2024-05-06: EscalatE

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<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


"What a sick joke." There was the sound of a flush, and not long after Asuka came out of a restroom stall. "Should just get on with it already... that that still happens at all."

Irritated, Asuka looked at herself in the bathroom mirror at her reflection, at the Seventeen going on Fifteen year old staring back at her. At the image of herself, any less than her previously immaculate standards of presentation of normality. Her fist clenched, and for a brief moment she contemplated smashing the mirror.

It relaxes however, insecurity and worry taking her over, then eventually a sigh leaves her lips, as she hoists a case up on the sink. It was black, and seamless, with no identifying markings. Pressing her thumb to part of it, there was a momentary glow.

And then it just unfolded, ratcheting open in strange geometric sequences, until it revealed the object in question. Grasping it from both ends, she wrapped decisively around her face, feeling it affix automatically.

And that's when it started.

The crimson glow pulsed in her face, searing, and the pain shot through her skull, white hot, as her legs buckled, and she gripped the sides of the sink, fingers spasming as it clinched down, her breathing growing more and more rapid.

It started to ease, slowly, the entire world taking on that red filter hue, and Asuka looked down to see that she'd bent the metal of the sink's splash guard.

Yet, she looked forward in the mirror, panting, and after a moment - took on this strange look of smugness, as spiteful feelings of Schadenfreude slipped in at the seeming act of masochism.

"That's right... laugh it up."

Slamming both of her hands down on the sink again as she shouted in command.

"LAUGH!"

-=-=-

It came as a message from Colonel Misato Katsuragi, to GGG, to NERV's lower echelons, and to her acquaintances that Asuka was back and ready to receive people. The cynical might be wary about accepting the invitation after the intrusion into NERV's Taghba base several months prior, combined with their presence on Route 12 last year.

The distrust between GGG and NERV had been building between the two agencies since before GGG left for Jupiter but the Colonel had always at least shown that she'd cared for the Evangelion pilots, so that might be enough for people to take the invitation as more good faith as an attempt to mend things.

The Welcome Back party is a restrained affair for Misato Katsuragi, which means certainly that there's an enormous banner which has 'WELCOME BACK ASUKA' written in big red print complete with tiny chibi Evas in celebration. This is being held at the Tokyo-3 Branch of Eden Pizza, a buffet that had gone through multiple rebrandings over the years given how often Tokyo-3's surface is ravaged by attacks.

Two years ago it was a closed down Pizza-La.

However, this place has something that many locations in Tokyo-3 don't have! Is it the ambiance? Well, the color book style decorations of flora and fauna of this almost childish biblical garden do lend - something to it. Is it the food? The food is mid to a little above average depending on one's taste in pizza. So, no it's a singular fact that brought them here today.

It's dirt cheap, Misato is on a budget. NERV won't let her expense this one.

And the owner was also willing to rent the place out for the day to her at cost due to NERV privilege. There are various booths and tables where one can sit, and of course a long long pizza buffet line with everything imaginable except Hawaiian pizza, which isn't popular in Japan.

But basically everything else! Including Berauma Omochi Chicken, Spicy Tuna, Korean Purukogi, Seafood Italiana, and Alfredo Chicken. Strangely to those unfamiliar with Japanese pizza, there is a lot of corn on the pizza here!

Even if she's off the clock, Misato's still in her work clothes, a black business minidress, her red jacket, cross necklace and boots, but she's left her Beret in the car.

Clapping her hands together, to get everyone's attention, she attracts Hikari Horaki's gaze, now a high schooler who hasn't yet gone up for pizza, who watches nervously. PenPen, however, who is sitting beside her continues ravaging a plate of seafood pizza.

"May I have your attention everyone? First I'd like to thank you for coming. It means a lot to me that everyone is here for Asuka - and I'm sure it means a lot to her. I'm about to bring our Guest of Honor out - but before I do, I'd like to fill everyone in a little."

There's a momentary pause, as her eyes sweep across the room, and there's something more serious in her eyes, "Asuka went through a lot coming back to us after the Evangelion Unit-03 test was overtaken by the Twelfth Angel, so I don't want people to be caught off guard by her appearance and... her disability."

Misato continues smoothly, but with a certain gravity, "After what happened she's been on the operating table more often than not, it was touch and go for a long time, but she's stable now - however our science team couldn't save her vision. Asuka is now legally blind in one eye, and significantly impaired in the other, so NERV has created an assist device for her going forward. We have high hopes that future advances will be able to improve her prognosis, but for now, I'd like to ask everyone to please try to be sensitive to her feelings, as this has been a struggle for her, even if she doesn't want to admit it."

Hikari nods hesitantly, but quickly, clasping her hands together anxiously, as if she were waiting for the other shoe to drop, all over again.

"Does anyone have any questions before I bring her out?"

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu waits outside the bathroom, his back on the wall next to the door, hands tucked into the pockets of his administrator suit, gaze risen towards the hallway ceiling. There are unpleasant noises within. He doesn't interrupt them. Really, he would rather not be here--
        
        'LAUGH!' Asuka screams inside.
        
        --but he has a responsibility.
        
---
        
        While Tohji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida were never friends with Asuka, she was a classmate of theirs, and she did date the third member of their best-friend group, once (or twice) upon a time. Both of them are in attendance, having arrived with Hikari. They've grown a lot over the past few years, but that's only natural; they're high school seniors now. They've hit their growth spurts. Tohji still wears his school's track suit over his uniform, though, albeit several sizes up from what he wore in middle school.
        
        Tohji consequently is stuffing his face with pizza; Kensuke's appetite isn't quite as voracious, but he's getting his money's worth. Or Misato's money's worth. Both of them settle down when Misato herself comes out to make a pre-Asuka speech.
        
        Tohji leans back in his seat, his frown grim and his arms folded behind his head as Misato tells them what to expect. That scowl softens with concern when he glances over at Hikari; it's easy to tell who he's really' here for.
         
        Kensuke meanwhile grimaces and starts fiddling with his videocam, which he brought even though he isn't really interested in filming the proceedings. It's been a while since the last Angel attack--the one that nearly killed Asuka and Rei, the one that drove Shinji from Tokyo-3--but it's always best to be prepared.
        
        Neither of them offer any questions.************************************************************ 

<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.


An invitation came to the Ra Mari II, but Eight Orlodhari knows that she isn't who it was meant for. The one it was meant for couldn't go... But she can take some time out of her schedule to check into the matter personally for him, all the same.

Chibi Evas... Not the kind of thing Eight imagines Asuka would appreciate, but a welcome back party isn't only for the person being welcomed back. Maybe that's why.

But the Admiral is here, if not in any official capacity; she's in a red dress with a white jacket and some cute boots, and her twins are not in evidence. Her blonde hair is loose and long, her red eyes thoughtful, and--

She is listening. She has some pizza, but it doesn't really matter to her at the moment what kind it is. Instead, she hears...

'I'm sure it means a lot to her'. Eight is not so sure of that. But she doesn't interrut. Instead she listens.

"...Has she been conscious for much of it?" Eight asks Misato. That's her question.
Rei Ayanami teleports in.
POT: Rei Ayanami is now set observer.
Muginami teleports in.
POT: Muginami is now set observer.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

The invitation was shocking, to say the least. Asuka was back, and ready to receive visitors... Kaworu had said, when they spoke to him on the Division Train, that she was alive. ...It was hard to believe, then, even if she was eventually brought around to believing it. She just had to hope it was the truth.

