View source for 2023-04-13: The little birds are making noise

{{Log
|cast=Kaworu Nagisa, Rita Bernal
|location=The Photon Power Lab
|summary=Rita Bernal sends a letter, calling Kaworu to a top-secret hangar in the Photon Power Lab. Two revelations are offered in exchange for a small favor.
}}
{{PhaseAndTurn
|phase=1
|turn=3
}}
 <Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
<poem>
Dear Kaworu,

Hello! It's been a while. This is the first letter I've ever written. I'm very excited. Many things have happened, but what's important is what is about to happen.

Something bad is coming. It will arrive in three days. It's going to attack your home. I know many things have done that, but this one is different. I don't understand it, but I'll tell you all I can.

I wish I could provide my usual warning to the people of your city. I'm too damaged to fly, so I have to rely on you. Please make sure everyone is prepared. Call the heroes of the living, and evacuate people who can't fight. I'll see you soon.

Your friend,

Rita Bernal

P.S.: Could you bring me a magazine with pictures of dresses?

The letter is delivered to Kaworu one evening, appearing nearly out of thin air, along with instructions to come to the Photon Power Lab in a few days. Thankfully, Kaworu already has the clearance needed to allow him down to a top-secret hangar.

What awaits him there is perhaps less distressing to one of Kaworu's experience, compared to those who are closer to the Phenex. The golden Gundam has been partially disassembled around her cockpit (which remains tightly shut), shattered pieces of golden armor haloing her destroyed body in a grim echo of the aftermath of Palau.

Within the cockpit of the machine, Kaworu can feel Rita's soul, clearly in a state of distress. She isn't /visible/ as she occasionally is, but much like a child hiding beneath a blanket, her presence is clear all the same. She appears in her mid-teens, her body consumed with fire, dressed in a blue military uniform. Despite knowing Kaworu can likely sense her state, she doesn't wish to distress him, and so stays 'hidden' within the Phenex.

Instead, Kaworu is presented with a hard-light projection of a woman in her mid-20's. She's beautiful, but far more 'real' than the idealized form Kaworu found in their shared dreams. Dressed in a normal suit (a clear imitation of Banagher Links', white with a blue linear pattern), and with her hair in a short ponytail; this version of Rita /feels/ accurate. When her sleeves or collar move, surgical scars can be seen, lining her skin with a clear lack of care for decency. Several deep, fresh marks are hidden just beneath her ponytail.

"Kaworu!" she calls, raising her head as he enters. "You really came! Thank you so much!"

With half-graceful movements, Rita hurries to his side -- it seems she can move freely in the hangar in this form. Without waiting for permission, she leans down and wraps him in a tight hug. While Rita has physical presence, she isn't warm, but all the same, the gesture is full of love.

"I'm so happy to see you. I never thought I'd get to give you a hug in the waking world!" A bright laugh, as she grasps his hand and guides him to the wreckage of the Phenex. Two chairs have been setup nearby, resting before a table. Interestingly, a box full of sand takes up the entirety of the table. 'Writing' utensils are nearby, and a few doodles of birds can be seen.

"Please tell me how you're doing." Rita says, with a soft smile. "I insist. Then I'll tell you what's to come."
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
        It's an intriguing letter, to say the least. Kaworu only knows the future in the sense that time is cyclical and many events keep happening over and over, no matter how many times around it's been. Beyond that familiarity with the past and thus probable futures, he has no actual prognostication abilities. How this might be different from the many things that have and will continue to attack Tokyo-3 in particular is notable.
        
        He also notes the way she asks him to come see her without actually asking. When he comes by the Photon Power Lab, he makes sure it's with an e-magazine featuring many different kinds of beautiful, fashionable dresses.
        
        He's guided to the hangar in question. When he descends, hands in the pockets of his administrator suit, he strolls in unfazed by the sight of the partially disassembled Phenex. The state of Rita's soul is more concerning, given her distress, but she doesn't feel as though she's in any danger of fading away or coming loose from her vessel, so after he takes in the shattered sight of the golden Gundam, he turns to look specifically at the cockpit.
        
