2022-04-24: The Meteorite Cools

• Log: The Meteorite Cools
• Cast: Liam 7-020, Kaworu Nagisa, Asuka Shikinami Langley, Lucine Azul, Rei Ayanami
• Where: Tokyo-3, OCU Japan
• OOC - IC Date: April 24, 2022 (0096)
• Summary: After Liam escaped from his handlers, he volunteers to join NERV in gratitude for their part in his rescue. Kaworu comes by to make sure that really is what he wants--and a few others poke in their noses for various reasons, too.

---

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Two days ago, NERV-aligned mechs intercepted a Gundam of unknown origin as it fled Area 11. Shortly thereafter, they engaged a mercenary unit hired to retrieve or destroy both the Gundam and its pilot. Kaworu made the decision to offer amnesty to the pilot; his machine was taken to a nearby hangar, while he was taken to a nearby motel.

        Tokyo-03 is a fortress city. Compared to other metropoli--even other Tokyos--its amenities are few and far between. But even Tokyo-03 gets its share of visiting civilian personnel, and they need accommodations. The pilot has been assigned to one of these facilities, and placed under the careful watch of NERV security personnel.

        The motel's small meeting room is more of a formality than everything else. The carpet pattern is blandly corporate, and the metal chairs and tables slot into the floor so they don't shift about when the city transitions into its defensive posture. The walls are a sterile white. There's a large monitor built into the far wall, but the controls and hookups are under lock and key at the front desk. Aside from that, there are a grand total of two things that could be considered "amenities". One is the bank of vending machines outside, which offer everything from bottled water to toiletries to coffee to prepackaged meals. The second is the windows, which overlook part of the center of Tokyo-3--the hotel even has enough height to it, courtesy of the armored transit infrastructure it's built atop, to offer a decent view. In a pinch, the entire building can twist ninety degrees and slide down into the earth, turning itself into a bunker.

        At present, there are two people in the room. One is a uniformed NERV security officer, who sits by the door with a vending-machine coffee and a tablet computer. The other sits at the meeting table, alternating between a CalorieMark (original flavor) and a refillable metal thermos full of water. A battered old tablet sits next to him on the table, idle for the moment.

        The person who identified himself as Subject Seven-Dash-Zero-Two-Zero cuts an odd figure. He's big--at least six feet tall, and well-muscled--but not big enough to turn a cockpit claustrophobic. His sitting posture is impeccable, but there's a hint of nervous rigidity in it. His facial features are lean and sharp, and given a couple years, could turn into something handsome. For now, he just looks like someone who hasn't finished growing. His head has been shaved, and surgical scars mar the crown of his skull and the line of his neck. Several surgical ports--the kind installed to administer medication--lie flush with the skin, tracing their way down the neck scar. Other, older scars mark his jawline and eyelids. His eyes are bright blue, and his eyebrows are red.

        He wears a plain, worn jumpsuit that looks like it could've come from a hospital, with the number '7-020' stenciled in black over the right breast. A pair of matching white boots cover his feet.

        Liam's hand drifts down to where the knife would rest, if he still had it. The officer insisted on taking it from him, and he saw no reason not to comply. If necessary, he is more than capable of unarmed takedowns.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        When he had offered Liam a place to go, Kaworu had cautioned him that NERV might not be better than what he's used to, but it should at least be different. 'Different' is apparently more than good enough; beyond simply accepting a place to stay for a day or two, Liam outright asked to join up with the organization. Being an administrator of NERV this time around, Kaworu actually has the authority to accept his volunteering, though it might take a little longer to find more permanent housing than a motel. Tokyo-3 is a safe city, relatively speaking, but its living quarters tend more towards bare and cramped.
        
        For now, Kaworu stops by Liam's room in his black administrator suit with its purple scarf-tie and beige STORAGE-style jacket with his name and rank insignia stitched on the breast, hands tucked as usual into his pockets. He's made it known to NERV and interested Nergal parties where Liam is, so he's at least open to receiving visitors, but, well... the security officers speak for themselves. Kaworu always has one or two lurking in the background, keeping an eye on his movements.
        
        He gives a friendly nod to the officers as he knocks, then lets himself in; then he seats himself at the meeting table opposite from Liam. His movements are graceful and sure, and when he sits, he crosses his legs elegantly.
        
        "Hey," he greets Liam, taking in his appearance at a glance. "I hope you've been well since we last spoke. How have you been finding your stay here? I heard you went out yesterday; was everything all right?"

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Asuka is never interested in socializing. Ask her to come to something that isn't NERV related and she'll immediately turn you down - unless of course Misato catches wind of it and orders her.

However, finding out that they're offering asylum to some labrat that escaped from Area-11? Well that's at least interesting to catch her notice. Learning that he wanted to join NERV? That makes him the competition. And she always checks out her competition.