Despite NERV and GGG's separation and the tensions between them... Rikka does want to see her, to confirm for herself that she's alright. And with the invitation coming from Misato, she at least doesn't believe it's some cruel trick. She can trust that much, at least, and she arrives at the designated location...

...Which is, as it turns out, a rather cheap pizza place. Rikka stared at it for a moment, dumbfounded, when she realised what kind of place the venue was. NERV couldn't afford somewhere a little... better?

...No, they probably could - but they didn't, she figures which is, at least, a point in Misato's favor that she'd go out of the way to arrange this herself.

She's found herself a seat, by now. She's hardly touched the pizza - largely due to nerves.

This isn't some big, official event, so she's not in full uniform - she's dressed casually, with the Nouvelle Tokyo Institute of Technology sukajan with an irezumi design of Raijin on its back that's become one of her go-to casual outfits.

And then, Misato calls for attention. Rikka listens carefully... and frowns, nodding quietly.

"Is there anything you can tell us about what happened?" Rikka asks, before hesitating a second. "And... is there anything we should avoid bringing up?"

She glances to the side, taking note of Eight. ...That's someone she hasn't seen in forever.

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

        Yuta didn't exactly have much of a opinion on the Heart of the Party in question. Of course, they knew something about Asuka. 'He' had met the woman, after all. Still, for much of the disagreements 'he' had with Asuka, they could see where she had been coming from and had no qualms about it. They could remember of her certain..... ferocious? No, yearning? Aspiring? They couldn't seem to find the right word to describe the countenance of Asuka, as it was engraved in his brain.


        On the other hand, a party was a socializing event, and a get-together like this proved an opportunity in a sense that formal networking events did not have. Kaworu also already knew they'd be leaving the place soon too. They had no reason to refuse the invitation, fickle as his connection with Asuka was.

        Listening without even reaching for any pizza yet, Yuta decides it best to start mingling after the main event comes - they said hello to people here and there - but not much else before Misato started her speech.

        Blind, huh.... How different would Asuka be from 'his' memories, they wondered? That, if nothing else, was something they'd be willing to see. "How much does she remember-" Yuta was about to ask, when another very familiar voice raised a question right before them.

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kyouno has posed.

Madoka had absolutely zero sense of the tensions at play that built up this event. Sure, Tadoroko had muttered about the interplay between the Grand Glorious Guard and NERV, about how this was an important event so please don't go and barge into things you don't understand outright, and to take Colonel Katsuragi's words seriously. Even if you don't know Asuka personally, this was an olive branch opportunity from the Colonel herself. The sense of mind to listen was there, thankfully.

That! Being! Said! That did not stop Madoka from showing up in her jersey uniform and immediately melding into the staff in question, helping with this and that throughout on the frontend. (Thankfully, one sharp glare from one of the cooks was enough to get a proper hint about working the back.) Cheap place? Proper place? All places were places to celebrate and help. Still, it was a celebration...

...Which was why she was chowing down on the next ghastly food experiment, a bit of spicy tuna sprinkled on some anchovy pizza, extra cheddar to taste, and taking a bite. ...Bit salty. It's fine. Maybe mix some of that chicken in with the alfredo and some extra sauce next...?

She had to admit: The chibi evas...were kinda cute. "Wonder which one's which." An absentminded mutter to herself while gazing at that banner.

Still, the gal was settling down somewhat, touched by the minutely...somber? Was it somber? Yeah, somber mood of the proceedings. A slow nod to herself, finishing that slice of pizza, and...

"Yes, should we expect anything unusual to happen? Has she come to terms with what happened to her?" Reading up on the Angels may have given the imagination a bit too much to worki with, but...Better safe than sorry, so went her conclusion.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Liam still needs to see a mysterious stranger about a dog. But that's between him, Lucine, and the stranger. What matters for the moment is that he made a promise to the Eva pilots. Even if NERV's higher-ups are hiding something, he needs to be there for them. He has to.

        He gave Eight a smile and wave on the way in, and that is the extent, so far, of his treachery to the NUNE apparatus.

        The big cyborg sits straight-backed in his chair, attention torn between the mediocre pizza--which he still isn't used to, even after living in Tokyo-3 for years--and the childish decor. One thought keeps coming back to him: Asuka would absolutely hate this place. The second, accompanying thought is that this is wholly on-brand for Misato. He still remembers the time she brought party poppers to Shinji's birthday. She's trying, though, and this... probably won't traumatize anyone?

        To those who haven't seen Liam in a while, he looks... better. The scars on his brow and spine have faded with time and cosmetic treatments; the injection ports on the back of his neck are entirely gone. He's attentive, but not too alert. He's regained the muscle mass he lost during repeated rounds of esoteric treatment and hospitalization. He's wearing the outfit Rei got him when they met--the white suit and red blazer. Every so often he glances at Rikka and Yuta, and tries to figure out how to talk to the latter without bringing up Gridman. And who's the girl in the uniform he doesn't recognize?

        Misato explains what's been going on. Liam winces in sympathy. He doesn't want to think about what those surgeries entailed, or how lucky Asuka might be to be alive at all. "What about Rei?" Liam asks, in a voice as tiny as he is big.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

It came as a massive surprise to receive such a message from NERV themselves. Not that Asuka was alive - Kaworu insisted on that much frequently - even if he offered very little in the way of proof. But it was even more so a surprise that they were accepting visitors from even the GGG, even if it was Misato pulling those strings.

At the same time, there's no real reason to turn down the offer, either. Misato doesn't seem the type to dangle one of her pilots, thought to be dead, as bait. And truthfully, Alouette really does want to see Asuka again... she never liked how things were left off.

So a trip to Tokyo-3's Eden Pizza it is. "The decor's kind of childish..." Comments Alouette, who is clearly now an adult who's way too cool for pizza parties. She's out of uniform herself, favouring one of her classy red, short-sleeved button-ups paired with a long black skirt and tights. Despite the... venue, she still wants to at least look decent.

She seats herself near her fellow envoys from GGG - but she didn't actually bother to grab any pizza. It's probably mid anyways, right? She listens carefully as Misato begins her explanation. It sounds like Asuka really has been through a lot...

Everyone else raises some pretty good questions - there's maybe a slight wince when Liam asks about Rei. "Like everyone else.. I'd mostly like to know how she's been coping with what happened." Alouette nods. "Just so we can treat her with the proper respect."

There's plenty of familiar faces - there's Liam, she recognizes Eight from fighting along with the Ra Mari II on a few occasions. Some, like Madoka, are unfamiliar. New hires from NERV? But that combination of red hair and blue eyes... she glances over to Rikka and back. "Hey, is that..." She whispers.

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

Guy had received a thousand assurances that Asuka was alive. But it seemed like an impossibility. His working relationship with Kaworu and the stress of the battles at Mars and Jupiter kept him from diving too deeply into that, and then afterwards, it was straight back to work building out the new GGG, and then his own brush with Ruin's light, and then--

Anyway, he's here. For nearly the first time in any living memory, he's not in the full GGG Chief attire, though he's still got a fashionable men's jacket over a turtleneck, because at least some of how he dressed when he was a secret cyborg was actually his own thoughts on fashion. And also because his own father was like 2 feet tall so his main influence is Taiga, a man who needs a suit to live.