        An instant later, a light projection appears nearby of a young woman, beautiful and scarred. He smiles at her as she greets him, and when she hugs him unannounced, he accepts it and hugs her back.
        
        "Of course," he says, accepting her hand and following her to the Phenex's broken parts. He looks with curiosity at the sand on the table and sits down with her, legs folded. "I've been well, thank you. Rei and Mary's birthdays were at the end of last month, and we had great fun at a karaoke establishment singing and playing what's called the King's Game. Also, I brought an electronic catalogue of dresses, as you requested. Where would you like me to transfer it to?"
        
        The moment she indicates where, it will transfer in a flash from his phone to whatever device she wishes.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
<poem>
Feeling Kaworu's gaze, the burning spirit within the Phenex seems to radiate a slight smile. It's nice to be noticed, even when you're hiding, sometimes. She curls into the pilot's seat and focuses on conserving her strength, idly listening to the conversation flow.

Rita's avatar's smile goes very soft, a hand reaching out to touch Kaworu's shoulder softly. "Thank you." She says, to the fashion magazine and the hug, though there's more meaning to it than just gratitude for those simple actions.

"A birthday party! Oh, I've always wanted to go to one! And karaoke, too." Rita beams, holding her hands close to her chest. "It sounds like a movie. Were there balloons? I hope Rei and Mary had the very best day, they deserve it."

Brilliant green eyes light up at the catalog. "Kaworu, I knew I could count on you! Here, I think I can..." Rita glances toward the projector enabling her avatar. Koji did some computer-y things with it, right? That should work. "Send it to the projector, please."

That's... probably not how the machine is designed to work, but Kaworu and Rita are both creatures of miracles. It'll be fine.

As the data flows into Rita's perception, she laughs with delight. So many possibilities! So many she'd never known about! Standing, she spins, flipping through many different dresses as she movies. Strangely, each one is the same shade of red-violet -- perhaps a limitation of her projector? Eventually, Rita comes to a halt, clad in a red-violet teacup dress with a faint pattern of roses. Her arms and legs are bare -- displaying yet more scarring, and as ever, she wears no shoes. A little sash winds around her slender waist. Her hair comes free of its ponytail and hangs around her shoulders in a wavy bob of gold.

"This one. I'm going to change every day, but for now... This one!" Rita announces, twirling before Kaworu. "What do you think?"

After Kaworu's opinion has been shared, Rita sits back down, growing more serious. "There are two major events that will affect your home," she begins, with little warning. "The first one..."

A glance of her green eyes to his red.

"It looks like the angels you fight so often, but..." Rita reaches out to one of the sand-drawing utensils. A figure is drawn in the sand, a human with a halo, and wavy lines around it. Then, one next to it. The same general shape, but this one with... wings? Wide and full, like a butterfly, perhaps. "It isn't the same. It comes from somewhere else. But it's still very dangerous."

Rita sighs softly. "It will do as much damage as the other ones if it isn't stopped. I don't have a connection to my greater self right now, so I can only rely on what I've already Seen happening. But it will arrive in three days' time, attacking your home. It's important to take it seriously."
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
        Truthfully, it's not just Rei and Mari's birthdays that have passed recently, but... Alloy, or Alouette as Kaworu still thinks of her, is not in a position to celebrate with the rest of them right now, and April 7th has already come and gone. Kaworu's expression turns pensive and a little wistful. If it comes to that, though, there's always another time.
        
        "There were no balloons, but it was a festive time all the same. Both of them enjoyed themselves very much, for which I'm very glad," he says warmly. The next moment, the projector is filled with data from the e-magazine, and while it might not actually be meant to work that way, Kaworu adjusts it to work that way at a literal glance. Now it's simply a matter of Rita taking that data on herself.
        
        And take it on she does. Kaworu admires the various looks she chooses. Wine red doesn't seem like her usual color--he would have guessed white or green or blue for her--but perhaps that color holds some special meaning for her. Still, he smiles broadly as she at last chooses a subtly rose-patterned teacup dress.
        
