2022-02-26: Delivery from the Nadesico

• Log: Delivery from the Nadesico
• Cast: Lucine Azul, Kaworu Nagisa, Zoia Surovy
• Where: NERV HQ, Tokyo-3, Japan
• OOC - IC Date: February 26, 0096 (2022)
• Summary: Lucine delivers a package to NERV, which Kaworu and Zoia receive.

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<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        "Hello, this is pilot Lucine Azul. Ah, I believe a message was sent ahead from he Nadesico that I was coming. ... I can send the necessary security information."

        Lucine Azul, the Nadesico's newest addition, embodies many roles: gardener, pilot.... gofer.

        She doesn't exactly mind the small busywork she's given: go get take-out. Go deliver this bill. Go deliver this important package to this agency. It's just that the Dianthus, being the finely honed weapon lovingly tailored by a retired bounty hunter, has the look of a of a finely honed weapon lovingly tailored by a retired bounty hunter. Even without weapons, its sleek humanoid shape, looks more at home being a deadly hummingbird in the sky than delivering the equivalent of...

        To be honest, its pilot isn't even sure. Something in a case that is likely not some secret weapon or confidential information as it is 'here's a batch of some item we're too lazy to send more than one crew member to ferry'. It could just be 'here's thosee bootleg Gekiganger episodes someone in NERV didn't want to admit to asking for'.

        Nothing disrespectful, as the pilot *is* dressed in the Nadesico uniform and all. The Dianthus even has a Nergal decal stuck on the right side of its chestplate.

        With her comlink off, Lucine takes a deep breath. "Don't screw this up, you can do this..." She unclenches her hands from the controls after the Dianthus lands on the directed arena. ".... Just imagine that you're just delivering... flower seeds...?" She reaches behind her for the case. ".... A lot of seeds. Deep breaths."

        The cockpit splits open, and its pilot emerges, making a measured leap down onto the ground. "I apologize for the wait. I... got lost." She bows her head to the stern faces she's already imagining, even if she hasn't actually assessed who is meeting her here.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        What *did* NERV request from the Nadesico? It doesn't matter. It's a mere conceit. A concept, if you will. Whatever it is, it's probably not that important, since there's only one person in charge of delivering it, and--as Lucine will find when she arrives at the relevant NERV facility--one person in charge of receiving it.
        
        Well, that's not exactly true. There's plenty of lower-ranked folks milling about, signaling Lucine and the Dianthus in, working security, checking the box with scanners, et cetera... but only one person who's there to sign the paperwork. A rather young person, at that, and one who greets Lucine with an easygoing smile rather than the stern scowl she'd been imagining.
        
        "It's quite all right," he reassures her, hands tucked in his pocket. He's not alone, either--Zoia's there with him--but he's the administrator signing off on the exchange. He glances out at the personnel transferring the cargo from the Dianthus to a NERV transport truck; someone on the ground floor turns and gives him a thumbs' up.
        
        "Everything looks in order, then," Kaworu continues, looking back at Lucine. "Thank you for your hard work. If you need to take a break to refuel before leaving, please feel free."
        
        That certainly was easy, wasn't it?

<Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.

There are always NERV things to do, especially when you're the pilot of an eighty-metre-tall horror machine! Zoia's morning has mostly consisted of stability testing for Unit-Z2. It explains why she's showed up in her plugsuit (it's pale blue) beneath her ankle-length, navy-blue Zaftran military coat.

She did, in fact, join up with Kaworu. Rank issues or no, him and Shinji seem the most 'normal' of the other Children, and of the two he's the most calming presence to be around.

At the moment she's giving Dianthus a curious appraisal, moving her hand to rest at her cheek before adjusting her glasses delicately. "It reminds me more of a hummingbird," she murmurs with a glance at Kaworu.

As Lucine emerges, Zoia offers up a neat smile in greeting, clasping her hands formally at about waist level. Together with the volume of her coat and the slimming effect of a plugsuit on someone with the lankiness of frame typical of teenagers, the stance makes it look a little like her coat is about to swallow her. "Yes, as the Administrator says, you'd be welcome."

