+++++ Hikawa Shrine, Azabu-Juban, Japan. (Friday + 6)
Maria was growing increasingly concerned as Usagi moved faster than the others up the stairs to the Shrine. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the twin-tailed blonde's anger was growing stronger and stronger the longer and longer the journey had taken. She had left it to Rei to comfort Ami after the truth of Makoto's fate had been revealed. She had ignored subtle attempts to prepare her for what the shopkeeper expected they would find. She had even ignored safety and simply strode across streets against the traffic lights. What stopped Maria from doing or saying anything about it was that as Usagi's anger climbed, so did the sensation of a power that rivaled even her own.
Neither of the other two with the woman known as Sailor Moon were ready for what actually happened, despite each in their own way sharing Maria's disquiet. Storming up to the doors of the main building, Usagi shoved them open and stormed in with zero concern for what might be happening inside. Glaring death at the people from Elysium, she made her dictates known, "I am Queen Serenity, the being you know as Selene. Once, long ago, your kind knew better than to court my anger. It was your elders that sent Endymion the Despised to forge a pact with the Moon Kingdom. Your elders that failed to come to our aid when we were attacked. And now, after I made it expressly clear that I wanted nothing to do with you or your so-called gods, you dare to enter into my domain and bark demands like rabid dogs?! The woman known as Hygieia signed her own death warrant by ignoring my dissolution of xenia. She pressed where she was not wanted and died for her sins. If you have problems with that, talk to the cowards on Olympus but you will leave Reliqui alone."
Epione, clearly taken aback and obviously distraught over the loss of her daughter, stood and made to speak. "There is-"
Usagi's eyes held no mercy as she coldly ground out, "Your daughter's presence resulted in the Princess of Jupiter becoming the instrument of her destruction. My friend, my ally, my sister, lies dead. Dead, at our own hands. Dead, because you could not abide by the terms of the Treaty of Sri Lanka. We were invited as guests to your home. We acquitted ourselves as guests, in your home. We left your home of our own desire, freeing you of obligations. The Moon Kingdom remained neutral in the conflicts upon the Earth under my mother's rule. Choose your next words carefully, or discover what that neutrality gave you."
A bearded man slowly stood, folding his hands before his stomach and bowing politely. "Your Majesty, I believe you have provided the missing piece of information we required." He was powerfully built, despite his advanced age, and carried himself with an air of humility. "There will be no more bloodshed, so long as Reliqui agrees that all offenses by all parties have been…remedied."
"In full." The head negotiator for Reliqui, a reedy man with a hawkish face, had his jaw clenched firm. He, like everyone else from Reliqui, had anticipated an explosion to follow Usagi's statements. He, like everyone else present, was grateful that there wouldn't be an immediate war. "Reliqui offers her complete assurance that no officially sanctioned actions will be undertaken, and any unofficial actions will be punished to the fullest extent of the Laws."
"Asclepius," Epione once again tried to speak and cut off at a firm gesture from her husband.
"What happened this day came about through the machinations of the Gaping Maw." Fatigue entered his voice, "I can see the touch all about Her Majesty, and Their Highnesses. Your grief is shared in their hearts, dearest love. This was not an action borne of malice."
Usagi's wrath disappeared, now that there were assurances of peace. "I wish I could heal the pain in your heart, Healer of Mortals…." Her aura of power diminished, leaving a simple teenager standing with her hands folded before her lap. "I am afraid, however, that I was not even able to heal the man who reclaimed my life from Hades' grasp. I was not able to heal the family that gave me shelter in this life. Go in peace, grieve for those we have lost…and be ready to mourn those we are yet to lose."
The man known as Asclepius stood tall before bowing in a crisp, military, manner to the blonde Sailor of the Moon. "We will make ready to honor our debts to your Kingdom, Your Majesty." Standing upright once more, he looked far closer to his age. "I believe I take your meaning. When it is time, all they must do is send an envoy. I will handle the rest." With an open-handed gesture, he indicated to his retinue and family that it was time to leave.
Reliqui's negotiators stood and bowed to politely see their guests out. Once the door had been closed again, they all looked to Maria first, then to Usagi. The same question, in varying forms, rode on all of their faces. What had happened there that evening was the closest to an open declaration of the return of the Lunar Kingdom to prominence. Many of the youkai from Reliqui honored the moon, were beholden to its position in the celestial realm, and had their moods set to its motions. If Princess Serenity was truly declaring herself sovereign, there was bound to be some upheaval coming along for the ride.
"It is too lonely yet for me to sit upon the throne." Usagi fought against the tears raging behind her closed eyes. "There is still much for me to do here before I fully reclaim my birthright. Wrongs to set right, villains to punish…people to avenge." She took several deep breaths to regain control over her emotions before speaking again. "If things go poorly, you will want to send someone to Elysium. They may not appreciate the world being shared between the magical and mundane world, but they will appreciate what it does a whole lot less."
