+++++ Kirijo Manor. (Wednesday, August 25th, +4, Waning Gibbous 3/4)

Something Shinji had managed to forget about, and was only reminded of when he entered the manor, was that the mothers of his classmates had been requested to assemble at said manor. Walking inside, he found that everyone was sitting in the adjoining alcove listening to Miyuki's 'sales pitch'. Yuko had sent Chiaki to uphold her promise to Akane, leaving only her and him to enter through the front doors. Slowing to a halt as he realized everyone was looking at him, Shinji's face went flat. Anger at everything that was happening reminded him of its presence as well, though he kept his voice free of affectation as he bowed politely in greeting. "Good evening."

"Welcome home, Shinji-kun." Miyuki floated over to him, declaring to everyone that she not only had a first-name relationship with him but that the man keeping them all alive respected her greatly. With him standing in only a pair of athletic pants, his lithe frame exuding masculine appeal, she needed every ounce of leverage she could to overcome the fact that she was asking these ladies to accept their daughters living in the same house as the only known man on Earth. "How was your afternoon?"

Yuko smoothly inserted herself, having anticipated Shinji's reluctance to expound on matters for fear of becoming angry, "Mister Ikari has considerable talents at his command, madam. A natural crack shot with four different firearms, he did not miss a single shot against the targets presented to him. Surprising even Captain Katsuragi, he managed to deadlift two hundred and five kilograms. His workout partner, one Sergeant Valatok, spent close to two hours mentoring him on proper physical positioning. You'll find my report enlightening, I'm sure."

"Indeed, I will," she agreed with a fond touch to Shinji's cheek. "Go ahead and make yourself presentable, dear. I'll notify the chef that you're here, she'll have something suitable ready for you once you're ready."

"…Thank you." Bowing politely, he turned and moved as fast as he felt was acceptable away from the scene. Once he reached the stairs, he paused and checked to see that nobody was looking towards them before asking his EA, "…Where's the shower?"

"This way." Yuko took the lead, guiding him at a similar pace to the one he'd set himself. "I believe you've made the first impression madam anticipated you making." Reaching their destination quickly, she paused outside the room, lowering her voice to a husky growl, "I was hoping that, perhaps, that would not be the only impression you were interested in making at the moment." With a vulpine grin, she shifted her shoulders coquettishly. "Watching you strain like that was…invigorating." He had her pressed against the door, their lips interlocked, before a single heartbeat had passed. Working the door open, she made certain that her employer didn't need to worry about an angry young man scuttling her plans with an unfortunate outburst. It was a gloriously painful job, and she loved every second of it.

+++++ Kirijo Manor. (Wednesday, August 25th, +4, Waning Gibbous 3/4)

"That is the pilot?" Yuka Ayase's mother was leaning over to speak with Eriko Kirishima's mother regarding what they'd just found out. "He looks so gentle!"

The proprietress of the Amagi Inn was holding a quick council with Rise's Aunt and Chie's mother herself, "I have to admit, I was slightly taken aback that a soldier was still in high school. I couldn't have imagined someone who fought as violently as he had would be so…reserved."

The Kirishima and Yoshizawa matriarchs were barraging their daughters with questions that neither had 'good' answers for, "Does he have a girlfriend? Has he shown any preferences? Have you offered to make him lunch?"

Mitsuru, standing next to her mother and feeling her classmates' embarrassment growing, surreptitiously asked her mother for help, "Should we not return to the point at hand?"

"Oh, but Shinji-kun is somewhat part of the point," Miyuki demurred, louder than her daughter might have preferred. "He will be living here with everyone, and it's very important that our guests understand that their daughters couldn't possibly be in the presence of a safer young man."

Yuka's mother raised her hand slightly. "Not to be impolite, Kirijo-san, but why isn't he living with his mother?"