Her eyes dart to Dianthus again - "Is that machine something customized yourself?"

Zoia has a noticeable accent - something eastern European or Russian - but her English is clear enough.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Ruri did say twelve year olds as ship operators was rare on Earth, but that didn't mean they were impossible.

        That is Lucine's first thought, as she raises from her apology. ".... Are you... ship operators?"

        Her gaze is not unfriendly, as she tries to discreetly determine if she's given her package to the right people. After all, it would be embarrassing to go back and explain why she casually handed a package she was entrusted with to two people who look slightly younger than she is.

        The combination of Kaworu's casual ease and Zoia's clinical curiosity successfully relax the Newtype, who places her hands in front of her. "If you are offering... I would like that. I've heard of NERV, but I don't know much beyond that. I admit to being curious."

        Especially as of right now.

        Zoia asking about the Dianthus draws a beam of quiet pride from Lucine. "Sort of," she says, drawing a hand to brush off a bit of dirt from one of the legs. "Some of the design elements and aesthetics were my idea, but it was my dad who did most of the work. The Dianthus Mk. 3."

        A Dianthus from the Nadesico.

        ".... I don't think Nergal expects me back very soon, since I didn't have any orders beyond that. If you two like, perhaps.... I'd love to hear about what you do here. I've heard NERV and Nergal have collaborated in the past, so..."

        Collaborated='Killed an Angel, something that no one cares to explain without giving massive Depressed Vibes that make Lucine float away'.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        There's something deeply funny about being seen as the most 'normal' of the Children. At least the rank issues aren't really *issues*; Kaworu might technically be Zoia's boss, but he has no interest in actually bossing her around save for where and when it's required. Maybe it's because they're about the same age anyway.
        
        "That's quite a romantic image," he remarks back to Zoia, smiling her way. "I wonder if it flies as well as one?"
        
        For his part, he isn't wearing his plug suit, but his Administrative outfit--a fairly simple affair with a white tie-up shirt, violet tie striped at the end with green, black slacks and shoes, and a beige jacket with a winged star insignia on the breast over the letters K.NAGISA. It indicates that he has a command position, though someone outside of NERV might not necessarily know that.
        
        Lucine asks if the two of them are ship operators. Kaworu laughs congenially at the idea. That's one thing he hasn't been yet. "No, we're pilots," he tells her. "But I'm also an administrator here. Administrator Kaworu Nagisa. This is fellow Evangelion pilot Zoia Surovy." He nods at Zoia next to him; any details she might want to add, he leaves to her to add for herself. "And you're pilot Lucine Azul," he adds, not a verifying question but a statement. "The Nadesico did indeed send word again."
        
        Since the transfer appears to have been completed successfully--NERV's staff is well-trained and well-organized--Kaworu nods to Lucine. "Hmm... There are some things we can't share due to confidentiality, of course, but if you have any questions, we can try to answer them. Perhaps at the... commissary, where you might partake of food or drink?"
        
        Lilim both eat and drink. That is a thing he knows Lilim do with regularity. For his part, Kaworu will finish up with the paperwork for the delivery, nodding to Zoia to keep Lucine entertained for the time being. She was part of that mission where the Nadesico assisted with the Angel attack, after all.

<Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.

For someone who's maybe about fourteen or fifteen, Zoia's a remarkably calm presence. Her mind's working very rapidly, but in an incredibly ordered and structured fashion. She looks over Dianthus with eyebrows delicately arched, before smiling and tilting her head back towards Lucine. "Really? A family project? That's really quite cool."

As much as Evangelions are all slightly different, they're government projects. The romance of something handmade remains when it comes to the Dianthus.

"It really is, isn't it," she agrees as she tilts her head towards Kaworu. Her eyes are bright with interest behind her glasses.

She takes the introduction queue, nodding to Lucine easily before letting her hand migrate down to the narrow arch of a hip. "Pryvitannie, Azul. I'm also the local assignee from NERV's branch in Zaftra. It's good to meet you."

