+++++ Akagi-Ikari Apartment, Hiro-o, Japan. (Saturday + 7)
The real world crashed into existence around Shinji, his room now filled with youkai of varying species. His pulse was racing, his mouth felt stuffed with cotton, and without thinking anything through, he clutched Toyouke to him tightly and began to silently cry in terror.
The grandmother of the Kitsune triplets easily repositioned herself for ease of holding, laying her chin atop his head and cradling him gently. "He has met his matriarch." The statement was given with quiet care, not wishing to set him to panicking anew. "She has…not proved worthy of the title."
The largest male present, a Tengu, grimaced as his hand creaked with a tighter grip on his weapon. "This is not what should be, Denmother. This is very much not what should be."
A female voice, belonging to a woman idly twisting a strand of silk between slender fingers, agreed with a seductive inflection in her voice. "Our matron has offered to expend significant resources in the effort to dislodge her. I myself would not hesitate to take part in the plan."
"You would all die," Maria cut in firmly. Re-entering the room, with Ritsuko in tow, she worked her way over to where Shinji sat quaking and sobbing. "We convinced the downstairs neighbors it was a chain reaction from a loose ceiling fan crashing into a bookshelf, with both toppling over on a person who suffers from nightmares and startling them."
Ritsuko was busy assessing the room, wanting to be near Shinji but not wishing to crowd him and set off his issues even further. "It was helpful that she was able to simply produce the ceiling fan in question." Her eyes flicked to the ceiling, where the device had been ruthlessly torn off its moorings. "That will be replaced, Doctor."
"It will, have no fear." A stout older woman patted Ritsuko on the forearm, her well-muscled frame showing signs of continuous physical labor. "I'll send my lads over to see to it, you have my word." Sniffing the air, she nodded to some unseen truth. "With your permission, I'd like to have them renovate a little. If he's going to have these kinds of…episodes," she diplomatically changed the word she'd intended, "you'll want to have the ounce of prevention rather than the pound of cure, I'm sure."
"That would be lovely, Miss…?"
"No need to worry about my name, dear." Her smile revealed two rows of razor-sharp teeth. "I'm of the Mujina clan, we'll have your den all neat and tidy before the day breaks." After nodding a friendly farewell, she approached Shinji and dropped to a knee to not loom over him. "You're doing a good thing, Silent One." She tapped a lacquered nail against the necklace of coins he wore. "It takes a strong man to show his willingness to accept aid. I'll add my own token to the lot, you've got my approval."
A coin made of what appeared to be common slate stone was quickly laced with the others, the gift dredging forth the standard polite manners that had long become associated with Shinji Ikari. "Th-thank y-you, ma'am. I-I'll d-do what I-I c-c-can to p-protect y-your clan."
Running her weathered knuckles lightly against his cheek to wipe away the tears, the old Mujina grinned with a wicked humor. "I know you will. Just as you know we'll be there when it comes to blows. Things have been awful for business lately, nobody wanting to build things anymore. If nothing else, you'll be good for business there, you will." With a polite nod to Maria and a collegial nod to Toyouke, she vanished in a puff of mist to be about her business.
The Tengu flexed his shoulders to stretch them out some. "I will return to my watch and allow the Mujina entry when they arrive." Without waiting for approval, he walked out of the room with a baleful cast to his mouth.
That left the woman with the silk an opening to shift the topic closer to calmer waters. "Unless you've progressed your relationship with the delightful Doctor to the point that you're comfortable seeing her wearing far less, I'm going to have to borrow her for a few minutes to get her measurements." Identifying herself as the Jorōgumo responsible for his clothes, she pursed her lips in an artistic pout. "I'd much rather stay here and ogle you, Silent One, but a promise is a promise. I've added to your wardrobe, and you have a dinner date tonight that she absolutely must look ravishing for. It wouldn't do for you to walk around with her underdressed!"
"Let's go make some tea, hmm?" Toyouke urged Shinji to move as Ritsuko was quietly herded out of the room, hoping to use mundane tasks to settle his emotions further as the foci on his hands began their work. "Let you see how it feels to move your hands with your new ornaments attached, hmm?"