"As you might be aware," she couldn't have asked for a better set-up question, "Doctor Yui Ikari spends no less than eighteen hours a day at work. Would it truly be fair to poor Shinji-kun to be left all alone? To have to care for himself, and be a responsible member of his classroom, and train to defend us, and actually defend us? To return home, every day, without the comforting knowledge that he has people ready to help him carry those burdens? We can't ask Ikari-sensei to work fewer hours, all of our lives depend on her fierce dedication! I felt that, because I was her classmate in our youth, I would be the responsible person to entrust with his care. I have the resources, as you've seen, to ensure that we do not crush his spirit while asking him to bolster our lives."

A rumble of assent rippled amongst the 'responsible adults' present. "He really is a very considerate young man," Ulala announced 'innocently'. "He's not shy about sharing his experience, if it will help us learn something easier. He's always triple-checking our work in group assignments, too."

"He listens to us talk about our interests," Eriko picked up on what her friend was attempting and ran with it. "Just yesterday he let me talk to him about nail polish for an entire break without once losing focus."

"And he's, like, totally responsible!" Yuka enthused, "He's never not listening to the teach, and he completely checks my notes to make sure I didn't miss anything."

"That does sound very nice," the Amagi matriarch announced, interjecting, "but will there be…protections in place? While I do not doubt the virtue of our daughters, I must admit to having been a teenaged woman at one point in my life."

Miyuki laughed with polished amusement. "The house is, as you may have noted, never without adults present. My employees are always on hand to help them with any issues that might come up, and would act as 'protection' against those interests young ladies are wont to pursue in the absence of sensible guidance."

"Not to mention, of course, that I will be present." Mitsuru felt slightly insulted at her mother's response. "It is my duty as Student Body President to ensure that nothing interferes with our preparations to become the responsible leaders of the future."

"Dear, you are one of my employees," she teased, earning a laugh from the assembled women. "As, I would hope, eventually so will be your classmates." The laughter stopped dead. "My daughter, just as much my pride and joy as yours are for you, has been employed by the Kirijo Group since she was legally able to hold employment. As I will be given the privilege of caring for your children, for as long as this crisis lasts, I intend to do what I can to prepare them for whatever career aspirations they might have. Our Group is involved in a great many different ventures, and I would not mind helping these fine young ladies create paths towards those careers."

The support for the plan was instant, and unanimous. Shinji's classmates would move into the Kirijo Manor that very evening, with their possessions brought over by paid professionals waiting for the order to begin. Mitsuru was quickly asked to take her classmates to the dining room to wait for Shinji, while assistants distributed pre-filled contracts that would allow everything to happen as requested.

+++++ Kirijo Manor. (Wednesday, August 25th, +4, Waning Gibbous 3/4)

Shinji trotted down the stairs with calm confidence. He couldn't change what was happening, he couldn't force people to reconsider, which meant that worrying was only going to end up making his life miserable. The joy that he had brought Yuko, the way she had held him and whispered her faith in him, gave him the strength to accept these statements as truths. Crossing into the dining room, as requested, he had been warned that the ladies would have already assembled there, and was not caught off guard by the wall of sound that was an animated discussion amongst them. A break in the argument allowed him to incline his head politely, "Uhm…welcome home?"

"Just so," Mitsuru responded with warm gratitude. "I'm glad you remembered."

He'd do anything to make her smile at him like that. "I'm…uhm, I'm sorry that your lives have been upended. That everything is going sideways. I had hoped to…I don't know…." He blew out a sigh, moving to stand behind the seat he'd been assigned by Miyuki. "I wanted to protect everyone. To stop things from hurting you. I know what you said earlier today, and I understand why you feel that way…I just want you to know how…how I feel."

The door to the kitchens opened, admitting Chiaki with a rolling cart of various foods. "If it would please the sir to sit?" After he'd taken his seat, she set a large tray before him, uncovering a meal ready to support someone working out. "The ladies have already had their dinners, though I have provided some light refreshments so that you do not feel awkward eating while they do not. If there is anything amiss, I have set my speed dial on your phone to 'four'." Placing the cart where it was accessible to anyone, she curtseyed professionally. "Forgive my absence, but I presume you will want privacy for your discussions." That said, she exited as quickly as she'd arrived.