She looks over her shoulder for a second before noting, "You wouldn't think an official commissary would have good food, but they actually do have good food! Have you ever tried Japanese food? They have a lot of it here because it's a Tokyo. It's different if you're not used to it, but in a good way!"

Then - "Yes, we're grateful for all the help everyone has provided!"

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        A family project.

        "Yes..." Lucine nods with a polite smile, but her gaze gains a bittersweet light to it.

        A heirloom, that brings her pride to talk about, which she does, not that she's been given the oppurtunity. "... It's designed with mobility in mind, yes. It may not look it right now, but in the sky or even in space, it's almost like dancing. ... Not that I would know, especially, as I'm not a dancer, but I am, ah, a pilot. As well as Nadesico's gardener."

        Just like they are. Lucine tilts her head slightly, then clasps her hands in front of her. "Oh, great! I rarely get to meet pilots younger than me!" She stops, pressing her fingers to her mouth as her chin lowers. "... I... meant that in a good way, of course... but also, administrators?"

        She missed the part where Kaworu meant only himself, but she's already extending her hand to whoever is closest to her, and then the next, each handshake nervous, but warm. "It is a pleasure to meet the two of you as well. What are you mobile units like? I've seen some articles- they look so different from anything I've seen before on Mars. Oh! Ah." She's covered her mouth with her hand again. "... I don't want to know anything secret, of course. The commissary would be wonderful; I may need a bit of refueling myself. I've had a few Japanese dishes on the Nadesico.... like...." She makes a motion with her hands, like she was holding chopsticks. "Something with a... hot dog, cut to look like an octopus."

        So not many.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Technical matters are resolved with speed and quality. By the time Zoia has introduced herself and Lucine has confirmed that she has not, in fact, had very much Japanese food, Kaworu has taken care of the paperwork. He hands it off to the appropriate person, watches over the transport truck as it takes off, and turns back to his companions with hands returning to his pockets. It's interesting to him too that Lucine's machine was passed down to her from her father, but... he honestly doesn't know how to engage with someone with so much vivid, open love for their father. So he doesn't.
        
        "Yes," he confirms, simply, of being an administrator. "You're the Nadesico's gardener? That's an interesting role to have on a battleship. It makes sense, given its spaceworthiness, though--and how much emphasis they place on quality of food there. Miss Ruri was kind enough to show me to their kitchen."
        
        He's a little surprised when she offers her hand to shake, but only a little; he accepts with a warm smile and a firm but cordial grip. "Are you from Mars originally?" he wonders, turning as he slips his hand back in his pocket to guide Lucine to the commissary. It's a simple enough place--lots of vending machines, lots of tables. The food isn't gourmet, but it's serviceable.
        
        Today they're serving two different meal sets: one is a main of turkey and cheese sandwich wedges with a side of tomato soup and a garden salad, and the other mains katsudon with a side of miso soup and pickled vegetables. The katsudon set is *wildly* popular and is almost out. Water, coffee, and tea are available for free at the self-service counter; any drinks more complicated than that are for sale in the vending machines.
        
        Kaworu seats himself at a table and folds his legs, waiting for Zoia and Lucine to fetch what they like for themselves. He doesn't get anything for himself, nor does he request anything.

<Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.

Zoia draws her lips into a little 'ooo' of wonder. "Really, dancing in space? That sounds very majestic! I do like dancing."

Lucine reveals her hobby, and Zoia brightens just a bit more. "Really? Gardening on a ship? That sounds really cool! What do you plant, mostly food things, like hydroponics, or ornamentals?" She gasps. "Do you do flower arranging? That would be incredibly pretty!"

The talk of youth sobers her slightly; she smiles lopsidedly, glancing at Kaworu. She's got two problems here:

        a) She's not sure if NERV pilots being kids is classified, and
        b) Eisen Daiwel looks like he got held back ten grades.

