2022-02-28: Administration

• Log: 2022-02-28- Administration
• Cast: Kaworu Nagisa, Akane Shinjo
• Where: Tsutsujidai Graveyard
• OOC - IC Date: 0096-02-28
• Summary: Kaworu and Akane discuss some recent goings-on in Tsutsujidai.

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<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Headstones sprawl out through the graveyard at set intervals. Some large, some small, some simple, some ornate... There's a statue of an angel, old and worn but still recognizable. Its arms stretch up to Heaven as if in supplication, making its shoulders an easy place to perch if someone were inclined to climb a seven-foot statue while it's slick with rain.
        
        Kaworu is not inclined to climb. But there he is, perched on the angel's shoulder anyway, one foot perched on a fold of its robe while the other dangles off its shoulder, a hand on the curve of its wings as he, too, gazes at the skies.
        
        Such as they are, anyway. Today the sun is gone from sight, replaced by lightly drizzling rainclouds. It's been raining a fair amount lately in Tsutsujidai. Kaworu thinks he can understand the mood. It feels like a reflection of his own heart of late. It's a bit better after the incident at 'Fumo Fumo Land'--it was sunny for a few days after that, as far as he can tell from his outside observations--but...
        
        He shuts his eyes and hums a classical tune to match the rainy weather. Not Raindrops, though that would be appropriate; something a little more blue. It makes him feel a little better, ironically, as water slicks through his hair, down his face, and into his clothes.
        
        He isn't doing anything or bothering anyone. But simply existing affects the world around him. He's always known that, but lately he's become more aware of it.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

A rainy-day graveyard walk is exactly what Akane needs right now -- the last few days have been... a little stressful, but not super bad. Lots of little frustrations and weirdnesses, but no especially big feelings. It's definitely a day for rain.

She happens on Kaworu -- or maybe it's simply that fate pushes them together, a bit. She glances up to Kaworu, pursing her lips and tilting her head slightly to one side. All told: she's really happy to see him back around. For a while, she thought he was going to stay gone, and... he's -- among the less challenging of her regular visitors.

"Hey!" Akane calls up to him, raising her voice a bit but mostly excitedly. "Is the view up there good? I've never actually climbed up any of these..."

She rolls her umbrella just a little to one side. "I was kinda wondering if you'd come back again. I know you met one of the girls in my class."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It's rain, but the feeling is gloomy rather than oppressive. A perfect day for a walk, especially through a graveyard, *especially* when you think you want to be alone but what you really want is someone who understands.
        
        Perhaps fate really did push these two together a bit.
        
        Kaworu felt her approach, but given that he's taken to interfering in her affairs, he hadn't been sure how she would react to his presence. When she seems excited, even *happy* to see him, he looks down at her, first with widened eyes, then with a smile.
        
        "It's mostly gray right now," he calls back down to her. "Beyond that, it's actually rather nice. And there's space enough for two." After all, this angel has two arms.
        
        She wondered if he'd come back again. Did she... miss him? He laughs a little at the idea, pleasant as it may be. "I did," he confirms. "And I know one of my companions from that time has come back to bother you since. I apologize for that."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"It's fine. It's not like I gave her anything," Akane answers, with a shrug, about Kaworu's mystery companion. She can best-guess who that is; Asuka didn't really make a secret of it. "There was another middle schooler here too last night, actually... she was mostly just grocery shopping, though she ended up leaving all the groceries here when she left. Blue hair, eyes... red, but maybe a little closer to your red than mine?"

She doesn't linger too much on that conversation topic, though. She scoots up to the angel (and the Angel), and, curiously, asks: "So, did you just come around here to sit in the graveyard and enjoy the quiet?" Akane would find that extremely comprehensible, honestly -- she's *also* the type of person who does that. It's just that she isn't sure why Kaworu would go to the trouble of coming *here* for that.

There are plenty of graves in the real world, after all.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu chuckles. It's nice to talk to Akane, and less nice to talk about Asuka, so he leaves it at that. It's a little more surprising to hear that someone of a description he recognizes came by too, and when Akane perches herself across from him, he looks at her with equal curiosity.
        
