2024-01-08: Placeholder
- Log: 2024-01-08 Placeholder
- Cast: Kaworu Nagisa, Shinji Ikari, Eight Orlodhari
- Where: Ra Mari II
- OOC - IC Date: Sometime in January 0098
- Summary: While Shinji babysits for Eight, Eight takes Kaworu aside for a serious discussion.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Ever since the New Year, Shinji Ikari has been significantly more cheerful than before, and it's easy to see why. Part of what had him so depressed was what happened to Rei and Asuka during the battle against the Twelfth Angel--more specifically, his belief that they died during it, which has gone uncorrected all this time--and the fact that Kaworu had been sent to Jupiter on a dangerous and potentially deadly mission without Shinji getting any word, let alone a chance to say goodbye. Kaworu has returned safely from that mission, and with news that Rei and Asuka are alive--and so while Shinji's depression is hardly fixed, he does have less to be depressed about.
This of course doesn't mean a damn to depression, but it means that it's easier for the still-quiet, still-withdrawn boy to find something to smile about.
Right now, that's the Orlodhari twins, whom he and Kaworu are watching for a moment on Eight's behalf while Kaworu's around for one of his now-regular visits to the Ra Mari II. It's given Shinji an opportunity to tell Kaworu about the details of the baby shower and how excited everyone was, how things went when they were born, how they've been growing since--things Kaworu all missed due to his detention and trip to Jupiter. Kaworu's been listening with a fond smile. Shinji's wearing most of his usual look--moon-themed hoodie, white T-shirt, jeans, sneakers--but the hood is down and he isn't wearing a cap at present. Kaworu is wearing his school uniform (such as it is)--white button-up shirt, violet undershirt, black belted slacks, off-white popped sneakers--and the metal wristwatch Shinji once gifted him. (His snowflake necklace is in a treasured place in his room.) Both of them are seated cross-legged on a rug on the floor, a baby each on their laps. They are probably squirmy, but Shinji's gotten used to it by now, and Kaworu is Kaworu.
"...Honestly, it's kind of nice to babysit," Shinji concludes. "At first, it intimidated me--babies are so fragile, and what if I dropped them? But now, it's not so bad."
"Lilim lives are so short that the dawn of a new one often refreshes the lives around it. All the more so when they're lives that are properly celebrated," Kaworu replies. "I'm glad you came here, Shinji-kun."
Shinji's cheeks pinken. "...Yeah. Me too."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight has taken the chance to relax for a moment, since her kids are being watched. Back on the Ra Mari II, Lavhi has just returned to work, but Eight is still on leave. It's easier to get reports about what's going on while she's on the ship, though, and admittedly it feels good to be back. Even if now she's doing most of the parenting during the day on her own, now. It hasn't been long, and she's still adjusting--which is part of why some babysitters are so welcome.
Eight steps out of her room again, having taken a brief nap, and smiles to see the two boys sitting there with her twins.
"As it happens," Eight says, "Half-Zentradi babies are a bit hardier than full humans. ...But I appreciate you not dropping them, all the same." She smiles wryly, and then says, "You do very well with them, Shinji. And getting to meet someone else is good for them, too."
Properly celebrated...
"Shinji, do you mind watching them on your own for a few? I'd like to borrow Kaworu, if he doesn't mind either."
Zaress and Aarmi are indeed kind of squirmy, but they can only move so much at this age. They look up at Shinji and Kaworu's faces often, and seem happy.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
That's another reason Shinji's come to like babysitting: it means he's being useful, not just in general to the crew as part of his job as an assistant cook, but to a friend who could use some rest every now and then. It's not like he's doing much of anything when he isn't working, and this way he got to introduce Kaworu to them too.
Eight emerges from her room then, and Shinji and Kaworu both look up at her.
"There's still no point in risking it," Shinji says--not that Eight disagrees, plainly. He ducks his head and smiles when Eight praises his way with the kids. They do look up at them often, and while Shinji might not smile often out in the kitchens, with his mood having improved, it's easier to smile at Zaress and Aarmi.
That smile fades a bit when Eight asks to borrow Kaworu. "Huh? Um..." He looks at Kaworu, but Kaworu is as unbothered as ever.
"I don't mind. It's been some time since we've spoken," he says.
Which makes Shinji settle a bit. Right... Eight was Kaworu's friend first. Of course she'd want to catch up with him too. "Okay. I can take care of them."
He thus accepts Aarmi from Kaworu, then sets them down on the rug and lets them both crawl about while he keeps a close eye. Kaworu watches them all with his usual smile and hands tucked in his pockets; then he strolls over to Eight.
"What is it you need?" he asks conversationally.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight's more than happy to let Shinji feel useful. ...If he weren't good with the kids she wouldn't let him keep doing it, but since he is, she'll take the time to herself that she can get. She likes watching them together. And Kaworu, too. "I agree," she says plainly, and then says, "Thanks."
"And thank you double. They really like you, I can tell." While they can't do a lot of crawling yet, they can move around a little! And they are happy to spend time with, "Gaaa!" ...Aarmi does not have his name down yet. It's fine.
Eight gestures to a seat in the kitchenette, and takes one herself. "Business mostly," she says quietly. "I wanted to talk about what happened out there. Get some updates from you directly, instead of secondhand. And..."
"...To tell you I'm happy you're back. That all of you are."
"I couldn't do much, from here, with everything going on, with the twins to consider. So I'm grateful to those of you who could."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"You're welcome," Shinji says. He doesn't say anything about the babies liking him, but the way he looks down at them, it's plain he's fond of them too.
Kaworu follows Eight to the kitchenette and sits with her. He notes how she lowers her voice, but how they've only gone a short distance away.
"Certainly," he replies. His smile turns a touch rueful. "There were some deaths, I'm sorry to say. I don't know if you know those who perished, though." At the very least, everyone directly affiliated with Eight did indeed come back alive, to Kaworu's knowledge.
"That's all right. Jupiter is a long ways away for anyone." He pauses. "What did you want to discuss specifically?"
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight considers their closeness to Shinji as she thinks of what she wants to say, and rises again after all. "Let's have some music." She walks over to the console on the wall, and pleasant, upbeat music plays. Nothing too high-brow, but something with a nice beat for the twins and Shinji. "This work for you?" she asks, and will change it if not.
Then she returns to her seat with Kaworu, "My crew at least all came back intact. I'm sorry about those that didn't."
"...Well," she says, "I understand there's probably some things about what happened that you can't tell me. But I do want to discuss Shinji himself, too. ...He's doing much better, with you around. And the NERV agents watching him have probably noticed that, too."
She pauses. "Obviously I know there's agents on my ship. That's not an issue. But I want to know..."
"Do you think he's doing well, here? We took him in, but he's lit up to be around you again. If there's somehow you think he'd be happier..."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"Yes, that's fine," Kaworu says of the music. It isn't what he usually listens to, but it has a good beat. The twins are probably having fun bopping to it, which will give Shinji plenty to pay attention to--that isn't their conversation. No doubt that's why Eight put it on in the first place. The sound will mask their voices, too.
Kaworu nods at Eight's condolences. He wasn't close to those that died, but there is one who's gone missing who hasn't yet been found... He won't mention that to Eight, though. There's no need to trouble her about Shozo's... situation.
"I'm sure they have," he says, unperturbed by the mention of the Section 2 spies. He wasn't informed of them; that doesn't matter. When he spotted them on the Ra Mari II, he understood immediately what was going on. It's a little surprising that Eight isn't bothered by their presence, but that's fine. The important matter, for both of them, is how Shinji's doing.
If there's somehow you think he'd be happier...
Kaworu's smile deepens--as does the melancholy in his eyes. Shinji's happiness is something he's sought for so long. But even now, after countless repetitions, he's never quite managed to help him grasp it. (At least, to Kaworu's perspective, he hasn't.) "It's difficult to say," he murmurs, just audible over the music to Eight. Anyone further away won't hear him--or might hear his voice, but not his specific words. "I know he has no desire to return to Tokyo-3, but many of the people he cares about most are there. Shinji-kun won't be able to stay away forever. There are other places he could go... but I don't think sending him away will make him happier. He's gotten used to this place. Though, if you mean a way rather than a place..."
He falls silent. Then he looks over towards the other room. "...I wish I could stay by his side. I'll continue to visit when I can, of course. But the burden fate has placed upon him, I must take upon myself." He looks back to Eight. "The Angels still remain."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
That is indeed why. Eight doesn't need to know everything about what's going on, but she does prefer to stay informed about the general tenor of things.
She could be more bothered--but better the spies she knows about than the spies she doesn't.
Eight can hear Kaworu fine. She doesn't rely only on words, after all. But what Kaworu has to say...
"I see," Eight answers. "Yes. I understand. That 'burden'... Someone has to take it up. And you'll be welcome here, still. Even as it gets more difficult with the changes of the Federation... You, in particular, are welcome. I trust you. So does Captain Rezza."
Then, "He's welcome here, too. As long as he wants to be. I've seen him up and down..."
"But if I can give him a place to be until it's time for him to go 'back', then I'll do that." She pauses. "...I'm not sure how I feel about him going back, I admit. Not after how they treated him. But you're right, and it's ultimately his decision."
"Either way..."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Certainly true. And letting the ones that she knows about stay means it's less likely that they'll get replaced by ones she doesn't. Besides, the Section 2 agents are only here to keep an eye on Shinji, to make sure he doesn't say anything he shouldn't--and up to now, he hasn't. He knows the position he's in, and besides which, he doesn't want to talk about his time at NERV anyway. All in all, a pretty straightforward job... except of course for when he was caught up in that attack on the Orb Union, but surely no one could have predicted *that*.
"I'm glad. Shinji-kun said too that everyone here is a good person," Kaworu says warmly. Of being welcome, he adds, "Thank you. I'm sure there will continue to be a great number of changes through the Earth Sphere, but I have no desire to get in the way of your freedoms. All the more so if you're shielding him."
Up and down... Of that he's certain. Kaworu's seen a lot of that himself, even just this time around. "It won't be for his father that he'll return, but for himself," he replies. "His bond with Evangelion Unit-01 transcends space and time, and his love for his fellow Evangelion pilots will shake the world. That is something that won't change, no matter what Commander Ikari does."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight doesn't have quite the same approach as Enba--but she relies on them all the same, for cloak and dagger business like Section 2.
"...That's good," she says. "I believe in my crew. And I know they've welcomed him. That means a lot to me... that this ship can be a home." A pause. "I aprpeciate that."
But, "...Mm." Not for his father, but...
"The Evangelions are... special, I know. Strange, not simply ordinary mecha." A pause. "So I can't speak to that. But love..."
"Yes. Love is a reason I could respect, for going back," she says, turning to look at Shinji with her babies. She smiles, after a moment.
"Thank you."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"I appreciate it too... and I know Shinji-kun does as well. As much as he struggled early on, being here means that he had the change to do so safely." As opposed to the two weeks he spent wandering around homeless. Shinji hasn't talked about that much, but Kaworu heard about it from the Neon Genesis Junior High Students--what little they were able to pass on, at least. He's grateful to them too for making sure Shinji could go somewhere where he could process his feelings without fear of starving to death.
Kaworu only continues to smile when Eight touches on the special nature of the Evangelions. That, too, he doesn't speak on any further than he has. Love, though...
"His heart is full of love. Even when he's afraid, that never changes," Kaworu says affectionately, following her gaze over to Shinji. "It's why he cries... and it's also why he carries on."
He looks back. "Thank you."
"Speaking of love... Shinji-kun's told me quite a bit about your children, but I haven't heard as much about your husband or your crew. I understand there's been a lot of upheaval on Earth while I was away, too. Is everything well?"
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight never pressed for details, but she was glad to spare him more of that. "That's important."
Full of love. "I see..." She nods. "That makes sense. You don't get so invested in life without a heart that can love. ...Not the way he is, anyway."
Pause.
But? Eight smiles. "So, it's been a while since I've had a chance to see most of my crew. They've been welcoming me back warmly, though. ...I was in Magallanica," she explains, "While the twins were too young to socialize with many people. But now they've built up their immune systems a little more, I can come back to the ship with them."
"It was..." She says, "Stressful. But wonderful. These first few months... I got to be with my husband every day. All the time, even. Sometimes they tell you that'll drive you crazy, but not us. Lavhi's just... wonderful."
"There was a lot going on, but I wasn't involved in most of it. Though... there was one thing I ended up involved with."
She considers. "A man named Caruleum Vaull showed up on the ship. Shinji met him. Claimed to be the King of Earth, and had philosophical questions for us. Now that i'm back, he might 'test' us like he was talking about."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu listens to Eight recount her time with Lavhi, and the warmth of the welcome-back of her crew, and her return with the twins now that they can handle it, with a faint smile. It sounds like, despite the chaos of the world, she's had a peaceful time of things.