Misato's explanation earns a slightly dour look from Guy, more frustrated by the facts of it all than anything. Still. That's not the meaning of all this, so he takes a seat of his own. The questions coming from the rest of the group mostly cover his own concerns, and so he keeps to himself. He has food!! It's not novel anymore, he hasn't been a cyborg for years, but some part of him is still excited by that. 

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


Asuka pulls open the bathroom door and steps out before long, not even eyeing the figure waiting for her there. "It's quiet." She tells him, "Keep it that way." She warns, before taking a space against the wall, where she leans. But after a while of waiting with him she eventually murmurs, "Why did I even let her push me into this?"

It's a rhetorical question mostly. The other figure knew the answer. And so did she. Sometimes the answers to hard questions were so incredibly simple.

"Guess... I'm just stupid." She eventually mumbles as her answer, as if it were answering herself, to that question she asked so many people a hundred times over, 'What are you, stupid?"

-=-=-

"Not especially." Is Colonel Katsuragi's answer to Admiral Orlodhari, this is a casual affair and they're not on her ship, so she doesn't salute in this context, but not out of a lack of recognition - she does however note Shinji is not with her, and cannot help be disappointed by that even if he she shows no sign of it, "At first she was entirely comatose, but then much of the time under heavy sedation while she was recovered between operations. For her it's like the incident happened less than a month ago."

Rikka's question comes next, and Misato regards Rikka with a certain fondness, as she always appreciated her presence on missions, so she tries to be delicate, "The Twelfth Angel had infected Evangelion Unit-03, turning its entry plug into its core. When its integrity was compromised the Angel's Core was destroyed, but Asuka's body was heavily damaged in the process. We managed to recover, and stabilize her, but - she required extensive care to bring her back to us."

As for anything to avoid bringing up? Misato considers it for a time before answering her, "Mostly I think it's best not to talk much about the incident with the Twelfth Angel. She doesn't remember it, but it's upsetting to her. I know you'll use your best judgment, Takarada-san."

Misato does give Yuta a look, and Yuta might feel like he's being inspected in a sense, for signs of the old him, but she doesn't actually press into the matter for now, simply that he's here is enough.

Madoka however is new to them, and she doesn't have the best read on her yet other than appreciating that Genki energy she's been told between her and Alouette asking how she's coping, Misato takes some extra time to consider the matter, "I don't expect anything unusual to occur, but speaking from experience." Misato says with a sudden sense of gravity, "It hasn't been long since she was even cognizant of what happened. She's still processing, I suspect, and I think it will be a long road for her."

Then Liam asks, and Misato shores herself up before calmly answering him, "I know you're eager to see Rei, but like Asuka she suffered substantial injuries, including brain damage - and is currently undergoing cognitive rehab. We believe full recovery is possible, but I don't have any other updates I can offer at this time."

And finally Misato looks to the King of Braves, she can certainly sense the tension, and she can certainly understand why. While she wasn't present for the end of the Twelfth Angel on account of getting blown up by the Twelfth Angel she heard what happened between her Commander and him, out in the field, in the end she takes a breath.

"Alright - if there are no further questions, I'm bringing her out."

Misato steps towards the back, and about thirty seconds pass, before three figures return. Asuka's in her old red plugsuit rather than casual clothing, with a collared darker red leather jacket over it, two white stripes down either sleeve ending in her hands, gloved from the plugsuits peeking out.

http://tinyurl.com/2BorNot2BAsuka

All rather ordinary, until you get above the neck. Her face above the nose is covered in a large asymmetrical black blindfold that looks a little larger over her left eye than her right as it dips down to the left cheek, and wraps around both sides to the back of her head. The left eye has a little plate in place, like an extra attachment. There's a subtle red inner glow across the front, as if from some internal light it was emitting from the mechanisms inside.

But it's also her hair, once her pride and joy, it's now a messy bob on the right, and not even that on the left, just a nub of hair that's been roughly trimmed away. The length hasn't even begin to grow back enough that she can even really create her old 'tails' with her hair clips, but she still has them in place, with pathetic little swatches of hair.

Most striking though perhaps, is some people might second guess themselves, because Asuka doesn't look like she's aged a day. She hasn't grown taller, or broader, hasn't developed in ways one might expect of a girl her age, she's still just as slight as she was when she left them

For a while, she's quiet, and it's difficult to know what she sees as her head turns, that black blindfold making it impossible to read her eyes. It's hard to even understand how well she sees, whether it's just shapes or lines, can she even tell who is who by what sight this assist device gives her.

To those who are awakened with sense for such things, she's... subdued, oddly muted, even more than she used to be, difficult to get more than an odd static on any superficial read.

Asuka is dead silent for a while, silent enough that Misato looks like she's about to nudge her to speak, but just before she does, she moves on her own.

"Yo." She utters, with this casual irreverence, "Looks like you all managed without me for a while." Before her feet shuffles, there's a pause, and she adds, "Earth's still here." There's this awkwardness dripping off of her like she doesn't really know what to say.

And then, abruptly, someone is moving towards her and wraps her arms around her in a hug, Hikari's voice breaking into a sob as she buries against her, "T-Thank God... Thank..." Asuka just stiffens, freezing. And then subtly relaxes, as the other girl sobs against her. "... Hey Hikari." She tells her, softly, as her hands move around her, hovering there, then pat her back once before her arms fall back to her side. "Come on... see? I'm alright."

Then softer, a little more emotional...

"I'm okay."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        The bathroom door opens. Kaworu glances at the girl in red who emerges. He doesn't speak, partly because he has nothing to say, partly because she's requested (demanded) his silence, but he does stay with her as she leans on the wall too.
        
        Why did she let Misato push her into this?
        
        Kaworu could speculate, but he never has truly understood Asuka. He continues to keep his peace, watching her without a smile. Is she stupid? Maybe, maybe not. But it's very like Asuka, and at the same time completely unlike her, to wield that word like a dagger against herself.
        
        When at last Misato arrives to escort Asuka to where everyone else is, he follows them both in continued silence.
        
---
        
        Asuka walks into the restaurant proper with Misato and Kaworu. Tohji and Kensuke sit up straight, tension riding through her backs and shoulders as they stare at Asuka and her strange headpiece, how she's barely aged a day--but then Hikari flings herself at Asuka in an emotional hug, and that tension breaks. They shoot each other a smile, then both stand up.
        
        "Yo, Langley. S'been a while," Tohji says, affecting nonchalance.
        
        "Yeah, long time no see," Kensuke adds, smile broadening at his own joke. (Too soon?? But Asuka's trying to keep it casual, so he's trying to follow her lead.)
        
        Kaworu, for his part, smiles faintly to see his former classmates, but otherwise keeps to one side of the reunion. His gaze travels across the assembled guests before it finally lands on Eight and lingers long enough for their eyes to meet. He understands what her presence represents, and what it means that someone else isn't present.
        
        ...Shinji always did blame himself for what happened to Asuka and Rei. Even his fury at his father couldn't erase that.

<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.


Eight recognizes a lot of people here, too. Rikka who she hasn't seen in a while, Yuta who literally isn't the same person she first met as far as she knows... And others. Eight is friendly, and pleasant, but doesn't engage anybody much right now. Not until Colonel Katsuragi addresses her again.

"I see," Eight answers. So it's still fresh...

She meets Kaworu's eyes, and nods very slightly. it means Shinji isn't here. But Eight chose to come anyway. Not only for him, but... mostly for him.

