2022-12-21-A Surprise Pickup

• Cast: Kaworu Nagisa, Orpheus Zevon
• Where: Tsutsujidai
• Date: U.C. 00-1830 12 21
• Summary: Roaming the streets, Orpheus and Kaworu acquire gifts after an interesting discovery

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 <Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

After the collapse of Tsutsujidai, many changes had transpired within the city. While there were the supernatural phenomena of seeing the grid-like textures of the outskirts of the city, of a city in the sky that mirrors the one below, another change that transpired is that within the people of Tsutsujidai itself.

Maybe it's because of their human nature, or because of some innate capability of the Reploids to be able to adapt, but even now as adversity strikes this city there's no panic amongst the streets. At least, not yet. It was true that the city was dealing with trials of its own. Once again locked out from the outside world, stranded with people familiar and not so. The inability to communicate great distances likely hampering support efforts around the city and even so...

Orpheus finds himself wandering the streets. He walks the streets like so many have chosen to do. Even if perhaps they could all simply lock themselves away in panic, they choose instead to come out en masse. A desire to support, a desire to connect still alive and well in this city.

Even now as the blonde-haired foreigner looks about this city the signs of it are all over. Whether it be the people upon the street continuing to travel and act as couriers to help aid in communication, to the community boards acting as communication hubs where groups like the Tsutsujidai Rescue Team have offered to aid those in need. Even in forms of graffiti that had slowly been appearing in the streets, there were messages to be had if one was willing to look hard enough. It's almost reassuring, welcoming, a sign of the potential of this world and yet...

"How long can they keep like this...?"

It's a question he asks himself as he begins to look over a document in his hands. What he holds is a sheet from the Inoue Hospital. A document that listed a detailed list of medicines, tools, materials, rations...Something that someone like Orpheus, someone who wears the Ashford Academy uniform surely shouldn't have. As he reads it over though, the expression on his face makes him almost wish he hadn't...

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It helps that, when the Venora were slain, GGG and other NERV personnel were present to immediately rescue injured people, establish a new daily order, give out daily rations, and so on. The chaos of sudden destruction is far more bearable if it seems like someone reliable and who cares about you and people like you is handling it. That doesn't mean it won't get better... but it does mean that there's reason in the people staying calm for now.
        
        Beyond that, though, it also shows that the people that Akane created in her heart aren't the vapid weaklings that she always treated them as. Given the chance to think their own thoughts and live their own lives, they're doing stunningly well. Kaworu is glad to see it.
        
        He's been crossing the city himself since it closed up. In the mornings, he helps hand out the daily rations; in the afternoonds, he pitches in with Rikka's new rescue group; in the evenings, he assists with GGG's work; and in between, he walks through the streets, offering emotional guidance to anyone he comes across. With Junk repaired, and Yuta--or rather, Gridman--awakened, there's been a shift in the specifics of his activities, but right now, it's a survey of the city and its people.
        
        So it's inevitable that Kaworu and Orpheus might cross paths, wholly by coincidence. As Orpheus reads over the document in his hands, Kaworu turns a nearby corner. He doesn't pause to see him, but he does smile... though it seems like Orpheus isn't in a good mental state.
        
        Walking over with his hands in his pockets as usual, Kaworu says, "Hey, Orpheus. So you ended up here as well." He looks down at the document. "May I ask what it is you're reading?"

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

"Supply list from the hospital staff." There's not even a change in his expression as he answers, he doesn't look up from the paper, nor has his expression changed entirely. Even if it had only been from the corner of his eye, Orpheus had been able to catch a familiar face's crossing path. Or perhaps, Kaworu's voice had such a gentle tone that even in surprise it couldn't catch one off guard.

As Kaworu leaned in, Orpheus doesn't attempt to impede his reading, if anything he actively lets the young man read over the material itself. As someone who's acted in a leadership capacity in NERV, and the duties he's provided in Tsujidai, there's likely no surprise to the numbers that he's seeing. They're likely the numbers that have been provided to him already if anything. It's just a matter that someone considered a civilian like Orpheus would have acquired the information would have been considered a major leak of confidential information. "For the time being, it seems you all are keeping things rather stable. Though, I imagine with the holidays coming up, I'd be interested...Will they choose to continue with restraint and preserve supplies. Or will they celebrate survival with a blast...?"

It's an honest question that he generally is interested to see what Kaworu thinks on the matter. Regardless of it though, he'll keep on walking as he puts the paper away, his eyes locking with Kaworu's as if that eye-contact alone was enough to tell that he wanted to walk and talk. Like his protege, his hands return to his pockets, his gaze straight ahead even while he converses with him. "So, who else? Alouette? Shinji? That Asuka girl? I already saw a few others from NERV within Inoue the other day."

