Far East Branch - Lobby

After a long and strenuous day of resource gathering, Soma, Tatsumi, Gunter, and Neo went their separate ways. Soma left for the showers, happy to wash the dirt and grime from his body and hair. Tatsumi, having felled the Fallen Borg, immediately made his way to the mission desk. He had put on a show for the operator as promised and hoped that perhaps this time, she would give him the time of day. Gunter hoped to do the same but found himself unable to as the New Type disappeared shortly after their return to Headquarters. He would have to try again another time.

Following their return, the Den was left in utter confusion as the Branch Director, Paylor Sakaki, diverted all resources, including water, to whatever he was manufacturing at different times throughout each day. All anyone could do was wait to see what the eccentric doctor had in store for them. And finally, in a few days' time, it was revealed.

The elevator dinged, stopping at the lobby floor. Neo stepped slowly through the doors; her eyes downcast as she made her way into the main hall. After her successful completion of Knight and Rust, the New Type found herself accosted by other members of her team, each demanding she take a break. Alisa had all but kidnapped her, dragging her into her room for tea and snacks.

Though suspicious, he humored her, seeing as she hadn't actually hung out with her comrade in some time. After a few minutes of conversation, her true intentions became clear. It seemed that both of Neo's childhood friends had grown concerned about her high activity levels in recent days. As she refused to listen to either one of them, they had mentioned their concerns to her closest female friend in the hopes that she would listen to reason. As she strolled through the lobby, she could still hear Alisa's voice, laced with concern.

Neo… you've been pushing yourself way too hard these days. Sure, it's just a lot of bad luck happening at the same time. But you seem like you're just rushing to die. I get really worried sometimes.

If she was being honest, she wasn't entirely certain she could argue with Alisa's logic. It was true that she had been growing increasingly stressed, and even more depressed, in recent days. While she wasn't showing any immediate signs of transformation, the fact that she could start at any moment only added to her anxiety. Even worse, she couldn't shake the image of the Susano'o out of her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, she found a pair of pink ones staring back at her. Perhaps, on a subconscious level, she was rushing to die, hoping that an Aragami would do it for her. Preferably before her comrades were forced to do it in their place. Her feet dragged slowly along the floor as she made her way towards the Norn terminal. Maybe some shopping would help distract her from her woes…

Or not.

Approaching the lounge area, a small commotion caught her attention. A few members of the 2nd and 3rd Units were gathered around a low table. And some of them didn't look to be in very good condition. Curious, she listened in with her sensitive ears, Gina's voice the clearest among the noise. The Sniper Sergeant stood beside Kanon, snickering evilly as the other shook her head. "I saw Kota making Tatsumi and Soma drink 'that' earlier. I thought I should stop him, but the faces they made… Hehehe."

Her comrade sighed. "You are truly devious, Gina."

"Oh, come on. Don't act like you didn't enjoy it. I thought Tatsumi was gonna vomit."

"I am well aware. Gunter and Shun almost did. It was… really unpleasant."

Their voices reached the Captain in question, stumbling towards them from the lobby stairs. His fair skin looked slightly green as he approached them, his eyes narrowing in irritation as the Sniper snickered. "Gina… you're the worst."

Her giggles erupted into laughter, her visible eyebrow raising at the retching Corporal. "You're the one who drank it. I just didn't stop you."

"Ugh… Kota said it was good, so I tried it, but… What is wrong with that juice?! Was that what first love tasted like?! Urg, blehhh…"

"Well, probably yours."

"Shut up, Gina." Tatsumi groaned, his face pulling into a pout as the other two erupted once more into laughter. He was still a bit deflated from his most recent rejection, and had no intention of letting the other woman rub it in.

Frowning, Neo observed the three of them with furrowed brows. At this point, she was growing curious. What was First Love Juice? Where could she acquire it? Should she even bother? She couldn't deny that the conversation had piqued her interest. But considering that Tatsumi looked ready to throw up again, she started to think better of it.

