2023-10-20: Overlord: Until the Day We Meet Again

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<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Somewhere on GGG's Division Train...
        
        "Whew. If it's not one thing, it's another, huh," Shigeru Aoba grouses good-naturedly from his seat at the dedicated Evangelion station, wheeling around from the last of his input. "Good thing the Administrator's such a good pilot. Unit Beta took hardly any damage during that fight with Anosillus."
        
        "No kidding. There was hardly anything for us to do," a man with dark, tousled hair and unimpressed eyes says from the metal scaffolding overhead. He kind of looks like Spike, somehow.
        
        "That's a good thing, Tama," another man, older, with a bald pate and a three-pointed beard says from next to him, patting Tama on the shoulder as he smiles wryly. This man, while darker-skinned, kind of looks like Jet. "The vote of faith is nice, but even for us, maintaining two Evangelions with the three of us is gonna be a hell of a job. Best to take the breaks we can get."
        
        "Mm. Yeah," Tama agrees non-committally. "You did volunteer, right, Takao-san? I mean, that's how it was for me."
        
        "What difference does that make?" Takao looks over his shoulder down at Aoba. "Right?"
        
        "There weren't a whole lot of volunteers, that's for sure," Aoba agrees. "Especially since we got loaded with a whole other Eva at the last second."
        
        "Exactly." Takao considers the champagne gold Evangelion next to them in its cage; the entry plug has ejected, and the LCL within is slowly draining. They need to preserve it carefully out here in space, after all. Unit-04 is in the next cage over, but that one hasn't needed maintenance so far. "Well, nothing we can do about that now. We've just got to take things as they come."
        
        Tama eyes the Evas, then leans on the railing to peer down at Aoba. "Speaking of--Aoba-san, you were there, right? For, you know--the Twelfth Angel's attack, and... afterwards. Is it true what the report afterwards said?"
        
        "Hey, I got on the train the same time you did. I had to leave immediately after all that," Aoba replies, grimacing. "...But it probably is true. Shinji-kun was honestly pretty scary when he got back to the Geofront. Hyuga tried to talk him down, but it just made him madder. If Commander Ikari didn't kick him out after that, I'd be shocked."
        
        "What about the girls? Ayanami and Shikinami? Are they really still alive after all that?"
        
        Aoba rolls his chair to rub the side of his head. "Man, I don't know. I hope so, but..."
        
        "They are."
        
        All three men turn to look at Kaworu Nagisa as he stands up out of his entry plug, the last of the LCL now drained out. He gives the three of them a sad sort of smile.
        
        "So you needn't be concerned," the Fifth Child concludes gently.
        
        "O-oh, uh, okay," Tama utters, straightening out of his slouch.
        
        Takao, less intimidated, furrows his brows. "How do you know?"
        
        With an unabated smile and a lack of response, Kaworu hops down onto the scaffolding, then begins his unhurried descent down its stairs.
        
        "...You get used to it," Aoba offers. He doesn't say the part he's thinking, which is that Kaworu is just kind of a weirdo like that. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        There's something about space that Lucine finds peace with: the spanse and quiet of the void, the carpet of distant stars and planets, and the glow of Mars below you.

        It reminds her of her first time doing a solo flight in the Dianthus, without her dad grumbling about being stashed in the backseat as a safety measure. A taste of freedom, or grudging trust.

        In the distance, her radar shows the Earth, little more than dot far away. Her first trip was a lie; no person is an island. She was simply a child then, with little knowledge of Mars, the Belt, Earth, or space.

        Now, her thoughts wander to the past few days, as well as beyond. Is the Nadesico's crew okay? Is Earth? Her thoughts think of the people in those spots, one of which...

        .... is Shinji, and two friends that have passed on.

        --------

        'What about the girls? Ayanami and Shikinami? Are they really still alive after all that?'

        Lucine, walking from where the much smaller Dianthus is docked, airs out her hair from the sweat of her helmet as she walks.

        'They are.'

        She pauses. Kaworu is here.

        'So you needn't be concerned.'

        "..... Kaworu..." Tenatively, she walks towards him, trying not to think about Shinji's screams. ".... Ah... how.... are you, doing?"

        Another pause.

        "...... NERV has kept you... up to date... right?"

        Thoughts of possible plots run through her mind. After Gendo Ikari's display of coldness towards his son, just how much does Lucine really know about how an organization like NERV works?

        Would they keep someone like Kaworu in the dark, to keep his mind on his task?

        ".... How... are you finding Mars?"

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka has made a point of volunteering to help out wherever she can aboard the Division Train, whenever she has some spare time and doesn't know what else to do with herself. She's only a civilian volunteer so she doesn't have any specific duty assignments, but that doesn't mean she wants to sit idle for the whole trip until it's time to fight.

And so, here she is. She isn't qualified to touch the Evangelions themselves - and she finds herself a little wary around them, of late - but there's still a lot more she can do, even if it's to help move things around. Currently, she's in her white and yellow Tsutsujidai High School pilot suit with her hair tied up with her orange bird scrunchie. It makes a good work outfit, since she has something... different, to wear inside Kakuseijin V2.

She listens to the conversation going on, taking everything in.

"Shinji... I hope he's alright." Rikka murmurs. He must feel completely alone in the world - removed from NERV and with everyone else gone... It hurts to think about that.

To be the one left behind.

And then, Rei and Asuka... Rikka goes quiet at that, her expression falling and her pace coming to a stop.

Kaworu says they're alive. Rikka hesitates.

"...I wish I could believe that. But... I can't. Not until I can see them again." She says, with a shake of her head. She was there. She saw what happened. "I don't... I can't handle that kind of false hope."

She pauses as Lucine approaches Kaworu. ...That's right. He might be moving with his usual serenity, but this can't be easy for him, either.

"...Yeah. How are you doing?" Rikka asks.

<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.

As Kaworu exits his new mechanical partner, the Neon Genesis Junior High Students (most of them, anyway) wait for him. Vit, leaning against a handy wall. Borr, glaring up at the NERV-aligned technicians. Max, his arms folded, staring up at Unit-Beta.

As the conversation turns to the fallen NERV children, Borr's expression darkens, but -- alive? Kaworu himself confirms it. The three Hyper Agents exchange identical looks of shock and something just to the left of hope. Perhaps, like Rikka, they cannot believe these words until they have the evidence of their own eyes.

"...it matches up with what Calibur told us." Vit murmurs, pulling his phone out to read over the Samurai's report for the hundredth time.

Borr, knowing better than to trust their voice in a moment like this, simply walks up to Rikka. The smallest Hyper Agent pats Rikka's arm, giving her a supportive (if somewhat strained) smile.

With visible effort to keep the gesture placid, Max uncrosses his arms. "Kaworu." The others ask after his welfare, and Max nods his agreement. Reaching into his suit jacket, he retrieves a half-sized towel. It is offered to the young man. Normally, Max would offer food or drink, but Kaworu is known not to enjoy either of those. Perhaps a towel will be an acceptable substitute.

"About that..." Vit speaks up, raising his eyes from his phone. "We've got some news."

He does not clarify, his gaze tracking up to the NERV workers in the room. Is it safe to discuss Calibur's journey to find Shinji here? All of the Neon Genesis Junior High Students know better than to trust NERV, now more than ever. After a beat, Vit looks back to Kaworu, half-tilting his head in a question.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Lina had returned to the Division Train just the previous day after being discharged from the hospital. As she hadn't suffered any kind of concussion in the blast, the doctors found no problem with moving her to the train into GGG care. Technically, she was supposed to be keeping it easy, her ribs were still very much broken and her ankle was still very much sprained. But you can't keep a Lombardi down, and she had snuck out of her quarters to check up on her Ichinana, despite the insistence of GGG's techs. She had a compression wrap around her ankle and was very carefully limping into the Eva hangar, wincing a bit as one small stumble pushes at her side.