Again, he'd keep his pace. Walking and talking so that their conversation wasn't left in one spot. So that anyone that might be following might be noticed, and simply because...There were things he needed to be ready to do. Speaking of which... "Also...Do you know if she's reached out to anyone since that time?"

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Perhaps it's simply the magic of childhood friends. ...That would be nice, wouldn't it?
        
        Indeed, Kaworu is already familiar with the numbers, which he reads over Orpheus's shoulder. Considering the chaos at Inoue Hospital over all the many, many people who've had to be hospitalized, he's not surprised that Orpheus might have made off with some confidential information like this. With his Geass, it would be easy, even.
        
        "There are ways to celebrate the high holy days without excess. My compatriots and I have something in mind for that very thing." Kaworu leans back to stand straight as he walks alongside his friend. "A recital, specifically. We'd been practicing for our school. Now that that can't take place, we'll perform here instead." He smiles. "If all goes well, we should be able to soothe their souls."
        
        Who else? Kaworu's smile dims into neutrality. "All of the above. Many NERV personnel were present to handle the sudden emergence of the foes that appeared recently, and consequently they were all trapped here. That includes all of the Evangelion pilots. Concern for what might become of the Earth should an Angel attack has already been expressed."
        
        The way Orpheus says she, there's no doubt of whom he means. Still, Kaworu gives him a sidelong glance. "...I don't believe so. As far as I know, she's been avoiding others." He turns his gaze forward. "But I haven't tried to seek her out. I came to realize she doesn't like me. It won't help either of us for me to force my presence on her."

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

If such magic did exist, Kaworu likely would have been one of the few people in Orpheus' life capable of casting it on him.

As he talks of a performance, there is a small nod that follows. "I see. Perhaps one day you could retire from all this piloting and work as a performer. From what I heard back at the sakura viewing I think you'd have a nice future in it. I'm sure even Shinji would prefer that...So long as we get out of here first. Speaking of which...I've heard through the grapevine 3G's currently looking for an out. I imagine with NERV's pilots MIA both this side and the other are scrambling to work through the situation?"

With that asked, he finds his gaze veered towards the sky, the continual reminder of the abnormality of their situation, and the possible time-limit they have for someone to rectify it.

As for the mention of foes... "Mmm, I recalled hearing rumors at the time of something happening near the ports, and another attack occurring in town. It seems like there were actors waiting for an opportunity to arise, or this situation allowed for such actors to occur in the first place. Do your people have that situation handled? I'll assist if it allows for the further extension for 3G to look into an escape, but I'll admit my resources are currently being spread thin."

It made sense. Unlike Kaworu and NERV's resources, Orpheus was a part of a group with no ability to heavily create funds and resources. What's more...There really had been no need for the Black Knights to have come at that time. If anything, the fact that Orpheus even was in the vicinity of Tsutsujidai at that time would have been questionable without context surely.

Speaking of without context though...As Kaworu expresses his feelings of not wanting to force his presence on her, "I don't believe that's the case."

All a sudden, Orpheus steps off the streets and into the alleyway for a moment, in the next there's a familiar presence before Kaworu that comes out. Pink hair, eyes of magenta. A deviously coy smile, and a tone of voice that almost sounded way too laid back in its delivery. There was no reason for it, so spontaneously in its happening one might have thought that perhaps...Well...Geass weren't always the easiest to control powers were they? Was it possible that after so much prolonged use that...

"The only person I think she dislikes right now is herself. It might not be while we're still here, but...If she can recover from this, I think she'd come to appreciate you and the others who are trying to help her.At least that's what I think~."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        The idea of retiring from NERV and becoming a professional musician is a lovely one. Kaworu smiles at it. "Shinji might well prefer being a cook, but he's a fine performer as well. I truly enjoy our sessions together." His smile turns a touch wistful. "Regrettably, neither of us can turn away from the paths laid out before us."
        
        That's of course setting aside the whole trapped-in-here part. At that, he nods once. "3G is doing all they can to find a way to rectify the situation. All of us are, really. That being said, I can't remark as to how NERV is doing on the outside."
        
        He doesn't specify why, but it's not hard to guess. If there's no inter-city communication available, then there wouldn't be communication available with the outside world, either. As Orpheus raises his gaze to that abnormal sky, so too does Kaworu.
        
        "You mean the mobile dolls and the strange shinobi-esque enemies that took advantage of the nameless kaiju's rampage? They were all eliminated, yes. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing whether the hands behind them are in here or out there. At the very least, if they are in here, they haven't made an open move yet." He gives him a smile of gratitude. "If you happen to hear of any movements from these agents, I'd much appreciate you letting me know. Until then, you don't need to worry about it, Orpheus."
        
        At least there'd been a GUTS event in Tsutsujidai at the time. Music Appreciation Day has no doubt done a lot to create plausible deniability for a variety of people.
        