"Hey, Neo!" The sound of Kota's voice reached her ears, shifting her focus to the redheaded gunner. Turning her head slightly, she could see the younger God Eater, waving to get her attention. Raising a brow, she slowly made her way towards him, her original plans forgotten.

At her approach, Gina smirked. "Oh boy, here we go again."

Tatsumi looked nervously between the pair as Neo made her way over. After witnessing her performance during their most recent mission, he wasn't sure pissing her off was the most intelligent decision. "Uh… should we stop him?"

"Nah. This'll be great."

Reaching him, the New Type tilted her head. "Yes?"

He smiled, looking evilly at her. "So, uh… Have you had it yet?"

"…Had what?"

At her inquiry, Kota nearly jumped with joy. It seemed that he had found his third victim of the afternoon. With a beaming smile, he launched into a rant than sounded more like an advertisement than his typical ramblings. "What?! It's raison d'etre?! Is it a conspiracy?! That's right, Fenrir's new product! The First Love Juice!" Grabbing a can from the low table, he continued his sales pitch. "As the name suggests, it's bittersweet but sour. This killer drink will send you through a spiral of sensory madness!"

Neo gaped at him, dumbfounded as the gunner thrust the bright pink can in her direction. Her eyes slowly drifted down to the metal container, then back up again, taking in his joyful grin. This was the First Love Juice?

"Come on, give it a try!"

Gina, Tatsumi, and Kanon watched curiously as the New Type carefully took the can from Kota's grasp. Popping open the seal, she observed the swirling purple fluid within. It appeared slightly viscous, sloshing loudly from side to side as she wiggled the can. The consistency of it was impossible to describe, but the smell was intoxicating. Her eyelids fluttered slightly as the scent reached her nostrils. It smelled so delicious; it was almost hypnotizing. If it tasted even half as good as it smelled…

Slowly, she lifted the can to her mouth.

From the elevator, Soma entered the lobby. Neo's violet hair immediately caught his attention, followed shortly by the bright pink can against her lips. At the look of Kota's evil smile, the veteran rolled his eyes. Why was he not surprised? Growling, he stomped toward them, prepared to stop the New Type should she choose to try and tear his head off.

Gingerly, she tipped the can, pouring a small amount of the foreign liquid into her mouth. As Kota had so excitedly described, the beverage assaulted her senses, the taste washing over her tongue like a purple tsunami of flavor. She couldn't properly express the sensation, as she wasn't certain any accurate words existed in any of her three languages. It permeated every fiber of her being, from the moment it touched her lips until it traveled down her throat.

And it was the greatest feeling in the world.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she wrenched the can from her mouth, staring at it as though it had electrocuted her. All of the surrounding onlookers watched with bated breath for the New Type's reaction… and none of them were prepared for it. With a foolish grin, she brought it back to her lips, tilting her head back as she quickly downed the entire thing, determined to get every last drop.

Tatsumi and Kota's mouths fell open at the display, Kota jumping slightly as Neo's gaze fell on him. A look of frightening determination was in her eyes as she regarded him, making a silent demand with her expression. At the look on her face, Kota scrambled to grab another can, handing it to her in appeasement. She repeated the action, popping open the can and guzzling down the drink like her life depended on it.

The Defense Squad Captain shook his head in exasperation as Kanon merely stared. In contrast to her silent companions, Gina erupted.

Throwing her head back, her laughter rang through the entire upper floor of the lobby as she observed the New Type. "Hahaha! She's absolutely insane. I love it!"

Soma only sighed. Of course. No one really knew the actual contents of the unusual beverage, but considering the resources they'd gathered, he had a pretty good idea. And if his suspicions were correct, it only made sense that Neo would adore it. As she accosted Kota for a third time, he quickly began to wonder if introducing her to it was a mistake.