Pulling one trembling hand loose from the grip it had on the Denmother, Shinji noted that the Focus was now skin-tight and flexed easily with his movements despite the metal seeming to remain solid and thick. From what he could see, it looked more like a tattoo than an ornament. "S-sure." When Toyouke went to move off of him, he countered by picking her up and holding her in the crook of his arm like he would a toddler. You…you're calming me.
She was not shocked by his decision to speak in the silence of his soul instead of aloud before a wider audience. Few men wanted to show obvious weakness, and even fewer wanted to admit it. "I can see why my granddaughters are smitten with you," playfully curling into his embrace, she began toying idly with the jade coin from the Kitsune clan that remained in the center of the necklace he wore, "you don't recoil from a powerful woman's touch."
Maria's mood had not improved much, though the target of her ire had shifted significantly. "He's also easily swayed by overt attempts at enticement while vulnerable." Walking out of the room ahead of Shinji and turning down the hall, she looked back over her shoulder towards him with a hurt cast to her eyes.
"I'm old, I'm not dead," Toyouke deadpanned. While the man carrying her moved down the hall, she turned his face towards her with a single finger and offered him a soft smile. She is hurting at the betrayal Satou dealt us. She is upset that you were moved in with the good Doctor as opposed to with her. She is worried over the bad reaction you had to the Foci. In short, she is a woman, with a woman's emotions. Do not let her age mislead you, she is not dead either. Allowing him to look where he was moving as they turned into the kitchen alone, she whispered her final admonition, "She is also seeking something in you that I do not believe exists. Be cautious, but do not be cold."
Setsuna's admonition crawled back up to the surface of his mind, 'I'll tell you right now, though, that you need to be very cautious around the woman you know as 'Maria'. She does not have the world's best interests at heart, and you are too soft-hearted to tell her 'No'.' Pain followed with the memory, accompanied by a vision of someone tripping unexpectedly, of a doorway closing quickly.
Leaning heavily against the counter, Shinji felt a wash of fatigue as the pain faded. "Have you…have you heard of 'First Impact'?" He had to get the warning out. Had to get people to begin preparing if Second Impact was truly about to occur. Carefully, he set Toyouke down on the counter by where he would begin boiling water for tea.
"That doesn't ring any bells, no." Her head tilted slightly, her eyes drifting up and to the right as she searched her memory. "I'm assuming you're not referencing a movie or book of some sort?"
Water and kettle were positioned, heat applied. "It's about the, uhm…the way the Moon crashed into the Earth back when they were first forming."
The Denmother proved herself no fool, "I'm going to presume that this means there was a 'Second Impact' of some variety where you are originally from?"
He gathered those things people used to flavor their tea, neatly arranging everything on a service tray. "Y-yeah. A group of researchers interacted with what they thought was the corpse of the First Angel, something went wrong…very, very wrong." Shinji's mind was a fertile place for dark thoughts, especially at the moment, and he envisioned what would come of this Earth during its Second Impact. "Billions died. The Earth tilted on its axis. The seasons disappeared. The seas rose, animals, plants, most of the southern hemisphere ceased to exist as it had before. Then…uhm, over a decade and a half later, the Angels began to attack."
Every picture in his mind painted in the gaps his stilted delivery produced, and none of it was exceedingly comforting. "Why do you bring this up?"
The kettle began to whistle, and he doused the flames beneath it with a flick of his wrist. "Because I think it's coming. I think it's coming, and I don't want…I…uhm…." Pouring the water into the serving decanter, he admitted the next layer of the problem. "Someone I…I trust, they warned me that…that she…."
"I will keep a watchful eye open." He had given her a warning, and none of the information she had gathered on his actions indicated someone eager to cast a baleful glance upon anyone or anything for fear of being rebuffed. If he was nervous about something that wasn't his own actions, then due caution was best to be exercised. "Let's serve the tea, shall we?"