        Kaworu mentions Akane's feelings, though, and Orpheus steps out of sight; when he steps out again, it's in the guise of Akane. His eyes widen. Geass doesn't work on him the same as it does humans, but it's startling to see him use it like this. Did he want to cheer him up that much? And beyond that...
        
        "...I didn't realize you and Akane were so close," he remarks. All the same, his features soften as his smile returns. Whether Orpheus is right or not, he does appreciate his kindness. "Thank you," he says, heartfelt. Still, he feels the need to gently chide him: "But you really shouldn't use your power so frivolously. You never know when you might need it for something important."
        
        He doesn't assume that this might be an example of Orpheus's Geass going out of control. But it does concern him that he's using it in such a cavalier way, considering the potential... consequences.

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

"It's fine~." The voice and mannerisms regardless of how potent still feel...Precise. At least when it came to one way that Akane was perceived by Kaworu. "Also I wouldn't say we're close. Simply...Mmmm...Our interests aligned! So it's perhaps better to say we have an agreement in place." The outgoing demeanor of Akane Shinjo, even if only the mask she puts on, is well...The Geass appears to take on its appearance rather well. At least as anyone else needed to be concerned. "It's like you said before, Akane Shinjo doesn't wish to see anyone at this point. Though with her powers as dampened as they are, I don't think she can move about this space like she used to. Tell me Kaworu, what do you think might happen if someone decided to take revenge against Akane Shinjo for her actions? What do you think could happen to this space?"

It's a question with a likely unpleasant answer, one that doesn't need to be answered, just considered...

"It'd be a problem if she were spotted as she is now. So, I've agreed to act as a decoy for her, and lead those off her trail. At least until I find a way out here. Then she's on her own as far as we've agreed~."

Thankfully that's the situation. No loss of control, no flagrant use of his power, though no overly concern for Kaworu's well being of his friend either. All the same, his reasoning is solid as far as the logic checked out. So for the duration of their confirmation Kaworu finds himself in the company of a familiar face...Even if it was a lie.

The conversation quickly goes back to matters of business though. "Also I can try to keep tabs for any of those dolls and those shino--Oh! You mean those Japanese kinda assailants, right?! Yeah, I'll be doing more investigation near the outer banks. It's possible they might be near the water so it's possible they'll be there, but if they are NERV and GUTs might receive an anonymous extermination request. Speaking of request though..."

Akane's expression is made more downturned. A look of worry or perhaps just the usual twisted look of emotions show on her face. The kind of expression that Kaworu would have believed her to express in those kinds of moments appears as Orpheus speaks again.

"Is your path really that closed off? You make it sound so preordained. What would Akane think if she heard you say that...Or what about Alouette? How are they supposed to --"

"Oh my, there you are. I was wondering when I was going to see you again. " Mid-conversation a voice interrupts the two as someone calls out to Akane. The pinkette stops in her tracks. Her expression changes in a manner that can be noted as curiosity towards the old woman's words and then back to her more casual expression. She looks back to Kaworu briefly, "Looks like I'm taking a bit of a detour." The older woman waves her hand to welcome not just Akane but even Orpheus in. To which...Without even knowing the context the young woman can be seen entering without question. Though...Behind her back, Kaworu can see her hand signaling to him, a sign of caution perhaps?

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu listens quietly to 'Akane's' explanation of the situation. He doesn't answer the question of what might happen if someone chose to take revenge; that's something that NERV has considered at length. Instead, he considers the claim that Orpheus and Akane have an agreement, that they aren't close. An agreement--that Orpheus would act as a body double for her, using a secret power that loses its potential effectiveness the more others know about it, for a person who actively is avoiding others right now. Unless Akane passively let Orpheus do whatever he pleased, it seems to Kaworu like more than a mere agreement.
        
        But it's also true that Orpheus is highly pragmatic and has a goal that he'll stop at nothing to achieve, so it isn't outside the realm of possibility that that's all it is, either. As such, he doesn't question him; he simply nods once.
        
        More importantly, if that's the situation, it means this isn't simple whimsy on Orpheus's part. It's a relief to realize. Really, he should have known better, but he's only known him this one time around. They're still learning about each other.
        
        "Yes. They're also known as ninja," he replies. The inner tips of his eyebrows tick up a few hairs as 'Akane' questions him about his path. He doesn't have the opportunity to respond, though, turning his head when an old woman calls out to them--or rather, to 'Akane.' Kaworu watches as 'she' enters the building, and noting that hand signal, follows 'her' in. It may or may not be what Orpheus wanted him to do, but if there is need for caution, Kaworu doesn't intend to leave him to fend for himself.

