2022-01-15: Prelude: "Raindrop"
- Log: 2022-01-15 Prelude: "Raindrop"
- Cast: Akane Shinjo (ft. Alexis Kerib), Kaworu Nagisa
- Where: Tsutsujidai
- Date: January 15, 2022
- Summary: Kaworu pokes his nose into Tsutsujidai and meets the residents therein.
Akane Shinjo posed:
For some eleven months, now, Tsutsujidai has crawled slowly forward -- a city of one. A world of one. In the end, though, life hungers to grow, no matter how desolate an environment it is given to grow in.
The world grows, inch by inch by inch -- and with it, it becomes more noticeable to those who exist between worlds, across worlds, smeared across time and space. This was necessary to Alexis's design; after all, if the world had not become noticeable to Gridman, how could it be used to hurt him?
But that necessitates opening it, a little bit, to others. Alexis knows when these things are at issue; though the world is not his world, he does watch its entryways like a sentinel -- or a jailer.
He stands atop Tsutsujidai's sluice gate. Watching. He has come, over the millennia, to appreciate moments of total stillness.
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
From the Moon, the view of the Earth is uniformly beautiful. All of its melodies, all of its dissonant chords, come together in a single chaotic symphony. The only notes that stand out from the throng are those that Kaworu has come to know intimately well. Beyond that, it's simply another sequence in the song.
From the Earth, though, those sequences are easier to detect as harmonies in their own right. This is especially true when the youth lands on the Earth via shuttle and is sent on his own to travel the rest of the way to Tokyo-3, his luggage (such as it is, for one like him) sent separately to his future apartment (again, such as it is). It's only things, really. No need to concern himself with them. Kaworu is much more interested in this strange reverb that lingers near Nouvelle Tokyo, echoing solitude through the world in the meekest of voices--but still, all the same, voiced.
And so it comes to pass that Alexis has a companion, all of a sudden. Kaworu strolls up next to him as if he'd just walked up the stairs. In a sense, this is not entirely untrue. He gazes out from the top of the sluice gate to the rest of Tsutsujidai, such as it is; then he turns an easy smile to the huge figure looming next to him.
"Hey," he says in his usual affable manner. "What is it you're doing here?"
It's non-accusatory; simply a statement of curiosity. This space is not quite his, but it's not quite *not* his, as far as Kaworu can tell from simply poking his head in. That alone is intriguing.
As for Kaworu himself, he's dressed as he was when he descended from the Moon: in a black plug suit, trimmed with red, over which he wears a beige military-style jacket. The jacket bears a breast tag displaying a stylized robot fist and, underneath that, the English letters K. NAGISA.
Akane Shinjo posed:
'What is it you're doing here?' It's a complex question. In the immediate sense, it is of course nothing, and 'here' is the sluice gate. In the long-term sense, it is everything, and 'here' is Tsutsujidai, if not outright the universe entirely.
Alexis's head inclines slightly to one side, as Kaworu approaches. Alexis is sensed well before he senses; he has never been open to others' worlds, even before the millennia changed him. He seems momentarily caught off guard.
"Hm?" he asks, teal panels dancing across his face not quite like lips, not quite like teeth, not quite like a tongue. "I could ask you the same, of course. I'd have expected you to take the stage later... you do tend to wait until the eleventh hour." He takes a moment to look -- to assess -- to see Kaworu's jacket. "I've come to save someone from the chaos outside. And what of you?"
Sound structures the universe. Alexis's voice carries the same sound it always has.
Kaworu Nagisa posed:'
Complex, and broad. It would be well within Alexis's rights to be deliberately obtuse about it. In a way, he is, too. But both of them have a bigger understanding of the world, even if perhaps one of them may be more closed to it than the other. Broad questions are broad because so are they.
Kaworu at least doesn't mask his presence. He has no reason to, no desire to surprise. He simply exists as he is, and enters the world as it makes itself available to him. Even if Alexis may be caught off guard, Kaworu reacts to that no more than one might after gently startling someone whose shoulder one has just tapped.