+++++ Akagi-Ikari Apartment, Hiro-o, Japan. (Saturday + 7)
After she had closed the door to Ritsuko's room, the Jorōgumo's demeanor shifted away from seductive towards cautious. "My apologies for the deception, Professor, but I wished a word in private. I already have all of your measurements, but what I don't have is your reasoning." With a vague gesture towards the corner of the room, she indicated a series of elegant dinner dresses that ranged from turning heads to causing car accidents in style. "Please, try them on. If the fit is not to your liking, you can tell me afterwards." Her fingernails clacked as a new strand of silk formed from nothing in her grasp for her to toy with idly. "You are not sexually attracted to the Elder…why?"
Ritsuko paused in the act of feeling the fabric of her new clothing between her fingers, turning about with a confused and somewhat offended look on her face. "Excuse me?!"
"You stand in his presence, you feel his power, yet…nothing." The spider-woman gestured along Ritsuko's body. "Not a hint of desire, nothing of yearning. To look at you, to taste your presence, he might as well have been a teacup for all you displayed. You seek out his companionship in your Den, but not his companionship. Why?"
Lifting her eyes to the ceiling in the hopes of finding strength to not yell at a woman that could tear her in half with a thought, she sighed and went back to examining the dress. "Because lust is not worth listening to when selecting someone to spend your life with." Picking one of the dresses closer to the accidents on roadways variety, she lifted it up and laid it against her front to imagine herself wearing it. "I know he's physically attractive. He cares for his hygiene, he has the body of someone who is engaged in physical activities regularly, and he doesn't pick his ears, nose, or teeth. When the time comes, I won't have any problem lying beneath or atop him as he wishes." Looking back to the yokai, she lifted one eyebrow challengingly. "Ninety-nine percent of our time together would be spent in activities other than sex. If I can't find pleasure in his company during the vast majority of our time together, then lust is just my animal nature running the show. I won't allow it."
"Yet you choose a dress that would garner attention to your physical attributes."
"I said I know he's physically attractive," Ritsuko replied with a smirk. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to make sure he knows I'm physically attractive too. I'm not ruled by my hormones or emotions, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore his if it means winning this competition. I'm running against a number of women who are far more attractive physically than I am, which means I need to sell my strengths and highlight that my weaknesses aren't all that weak."
The blunt truth of the matter appealed greatly to the Jorōgumo, especially now that she knew Ritsuko was only controlling her own impulses and not actively denying Shinji affection out of spite or jealousy. "Well then, why don't we see how that one fits, and I'll make a few alterations so that there can be no doubt in his mind, yes?"
+++++ Akagi-Ikari Apartment, Hiro-o, Japan. (Saturday + 7)
The tea had been doled out, and Shinji sat at the end of the table closest to the kitchen so that he might get up and grab something for anyone who would desire it. Unlike Maria and Toyouke, who were calmly drinking their tea in silence, he spent his own time probing the Foci with his fingertips. If he hadn't seen them sitting on the bed, where they appeared roughly three millimeters deep apiece, he wouldn't believe that they weren't just a painting on his hands. The flex of the metal, the feel of it, everything seemed exactly like his own skin, only slightly denser. He picked up his teacup again, the heat radiating evenly through flesh and Focus alike, before setting it down and beginning the process over again.
He is very analytical, isn't he? Toyouke kept her overture in the mental channel between her and Maria.
Maria's eyes remained on Shinji. His mind wasn't properly socialized. Analysis became the only way he could understand and categorize the world around him. I would think that it also is the only reason the city isn't a smoking crater. He naturally hides his emotions, concealing them from the world at large.
His anxiety and depression are rather obvious, if you choose to see them. Her concerns had not been allayed, and she was still adamantly opposed to having done all of this in the place that Shinji was supposed to feel safest within. That he woke up waspish was a product of stress and recent events, why are you acting like he slapped you?
A long silence hung over the conversation before her eyes moved back to the ancient Kitsune matriarch. Because when this world ends and he comes with me to find another to call home, I would much rather he continue to think of me as he did when I was more often in his life. He, not a day past, held me higher in regard than any. Now, I may as well be a stranger in his heart.