Kota waved his hands nervously in the air as she gazed at him, trying to placate her. "H-Here, take it! You can have it… it's the last one though."

Neo's face fell, looking disappointed. "Oh… shame. Hmm… that's fine. I'll take it to Ren. He'll probably enjoy it." With that thought in her mind, she took the can from him, and walked away towards the stairs.

Behind her, Kota tilted his head in befuddlement. "…Ren?"

Reaching the stairwell doors, Neo yelped as her body collided with another. In her haste, she hadn't noticed the door opening itself and ran, quite literally, into the 2nd Unit Vice Captain. She jumped backward, looking alarmed as Brendan reached out to steady her. "Wh-Whoa! You alright?"

"Fine." Neo backed away from him.

"You sure? You… hmm." Brendan paused as the New Type slowly looked up at him, their eyes meeting for the briefest of moment. Now, up close, he could say with certainty that he had seen her somewhere before. Curious, he decided to ask her. "Hey… you're from North America, right?"

Neo's eye widened in surprise, staring at him with nervous contemplation. Maneuvering around him, she quickly made her way into the stairwell and began to climb. Within moments, she was gone, leaving the Vice Captain behind her in utter confusion. Staring silently up the stairs, he frowned slightly at her evasive reaction. Was it something he said?

. . .

Far East Branch - Sick Bay

After fleeing from the other God Eater, Neo made her way to the upper floors as swiftly as she was able to. Brendan's question had surprised her, quickly putting her on the defensive. While she was very well aware of his origination from the same continent, she hadn't thought that he would ever recognize her. The fact that he had didn't bode well for her. Hopefully, he wouldn't remember. Ridding her mind of the thoughts, she continued onward.

She located Ren in the medical ward, which wasn't entirely surprising. It was one of only a handful of places that he frequented, and she couldn't imagine he would be in the weapons hangar at this time of day. What did surprise her was the bright pink metal can in his hand. It seemed that her comrade had already discovered Sakaki's delicious brew and, as expected, was enjoying it nearly as much as she did.

"Neo! What a surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you here. Were you in need of medical assistance?"

"Not today. I was actually looking for you."

"For me? Whatever for?"

Neo didn't respond, instead inclining her head towards the can resting in his lap.

Ren's crimson eyes followed her own landing on his beverage and then drifting to the one in her hands. "Oh, the First Love Juice!"

Neo nodded. "I thought you might like it."

"Oh, I do. Very much! I am content with this one, thank you. But you're free to enjoy one with me."

With a shrug, Neo made her way towards the young New Type, taking a seat beside him on the hospital bed. It felt a little strange to be relaxing willingly in the Sick Bay. To date, nearly every encounter with the white room followed either herself or one of her allies landing themselves in it. But, it was somewhat relaxing, with the tranquil calm. She could vaguely see why Ren enjoyed it so much.

Taking a swig of his drink, Ren looked to his side to address her. "I love how clean the medical area is. Exceedingly so."

"Indeed." Neo agreed with him, popping open her own can. "It's… pleasant."

"Yes, it is quite nice. I come here to relax in my downtime."

Neo nodded in understanding, taking a large sip of her drink. If the room was always like this, she may soon be joining him.

The two sat silently beside one another for a time, each enjoying the other's company. Neo enjoyed Ren's presence. She wasn't certain why, but she had always found herself rather comfortable around the new transfer. He was a strange young man with unusual speech patterns and a wide array of knowledge surrounding Aragami-based topics. But there was something about him that made her feel oddly at ease. As though somehow, she didn't have to hide around him.

"Neo."

"Hmm?"

"I would like to ask you a question, if you wouldn't mind."

"Ask."

"I'm curious about you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Your life. Your career as a God Eater. Your hobbies and activities. We've spoken extensively about my topics of interest. I would like to hear more about yours."