And so the Second Child swings by the motel. Since it's her day off from school he's wearing a pink tank top with spaghetti straps, a red skirt with a loose white belt wrapped around it, and a jacket that's tied around the waist as the weather has been mild. Though as always, she has her interface headset in her hair.

She doesn't acknowledge even acknowledge the security officers exist. She just presumes they know who she is. She doesn't knock either. When the door opens, it's done so far too roughly with a discordant slam as she doesn't even bother to shut it, just keeps walking as it the door bounds back and a security officer shuts it.

"So Fifth String..." She says with a glance Kaworu's way, before she gives Subject Seven-Dash-Zero-Two-Zero a critical - contemptuous look, "... is this the labrat that's going to be our new pilot?"

She doesn't bother to sit down. Just crossing her arms.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        There's another person here, whose face may not be familiar to Liam, but, perhaps, her voice might be.

        "Ah, the view...!"

        Lucine, it seems, is easily impressed by hotels, seemingly due to the novelty of clean, corporate quarters. Such places exist anywhere a city can exist, and Mars has their share of them in Alba City, but it was far more common to see the colorful patchwork of businesses that exist at the base level for anyone who didn't have the coin or need to stay in the finer establishments.

        Lucine being here is semi-official business, but she's eschewed the Nergal uniform for her light blue top and khaki shirts, with an oversized black jacket thrown over it.

        Entering after the willful Asuka, it's clear in Lucine's body language that she was going to make a gleeful beeline for the window in order to gaze out of it, awestruck, but she stops, remembering the other pilots here with her, as well as...

        The young man they're here to see: Liam.

        "...." Lucine's eyebrows wrinkle against each other, and a hand covers her mouth as she sights Liam. She had considered the possibility of the young man being an AI, due to how he talked and the 'on fire' nature of the Gundam, but she had never considered.... this.

        "No wonder you were trying to escape... but..." She looks aside to Kaworu awkwardly. "... Surely he would feel better in different clothes...?"

        The awkwardness she feels grows by the second, and she straightens. "Ah, sorry, I shouldn't be talking like this, in front of you, Mr. Liam. I'm, well, you wouldn't know me, but I'm... Lucine Azul, the pilot of the Dianthus, from the Nadesico. That is, ah, Nergal. I was the smaller unit. This would be the first time we're meeting, face to face." She bows her head. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Liam's motel room is barely a hundred square feet, counting the little bathroom. The kitchenette and bed fold out of the walls, and secure in place when they're not actively in use. It's still larger and more accommodating than any place he's lived in years. If anything, he feels... at a loss as to what to do with it all. Everything is either brand-new or dredged from half-buried childhood memories.

        The conference room, in contrast, feels enormous. There are places to hide here, but Liam still feels exposed.

        SLAM

        The security officer startles, his coffee sloshing perilously in his hand. He gives Asuka a look, then seems to decide this is above his pay grade.

        Liam's reaction is more profound. He leaps to his feet, dropping the half-eaten Calore Mark bar and whirling on the door. Catecheolamine regulators in his adrenal glands and brain hum to life at the first sign of danger, flooding his bloodstream with adrenaline. Wired reflexes turn him into a blur. He clenches his fists. He looks down at the target, sizes her up, decides he could stomp the instep and shove past her--he outmasses her, and not by a litte.

        Executive function derails that train before it can speed to an awful destination. For a heartbeat, Liam looks at Asuka with wide, far-too-alert eyes. His hands tremble.

        It hits him, a moment later: she's so young. And a tiny, distant part of him wants to curl up and cry.

        But he doesn't have the luxury of feelings right now. There's a young man with her--Fifth String?--and Liam recognizes him, instantly. As Kaworu addresses him, he stands at attention, his arms at his sides, and his hands open.

        "Subject Seven-Dash-Zero-Two-Zero accepts demerits for this outburst," he says. He doesn't look directly at Asuka, instead focusing on Kaworu like he's drowning, and the Administrator is a life preserver that's just within reach if he can only muster up one last burst. "Authorized funds have been used to purchase necessities. An itemized list has been sent to your mail."

        'No wonder you were trying to escape.'

        Liam looks down at Lucine, and his mouth opens, ever-so-slightly. He struggles for words. How is he supposed to respond to that?

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        "Yes, this is Liam. He's volunteered himself and his unit to NERV," Kaworu tells Asuka, seemingly unperturbed by her slamming the door open and all but sneering down at NERV's newest member. Likewise, he's unperturbed by Liam's rapid, hostile reaction to Asuka's entrance, partly because Liam gets himself under control before he can actually attack her.
        