         "Somehow you saying that kind of stuff with a smile makes me even more worried, Nagisa. Especially with the kind of nonsense those Evangelions get up to."

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

Guy's last contact with NERV was...a trial, but the news from back home is good to hear. But it's also a bit hard to believe.

Still, Guy is not the kind of man who takes his intense personal desire to slap the taste out of Gendo Ikari's mouth out on the man's subordinates. The Acting Chief of GGG Green emerges up the hallway that runs the train's length, Chief's coat fluttering around his feet. "She's a nice machine," he notes, by way of announcing his presence. "I really appreciate your help with Anosillus, Kaworu." Not hanging on titles; right now, he doesn't want to be addressing NERV's Administrator designtate, but the pilot in front of him.

...still: "...Until we get back, we can only trust in the reports. Hard to imagine, but..."

Guy's fist slowly clenches. "They trusted in our courage," he says, quiet. He doesn't speak the unspoken second half: That GGG, and Guy, failed that trust. Instead he says, "If they're alive, we have to trust in their will to see each other again." 

<Pose Tracker> Jana Cektru has posed.


Jana emerges from the opposite side from Guy. Dr. Cektru has been recovering, but also making sure to test the limits of her knowledge as regards NERV operations now... and it is beyond time to speak with Kaworu again.

"...It is admittedly hard to believe," the Doctor says, of what Kaworu says. "But speculation and despair will not help us today."

She is in blue, though she walks with a cane--not for much longer, though. She will be fully recovered, soon.

"...Yes. Trust," Jana says to Guy. "We will do our part, as well."

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Like Rikka, Liam has been running errands to keep himself busy. His latest task was to check up on an automated resupply tram that got lost somewhere in this part of the train--he found it in the middle of its track, the battery dead well before its time thanks to a manufacturing fault. Liam swapped it out for a fresh one, slid the dead battery into a hazardous waste chute, and then started wandering. As he approaches the Evangelion-monitoring station, familiar voices draw him out of his thoughts.

        Lucine. Lina. Borr and Vit and Max. Rikka. Kaworu. Two NERV techs he doesn't know. He waits in the hallway for a moment, taking deep breaths, and then--

        "Good news?" Liam asks Vit, as he steps into the room proper. He's wearing a grey jumpsuit and boots, and there's no trace of pain in his movements. "I--I hope it is. But. Things have been--"

        Liam steps forward, stopping at Lucine's side. He reaches out and puts an arm around her, as much to steady her as to steady himself.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane is not rated to provide maintenance assistance for anything but GaoMachines, and even that's more in a supervisory role than a practical one. Right now, she actually has nothing going -- Intelligence is one of those desks that either has everything going on or nothing, and on a voyage like this, it trends toward nothing.

Which means, instead, she's watching Rikka work. Sure, she's made herself useful occasionally -- but mostly she's just drawing on her sketchpad and appreciating the view. She stays quiet during much of the conversation, though she is listening when they talk about Shinji -- and then... about Ayanami and Shikinami. Akane's first response is a quiet, "What," before Rikka says she wishes she could believe that. ... She wants to trust in Kaworu's report so badly; the fact that Rikka doesn't immediately, though...

A few contemplative seconds pass, and Akane decides she doesn't know what to say, yet. "Then I hope we see them when we get back," is what she eventually settles for. "There's things I still want to say to both of them." 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

When it comes to NERV, Alouette's been in quite the grim mood lately - something she's made clear in her conversations with the Neon Genesis Junior High Students, as well as with Jana Cektru. The way Gendo Ikari dismissed the importance of Asuka as just another replaceable 'piece' not only didn't sit right with her... it reminded her of worse times, surrounded by worse people.

The treatment of Kaworu also rang strange to her, to say the least. Imprisoned for insubordination, only for a sudden transfer to their mission on Jupiter? And presented with a shiny new Evangelion after the disaster that was 03's testing phase at that...

Needless to say, she has very good reasons to want to oversee NERV's dedicated Evangelion station. Thankfully, it didn't look as if anything went horribly wrong during Unit Beta's sortie against Anosillus - on the contrary, Kaworu was a great help during that battle. But the conversation shifts away from Unit Beta's performance, and towards both Shinji's own insubordination, and the status of Rei and Asuka... and Kaworu is as calm as he always is.

"I wouldn't say there's nothing to be concerned about," Alouette speaks up, with a calm of her own. "Even if they are still alive... their lives will never be the same, will they? It means they need our concern more than anything." She read the gruesome details in that report about all the injuries Rei Ayanami suffered, and more than that... she watched as the Dummy Plug-controlled Eva-01 brutalized the Angel with Asuka inside. Having seen it herself, Rikka's denial... it makes sense.

"It's not wrong to say that NERV failed them... and that we failed them." She concludes, with a touch of sorrow. And Guy reaches for the logical conclusion of that. "And because we failed, if we accept that they're gone and move on like it's hopeless, then it's no better than giving up on them. If they're still alive... then it's the least we can do to support them through their recovery, right?"

<Pose Tracker> Knight has posed.

        Knight...

        ... isn't here. He's lying down. He's been lying down a lot, since the Train left. But he's injured, so perhaps it's to be expected.

        No: the person who would shove her nose into a place she's probably almost certainly not supposed to be is NIDAIME, and she's here with a tray of drinks, which she puts down on a nearby surface. "Heyyy, it's gotta be tough out here, right?" She winks, her office-lady visual oeuvre sparkling. "Here, here!" It's soda! Several different flavours. Some of which aren't technically flavours they brought, but Nidaime's mixed them together to make newer, more excitinger flavours. Watermelon-Strawberry, Blueberry Lemonade, Ginger Boke...

        (That's ginger beer and cola.)

        "Thanks for saving Papa back then, again," she says, again, chipper. "He's gone back to Earth, now. He can't very well stay out here!" She giggles, and if one gets the impression she's trying to smile twice as hard to make up for everything else, well. Never mind that. "I'll see him again when we get back... and we'll get to see everyone else, too. No matter how that all ends up. Okay?"

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

Besides the freshly-minted (or however they're crafted, which most people would live a healthier life not knowing) gold-armored Evangelion Unit Beta stands its silver-white counterpart in Evangelion Unit-04. The would-be "cursed" Evangelion that nearly went catastrophically haywire in Britannia, only two years prior. It was because of that incident that Unit-03's development was so delayed; it was, after all, the brother unit to 04. If the fourth Evangelion nearly wiped out the Britannian west coast, who's to say what trying to activate the third would do? ...

These things have never really hanged so heavy as they do now. Bolted into its containment bay on the train, Evangelion Unit-04 stands there, gigantic and lifeless, head hanging. It is in every way but coloration an exact match for Unit-03, a fact harder to overlook these days. It might not help the uneasy feeling the Evangelions give off to some, now.

But life continues, even in looming failure. Unit Beta still requires its maintenance after battle. The Evangelions still require their crew, skeletal as they are; NERV HQ's offerings to the Jupiter expedition were ultimately meager, after all, even with the sudden and strange inclusion of Kaworu. And most of all...

"Heavens to Betsy!"