Besides which, Alexis takes *him* a bit off guard when he speaks to him as if he knows him. Kaworu's expression turns thoughtful as he regards the dark-robed figure. This is an accurate observation he has just made, and there is something about him that seems familiar, particularly in the sound of him, but... Even if his voice carries the same sound it always has, it still somehow seems--distorted.
"Hmm? Have we met?" he thus wonders. The actual question, though, gets a chuckle. There's a lot he *could* say, especially about waiting until the eleventh hour, but he keeps it simple: "Someone wanted me here, and so I'm here."
He looks over his shoulder at, seemingly, nothing in particular. "The chaos outside, hm... I see. It *is* very still here." He turns back around, gaze casting towards a point in the sprawling city with pinpoint accuracy. It's achingly easy for him. It would be regardless, but here in particular, there's only one other signature leitmotif here worth identifying. It's why he can ask: "She isn't lonely in a place like this?"
Akane Shinjo posed:
'Have we met.' Another complex question, and one Alexis considers how to approach. If Kaworu is unaware of who he is, he of course could probably get away with letting it hang... but is it worth lying to someone who has known him through multiple timelines, now? Someone who could potentially give away the game before it has the chance to begin?
He turns fully to face Kaworu. This is a rare gesture from him -- he actually forgets to translate, and turns as a person would turn. It is one of the few signs he gives that he is so familiar with the creature at his side. "We have -- two times, now, I believe? Three, perhaps." He considers this. He has no grand desire to acknowledge who he was, in full; that would mean acknowledging in turn the full extent to which he has changed. Unpalatable, at best.
"The Tree of Life," he says. "Ogikubo -- no... Tokyo-3, first. Then Ogikubo." He allows himself to hope the places they met identify himself enough to disinvite further questions. "What shall I call you this time, then? 'Child,' 'Angel,' 'Time Diver...'" His eyes track to Kaworu's jacket. "... Or have you cast them all off?"
He notices the tracking of Kaworu's vision. Considers his question. "If she finds it lonely," he muses, "it's at her own decision. I'd never challenge her judgment, in this place."
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
It wouldn't be. Granted, it isn't difficult to deceive someone as essentially forthright as Kaworu is, but it would only go so far when--as Alexis acknowledges--they *have* met before. Lying to him now would mean making him question why it was necessary to lie when the truth later comes out. This is just speeding up the process.
So when Alexis faces him, Kaworu returns the courtesy, gazing up at his light-up face as he speaks the places where they've met before. His typical smile fades into a look of genuine startlement when he recognizes those places, connects them to a presence he has indeed known.
Alexis may not want to acknowledge the way he has changed. Kaworu is not *that* courteous. His red eyes widening, he utters, "Over Justice?"
Perhaps he can take satisfaction in the fact that Kaworu *is* startled. It takes a lot to surprise him, even without imaginary memories taken into account. At least it doesn't last long. Kaworu is skilled at many things, but chief among them is acceptance. Though the being before him may be a far cry in many ways from the being he once knew, they are nonetheless the same. Kaworu accepts this radical change without commenting upon the obvious and moves on.
"'Kaworu' is fine," he thus says mildly. Fifth Child, Seventeenth/First/Thirteenth Angel, Time Diver, Kaworu Nagisa, Adam, Tabris--all of them are names the Lilim gave him, anyway. Even so: "Whether I use those names or not, I could never really shuck them off." A beat. "And yourself?"
His line of sight changes. "Hmmm..." he murmurs, considering Alexis's reply. "Then this world is shaped to her will?" Another moment of thoughtful consideration; then: "May I meet her?"
Akane Shinjo posed:
Alexis's head inclines slightly, if only for a moment -- it's all the acknowledgment he gives to the question of just who he is, but it's enough to affirm Kaworu has matched the narratives of their lives. "'Kaworu' it is, then," Alexis says, every panel lining up in a skull's meaningless smile. "I suppose it was inevitable that we would meet again."