        "Thank you," he tells him as he stands to attention, as a general response to his... well, everything. He nods to Liam, gestures to Asuka, and continues conversationally, "Liam, this is Asuka Shikinami Langley, also known as the Second Child. She's the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-02. She's also a deeply unpleasant person by nature, so please don't let her behavior sway you." Either for ill *or* good; there are so many who end up charmed by Asuka's abrasiveness. It's a mystery Kaworu has never been able to solve. "She's like this with everyone," he concludes.
        
        Lucine at least gets a warmer smile, rather than the coolly polite expression he gave Asuka. "It *is* a nice view, isn't it?" he says--though when Lucine suggests that Liam would feel better in different clothes, his smile turns rueful. He knows what she means, but... "Sometimes, it's best to take certain things slowly," he says gently.
        
        Hopefully she'll understand what he means. Actually, hopefully she won't. But perhaps the way Liam stares at her sympathy as if she were an alien (which, as a Martian, she actually *is*) will convey Kaworu's meaning better.
        
        For now, he looks back at the man who continues to address himself as a number. "On which note... Liam. I know you expressed interest in joining NERV. I don't mind if you do--but I'd like to ask first if that's truly what you want," he says gently. "NERV is a crossbloc, global defense organization. If you join us, you will be expected to contribute. Sometimes, that will mean fighting, specifically against hostile aliens, kaiju, and other similar threats. If you escaped where you came from so you wouldn't have to fight any longer, I would respectfully encourage you to reconsider your request."

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Liam's pronounced reaction just causes Asuka to raise an eyebrow looking calm, and confident as she looks up to make eye contact at the taller guy. She takes on the appearance like she wasn't worried at all despite the speed he's moving. It's almost certain that he could take her down in a fight fairly easily, but she's acting like he couldn't - he may be willing to accept demerits, but she immediately upbraids him for his behavior in lieu of some other punishment. "What are you stupid? You think if I was someone who wanted to take you back that I'd just burst into the room like that? You're giving me a lower opinion of wherever you came from by the second."

Maybe the true punishment is being in the same room as her.

She then sideeyes Kaworu as he calls her a deeply unpleasant person, giving him a glare, yet she doesn't seem to object to it too much... indeed, she's probably not objecting to what one thinks she would there.

Lucine comments that it's no wonder he would be trying to escape, but she doesn't show much sympathy.

"Oh goodie, the Flower Girl is here too." As she remembers her somehow from the G-Hound air show.

Kaworu though explains what NERV is, and asks him to reconsider his decision. "Why are you even considering this 'Administrator'?" As she switches his title right then and there from his nickname, "We don't know a thing about where he came from, who he was running from..." She then gives Liam another scrutinizing look, "... or if he was really running at all. Sounds like a liability at best, a huge security risk at worst."

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Earlier.

'And your overall perception of left side physical sensation in aggregate?'

"It's functional," Rei says, making a little fist with her left hand and relaxing it. "It goes 'tingle tingle', a little, still. Late in the day, or at night."

'Better after laying down?'

"Yes."

'Seems within parameters... it's a shame we can't do this easily for more people. Collect your prescriptions on your way out.'

THEN:

Rei Ayanami emerges, alone, from the hospital. In lieu of other clothing she is wearing a loose gray T-shirt with no marking on it and a pair of white baggy cloth trousers, along with appropriately sized athletic sneakers and white socks. She is also wearing a contoured foam collar in pallid yellow, fluted on the outside. A far sight from the harness she had endured for some time.

As Rei walks - carrying her bag with two precious things and nothing else - a signal is reviewed in her one connection to the world of digital networking.

An update. A - refugee? Escaped pilot?

A location.

NOW:

The door into the motel room opens. It may already be getting rather crowded. A pallid girl looks in, stands on the balls of her feet for a moment, looking round. She seems to spot Liam, perhaps thanks to the helpful directional indicators on top of Asuka's head. She considers something, and then steps further in, pressing against the closet door to let the door swing shut.

At this point she sets down the heavy plastic bag she had been carrying. Printed on the bag:

SUPPLY PACKAGE - ROTATE 15 MONTHS - PACKED 1120095
DISPLACED PERSON - MALE, ADULT - GARMENT
TOKYO-3 MUNICIPAL RELIEF SUPPLY AUTHORITY

Welcome to Tokyo-3! The back of this bag has a number of important reference numbers-- (and this message repeats in all major Earth Sphere languages, leading with Britannian English after Japanese.)

Rei pulls it open and the bag lets out a sigh and a slump as the vacuum-sealed space within is infused with air. Rei crouches low, keeping her back vertical and looking carefully downwards. She is, if anyone looks back at her, sorting something. She is, just, positioned that the door swinging open will not strike her in the ass, but she is absolutely In The Way.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Earlier.

'And your overall perception of left side physical sensation in aggregate?'

"It's functional," Rei says, making a little fist with her left hand and relaxing it. "It goes 'tingle tingle', a little, still. Late in the day, or at night."