Rise dropped into the seat next to Shinji, tugging it over and gently rubbing his right arm as he ate with his left. "You were really angry at school, and you were still angry when you got here…but you seem a little calmer now."

"I usually feel calmer after a nice warm shower," Ulala offered with a slinky, eye-catching, stretch. "No big shock that he's calmed down."

Rolling her eyes, she ignored the comment and pressed in on Shinji instead, "None of us are upset at your being here, ok?" When his body sank slightly, she increased her affections to compensate. "Really, I promise. We've all been in here trying to work out ways to get comfortable with suddenly all being housemates."

"I'm upset you're here, though," he grated out through clenched teeth. With his eyes fixed on his plate, he was unaware of the nearly universal negative reaction his words caused. "You have family. People who want you around. People who love you, and aren't spending all day trying to hurt you for every minor infraction of byzantine and contradictory rules. You shouldn't be here, you should be with them."

Being one of the three women to not react negatively to his statement, Rise decided to take a more direct approach to shifting his attention away from the path he was set upon walking. Lifting his arm up and sliding into his lap, she snatched his utensils and began to feed him from her perch. "They're not moving away, and the last time I checked we all had functional legs." Swiftly readying another bite for him before he could swallow, she raised one eyebrow to keep him from even thinking about interrupting. "I agree that we are all very fortunate to have blood relations that are both present and engaged in our lives. I disagree that it's inappropriate for us to branch out past that part of our lives at this age. We are at the age where we should look to start new 'families'. Maybe not romantically, but definitely with a variety of people close to our age that can help us grow into the adult world we're approaching rapidly. So if we're not upset about what's happening, then you being upset on our behalf is both pointless and belittling."

The more she spoke, the more Shinji's temper retreated, until her final statement where his emotions took a pair of strange turns. Sitting where she was, and how she was, caused something in his mind to 'click'. Placing his hand around her wrist, as if he was restraining a tiny kitten, he stopped her from continuing to force-feed him for a second. Lowering his voice to the merest hint of a whisper, he asked, "Why do you like…being in contact with me?"

Pulling his head down towards her, she whispered her reply into his ear, "Because I've never talked to someone and felt what I feel when I talk to you. You might not have noticed, but there's something of a competition going on for your attention." When she released him, allowing him to sit upright again, she was pleased but not surprised when she saw confusion and embarrassment hanging off of him. Placing another bite in his mouth, she continued in a more normal conversational tone, "We understand that you want us to be safe, that you want us to enjoy the life you were never given. You need to understand that we've enjoyed that life for almost two decades now, and all of us are more than ready to face what's coming so that others have that chance themselves."

"Which is kinda something we all share, really." Landing atop Shinji's head, Pixie announced her return by looking around the room at the women assembled. "At least, that's what Titania says."

What would or would not have happened to Pixie should Ulala's thrown knife have struck her remained in the realm of supposition, as Shinji reacted with lightning speed to the mistaken attempt at defending everyone by catching the projectile in his free hand. "Stop!" The plea rang out with a clear deference to the women it was directed towards, "Stop…."

Mitsuru's reserves were being tested, though thankfully not found lacking. "Serizawa-chan…please do not throw things towards Ikari-kun's head. Everyone…meet Pixie-san. Pixie-san, if you would be so kind as to not spontaneously manifest without some form of warning that would be lovely."

Yuka blew out a sigh, tugging a handkerchief free of her cardigan and taking control of the hand that Shinji used to prevent damage to Pixie. "Could you, like, not catch it by the blade next time?" Uncurling his hand, she hissed at the sight of the cuts left behind by the knife she set down atop the table. "I can't ask you to play me something if you're missing fingers, ya know?" Wrapping the hand with the handkerchief, she held it tight in both of her own to create pressure against the wound. "Hey Mitsy-chan, we're gonna need to explain this somehow."

"Nah, I can heal this." Floating off of her perch and down onto Yuka's shoulder, Pixie performed the same feat of healing that she'd used the day before in Tartarus. "Massive gaping hole in his chest, slightly hard. Lacerations of his hand? That's easy-mode."