... the Evangelions still require their pilots, most of all.

It's unmistakably the voice of Mari Makinami Illustrious, pilot of the looming Unit-04, that calls out. Where is she?? Well, one doesn't need to look far.

In fact, Liam and Lucine in particular don't need to look especially far at -all-, considering the gloved, pink-clad arms that rise to casually sling themselves over Liam's shoulders from behind, followed shortly thereafter by the Undesignated Child herself, dressed in her pinkest plugsuit and just plopping her chin right there on Liam's shoulder from behind him and Lucine, brows lifted and bright blue eyes wide with curiosity and debatable bemusement behind her red-rimmed glasses. She's just suddenly. There. and -so close-

"What's all this hullabaloo now, at our doorstep? I feel like an improper hostess, not preparing a warmer welcome!"

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Strictly speaking, Unit Beta was constructed differently from other Evangelions, so knowing how Evas are normally built would not necessarily help one. Strictly speaking.
        
        Kaworu reaches the bottom of the stairs just as Lucine approaches with the nervous timidity of someone tiptoeing through a sleeping baby's room. In his plug suit, he doesn't have pockets to tuck his hands do as he tends to do, but even so, he remains as calm as ever.
        
        Even so...
        
        "I appreciate your attempt at discretion, Lucine," Kaworu says gently. "It's all right. I'm aware."
        
        The way his perpetual smile doesn't reach his eyes likely makes that abundantly clear.
        
        His crimson gaze shifts to Rikka as she murmurs about Shinji. Kaworu's smile doesn't vanish, but his chin does sink, taking his gaze with it. "..."
        
        Perhaps it's for the same reason he doesn't remark on Rikka's lack of faith. Aoba, nearby, only gives a grim nod of agreement and a simple, "Same." He was also there; he knows what the report said, but even if Asuka or Rei did survive the battle itself somehow, he doubts they lasted for much longer after that.
        
        Up on the scaffolding, Tama grimaces, not for the first time, at Borr's glaring. He leans in towards Takao and whispers, "Is that... normal?"
        
        Takao, who crossed paths with a couple of the Neon Genesis High School Students once, but not with specifically Borr, only shrugs. "Don't let it bother you."
        
        "Mars's jazz clubs live up to their reputations," Kaworu tells Lucine and Rikka, meanwhile. "Mary brought me in to one the other day to have a listen. It was quite soothing."
        
         He turns his faint smile to Max, accepts the towel he offers, and wipes his hair with it, just as Lina comes limping into the hangar. She and Jana express their doubt openly, while Liam merely hints at his. Kaworu is unphased, saying simply, "Does it? You can disregard it, then. I have no evidence I could show you, anyway."
        
        ...That probably doesn't inspire a lot of faith in Akane and the others who were already struggling to believe it. Perhaps Kaworu is simply speaking on faith.
        
        Guy approaches then, commenting on Unit Beta. "Thank you," Kaworu says courteously. As Guy gives his thanks, and as Nidaime enters with drinks in tow, his smile warms. "You're also my friend. I could hardly leave your dear father to suffer, especially on your behalf," he tells her, and thus also Guy by proxy.
        
        Alouette's more level assessment of the situation gets Kaworu to avert his eyes. "Failed them... Yes. That's quite true," he says softly--resigned. What support they might be able to offer once they return, what things people might be able to say to them, Kaworu doesn't--maybe can't--remark on either. Instead, to Guy and their will, he says simply, "Yes."
        
        But then Vit offers news, and Kaworu and some of the others look his way. "Oh?" he prompts. He isn't concerned about who does and doesn't hear, and that's apparent in his unchanging calm; given this crowd, there's quite a few who'd no doubt want to hear about Shinji's safety too.
        
        That faint smile turns to Mari when she invites herself into the conversation, and also Liam and Lucine's shoulders. "It seems Vit has some news of Shinji-kun," he says. "You needn't worry about hostessing, either, Mary. Anosillus II has prepared drinks."
        
        Indeed, Aoba perks at Nidaime's offerings and takes one for himself. "Hey, thanks," he says with a smile just before he drinks. (It turns out to be Ginger Boke. He will struggle to maintain a straight face.) 

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        ".... I see." Lucine gazes at Kaworu a moment, and at the way his smile doesn't rise to his eyes. She nods, giving him a gentle smile in return. He's doing his best. ".... If it's allowed... I could see if I could manage a chat session to Earth." To Shinji, but Lucine doesn't say that much. "... I've had to do it all the time from one side of things. There's... hoops to jump through, and the obvious time delay, but... I want you to know that is an option, if you feel up to it. But... it won't be the same as a direct video connection since it takes a while for a video to be transmitted, so... don't feel forced."

        In all of this, Lucine forgot the best thing about Mars, though: its music scene. "... Yes. It's a big scene here." Her grin becomes a touch happier. "... There's so many cultures here... it makes for something uniquely Martian when it comes to jazz."

        "Lina." Gazing past Kaworu to Lina, Lucine smiles softly. "... Are you healing alright? I haven't checked on Spike's condition recently, but last I heard, it's still a matter of letting his body heal. And Jana--"

        Jana is coming up as well, alongside Guy. "--Jana, I was just asking Lina how she was doing... Are you healing up okay? I... didn't get a chance to properly thank either you or Lina, so maybe, sometime...."

        There's a fog of guilt that draws Lucine's attention; it may not be coming directly from Guy and it may; the crowd is forming, perhaps drawn to Kaworu in an hour of assumed need. What comes with that is the emotions of things left to rest on Earth, for the sake of everyone's future. ".... Guy...." Lucine frowns, opening her mouth to speak, but finding it hard to form words. She had her say before, but that was still when she felt numb. Now, she no longer had that courage (or would it be nerve?) to tell Guy not to take that mantle of guilt on his shoulders. If this was Yurika, it'd be a different manner.

        Lucine feels Liam's arm wrap around her shoulders, and she leans against Liam, smiling slightly. "... Did you find the battery? Sorry for disappearing on you; I needed to go fly for a little bit."

        An familiar but not presence approaches. It takes Lucine a moment to realize that this is Nidaime, all grown up(?). "Your dad..."

        'In your situation... you're worried about kaiju playing at humanity.' A memory of a scythe's cut of a smile opens in the back of her memory.

        "..... Nidaime," Lucine begins, after a brief delay. "... I'm sorry you had to go through that. I swear, Mars is...." She trails off. ".... Maybe when you're feeling up to it, I can show you and Knight some sights. I am one of the guides here, after all..." If she can bulster enough courage to go anywhere right now, that is.

        Something tells her Vicious is still out there.

        He could pop up anywhere. Like.... right next to--

        "--Bwah!" Lucine suddenly jolts up in the air an impressive amount of inches (considering the artificial gravity in place), before realizing.... ".... M-mari? Ah, I... f-forgot you were here too!" _How does someone forget Mari's anywhere._

        News. News. "There's news?" Lucine cranes her neck towards Kaworu, still frazzled by Sudden Mari. 

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Borr approaches with a pat on the arm. Rikka looks down, managing a small smile of her own for them. ...None of this can be easy for any of them, either.

...She's quiet, though, as everyone speaks. They can only trust in reports... Rikka finds it hard to do that. But it isn't wrong to say that they failed them. They tried, but in the end, alive or not...

But, other good points are made, too. Speculation and despair won't help, like Jana says, and like Alouette says, if they are alive, then now's when their concern is needed.