'Better after laying down?'

"Yes."

'Seems within parameters... it's a shame we can't do this easily for more people. Collect your prescriptions on your way out.'

THEN:

Rei Ayanami emerges, alone, from the hospital. In lieu of other clothing she is wearing a loose gray T-shirt with no marking on it and a pair of white baggy cloth trousers, along with appropriately sized athletic sneakers and white socks. She is also wearing a contoured foam collar in pallid yellow, fluted on the outside. A far sight from the harness she had endured for some time.

As Rei walks - carrying her bag with two precious things and nothing else - a signal is reviewed in her one connection to the world of digital networking.

An update. A - refugee? Escaped pilot?

A location.

NOW:

The door into the conference room opens. A pallid girl looks in. She seems to spot Liam, perhaps thanks to the helpful directional indicators on top of Asuka's head. She walks in afterwards, approaching Liam.

Rei is not carrying her own effects, but a vacuum-sealed object made of heavy duty plastic, the sort usually seen in military stores. Printed on the bag:

SUPPLY PACKAGE - ROTATE 15 MONTHS - PACKED 1120095
DISPLACED PERSON - MALE, ADULT - GARMENT
TOKYO-3 MUNICIPAL RELIEF SUPPLY AUTHORITY

Welcome to Tokyo-3! The back of this bag has a number of important reference numbers-- (and this message repeats in all major Earth Sphere languages, leading with Britannian English after Japanese.)

Rei hefts the bag up - it has considerable weight - and sets it on the table to Liam's side. "You can return what does not fit at a shelter," she informs him.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Lucine seems to catch on to Kaworu's comment, nodding. "Oh, ah, yes. Very much so."

        Liam's bewilderment is yet another signal. "Oh, ahh, sorry!" She bows again, though the way she folds seems to stem from something internal than any fear towards Liam. "I just... You were eager to get away, so I was concerned... Ah..."

        >executing Lucine.exe
        1. OH NO I SCREWED UP
        2. HOW TO MAKE THIS BETTER???
        3. PLANT

        "Maybe, as a welcome gift, would you like a house--" 'Oh goodie, the Flower Girl is here too.'

        Lucine relents, because there is a point there, in Asuka's comment, whether intentional or not. She is the one comforted by plants. Liam may find being in charge of something deeply disturbing.

        It's about this time that Rei walks in, carrying a plastic bag. As Kaworu talks, Lucine peers slightly at the bag Rei carries, but not so much as to be rude. Supply package, male, garment--

        Lucine does not know who Rei is, or who she is representing, but the young woman has suddenly rocketed onto her 'like' list.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Kaworu thanks him, sincerely. He uses his name. He introduces the intruder as a fellow pilot. He seems to know her, and he does not seem pleased with her behavior, but he doesn't berate her. He doesn't berate Liam, either. Liam breathes like he was taught, and slowly, the reflex shuts down. His eyes grow clearer, sadder. "Understood," he says. "This subject spoke with guard personnel--" A nod towards the guard, who is doing his best to be as inobtrusive as possible-- "--about NERV, the environs, and the situation on the ground. I understand the risks inherent in any military operation. This subject was built to handle them, and to survive them. The answer remains unchanged, Administrator."

        Liam looks at Asuka a moment, then, and swallows. Once again, that rigidity creeps into his posture, but he wears it like something familiar. "...a what?" he asks Lucine, though speaking while Asuka is speaking feels... odd. Dangerous. It shouldn't. She looks the same age as the ones he's comforted and cared for, when they let him.

        But Liam is more than alert enough to notice Rei. To notice the way she slips in, unobtrusively, while the others simply flow around her. He looks at Rei, then down at the bag. He doesn't recognize the logos, but it reminds him of--

        The words hitch in Liam's throat. When he finally gets them out, his "thank you," is barely audible.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        "R&D is interested in Liam's Gundam," Kaworu tells Asuka--and though he could leave her question at that, she *does* raise some good points. Assuaging her concerns, if that is in fact doable, would be wise. So: "It looks as though it's been constructed so that not just anyone can pilot it--though you can probably tell it's that sort of machine just by looking at him." What with all the very obvious surgery and 'upgrades' that have been made to his body. "You're right in that we know very little about his background, and it is indeed possible he may end up a security risk. But it's been decided that a machine with that level of destructive power would be best kept where it can be closely observed--assuming, of course, that its pilot decides to follow through with joining." He nods towards the two security personnel. "In the meantime, we do have eyes on the situation here."
        
        Whether that's enough for Asuka remains to be seen. For now, that's how it is--and Liam makes it clear he understands the position he's putting himself in and that he's fine with it. Kaworu nods once, unsurprised. He hadn't thought that Liam would change his mind. But he wanted to be sure of what Liam's understanding was. "Very well. Then we can go over the paperwork together a little later. You'll need to have an ID made as well, and we'll need to situate you in more permanent quarters. I'll guide you through all that. First though... understand that you don't need to continue to address yourself as 'this subject.' Your own name will do."
        