Maria moved over to soothe her hand along Usagi's back. Her anger at not being warned could be addressed later, for now she needed to know how she didn't already know about things that the younger woman clearly did know about. "I will make certain that pride is set aside when the need is dire enough, child. There has been much thrown onto your shoulders lately, it might help if you shared that burden about some. We can't prevent what we remain ignorant of."
"It's simple, really." She laughed the laugh of a woman who knew she was staring at the hangman's noose intended for her own neck. "If we can't return Shin-Shin to his own reality before the final Angel attacks, this entire universe will experience in full what his home world experienced only a sliver of. Nothing major…just kicking a drowning man back into the ocean to stop the ship from swamping."
Her hand froze in its motions. "I'm sorry?"
Rei answered the unspoken question under the question asked, "He's created a…a hole. The world he came from…." The Sailor for Mars had to constantly check her own words to make certain she wasn't letting her prejudices carry her forward. "There is no love there. No happiness. Whatever happened to cause that, it came here with him. It's sucking the love, the happiness, the positive emotions out of this world. Will the hole ever fill up? Or will it suck everything away until there's nothing left?"
Usagi looked to her friend and gave her an honest smile for the first time in days. "Which is why I will be leaving with him. Sending him back will plug the hole, but I can't just ignore a world that lacks even the smallest bits of joy. I will help him fight for it. I will dedicate my life to it." Her smile turned serious as she faced Maria. "I will ensure my death is in service of it." Purposefully stepping away from the now-worried woman, she refocused her friends on their task, "We need to determine how this 'Angel' was able to take advantage of Makoto-chan's anger. None of us will be safe until we do. Each of us has our own emotions that run away with us at times; and if those emotions will be used to the enemy's advantage, we need defenses against it."
+++++ Akagi Apartment, Hiro-o, Japan. (Friday + 6)
Shinji's first conscious thought as his eyes snapped open was fairly typical for him: confusion. He didn't know where he was, he didn't know how he'd arrived there, and he was mostly annoyed that he was staring at yet another unfamiliar ceiling.
Do you typically tense up when you wake? Miwa's voice in his mind preceded the kitsune's head rising from where she'd nestled in her fox-form atop his chest and beneath his blanket. That would make it much easier to know when you're faking sleep. Pleasure rippled along her spine as he cupped her in his hand while sitting up. The fact that he hadn't simply dumped her on the floor in his haste reaffirmed the fact that her and her sisters' efforts were bearing fruit.
I…uh, I wouldn't know. Where am I? The room he was in clearly existed as a 'guest room'. There were a few objects here and there to break up the monotony of empty furnishings, but nothing that would indicate frequent use. For all he could figure, the few books might as well have had 'BOOK' printed on the spine and 'Words words words' printed on every line of every page. Was anyone else hurt? Did they manage to kill the Angel?
The joy she'd felt at his gentle nature drained from her completely at having 'won' the right to be the bearer of terrible news. Tumbling quickly out of his grasp, transforming to her human shape as she did, Miwa landed in his lap and took his hands to help brace him. "The Archer managed to strike her target. We…confirmed that this 'Angel' was eliminated, its remains properly cleansed from this world."
While he might be socially ignorant, the one thing he wasn't was inobservant. Who died?
"The woman you knew as Makoto Kino, the mahou shoujou set to protecting Jupiter." When confusion regained ground on Shinji's face, she filled in the blank spots as best as she could. "This 'Angel', somehow it managed to either compel, provoke, or simply possessed her. Her essence, when we verified her identity, was mingled with the same type of stench as from the first two monsters, and from the house of the Moon Mother. It was Kino-san's power which killed the woman from Elysium, her power that tore," she touched him where the newly-formed scar rested, "through your armor and body. You saved the Queen. You…limited the casualties to the two."
Anger. The first emotion he recognized that morning, the first concrete sensation to firmly entrench itself in his psyche, was anger. It wasn't the uncertainty of confusion, or the dread anxiety of fear. It was the unrelenting darkened pulse of his failure. His failure to protect. His failure to save someone. His failure to-
Any further thoughts along that path were unceremoniously scuttled by an exuberant kiss from the woman in his lap. Miwa had thrown herself bodily at him, knocking him backwards towards a supine position on the bed he'd been placed upon. With her hair fanning down either side of his face, blocking out any sight but that of her own face, she shut down the potential explosion before it could gain any traction and cause further incident. She also, incidentally, enjoyed herself. Lifting herself up enough to speak, she kept her eyes locked onto his. "I would much rather you focus your efforts on recovery, Silent One. We are working hard to discover the truth behind these terrible deeds, and have resources that far outstrip your own in that regard." Favoring him with a vulpine grin, she kissed the tip of his nose. "Celebrate her life. Remember her as the woman who gave you shelter in a time of need. Save this wrath for when we locate the party responsible and give them the gift of your displeasure."