It's just true that this is relevant to her duties, too.

She regards Asuka and Hikaru quietly. "Earth's still here," she agrees, but othrwise doesn't say much.

Asuka doesn't really like Eight, as far as she knows. She's not here to change that.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

There's a lot of familiar and unfamiliar faces. But also... one that's both, at the same time. Rikka meets Alouette's glance.

"...Yeah, I'm pretty sure." She confirms with a nod. She'd seen Liam's glances, too. "Yuta's... really changed."

When was the last time they talked...? She offers a small smile and a wave that way - but her attention soon turns back to Misato as she begins to address everyone.

"...I see." Rikka murmurs, as Misato explains what happened. "That's... nothing short of a miracle."

She nods, though.

"Right. That's... probably for the best." She agrees. Still... for Asuka, it's only been a few months, huh...? That's so much time to miss. They're all practically different people, now. She nods.

"No questions, here." Rikka confirms.

...And so, Misato departs - and after a shortwhile, returns.

Asuka looks... rough, but given everything, honestly pretty good. Other than the obvious, she looks pretty much the same as the last time she saw her.

...And not a day older. It's a stark realisation.

And she can feel it too, ambiently - subdued, muted...

Eventually, the silence is broken, and Rikka smiles.

"Somehow." She agrees. Suddenly someone - she doesn't really know Hikari - is hugged Asuka, and Rikka can't help but smile at that, too.

"...It's really good to see you again, Asuka."
POT: Ruri Hoshino is no longer set observer.

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

        Rikka!? Here!? Things quickly take a turn for the awkward as people they had been avoiding for basically two years show up one after the other. At least they knew, for sure and absolutely, that the NGJHS five weren't here. They should have guessed - even though GGG and NERV had formally split, this was exactly the kind of small event where people from both factions were likely to show up. If only all of their network were in place, so information could reach them better. In the end, this was likely happening soon - Yuta intended to pay a visit to Tsutsujiday, after all. In fact, it was basically a miracle that they managed to keep themself on the down low while previously interning at GGG, even if their post wasn't exactly worth of notice and slightly remote from the rest of the crew.

        Ackowledging Rikka's smile with a small nod of their own, they quickly turned back to Misato, returning their glance as the woman analyzed them. Or rather being surprised hadn't stopped them from paying attention in the first place. In a sense, the sharpness of their gaze alone were more than enough proof that they were not whom his body once had been, though they quickly changed back to adopting a more relaxed and friendly stance, given what they were here for. The rest of the changes were also noticeable, with his hair growing longer, and only the tip of his locks showing the unruliness of a bed hair his whole messy style once had, the extra inches in height as that body went through a late growth spurt, though they managed to keep up the more androgynous appearance of their body. Their attire in form-fitting leather pants, platform boots, and a typical red shirt seemed to play up on it.
        
        "I see.... No memories...." A bitter taste on his tongue. How would someone else be handling this, they wondered. It was a question that they didn't have too much time to dwell in, as Misato returned with the girl in question. Emphasis on 'girl' as Asuna seemed to be not a day older than the one in his brain. Tried as they might, the uncanny comparison with Kaworu's situation floated in their mind, especially since their conversation was still fresh.

        Subdued, muted, silent...... yet.... was that all? Someone, they felt that was not all that Asuka had to offer, that something was being masked somehow, and not only by the blindfold. Yuta continued to observe for a while longer when the silence in the room was finally broken. The Earth was still here. Everyone here existed at this exact moment, after a miraculous series of coincidences and efforts that were not always one's own and that included themself.

        "It's nice.... to meet you again, Asuka." They voiced to no one in particular, but following the general mood.

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kyouno has posed.

Her ears keep perked up with every question and answer, mentally ascribing her own plan of action, however muted it was. Craning her neck to catch a glimpse of the others in the room, trying her best to ascribe faces to voices and voices to names.

Less than a month. Extensive care. Managed to recover. Don't talk about the incident. Don't expect the unusual, but the wound's still there. A friend's(?) recovery, possible. "...I'll do my best." The strangest sense of camraderie with someone she's never met. Sad how things go.

She waits like any other human, finger rubbing against the table with the weight of anticipation. Excitement? No.

Her first thought at the sight of Asuka: I expected worse, thank god. The second: She's still worse than whatever she was before. The third: ...Yeah, this party is good for her.

Before thoughts translate to action, the silence is shattered on its own. It's...a good thing. The self-imposed weight lifting off her own shoulders, managing a smile at the warmth of a friendly hug.

"Welcome back. Earth is still here, and it's good that you're back."

A stranger welcoming someone back. It felt appropriate. The warm smile of empathy that barely parsed the blindfold in general.

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        Also, beside Eight, there's a rather short girl with lapis hair all tied up in pigtails, with strange gold eyes. Ruri Hoshino, characteristically, hasn't said much at all.

Asuka fought the Angel, and she died.
But I guess she didn't really die.
I wonder what that says about how humans treat death?
If someone appears who acts just like you, did you really die?

        ... you know, it's that kind of thought.

        She doesn't comment on the foolishness of Hikari's reunion.

        "Welcome back," she says, eventually, in her usual monotone, and all her worries are paved over with the cobblestones of stoicism.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Was that question too much? Liam suspects it might have been, but it's out there now. There's no taking it back. He nods, soberly, as Misato gives her update. Not much has changed, it seems. Brain damage. Cognitive rehab. "Thank you, Major," he says. "I'm grateful you put this together." He offers Misato a warm, earnest smile. His eyes mist up. He takes a deep breath, and folds his hands on the table.

        As Misato goes off to fetch the guest of honor, Liam tries something else that might be ill-advised: introducing himself to someone new. "Hello," he says to Madoka. "Are you one of Asuka's friends from school?" She doesn't look like a pilot. "Or one of the new pilots?" The question is soft. "I'm Liam." It's as much to keep himself busy as it is to make Madoka feel more comfortable, hopefully.

        Misato is back. Kaworu is here, now. So is Asuka.

        Liam looks at her for a long moment. His breath hitches. He starts to blink in an attempt to stop the tears. Asuka is in amazing condition for someone who's presumably been varying degrees of immobile for over a year. Simultaneously, she looks like she's been through hell.

        "Asuka," Liam says, and there is no hiding the tears in his voice. "I'm--I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried."

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"Mmm," She agrees, on Rikka's assessment of Yuta. "It's been such a long time, I wonder what Hibiki's been up to lately..." An internship with NERV, maybe? Or STORAGE? That might not be so bad, really. SHe quickly waves their way, but she doesn't make a big deal about it - she never did have much time with the real Yuta Hibiki.

Alouette nods, slowly, when Misato answers in broad strokes how Asuka's been coping. She definitely didn't expect to hear she's coping perfectly. And she agrees it's for the best not to bring up the Twelfth Angel. It's far too soon, and not the time or place either.

With all the questions answered, Misato announces she's going to bring Asuka out. Like Guy, there's some tension in the way Alouette carries herself - she wants to see Asuka, but it's been so long, there's definitely some nerves about it.

But... it really is recognizably Asuka, even with the injuries she's recovering from. In fact, she might be too recognizable, considering how much time passed, but... it's still a relief to see she's okay, somehow. She's happy for Hikari too, as she watches the reunion between friends.