Eriko slapped Ulala upside the back of her head. "Nice to meet you, Pixie-san. I'm guessing this is one of those 'surprises' that we were going to be told once everything had calmed down enough?"

"Yeah, nobody except those that can cross over into Tartarus can see or hear me for the moment," she shrugged, grinning at Eriko with a wink. "The Seelie Court is notoriously camera shy, unlike the Unseelie." Her humor faded quickly. "Like those that attacked the humans further to the west."

"Everyone's all nervous about fucking monsters attacking, and I get in trouble for reacting quickly to something attacking our best man here?" Ulala scowled at everyone else. "How is it my fault that I was ready to protect him?"

Sumire replied waspishly, "Remind me again how you're protecting someone by throwing a knife at their head?"

"I'm fine." Shinji could feel the healing magic work, aiding his unnatural healing capacity in closing the wounds. "It was a well-aimed throw, and would have missed me completely. I grabbed it because I don't want Pixie-san hurt, which makes it my-" Three pinches on his arms brought his statement to a halt.

Rise, Yuka, and Pixie all looked at each other, silently choosing the former to speak for them all. "You wouldn't have had to catch the knife if it hadn't been thrown," Rise reminded him. "It also doesn't matter how well-thrown that knife was, nobody is perfect and she shouldn't be in the habit of trying to hit a target that close to someone's head. She could have killed you."

You could only be so lucky, an all-too familiar voice whispered in his mind. They're all going to die, and it's going to be your fault.

The way his body locked up and his eyes grew distant forced the room to grow still. Each woman present had seen the way he'd destroyed his desk in the classroom, and no one judged Mitsuru and Yukiko poorly for tugging Yuka back and away from him. Sumire and Chie rounded the long table in the other direction, intending to help Rise move clear, when Shinji murmured, "No…no, they're not." That statement urged them to greater speed, only to find that when they went to scoop her up and off his lap that Shinji had other plans.

With his arms clenched around her protectively, holding her firmly without harming her in the slightest, Rise shook her head. "No," she hissed, "I'm fine." Leaning towards him, she curled into the embrace. Each of them heard him repeat the statement several times. Most of them wondered whether Rise was making a wise decision by remaining in his embrace. More than half of them had done some introspection regarding whether or not it would be wise to pursue him, considering the startling level of violence he was capable of. Three of them, on the contrary, had no doubts whatsoever that the last thing Shinji Ikari would ever do is willingly harm any of them. Two of them had incontrovertible proof that beneath the broken exterior of a young man who'd only recently found freedom was someone that would die before he let them come to harm. Only one had been gifted this chance to experience the truth of his life, and she wasn't going anywhere.

+++++ NERV. (Wednesday, August 25th, +4, Waning Gibbous 3/4)

Andreja Valatok had not anticipated being called back in to work late into the evening. There hadn't been any major activations scheduled, and her work unit had reached the limit of what they could do until other sections finished the parts of the current project that they were tasked with. Her supervisor, a very cautious woman that disliked having 'her children' be pushed too hard over 'nonsense' to save their energy and drive for those moments that truly required 'above and beyond' had, however, called her and firmly insisted that she was to show up without delay in whatever clothing she was wearing. No changing into her uniform, no stopping for coffee, nothing.

Several women she knew from other shifts greeted her warmly as she strode past them, the polite niceties that kept society from tearing itself apart receiving nothing different than those genuinely pleased statements from women that enjoyed her presence. She doubted that this was a full recall, as she hadn't seen a major flow of bodies towards her department, only away from it. Old instincts bubbled to the surface, her background judging every scrap of functional intelligence that might serve to keep her alive. When she reached her supervisor's office, though, she knocked without any hint of anxiety or worry. Fear simply was, it had no more control over someone than they allowed it to have.