Shinji Ikari was a young man who had experienced much in his limited years of existence. He had been boiled alive, burned alive, electrified, stabbed through the torso, stabbed in the eye, slapped by more than a few women, and all of those barely covered the highlights of the past few months. What he had not experienced, to that point, was a kiss from a kitsune. He had no mental defenses against it, no way to prepare his body for the sensation, and no idea of the magic involved. I…I-I….
Sitting up so that she sat astride his abdomen, Miwa smoothed her hands over his pectorals, drawing small runes atop the still livid flesh of his new sun-like scar. "It is a fine thing to grieve." Her grin had faded towards a sad smile. "To remember fondly those who have been taken from you. It helps process the pain, prevents it from dominating the living." Her head tilted slightly to one side, her hair cascading in that direction in a bushy wave. "I have cast a small spell on you, taking advantage of your trust in me. I dulled the pain of loss, hollowed out the part of your mind that would fixate on it. Spend today in peace. Go with the Professor, spend time with her as she would have you do. See what life has to offer outside of pain and suffering. After all," she transformed back into a fox and thumped her three tails against his side, you never know what the day can bring unless you seek it out.
He watched as the sleek vixen dove through the closed window, not disturbing the pristine glass surface in the slightest as he vanished from sight. Now feeling something of a passenger in his own body, he reached out and gently touched the pane with the tips of his fingers. He was nine stories up, if his count of the perpendicular neighboring building was accurate. He had been kissed by a spirit who could vanish through solid materials. Two more women were dead. He couldn't gain traction on the rage that thought produced, nor could he garner interest in forcing the issue.
I'm in Ritsuko's apartment. The buildings, and the nearby area, provided enough of a reference point. The pre-dawn light growing in luminance gave him the time of day. She offered me a place to live. His head bobbed, accepting the facts as true. His stomach, on the other hand, informed him that he hadn't eaten in some time. I…should make breakfast.
His lack of clothing became noticeable as he shifted free of the Western-style mattress and blankets. His mind only made note of the oddity as a curiosity, surprising even him with the lack of angst-filled embarrassment that had become his hallmark. A quick look around the room brought the solution to his problem in the form of a gift left for him by the youkai protection detail at the behest of Toyouke. Sitting atop his gifted clothing was a cordial note written in florid characters.
'Silent One,
'I hope that you can forgive my not being there in person to explain, but as I'm sure you'll know from experience it is difficult to find time to take care of those things we would like most to do when pressed by those we absolutely must do. I 'must', in this case, attempt to unravel the mystery behind the spiritual conflict between your presence and the mahou shoujou. I must also dedicate resources to defending both Reliqui and the world at large against the Unseen Abyss. I must seek answers regarding the matter of your matron being tied to your spirit. I still must find time to provide you with weapons suitable for use in battle, and by the end of this day shall have someone deliver your documentation enabling you to prove you are a citizen of Japan in good standing. The clothes here are only the first of what shall be brought to you for your wardrobe. We have taken possession of the talisman the mahou shoujou provided you to further limit any potential contamination on either end. We promise it will not be mistreated.
'Please take to heart that not only I, but every other individual here grieves with you for what has passed. A warrior against the Howling Dark does not pass unremarked. We will honor her and ensure her memory is properly cared for. The only advice I can offer you is to live as if she watched over you. Live the life that she will not be able to. Live as the good man you are at heart, and do not let anger and sorrow drag you down to the common man's level.
'We will speak again soon, in person,
'-Toyouke'
Sorrow failed to present itself before him to provide him with the option to properly mourn someone he'd only just met and scarcely knew. His emotions, just as Miwa declared they would be, were limited to only those humanity would find 'positive'. His heart was warm that others cared enough for Makoto to remember her strength. His lips curled into a tiny smile at the sight of well-made clothing that seemed not only comfortable but functional as well. A small part of his mind continued to emit fury at the deaths of two women. It remained disconsolate over the loss of Usagi's family. It stressed anxiously regarding how the Sailors would take the loss of one of their own, and what they must think of him for absenting himself at such a critical time. But that part would not control him this day.
Slipping into the clothing proved that even his modest appraisal was unfair to the clothier. Snug, but not constricting. Fit, but not ostentatiously so. The fibers felt nearly indecently wonderful against his skin, and the coloration was pleasing without being attention-grabbing. He found his meager possessions at the foot of the bed in the backpack that Maria had given him, and dug through enough to find the notebook he'd bought to keep track of things in. A few moments later, he had a note of gratitude penned, folded, and ready to be given to whomever had acquired what he now wore.