        "Pale skin, generally reticent?" he wonders, though he's reasonably confident he already knows. Grocery shopping... That's what they'd ended up doing together too. Had she always been so interested in such things? Aloud, he muses, "So the First has found this place as well... I suppose it was inevitable."
        
        Is this all he came here for, though? "Yes," Kaworu replies sincerely. "This place is quieter than most." *Deafeningly* quiet, really--far moreso than the average graveyard. After his conversation with Ruri, Eight, and Kagero yesterday, he'd wanted to test himself again. The quiet was soothing, but... it really is nicer with company.
        
        He'd already known this about himself, but the reminder brings a rueful smile to his lips. It seems whenever he tests himself, he really just finds out that he is who he's always been.
        
        "What about you?" he prompts, rather broadly.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Yyyyep, that's her! So it *is* a friend of yours. That's what I kinda figured, but she was really cagey. She said she wanted to make pizza for 'Ikari,' and that she 'saw where the administrator went,' and went the same way." Akane seems delighted at the confirmation of her hunch, even if she couldn't get confirmation out of Rei *herself*.

"She was pretty cagey about who 'the administrator' was, though... she could stand to answer a direct question or two. And maybe not drop 20 gilla worth of food on her way out." Akane glances off and rolls her eyes. "I still have all the food she dropped. If you want to go bring it to her, we can swing by my house later."

She's prompted for 'what about her,' broadly. "Oh, not much. I was actually only at the store to buy some stuff to make my next kaiju, now that Anti's useless and whatever that thing sleeping in Fumo-Fumo Land was sucked too bad to beat any Vessels of Light..." She didn't actually know that's what happened to spaces she didn't bother maintaining, but why tell Kaworu that? She can't let him know she's a stupid god.

"... in the end, I didn't find any bottle drinks with fat enough mouths for what I wanted. I think I might have to go to like, a science supply store or something for some of those *really* wide-mouthed chemical bottles."

Another kaiju? Did something horrible happen, or...

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu laughs again, a little longer and a little warmer. She 'saw where he went' and went the same way, huh... That really does brighten his mood. He'll have to say hello to her again soon. "Her name is Rei Ayanami. She's quite dear to me, as is the Ikari--Shinji Ikari--she spoke of. I hope you'll treat them kindly if you see either of them again," he replies, voice fond.
        
        Why did she drop all the food, though? Did something happen? Taking those groceries and bringing them to her would give him a pretext to ask... "She's not very well socialized. Neither are any of us, I suppose," he muses. A pause. "...Does it bother you who 'the administrator' is?" He hadn't intended on mentioning his NERV connections to Akane, but perhaps he should admit to it if he's going to help fight here... Given how much information Alexis keeps from her, it's only right.
        
        His smile fades at the thought of the other seijin. His eyebrows furrow at her talk of Anti's 'uselessness' and 'whatever that thing sleeping in Fumo-Fumo Land was.' Given that Alexis was clearly *very much* aware of Gillvalis, the fact that Akane doesn't seem to know anything about it... True, it's possible she could be holding back information, but if she were communicating with Alexis, she'd know she wouldn't need to hide it from him. No, Akane is definitely ignorant about it.
        
        What should he say...? He needs to be cautious; he can't talk about it directly, or Alexis will likely retaliate somehow. But he also can't simply leave it alone. He can't simply leave her to be used up and discarded.
        
        For now, carefully, he asks, "For what purpose is this kaiju meant?"

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Oh, yeah. I could tell. I kinda thought she was an alien at first!" Akane says, with a little giggle. As to whether she'll treat them kindly... "... as long as they don't try to hurt me or wreck the place," Akane answers, "I can do that."

The fact that that's her first thought, even about Kaworu's friends...

"I mean, kinda. You know how an unsolved mystery gets, right? It kinda gnaws at your brain a bit. Now that I know that she's another one of your friends, I can make some guesses. She'd have to be with NERV, which means that's probably her boss." She doesn't seem *too* broken up about the idea of not getting more, but it's clear she does want it. (After all: *not* getting more means a longer mystery!)