The comment floated in her mind like a lead balloon. This world will not end for quite some time, should we all manage to stave off this latest outburst from the Accursed Presence. Perhaps we might focus our efforts on that, especially considering our failure will likely mean his death. Unless you intend to sail the cosmos with a corpse, that is.
"Pet, you really should drink your tea." Maria's voice was sweetened honey, though her eyes glared death at Toyouke. "Dehydration won't help you, and this mix should help calm your nerves as well."
Blinking several times and seeming to recall where he was and who was present, Shinji stiffened before stammering out an apology, "S-s-sorry. I-I…uhm, I w-was-"
"Doing nothing wrong," Toyouke was becoming more worried about the mercurial woman across the table from her, "you had a significant change to your physiology and that is always cause for self-reflection."
"Y-yeah." He ducked his head, forcing his hands to lie flat on the table so that he wouldn't continue to worry at them. "I-I, uh…I'm sorry for snapping this morning, Maria-san." With his shoulders shifting uncomfortably, his distress couldn't have been more obvious if it were painted on a sign behind him in fifteen-meter tall letters. "I-I've…I've been…," his volume dropped to barely audible, "angry."
Toyouke would swear in court that the hurt in Maria's voice was honest as the raven-haired proprietress asked, "What have I done to inspire anger?"
It was Shinji's turn to be silent for a time. He was treading on ground he'd only once walked in his life, actually confronting an individual that had garnered a negative perception in his eyes. The last time he'd tried, his five-year-old eye was blackened for a week by the man who housed him. "Why couldn't you control your temper at Reliqui?" The seductive allure of anger called to him, and he ruthlessly shoved it aside. He wanted answers, blood could come later. "If you hadn't struck Hygieia-san in return, she wouldn't have been imprisoned. Because she was imprisoned, she became tied to my soul. While I bear the responsibility of not pleading with Usagi-san to stay and receive healing in Elysium…." His eyes moved over to stare with unrelenting accusation at Maria. "I at least have the excuse that I'm an idiot and not in control of my emotions anymore."
"The Pergamonian…she's truly in your soul?" Toyouke was shocked that it would be Hygieia, the souls not seeming to align sufficiently in purpose to bond. "Are you certain?"
"Her and Makoto-san." The more he'd thought over the facial characteristics, the more convinced he'd become of who he now sheltered. "They've fused together, or something." Anger brought clarity along with it as it crept back into his voice. "Now, instead of just my…." He couldn't call her his mother, she was not the woman he'd always believed her to be. The woman with the patient touches he only vaguely remembered. "Now I'm also hosting two dead women who've fused together somehow. Now I'm perverting people's souls with my presence!" His fist slamming down on the table punctuated the statement and shattered the piece of furniture to splinters.
"I told you not to go," Maria made to defend herself against the accusation, "that other people would handle it! You accused me of thinking you a child!"
"Perhaps I should have just used the word 'Pet' instead." Standing up, fists clenched, he glared hatred down at the ruins of the table. "You seem pretty enthusiastic about calling me that for someone who freaked out at Usagi-san for my own self-esteem issues. The collar and leash were my mind's work, not hers. How many times are you going to get angry and push people away that you don't think I should be near? Are you going to punch anyone else so that I end up housing their soul? How far down does this go?!"
The apartment door was kicked open, Michiru striding calmly through as if nothing could possibly be the matter while Haruka faced off against the Tengu, daring the two youkai to make a move. "It seems," she began in a perfectly steady voice, "that one or more ladies have overstayed their welcome." Coming to a stop by Shinji, she smiled up at him as he glared death at the floor. "How many am I evicting?"
"Just her." Shinji's head flinched ever so slightly towards Maria. The gravelly quality of his voice only amplified his tenuous grip on his temper, the propriety delivered with a wavering solemnity, "I am sorry that my lack of control bothered your sleep, Kaiou-san. I should have been mindful of the time."
