wish, or one that she may decline. Their bond is whole and unbroken, no matter what gesture she sees him off with.

"I love you Rei, I love you..." Gridman reaches up to brush through her hair. "Thank you for being my partner, even when I wasn't at my best. Please take care of each other. No matter what, I'll always be with you."

Rei manages a smile. That's all Gridman could've asked for. He's cherished each one of the smiles she's given him, and this one is no exception.

As Gridman tears himself away from his partners, Rikka and Utsumi are waiting. "Yes. The real Yuta will awaken after this. So please, take care of him for me."

Gridman holds out his hand to Utsumi -- offering a single, sky-blue marble. It's the one from the bottle of Ramune Gridman drank as they searched for information about Tonkawa and her friends. That mission, like so many others, has come to an end.

Rikka hugs him, and Gridman embraces her in turn. "Thank you, Rikka. Your light is what guided me all this time, and I'll never lose sight of it, no matter how far apart we are."

One more step toward the light. Waiting between Gridman and his destination, now, are only the Neon Genesis Junior High Students.

"You know, it was Rikka's bold actions that saved us, time and time again." Sky Vitter says, with an easy grin. "Thanks for guiding us to her, Gridman. And thanks for giving us a chance to exist."

"Even though Utsumi constantly led us down the wrong path with his worthless predictions..." Borr chimes in, aiming a playful kick at Utsumi's shin. "It was still a lot of fun. Don't keep us waiting too long, yeah?"

"Y--you aren't alone." Calibur murmurs. "N--nor Akane Shinjo."

"Thank you." Says Max, tears in his steel-blue eyes. "You fought so bravely."

Gridman rushes forward and hugs Max, and the other three fall in, just as before. No one wants to let go, but eventually, Gridman softly pulls away.

"Once more." Gridman says. Oshansoo-san, his squishy phone, is pulled from his pocket. Gridman taps a brand new app -- 'SSSS' as its only designation -- and pulls off his wristband. This time, he lets it fall to the ground. With a gleam of silver, his Accepter appears, and softly, Gridman brings his other hand to it.

"Access,"

A breath.

"Flash."

White light overtakes Yuta Hibiki's body, but this time, the young man is not pulled into the computer from which he draws power. Instead, he crumples, almost falling to the ground before Max catches him. This, now, for perhaps the first time, is Yuta Hibiki. Peacefully sleeping.

Gridman, this time standing at about six feet, stands in the center of the light. He's reverted to his prior form, without all pieces of his soul united, but he doesn't mind it. Golden eyes look out across the room.

"Of course, Gai." Gridman's voice is metallic, now, without a hint of human softness. "Please use my strength to protect the ones dear to us. Now, and always."

With an outstretched hand, Gridman offers his Light to Gai. Pink radiance glimmers in the Giant's palm, shimmering beautifully for long moments, before it flutters to the Orb Ring.

"As a Hyper Agent, I am grateful for all your help." Gridman says, to everyone present. "If not for each of you, our mission may not have succeeded. Thank you."

Max steps forward, pulling the contained Alexis Kerib from within his jacket. Gridman holds it tightly in one hand. The Hyper Devil will /not/ be getting away.

"I learned the importance of having friends I can trust. And I learned it from every one of you. Please," Gridman bows. "Take care of each other."

With that, the pink light lifts Gridman into the air. He ascends up to the portal, looking back down at his loved ones all the way. For a heartbeat, he lingers just before the passageway, and then, with a burst of pink radiance, he, and the portal, are gone. 

<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.

Gridman's light, extended from his hand, flows into the empty space in the centre of the Orb Ring, and shimmering violet energy coalesces into a card with Gridman's true self shining on it, countenance focused on an unseen enemy. Gai smiles - the card has a subtly different design to the rest of his collection - and stows it in the holster at his side.

"Go well, Gridman," he says firmly. "I know we'll see you again."

With that, he settles on the couch again, replacing the Orb Ring in his coat with his Orbnica, and begins to play a bittersweet but familiar and comforting tune as Gridman rises into the portal.

The song continues until the portal closes and vanishes, and Gai moves to check on the unconscious Yuta. "Rest well," he murmurs to the boy. 

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Gridman says that the real Yuta will awaken after, to take care of him - and Utsumi nods. Gridman holds his hand out to him, then. A single, sky-blue marble...

From the outside, it's the same as any marble found in a Ramune bottle - but for all them of them, they recognize it from a single-shared memory. Utsumi accepts it with a smile, clutching it in his hand and holding it close to his heart.

"...You're welcome. We'll meet again, so this isn't goodbye - only farewell." Rikka replies.

The Neon Genesis Junior High Students say their pieces, now. Rikka smiles a bit, at Vit's mention of her bold actions. And Borr... as they come in for a playful kick -

For the first time, Utsumi shifts his leg instinctively out of the way. He seems just as surprised as anyone else, but he sends them a fond smile.

And now...