Kaworu takes an interest in her kaiju -- and with someone she can actually talk to about it, that's a pretty safe topic. "*This* one is just about crushing Gridman. Alexis told me Juggler suggested I try changing up the terrain a bit, and I figured, why not make a kaiju that *is* the terrain!" Excitement -- genuine, even a little warm. There's still that undercurrent of kaiju-static to her emotions...

... but Kaworu isn't human, either. He can speak that 'language,' and it's: 'I wish I could just close off *without* killing Vessels of Light.'

But if that's the way the world works, that's the way the world works, one supposes. "I gotta stop Renais from getting involved with this one, though," she muses. "I want *her* to fight alone."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu laughs along with Akane's giggle. An alien, huh. She's not entirely wrong there. ...It really does feel nice to talk with her like this. It puts him at ease, somehow. ...even if that *is* her first thought.
        
        "I doubt Shinji or the First will try to hurt you. They aren't that kind of person," he reassures her. "And I know you don't like to have to fix things unnecessarily, but you *can* simply fix the place if it gets wrecked." He sobers. "Otherwise, you'll have to be cross with me, too."
        
        Akane's talk of unsolved mysteries brings a smile back to his face, though. If it's a 'mystery to be solved,' and that excites her, then... She's already on the right track, too. "Would you rather deduce it for yourself?"
        
        But there is the topic of kaiju. Despite her excitement, and despite her words, there is that kaiju-static, and it carries a sense of reluctance--even regret, that things must be this way. He gives her a long, thoughtful look. He's about to address the matter of Gridman directly--
        
        When *she* brings up Renais. He pauses. "Why is that?" he wonders.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Hmmmm..." Akane enjoys mysteries, but unfortunately, she doesn't *get* that she desperately needs the stimulation to function. "Hmmmm... *Hmmmm...* I think I can wait a little bit." It might be the first particularly good decision she's made for her mental health in a nice, long while. She starts putting up cards on the mental pegboard, and asks: "I could use a hint, though. Is it someone I've met?" If the answer is literally unknowable to her, it's not a 'fair' mystery.

"I mean, I told you I'd let you come blow off some steam here, if you wanted," Akane says... though after reconnecting with her classmates, she's starting to feel like maybe that was an overpromise. "So I guess, yeah, you're right." Again: there's something more pressing, so she doesn't linger.

The topic comes to rest, ultimately: on Renais. "I mean, last time we talked about her, I mentioned I wanted her to get better, yeah?" It's... a simplistic, almost childlike phrasing of the situation. 'Get better.' As if cosmic law was a cold. "But it's not like my kaiju can do anything about it. The King of Braves might be able to. And it's mostly an outside problem, anyway."

She'd never tell a human -- or even a Repli-Compoid -- what she's thinking... but a fellow monster? Alexis has shown that aliens and monsters have a certain amount of community with each other, so... she can open up a little more. "I'm *trying* to get her to lose to someone who can do something about it," she finally says, just putting it out there cold. "Anti split the invaders up to deal with him. If they'd all been on Renais, she'd probably have lost too fast to get out... though maybe I should do something about her getting out, too." But that's a topic for a whole different situation. "As long as they keep having to split between my kaiju and Renais, that's gonna keep happening!"

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Then it's a good thing that Kaworu didn't tell her outright--that Akane made it apparent that mysteries excite her. His smile deepens, particularly when she asks for a hint. "Yes," he says simply, amusement dancing in his red eyes. It doesn't occur to him that being chased is exciting for him too.
        
        He does pause when she brings up that promise. "That isn't quite what I meant... though it does amount to the same thing," he admits. If she's willing to concede that, then he won't press the matter either. Now it's become part of the mystery she wants to solve.
        
        So the topic turns to Renais. He nods, listening and nodding every so often as he considers her words. It *is* simplistic, but words are often inadequate. Guy, too, wants Renais and his other former compatriots to 'get better.' That's what it amounts to in the end, regardless of how light or severe the condition.
        