"It is of no moment." Running her hand lightly down his back, she buttressed his control with affection. "Any hour of the day is available for an ally in need." Turning her attention to Maria, she began to radiate with power. "The younger Sailors might be less familiar with the intricacies of their capabilities; I am under no such restrictions. Unless you truly wish to discover what it means to be embraced by the cold depths of the ocean, I would ask you to leave of your own volition."
Shinji's head ached, once more, with memories of a time yet to come. Of beautiful women tearing themselves apart, of broken bonds between allies, and of a darkened entity pulling the strings.
Maria wrapped herself in her own aura. "I might struggle with the rabbit, child, but only for a moment. You do not know whom you address, but I will not suffer-"
Without fanfare or warning, Unit-01 draped itself around Shinji and rushed over to grab Maria by the neck, lifting her off the ground and growling with unrestrained menace. Eyes and its traditional green highlights now a radioactive bloody red, a hint of a pure white glow growing around its crown, there was no more mercy to be found within the monstrous Angel-killer. The creaking of the restraints around its jaw only increased the growing aura of terror begging to be unleashed. This…thing it would murder, this pathetic demon, held the bill for many tragedies upon its ledger. With hidden wings and horns, it sought out with envy what would not be hers by choice. She prevented their return. She conspired to keep them away from their destiny. She served the role of the First in this world, and-
Toyouke, demonstrating why it was that few dared to cross her and none more than once, suffocated the room with her presence. Jade green fire danced along every surface, organic or otherwise, filling the air with the sweet scent of rice. Maria still struggled uselessly against Death Incarnate, and Michiru froze with concern over which direction this night was going to take, but it was Shinji who truly felt the greatest impact. Deep within his being, past the anxieties and insecurities, past the boiling rage of the troubles he carried, he felt something begin to hum with life.
Slowly, achingly, the arm holding Maria off the ground drooped, his armor's coloration began to return to normal. Half of a minute later, his hand unclasped, his eyes once more a pale yellow. In the room, now, there were only three people in his mind. Himself, the being he thought of as Toyouke, and the once more restrained Unit-01. Two slow steps placed him before the Denmother, one fluid motion placed him in kiza before her. I…understand. With his hands properly on his quadriceps, the world began to sort itself. I know who you are now.
And we know who you are, Shinji Ikari. Her voice was calm, soothing, and musical. It was crystalline starlight and floral waves, iron luminance and blazing love. You are struggling with a burden no single entity should have to bear. Yet bear it you must, by your own strength. With a single step she brought herself before him, her fingers trailing along the jawline of Unit-01's helmet. Whomsoever you choose to love, should you choose to love anyone, will only be there to soothe your wounds. With an audible click, her nails found a crevice and began to pull off the metal from the man. You are not the one who Wanders, slave to the gravity of the presences around him. Meeting no resistance, she set Unit-01's helmet aside, exposing Shinji's placid fury. You must find your own purpose. We could not support Him, leaning forward slightly, she pressed her lips to his forehead, just above and between his eyes, and we can only aid you within the rules of our Universe. Standing back upright, she left behind a small flame burning where her lips had touched. This world is not yet lost, nor is yours. Setting the helmet back upon him, she dismissed the flames surrounding the room and caught his body as he fell back into unconsciousness. "Trident-bearer, if you would be so kind as to show the Succubus where the elevator is. Tengu, ensure that she leaves the premises." Her gaze showed no mercy would be present should any challenge her. "The Silent One requires a moment of reflection."
+++++ The Place Between. (Saturday + 7)
Shinji startled awake in the middle of a freshly planted rice field. Unit-01 was gone, his clothes were wet, and he…really was in the middle of a rice field. Pushing himself upright and scowling at the mud that was now covering the foci he wore, he could only marvel at the oddity that was his life. "What…just happened?" His answer, at first, came in a sudden torrent of warm water that cascaded over him, washing away the mud that had clung to his clothes.