As he went to slip it in his pocket, he found yet another coin resting inside. Retrieving it, he noted that it was made of a nearly golden colored spun silk that had been hardened with lacquer. That's…beautiful. I wonder which youkai gave it to me? The thought prompted him to dig through his bag once again after pocketing his note. Laying in a loosely wrapped handkerchief were the other coins he'd been given, tied together through their centers by a sturdy strand of leather. Following the strand to the end, he noted that the clasp was one that required twisting to undo, and was easily able to add the most recent coin to the others. Another moment's thought set him to putting the lot around his neck and tucking it into his shirt. If I carry them like this, maybe the youkai will understand that I don't mean them harm.
Sliding open the door to the room he was placed in, Shinji found the rest of the apartment quiet. Moving with practiced silence towards the front door, he located the kitchen along the way and paused while he considered the morality of using Ritsuko's food without her permission. I have money. I'm sure I can pay her back whatever this cost her. Everything was laid out in a logical fashion, every piece placed where it would require the least amount of energy to retrieve and use in order of importance to most meals.
Even the sounds of cooking were muted and quiet around him. Broth boiled, coffee filtered, meat sizzled, rice steamed, all without rising above the level of a ghost's whisper. Memories, emotions, and concerns were all processed in the same fashion. He had been in this young, this…Proto-Tokyo for less than a week. Less than a week, and already three Angels fought for a second time. Less than a week, and two allies murdered. Less than a week, and he had already moved into and out of an apartment. The one constant star in his sky, his lodestone, was change.
"You ever have a wish you never knew you had, fulfilled before you thought about it?" Ritsuko's voice held a soft warmth mingled with a hint of cautious curiosity.
He felt her approach closer, and shifted his motions to pour and present a cup of coffee next to those things people tended to put into the liquid. When he finally turned his head and saw her, everything paused. There was never any doubt in his mind that 'his' Ritsuko Akagi was a beautiful woman. She had a classic, refined, elegance that lent her an air of mature attractiveness few women he'd ever seen outside of movies match. In the version standing before him, her head tilted in question at his hesitation, was the youthful equivalent.
She had none of the 'imperfections', if signs of age could ever be truly considered such. Her hair was a fluid mahogany, her skin well cared for. Her eyes, the same emerald green, were focused and clear without the need for glasses that age and too much time staring at monitors had caused. Her figure, flattered by the overlong t-shirt she wore as a nightgown, showed that she found more than enough time for exercise and yet did not cause her to be muscular so much as sleek and toned. She sacrificed no femininity to gain strength, understanding that brawn must be present to support and bolster brain without allowing either to dictate her appearance. I wonder how she'll die?
"Unless there's something on my face," she stepped closer and took the mug of coffee from him with a lingering touch against his hands, "I get the feeling you like what you see."
The moment broken, Shinji blushed and turned back to the meal preparations. He had been gawking. It was rude, and she didn't deserve to have a strange man in her house leering at her. After reassuring himself that nothing had begun to burn for his inattention, he turned the heat down some to allow the food to warm throughout and picked up the chalk dangling from the blackboard Ritsuko used to keep track of what she needed to purchase and quickly scrawled out both an apology and the expected timeline for breakfast.
After mixing in some soy milk and sugar to her drink, she took Shinji's left index finger and wiped the apology off the board with a firm, single, stroke. Using her other hand, she turned his chin so that he had to face her. "No." Her next act was to take the dishrag and clean off the chalk dust while expounding on the simple statement, "I am most certainly not going to apologize for thinking you're attractive. I'm not going to hide my face in shame for appreciating either your form or your talents. And I would ask," with his digit clean, she tossed the rag onto her shoulder and took his hand with both of her own, "that you never apologize for thinking whatever it was you did while looking at me there. I have been ogled by a great many young men who clearly weren't using enough of their blood to power the upstairs shop, and I can tell the difference between admiration and lust. You were very clearly engaged in much more of the former, and an appropriate amount of the latter."
He considered her features once more, trying to figure out what he felt about her. She's human. She's what I used to be. The memory of two dead women partnered with the thought of his own world now likely full of dead women howled at him from behind the window closed by Miwa. She's going to die. They kill humans. They killed Usagi's family. The emotions wouldn't come. The thoughts were pale echoes of light and dust, crushed by the warmth of the woman holding his hand. His eyes dropped to the ground, unable to withstand her firm declaration. I should leave. He started slightly as she stepped into his personal space, regaining eye contact.
"Finish making breakfast. I am going to go brush my hair out and change into my work clothes." There was no 'demand' under the statements, she was not insisting he do or not do anything. She, instead, was laying out a course ahead for him to follow that didn't require him to feel as if he was imposing. "You and I will go to Todai. I will teach my classes, you will be my assistant, and after work you and I will do something fun." Her smile wasn't the smirk he expected on her face, but instead one of genuine eagerness. "I want to get to know you. Maybe there can be something between us, maybe there can't…but we'll never know unless we look for it, will we?"