"Come in," a voice muffled by the thin door called in reply. Once Andreja had the door open, her supervisor motioned her inside and urged the door to be closed. As was her habit, she wasted no time on silly pleasantries, "I'm not sure why I was ordered to have you report in, but I had you show up here early so I could warn you face-to-face. The Commander herself wants to see you in twenty minutes. You're not typically the one I need to keep an eye on, but I'll ask all the same: is there anything I need to be aware of? Did something happen that might have pissed her off?"

Her head shook slowly. "I do not think so, no. I spent some time with Shinji in the gym…perhaps I angered Captain Katsuragi? I do not think I did, I only voiced my opinion that Shinji should not bulk up like some Hollywood pretend warrior pretty boy. His body is lean, agile, it is."

"I doubt that's it," she sighed out in frustration. "If everyone who ever torqued Katsuragi's nose had to report to the Commander she'd never leave her office. Especially if all you did was give fitness advice." Her lip quirked in a smirk. "I have to agree, though. He's a pleasant sight as he is, there's no need to ruin the art by painting on useless muscle."

"Yes, you see?" It did feel nice to have her opinion validated by someone 'in charge'. "That he is slender is not bad, it suits his heart, yes?" Andreja spread her hands helplessly. "But I am sorry, ma'am, I do not know why the Commander would want to see me. Lieutenant Ibuki and I spoke, and she told me that she was not angry with me for my mistake. She is not a liar, at least not a good one, and she told me expressly that she 'appreciated the vociferous defense of Pilot Ikari'. Her own words, yes?"

Glancing at the clock on her wall, she grunted with displeasure. "Ok. I doubted you had done anything, and you're the first person to report when you've made an error. If this is something negative, either report back to me so I can help ameliorate it or give me a call at home if you get fired. You're one of my best, and I'm not going to let a moment of pique derail your career if I can help it."

"Yes ma'am, I will do that."

"Good. Go on, then. Early is on time."

"Yes ma'am." Knuckling her temple, in recognition of the woman before her, she turned and moved with a purpose towards the Dragon's Lair. Armed with the knowledge of the purpose of her hasty summons, as well as the faith that she truly hadn't done anything wrong, she made it to her destination with ten minutes to spare.

Waiting was not in her itinerary, though, as Yui Ikari's Executive Assistant was seated at her desk and greeted her on arrival, "Ah, Sergeant Valatok. Thank you for coming in on short notice, I apologize that we weren't able to give you time to put on your uniform but this meeting became available at the last moment. If you would be so kind as to wait here, I'll let the Sub-Commanders know you've arrived."

Functionaries were never worth wasting many words on, in Andreja's opinion, and so she nodded and uttered a simple, "Yes, ma'am." It rarely mattered that you had told one everything you knew, invariably the person they were attached to like a remora needed to hear everything from start to finish. There were a few 'good ones', in her opinion. Shinji's seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, paired with a definite eye towards his safety. She could respect that, if nothing else.

The door to Yui's office opened, Kyoko Zeppelin popping her head out and motioning for Andreja to enter. "Thank you for coming Sergeant, she'll be here in a few minutes."

Andreja entered the ornately furnished meeting room, halting at the threshold of what she considered 'NCO authorized territory'. Both Sub-Commanders were in the room, and no one else, which meant that whatever it was it likely had to do with Shinji. 'Nobodies' like her were not summoned for tea with the elites, and if she was going to be punished it would not be with the three women who ran NERV wasting their time on it.

"Oh, of course," Kyoko snorted out a laugh. Motioning over to the side of the table opposite where she and Naoko were, she urged her to take a seat. "Please, this is going to be fairly informal. I know we haven't spoken since the award ceremony four months ago, but just as then I urge you to speak your mind."

Naoko smirked, her eyes remaining on the pair of tablets she had been working on when Andreja had entered the room. "Speaking her mind is not something Sergeant Valatok has difficulties with, Kyoko. She's been reprimanded five times, and each time because some prick with a Napoleon Complex didn't appreciate her position on religion."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"They thought they were God, ma'am." Andreja had heard the joke before and knew the punchline well. "I disagreed." Standing behind the chair, still uncertain as to whether she was meant to sit down or simply not make it so difficult to speak to her, she shrugged her great shoulders with a slight smile.