"Ah yes -- the pleasantries of a reintroduction. I am Alexis Kerib. It is, and has always been, my pleasure." His smile remains where it is for just a little longer, before finally beginning the dance of lights again as he continues to speak.
It is hard to tell whether he places foot in front of foot or simply translates; his cloak, black cut through with deep crimson, makes it difficult to discern his movements. "It is. It is difficult to see the kaiju from this vantage, but they carve a world for her in this space. I walked her through their creation. The design is... familiar. Pedestrian. She needed a template to use, at first. This place has been quite kind to her, creatively... she no longer needs the help to come up with anything new. And her designs are so emotive."
The difficult question comes. "Now? I could certainly introduce you, should she permit it. You are free to explore on your own time, as well. Or is this curiosity strictly academic...?"
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
"It always is," Kaworu agrees. His expression turns thoughtful again when Alexis reintroduces himself with the name *he* now uses. Now that he knows who he is--who he used to be--there's something about his demeanor *now* that seems familiar in a way that isn't in line with what Kaworu used to know. What is it...?
For now, it isn't important. Kaworu sets that thought aside, to be returned to later. Anyway, sometimes people simply change--and Alexis has clearly changed a great deal between now and back in Ogikubo. Perhaps that's all it is.
"Likewise," he thus replies, for he has no reason to believe otherwise at present. It *is* truly pleasant to meet someone with the same continuity of self he has. He listens with interest as Alexis describes how he'd helped 'her' create this world. "I see... So this silence is what she desired for herself."
There's a subtle upward cadence to the sentence, making it halfway between statement and question. It's not something Alexis could answer, not really. It makes it especially important that Kaworu meet her directly. After all, there's someone else he knows who finds the noise and chaos of the world around him too overwhelming to bear.
"You could call it academic," Kaworu replies, and this is technically not untrue. "But I'm interested in hearing her thoughts on her own design directly--should she permit it."
This is, after all, *her* space. Kaworu suspects based on the shape of this small world that this hitherto-unnamed girl might not *want* to meet anyone new, and at present, it seems as though Alexis is the guardian of her wishes.
Akane Shinjo posed:
"I'll warn you -- she can be quite a handful," Alexis says, tone suddenly shifting a fair bit. There's a sort of playfulness to it, now -- like he's talking about a child he likes to spoil. "Every emotion she has is just... enormous. Monstrous in its scope, really." He laughs. It's clipped, and short, and mirthless -- yet there must be something he's enjoying.
"I can ask her if she'd take a visitor, if you'd like. It would require me to step away a moment, of course." He doesn't seem to mind the idea of Kaworu meeting his as yet unnamed charge. He considers how much to give Kaworu -- he could do a lot to shape that first interaction...
... but it's best, he thinks, not to. Kaworu is guileless, but he's not stupid, either -- giving him too much might move Alexis's time table too far, too fast. So instead, he pivots to a different topic entirely.
"Ah -- a word of warning, though, in any event. There *is* another presence here, besides the girl... and it upsets her design. Do try to be gentle with her, should you meet?" Now that he knows to 'look,' Kaworu might find noticing other presences easier. They do *exist* -- though it's hard to make them out, when Akane is by comparison so loud in this space, and the others so deeply quiet.
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
The indulgence of a fun uncle doting on a bratty but adorable niece. Kaworu has never had a relation like that, but he can see the shape of it, at least. He doesn't understand the laugh that follows, though; the humor is beyond him. He suspects he might understand better if he actually meets her. He thus simply waits patiently, smile present once more.
"Please," Kaworu prompts him. He can wait. He doesn't anticipate that Alexis might leave and simply not come back, nor does he anticipate that there might be any hostility--aside, perhaps, from a girl defending her own solitude. But he expects she would tell her 'guardian' to send him away before it came to that.
The topic changes. "Oh?" He looks again to the city, gaze in a certain direction... and then, after brief concentration, shifts it subtly to one side. It *is* easier to 'see' now that he knows to look. The impression he gets is that the girl is possessive of this space. Up through now, it makes sense. He wonders if perhaps she's lonely after all, though, if this presence nonetheless made it in--like opening one's heart to a new encounter, only to be stung by it. Or maybe it was just that insidious. Even the hardest heart has its cracks, after all. He'll probably need to see them each directly to know for sure.