There were some close calls, but all we did what we could," Alouette comments, about the Earth somehow still being intact. Alouette looks up to regard Asuka with a genuine, if somewhat tense smile. Asuka's casual, almost flippant tone helps to lighten it. "Welcome back, Asuka... it really is nice to see you again."

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

Sometimes adults can communicate their troubles without ever locking eyes.

Guy takes his time with his pizza, lets the younger group gather forward. Much as he might prefer to cling to his youth, he knows fully that an adult is not the first person a young girl wants to see when she's returned to the arms of her friends. Much less an adult that wasn't able to follow through on his promises. So, he stands to the rear when he does stand. That prosthetic...it's a wonder, he reckons. From what he saw that day, the damage must've been...quite like what he endured at the hands of Pasdar. She's lucky to get away with a head piece. NERV must've bent over backwards to save her. ...after what Gendo said that day--

He bites down on his tongue briefly, reminding himself of where he is. No need to ruminate on conspiracies right now.

When he gets near, it's with a smile. "Somehow or other, it's all still here," he agrees. "Welcome back." 

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


As Tohji walks up to her, Asuka's head snaps up to him over the crying Hikari, nodding, "Be a stupid question to ask if you've stayed out of trouble." And Kensuke causes an irritated twitch of her lip, "Should slug you for that one." She doesn't though.

There's a puzzled look as she hears Eight's voice, and not long after her head turns in the direction of it, "Didn't expect Captain Seven of Nine here." There's the struggle and- "Guess you held it together pretty well after cutting and running." After all, the Federation doesn't exist anymore, she outlasted that. She resists the urge to ask about Shinji. Her feelings about that are complicated. "They say you're a Mom now? You? Wouldn't have expected that."

And Rikka addresses her, but there's a slow turn of her head, and while she doesn't smile because Asuka almost never does, "Hey 'Chief'. Heard you got a cushy promotion." She cocks her head almost thoughtfully, "A lot must have happened while I was out, but... I guess I can't complain about their judgment." Is that her own way of saying she accepts her? Perhaps, in the past she didn't at all, but by the 'Walled Garden' incident, she'd started to, when she joined her rescue squad and then everything afterwards only reinforced it.

As Yuta speaks there's a subtle spasm of movement behind the blindfold, like her brows contracted, then just everything relaxes. "Right." She says softly, "Except it's not really 'again' right? First time?" She asks as if in understanding, "Usually I just... call people whatever but, with you..." As if she's referring to her habit of calling someone a new nickname, "Any preference?"

Then there's Madoka and Asuka lifts a single finger, "Don't recognize that voice, so you're one of the new girls right? Guessing you're... Right, so - New Jersey - sure you know what you're getting into?" As if perhaps - what happened to her is a cautionary tale in a sense.

Then Ruri speaks up, and for a while, Asuka doesn't say anything in her monotone, "Yeah. Two years huh?" She turns as if to regard her but Ruri gets a sense perhaps that she's not, really seeing her all that well. Not through that filter of red. The strange mechanism of her blindfold, there's something peculiar about it, as if Ruri would need to create a Rosetta stone, and algorithmically shift it in real time to translate that buzz and communicate. Not impossible, but definitely difficult, and would take a great deal of time and effort. "Must be a little less of a brat by now." 'You must have matured some' perhaps.

Asuka can tell it's Liam by his breath hitching even before he speaks up, "Worried huh?" She sounds awkward about it, by the idea that she worried anyone, but perhaps not displeased. "Well sorry about that." She actually apologized? "Things work out between you and your girl?"

Alouette causes her to take a breath then, "Hey Curls. Hope things weren't too boring around here for you without me." It's a little flippant perhaps, but there's enough affection in her tone that it's at least obvious she respects her. "You getting by alright?"

And then... the King of Braves addresses her. It's nothing unusual what he says, in fact it's entirely in line with the rest of the room around her. Warm words of a returned comrade, friendly words. There's a pervasive happiness in the room, or relief, and suddenly-

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Tohji grins at Asuka's quip, relaxing further now that things are--not exactly normal (far from it), but more normal than he could've hoped for. "Sure would be."
        
        Kensuke snickers at Asuka's irritation. She doesn't slug him, though! ...but he does sway away from her just in case.
        
        But there's a lot of people here, and all of them want a word with Asuka. Honestly, neither of them would've ever guessed that she was this popular. Go figure. They grab some more pizza and chow down while Asuka's doing her greetings.
        
        "Izzit me, or does she seem nicer than before?" Tohji murmurs to Kensuke.
        
        "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I guess," Kensuke mutters back, which is not really an answer.
        
        Eight gives Kaworu a slight nod, and he gives her a faint but sincere smile in return. It's good to see her here, all told. That smile moves to Ruri, who speaks up to offer Asuka a welcome-back. Rikka and Alouette express how happy they are to see her, while Liam starts to cry when he sees Asuka, and Kaworu's gaze is soft as he watches them.
        
        Asuka truly has been missed. Kaworu already knew she was well-liked within NERV, something that has always boggled his mind, but to see everyone assembled like this--even those who didn't know her at all, like Madoka, or only knew her through another's memories, like Yuta...
        
        But then there's also Guy. Kaworu's talked to him before about Asuka and what he wanted to do for her. He seems glad to see her too, and that is good, but--
        
        Something changes in Asuka.
        
        Kaworu shoots her a sharp glance. He reaches out to rest his hand on her shoulder, a feather-light touch, in an effort to steady her.

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


...everything...
        ...achieves...
                ...new...
                        ...depths...

This is how it starts. It's how it always starts, reality bends and frays and knits together the flayed flesh into a grinning mask of her own face. It speaks with that familiar human voice, throbbing deep into her head.

This isn't you

Friends aren't for you

You're not meant to be happy

They're right. They're always right. Trying to be something she's not is terrifying.

She knows what she has to do.

"Ah right... I'm back... hey King of Braves?" Her neck turns to find him, it's not difficult however, let's say that Guy has a unique shape that is simplicity itself through the assist Device. Untangling herself from Hikari, she steps up to him casually, with a hand outstretched as if to shake, the other in a jacket pocket. Kaworu's hand touches her shoulder, but for some reason despite his efforts to catch her attention she's barely paying attention to him, her shoulder shrugs right out of his hand.

Then abruptly that hand is a blur as she attempts to sucker punch Guy Shishioh, right in the face, as hard as she can, and it's strong enough that if it connects it's likely to do at least some damage, even to someone like him. There's just absolutely no warning to this act of aggression as she then tosses casually on the floor in front of him, afterwards.

"Can have your pager back." There's a darkness in her voice now, a sudden malicious fury.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Asuka brushes him off. Kaworu's hand sinks, then slips back into his pocket. He doesn't try to pursue her. He simply watches, faint smile now gone, as she storms up to Guy. When she throws that punch, hit or miss, his eyelashes sink shut.
        
        Meanwhile, to one side of the room, Tohji grimaces and Kensuke winces. Yeah. That's the Asuka they know. Ouch...! 

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

Of course, the Superhuman Evoluder is more than able to withstand the anger of a seventeen year old girl. He might even just stand there and quietly take it, let her use his body to work her anger out.

But he's not the Superhuman Evoluder anymore.

Guy's honed sense for danger never quite goes off. Is it less sensitivity, or losing his edge, or something within Asuka that does it? Whatever the case, Asuka takes him clean across the face and - sends him completely off his feet, staggering back until he hits the table. He keeps his balance enough to not tumble over it, but he still ends up holding himself steady against it, taken by surprise enough that he can't even process cleanly for a few seconds.

He runs his hand over his mouth, briefly, coming away bloody. "Yeah," he says, and stoops to pick up the pager. "Might deserve that," he says. 

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        "I'm fifteen now," Ruri informs Asuka, all dry information. (She looks younger than fifteen -- she's standing at 4'8", these days, so she has grown a few inches, but she's far smaller than the Japanese average of 5'2". Did something stunt her growth?) "I'll turn sixteen in a few months. You could come to my party," she adds, calmly, "if you wanted to."

        (She skipped her fifteenth birthday, after what happened at her fourteenth, but Minato insists she's got to have a sweet sixteen.)

        She is quiet, for a moment, staring openly at Asuka's blindfold. Eight may get a sense of her confusion, even beyond the way her eyes narrow fractionally and her lips purse just a little. It would be easy to miss the way her mouth forms that stern line, as she fixes her gaze on that thing covering Asuka's.

        w64h65o a6er69e y65o64u

        Her brow knits, just a little. She wants to ask, but every language turns up the same denial.

        It can talk. It just doesn't WANT to.

        Or maybe... she's just not asking with the right dialect.

        "Are you?" She asks, and perhaps she means to ask whether Asuka is still a brat, these days.

        Perhaps not.

        The King of Braves -- who is also well and whole -- steps up to greet her, and Ruri watches, as she steps up, and Kaworu puts his hand on her shoulder, and she holds out her hand, and she pulls her hand back, and she curls her fingers into a fist, and she pushes her hand forward, and her hand impacts with Guy, and Guy falls to into the table, grips the table, stunned on the table, she gives his pager back, her tone changes.

        "h," is the sound pulled through Ruri's throat as each moment flows into the next, her face drawing in subtle tension.

        She steps behind Eight, and clutches at her arm with her bird-boned fingertips, a grip far too weak to keep a Cyber-Newtype from anything at all.

        Eight doesn't need her experiments to know that Ruri is afraid of Asuka, right now.

<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.


Eight sticks near Ruri, of course. For once she's not talking that much more than Ruri does, though that may well change in the next few minutes.

'Captain Seven of Nine'. Eight lifts an eyebrow--but then Asuka continues. "It worked out," she says of 'cutting and running'. She doesn't expect Asuka to think differently. But she doesn't mention Shinji. Instead she says, "That's right. I have twins. Zaress and Aarmi, a boy and a girl. I'm very happy."

She glances at Ruri, at the words for her, to see if she expresses any feeling, and then back to the others.

She can appreciate Kaworu's smile, at least.

But someting strange happens...

Eight winces a moment before Asuka turns to Guy, turning her face away and grimacing. In reality, she feels something white-hot, a terrible pain, and only her experiences with pain allow her to weather it without crying out. Even so, a breath escapes her lips, too sharp.

But when she punches Guy, Eight immediately stands. "--!"

Guy falls on the table. Her instinct is to go to him, rather than to restrain Asuka--but she does neither, when she feels Ruri clutch her arm.

Silently, Eight keeps herself interposed between Asuka and Ruri instead, tightening her arm just enough to let Ruri know she noticed. 

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kyouno has posed.

In the middle of waiting for the woman of honor, the question from Liam drags her out of her introspective reprieve. A blink or two to comprehend the situation before blossoming into a natural smile, nodding at the question. "Kyouno Madoka. I think..." A frown as she searches her own memories. "Pilot under Novumundus, organization working under NERV." That was the right way of hierarchy. Right?

Madoka looked perfectly in her element, to be sure. As capable as any girl could under the circumstance. Of course, that element is quizically challenged. Voice? Right, adjust as needed. "New Jersey? That's over in America." A tug at her own jersey; Nope, still clean. "...I can't say I know how far it goes, but. I'm not standing by when I can jump in." Her voice barely wavers with the comprehension of understanding the backdrop of why Asuka became...this way.

Her mind was already processing with the next food crime on the non-existent bucket list. Something like-

And the instincts of bad intent fire thanks to Asuka's moving form, glancing over once before starting to move, too late for the punch to clock the King of Braves himself. "Wai- What are you doing!?" Deserved or not, understanding or not, that didn't stop her from storming forward into the fray. A quick check over at Guy; Still standing, still okay. Even if the punch was strong enough to knock a grown man back...

An attempt to clasp an arm on Asuka's own shoulder. At least, keep her in place. The minute attempt to. "Explain yourself."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

'Chief'. Rikka lets out a small laugh, at that.

"Things have definitely been... busy." She agrees, then smiles. "That means a lot, coming from you."

It took a while to reach that point - they were both at odds, for a while.

Everyone greets her, welcomes her back, is happy to see her... And then, it happens suddenly. Rikka doesn't even realise it's happening until it's too late - Guy is punched clean off his feet, staggering back.

With a gasp Rikka stands up quickly, hurrying to with the intent of helping to help steady him - though by the time she's reached him, he's already back up and moving to collect the pager he discarded.

"Guy, are you alright?" She asks, before looking Asuka's way.

"What was that about?" She asks - confused, more than anything. 

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

        At first, everything seemed to be happening as everyone would expect at the late reunion of a comrade who just brushed with death. The kind of thing that might have happened to Yuta, had they have more friends. The odd, nagging feeling doesn't go away, but all seemed to be the same. They muttered something of the sort of that being exactly why this was a 'Nice to meet you' instead of a 'long time no see', but given the woman was at odds with 'him', Yuta was already content that she held back. Held back? Held back? They ask themself again.

        "You can figure out what to call me in due time. I'm still going as Yuta, as that had been the name of this body from the start. Though I've also went with Utae, or Akadachi at some point." Gladly, they passed the batton to the next one waiting to be greeted in line.... yet their reaction was obvious at 'something'. They've noticed that whatever happened, Kaworu had reacted to it. Catching up their breath, Yuta watches as sudden fury came in and canned Guy a new one. Was this the source of what had nagging them before? The mood, the ambient had changed in a flash, but from their understanding, it had changed 'before the man was punched'.

        Reactions between the attendees had been diverse - fear, astonishment, confusion. Hang in there, he muttered under his breath, watching without jumping in. 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

'Curls' is a pretty cute as far as nicknames go, so it's not like Alouette has ever minded it. It kind of only solidifies it's the same old Asuka, even if she seems a little quieter than she was before - which only makes sense considering what happened.

"I've been alright, I've been keeping busy enough at least..." Alouette answers Asuka's question straightforwardly - she's had quite a few new responsibilities since GGG split from NERV. "Can't say I didn't miss that wit of yours, though~" She matches that affection in tone.

It really does seem like everything's going to be okay until-

It all happens so fast, like a blur - Guy approaches, and the outreached hand transforms into a one hell of a punch. "Guy!" Alouette near-immediately rushes to his side. "Good, you're alright..." Normally, she probably wouldn't have be so worried. But Guy is still in recovery himself, and...

She doesn't raise her voice, or a hand against Asuka. But she does have one quiet question as the panic of the situation begins to die down. Misato said Asuka wouldn't have remembered the events of the Twelfth Angel. So... "Why?"

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Liam offers Madoka a smile and nod. "You're the people with the island, right? It's good to meet you." He'd offer a shake, but the focus is on Asuka right now!