        His gaze moves towards Rei when she pokes her head in, then sets down a bag on the table next to Liam and makes a statement. Kaworu reads the text on the side, and though his smile remains as is, his gaze grows fonder as he watches her for a moment.
        
        "This is Rei Ayanami, the First Child. She's the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-00," he explains to Lucine and Liam both, gesturing towards her. It might help Lucine's concern for Liam to have someone else to focus on, if only for a moment; if nothing else, she seems as flummoxed about what to do about him as he is about her. When Liam whispers out his thanks to Rei, though, Kaworu simply smiles.

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Liam doesn't talk back to her, and with every passing moment his behavior just strikes her as some scared labrat. It's at least a step above a doll who doesn't outwardly show anything, but only a small step in her eyes. She's about to call him on the idea that he was built to handle them, and to survive them.

However, Kaworu starts answering her questions, and Asuka gives him an actually strange look, "Just what's in that Gundam that has R&D actually interested?" Given the credentials of NERV scientists, she's at least forced to accept if they're interested - then there's a reason for him to stay.

And then Rei enters with a bag of... clothes, "And now the Commander's Pet. This is turning into a regular ice cream social." Putting two fingers against his forehead in annoyance.

"Fine. I can accept that the labrat should be handed over to R&D, but just because he thinks he's built to survive a military op, doesn't mean that he has any place fighting a Kaiju, or an Angel with us."

Her eyes follow down to his hands as if to make her pointed assessment. "Don't think I didn't see your hands shaking. Someone like him would only get in my way out there."

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Rei saw Lucine on her way in but she doesn't seem to have much to say. She is standing still for a moment. (Secretly, she is feeling something in her shoulder and is remaining still in case she needs to go back to the hospital. It's not inclining that way, but it is not as if she had an appointment.)

Liam speaks to her. Rei tries to nod, without much success. "Yes," she answers him, instead, remaining still. This gives Kaworu the opportunity to introduce her, which outlines her name in full in an adequate manner. She can't quite turn her head to look towards Kaworu from the angle through which she approached, which, unfortunately, puts an unpleasant object in her peripheral vision: Asuka.

The lab rat. She means Liam, Rei reasons quickly. Her eyes return to Liam.

"What is your name?"

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        "..... a houseplant," Lucine says softly, to Liam. "I find that, being around something you can focus on can sometimes... make you feel better. I realize not everyone is like this, but... if you like, I can bring you one, if NERV doesn't object. I know a few that are very easy to take care of, if you feel nervous. And... if you feel it's too much after accepting, I don't mind taking it back."

        It's a concern that stems from the damning similarity she finds in so many people that have similarly been displaced, whether by aliens, climate, politics, or, in Liam's case, a thing Lucine had only considered a worst case scenerio, and only due to a Newtype filled with her mother's warnings.

        As Kaworu introduces Rei, Lucine nods, smiling. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Ayanami. I'm Lucine Azul, from the Nadesico. Thank you for bringing the supplies." She notices the cushion, but, she doesn't comment, not wanting to bring attention to it just moments of meeting her.

        She's already done that once today, after all!

        Asuka's abrasive nature rolls off her, dominating the space in a way that no Newtype sense is needed to be able to detect it, but it's something Lucine has seen enough to know to expect.

        To say something, to come to Liam's defense... pushing back would necessitate more energy being expended in response.

        So instead, Lucine moves to keep Asuka interested, so that Liam is given space. "I can't speak for them, but I can say his Gundam seems to operate on heat. Enough that it affected the environment around his unit. There was a beach in the area where he was escaping, and where the heat was being expended, there were glass remains from where the sand fused." She shoots a look towards Kaworu, seeing if he's trying to keep such information secret. "... It was like looking at a chariot of fire, from the Greek myth. His attackers tried to lie about him being a single prankster, but... I cannot think of anyone who could pilot any of those sorts, fire or no, without some sort of knowledge or experience."

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        "I only know what I was told about it," Liam says, only speaking once Kaworu is finished. "It was described as a bespoke commission for a benefactor. It requires a pilot with thermal tolerance well outside the norm, as well as interface systems designed with its primary armament in mind. I was selected from an--an internal candidate roster to undergo the necessary augmentations."