Rikka... looks a little dissatisfied for a moment, a complicated expression crossing her face for a moment as she squeezes the handle of the hand truck she was pushing. Kaworu doesn't have any evidence he could show them...

...Believing in them like that... it's like sending out a phone call into the ether in the hopes that the recipient is still alive. ...She hopes the other end picks up for him, too, even if she still can't quite bring herself to hope like that yet.

Rikka exhales. ...She'll let it go, for now.

Instead, she manages a smile as Akane decides on what to say.

"...Yeah. Me too." Rikka agrees. She does want to see them again - that much she feels is true.

And Nidaime is here, with a tray of sodas! They look... pretty creative.

"Thanks, Nidaime." Rikka says, offering a smile. ...She'll politely excuse herself from actually trying any of them, though.

"...I'm glad he's alright. I hope he gets to rest up. He's really been through a lot..." Rikka replies. Kaworu, meanwhile, seems to have at least had a good experience on Mars.

"Oh, that sounds nice... I'm glad you got to go." She says.

With that, she starts pushing again - though she does slow her pace down to listen as Vit mentions news.

...She hopes it's good news. She'd settle for middling, even.

<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.

Kaworu is worried, at least about Shinji. That much is extremely clear, at least to the Hyper Agents. Max briefly closes his eyes, hoping their news would at least bring some lightness to the young man. Though, if Kaworu is so certain about the fates of Rei and Asuka, perhaps Shinji's status is known to him as well.

Borr seems to be noticed. They keep up their glare until Vit steps forward with his phone, nudging Borr on his way with a whispered "come on".

"They know what they did." Borr replies, under their breath.

The Second enters, and Max moves to assist her with the drinks. He takes three Watermelon-Strawberry-s for himself and his comrades, but not before taking a (hopefully subtle) sniff of the Ginger Boke. "Thank you, Miss Nidaime." Max rumbles, incling his head to her. "We are all thankful to hear your father has returned safely. I know Calibur was counting on his presence to aid in protecting Tsutsujidai. If you wish to send him a message, I am certain we can assist."

Phones are connected to human... and non-human... lives, after all.

Balancing all three red drinks in one large hand, Max gently places his other on Nidaime's shoulder. "We are all the better for your presence. Thank you."

Perhaps, in their status as slight-outsiders even within Tsutsujidai, the Neon Gensis Junior High Students have always felt a kinship toward Nidaime and her family. Max remembers the little girl she once was, running around in her dingy green hoodie. Children grow so quickly...

"Thanks, Max." Vit accepts his drink, tapping at his phone before holding it out to Kaworu. The device offers a picture of Shinji Ikari looking... somewhat the worse for wear. Hair dirty, clothing soiled, and carrying a large bag at his back. The picture is taken from behind, catching half of the young man's profile as he seemingly talks to a woman at a travel desk. It is also blurry.

"So." Vit looks to Liam with a bright smile. "No way we were gonna abandon Shinji. It's one reason Calibur stayed behind. After talking to a mutual friend." A glance to Borr.

Borr, looking directly at Kaworu, mouths "Misato".

"Calibur found out Shinji had been discharged from NERV. He'd been wandering around for a few days by the time Calibur found him, and he's not doing too hot." Vit sighs. "Understandably. It took a little while to convince him, but Calibur is more stubborn than the rest of us put together. He got Shinji to safe hands."

Vit pauses, then, silently checking in with Max. The large Hyper Agent gives a near-imperceptible nod. There's no way NERV doesn't know where Shinji is. No harm in sharing with their friends.

"Shinji is staying aboard the Ra Mari II, under the care of Captain Eight York herself. Set him up with some cash, too. Calibur thought it best for him to be... distant from NERV's HQ for a while. That's the latest we've got." Vit nods encouragingly to Liam, then Rikka. "He's safe. I don't think Shinji will be okay for a while, but he's not in any danger."

Raising his glass in a slight toast, Vit murmurs, "Small victories." and downs a sip. "Huh, Nidaime, this is pretty good! I like the mix."

Guy's feelings are echoed in the Hyper Agents. Max, particularly, makes hard eye contact with the Chief. They still need to chat about all things NERV, and it seems no one's feelings have cooled in the passing weeks.

Borr takes a drink, shrugging their shoulders loosely. "We've all failed at a lot of things. No excuse to give up, though. As long as there's still people in need, we've gotta keep trying."

Their gaze softens as they turn to Alouette. "Even if that just looks like believing in the people you love. That shit turned out to be pretty potent in Tsutsujidai, I can't imagine Mars or Jupiter are any different."

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        "I found the supply locker," Liam says, glancing down at Lucine and giving her a little squeeze. "It's all right." They all need time alone, in their own ways. He's glad Kaworu has gotten at least a little, even if he seems as outwardly-calm as usual. (Is it resignation? Liam wonders, as Kaworu talks about the evidence, or lack thereof, that Rei and Asuka are alive.)

        An office lady approaches, bearing drinks. Liam's brow furrows, but it isn't until Kaworu calls her 'Anosillus II' that the connection clicks. "Nidaime?!" A bit of a smile pierces the gloom in his eyes. "...you changed, too. Good to see you. And... thanks for the ice pack." The mystery is solved. But they can talk later.

        Liam swallows as Vit presents the picture. He's not just looking at it, he's imagining Gendo Ikari leaving his own son in such a state. "Good," he says, tension lingering in his voice. He takes a blueberry lemonade off Nidaime's tray. "I'm glad he's somewhere safe." Where no one will force him to pilot that awful thing.

        Under most circumstances, Liam is a difficult person to sneak up on. Mari pulls it off anyway. The cyborg's body tenses beneath her, his free hand whipping up to grab for a head or shoulder and throw his mystery assailant off him--

        But Mari speaks up, and prevents that from happening. Liam freezes, his hand about halfway to her face, and his head slowly turns to the side to stare at her. "Mari," he says, embarrassment and fear and sadness fighting in his heart over who takes priority. "What--why are--" Of course she's here, this is where they keep the thing she pilots. "I. Could you please get down?"

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Mari's arrival gets a momentary glance up from Akane. ... Those glasses are kind of cute, she thinks.

She can't be too amused, though, as the group starts turning over whether they have once again failed children. She purses her lips a little, trying to figure out what to say -- she doesn't want to say something thoughtless, here... and the Neon Genesis Junior High Students have news, anyway. She shuts her sketchbook for a moment, giving Nidaime a little smile and wave after she puts her pencil in the metal loops and has a free hand with which to wave.

... Shinji quit? He's headed for the Ra Mari II... "... well, definitely less danger," Akane reflects. "I know we all pretend we're buddy-buddy, but..." ... well, she reflects -- the entire NERV project is about to be really complicated anyway, given the bombshells about the Federation that started dropping right when they left.

She doesn't dwell on it, though. It's good to know that Shinji is at least somewhere safer than the cockpit of an Evangelion, after everything that happened. 

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

Guy's been forced to believe in his lifelines like that for about two years now. Recovering some of his friends has helped. Mic, AnRyuu and KoRyuu, Goldymarg, even Swan and Stallion have all helped him in that. Still...

....well, it's fine. As he said: At this point, it's not like they can do anything but believe.

Kaworu's quite noncommital about all this, in Guy's assessment. Confident but without obvious basis. Guy's got his questions - the circumstances around Kaworu's reassignment, in particular, are...sketchy. But. ....yeah, it's fine. It's fine.