 <Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.
<poem>
Pragmatic was definitely an apt choice of word to define Orpheus with. Though maybe on occasion even leaning on the side of cynical. Still, perhaps there was justification for that worry. After all, there was a high level of risk involved in this agreement for him as well though, right? At the moment he was pretending to be one of the most if not the singular most wanted person in this entire city. One wrong move could mean his capture as well, or taking a bullet for Akane instead. What's more, if he had been captured and incapable of escape, eventually his Geass would be exposed, and from there...Well, there were many ways things could end up poorly from that point.

The chances of this were still low, though mainly that could have been attributed to that level of cynicism and pragmatism up to this point in his life when using his power. Though sometimes...

"It's good to see you're not by yourself on the streets this time. The last time I saw her she was wandering around in the rain by herself. I was worried she was going to catch a cold, especially in this kind of weather."

Sometimes, Orpheus was just off. The person before them was a genuinely caring individual. One that even as tired as she appears, the bags under her eyes, kindness still exudes as she tells Kaworu of the last time she had spotted Akane.

The clerk continues walking about the empty store, though a sigh leaves her lips. The place looked nearly deserted at a glance. "I was hoping the next time I saw you, the store would have picked up business again but...Well, it seems like even if the roads are in use for foot traffic, no one's really in need of electronics at the moment. On the bright side though..."

The clerk casually points to one of the shelves: a bright blue pair of over-the-ear headphones with a snowflake design on the ears. Orpheus didn't know much about the quality of products like this, though if the price tag was anything to go off of, it was definitely nothing to sneeze at.

"And I promise those pairs haven't fallen off the shelf. In a time like this, I'd tell you maybe to consider saving your money, but if you're set on having those for the holidays, now's the time."

At this point, Akane actually looks a bit surprised, looking from the clerk to Kaworu, almost as if to question if he believed that the girl that they knew was the type to bother with such a thing.

"Are you sure you're remembering it right?"

"There's no way I'd forget that miserable look you had on that face. What, these were the ones you wanted though, right? Mmm..." The clerk looks around the place again for a moment, "Look, if you and your friend want to look around the store that's fine, but do it quickly. You caught me just as I was told by the boss to lock-up the place. With everything going on, and it being near Christmas guess it's more profitable to shut the store down for a bit."

There's a few passing moments where Akane stays silent. While it wouldn't have been a big deal usually, time was always precious in this state. That time limit was already reaching its max. While Orpheus could use the Geass again...There'd be a consequence to pay afterwards. If that was the case, the best choice of action was to leave now before the illusion faded...

"I see...In that case...I'll need two boxes actually. And yes, before you ask, I'm sure!"

There's a look of astonishment on the clerk's face, but at the same time there's a look of relief. "Coming right up." The clerk turned away as she began to reach over to the higher shelves to reach the headphones in question. During that time, if only for a moment...Kaworu could see as the transformation faded. The time had struck. And now, as the clerk turned around...They'd place the boxes in front of Orpheus, cashing him out. "And just because I figured I could do something nice for you...I put in a little discount. Happy Holidays." As the clerk says those words, there's just a genuine look of kindness she offers to both. Compassion that felt so warm even when given by such a tired face, in such cold weather.

"Thank you very much~." Akane Shinjo would pay for both before taking the boxes in both hands before looking towards Kaworu. "Mmmm, now that I think of it, maybe you can find something for the others too. I'm sure they'd appreciate a Christmas gift from you. Oh and before you ask, the extra isn't for you~. Wouldn't make sense to shop for a gift for someone right in front of them, right? Anyway, go take a peek." As 'Akane' makes mention of gifts, she nudges a bit more towards the back of the shop where there's very clearly an array of musical cassettes and CDs available, along with a plethora of other musical mediums.

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        It's an interesting display, the way Orpheus pretends to be Akane for this old woman. That is, of course, the nature of his Geass, and it's the point of him using that Geass to be Akane in the first place, so it's not as though Kaworu questions it. He simply watches it all play out.
        
        When the clerk addresses him, he smiles back at her. Perhaps it's just Orpheus's paranoia; she strikes him as a genuinely kind person. It's not impossible that he's being deceived, but that simply doesn't occur to him.
        
        Still as she chatters away, Kaworu follows along, following the direction of the clerk's point. Akane wanted these...? They are charming... He shares a glance with Orpheus, though he doesn't chime in on the matter.
        
        Likewise, he doesn't comment when Orpheus's transformation fades, or when it is reasserted. Instead, he only smiles warmly back at the old woman. "Thank you. May the holy days be kind to you."
        
        'Akane' nudges him. He tilts his head at her, then over towards the back. His smile turns understanding. "Ah, I see. Well, I'll certainly take a look." He nods to the clerk to convey his understanding that the store is closing soon, then strolls over to the back.
        
        "Honestly, I hadn't even been thinking of gifts," he remarks. "I suppose I'll have to give it due consideration."
        
        And for now, that means looking over the music goods. Whether he'll have time to make a decision before the store closes is yet to be seen, but at least the idea is in his head now.