        "I see... That makes sense. You want to save her, after all," he remarks once she finishes. "You may be right about the situation too. But it was inevitable that the invaders would have split between her and Anti, since she'd come there to lure Gridman out into the open in the first place and hadn't communicated that with him beforehand."
        
        He considers her for a moment. "...Is that why you called Anti 'useless'? He may have not performed as you wished, but as far as I could tell, that wasn't his fault. He didn't know."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Oooh. Small pool. Akane has about a dozen names. She could list them all off at Kaworu in sequence, and there's an appeal to brute force, but... for now, she just lets herself run process of elimination in the back of her head.

More pressing topics, anyway. "Yeah, but my best guess is that she only did *that* because he's so weird and territorial about it to everyone," Akane shoots back. "And like, if it were just that, sure, I could blame both of them. Or even just blame the outsiders for sucking!" That's a tempting prospect in its own right -- but it's one that's not easy to do the mental gymnastics for, so Akane loops back to her original formulation.

"... but Anti brought down a bunch of aggro over here, too, with his little stunt with the trains eye-arr-ell." Yes, she really actually just says it out loud. "Dumb. Pointless. *Dangerous.*" Akane sounds sterner than she usually does, here; her tone is almost disciplinary. "I can't manage him and he can't manage himself, so! Useless. Besides -- I made him with intelligence so he could figure this crap out on his own."

Akane leans against a particularly wide gravestone and takes a moment to collect her thoughts. "They're both stupid," Akane eventually concludes. She sounds so nonchalant, so disengaged as she says it.

Kaworu can tell that it's the opposite. Her emotions are a *mess* -- and they don't really make sense stacked up on each other, either. Even trying to parse out each of the individual feelings would take a lot of effort. For now, it's just a maelstrom of 'whoops: all bad.'
I don't understand that.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Brute-forcing it would just make it too *easy*, anyway. Isn't the point to let herself have a little stimulation?
        
        For a time, Kaworu is silent. He listens to what she says; he listens to how she feels. It's a little upsetting, to have such contradictory messages--but it's also weirdly reassuring. Lilim are often like this. There is still a part of her that is 'human.' And the one who exacerbated this is no doubt Alexis, seeking out the worst of her feelings and needling them into greater and greater prominence. He breathes a faint sigh into the drizzle as he ponders his response.
        
        She suggests that she might blame Anti, or Renais, or the outsiders, or any combination thereof. She never suggests that she might blame herself. The tone she takes about Anti's thoughtless attempt at pre-emptive defense doesn't sound like her, but her would-be guardian, further suggesting that this attitude is a result of Alexis poisoning her against her own creation. He'd felt her reluctance before, thinking back on it, when he'd suggested that Alexis was good to her. Now that he knows the truth, he realizes that on some level, Akane is aware of what Alexis is doing to her... but perhaps is unwilling to admit it to herself. Why, he doesn't know. But for now, it's enough.
        
        "You really are an incredible creator," he thus remarks. "I saw him fight that time in Nouvelle Tokyo, and I could witness his skill increase in real time. Absolutely breathtaking. For a being whose life can be measured in weeks, his advancement is marvelous. Not everyone could craft with such skill." He pauses a beat. "It's no wonder Alexis sought you out," he adds, dismay shading into his tone as he finally understands at least some of what he wants out of her in particular.
        
        But he can't discuss that with her, so he sets it to one side. "I was 'created,' too. Like you with Anti, those who brought about my birth made me with a specific purpose in mind. I can carry out that purpose flawlessly. But I doubt I could have done so within weeks of my birth." He looks over his shoulder at Akane. "My creators have never thought of me as a 'person'--merely a tool they crafted to ensure the end they desired was brought about. But they did acknowledge that they were not finished crafting me as a tool simply by making me. I required education. They ensured it came to be. Because of that education, I am as effective as I am now.
        
        "It's too early for you to give up on such a marvelous kaiju, Shinjo-san. Anti probably could figure things out on his own eventually. But if you want him to be effective *now*, you must see to his education yourself. If you're nervous about it, I understand--you have great skill, but you're still young yourself. If you like, I don't mind helping you out. You could ask Renais to help you, too. You will be much more effective at actualizing your desires if you improve at managing the assets you have available to you."
        