        "Beautiful," he tells her in full sincerity. "You wear it wonderfully." His expression turns curious. "Do you prefer that color? I'm sure you could try others if you so desired."
        
        However she responds, she sits and turns to business after that. Kaworu likewise sobers; maybe there was no warning, but this is the reason they've come together today. She warns of a coming attack, of something that looks like an Angel but is not. Kaworu's eyes narrow, and he rests one hand over his mouth in thought as he takes in the sand drawings. Wings not feathered but full all the same...
        
        "I see. Thank you, Rita. I'll be sure to warn Commander Ikari accordingly," he replies, looking back at her. "And the second?"
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
<poem>
Rita looks at Kaworu in concern as he turns pensive, giving him a soft smile. "I'm glad too. It's a shame about the balloons, though. Maybe next year. All that matters is that they felt loved, really."

A minor miracle occurs in this hangar -- certainly not the first, or the last -- and Rita shivers softly, feeling possibility twist. Kaworu is truly mysterious. For all Rita's Seen of him, there's always more to draw her curiosity.

"Thank you Kaworu! But... the color?" Rita looks down at her dress as Kaworu mentions it, frowning. "Is it odd? I'm afraid the projector only allows me to 'see' in one color spectrum. Everything appears purple-red. I wonder if there's a way to adjust it, at least for the dress. I'd rather wear... Green, I think. Green for miracles."

A hand brushes down the dress, the hard-light fabric smoothing under Rita's touch much like the real thing. A slight petticoat hides beneath the skirts, floofing it out in a sweet way.

Kaworu's thanks are met with a gentle smile and a nod. "The second one is even stranger, somehow. It's... um."

A hand brushes away the sand drawings, and she starts to doodle again. First come... musical notes? Lines are drawn around them, making a staff, and Rita draws out a few bars. Lyrics accompany them, written neatly.

''I wanna tell it to all the world:''
''I am yours.''
''Even now, I wanna be an angel.''

"Her name is Asciel." Rita places emphasis on the latter half of the name, glancing to Kaworu. He'll recognize the pattern, just the same as she has. "She doesn't want to hurt NERV, but she wants what you have."

Rita doodles again, drawing what appears to be a shield of many rounded squares.

"I couldn't find her soul in the stream of Possibility. She's either disconnected from it, somehow, the way Yuli is, or... She just doesn't have one." Rita sounds puzzled. "She's a copycat, but different from the /first/ copycat. They're not related to each other."

Rita doodles a bird aimlessly, her eyes faraway. Focusing, thinking. She's silent for a few long moments. At length, she glances back toward the Phenex's cockpit.

Within, a little hand reaches out, renewing the connecting with her avatar. The larger Rita nods.

"Ten days, if everything stays the same as it was before Palau. Asciel -- she wants to make herself stronger, that's her entire goal. She doesn't want to hurt anyone if she doesn't have to, but that won't hold her back, either. You don't need to worry about as much destruction, but I think... You should still gather your friends."

Green eyes look up to Kaworu, so soft, as Rita smiles. "You have many who would come to your aid if you asked them. Their strength will be enough."
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
        "Oh, is that why?" Kaworu wonders. "No, it's not strange at all. But it did stand out to me that all the dresses you donned came in the same color. I simply wondered what the reason was."
        
        He considers this; if it's a matter of Rita's own perspective through the machine, that might be beyond mere software. Hardware isn't beyond his ability, but that would take more tinkering than he might be welcome to do. So instead, he suggests, "Perhaps Dr. Kabuto can have the projector adjusted for you?"
        
        He smiles at her preference. Green for miracles. Yes, he did read her correctly after all.
        
        He watches her write anew in the sand. What she writes, he reads aloud in its original language, though he doesn't speak so much as chant rhythmically, like a Gregorian monk, to follow the notes Rita writes with them:
        
        "'A dosce tu dati re, ezu sai-ha, thirty auguso noman di ku re...' That's a Sharon Apple song," he observes. "It's called ''Wanna Be an Angel''."
        