She does take the handshake; hers is quite delicate. As they continue on to the commissary, Zoia's smiling pensively. "Really, you're *from* Mars? What was it like to live there? Is it true that most of the cities are domed?"

The katsudon set is wildly popular. Zoia orders it anyway because she's become a terrible sucker for going local. Her side drink ends up being the tea.

She maneuvers over to sit with Kaworu, the heels of her plugsuit clicking lightly on floor tile as she moves. "Are you hungry?" she asks him, though she's getting the idea that he often isn't. "If you want some of my vegetables, feel free." She had noticed both Rei and Kaworu's dietary preferences at the party.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        "I'm... likely making it seem more graceful than it is..." Lucine seems a little embarrassed, but slightly pleased with Zoia's enthusiasm. "I... can't do something like a pirouette in it, but, more like... one of those swooping birds, like... I think they're called swallows? Because they swallow water? Something like that."

        Lucine is very, very much from Mars.
        
        "Yes. They were very enthusiastic about this project- I'm very lucky they were so willing to work with me on something like this." It wouldn't take much detective work to understand the real reason Lucine's unorthodox suggestion of position was accepted as an addition to the ship's illustrious crew. "A little of both, actually," Lucine says, nodding with a proud smile. "The upper management is more set on vegetables and fruits, but I feel so much comes from just being around plants in general. I've had some help developing a system to keep any moisture from going into the systems, as well as keep a lot of it not dependent on gravity just in case. It's really fun, especially picking out the varieties, and--" She stops herself. ".... I get... very enthusiatic about these things."

        But she wasn't the only one who showed an interest.

        "Oh, you've met Miss Ruri, Mr. Nagisa? She's so interesting. I've never seen someone so gifted so young." Lucine smiles as she shakes Kaworu's hand. "It's why I wondered if the two of you were similar."

        "Yes, I came here to work just recently." As Zoia and Kaworu ask questions about Mars, Lucine immediately realizes her slip-up. ".... Many are, yes," she says, taking the questions as neutrally she can, without her brain slipping into recent memories. There are cities, they were cities. "Alba City's system is a little different, being far too large for a dome, but it's more or less the same concept. The atmosphere outside the domes is still hard on you if you're outside too long, and the gravity is lower than here, outside of the cities. It's... what the Dianthus is more calibrated for, honestly."

        Seeing the choice of food, Lucine momentairely frets. Something familiar, or something new? ....... She'll go with the katsudon, netting the very last one. "... Ah, it must be my lucky day..."

        Sitting with the two, Lucine begins to try out her meal, looking up. "... What's daily life like for you two, then? Do you help people with your suits, or is it, like... ah..." Maybe this is too private. "... You don't have to answer that, of course!"
        

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu listens to Lucine as she discusses her duties as gardener, answering Zoia's questions and detailing what she does. "Yes, so I see," he replies, of her getting enthusiastic. His smile deepens. "It's charming."
        
        In regards to Ruri, he laughs, a soft and subtle sound. "Yes. We do have some similarities. I consider her a friend." They haven't known each other that long, but do you need to when your soul resonates with another's?"
        
        But... if she is indeed from Mars, and she's on the Nadesico... that implies some things. This is made more apparent when Lucine's attitude shifts from friendly to neutral. "It seems like you'll need to make some adjustments to the Dianthus while you're here, then."
        
        Kaworu meets Zoia's glance and simply smiles back. He does not help her in the slightest in addressing either of her problems. In fairness, #2 is a problem no one can address. Mad science hungers for sacrifices, and sometimes those sacrifices include being in middle school as a student while looking like you should be a teacher.
        
        Zoia asks if he's hungry. "No," he replies. "I appreciate your offer, though. I may take you up on it." He actually may! It depends on how uncomfortable they end up seeming that they're eating and he's not.
        
        For the time being, he chills as the two of them tuck in. He laughs a little at her discomfort--not in a mocking way. "You don't need to be so stiff," he reassures her. "Evangelions are expensive to field, but they aren't the only mobile suits NERV has. STORAGE, which is a subdivision of our organization, has a pair of more general-purpose robots called Sevenger and Windom, and they're often involved in public assistance works."
        