        So it may be telling that Kaworu explicitly does not list Alexis as one of those assets.
        
        "More importantly than that, though..." he continues, "it's true that Anti's made mistakes. But he does seem to sincerely want to protect you and this world. I feel that is worth treasuring." He looks back at her. "You have met, and will continue to meet, many powerful entities. But only some of them will care about *you*. One who has that quality is never useless, Shinjo-san."
        
        Kaworu laughs a little and leans his head back on the angel's, smiling up at the rainclouds. "...or at least, that's my opinion--as a professional monster."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Kaworu's initial stance -- play to Akane's ego, to in turn build up Anti -- is clever. It does exactly what it sets out to do, too; whatever calculus Kaworu is making about his remarks is paying off. "Yeah, I did set him up to be able to do that," she answers, resisting -- slightly -- the urge to preen. She's not much in a preening mood. But she does enjoy hearing the compliments.

"Gridman pulled a sword out of nowhere, so like -- he needs to be able to actually do it, right? He needs to be able to adapt to a new challenge on the spot." ... kind of like Akane herself, with her latest creation. She doesn't think about that too hard, though. Mentioning Alexis sought her out, though... "Alexis sought me out? I thought we just kinda ended up in the same Chatter thread. I asked *him* for the help, and that was a while later..." The thought that Kaworu has a different version of these events from the one she dimly remembers giving him is... concerning.

Kaworu lets her into his story a bit. Tells of the people who created him. A creature with expectations attached, and those red, red eyes... they even look a little alike. (Akane works in clay, and doesn't paint; the colors aren't strictly her choice.) Akane wonders, for a brief moment, if there's a certain amount of visual echoing in the universe -- and what, then, it means that the form she chooses here is so much like Renais, like that mysterious Newtype girl, even though they'd never met.

Too much philosophy for her though! Besides -- Kaworu offers her his skills. "I mean, if you wanna try to teach Anti, go nuts," she says, with a shrug. "And... I *guess* I could try going over a few things with him myself. As for Renais... mmm. I don't want him picking up too many ideas from her right now. Maybe after she gets better." ... of course, Akane guesses Renais will just stop coming by when she gets better.

The idea that someone who cares about her is never 'useless'... it sticks into her brain at a weird angle. That doesn't seem right to her at all; she's a black hole. She'll never actually be satisfied -- and she's supposed to be the one *providing* that care, not getting it.

Kaworu manages to snake under her defenses a bit. "I don't know how to explain some of this stuff to him in a way he'll *get*." From the context, it seems like practicals -- the reason attacking the trains wouldn't be enough, the reason he was supposed to let Renais go on her own.

The anguish rolling off of her tells a slightly different story that her head and mouth simply *cannot*. Fortunately, her brain snags on something...

"... Managing assets," she reflects aloud. "A tool, made for a purpose, to manage assets..."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It's not an *insincere* stance. Kaworu really does think highly of both Akane and Anti as creator and creation. But... there is definitely a calculus involved in the way he starts out with that, underscores it, before moving on to other matters. He nods when Akane speaks of Anti needing to adapt to challenge on the spot--he certainly does that well--but as for Alexis seeking her out... he'll let that hang in her mind for a moment, purposefully leaving a leaden silence in the air, before moving on.
        
        Visual motifs repeating across the universe... Certainly it's possible. He and *Rei* look alike too, after all--both of them with those eyes that same vivid vermilion, both their skins that pale, moon-like white. And Akane and Anti both look alike, too, even though she works in clay... But they don't go into that.
        
        "True. If your purpose is to have Renais get defeated and have her restored from her current condition, then it might be wise not to expose Anti to her too much. But he'll still need to understand what your plan is for her. It isn't reasonable to expect him to simply know," he points out. "Even I couldn't have known had you not told me." He might have guessed after a period of observation. But it was much faster for her to simply tell him. "A little patience and understanding for your creation will serve both of you well."
        