        He frowns a little at the implications, both at the song and the format of the name. Asciel... A being without a soul, or whose soul is hidden, who desires the light of a soul. He considers Rita's drawing of an A.T. Field, then shakes his head slightly.
        
        "I see... That's quite a coincidence, that two pretenders would come to NERV in close succession, both seeking something from us, yet unrelated to one another." He considers Rita. "And when will Asciel come?"
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
<poem>
"I thought I was making this one green and pink, really!" Rita says, a bit embarrassed. "I'm glad it still looks nice, at least. When I was alive, I dreamed of wearing dresses. It was always military uniforms. But now you've given me a thousand of them." Rita smiles so widely her eyes squish shut. "Thank you, Kaworu. I never thought I would be given such a gift."

A little nod, once her eyes open again. "Yes, I'll talk to him. Koji and everyone here has been so kind to me. They really are a family." She sighs, somewhat melancholy despite the sweet words. "I wish I could do more for them."

Kaworu chants along with the notes, and Rita looks impressed! "Kaworu, you have such a lovely voice. And you know so many songs! I've been listening to the radio since I've been here. LiSA has been sharing it with me."

Rita pauses. "But... That title choice is a little ominous, don't you think? Especially coming one after another. Asciel's objective is clear, at least, but the pretend angel is very confusing to me."

"Ten days. A week after the first pretender." Her voice is serious. "Focus on repairing your machines first, rather than defenses or infrastructure. Asciel will only focus on NERV headquarters."
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
        "You're quite welcome. But it was the gift that you requested I bring you," Kaworu points out, smiling back. Still, while it may be a gift he brought her because she asked for it, he's happy to see ''her'' so happy. Likewise, it's nice to hear that Koji and the others have been treating her well--he had no doubt of that, but it's nice to hear all the same.
        
        "I'm sure you could, if you wished it. Even small things can bring great joy. Bringing you that electronic catalogue was a small thing for me, but it means a great deal to you, doesn't it?"
        
        But they move onwards. Rita praises his singing/chanting voice, and it's his turn to smile so broadly his eyes squint shut. "Thank you. To be able to make beautiful sounds is the greatest pleasure."
        
        LiSA... He's yet to be able to meet the girl born from Infinity, though his interest is no less piqued since Koji told him about her. It's good that she and Rita are getting along well, too. But, as Rita says, it's an ominous title. "Yes... I doubt she understands the ramifications, but if she has even an inkling..."
        
        His lashes droop. Ten days from now, a mere a week after the first attack. "Thank you. I'll pass that along as well," he replies. He's not certain Commander Ikari will ''trust'' what he tells him, but he's pragmatic enough that he won't ignore it. Kaworu is... ''fairly'' certain of that.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
<poem>
"It does." Rita agrees, thinking over what would make the Kabutos happy. "They do so much for others. I wonder what they lack, here in the Castle of Iron..."

A soft giggle. "Besides maybe some emotional honesty."

"You must be right, about making beautiful sounds. BIrds do the very same thing! And you're as free as they are in how you share with others. I think that's really wonderful."

Rita puts down her sand-drawing stick, facing Kaworu fully. "You've done so much for me, and my sister. I'm glad to be able to do something in return. I wish it was more. You deserve happiness, Kaworu. Don't forget, okay?"
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
        Kaworu laughs softly with her. "To be one's true, honest self is at once the simplest and the most difficult thing for Lilim to do, it seems."
        
        But he's not exempt from that, either. Perhaps it's because he's part Lilim himself, even if he identifies as an Angel.
        
        "Thank you," he says graciously, both of birds and of happiness. It's always uplifting to be told how much good you've done for someone else. "You shouldn't forget that, either, Rita." He rises from his chair. "I should return to NERV Headquarters. Until we meet again..."
        
        And after they exchange good-byes, Kaworu will head back to Tokyo-3, mulling over the news Rita has given him.
</poem>