He favors Jana with an appreciative nod. Max receives a firm look of his own. Yes, there's...discussions to be had. A quiet nod; message received. They should talk soon. "I'm glad to hear that, at least," he says, of Vit's news. "Starting to think...the project wasn't a good environment for him."

Sure, that's neutral and not condemning. 

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Lina nearly jumps from Mari's entrance, letting out an exasperated sigh once she realizes. "You must be Mari. Ciao." She reminded Lina of Sonia, except not short enough to handle. Truly a terrible thought.

         She lets out a scoff of air and waves a hand towards Lucine. "I'm fine, the bones have begun to set so I just have to sit back and let them heal. Foot's swollen like a son of a bitch, though." She leans onto said foot and winces again. She was still clearly very tender. "Last I heard, Spike was in stable condition."

<Pose Tracker> Knight has posed.

        "Sniped!" Nidaime smiles, to Mari, when Kaworu notes that she's already doing some hostessing of her own. She seems strangely sunny, to everyone's affection, considering the circumstances. (With an extra big smile, seeing Max consider the Ginger Boke. That's her grandest creation!!) "Maybe later," she offers, to Lucine. "Naito's a bit under the weather, right now."

        She flashes a peace sign, as well, feeling all that surprise. "Yup! That's me! Anosillus the Second, Nidaime, at your service! As you can see, I've really gotten serious..!!" She has a job now. Probably. She looks like the sort of person who has a job, anyway.

        "So Shinji quit, huh...?" Nidaime sighs, leaning on a railing as she looks up at the Evangelions, growing thoughtful for a moment. "I hope he keeps playing his cello. So long as he still loves something like that, I'm sure I'll be able to find him."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Tama is a normal human, so he doesn't hear what Borr mouths. He definitely stays up and away when they continue to glare, though. Takao seems content to listen for now, too.
        
        Kaworu listens to Lucine's offer. On its face, it's something he would be glad to accept. The problem is... "That's very kind of you to offer, Lucine. But you won't be able to reach him."
        
        ...Shinji isn't where he used to be anymore.
        
        But Mars's music scene is something to take some real joy in, for Kaworu and Lucine both. Sadly, the topic turns to Spike and his injuries, and that he's in stable condition nonetheless, and Kaworu's already faint smile becomes even more subdued. He did indeed fail to get what he wanted.
        
        "Thank you," he tells Rikka, and doesn't stop her when she starts moving the push cart again. Aoba will take the opportunity to sneak his Ginger Boke onto said cart, while it's conveniently both slow and right there.
        
        Vit turns his phone to show a picture of Shinji worse for the wear in a moon-themed hoodie. Despite his condition, Kaworu's gaze only grows fonder as he takes in the sight of him. He looks up at the mention of a mutual friend, and doesn't--outwardly--react to what Borr mouths to him.
        
        "I see," he says instead. As usual, he's unfazed by th news. It's impossible to tell if that's just him being himself or if he already knew, though. "Captain Eight York is a good woman. I'm sure she'll do what she can to take care of Shinji-kun while he's aboard her ship." He meets Mari's eyes. "I think being near her at this time will be good for him, too." After all, Eight should be giving birth very soon, if she hasn't already.
        
        His gaze shifts to Akane as she talks about 'pretending' to be buddy-buddy, but he doesn't remark on that. "There are few places where there is no danger," he does quasi-agree.
        
        His smile does finally fade entirely when Guy calls NERV 'not a good environment' for Shinji. "...Not long after I was transferred to NERV Headquarters, I offered to pilot Unit-01 for Shinji-kun so he wouldn't have to," he reminisces quietly. "He thought about it, but he turned me down--and asked me, if I were to do so for anyone, to do so for Rei." His smile returns, fond and melancholy. Indeed, those who've worked with NERV for a while will know that Kaworu almost exclusively piloted Unit-00 for a while after he transferred in. "It was very like him."
        
        Nidaime hopes that Shinji continues to play his cello. "I hope so too. I suspect he's left it behind again, though," Kaworu muses. "It would be good if there were someone to send it to him this time, too." It's even a reference to something that happened this timeline...! He doesn't comment on Knight, though, even if concern does tinge his expression at the mention; Kaworu ultimately has faith that Knight will recover.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

There's at least two chipper faces to be seen in this hangar, with the arrival of Nidaime -- and Mari Makinami Illustrious not long after.

Alouette regards The Second with a smile - she's not much of a soda drinker, and prefers her caffeine from other sources. But she can certainly appreciate her hospitality. "That's good to hear... I'm glad he's safe back on Earth. Oh and by the way.. I'd appreciate if you could give Knight my regards, too." She's well aware he is still recovering from his injuries.

Mari, on the other hand, is just as energetic as ever... she almost has to wonder what her own thoughts on this is, because her words certainly don't give it away. "It's as warm as a welcome as I can expect, Miss Mari. Say... are you holding up okay?" She asks, ever-honestly.

She's almost taken aback that Kaworu openly agrees with her statement that they all failed Rei and Asuka... but his silence at what she says next is noted. "If nothing else, Kaworu... even if it was last minute, I'm glad you're here with us. Even if I can tell you're away from the person you really wanted to be with."

The Neon Genesis Junior High School Students's news though... isn't actually news to her! It didn't occur to her she was the first to hear of it in her conversation with them earlier in the week, so she hardly looks surprised. "I'm glad he's somewhere safe, too." She echoes her sentiment from that conversation. "I know the Federation isn't on perfectly good terms with the Three Ships Alliance, but they're making progress on negotiations... and it's hardly like the Federation is even on good terms with itself anymore." She shrugs. "Besides, the Ra Mari II is a fine ship. I've met her Captain before... she seemed like a kind person." She agrees with Kaworu. Kind enough to not throw Shinji out the launch deck in a death trap at least.

Finally, she nods at Borr's statement. "You're right, Borr. It's the same no matter where in the universe you are, I'd like to think. If there's even a chance we can see them again... we need to fight in order to make sure there's still a world for them to have a future in."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Vit's news, as it happens, is as good as one can expect. Rikka breathes a sigh of relief.

"That's... good to hear." She replies. ...Yeah. She'd be surprised if he was 'okay'. But him being safe is good enough for her, for now.

"If he's with Captain York, then... he's in good hands." Rikka says. It's Orlodhari, now... but the news hasn't reached her yet. She'll certainly be happy for her once she does hear about it, though...

...and by that time, she's likely to hear about two other reasons to be happy for Eight.

Aoba takes the opportunity to sneak his can onto her cart, and Rikka looks right at him. ...She only gives him a subtle nod, though.

This can be their secret. She doesn't mind saving him from that fate. 

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

A hand whips up for Mari. Blue eyes do not so much as flinch as that hand stops mere inches from gripping and hurling the Undesignated Child across the Evangelion Containment Bay.

Bwah!

She just stares at the clawed snare of fingers hovering just before her face, and makes no sudden moves. She regards Liam for a second, and that medley of moods sifting through his stare.

"Ahoy-hoy," is her greeting for Liam, smile blooming at the corner of her lips. Her arms give a little squeeze around his shoulders, as if to quietly say 'it's okay,' and then, just like that,

she just as magnanimously slips away as he requests it, even as she wiggles her fingers at Lucine.

"Maybe I'm a ghost, ooooOOOooo~" she creeps at the Martian, but her expression remains warm; friendly; somehow supportive. For however little she might know Lucine, it'd seem that much is still painfully sincere.