"I see," he says aloud. "Yes, I'll do so as much as I can."
And then he waits.
Akane Shinjo posed:
"A moment, then." Alexis begins to move down the sluice gate. He can be heard stepping, until he leaves Kaworu's field of vision fully -- and then is gone.
"Akane, dear," Alexis says, on the monitor. "An old... acquaintance of mine has made an appearance. Are you feeling all right enough to say hello? I know you've had such a rough time at school recently, and that nasty teacher of yours managed to --"
"Eh. Over it," Akane says, with a shrug. "Another alien?" She puts her hoodie up, chewing at the straw of a juice box for a bit. "Do I *have* to?" She reaches up, pulling her glasses off and folding the arms back in.
"Hm? Oh, no -- not at *all*. I can even send him away, if you'd rather," Alexis offers, in good spirits.
"... Ehh, might as well. It's not like he's gonna be a *jerk* about it like that Gridman guy, if he's your friend, right?" comes the response.
A friend, Alexis thinks. ... Wouldn't that be nice.
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
Kaworu watches Alexis go for just a moment, head turned towards the stairs. When he is gone, the instant he is gone from visual, he faces the city at large. His hands remain firmly in the pockets of his jacket. He hums Chopin's "Raindrop" Prelude as he waits, still smiling.
Eventually Alexis does return, informing him that his ward has agreed to meet at a neutral location--a game store called Sevendarake. Kaworu agrees. It is not long at all before they're there.
Kaworu strolls inside, his stance and expression both at ease. If Akane isn't there already, he wanders down one of the aisles and picks some model robots to admire, only paying attention to other people when she arrives--at which point he looks directly her way. If she *is* there already, then he beelines to her, if at a relaxed, unhurried pace. Either way, he greets her with a smile.
"Hey," he says. "So you're the one who made all of this?"
He doesn't gesture to anything. Both of them know what he means, after all.
Akane Shinjo posed:
It takes a moment for Alexis to decide whether to stay or leave. In the end, he chooses the latter; Akane loathes crowds, after all. No matter what the point of this exercise is, he can't be the one to put her in a position she's unhappy with.
Akane is already there, of course -- looking through the Tarabaman merchandise. She knows exactly what's going to be there. It's more ritual than real interest, at this point. Her gaze turns to the approaching footsteps. ... So loud, she thinks. Not like Alexis. There are worse things, to be sure -- but it's something that has her a little on her toes from the start.
Kaworu asks the question right there in public. No one cares. No one in Tsutsujidai cares. And even if they did -- they'd just forget, wouldn't they?
"Yep!" Akane says, brightly. "It's pretty great, right?" She grins easily, reaching out and picking up a still-in-box Tarabaman W henshin device. "Everything's set up just the way I want it." Red eyes fully meet red, if only for a moment.
Akane starts to walk toward Kaworu, though it might be better to say she walks around him -- almost paces. "Wanna go grab a seat? I know there's a bench by the buyback counter..."
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
What's the point in holding back on the question? While there might be other presences here after all, they aren't here in this specific location. Kaworu may be verbose at times, but he's also direct by default. There's no need to be otherwise when it's just the two of them. Kaworu pays no more mind to the 'people' around him than he does the ornaments on the wall.
He also isn't any 'louder' than he normally is, either. If this is a thing that puts Akane on edge, he doesn't realize at first. A heart may be sensed with ease, but its contents are far more inscrutible.
Akane smiles, speaks with pride of her creation, says it's just the way she likes it, meets his eyes without hesitation. Kaworu doesn't stop smiling, but he does take what she says into consideration. "I'm impressed by the construction. Alexis mentioned he gave you some guidance, but you handle everything on your own now. Does that mean this is your first time making something like this? If so, you have astonishing skill."
She starts to stalk around him. Kaworu is unbothered by this; doesn't turn to watch her, only continues to face forward. "Sure. Lead the way."