'…you never know what the day can bring unless you seek it out,' Miwa's voice pranced through his thoughts, the echo of her farewell serving as an offer of greeting from the woman before him. He couldn't ask that she not go to her job, and he certainly couldn't sit anywhere else and pretend she was safe. The Sailors were powerful, Maria was probably even more powerful, and the youkai all had their own methods of defense. Ritsuko…Ritsuko had him. He nodded once, affirming her plans and giving consent with a single motion.
Her smile turned winsomely charming. "Great!" Scooping up her coffee again, she walked towards her bathroom with a hint of a suggestive flirt to the hem of her shirt and spoke after taking a sip, "You're making coffee from now on, by the way. I don't know how you managed this, but it tastes exactly like what I love!"
When she disappeared around the corner, breaking his line of sight, he swallowed as the 'latter half' of his thoughts had gained significant ground watching her walk away. I…I guess Ritsuko likes her coffee the way Misato does. I wonder why they never made it right when they made it, though.
Shinji turned back to his duties, while around the corner Ritsuko leaned heavily against the hallway wall and fanned her face to push away excited tears with a nervous, exuberant, smile. Her whisper didn't carry further than her own ears, "I did it! I told a man what I wanted and he didn't get grabby with me!" Taking another long drink, she relished her victory and moved to prepare herself for further skirmishes in the Ikari War.
+++++ Every/Any/Nowhere. (Friday + 6)
"That was well done, Tungsram." Lithion sat on a stool made of liquid feathers, perusing a tome of unreadable knowledge as his associate walked past to make her report. "I am more than confident that you were the superior choice for that mission."
Tungsram herself frowned at the implication that there might have been some debate regarding the merits of her selection. Noting that the blue-skinned being hadn't taken his eyes of his book, she worried that she hadn't been told something important. "I'm afraid I don't follow you."
Setting his thumb to holding his place, he snapped the covers shut and set it on his leg to finally regard the woman he spoke to, "Chaos waffled slightly, from what I saw of the decision. Khlorya, I believe, was his first choice."
The news settled into her mind like a molten rod of iron. "She would have-"
"I agree," Lithion cut her off with a pacifying gesture, "which is why I commented as I did. I realize that trust hardly existed between you and Osmius. I myself found the idiot scarcely tolerable with half a world between us, to say nothing of close proximity. My work with him was at the behest of powers greater than my own, as is often the case around here."
"What are you saying, then?" Her eyes narrowed. "You never speak without purpose."
"I believe you will find there are those who oppose the idea of encouraging the young man towards our way of thinking in a more positive and constructive manner," he shrugged his shoulders and returned to his book, "I also believe you can piece together the rest."
+++++ Akagi Apartment, Hiro-o, Japan. (Friday + 6)
Shinji sat at the table waiting patiently for Ritsuko to return. Breakfast had been prepared, served, and now waited for consumption. He had made too much, he knew that already. He'd have to explain that making food for three people and a penguin was a hard habit to break, but at least he wouldn't have to try and hide anything from her. I honestly doubt I could hide anything from her. She can read me like a book. His eyes remained on the horizon shown above the railing of the balcony outside of the main sitting room. The westward-facing apartment allowed the glow of the morning sun to reflect off of the city itself without blinding anyone inside, and probably provided a gorgeous view of the sunset later in the evening. A flight of fancy placed him out there sometime in the future playing the cello he saw sitting in the corner, serenading a city that had been reduced to ashes in his world with the music of a future he had a chance to prevent.
Clicking her tongue playfully, Ritsuko faux-chided him as she approached the small, round, table in the dining area, "No, no, no. When you set out our plates, you need to place it so I'm sitting perpendicular to you, silly!" Moving with firm poise, she dragged her own place setting over so that she sat on the curve just to Shinji's right where she could look out the same glass door he'd been admiring, all the while observing and playing with her new fellow occupant. "See?" Sitting down with just enough force to make her breasts jiggle enticingly, she grinned as he blushed and looked down. "We shouldn't place barriers between us. Friends should be bold with one another!" Poking his calf with her toes under the table, she urged him to get a move on, "We should eat, the car will be here in another twenty minutes."
Car? Writing the same question on a pad of paper he'd found, he followed instructions and began to eat what he'd made.
"The youkai refuse to allow us to take public transportation," she explained between bites. "They say that if I get hurt, you might level the city. They also say that if you get hurt, they might level the city." Giving him a meaningful look, she silently chided him for not eating faster. "I am not an idiot and am well aware that we're in danger. But, like I said, I'm not going to let danger stop me from taking the chance I've been provided by you. I'm going to figure out how this supposed magic works. You are going to do your best to protect me. We are going to accept that both, or either, of us could fail."
His jaw clenched tight, grinding the rice between his teeth harshly. I will not let myself fail again. Good people don't deserve to die because I didn't do better. Miwa's spell smashed the sudden aggressive burst of anger, allowing him to continue eating normally. After placing another bite in his mouth, he wrote down on the paper, 'I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. The world needs your mind to save it, if things go wrong.'