        Kaworu retrieves his smartphone from his pocket and holds it out to Lucine. For some reason, despite not having even tapped the surface, the display is already up showing Sevenger. It is, frankly, adorable. Sevenger is shaped like a friend. If Lucine swipes to one side, there'll be a picture of a somewhat larger robot that has a sort of rooster-shaped head: Windom.
        
        "They do good work," Kaworu continues, eventually pulling his phone away. (If Zoia wants to get a look first, he'll let her; she's still new here, after all.) "It's no wonder that STORAGE is treated as the face of the organization."

<Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.

"Diving bird... you mean, more like zymorodky?" Zoia asks with a cant of her head. "Or whatever they are in English. Kingfishers."

Rebuffed or not, Zoia smiles gently at Kaworu - but she leaves her vegetables on the side of her main dish closest to him, just in case he wants to reach over and snatch some. It never hurts to be considerate.

She crosses a leg over the other and tucks into her dish. She may be composed for her age, but far be it from her to resist delicious katsudon. She doesn't scarf it down per se, but she is as interested in eating as she is on the chatter - and Lucine's explanation gives her time for a good couple of bites, even! She swallows and shakes her head with a bright smile. "No, no, you don't have to apologize for being enthusiastic! I think it's really great. You have something you like a lot, da? So there's no reason to be embarrassed about it."

She swirls her tea and takes a sip. "That makes sense," she concedes. "I've never been beyond the Sides. It must be amazing to see a whole different planet...."

She leans over to check out Kaworu's phone. When Windom comes up, she covers her mouth with her fingers to avoid giggling or calling it cute.

"Yes, Evangelions cost a lot!" she says agreeably. "There are uncomplicated ones, too. Everyone in the world has Wanzers, for example."

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Lucine chuckles, her cheeks reddening slightly at Kaworu's remark and Zoia's encouragement. "I've met many who would disagree." But not in a mean way, judging by how she still smiles as she says it.

        "Zymor...? Ah, kingfishers?" Lucine's eyes twinkle. "The ones with the long beaks and the green and blue feathers? I've been hoping to see one of those sometime..." Lucine breaks her chopsticks like she's seen some of her fellow crewmembers do, and carefully picks up a bit of breads pork. "I suppose. I can certainly dive, though if I do it too much I may get dizzy if I'm not careful." Popping the piece of pork into her mouth, she grins. "... this is delicious! This is... katsudon, right?" Perhaps Ms. Howmei knows how to make this? The ingredients look easy enough to find while they're on Earth.

        Taking a drink from her soda, Lucine sighs happily. "I'm just getting to know everyone there-- Miss Ruri is very serious, but I imagine she feels she needs to be." Newtype ot no, Lucine is far from able to read the far more grey truths to Ruri's past. "... I think I may be the second youngest, but... not by much, really. I sometimes feel much younger due to everyone else's experience compared to me, more or less." Well, aside from a reluctant pilot.

        "Earth is so different... very beautiful, though I miss Mars still, sometimes. But... I feel like I've always lived here too, with the blue skies and grass." It may have been simulated in Nemi, but it felt real enough to her. "Both skies are beautiful."

        Looking at the smartphone as Kaworu shows her, Lucine softly gasps, placing a hand over her mouth. ".... so cute... Like something I'd want to protect in case it gets sad..." If Kaworu doesn't seem to mind, Lucine swipes over, and sees Windom. "This one looks like an owl, almost. An owl person. So these are general-use Evangelions?" She looks up at Zoia, utterly clueless.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It certainly doesn't. Even if Kaworu doesn't choose to eat, he does appreciate Zoia's consideration.
        
        "I'm sure you have. Lilim are as diverse in opinion as they are in birthplace, background, and color," Kaworu concedes, on the topic of many who'd disagree. "My opinion may simply be a single star in the Milky Way, but even so, that's how I feel." And Zoia makes it clear she agrees; Kaworu nods her way.
        