        "I don't know who they are." Tension builds in Liam's voice. "I don't know where they're keeping the others." He clasps a hand. Talking like this in public, in front of all these people, feels so strange and dangerous. "My orders were to deploy in the Gundam--the Proto Helios--and to wait in Area 11 Sub-District 25-A, spooling up the reactor to optimal operation until engaged by Britannian forces. Spooling up the reactor to optimal operation would have set fire to everyone there. I ran. They sent Knightmare Frames to stop me, and I destroyed them. They sent those merceneries after me, and--"

        Liam trails off, lets Lucine explain. He turns to Rei. "Liam," he says, and his voice softens. "This is for people without a home, isn't it? I haven't had a home for a long time. Thank you, Rei." He manages the faintest smile.

        Asuka calls him out. "I won't be a burden," he says, and his throat tightens. "There's too much at stake. Now, a--plant? I... could. I think? Something green might help."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        "A fine question. They'd like to know that too," Kaworu tells Asuka. Lucine fills in more details; he nods her on, indicating that it's fine for her to share that information. At least, in present company. "It was capable of doing that while having a living pilot inside." It's obvious that both Liam and his Gundam is some organization's secret science project, even before Liam weighs in himself. Given NERV's own secret science projects, it's only natural R&D would take an interest.
        
        It's enough to get her to accept that he can stay, at least. Given her attitude towards Shinji, that's something. Kaworu breathes a faint sigh as she takes exception to both clothing delivery and Liam's shaking hand. Opting not to point out Asuka's many, many boxes of luggage, he instead considers Liam's description of what happened before his flight. "I see..." he says--but leaves it at that.
        
        Things seem to have gained some forward momentum, at least. Despite his initial difficulties, Liam seems quite adaptable, socially speaking. It makes sense to Kaworu that his main objection might be to killing *people*. NERV's targets are not, by and large, considered people, after all. For the moment, Kaworu lets him socialize with the others as he pleases. It feels like it'll be good for him.
        
        He does ask Rei, though, "How has your recovery process been so far?" She's clearly improved, but she's just as clearly still got a ways to go.

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

"You will." Asuka replies back, not offering him even the smallest benefit of the doubt. "Because you really don't know what you're getting yourself into."

To be fair to Liam though, Asuka considers every other pilot on the field a burden to her, so Liam is not a unique liability in her eyes in this sense. He's likely ten times better than Shinji out there, but multiply zero times ten and you still get zero.

Asuka listens to Lucine's account of the Gundam and how it operates in battle, in truth she's more interested in it than in Liam himself at the moment, so it's an effective diversion. "Is that right? Well... this Gundam. It came out of Area-11, and he just said he doesn't know who these people are. Are we sure we're not confiscating some top-secret Britannian project here?"

It's not that she minds Britannia losing its toys - or even one of its major projects being ruined as a result of this. She just wants to know perhaps what they're all getting into. Especially with Britannia accounting for so much of the NERV budget.

Kaworu asks about Rei's recovery process, and she rolls her eyes. What's the point of asking something like that? She thinks.

"Though..." Something occurs to her the more she mulls over what the labrat is telling them... and eventually she actually moves over to Kaworu and murmurs in a low voice, "Thermal tolerance? Think there's any connection to you-know-who?"

She's absolutely thinking of Renais.

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

Lucine addresses Rei. Her eyes turn towards her and Rei shifts to face her. She accepts the statement stoically. "Yes," she replies to her after the expression of gratitude, her eyes wavering slightly to the side.

There is a topic being discussed. A Gundam.

Liam explains it.

Gundam. A machine made to hold back war.
Gundam. A machine used to prosecute war.
Evangelion. A being made to protect people.Evangelion...

If only, of course. If only. She doesn't seem to have an answer for Liam's further gratitude. Her hands, now empty, fold behind her back for a moment, rather than hanging loosely at her sides as they often do. Perhaps Lucine and Liam give her enough pressure, socially, to not simply stand there like a lump.

The Administrator has a question!

Habit becomes a burning collar.
Waiting. Waiting to die. Waiting to heal.
I regret it.
It's necessary. It can't be helped.
I regret it.

It hurts.

"It is nearly complete," Rei says. "There is muscle rehabilitation."

A topic occurs. You-know-who. Top secret Britannian projects. Rei glances at Asuka again as if she just grew a second, smaller head, although it is perhaps more surprise than anything. This happens as she had just begun to turn towards the doorway.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Rei's response draws curiosity from Lucine, and she nods with a small smile, taking the response as a wish to not speak further than was necessary.
        
        ".... Helios, the Greek god of the sun..." Lucine recites from memory, blinking. She didn't realize her analogy would be so fitting, but, perhaps, it may have been what inspired the name in the first place. "An analogy for the sun. He would... often be depicted as driving a golden chariot across the sky."

        "...." There are others. He was ordered to deploy and wait in in Area 11 Sub-District 25-A. Such ambient temperatures would have killed friend and foe alike if they weren't adequately shielded.

        Lucine reflects back on the words Leito had, about heroism.