As they head that way, he adds, "I'm called Kaworu, by the way. Kaworu Nagisa. May I ask your name?" Alexis never mentioned hers, so it seems reasonable to assume he also never mentioned his.
Akane Shinjo posed:
For Akane... everyone is loud. But it's okay. One person is fine. She can put on her face for a little while -- besides, Kaworu seems... unchallenging, in some senses. Not the same as Alexis, but not dissimilar either.
"Yep! This is the first for me. At first I found it kinda overwhelming! But Alexis was great about teaching me how to make kaiju." Akane starts to lead Kaworu toward the back benches, and plops down. She isn't sure if aliens eat, or she'd offer to take him to the food court -- ugh, there's that obligation to understand how other people relate to the world -- nope! Putting that aside. If Kaworu needs to eat, he can either say so or screw off. It's fine. It's fine. She's so normal.
"Anyway -- I'm Akane Shinjo." It's an awkward situation -- having someone intrude in 'her' world without her agreement. Still...
Her foot scoots experimentally toward him. She doesn't touch him yet. "So what's *your* deal?" Alexis already told him *hers*, so it's only fair of her to ask, right?
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
"Overwhelming?" Kaworu echoes, looking at her curiously. Even without an answer, it does make sense, though. So, too, is the idea that Akane might like kaiju better than people; after all, there are several throughout the city, stationary, prepared to fix the world as needed, and Akane made them to her liking as she made everything else to her liking. So instead, his follow-up is: "Do you hate people?"
He follows her to the back benches and seats himself next to her--not too near, not too far. A respectable distance away. His hands remain in his jacket pockets. He doesn't ask to eat, nor does he ask her if she wants to eat.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Shinjo-san," he replies. He isn't bothered by her scooting her foot closer, but he does blink at her question. "Hmm? My deal?" He considers this for a heartbeat or two; then he asks, "In what sense do you mean?"
It is, after all, a very broad question. And as previously established, there's nothing wrong with that--far from it. But this is a girl who has made, however well-crafted, a very small world. It's reasonable to think she might be looking for a very small answer.
After all... she's only human.
Akane Shinjo posed:
The question prompts a reaction -- or rather, two reactions that have to fight in Akane's head for a minute. It's legitimately the most difficult question she's ever been asked, and she's scared of answering it. Then again... Alexis never judges her, and he clearly engages the world in an alien way; so too does Kaworu -- and thus, maybe she can get away with giving her honest answer.
"... I hate the people outside," she admits, the playful and the pipsqueaky all evaporating from her voice in an instant. "I like my people better." She says it with such conviction, yet at the same time, she doesn't sound convinced. "... I like Alexis," she eventually thinks to add. It's important they present a happy home -- after all, he dotes on her so. And isn't that what she wants? What she was craving?
Lazily, she slides one of her shoes off, revealing her stocking-clad foot. It's an easy little motion. She doesn't want the shoe to be on, so any friction, any grip it has is gone, leaving it free. She wiggles her toes experimentally, then slides it against Kaworu's ankles, just a little bit, as she orients to face him a little more fully.
"... but I want to hear more about you!" She puts her mask back on, as if it never slipped. "Since you know Alexis, I already guessed you weren't human. I know in Tarabaman, a lot of aliens look just like humans... or they can choose to look that way. I like that Alexis doesn't, but I get it. You spend time outside, I guess." Tapping her chin, she muses, "Are you a big, scary monster on the inside, or is that just how you look?"
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
Akane gambles, and it looks like she gambles well: Kaworu's expression doesn't shift a whit when she admits to hating the people outside, that she much prefers the people in here, that she does at least like Alexis, who doesn't even try to present as a person. He only nods, listening carefully, accepting this answer on its face. A long time ago, he'd asked someone else that same question. His answer had been that he didn't, not really--that most people didn't matter to him one way or another--but he *did* hate his father. It was an answer that had left a deep impact on him.
"Are you happy here?" Kaworu wonders. It's not her happiness that he cares about, necessarily, but it feels crucial to know her answer. For reference.