"One of my family sent you here, silly." Prancing on thin air before him, a blazing yellow fox giggled as she willed him up from the ground below. Once she'd set him several meters over the land, her warmth drying his clothing and hair, she sat down with aplomb and transformed into a charmingly adorable young girl of Japanese descent. "Inari really is like that, though. She sees something she wants to do, and 'poof', it's done."
He was wearing the necklace of coins, the house pants that he'd been put to bed in, and the Foci on his hands. The water felt real, the heat from the girl before him felt real, the mud had felt real. "Am…am I dreaming?"
Her head tilted to the side as she gravely considered his question. "Is that not all that life is? Dreams within dreams, a spirit moves through many realms in its time." Shrugging with a smile, she resumed her not-so-serious demeanor. "So, the better question probably is to ask when aren't you dreaming."
"Who…uhm, who are you?"
Her eyebrow quirked. "Aren't you supposed to introduce yourself, first?"
Blinking as he realized she was right, and he had been rude, he bowed politely and attempted to introduce himself, "My apologies. My name is Shrmkphph-" His throat constricted, his jaw clenched, and his lips slammed shut, preventing anything from being cogently stated.
"Huh." With her lips off to one side, she sighed. "I guess you still don't know. Makes sense. It took me quite a while to figure out who I was." Standing back up and bowing in return, she formally introduced herself, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Silent One. My name is Amaterasu-ōmikami."
He was either dreaming, or standing in the presence of a divinity. "Y-you…you're…."
"Cute, right?" Giggling and bouncing, she began to dance and spin again, eventually moving around behind him. "Which is probably why Inari-chan sent you to me." Reappearing upside-down from over the top of his head, she had changed forms, now appearing as a young adult. Her eyes were clear and golden, her skin pale and fair, her hair a black beyond description mixed with the blue of the cleanest sky. Above all, however, it was her voice that had changed the most: a mature alto that would melt the strongest man's knees. "Because, of all of her relatives over here, I'm the one least likely to force you to become what I think you should be."
Words wouldn't form, thoughts wouldn't coalesce, there was nothing and everything he wanted to ask but none of it and all of it was stuck behind a thick fog of confusion. Where am I?!
"Takama no Hara." Tapping his nose with one finger, she slid them both through the spaces between seconds to a room adorned with lavish furnishings.
Now seated in a chair close to a mirror that took up the majority of one mammoth wall, Shinji once more looked around trying to get his bearings.
"You should feel honored, really." Amaterasu hid her mouth behind one sleeve, her eyes glittering with mirth. "I've never invited a young man to my room before." When his face went beet-red, she laughed gaily and did another small dance. "You are such a delight! No wonder my great granddaughters find you so engaging." Giggling a few more times before trying to sober her demeanor, she gestured to the mirror. "You are worried about the world you left behind, which speaks very well of you. I believe that Inari thought that you should see for yourself how things are going there."
The mirror shimmered, rippled, and then began to display an omniscient bird's eye view of an apartment somewhere in Japan. Seated at a couch, working on a laptop, was Misato Katsuragi. Or, more specifically, a Misato Katsuragi that was now at least a decade older than he'd last seen her. After a few seconds, and as his shock began to wear off, her cellphone chimed with the theme from 'Hello Kitty'. Scooping it up without looking, she tapped the answer key and smirked. "Maya, babe, sweetie, this is the third time you've called me in the last two hours. I am working on your story. It is close to being done. I will tell you what I think of it after I have finished proofing it." She rolled her eyes and smiled with fondness as she listened to the response. "I think you should listen to your wife. Hikari's always had a good head on her shoulders, and she's definitely the more level-headed of the two of you at the moment."
Shoving the phone between her cheek and shoulder, she went back to work while she talked. "Listen, if I thought that this story sucked, I would have told you already. You're being too harsh on yourself." Her eyes briefly rolled upwards again. "Sure. Ok." Another pause, and then a snort of laughter. "You're not wrong, Doctor Hikari Ibuki." There was a louder noise from the phone and a wicked grin on Misato's face. "No, I'm not going to get tired of teasing you with that. You just make sure to take care of the first human test platform for your grand discovery, ok? You hurt my Maya and I'm going to have to spank you. That baby had better come out to two loving parents." A hint of pain rolled across her features, dimming her mirth significantly. "It's what he'd ask for…if he were here."