It sounds like it. Until she mentions the incident with the King of Earth. Kaworu's smile slips into a more neutral line--not far to fall, but there is a subtle change in his demeanor that goes with it.
"Caruleum Vaull..." he murmurs. "I see."
And if he has his eye on this ship, and moves to the next stage of his mission while Shinji's still here...
"It's courteous of him to wait while you were on maternity leave. But perhaps that is the graciousness of a king," Kaworu muses. "Is there anything in particular he said of your responses to his questions?"
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
She has, for the most part. She could mention Goragon, too--the strange 'dream' she had as a result. But she settles on Caruleum, and she notices the shift in Kaworu's expression. Not a wholly unfamiliar name, then.
"It is," Eight says. "I... appreciated it. I'm not sure how I feel about 'tests' for the crew, but I like it better than some we've faced." Pause. "He called our approach that of a 'gentle heart'," she says. "We were more unitied than the last crew he spoke with, that of the Dreisstrager. He said.."
"'This has tipped the scales to the left.'"
Eight shrugs. "I could give you more details, but that's the bulk of what it was. I'd almost forgotten it, with everything else going on."
"Only almost, though. And now Lavhi's back at work..."
"Well. We'll see what happens. As I told him, obedience isn't one of my better virtues."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Goragon is something Kaworu's heard about by now, at least--as is the Nagoya Massacre, and the incident at the North Pole. Caruleum Vaull, though... That was no doubt a minor enough incident that hardly anyone is talking about it by comparison. Even Shinji didn't think it significant enough to mention--or maybe, more accurately, put it out of mind to stop worrying about it so much. But then, a lot has happened since then, hasn't it? Like the attack on the Orb Union, which Shinji did mention--along with the woman who helped saved him.
Kaworu listens to Eight recount what Caruleum said. At the end of it, he nods once. "I see," he repeats. This time, his expression betrays nothing. "If he comes by again, please do let me know. With Shinji-kun here, I'd like to see him for myself."
He'll have to talk to Shinji about him directly. Shinji will mention how Caruleum had reminded him of Kaworu, and how it felt like Caruleum knew who he was; in the same way, he won't be surprised that Kaworu seems to know Caruleum too. Kaworu knows lots of people. But that will come later.
"Are you officially reclaiming your mantle as captain now, or have you only transitioned back to living on the Ra Mari II?" Kaworu asks. "If Caruleum Vaull wishes to test you as captain, he may wait longer still before he returns."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Indeed. Almost...
"I will," Eight says. She considers asking Kaworu about him... and doesn't, for the moment. Just for the moment, anyway. Maybe later. Instead, she'll let that subect rest, in favor of...
"Just the latter for now," the blonde answers Kaworu. "I don't want to start weaning the twins for at least three more months, maybe longer. I'm still debating what's best for them and the crew, respectively."
She considers. "But he might just, at that. I guess we'll find out what he prefers."
"...Is there anything you'd like to ask me, before I give you back?" A smile.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"If he's waited this long, then I predict he'll wait a while longer until you're able to perform at your peak." Kaworu gives her a rueful smile. "Hopefully I'm correct."
Things didn't go the way he thought they would with Unit-03, after all. He truly hadn't anticipated that Asuka would want to be the one to take on someone else's burden so badly. But then, Kaworu never has understood Asuka well--any version of her.
"Yes, we'll see. I'm sure we'll see him again, but a king operates on his own schedule, in the end." Kaworu returns Eight's smile. "You and your family and friends seem happy and healthy, from what you've told me so far. As long as that's so, all is well. If there's anything else you'd like to share, I'm happy to hear it, but I won't keep you, either."
He doesn't volunteer up any information on what happened during the Jupiter mission--but Eight can no doubt ask her crewmates who went on the trip directly.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
"Hopefully."
Things can always go a little differently than one would hope. But sometimes they do work out. There's no sense in being certain either way. But... Well.
"Yes." A smile, then. "It is. Rena and Annie are doing great," she says, speaking of her girlfriend and her girlfriend's girlfriend, "Lavhi is adjusting well to work again... And with all the help we have available on the ship, I think we'll be able to get in some time for just us, too. And then the twins are doing great."
She smiles. "Thanks, Kaworu. I..."
"Waaah!"
Shinji might recognize it by now; that's the 'I'm hungry' cry out of Zaress. "...Motherhood calls," she says with a laugh, and starts to stand up, walking over. "Thanks Shinji! I think I'll take this one back, now..."