Her theatrics continue at least up until she finishes greeting Lina with a fingergun and a "Ciao ciao~" and a gloved hand pressed to her breast as she declares, "Alas! Beaten at my own game! The Second has grown in skill as well as age, I see!" to Nidaime, her smile blooming brief into a grin...

... before her attention refocuses on Vit, as the Hyper Agent speaks of Shinji's status. "The Ra Mari II, huh," she murmurs, her expression dimming from that effusive joy to something still warm, but strangely subdued for the often dangerously unscrupulous Evangelion pilot. "Hmmm."

Mari treads towards the drink tray; she picks one, perfectly at random (she doesn't even look at the contents; a mystery isn't exciting to discover if you give up the game, after all), before leaning herself against the railing, arms folding under her chest and head cocking to the right as she listens to the others. She says nothing about Asuka and Rei's status, resting her drink against the crook of her elbow; she just looks sidelong towards the two oddly-matched Evangelions looming overhead, her expression unreadable. How's she holding up? Her smile is a bittersweet thing as Alouette asks that question, but it still endures as she looks her way.

"I've failed my Princess profoundly," is her answer, simple as can be. "... And Vanilla Bean, all the moreso. There's not much that can be done to make up for that. Our failures are as important as our successes... but that hardly takes away its sting! All I can do is hold that feeling close to my heart, for now."

At least she, too, is honest. In this, and...

Starting to think...the project wasn't a good environment for him.

"Puppy Boy needed to be anywhere but NERV," Mari says in the wake of Guy's more neutral proclamation.

"If he's lucky, he won't ever have call to come back."

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Liam's awkwardness, now that Lucine's gotten a little more used to Mari, is kind of adorable. But Mari seems to bring that out, her cheer infecting Lucine as well. "I don't mind if you're a friendly ghost! I have it on good authority that friendly ghosts are the best kind."

        She may or may not be joking.

        Turning to Lina, Lucine nods. "... Ahh, good! For a moment, I was afraid you'd have to be in an all-body cast from the fall you took. You looked like a superhero coming through that window, though!" ..... which may not make Lina's foot feel any better, but Lucine's awe is sincere enough.

        'But you won't be able to reach him.'

        ".... Ah, no, I wouldn't. I don't have that sort of con--" Lucine is surprised at Kaworu's statement, but she then nods, letting the subject go, especially in light of Vit's news. "... In this light..." Lucine's face looks conflicted, before she sighs. "... Shinji has saved me at least once. He's a brave, and gentle soul. To be forced to do something, even if it's for the good of people... it's an injury that will need time to heal. Then, he can choose what he wants to do. Eight will understand. And... she may appreciate some help in the coming months, if he's up for that." There's a small smile to that, but it's tempered; who knows if Shinji will feel comfortable with the idea of helping with babysitting. "We'll all meet again, in the future." One way or another.
        
        Alouette's expression makes Lucine take a moment to connect Kaworu's confirmation with his earlier words, of his faith in Rei and Asuka, as well as his gentle bluntness in acknowledging Guy's own feelings on the matter. Perhaps, that is another facet of Kaworu's way of looking at things; no more strange than her own. Not a denial of reality, but a belief that transcends it.

        "... It doesn't matter whether we think he's fit, I don't think, but what Shinji feels. The ability to choose may be the thing that might allow him to find some peace. But... I don't think he regrets getting to know everyone, and the bonds he's formed. That he did on his own." 

<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.

Vit's smile gets a little easier as Kaworu's expression turns fond. Small victories indeed. He hopes his comrades see the micro-expression cross Kaworu's face, granting them some peace of their own.

"We're thinking the same way, Kaworu." Vit winks in a friendly manner. "Sometimes healing starts with helping others, and that is going to be one busy ship."

That's not entirely reasonable, judging by the size of the Ra Mari II, even two newborns won't be able to disrupt the entire place... right?

Max smiles proudly at Kaworu's admission. "Your heart is as strong as ever, Kaworu. You improve the lives of all around you. I only hope we can do the same for you in return, in some small manner."

"Left behind the cello, though? That's no good. I bet Calibur could get it to him, but he won't think of it unless someone tells him to." Vit sighs. "He's kind of an idiot."

Borr laughs, a sharp thing. "If you want, Kaworu, we'll try and get a message to Calibur. He's got the best anti-presence detection of all of us. Miiight be good enough to get a cello onto a shuttle without paying the fee..."

Wait, didn't Vit just say Calibur gave Shinji a stack of cash? Why would a shuttle fee matter?

"Ah, Nidaime, please let us know if we can do anything for Knight." Max holds his drink in his hand calmly. "He is quite important to all of us, and a vital part of our mission here."

Borr nods to Alouette, then. "Wish it'd happened in a better way, but having Kaworu here is pretty great."

Though none of them will say it out loud, having Kaworu along on the mission makes things easier for the Neon Genesis Junior High Students as well. They've sworn to protect him, after all... It'd be hard to do that from the other side of the solar system.

"Right." Borr grins -- a rare sight these days. "Can't have Gridman coming back to find the place a mess after he cleaned it all up. Rei, Asuka... Everyone we're waiting on. We've got to be ready to give them the welcome they deserve."

Vit raises an eyebrow at Mari's reaction to Shinji's new location. "That bother you? Seems the best place, aside from Tsutsujidai. If you know of somewhere better, we're all ears."

Though Vit's suspicions seem to have been piqued, Max looks softly to Mari. "I can only hope no children will have to return to NERV -- though I understand you may feel differently. After watching the children of Tsutsujidai, I find myself understanding the tragedy of child soldiers all the more keenly. I would like all of you to enjoy a carefree adolescence, much as Yuta's classmates do."

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Akane has a point. The last he heard, the Three Ships Alliance were in the process of gaining amnesty, but the Federation just lost two of its member blocs--for good reason. It feels like he left the world when it was starting to catch fire.

        Eight will protect him, he thinks, but does not say.

        Instead, Liam offers Mari a thankful little smile as she drops from his back. "It wasn't," Liam says, rolling his shoulders. "Think the Commander expected him to be a soldier... and not a son, too." Which raises questions. Why Shinji, of all people? Was it just a matter of Shinji having the right biometrics, or synchronization, or whatever obscure thing lets children pilot Evas? "He was much happier making music, I think." Liam's expression softens a hair; he just can't stay too grim around Nidaime. Or Mari, for that matter! Even if Max unintentionally and metaphorically elbows him in the ribs shortly after.

        Liam pulls Lucine a little closer. "I'm glad you're all right, Lina," Liam says. "You... did good, back there, I think." He didn't see her shoot anyone. She helped keep Vicious' goons off him.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Lina blushes lightly at Lucine's praise and chuckles. "Hehehe, it was nothing, really. It's just what us Braves do, after all!" Well, don't you sound proud of yourself, Miss Lombardi.

         "That Shinji's a good kid. He doesn't need any of this. Frankly, none of you kids need any of that shit, but I guess that's just the way the world works."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        If he's lucky, he won't ever have call to come back.
        
        ...But he won't be that lucky. Kaworu knows that, and keeps it to himself. He and Mari already talked about that, and about their failures, at length. He does listen when Mari's asked if she has a problem with the Ra Mari II, but doesn't interrupt.
        
        Instead, he lets Lucine's take on Shinji warm his faint smile. "...Yes. What Shinji-kun needs most of all is peace of mind and a place to call his own, and the bonds he has formed will guide him that way. As painful as it is to be separated from one you love, he will find his way in time."
        
        It really isn't a secret at all. Having Alouette say it out loud is its own comfort, though.
        