        Lucine and Zoia both dig in. "Yes," Kaworu confirms. "I believe it's made with slices of pork meat dipped in breading, then fried with onions and placed over rice. In Japan, it's believed to bring good fortune because the 'katsu' in 'katsudon' sounds like the word for 'victory.' Isn't that strange? Lilim have such a preoccupation with names and the idea that they can change something's very nature."
        
        Lucine talks about the Nadesico, Mars, and Earth, about being one of the youngest members of the crew (if not by much)... Kaworu smiles as he listens and watches her. "So you feel as though you belong even on another planet... That's wonderful. So many things divide living beings; it's nice to see someone with a sense of unity."
        
        His smile broadens as Zoia and Lucine both admire the photos of Windom and Sevenger. Windom seems to net a more positive reaction overall, though. STORAGE's most recent robot is quite popular too. "No, they aren't Evangelions at all," he replies. "Evas have... a unique make. They tend to look more streamlined." As opposed to Sevenger and Windom, who--however friend-shaped they may be--are very clearly chunky robots.

<Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.

"They have blue feathers, yes! Sorry, I wasn't sure what the right word was for them," Zoia admits with a lopsided smile and a little blush. "English isn't my first language and I don't really talk about birds very much."

It took her a bit of time to get used to chopsticks, but at this time she's handling them relatively well. "Yeah, it's katsudon," she confirms as she picks out a bit for herself. "I think it's fairly easy to make! I've started learning to cook some of it, too. So long as I'm here, I might as well, right? I like to try new things!"

Kaworu's culinary crash course leaves her raising her eyebrows slightly -

        Why does he keep mentioning Lilim? Is it some sort of Japanese-adjacent sub-ethnicity I've never heard of? Like the Ryukyuans or the Ainu, maybe?

"Yeah, Evangelions are pretty uncommon," she adds. "There are things that cost a lot less to fly. Wanzers aren't anywhere near as large as an Evangelion or even a Gundam, but everyone has stuff compatible with the MULS-P spec! I trained on Wanzers a lot, actually - they don't have active mass balancing, so it's a useful way to learn."

With a pensive sigh, Zoia leans forward and cups her cheek in one palm. "Visiting another world... it sounds really fun. Of course there's a lot still to be done on Earth, too...."

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Lilim? ".... Lilium? Or, ah, nevermind." Lucine chuckles, then pops a bit of steamed broccoli in her mouth.

        Clearly, Kaworu is not talking about lilies. Or maybe, he thinks of people as being like lilies, which are very akin to stars. Lucine likes the idea of that.

        "... I wonder if it's to change ourselves," Lucine ponders. "To eat something that means good luck... It's like a ritual, to make yourself more confident, since confidence can't really come from us just telling ourselves to be more confident..." In other words she's finding yet another excuse to ask for katsudon. "Mars is named after a Roman god of war. Sometimes I wonder... did someone name it that because they knew the surface would be more harsh than on Earth?"

        Her train of thought is derailing, though it feels more like it's sailing away when she contemplates things like this. "... But Earth... I wonder where that name came from..."

        Kaworu clarifies, and Zoia adds onto that, making Lucine wonder just what Evangelions must look like. But since it wasn't volunteered, it must be something secret. Streamlined, but uncommon, and very expensive. Something really high-tech, maybe, but not as interesting as STORAGE's robots. "... MULS-P.... those are compatible parts you can switch out, right? I've never really dealt with them until I came here. There were some adjustments that had to be made first, but it seems my dad must have been already thinking ahead in some ways..." She takes a piece of egg and marinated onion pensively and puts them in her mouth, her mood improving again with the delicious food.

        She had neither the heart of a scientist or a bounty hunter.

        "Do you prefer manual or automatic, Miss Surovy?' Lucine then asks, as natural as if she asked if Zoia was more a fall or spring person. "And what about you, Mr. Nagisa?"

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It *is* a nice idea, isn't it?
        