        After all, if she's supposed to provide care, then she needs to *provide care*. Even if she can't accept the idea that someone who cares about her isn't useless, that much remains true. "Shall we talk to him together, then?" he suggests. "If I can get through to him, then it'll be useful to you to see what works." He honestly has no idea if he'll be any more effective at explaining things to Anti than Akane is, practicals or otherwise, but he's certain he's far more patient than she is. That might be enough.
        
        More importantly, if he can help repair the relationship between them--undo, or mitigate, some of the mental poisoning Alexis has done to her--then maybe she'll learn to save herself.
        
        And already it seems as though she's caught on something. "Did you get an idea?" he prompts.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Two thoughts go to war in Akane's mind -- and somehow, both of them are bad. For anyone else, it would be so staticky -- and honestly, even for Kaworu, the chaos is just a little too much to parse with any serious clarity. There's a lot at work, but the thought that wins out is:

'I have to clean up Anti's mess, because Alexis is cleaning up mine.'

"... I feel like he'd get overwhelmed by that. I guess I could *watch*, but we can't both go at once," Akane says. "I can tell him I think you're worth listening to, though. Just so he doesn't get weird about it." That's... not much -- but a more direct set of requests would require the girl to acknowledge to someone that she's out of her depth and needs help.

Just because she likes Kaworu and can be open to him about some elements of her life... doesn't mean she can give him that, yet. That's still just a little too overwhelming. He knows her as God -- that means he needs to see her strength.

"And... hmmm..." Akane thinks a bit. Does she have enough to actually *make* this guess? She knows that Kaworu is a purpose-built monster... and she's got a pretty good sense that NERV is the type to do that, albeit for the wrong reasons. She knows he and that NERV pilot are allies. She knows he's someone she's met... and she knows he's got skill in managing assets.

The administrator administrates.

"Wow, they must be desperate if they're trotting *you* out as an administrator. Isn't that the kinda job you usually throw at stinky old men?" comes her implied guess, a hand coming up to her mouth as she has a giggle that's a *little* at Kaworu's expense.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        'I have to clean up Anti's mess, because Alexis is cleaning up mine.'
        
        "..."
        
        He really is poisoning her mind.
        
        But Kaworu can't simply say that. He can only glance at her sidelong, lips tugged downward in a concerned frown. "You know him best," he concedes, because this is as much about her as it is about Anti. "I think you being there would be worthwhile. It might put him more at ease, too, beyond simply telling him it's all right to listen to me." After all, Akane has probably told him it's all right to listen to Alexis, too.
        
        And besides which, Akane can't acknowledge her own mistakes right now. She can assign blame to Anti, to Akane, to the outsiders, but she cannot assign blame to herself. As long as that's true, she won't want anyone to see her as 'weak.' If Alexis had anything to do with it, Kaworu wouldn't be surprised if Akane thought she *needs* to be seen as 'strong,' to handle things on her 'own,' even when she needs help. After all, then he can get away with abandoning her at a time when she needs help the most, can't he?
        
        His nails dig briefly into his palms.
        
        Fortunately for both of them, though, when prompted, Akane giggles and makes her guess. Kaworu smiles broadly and laughs along with her. "Usually, yes," he agrees. "But they needed to make sure I couldn't be easily controlled by someone other than them." His smile turns rueful as he raises a hand to lean his cheek on. "...And being in a position of responsibility makes it easier for them to keep me observed and in line. I enabled a bit of rebellion a few years ago among some other child experiments, and I don't believe they're quite done punishing me for it."
        
        Not that he regrets doing it. Akane might well pick up his total lack of shame--and maybe even a bit of pride--from his tone, if not his expression.
        
        "But that's been erased from my files, so I'd appreciate it if you kept that to yourself," he adds, smile growing into a grin.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Oh, yeah, sure -- I kinda wanna see how you do it!" Akane offers, brightly, at the idea of being there while Kaworu talks to Anti. ... maybe she's a bit of a learning-thing, too.