"Ah," Kyoko responded with a heartfelt laugh. "Yes. Far too many of those wandering around for my taste." Flapping her hand at the chair, she made her position clearer, "Please, sit. We're needing to pick your brain, nothing more."

No sooner had Andreja pulled her chair out so she could sit in it, than Yui walked into the room. As the only 'enlisted' in the room, she hit the position of attention and stated in a firm voice, "Commander."

"At ease, Sergeant. Take your seat." Yui reached the head of the table, taking her own seat and setting down several tablets. "What is said here tonight is not to be spoken of outside of this room." Turning one tablet around, she slid it over so that Andreja could see what was on it. "I presume you recognize this incident?"

Running on a loop was a video of Andreja offering to keep Shinji warm while the scissor lift descended from the entry plug of Unit-01. Feeling her mouth dry, she nonetheless responded in a calm, even, voice, "Yes ma'am."

"What were your thoughts, at that moment? Be as specific as possible, if you please."

The detached way in which her Commander spoke was curious, and a part of her worried that she might not actually make it out of the room alive. Adopting the clinical tone of an After-Action Report, she focused on her diction to prevent misunderstandings, "I took note of Pilot Ikari's listless condition as soon as I hefted him out of the cockpit. He was rapidly losing body heat due to the lack of any form of blanket on board the helicopter and the manner in which LCL wicks away heat itself. Out of fear that he might begin to suffer hypothermia, I offered to hold him close. I am large, larger than him at least, and I hoped that whatever body heat I could offer would be enough."

Kyoko interjected, "Did you consider giving him your own outfit?"

Her hesitation in responding was informed more by her attempts at recalling why she had considered it. "I did, but I chose not to offer for fear of making him uncomfortable. I…misunderstood Lieutenant Ibuki's proximity to him, the first time we met. He corrected my misunderstanding, and I admit that I was afraid that misunderstanding would lead to discomfort at a mostly nude woman standing next to him."

"So you would not have felt uncomfortable at being nude, in this situation?" Naoko still had not looked away from her work, though the question was clearly stated.

"I would not, no. He would not be the first male not of my family to see me in such a state, and I trust in his virtue. My lack of action was for fear of his emotions, not mine."

"Interesting." Yui pushed another tablet over, moving the first aside. On this next was displayed a loop of her working with him at the gym earlier that day. "When you saw him, your first instinct was to lift him into a friendly embrace. That seems, to me, to go against your statement. Why would you seek to demonstrate affection for him here, yet avoid 'embarrassing him' then?"

"I…." She frowned. Why had she given him a hug? She didn't even hug men she'd known for years, yet her first instinct was to offer the joy she felt at seeing Shinji alive and well to him. "I believed he needed a hug." It wasn't the best response, but it was the one she had to give. "I…saw him smile, saw that he was happy to see me, and I believed he needed a hug."

Kyoko made a sound of approval. "I believe he needs more hugs myself. His nature has tended towards dour, but without the cynicism that would naturally lead him towards becoming jaded. Positive affirmations from those few who genuinely improve his mood can only help us bolster him against trending towards that cynicism."

"Indeed," Yui agreed, her tone remaining disaffected. "What is your opinion of his physical aptitude, Sergeant?"

The segue didn't match with what Andreja worried over, regarding the direction of the conversation: the question was phrased without innuendo. "He is capable of far greater feats of athleticism than his size would indicate. To deadlift over two hundred kilograms is no small achievement, and he recovers from such exertions with ease. I feel he would be better served to focus on steadying his existing abilities, rather than building mostly useless 'show muscles'. He is designed for agility and bursts of power, not for protracted conflicts." She hesitated, then added, "I stated my opinions to Captain Katsuragi, though she might not have included them in her report."

"She did not," Kyoko stated with a hint of disappointment. "Thank you for your assessment. I believe we'll run a few tests again, to see what levels of hormones he produces under strain. Naoko?"