        "It's within the realm of possibility," Lucine conceeds to Asuka, nodding slowly. "However... the people who attacked did not seem like the sorts I would associate with what little I know of Britannia... they seemed more to be mercenaries, as Liam said." As Asuka moves to side to Kaworu, Lucine turns her attention back towards Liam and Rei, catching the former's smile.

        There seems to be some relief in that worried expression, finally.

        "..... I'd be more than glad to get you a plant of your own, if it doesn't upset anything on NERV's side." Lucine clasps her hands in front of her, and notices Rei slipping away.

        Please run, Rei, before Lucine offers you a plant as well.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Liam's jaw tightens as Asuka speaks, but he doesn't shoot back. Sometimes the younger subjects would get mad, just like this--and he reminds himself of that. And besides, Rei is right over there. "Were you injured during operations?" Liam asks, looking down and trying to meet her eyes. "I'm glad you're able to walk. Did they just... let you leave, as soon as you were able?"

        But there's another conversation happening. Liam has learned to listen to those. It's helped keep him alive so far.

        You-know-who. Who is you-know-who? He's already committed, and part of his brain insists that was reckless, that his guilt over the other subjects was guiding his judgment. That he saw them in the young people that rescued him. But what if...

        Someone else like him? Or is Asuka mistaken?

        "...That's what it was named for?" Oh no, a question for Lucine. "I don't know Greek myth. I know a little about others, though."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        When Asuka suggests that maybe NERV has confiscated a top-secret Britannian project, Kaworu laughs in that soft way of his. "They always have the option of asking nicely to have it back. If they aren't willing to do that, then it isn't our responsibility to reach out." He doesn't think that Britannia *is* responsible for this one, anyway, though if they were, it wouldn't be the first time NERV received a project of theirs.
        
        His expression does turn thoughtful, though, when Asuka points out a potential connection to Renais--not that she names her, but extreme heat *is* a hallmark of hers. "Perhaps," he murmurs, before regarding Liam. "Does the name 'BioNet' mean anything to you?"
        
        He laughs a little as Lucine again suggests helping Liam get a plant, as long as it doesn't bother NERV. "It doesn't," he reassures her. "The two of you are free to go shopping for plants together as you please."
        
        Rei responds to the question about her recovery with facts, as is her wont. "I see," Kaworu says simply--something that might remind Rei fleetingly of Commander Ikari--save that he then adds, "I met with the girl you saved. Her name is Ako. She's not only doing well, but she's quite spirited. Tsutsujidai being what it is, she doesn't really remember the experience, but because of you, she's able to pursue her happiness with the one she loves." A beat, before his smile softens. "I thought you might like to know."
        
        Beyond that, he doesn't try to stop her from leaving if she desires. Social situations are not really Rei's forte, and Kaworu knows that well.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        Liam's brow furrows, and the scar tracing it pulls downwards. "It... it doesn't," he says. "Do you think it should, Administrator?"

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Asuka commits what Lucine says of Helios to memory. She was never interested in taking Classical Civilizations courses at the university. Asuka gives Lucine another long look however as she says the mercenaries were not what she associates with Britannia, "Could just be some noble's pet project then. In which case they probably wouldn't want it to go through proper channels."

Kaworu's laugh though gets him a dark look, even if she actually appreciates the sentiment of Britannia coming to beg for their project back. It's just, she doesn't like her words being laughed at, especially not by him. Yet he still at least takes her question seriously and asks Liam about Bionet.

He doesn't seem to know anything though...

"Of course he doesn't know anything useful..." She says harshly... but that's when she catches Rei staring. Asuka stares right back as she asks belligerently, "You got something to say to me Commander's Pet?"

<Pose Tracker> Rei Ayanami has posed.

"Yes," Rei tells Liam in response to his question. He gets words other than 'yes' too. "It was part of the recovery timeline."

The risk that Rei Ayanami will receive the care of a houseplant is barely avoided. Rei has perhaps not had the greatest potential history with plants -- but such things would have to be asked of the class representative.

Another name comes up. BioNet. Rei's eyes track to Kaworu, and her face colors - faintly, but clearly, given the pallor of her complexion - at his statemnt. She seems to straighten up slightly further than she was, and says to him what she's said to others in the last few moments: "... yes."

And then Asuka notices her looking at her.

Rei feels a sense of something crawling up the back of her neck. Tension. In a normal situation she would probably disregard it, the way she disregards a great many pains that don't cross a certain magical threshold that compels her by sheer ancient physiological evolution to scream.

But this time - this time there's something else. Muscles that tighten are slackened, weaker. The side of her neck begins to burn, not with the ghost-heat of synchronization or the actual heat of a burn but with gathering pain. Rei feels her eyes threaten to water. Her face draws tight, and she answers Asuka:

"... no,"

before, rather swiftly, walking towards the conference door exit. She breaks eye contact almost immediately.