Neo fell silent, contemplating his inquiry. What was she supposed to tell him? Neo had spent the vast majority of her life as a test subject. Her bedroom, if one could even call it that, was more akin to a containment chamber with little more than her bare necessities. She wasn't permitted to leave the compound or her chambers, outside of training, testing, or field operations. On the rare occasion that she did sneak out, she was subsequently caught and punished. She wasn't even certain what sort of things she could categorize as hobbies.

"I… don't have much to tell."

"That's okay. I'm sure any stories you do have will be quite interesting. Really, anything you enjoy."

"Anything? …Well, I do enjoy spending time with Ichi."

"Ichiro Hamasaki, correct?" Neo nodded. "A wonderful comrade. Strong, reliable, and incredibly kind."

"Oh, that's right. You've gone on a quest or two, haven't you?"

"Yes. I saw the way that he protected you. It was very impressive."

Neo smiled. "Yeah… Ichi's been that way since we were very young. He's always watched over me, keeping up my spirits and making my life a little less…" Neo paused, realizing that she came close to revealing too much. "… boring.

"That's amazing! How so?"

"He'd do lots of things. He'd play with me in my room and help me sneak out into his. He'd help me with my studies when I was learning Japanese. We'd do puzzles and play games together… sometimes, he even stole ice cream from the ration supply to bring me."

"Haha! That sounds hilarious!"

"It was. This one time, we raided the Headquarters storage room. Haha! We ate so much rice!"

"Oh my! They must have been very unhappy with you."

"They were. When we got caught, Ichi took the fall for me. He knew he'd get in less trouble because he was Hiroyuki's son."

"That's so very kind of him! It sounds like you two got into trouble often. Was he always such a mischievous child?"

"Oh, yes. Ichi used to be my partner in crime. He was actually the one who…" Neo's sentence trailed off as her mind drew a blank. She had recounted this story more times than she could count… hadn't she? For some reason, she couldn't conjure an image in her mind. It was as though the memory was simply… missing. Racking her mind, she tried to picture the image of a young Ichiro, sneaking silently through the halls… but she couldn't. His face was a blur, as was everything that followed. Why couldn't she remember?

"Um… I… never mind." She shook her head, giving up as she found herself spinning in circles.

While Neo was growing frustrated, Ren didn't seem to mind. He smiled at her, taking plenty of joy in what she was willing to share. "That's alright. I can tell you and Ichiro are very close."

"We are. He was my only friend growing up… well, besides Soma."

"Soma? Ah, the Director's son. Another powerful ally who cares deeply for his comrades. Although, he does have a bit of a temper."

Neo raised an eyebrow at him. He seemed to have a lot of information about her allies, despite never actually speaking to them. Then again, Soma's history and attitude wasn't exactly confidential knowledge, and he had been with them on their Fifth Element mission. Perhaps he was simply observant. "Yes. Soma is… well, Soma."

"Indeed, he is! He was able to hold off the Aether all by his lonesome while we assisted you. His Bias Factor is truly a marvel."

Neo tensed slightly. Once again, Soma's parentage and origins weren't protected knowledge. But he spoke almost as if he understood… on a personal level. "Yeah. His Aragami is strong."

"Yes… as is yours."

Her head shot up at his reply, eye widening as the young man rose to his feet. How could he possibly…? Scowling, she opened her mouth to question him, but never got the chance.

Without further comment, Ren finished the rest of his drink and tossed the empty can into the bin. "Well, I really must be going. Much to do. It is fun to hear your stories. You tell them well. Mayhap we will have another opportunity."

Her mouth fell open as the other God Eater offered her a gentle smile. Then, he made his way towards the back, presumably to return to whatever he had been doing. Frowning after him, the New Type shook her head. Ren was such an unusual person. He seemed wise beyond his years, and yet almost childlike at the same time. Even more unnerving still, he seemed to have a great deal of knowledge for someone that never really interacted with anyone. He would be one that she would continue to observe.

Throwing back the rest of her juice, Neo tossed her can in the bin, and exited into the hallway.