        The cyborg's brows rise. He was not expecting that reaction out of Asuka, after the fracas in Central Dogma. "I'm the one who should be sorry," he says. "But... Things worked out with Lucine," says Liam. He smiles, despite his tears. "We have a little place together, when I'm not stationed here. Is there anything you want me to tell her?"

        Everything seems fine. Everything seems well and good as Asuka addresses the guests, ending with Guy...

        Liam does not have the same kind of insight as Eight and Ruri. What he has instead is an eye for signs of anger and aggression in those around him. Asuka is tremendously fast. Liam feels the shift in his nerves, realizes his adrenaline spiked, and starts to suck in a breath. But as he takes that breath, he watches Asuka's hand tighten. There's tension in all of her. Anger that he didn't see a moment ago.

        The cheap laminate table creaks audibly as Liam plants palms against it and shoves himself upright. As Guy reels back, blood on his lips, Liam steps to his side, and reaches out to steady him. His face is a mask of shock and horror as he meets Asuka's blindfold, and as his eyes flick back and forth, more embeds itself in him. Ruri gripping Eight's arm. Madoka rising and demanding an explanation.

        She has every right to be angry. It's like Desmond. It's like you and Judau. You punched Judau. Don't think about how this is like Desmond.

        "Here," Liam says instead, picking up a paper napkin and offering it to Guy.

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


Borderline Case - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHvlf3MhoeQ

Eight has twins, Zaress and Aarmi, a boy and a girl. That happiness is not for her.

Madoka speaks of her inability to stand idly by, surely she'll be a valued comrade to many upon the field, if she survives. They aren't for you.

Yuta. A name. A name for someone new. A new friend, different from the old. Friends like him are not for her.

To hear words of solidarity from Rikka returned. To know their meaning, after how far they've come. This isn't how it's supposed to go. To become someone else is too terrifying.

Ruri invites her to her party. Of course she can't go. It's not for her.

A straightforward answer, affection - affection from Alouette over something of her she missed. This isn't you. It's too terrifying.

An apology, words of how things are better. How Liam and Lucine have worked out as boyfriend and girlfriend. That happiness isn't for you.

Ruri's attempt to speak to the blindfold is suddenly met by a flash of a computer language she doesn't know, maddening occult symbols that are interspersed every so often by her mind's attempt to communicate. By her mind's attempt to learn it at terrifying speeds.

F#@$O@#$#$O@#$L&*#@K#@$E@#$E@$#P@$$O!@#U#$@#$T

And then. A harsh shove, as it blanks out into static.

Ruri is terrified, as she stands behind Eight. She should be terrified. It's only correct. Many ask why - many still uncertain - Why. Whether it was justified or not, justified. An explanation. What is her explanation? What is her explanation?

        You're right
                                You're right
                                                        You're right
You're right You're right

                Defiance Defiance Defiance

                DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE DEFIANCE

Defiance is acceptance. She knows that now. It is the only way to wipe that self satisfied smirk off that face.

"At least you know it." She tells him with a voice that feels like it could melt ice. "But do you know why?" She asks after a moment, poignantly, as if to demand an answer - which might puzzle everyone in the room. Of course it's obvious why, isn't it?

Or is it?

And Asuka asks him point blank, she demands it of him, and one gets the feeling that he has to know the correct answer insomuch as that to gain any traction here.

"Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice..." There's a sharp cynicism in her tone. "Apparently we've all gotten too buddy-buddy. That's what it means. I'm just going to say it once to everybody in this room."

The red glow over Asuka's sightless eyes sweeps over everyone before falling on Guy again, "I don't need - or want anybody's protection... ever again."

Her words become a staccato ascendance into a booming increase in volume across the pizza joint. "Am. I. CLEAR?" And once again a look towards Guy Shishioh as she declares.

"I found out what it was worth first hand."

Hikari for the time being just seems mildly flabbergasted, as she stands back with Tohji and Kensuke, still dabbing the tears out of her eyes. The wild emotional swing isn't exactly odd, nor the violence, nor her taking a stand on this just - she seemed so much more friendly for a moment?

Whereas Misato just stands there rubbing her face, because there goes her Olive Branch. "... At least take it outside if you're going to do that again, Asuka." She says, sounding somewhat resigned - but they're not at work, and it's not like Asuka's acting outside of her expectations as evidenced by Tohji and Kensuke - so she decides not to intervene unless it's going to cause damages coming out of her check.

PenPen on the other hand has been looking up from his pizza ever since the impact of the punch, but with a cock of his head and a wingless shrug as if to say 'Asuka's back I guess'...

... he dives right back into his seafood pizza.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        When he opens his eyes, Kaworu's gaze is on Yuta, if but for a moment. It shifts from there to Ruri, hiding behind Eight, and Eight, shielding her, before returning to Asuka herself, lashing out at Guy. Lashing out at all of them, but him most of all.
        
        It's all so expected from her. This is exactly the kind of hostility Asuka's known for.
        
        "..."
        
        Kaworu's gaze rises to the ceiling--or rather, a point far, far beyond. Like Misato, he also doesn't interfere.
        
        It's Asuka choice to handle this as she deems fit. It's important that it's her choice. 

<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.

        ... it's not the first time Ruri's been told to keep out in such a confronting way. First Unit-02, and now...

        (What is NERV doing to Asuka?)

        But fear is empathy's assassin. She doesn't know why -- and she should ask; she has the evidence to ask. The question isn't for her, and she doesn't have an answer. Would Kaworu tell her, if she asked?

        She meets his eyes. She still looks quite calm -- if a little on edge. A little tense.

        It is terror, in her language, and she's grateful that Eight is between her and Asuka.

        Asuka, who doesn't want to be friends, who doesn't want to come to her birthday party, who doesn't want to find that common ground they shared.

        "Yes," she says, formal and reserved.

        "I hear you."

        It's not, 'I understand'.

        She doesn't want to be mature enough to lie about that.

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

Others run to support him. Guy pockets the pager, quietly dabs his lip with the napkin from Liam.

"I made a promise, and I couldn't keep it." Whatever she may want, he doesn't meet her with shame or pleading. He can't even see her eyes, but he knows where to look, anyway. "I told you I'd save you, and I didn't. So yes, you've earned that from me. If I'm right, it's near a miracle you're alive."

He tongues his lip, dabbing at it with the napkin. "With that damage, you must've been near the state that made me a Cyborg." Which is to say, 'barely even discernible as a previously human entity.' "I know how much that hurts."

He rakes his eyes up and down her, and then shakes his head. Her anger washes over him. She confronts him with a demon he's defeated before, after all. "But you're asking for something you'll never get," is what he says, instead.

His oath, sworn in courage. Never give in. And never leave someone behind. If he fails...stand up, and continue. 

<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.


Eight's first priority now is Ruri's safety. But she hears Asuka, and she places her words next to that feeling she got. She places her words next to how she was, a moment ago.

"..."

This time, Asuka's anger just washes past Eight. This time, it's different.

But she sees something, there.

"Noted," Eight answers, and does not confront Asuka with her thoughts.

'Choice' is important, too.

Ruri hears Asuka, and Eight stays where she is for a moment longer--before starting to turn. "Ruri," she says. "I think it's time."

She looks over her shoulder, at Asuka. "...Welcome back." To Misato, "Thank you for the invitation."

Guy is there, to be the one who won't give in. Ultimately...