There was a large gap of silence where he assumed Hikari was now speaking to Misato about things. During that time, his former roommate quietly wiped the tears out of her eyes and nodded to herself at whatever was being said. "Yeah. I'll definitely see you tomorrow. We'll go to the remembrance, get the formalities out of the way, and then go do the actual ceremony like usual." It was clear that she was fighting against crying, forcing her tone to remain steady, "He fucking died saving all of us, and every fucking year they get a group of bloviating goat fuckers together to pat each other on the fucking back about how they put him in fucking position to get fucking killed!" With a shove, she sent the laptop over onto the couch cushion next to her and moved towards a nearby wall. The perspective shifted with her, showing several photographs of Hikari and Maya, her, Pen-Pen, and…him.
Misato listened for a bit, then nodded as she scooped one of the framed pictures of him working in the kitchen. He certainly hadn't known she'd taken any, and was amazed at the number of pictures of him present on her wall. When she choked back a sob, his attention refocused on her.
"No. No, I'm not fine." Her voice was distorted by sorrow, and she collapsed to the floor clutching the picture close. "It's been a decade, and all I have of the man I failed is a damn S-Dat player! A few months in my life, and I never tried to reach out to him! She admitted to making his life hell, she spent time with him, she blackened his damn eye, and then all I did was shove him in the Eva again! It's been ten fucking years, and I'll never get to beg for his forgiveness, never get to hold him in my arms and tell him that none of his life was his fault, never thank him for fighting to the last to save lives!" Slumping forward so that her head rested against the wall, she laughed mirthlessly. "I'll never get to thank him for forcing me to sober up and stop avoiding my own problems. For showing me that love doesn't have to…." She sniffed, then wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as she listened for a while. "Yeah…I know. He's watching over us. He's proud of all of us, Hiki-chan. We picked up his sword and we brought those assholes to their knees for what they caused. He's probably just embarrassed that a late-thirties woman is clinging to his memory a decade after his death, and sad that he won't get to meet his, yours, and Maya's baby."
The mirror grew still, the scene fading from view. The last image was Misato smiling again, though sadly, as she looked down on his picture. So much had been shared in so little time, and yet he had far more questions than he'd had when he'd arrived. "T-ten years?"
"Time flows differently in each realm it manifests within." Amaterasu sat gently in his lap, her legs both off to one side. "Their world and the world you now fight to save are linked, through my world. Each taking from the other, each giving to the other." She studied him with open curiosity. "You were given, not taken. An important distinction, I feel. Some were, indeed, taken. But not you."
"Given? By who?"
Her fingertips rested on his lips, bidding him to remain silent for a time and listen. "By you." His confused look caused her to sigh in well-contained frustration. "There are things you can never remember, things you will never remember, and things you must never remember. You can never remember who you will be, you will never remember who she was, and you must never remember his name." A grave seriousness pressed him to be still as she lowered her hand to his heart. "This beats with a strength greater than before you traveled to Inari-chan. It hosts a great many emotions, emotions which are neither good nor evil, right nor wrong. These," she lifted his hand up to trace the lines of the Focus upon his palm, "were intended to strengthen an Elder's control over their emotional state. To stop them from swinging to manic highs and tragic lows, to give you the chance to fight against the terrible beast within. As you embrace them, as you learn about them, they will prevent you from becoming a slave to them. You rule them, you rule your own decisions, you are in control…not them."
After she freed his hand to take the other up, he noted that the portion denoting the sun was now even more full of life. His palm was pleasantly warm, the glow radiating up his arm, towards his core. "I…I don't…uhm…."
Performing the same task on his other Focus, Amaterasu giggled. "I know. Believe me," she rolled her eyes and met his with a rueful grin, "I know what it's like to feel as if you can't control your emotions. What it's like to not understand them, what they are or what they mean. I was once much like you, