SEELE 02 spoke. "Touji tried to kiss you?" It was dawn by the crater lake.

"Yes, but I declined," said Kaworu.

SEELE 02 spoke. "I know Touji, and that doesn't sound like something he would do. Something's not right." Kaworu could hear SEELE 02 flipping through pages of a book. "We were at Scenario 47 or so, but now we've ruled out everything up to Scenario 2311. No, no, no, this is not right at all."

"We are all riding on the currents of the Lilin," said Kaworu.

SEELE 02 spoke. "You seem oddly unconcerned."

SEELE 08 spoke. "Maybe you're not an angel after all."

SEELE 06 spoke. "Hold on, he does have an field, you know."

"That is the Lilin term for it, isn't it?" said Kaworu.

SEELE 02 spoke. "Oh, it is not! It's 'A.T. field'. Look, you're obviously an angel, you're literally hovering right now."

"I know," said Kaworu, hovering a few inches off the ground.

SEELE 02 spoke. "I know you know, I was just pointing that out to SEELE 08."

SEELE 08 spoke. "Whatever. I still don't think he's an angel."

SEELE 02 spoke. "Anyway, let's not get distracted from the important issue. Shinji's obviously pretty upset. I mean, how else can you explain him pretending to kiss himself? It's like when a cat starts eating grass, you know something's wrong. Kaworu, you should write him a nice letter. Do you need paper?"

"I don't have any on me," said Kaworu.

SEELE 02 spoke. "Hold on, there's Dr. Akagi."

Ritsuko walked into the area wearing a lab coat.

SEELE 02 spoke. "Hello, Dr. Akagi! Finally, you've decided to dress appropriately for our meetings."

"Yes, but I'm not wearing anything underneath," said Ritsuko. She opened her labcoat and flashed the SEELE obelisks.

SEELE 02 spoke. "That's somehow even worse!"

Ritsuko closed her labcoat. "Anyway, I understand you asked me and Kaworu here to discuss third impact scenarios?"

SEELE 02 spoke. "Yes, but first, do you have any paper?"

Ritsuko paused, confused. "No, I don't usually carry sheets of paper around with me."

SEELE 02 spoke. "Could you go get some?"

"...You mean, now?"

SEELE 02 spoke. "Yes. It's important."

Ritsuko paused, sighed, and left in a huff.

Kaworu and the Seele obelisks waited a few minutes.

SEELE 02 spoke. "Hold on, I just remembered that I have something." The SEELE 02 obelisk shook, and a pad of paper and a pencil fell out.

Kaworu just paused.

SEELE 02 spoke. "Aren't you going to ask me how I did that?"

"Should I?"

SEELE 02 sighed. "Young people don't appreciate magic tricks like they used to. Anyway, why don't you start writing your letter of apology, and I'll give you pointers as you go?"

Kaworu sat down and started writing. The SEELE 02 obelisk leaned over his shoulder.

SEELE 02 spoke. "Why aren't you writing in cursive?"

"What's cursive?" asked Kaworu.

SEELE 02 sputtered. "It's a proper way to write a letter! Don't they teach you anything in school? It looks like this." An image of cursive writing displayed from the usually "sound only" obelisk.

"Would Shinji be able to read that?"

SEELE 02 sputtered again. "It doesn't matter. Whatever. Just read me what you wrote so far."

"Actually, I'm done." Kaworu held his paper in front of his face and started reading. "Dear Shinji, In truth, there is no division between us, as we are all one, and we are all warm. Yours, Kaworu."

SEELE 02 spoke. "Is that it?"

"Yes," said Kaworu.

SEELE 02 spoke. "It's a start. But you never actually apologized. Why don't you try again. I'll give you some suggestions."

As SEELE 02 dictated portions of the apology letter, Ritsuko returned to the area with some paper, and saw that Kaworu already had some. "Damn it," she muttered.

Several hours later, Shinji sat at a restaurant where he and Kaworu had planned to have brunch. He waited patiently for Kaworu, checking his phone every few minutes.

Kaworu and the SEELE 02 obelisk were roaming through the aisles at a nearby CVS.

"I'm going to be late," said Kaworu.

SEELE 02 spoke. "It's important that we have high-quality paper stock for the envelope for your apology letter! Maybe we should check Staples."

"Shouldn't I at least respond to Shinji's texts?"

SEELE 02 spoke. "That's no way to apologize! Anyone can text, it takes literally seconds. It doesn't show someone that you really care. Now, a handwritten letter, on the other hand..."

Suddenly, the SEELE 02 obelisk stopped.

SEELE 02 spoke. "Wait, where's the letter?"

Kaworu suddenly realized something. "I, uh, I forgot it."

SEELE 02 spoke. "Do you know what this means?"

"No."

SEELE 02 spoke. "It means you actually admitted you did something wrong! That's very mature of you! There's hope for you yet."

Kaworu smiled.

Shinji had sat at the table in the restaurant for thirty minutes, still waiting for Kaworu. He folded his arms, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair.

Stand me up, Kaworu, thought Shinji, smiling. Humiliate me. Stand me up like a bitch.