Her smile was filled with confidence and fire. "I know you will, but I meant what I said: either of us could fail. That failure must not become an indictment of us. The only way we discover how to succeed is by accepting that we've failed. Trying something different the next time, or analyzing what happened to prevent it from happening again. Life does not care that we fall down. It has no feelings one way or another on whether or not we discover the 'why' of anything. Which leaves our best option as simply living."
Far easier said than done…. Remarking as much on the paper, he finished the rest of his meal without further commentary. His conversational partner followed suit, though he missed that her silence was filled with reflection upon and evaluation of his motions. He kept his eyes downcast, a habit formed of a lifetime of abuse. He made no noise with his utensils, a habit formed of Asuka detesting the sounds of eating. He drank carefully, mindful of his clothing and the wooden surfaces of the floor and table. Every little thing he choose to do, or not to do, gave her more and more of the story of his life. Ritsuko had already heard much of it from Toyouke, and now Shinji was silently telling her the rest.
With two minutes to go before the car was expected to arrive, they finished their meal within seconds of one another. As Shinji moved to grab the dishes to take them to the sink for cleaning, Ritsuko firmly took his wrist and while moving backwards pulled him playfully towards the door. "The cleaning service will take care of it. I pay them for a reason." Giving him a wink before twirling so that she walked holding onto the crook of his elbow, she gestured to the leather satchel that carried her 'work materials'. "Would you be a dear and carry my bag for me?" There was no small amount of giddiness provided in watching as he scooped up the bag without complaint, and even more when she favored him with a kiss on the cheek as he regained his base. Wrinkling her nose cutely at his look of confusion and blush, she shrugged. "My mother always told me it was polite to thank someone for doing things for you. Excellent coffee, a wonderful meal, and carrying my bag? I think a kiss is appropriate, don't you?"
Looking at the door, stuck without the use of either of his hands, he had no way to express the truth as he saw it: she owed him nothing. It was his duty to cook, it was also a pleasure to do so in a well-maintained kitchen. It would be expected of his position as her assistant to carry her bag, it also allowed him something to hold onto so he didn't have to figure out what to do with his hand that wasn't busy resting on his lower sternum so she had his elbow like she wanted. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, several facts clicked into place in his mind and he looked back towards her with a sense of wonder. She planned this.
"I love watching you piece things together," her smile turned from whimsy to genuine pleasure, "it's written all over your face when you do. You have an excellent brain, Shinji Ikari…I'm going to push you to use every last ounce of it." With her bold declaration made, she pulled the door open and her new fellow resident out into the world again.
Shinji took note of two rough and tumble looking men moving to call the elevator, and two equally scrappy women take up flanking positions behind him and Ritsuko. Uhm…hello.
"Good morning to you as well, Silent One," the taller of the two ladies spoke softly. "We do hope you don't mind that we intrude on your spoken thoughts, but it will be quite a challenge to keep you safe in any other way."
Coming to a stop before the closed doors for the lift, Ritsuko addressed the woman who spoke with open inquisitiveness, "Is that something I could learn to do? Hear his thoughts, I mean. It'd be handy."
"Possible, lady, but not easy." The shorter of the two men shrugged when she looked towards him. "You're a human. The Ways don't work for your kind. Though, we Tengu have stories of…unique individuals that managed amazing things. Priests, mostly. Doesn't make it impossible…just hard."
If there's a word for Akagi-san, 'unique' is probably a good one to use. Shinji's murmured thought brought an amused chuckle from the quartet of guards. When Ritsuko's emerald eyes turned to weigh him, he blushed again and looked down. I didn't mean that in a bad way.
"It's funny, Boss, because hearing an Elder speak about a human as anything other than a nuisance is…is kinda like hearing a lamppost sing." The other female guard motioned for everyone to enter the elevator as the doors opened, continuing her explanation for Ritsuko's benefit, "He said that 'unique' is a good word to use for the version of you he knew. He means it in the 'singular' or 'exceptional' sense, and thought we were laughing because we took it to mean 'daft' or 'touched'."
The much younger version of Doctor Akagi rolled her eyes and batted Shinji with the back of her hand lightly. "Stop assuming I'm going to think the worst of everything you do or say. I'm not the woman you knew, nor am I the women you lived with. I'm me, and I'm more than able to make up my own mind about your actions, and more than willing to discuss them with you before I jump to conclusions and become angry or hurt."
Yes ma'am, the rote response came out before he could stifle it, though the bow that would typically accompany his act of subordinance was stymied by the cramped quarters and firm grip she had on his arm.
The shorter Tengu snorted a laugh again. "He'll do his best, more or less."