Eight was never the one who was going to comfort Asuka.

She looks back to Ruri. "...Let's go."

What she's going to tell Shinji is tomorrow's problem. 

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

        Loud and clear, Yuta heard, answering in their own mind. To them, this was much more in-line with the Asuka they had in 'his' brain, the Asuka they knew.

        Still, they had no ground to criticize her, not in the slightest. After all, for the two years since their eventful awakening, hadn't they actually be doing the exact same? Hadn't Yuta rejected people's empathy and goodwill to prove their existence?

        Their approach may be different, yet Yuta could at least show Asuka respect for her choice. No empathy, no camaraderie, that would have been an insult to themself most of all, and for the girl standing before them afterwards.

        Guy Shishioh, on the other hand, reminds them of 'him'. The epitome of justice and of a hero. The kind of person to stand up when everything is in ashes and crumbling and smile over detroits and corpses, telling everyone to carry on to the future.

        "It's nice to meet you 'again', Asuka. If you need a freelancer, Kaworu has my number. I offer more than escorting services or bodyguarding, after all." They didn't leave exactly with that they came for, but it was nice to see someone like them, in the most vague of senses that reassured no one and nothing. Plus, they got 'some' information out of it.

        "Speaking of which, thank you for the invite - Misato, Kaworu. I'll see you around, if you have me." They waved, grabbing a slice of brownie pizza with ice cream on their way out.

        Still, that nagging feeling over all of this hadn't left. Something in their core told them there was something innately and inherently wrong to all of this, but they simply had no information to act either way, and no way to find out at the moment. A tactical retreat ended up being the more appealing option. 

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kyouno has posed.

It's not hard to connect the dots. A pager. A punch. The declaration of protection, the Twelfth Angel...It doesn't take much to make the proper leaps of logic required to understand why a punch was thrown in the first place, Madoka's jaw setting in the barest of understandings. Guy's own response only confirms the surmised happenings. Broken promises are...hard to mend.

"...I don't believe you." The simplistic rejection of that declaration before turning on her heel, leaving only that jab behind as she returns to making another food crime felony. It's best to not press the issue. The understandings of trauma...There's a brain murmuring in that, the jersey girl glancing over every so often with a twinkle in her eye. The sort of recognition of someone who's declared that stupid sentence a long while ago. "Not a single word." Slightly less imposing when this pizza slice was being stacked with spaghetti and ranch...

But still. But still! Bandana or not, imposed rejection or not, middle of processing everything...She's going to stick around this place. At least, until the pizza place winds down for the day (or on 'gentle' guidance by Misato). It's the least she could do to help. Poor Tadoroko, he's sure to get an earful. 

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Liam steps away from Guy, and grips the back of his chair. He takes a few breaths, deep and steady, and focuses on what his hand feels. His hand feels the grain of the cheap wood. He smells seafood and tomato sauce and something else savory he can't identify. He sees Eight standing in front of Ruri, protecting her.

        He's wondering if he can even bring this up to Dr. Hinoki without forcing her to choose between GGG and her duty to care for her patient.

        Liam flinches as the red light falls on him, but in the next instant he's staring back at it. He doesn't have Guy's conviction. It takes physical effort to keep that stare locked, and he stammers as he tries to find the words. "I--I learned. Learned from last time." His hand grips the chair so tight it starts to creak. It feels like when they met, when Asuka scared him so bad he almost got violent. "Not going to make that mistake again."

        The mistake? Judging Asuka solely by her anger, when it might be a shield for fear, or protectiveness, or anything else.

        But that doesn't mean he has to stay here and let her lay into him. He lets go of the table. "I'm--I'm leaving, until you can. Until you can be civil. Okay? You need help. Please take care of yourself."

        Liam tears his gaze off Asuka, nods to Misato, and mumbles a quick "Thank you."

        He's still shaking when he sits down at the bus stop, five minutes later. He doesn't know how he feels.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

It really is a lot to take in, how quickly and drastically Asuka's mood seemed to change. That isn't totally unlike her, but... they were just smiling and joking with each other.

But rather than express any shock, when Alouette actually listens to Asuka's words, they kind of make sense to her. They might not be feelings she's.. unfamiliar with. "Because it's just far too painful to accept." She says quietly, turning to face away from Asuka. Is that really it?

Ultimately though, Alouette lets Guy's words be the ones to understand - and reject Asuka's. Alouette just gives her one last look - hopeful enough that this won't be the first and last time they meet again. 

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.


Ruri looks upon her with fear. And not for the first time she has to look upon her works and see the harm she's done. Behind the blindfold, Asuka's eyes blink, but noone can see it.

        It'll be better without me there.
        This is for the best.

Eight tells her Welcome Back, but in the end she understands she hurt her again.

        She's a Mother now.
        It's for the best.

Yuta tells her it's nice to meet her, but in the end, she's chasing off a new acquaintance. At least perhaps - the kindest thing she could do is not treat him like he was the Yuta Hibiki she knew - or Gridman.

        Goodbye.
        You'll do great once you get out under their shadow.

Liam acts perhaps in a way that Asuka entirely expects of him, in response to her anger - he retreats.

        Go back to her.
        And forget about...

Madoka however is the one that snaps her back out of that state for just long enough, just long enough, for her to consider the queer nature of this newcomer - to think she knows her well enough to make that kind of judgement.

        "Believe what you want. For example believing what you're making is edible doesn't make it true."

Alouette speaks to her and for Asuka... this one hurts, but...

        It's better that you think that.

... it's also not quite correct.
        
Guy takes responsibility, and as they watch Asuka it's like she even stops breathing for a time, so silent and still is she, listening to him.

        Was it really that bad?
        Was I really that badly off?
        It doesn't matter.

When he makes it clear that she won't get it however, what she's asking for, for one long moment she clenches her fist, like she's going to hit him again, but instead just responds acerbically.

"Really? That's just - too pathetic." Whirling around in that moment, she begins to stalk off towards the back, "Find another White Whale - King of Braves."

She may be opening herself up to all kind of jokes in a room full of teenagers but for some reason that's the reference her brain came up with and she's sticking too it, too angry to backpeddle or consider the repercussions.

"... I'm going after her." Hikari tells Tohji quietly, and begins to follow, but Asuka doesn't stop even for her. As Misato looks towards Guy and notes. "...Just give her some time." It's not quite an 'I'll talk to her' situation as in she thinks she'll come to.

All the words in the world never would have changed Misato Katsuragi's mind, after all. Still that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt seeing the girl she helped care for act like this after she'd come so far.

PenPen waddles up to Guy Shishioh and... there's a piece of Seafood Pizza in his beak just barely enclosed by the crust.

Is he offering it to him?

[OOC] Asuka Shikinami Langley says, "*blu-ray out the [normal"

<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.

Asuka's venom is thick as ever, but Guy Shishioh has gained a certainty in himself that she can't shake so easily. He watches her go. Watches the one thing like a friend she has in the world chase after her.

"I won't lose the same battle twice," he says quietly to the air behind her. He draws up his hand, addressing the bare flesh that no longer gleams or flickers with a G-Stone's keening power. "...and you'll have to convince me you mean it before I'd do something like leave that alone," he says to the air.

He nods to Misato, apologetic, and then turns, and is confronted by a penguin with a pizza in its beak.

Now, Guy Shishioh's most terrible challenge yet will begin.

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