The physicalization of Kaworu's intense anger -- that's something that, even as small as it is, Akane doesn't miss. She's often wired to notice this sort of thing; Rikka is also someone whose expressions are small yet so powerful. It's a thing she regards fondly -- but it does mean she, in fact, regards it. "... You okay there?" she asks, pivoting to caretaker for a bit --

-- but it gets shorted out by Kaworu laughing along with her. "Oooh, good for you! I think if the people who ought to be taking care of you aren't, maybe you *should* lash out or run away a bit!" She loves that idea -- though less so, the idea that Kaworu ultimately got pulled right back in, and put on an even firmer leash. "Anyway, yeah, I can keep a couple extra secrets. I'm gonna have to get used to that, soon."

She breathes out through her nose. "I'll let you know when I can get ahold of Anti. I don't exactly get phone service outside."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It's an honest surprise to Kaworu that Akane notices that he's upset, even momentarily--especially momentarily. He isn't used to being seen in that way. ...Then again, it's beyond rare for him to have something that upsets him this much, this consistently, in the first place. Maybe he's simply too used to SEELE and Gendo Ikari to be overly off-put by them, whereas Alexis... Alexis quite literally stabbed him out of nowhere.
        
        "I will be," Kaworu reassures her. "I'm sorry. I was thinking about something else for a moment. I look forward to talking to Anti with you."
        
        'If the people who ought to be taking care of you aren't, maybe you *should* lash out or run away a bit!' Kaworu keeps smiling, but the way she phrases that sticks out in his mind. It makes of think of his favorite and least favorite people...
        
        So he tucks that thought away for now, to be examined more closely later. For now, he nods. "Thank you. I've been keeping yours too, so you know... though I think you realize that already." After all, if Kaworu is a NERV administrator, but Asuka had no idea that Akane knew anything about anything until she grilled her, then obviously Kaworu hasn't been keeping his co-workers in the loop--even if he hasn't been keeping them from nosing around, either. But then, considering all the activity Tsutsujidai's been experiencing, that much might be too much to ask for.
        
        "That's fine," he adds. "You have my contact information already, so you can let me know at your leisure."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Well, okay." Kaworu's kinda frustrating, Akane thinks. He doesn't make his problems obvious, he doesn't eat, he probably doesn't *sleep*... how are you supposed to take care of someone like that? He's easy to talk to, but still...

"Yeah, I noticed. It... sure makes it a lot easier to do all this stuff," Akane says, with a nod. "Thanks for that one." She starts to walk off to the side, saying, "I've got a kaiju to finish up... and I kinda wanna finish this walk, too. Still, uh..." don't say good to see you again, it'll get weird, it's -- "... Check in every couple days, at least. That way you'll have some lead time on us having a talk with Anti. I'll let Alexis know you stopped by, too! See you then."

She starts walking, without too much further postscript. She moves at a slow enough pace that if Kaworu has any burning questions or statements, he can get them out -- but she's clearly moving away.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Ironically, Akane's taken care of Kaworu simply by giving him space to talk freely about himself to any extent at all. But the value that has to him isn't really easily apparent, either.
        
        "You're welcome," he replies. When Akane begins to leave, he remains perched on the angel statue. He pauses at her mentioning she'll tell Alexis he was here--but no. That's fine. "I'll do that. I like it here," he says instead, smiling. Not for the place itself--it's too silent, too lonely for that--but because of who's here.
        
        "About that kaiju of yours... Before you deploy it, could you please let me know? There's something I'd like to discuss with you and Renais about Gridman first. Well--Renais may not be necessary, but I believe she deserves to hear it all the same." After all, she knows perfectly well he came out to fight on Gridman's side. He's not sure if she's told *Akane* that yet, but it would be best to get everyone on the same page.
        
        "Until we meet again," he concludes, and lets Akane get back to her walk. For his part, he'll stay here a little longer to enjoy the rain. And this time, as it washes over him, he feels refreshed.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane glances back to Kaworu, and... gives him a nod. "I'll try," she says, "but the window on it's kinda tight... I'm hoping to roll it out there during spring break!" She can at least give him the honest attempt, though -- even if the window's a little small.

Still, she's gone after she gives him at least that much assurance.