        In the same way, when Alouette and Borr both say they're glad to have Kaworu here, his eyes widen slightly before he laughs a breath of a chuckle. "Thank you," he says, to them and to Max too--though Max only gets a small, rueful smile. To the rest, he says, "We all have someone we care for most, don't we?"
        
        He heads towards Aoba's station, just as Aoba and Rikka lock eyes and share a tiny nod. Kaworu pays that no mind; instead, he reaches down for a drawer within the station and opens it up for something he'd set aside while he was in the entry plug. Some of those present will recognize it:
        
        It's Shinji's SDAT.
        
        Kaworu unravels the earbuds from around it, setting the SDAT itself on the station. He turns and sits upon it himself, pulling one leg up to his chest and resting his free arm across his knee while his other leg dangles off. His remaining hand gently presses PLAY, and the quietest line of music begins to emanate from the earbud he cradles in his palm.
        
        "Shinji-kun is a brave and gentle soul. That's why all of this has hurt him so terribly," Kaworu says to Lucine. He doesn't remark on what she cut herself off from saying. Lina weighs in too, to which Kaworu intones a simple yet heavy, "It is."
        
        A nod to Liam, as he says Shinji was happier making music--and then, accordingly, to Vit and Borr. "It will do him good to do something else for a while. If you can reach Calibur to ask him to deliver Shinji-kun's cello for him, I would truly appreciate it."
        
        Misato might have already forwarded it and the rest of his belongings to him--but it doesn't hurt to make sure. 

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

That bother you?

"Hummm?"

Eyebrows quirking fractionally upward, Mari draws herself out of her reverie to look Vit's way. Blue eyes hood as she considers him -- before dismissing his suggestion with the light roll of her shoulders.

"Nope," declares the bespectacled pilot of Evangelion. "For me to suggest a place for the pup to go would defeat the whole point. Better that he not hear a single thing from us at all about it, to be honest! The longer he can experience life like this, the better. On his own terms." She swirls that un-glanced at drink against her bicep; the whimsical smile that comes after comes naturally and honestly, despite those earlier, far more serious words.

"I couldn't besmirch a ship with such a fine, respectable name anyway~."

It's Max's follow up that Mari lingers on, though. Bespectacled blues turn the other Hyper Agent's way, and for a moment, the look she offers her feels... sympathetic? -Empathetic-, maybe. Like she knows exactly how he feels. It's an odd sentiment, from someone who is ostensibly one of those children themselves, but it's there earnestly all the same for a handful of seconds before she shuts her eyes.

"Mm. We'll be returning to Tokyo-3 once the mission here is complete. Presuming we live through this, of course!" she begins -- because she might as well not mince words about it. She speaks for Kaworu, too, but -- both of them know exactly what they need to do -- what they want to do. "It would be nice, if they could all find a life beyond all this though, wouldn't it?"

Mari lifts that drink to her lips, and pauses, just a moment. "... If there was ever a reason to fight fate, that'd be it."

<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.

"Here's hoping the Ra Mari II can be that place for him." Vit says, with a charming smile. "I believe in Shinji. Like you all said, he's got a good heart. He'll find his way, it's just a matter of him hanging in there long enough."

Borr nods. "Shinji's gonna make it. He's around good people, that's what he really needs."

Kaworu mentions being separated from the one you love, and each Hyper Agent grows solemn. Vit, in particular, stares away from the group, his eyes focusing on a random point of the NERV station.

"Yes." Max replies, to Kaworu's rueful smile. "We must continue forward, if for no other reason than the happiness of those we carry with us. Those we love."

The largest Hyper Agent, in particular, seems interested in the reveal of Shinji's SDAT. The music playing tinnily from the earbuds brings Max back to darker times, sitting beside Gridman's hospital bed with nothing but Kaworu's music to keep him company. Max's eyes grow misty.

"I'm on it, Kaworu." Vit says, already tapping at his phone. "It'll take Calibur a while to get the message, but he'll get it done. It's the least we can do for Shinji, really."

Borr nods, draining the rest of their red drink-mix. "I wonder if instruments work differently in space. Seems complicated. Glad I'm not the one figuring that out!" They laugh, shaking their head. "But Kaworu, Mari, what can we do for you? You must be hurting most of all of us, and you're so focused on others."

Clearing his throat to banish his overwhelming emotion, Max nods in agreement.

Vit looks up to focus on Mari, a curious expression on his face. "That makes a certain kind of sense. If you ever want to send a message or anything, though, I can't imagine it'd hurt. It's gotta be way different to hear from his fellow pilots than the top brass."

"Fuck them." Borr mutters.

Max gives Borr a Look while replying to Mari. "We will endeavor to prevent any casualties."

It would be nice if they could find a life beyond all this, Mari says, not including herself in that theoretical group. She mentions fighting fate. Perhaps there is something to be noticed amid these puzzle pieces, and indeed, the Neon Genesis Junior High Students feel a twinge of something.

"...indeed." Max rumbles.

Borr looks troubled. "Mari, you sound..." A tilt of their head. "I don't know. I guess I'll just say: if anyone's hurting you, or making you do things you don't want to, you can come to us. We'll help you figure shit out, get you away from bad people... Anything you need."

"Right." Vit chimes in. "We've got to take care of each other." 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Mari, despite being able to retain her good cheer at a time like this, is no less honest - Alouette respects this, and her feelings in turn. "Even the sting of failure is something to be held close to the heart, then..." She nods, slowly. "Some things can never be made up for, but I'd hate it if I didn't try."

Lucine, she locks eyes with, and then Liam, in short order, looking grim as he does. The look on her face suggests that they should talk, soon. And she nods, at Lucine's sentiment, that Shinji's choice is his own. "No, I don't think Shinji ever lost his brave heart. t doesn't matter if it's running away. Finding a new calling in your life... instead of painstakingly trying to make everyone but yourself happy, that takes its own courage, too."

'We all have someone we care for most, don't we?' Kaworu says. "There's nothing wrong with being honest about it. I hope your reunion will be a happy one." Alouette agrees - and then Kaworu produces Shinji's SDAT. Hearing that faint tune, she can understand the significance... and so do the Neon Genesis High Students, as they offer to return it to its owner. That's kind of them, considering how difficult a task that would be.

Alouette seems to go silent, at Max and Mari's exchange, though, even as Vit and Borr join in. There's nothing braver than fighting a fate that was set forth for you, she believes. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Max's mention of child soldiers causes Lucine to look towards Liam for a moment, remembering his own worries and thoughts that the kidnapping attempt resurfaced. She squeezes his arm back, and is quiet.

        Her eyes travel to Alouette briefly, forming an idea in her head. Maybe, it might be a good idea to have someone Liam (as well as Lucine herself) trusts... and maybe, Alouette might have some things she needs to share as well.
        
        'If there was ever a reason to fight fate, that'd be it.'

        There are ominous chords with that, but Lucine takes it with a more positive tilt; she nods. ".... Better to do everything you can and know you have, than to give up and lament you hadn't tried." She smiles slightly at that, her eyes hooding. "That is, I believe, where the EVA pilots seem to shine, including Shinji." The EVAs themselves seem to bank on it, in fact. "... Even if some kind of automated system becomes standard, the Angels have proven themselves to not be opponents that can be outwitted by shows of strength. There has to be a mind behind it, to know and understand."

        Or maybe, Lucine thinks, she's talking out of her ass, as that may mean more people placed in situations like Shinji's, in the future. It's easy to wax poetic when you yourself can't stand the idea of a life being safe and still.