Further discussion was cut off until they could reach the vehicle convoy intended to take them towards Todai, as there were now 'normal people' wandering around the area beginning their day. Shinji felt the weight of their gaze pressing into the small of his back, as he was an unknown quantity and the woman on his arm was known well enough by everyone around to be someone of means and quality. Whoever he was, he had her on his arm and a coterie of guards impassively preventing people from straying too close. Anxiety, at this point, would typically have smashed into him like the Shinkansen…and yet Miwa's spell held firm. Back straight, shoulders unbowed, he walked with a confidence he didn't truly own towards a car that to his eyes was rather dated.
"Mind your head, ma'am," the chauffeur, a brightly smiling middle-aged woman, held the coach door open and allowed Shinji to help Ritsuko seat herself on the bench seat at the rear of the vehicle. Closing the door after he stood tall again, she motioned towards the back of the vehicle for him to walk around to the other door, lowering her voice and speaking without moving her lips, "Security through anonymity. If we appear to be protecting the good Doctor, instead of you, you become a part of her protection. Normalcy is maintained," she opened the door for him to sit, giving him a tight grin, "and the humans are protected."
Thank you. Shinji ducked into the car himself, making certain that his hands and feet were out of the way of the door. She should be the one you're protecting anyway…I can handle myself.
As the door closed, a new voice spoke up from the rear-facing bench in the middle of the elongated vehicle, "You'll find we're capable of defending multiple people at the same time, Silent One." The same man who had escorted Usagi the day before now sat with a two-way radio in his hand and a concerned set to his jaw. "Doctor, as I was saying, our goal is to minimize disruption to your life. This will, however, disrupt your life. We've taken the liberty of separating your association with the cleaning services you were using, and have tasked some of our own to making certain your den is well maintained. Two of the women working for that company were reporting on your movements to someone at your University, and we're investigating why that is."
The car began moving with a convoy towards their destination, and Ritsuko clicked her tongue in exasperation. "You pay someone a good wage, more than fair market, and they still don't give you any loyalty.
"Modern society, in a nutshell," the man shrugged. Turning his eyes back to Shinji, he inclined his head respectfully. "My apologies, Silent One. You may call me Yasuji Suzuhara, it's the name I put on all of my business forms to avoid confusing the humans."
…Suzuhara? Certain similarities began to resolve themselves in Shinji's mind. Do…n-no…I'm sorry, forget I said anything.
"As you wish." A hint of concern showed about his face. "Though if there is anything I can do to help, or if something is troubling you, I promise I will do what I can to help resolve it." Hoping to bring Shinji back around, he smiled with self-deprecation and shrugged as he offered a line of connection between them. "My father was saved by an Elder, during the Academy Wars. He swore that we would find a way to repay the Elder's act, and when I told him that I would be working on this detail, he lit up with pride. To be honest, you're helping me just as much. Fulfilling my father's promise will lift a heavy burden he's carried."
I'm…uhm, I'm sure you don't owe me anything. Without the anxiety clouding his mind, Shinji was able to process his thoughts in a more orderly fashion. Though, he pulled out the note he'd written for his clothier, if you could make sure this gets to whoever made these clothes, I'd really appreciate it.
Yasuji offered a grin and a nod, taking the note and slipping it into his suit pocket. "Of course." Explaining to Ritsuko for Shinji, he made an effort to include her in the conversation, "The clothes were made by a relative of one of your guards. A Jorōgumo who makes clothes for exclusive clientele. There are none more exclusive than he," he gestured to Shinji, "but I can put in a request if you'd like something too."
"Actually, I would." Ritsuko reached over and rubbed the material of Shinji's shirt between her fingers for a few heartbeats. "If you could ask that this woman to provide something for the two of us to wear to a formal dinner, that'd be fantastic. I'd like to give him controlled exposure to a more dynamic social environment, and one of my students has a parent who owns the 'Twill Wave' restaurant."
"Hayashibara-chan?" Yasuji nodded, already making plans for security. "Yeah, I can do that. Her mother is…connected to Reliqui. She provides a place for us to meet clients without excessive scrutiny, we provide her restaurant with protection and better prices. Win-win." Pulling out a small pocket-sized notebook, he made a few scribbles. "You'll be visited today by the clothier, then. She'll need your measurements, and she's rather picky about getting them herself."
How did she get my measurements, then? The thought that someone had seen him without clothes was concerning, but once more Miwa's spell slapped the negative emotions away from his mind.
"She climbed through the window in the room you slept in," Yasuji answered with a shrug. "Miwa-chan let her in, she did her measuring, and Miwa-chan let her out after she'd made the clothing. Producing the silks was simple, and she's used to working quietly."
Ritsuko frowned. "How did Miwa-san get into his room?"
"Through the door?" His head tilted to the side, considering several more areas of concern as he spoke on different matters. "She's a Kitsune, Doctor. More importantly, she's a Kitsune with permission from the Silent One to come and go from his presence as she pleases. She spent the evening curled up on his chest in her fox form, at her grandmatron's request. The physician from two floors down is talented, but again we prefer to be cautious with the health of the lone remaining Elder." He gave her a meaningful look. "He will always have several of our extended family within close proximity. I assure you, however, that they will be discreet. None of us have any interest in stepping on your toes, so long as he holds you in the esteem he does."