With an Access Flash, Gridman appears, and Yuta collapses. Rikka and Utsumi both start toward him in concern - but Max has him taken care of him, catching him safely.

And then, once more, Gridman thanks them all, and leaving them with a request to take care of each other... he's gone.

"...There he goes." Utsumi says.

"...Yeah." Rikka murmurs... and with a sigh, collapses herself into a chair. Now that's he's gone, this is all starting to catch up to her a little... but still, she looks up to where the portal was, one last time.

"...Good luck, Gridman..." She murmurs. 

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Gridman leans in for that kiss, and Kaworu reciprocates. It isn't deep, but it is sweet, and it lingers for a time. That smile remains all throughout, for him and for Rei. "I'm glad I gave this a chance. It's been very fun, Gridman--so thank you. And you as well, Rei. It has meant so much to me that you wanted to share your hearts with me. I will never forget what has taken place between us, whether this romance ever takes place again or not."
        
        "Yuta Hibiki's going to wake up...? That--makes sense," Shinji muses, suddenly struck by the consideration that the person who is actually Yuta Hibiki will be coming back. It's made that much more real by Gridman Access-Flashing out of Yuta's body--thankfully, Max has that covered. Still, Yuta's going to be so lost and confused... Shinji straightens, nodding to Rikka and Utsumi, and says, "I'll help out with Hibiki-kun too. I promise!"
        
        It gives him something a little more to hold on to, at least, once Gridman is through that portal and gone. After that... he'll need to sit down in a corner with the tissues Borr gave him for a while.
        
        Kaworu, for his part, will tuck his hands in his pockets, lean on Rei, and watch the ceiling until they're all ready to leave. 

<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.

At least Max has Yuta covered. Normally - well, not here, but normally in some of the other places she's worked - she'd've been the one catching people. But she didn't know she needed to!

"Hey," Qivi says, at the last moment. She pushes forward, looks up into the portal just as it closes: "SEE YOU LATER!" she bellows into what she assumes is another dimension.

That seems to have taken it out of her. She slouches afterwards as she steps away, not embarrassed by her actions but feeling a little awkward about the results. 

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         As Gridman goes off into the hyper unknown, Lina rubs her finger under her nose, trying to hide some sniffs, then turning and walking into the hall.

         "I'm going to head to the restroom before we get back on the shuttle. Let me know when we're ready to go, okay?" She glances over to the other GGG members present and makes her way down the hall. Turning a corner, she makes sure she's a good enough distance from everyone else and leans back against the wall.

         Her breath shudders a bit and the world in front of her eyes blurs as she feels drops down her cheeks. Her head pounds and her chest is heavy, each blink stings. She hates when she gets like this. 

<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.

Renais smiles softly, chuckling at the suggestion he'd write in crayon. "I wish I'd thought of that..."

She doesn't try to disguise the tears welling up as Gridman separates from Yuta. "You look great both ways, big guy. Everyone up there's gonna love the look." Her voice cracks a couple of times. She winks. As much as she wants to look away, not watch him leave, she watches, eyes tracing up to the portal as Gridman disappears, watching it with fascination as it closes behind him.

She glances over at Lina, giving her a nod. "Of course," she replies. "I... think I'll need a bit, myself."

-=-=-

Hass, meanwhile, is blushing at the displays of affection between Gridman and his partners. "He'll have to come back," she nods, voice trembling just a little. 

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Gridman leans inwards. Rei gazes at his eyes. For a moment she is confused...

...

She reaches up with one hand - which goes behind his head and nudges forwards a little as she leans in to return it. It looks like something from a film, if peculiar, perhaps; her lips don't part; but the gesture is clear, and warmth stays on her lips afterwards.

Gridman tousles her hair. The small smile remains.

After he leaves, Yuta will awaken, Rei thinks to herself. The thought may be faintly -- what? What is this feeling? It's the ghostly tiny fragments of something like guilt; for she did just kiss him, after all. Or at least, 'that body'.

Rei's eyes turn momentarily towards Kaworu. In the moment his words are simply elliptical in that strange yet familiar way; perhaps later she will wonder at what he said, but he receives a smile too, if one without words.

Gridman emerges, a body subtle and radiant.

"Thank you for the chance," Rei says, dipping in a bow to him, and takes a deep sniffling breath as Gridman raises... she watches, all the way. Rei's breathing is a little heavy for a half-dozen or so breaths, but it steadies -

Rei stands steady, supporting Kaworu's weight, mild though it is. She watches the sky, and doesn't speak or move for a while. The faint smile plays on her lips, like the moon on the ocean. 

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        "I promise," Liam says. He wipes his eyes on the back of his hand, and does his best to commit the next few minutes to memory: one final Access Flash, which he'd never really seen until now, and Yuta crumples. Instinctively, Liam steps towards him, but Max has already caught him. Liam turns back to Gridman, and despite the mounting tears, he watches. He waves. He etches those words onto his heart.

        "Yeah," Liam says, offering Renais a nod. "Goodbye's always hard. Least this time we got to say it." He's going to need a moment, too.

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