        Looking to Kaworu, Lucine nods. "... That's what I suspect, too. It's not a lack of courage, or will. Shinji is an excellent pilot. ..... I felt only the smallest bit, of what he felt right then. That sorrow... I realize Gendo Ikari was up against a wall, but his lack of acknowledgement of his son's character, his strengths, and his weakenesses... may come to bite him, in the future." 

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        "I think he really cares about you," Liam says, to Kaworu. "You're right, though. He needs to heal." What Gendo did to him was horrific, maybe even unforgivable.

        And deep inside, Liam hopes that at least one child soldier can get out, and stay out.

        "But... we're here, Kaworu. I can only speak for myself, but I... I might not even be here if not for you. And you and Mari, you're the only pilots they have. It's not right to make you bear all that weight. Rei and Asuka... I hope they still have lives to live."

        Tears prickle at Liam's eyes. "The--the last thing I told Asuka was she was being a bully. Being childish. She--she--" Liam swallows, and stops the hitch in his throat. "She was protecting Rei. And she was..." It feels like he's just ripped open a badly-healed wound, and everything is draining out. "Don't know if I could face her. I--I just hope--" He looks to Mari. Can she help him put his thoughts in order? Is he just being selfish?

        "Sorry," he chokes out. He glances down at Lucine, and says, in a tiny voice: "Shinji shouldn't have to. No one should have to."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu breathes a faint chuckle at Mari. It's only natural that she'd approve of a ship with a name so close to her own. She loves herself so much, and it's truly wonderful every time he sees it.
        
        And it is true that it's best for Shinji to have new, different experiences. For his part, Kaworu will cherish his SDAT player on his own. Since he can't be there for him, he'll simply have to trust in those who are there with him now--just as Vit and Borr express their own faith. All of them seem to agree about moving forward for the sake of those they love--courage and willpower, love and faith. They've all been saying it in their own ways up 'til now.
        
        After all, the foe on Jupiter is one that must be faced for the sake of Earth's tomorrow.
        
        "Thank you," he tells Vit--then looks over at Borr as they insist on asking what they can do for them. The long silence that follows is probably not very encouraging; soon enough, he shakes his head. "Thank you, too. The best thing all of us can do is come back alive, I think."
        
        It's true it's good not to mince words. Even so: "Presumably, yes. But I don't intend on dying out here," Kaworu says affably with Mari. "The Earth needs to be protected."
        
        And the Dummy System won't be able to do so. Lucine and Alouette both hit on why, even if they don't know it. So it's up to the two of them, which means they have to come back alive--for Shinji's, Rei's, and even Asuka's sake, too, little as he likes her. He'll do his utmost to make sure of it.
        
        That's why he tells Liam, not unkindly, "But someone does have to. So I don't mind if it's me. I don't think Mary minds, either." A pause. "Thank you, Liam. It's good to know you care about all of us so much." And it's nice to be reassured, too. Kaworu, too, looks forward to his reunion with Shinji, as Alouette wishes. What Liam says about Asuka specifically, though... Kaworu will let Mari handle that one.
        
        His smile doesn't dim any, but his gaze is a little distant as he twirls the earbuds between his fingers. "...It is," he agrees, of fighting fate. To Alouette, he says, "Yes. It's important to accept one's failures and try again all the same." His smile broadens at Lucine, and he adds, "Especially Shinji-kun."
        
        What Alouette says, though... Finding a new calling in your life... instead of painstakingly trying to make everyone but yourself happy, that takes its own courage, too. Kaworu considers her for a long moment, his attention somehow simultaneously in the present and somewhere far away. For some reason, he glances at Mari.
        
        Soon enough, though, he looks back at Lucine. "Yes... Gendo Ikari is a dedicated man with his own scars on his heart. It's those scars that keep him from seeing how wonderful Shinji-kun is." He turns his head to gaze down at the SDAT player. "...One day, for Shinji-kun's sake, I hope he does." 

<Pose Tracker> Mari Makinami Illustrious has posed.

Even the sting of failure is something to be held close to the heart, then...

"The ability to know and grow from failure as much as success is a gift unique to the human heart," is Mari's answer to that observation on Alouette's part.

She says it without hesitation, and without regret, no matter how much her own failures still hurt her now. After all...

"It's a treasure beyond value."

The Neon Genesis Junior High Students, however, extend that offer of help to both Kaworu and Mari in turn. Mari's response is to offer up gratitude of her own in the form of a simple, "Muy agradecida," to them all -- but like Kaworu, she to falls into silence after. She looks at Kaworu, and then back towards Borr, head cant.

"Humm. I'd like more moments like this! Talking about the ugly times and the beautiful ones, speaking honestly, hiding drinks we don't like when we think no one's watching..."

wait what

Mari does not even so much as spare a glance Aoba's way as she says this. She just lets that off-handed comment do what the universe intended.

"... they're more important than ever."

After all... it's no good facing what lies at Jupiter with a heavy heart.

There are implications behind Mari's words; there always are. She doesn't hide them, anymore than she expounds on them. She just turns her attention to Liam and Alouette as they speak, glancing sidelong at Kaworu for a brief moment.

"Don't worry, Soldier Boy," she says, a moment after Kaworu reassures him, "I fight in my Evangelion because I want to. Tabby Cat and I are here because we want to be here. And we'll return to NERV because we want to, too."

Is that any better? Is it worse? It's not for Mari to say, really.

But she's comfortable with it, at least.

It's only when Liam continues, as he speaks about Asuka, that her head tilts. She abandons that initial sip of her soda entirely to tilt her head towards the left, regarding Liam with a bittersweet sort of expression.

"My Princess wouldn't have wanted you to see beyond the prick of her spines to begin with; that's why she has a noble heart. She is much stronger, and much kinder, than anyone gives her credit for."

Even herself.

Mari talks about her in the present tense. Steadfastly, stubbornly. Maybe she's just clinging to hope. But regardless...

Don't know if I could face her. I--I just hope--

"You will," Mari states, simply. "And you can. You can face her. You can respect the choice her highness made, the way she would want it respected."

And she offers him a small smile, there.

"You won't have to hope for it at all."

Alouette speaks of the courage to run away -- of choosing to try to make yourself happy. Lucine, about the ways Gendo underestimates his own son. Mari doesn't remark -- but she does share a look with Kaworu once more as a smile blooms at her lips -- one very personal but very delighted despite everything -- especially at Borr's emphatic declaration. Fuck them.

"Hee~."

It's a tiny titter -- and one that accompanies the way Mari fluidly pushes herself up onto her feet, pivoting to face Borr as they address her directly. As they make that single offer. It's very kind. It's very heartfelt.

It doesn't stop the way Mari's brows climb and how she holds a gloved hand to her lips as if scandalized, all the same, as she starts leisurely strolling backwards.

"Oh my! -Anything- I need?"

Her glasses glint. Her gaze is obscured. Only a glimpse of the knife of her smile can be seen.

"Oho. Offer accepted, Hyper Agent. I'll hold you to that~."

What -- did Borr just sign up for--

"And now!" declares Mari, cutting off any avenue for retraction. "I must see to my darling, cursed child, lest he grow grumpy! Should any of you need me, you only need to call for me earnestly. I am always at the side of those who yearn for me in their heart~."

A wink. And Mari turns fully here, making her way towards Unit-04, sipping her soda as she goes. Her smile broadens a little.

Ginger Boke. She relishes it -- a once in a lifetime experience.

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