        "I doubt it. The surface of Venus is far harsher than Mars's, and it's named for the Romans' goddess of love," Kaworu points out. "Though I suppose it's possible they had some strong negative opinions about love." Earth, though... He smiles as Lucine wonders about the name. ...Its source is rather less romantic than the other planets, though, so he refrains from remarking.
        
        As for what Evas look like, it isn't *precisely* secret; Evangelions have been fielded in battle several times now, and not just against Angels. But it's not really considered appropriate for NERV staff to take photos of them and share them casually. Maybe Lucine will get a chance to see one in person another time.
        
        "That does sound interesting," he comments to Zoia about her training on Wanzers. "You mention them quite a bit. You must be fond of them." He smiles at her enthusiasm about new things. (Her raising eyebrows are noted, but not remarked upon.) "A willingness to experience new things is admirable."
        
        Automatic vs. manual, though. "Hmm..." Kaworu's expression turns pensive as his gaze rises to the ceiling. "Automation has its charm... A finely tuned mechanism that works whether you think about it or not. In many ways, automation is the keystone to progress; it allows one to focus their attention elsewhere, on new and different things. But I believe there's an austere dignity in manual controls. I like being able to make something happen because I actively willed it. If I had to choose one, it would be manual."
        
        Granted, to Kaworu, something being 'manual' has a much, much broader meaning than to most. But he doesn't mention anything about that, either.

<Pose Tracker> Zoia Surovy has posed.

"I'm not sure what it means," Zoia asides to Lucine with a glance and a shrug, figuring Kaworu will fill in the blanks as best he's willing to.

She drums her fingers against her cheek, tilting her head into her own touch with a soft hum. "I think it's old religious things? Like, if I remember, they were named by people who didn't even know what steel was, much less modern space travel. I can't imagine what science looked like back then...."

She's not sure how much she can share about Evas, but Wanzers are so common that she's happy to converse about them. "Oh yes, the MULS-P system is really compatible! I mean, it's a compatibility agreement. It covers some things like the Knightmare Frames as well, though I hear Britannia kind of likes to... make things their own?" She shrugs, sipping her tea.

"I think I agree with Kaworu. I like being able to have a fine degree of control, too. I don't always trust a computer to handle things for me. Manual controls make me feel more like the machine's doing exactly as I ask it to do."

With a look back to Kaworu, Zoia smiles neatly. "Zaftra operates a lot of Wanzers. They're small, but they're really great to learn basic things about piloting on the ground."

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        "I wonder what Wanzers are like," Lucine says, considering. "... I really do feel like an alien sometimes-- so many of these things I know from hearing about them, but they seemed less.... tangible? I think that's the word for it. But... it really is all so interesting."

        And it makes her nervous-- one person's interest could be another person's memory of warfare. Like Britannia.

        "... I started on manual- my dad's unit, Orion. Like the giant. And the, ah, star. I've gotten rusty with it since I started piloting the Dianthus, but... I imagine I'll need to dust off my skills sooner or later. I'm glad I started on manual, though-- I was pretty sloppy when I first started. Even still, I managed to cause some damage." She chuckles softly. "... I'm much better now, of course. It helps, being able to reach the right levers."

        AFter all, it's perfectly normal to have your dad go behind your mom's back and start to teach you how to pilot a giant war machine when you're still learning your multiplication tables.

        Lucine's own phone beeps, and she looks sad as she pulls it up to confirm what its tone already tells her: it's a call from Nergal. "Ah, looks like they need me back for something. Ah, we should exchange contacts--" She hesitates.

        After a while, they feel like friends than representatives of their group, even if she went into this with the idea of learning about NERV.

        She honestly still doesn't know what NERV is, beyond adorable STORAGE robots and seemingly boring expensive ones. But she learned more about the heart of the place, at least the part that includes katsudon and two pilots who, despite being younger than her, make her feel at ease.

        ".... If you wouldn't mind, that is." She smiles warmly. "Either way, I think we might be seeming more of each other in the future."