He still doesn't react when she slips off her shoe and starts playing footsie with his ankle. His legs are crossed, and have been since he sat down; he's not bothered by her touch, and while he doesn't invite it, he doesn't reject it either.
It *does* make him wonder why she seeks it if she dislikes the company of others. But perhaps he counts as something more akin to Alexis in her mind. Perplexing. She truly is human.
"A reasonable guess," he agrees, nodding once. He's not familiar with Tarabaman, but he *is* familiar with many aliens who can, in fact, choose to masquerade as human. "This is just how I look," he replies. "But if the Lilim were aware of my true nature, they would no doubt classify me as a 'big, scary monster.' They've already done so before."
He laughs a little, wistful and a touch bittersweet, as he looks out at the aisles, empty regardless of how many people wander them. "They aren't wrong, either. It's natural to fear something that can wipe you out with ease, isn't it?"
Akane Shinjo posed:
"Why wouldn't I be happy?" Akane asks, meeting question with question and *only* with question. The confusion on her face seems sincere -- and yet, she can't bring herself to say the words: 'yes, absolutely.' She scoots the conversation along instead -- continuing to tease at Kaworu's leg. She has to reposition a couple times -- his seating posture is not... the greatest, to play footsie with -- but she seems dead-set on it.
"That's what you call people? 'Lilim'?" Akane asks, tapping her chin. "Huh. Well... I think that kinda stuff's lame! Humans can hurt other humans just fine -- why make a big deal out of who's bigger or stronger?" There's something about Kaworu's admissions -- that he isn't human, that humans would hate him if they knew he wasn't -- that draws Akane in a little closer...
... and, curiously, slows her roll on playing footsie. "If you get sick of that kinda stuff... you can hang out here, I guess," she half-offers. "The people here probably won't think you're a monster. Well, unless you get huge, I mean. And if they do, I'll just make 'em forget and you can do the whole thing over again! As many times as you want."
She smiles widely, head canting a little to one side. "Perfect, right? You could even blow off some steam here, if you wanted. ... as long as you ask me first. Some nights I don't want to put in the work to fix it up."
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
"I don't know," Kaworu replies. "Only you can answer that." But he understands the concept of a hypothetical as an answer, and she does seem sincerely confused, and she's been saying all along that this world is made the way she likes it. There's no reason for him to think she's lying, either to him or to herself.
He does finally react to her insistent footsie, though, looking down as she slides her stockinged toes along his ankle. True, she does ease off a moment later, but considering how much effort she'd put into it before, he has to wonder, "Is that enjoyable to you?"
He looks up to meet her gaze a moment later. "Yes," he says simply, of calling people 'Lilim.' Her opinion gets a chuckle out of him. "Fear of others," he states simply. "Lilim are social creatures, but their worlds are are small as they are. Those who exist within it are friend, and those who exist outside are foe. Creatures who might violate the sanctity of those worlds are met with hostility--violently excluded, even--in order to protect it."
Akane might feel a little called out at this point. Then again, she might not. Kaworu isn't saying this as a pointed commentary; it's simply, from his perspective, the truth.
"...but even without that, my kind *are* trying to exterminate theirs," he adds. "It's only reasonable."
Even so, Akane offers, if with dubious enthusiasm, to let him 'hang out' here if he likes. His eyes widen as he looks at her anew. A moment later, his expression warms as his smile returns, gentler than before. "That's not necessary," he says, of making the people (such as they are) forget, and of doing anything that would make her have to fix the city. "But thank you, Shinjo-san. I truly do appreciate the offer." A beat. "Then if it's all right with you, I'd like to visit again sometime--to take a better look around at your work."
Rather than rampage and destroy it. He does understand that implication, at least, even if he's puzzled as to why she's making it.
Akane Shinjo posed:
"Is it enjoyable to *you*?" Akane counters, once again meeting a question with a question rather than any serious answer. Or maybe that is, itself, the answer -- if he likes it, it's satisfying for her; if he doesn't, it isn't. She can't quite read his responses, even as... him, as he is, and as her as she is. There's something about him that's difficult to pin down.