... An unpleasant person...

<Pose Tracker> Asuka Shikinami Langley has posed.

Asuka hears the no, the look she gives Rei taking on a sharpened edge as she watches her wakl towards the exit. "I'm out of here. This whole 'visit' was a waste of my time."

Then it's not long after that she storms out of the room herself, brushing past Rei purposefully as she goes.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        "It's possible." Lucine nods neutrally at Asuka's theory. "... All of what I know about Britannia has been through second hand sources, so I could very well be wrong there."

        "Many Greek and Roman entities lend themselves naturally to being sourced as names for units," Lucine offers Liam, on the subject of Helios. "My own unit, the Dianthus, well, it's... a roundabout reference to Diana. Sort of, anyway..." She gives a soft chuckle. "Those parts were more my doing, really... What other myths do you know about?"

        'The two of you are free to go shopping for plants together as you please.'

        "Ah--"

        Oh no, Kaworu. You had to offer that suggestion. Her cheeks briefly tinge pink before she thinks on it, drawing the logic out from her own anxiety.

        "... I suppose... that would be a better solution, rather than making a decision for him..." Lucine mulls it over in her head, her eyes pinned towards the view of the window beforing turning her gaze back to Liam. "I'll... leave it up to you, and with what you feel comfortable with."

        Her eyes, a shade of yellow that would seem more at home on a bounty hunter than a docile gardener, redirect to the nondescript carpeting of the floor. "I... meant what I said, back then, about this being the first day of your life. To make decisions, and to feel out your place in the whole of the world, instead of just a small part... every step you make will prepare you towards finding those others. Even small ones. Like shopping for a plant. Or, feeling it easier to do something else."

        To be parroting her mother was not the action Lucine expected herself to be doing today, but it felt like advice she could give Liam, to give him some excuse to do mundane tasks. To feel okay, being the one who escaped, while others didn't.

        Just like Rei escapes, a young woman of few words, as Lucine feels her jaw clench tight from that sheer hot, unpleasant energy she feels. She rubs at the knot in her neck self-consciously, feeling useless as the two leave.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It isn't really that Kaworu is laughing at Asuka, just the image she conjures up and what he knows of Britannia's (or rather, its emperor's) relationship with NERV. But she doesn't voice the reason for her displeasure, and Kaworu is too used to it existing for its own sake, so he thinks nothing of her glare.
        
        More interestingly, Liam doesn't recognize the name BioNet. "Hmm... I don't know," he admits. "Have you ever heard of anyone named Renais Cardiff-Shishioh? If you haven't, perhaps it would do you some good to meet her... once she wakes up, that is." He's been checking up on her daily since she was recovered, but... for now, she still slumbers.
        
        Though, based on Rei's staring at Asuka's roundabout mention of her, maybe it would be best to send around a missive about her. For the time being, he lets Rei turn and leave--and Asuka too, as she abruptly decides that this whole visit was a waste of her time. Kaworu watches them both go with significantly different sentiments in his heart for each.
        
        At least Lucine remains, and is a generally more pleasant person to Liam in general. It's fine advice she gives, and hopefully useful to Liam going forward. But her tension in reaction to Asuka, well...
        
        "That's the sort of thing I mean," he says to Lucine of Asuka, looking sideways at her. "Don't let it bother you, either." He looks over at Liam. It being just the three of them now, the security personnel aside, he asks, "If you're ready now, would you like to come with me to handle your paperwork, or would you rather get settled in a while longer?" Not that this is going to be his permanent home, but still. Liam can always go plant-shopping with Lucine afterwards.

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.

        A sharp spike of tension rises behind Liam's eyes. It isn't just the implants--it's frustration, and doubt and anger and empathy all knotted up and wrapped in the thick, muffling fabric of emotional numbness. He doesn't have the words to put names to any of it, nor does he know that there's a Newtype in the room. (He does know what those are, if only because some of the other children were called that, and were different.) He presses a hand to his temple, rubbing at a surgical scar. If these were his fellow Subjects, he would talk them down.

        They aren't. He barely knows these people. He's lonely, and he can't put a proper name on that, either. "I," says Liam, as Lucine asks a question. His gaze falls on Asuka's back as she storms out, following Rei. "Another time. Please." A moment's pause. "Your generosity is deeply appreciated. It will be honored. I promise."

        Kaworu mentions a name. Liam shakes his head. "Yes. If you recommend it, I will do it." But then Kaworu gives him a blessed release from this, and Liam is all too eager to accept. "Paperwork," he says. "I... only have this." He pulls his jumpsuit collar aside, revealing a black, grid-patterned polyhedral: an information fractal, the kind one can scan to access or unlock something online. "They always scanned these before telling us what to do, or what tests we'd be taking, or what training we'd be doing. Aside from that..."

        "Everything is gone."