Pulling a small notepad from her satchel, Ritsuko handed it to Shinji along with a pencil. "You hold me in high esteem, do you? You hardly know me."
There was something in the way she looked at him with an eager hunger for knowledge that pet the part of his mind that had always admired the fairer sex in a wonderful manner. Without the cloud of anxiety, of doubt, of anger, he was left with only the analysis that long periods with nothing to do during synchronization tests provided him. 'The Ritsuko Akagi I knew was very driven. By what, I'm not really sure. She was always at work. There before I arrived for tests after school, there after I left to go back to the apartment. To hear Misato-san talk, all she did was work. If she was willing to give up her social life to save everyone's lives…that's admirable, to me.'
True to her words, and her promises, there was nothing dramatic about her next question, "Who's 'Misato-san'?"
There was a long pause as Shinji struggled to find a way to answer what was probably the most complex and yet overwhelmingly simple question he'd ever be asked. Who was the woman that took him in when he had nothing? Who was the woman who realized hours before he was dragged through time and space that he was living through torture? Who was the woman who paraded around in little clothing in private and an immaculate uniform at work? Who was Misato Katsuragi, not just to him…but to the world itself?
Ritsuko watched his face as the emotions summoned by memories, and the thoughts posed by self-analysis, paraded past. A growing part of her knew that what she felt was far more than fondness. This wasn't a bourgeoning friendship, not if that portion of her heart had its way. She admired the way honesty clung to him like a second skin. The way falsity and misbehavior were unfathomable. This was not a man, sitting beside her, who would lie to anyone else. No…he'll only ever lie to himself. Reaching over and softly patting the hand holding the pad of paper, she set her question aside for later. "We'll come back to that at another time. I get the feeling that your answer isn't something you can just jot down. How about you just tell me how you knew her, instead? So I at least have some reference point for when you mention her again?"
If only that were any simpler to describe. 'The Tactical Commander. The woman responsible for directing us in battle. I lived with her, because my father wanted nothing to do with me.'
"I see." Tokyo University, more colloquially known as 'Todai', came into view and prevented Ritsuko from pressing any further. "Well, now you live with me. Not because your father doesn't want anything to do with you, but because I'd love to get to know you."
The words felt wonderful. The fact that she hadn't removed her hand from his wrist…also felt wonderful. The fact that it felt wonderful began a series of rapid-fire realizations, starting with the fact that the only reason he was ever ashamed to be in the presence of a friendly female was owing to his complete inexperience in dealing with one, and ending with the fact that he actually really wanted to get to know Ritsuko. The type of woman that his father allowed to serve directly under him, the type of woman expected to be third in overall command, the type of woman who was sent to represent NERV-Tokyo-3 to the world at large. Holding his hand was a woman that had every chance to become beyond exceptional, and that was a wonderful feeling. The slight blush at several of the thoughts did not diminish the timid smile he gave her, nor did it cause him to look all the way down to the floor as it normally would…only halfway down, instead.
+++++ Author's Notes:
RE: Tragedy.
Neon Gen is a story that often revolves around both the tragedies and victories of mankind against fate and choice. It exists as a story to both show the difficulties of being human, and the potential that humans possess. Sailor Moon, on the other hand, isn't quite that kind of a story. Evangelion, through Shinji, has come to a world not ready for it. There it has found fertile ground to despoil, and no one aware enough is capable of preventing it. Ultimately, Makoto Kino died because she carried the sin of caring too much for those who need protection. Hygieia, a far too similar woman, died for far too similar reasons. Those of you who have read YA(N)C will know what I mean when I say that I tend towards writing tragedies. NGE is a dark tale, and victory in that darkness does not always necessitate light.
RE: Tungsram.
Not an anagram. More a portmanteau. Tungsten and wolfram, with wolfram being the reason tungsten has the symbol 'W' on the periodic table. I couldn't come up with something that felt 'feminine' using either wolfram or tungsten, in the way I created Lithion (Lithium) and Osmius (Osmium). Sailor Moon's play on minerals and elements for the names of the villains had to be continued, despite the world being upended by a new contender approaching.
RE: Alliteration.
I do enjoy occasionally playing against established acceptable authorial elements. The whimsy standing in contrast to the seriousness of the scene and the tragedy preceding it reminded me of the way "Fly Me To the Moon" was often most chipper in the credits after the darkest episodes of NGE. Also, it amused me.
RE: The Vixen Triplets.
If my hands weren't afflicted with an essential tremor, I'd give it my best to draw a picture of several of the OCs present. Alas, I suck at drawing because the straightest line I can manage resembles a snake having a seizure.
RE: Yui.
Iä! Iä! Yui fhtagn! Ph'nglui mglw'nfah Yui Evangelion wgah'nagl fhtagn!