"Agreed. The goal is to reduce stressors during combat, not endure them." Naoko rolled her hand, indicating that they should continue on with the main discussion.

Yui moved a third tablet over, pushing the other two further aside. Displayed on its screen was an all-too familiar service record. "I agreed to hire you based on the recommendations of your Commanding Officers during your military service. You declined several promotions, several accolades, and several transfers out of the various combat zones. That is, of course, until you found the unit that was responsible for your family's slaughter." She tapped a portion of the record that denoted her separation from service. "At which point you accepted a 'transition' into a role under the new government in a civilian capacity. They got a war hero for PR purposes, you received a pension and an education to smile for their cameras."

Memories that Andreja abhorred surfaced briefly, before being forced back under the surface again. Anger began to grow in her gut, a fear that she was being considered 'unstable', that she was being 'transitioned' once again. "They deserved the deaths they received, ma'am. They had no honor, no discipline, no remorse. It was not just my family they had defiled, not just my honor they assassinated. I did not want to fight in their war, I had no hatred in me for those who worshipped God by a different name than I did. Our village had no strategic value, no 'war assets', nothing that should have drawn them to it. They chose to do what they did, knowing that we were of no threat. Their choice had consequences, and I would repeat my actions again, even knowing the costs."

"Quite so." She sat back into her chair, spreading her hands slightly. "No quarter should be given to those who harm the innocent."

"I…have I hurt Shinji?" The possible inference took hold in her mind, wiping away the anger and giving rise to fear. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt a good man who sought peace. "Please, tell me I have not. He is not fragile, no, but delicate, you see? Like butterfly that is first climbing from its cocoon, yes?" Her focus on her diction gave way as she begged for an answer. Cupping her hands together, like a bowl, she showed them to the women at the table. "I tried to cradle him, yes I did. Help him stretch his muscles, his emotions, his confidence. He needs to be protected from bad people, like Sub-Commander Zeppelin says. Keep his spirit from being bruised and beaten, yes?"

Naoko blew out a sigh of irritation, taking her eyes off her work finally to spear Andreja with them. "You haven't hurt him, Sergeant, nor was that what Commander Ikari was inferring. Our duty as an organization is to protect people against gigantic aliens, our privilege is to field the greatest weapon known to mankind in doing so. We're not politicians, we don't talk the enemy down. We use whatever means we must to see them dead."

"Would you say that there are those we should consider protecting him from?" Yui inserted the question with a subtle hint of 'surprise'. "Have you seen someone intending harm to him?"

"I-I…." Andreja was now caught between speaking her mind and not pushing her personal fears into her professional life.

"Please, Andreja," Kyoko made a soothing motion with her hands, "we are quite serious about keeping Shinji-kun safe. He's a dear man, and we've asked you here to speak with us because as you've seen," she indicated the tablets, "he's begun to open up to you. If he trusts you, we can make use of that trust to help steer him away from people that he's less eager to trust."

Did Shinji not trust Misato, or was she simply allowing her own bias to project onto him? Was Shinji happier around Ritsuko Akagi and Maya Ibuki, or did she just wish that he would surround himself with women of that caliber? Where was the line between her own hopes and fears and the truth of the situation? "I…worry…." If she phrased it in a way that indicated she was uncertain, that would at least inform them that she had no proof of anything. "I worry that Captain Katsuragi wishes to…mold him into something he is not."

+++++ Author's Notes:

RE: Andreja Valatok:

She is Slovakian, by birth and ancestry. Slovaks, as many will likely already know, are a part of the Western Slav ethnic group. The (fictional) Slovakian Wars, as referenced in the previous chapter, were a series of ethno-religious conflicts that engulfed the entirety of that portion of Europe after Second Impact. Catholics killing Protestants killing Muslims killing Jews. I'm not likely to get too deep into it in the story, largely because it's only relevant as to her specific views on religion as a whole and what is happening around Shinji in particular. Suffice it to say, for now, that the surface calm does not match the tectonics below.