Kaworu lays out a take on Lilim -- their fears, their small worlds. It's surprising, but despite the pointed callout of a small world, Akane doesn't seem to shrink. It'd be easy for her to read it as about her -- yet it just doesn't click. "... That's possible!" she offers, disinterested. "But even that, like -- that's not really a big deal." She has to puzzle on what she thinks she's saying for a moment. Curiously, even the idea that Kaworu's kind are trying -- perhaps even obligated? -- to exterminate humans... that's not really something that seems to concern her.
After all -- kaiju don't think of how they intersect with the humans they menace, and in a sense, that's admirable.
"I mean -- what's a 'kind,' right? Depending on who you talk to, Naturals and Coordinators are trying to exterminate each other, too. So what's the difference if 'Lilim' and 'aliens' are trying to exterminate each other?" She shrugs, ultimately concluding, "Whatever. Outside's not my business anymore, anyway. You can poke around as much as you want, as long as you don't come in my room and Alexis says it's okay."
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
"I have no strong feelings about it," Kaworu replies. He doesn't mind being touched--generally enjoys it, even--and he's come to warm up to her. But... "But you're putting a lot of effort into doing it, and I don't understand why."
She's the one who made this world to be alone, after all.
But she also shows a distinct lack of interest in the answer to the question she herself posed. It shouldn't be surprising, considering all Kaworu has observed thus far, but he still gives her a curious look. "Oh? Do you really think so?" he asks. "Isn't there someone threatening your world now?"
But that's this world, *her* world, and the rest is the outside world, which she's already stated she has no interest in. Perhaps that's all it is. At least, Kaworu acknowledges with a nod and a simple, "True," that it's all rather arbitrary. To his view, Naturals and Coordinators are all Lilim. But then, Lilim have never needed a reason to exclude their own kind.
He doesn't bother to clarify that 'his kind' are not really 'aliens.' Even if he were inclined to, Akane seems like she doesn't really care about that. It's refreshing, in its own way.
"Thank you," he says instead. He notes the way she says he needs Alexis's permission, even though Alexis indicated that Akane was in charge, but does not remark on it. It makes sense that she might delegate such matters to her guardian. For now, Kaworu unfolds his legs and stands. "I should get going, then. I appreciate your hospitality, but I only came here for a quick look around. There's somewhere I need to be."
Akane Shinjo posed:
... Having to justify herself is hard. "I can't really answer that," Akane admits. "Don't ask again, please." That's all the answer Kaworu gets, for now. She's got more interesting questions to answer. ... or at least, easier ones. "Oh, that. ... It'll be handled soon. The next kaiju's gonna get him for sure! Then I can get back to..." ... what, exactly? Passing the days in solitude? Staring forward in class, wondering why even here, her thoughts twist in knots?
"... what I was doing before he showed up," she settles on. That much, at least, is true. Kaworu at this point mentions he's going to get going, and Akane gives an emphatic shrug. "When you gotta go, you gotta go," she says, with a nod. "Maybe I'll see you next time you come, too."
She thinks, for a moment, that it might be nice to introduce him to Tarabaman. Maybe she'll start him on 60, or Kai -- something she likes. Visual comfort food.
... too intimate, for now. She lets him go without saying anything else.
Kaworu Nagisa posed:
Akane asks Kaworu not to ask again. Kaworu responds by not even acknowledging the request, let alone asking again. It occurs to him that Akane may not understand herself very well, but isn't that true of many Lilim? As for the threat to her world, she seems quite confident that she has it handled. Not knowing the nature of her intruder, Kaworu can only leave it at that.
"I wish you well in your endeavors, then," he says. She doesn't seem overly concerned with his, that moment of empathy aside, and by all appearances that's how she likes it. "Maybe so. Until we meet again," he thus concludes, and strolls on out of the Sevendarake--and from there, Tsutsujidai itself.
Outside, past the sluice gate, a light, somber rain begins to fall.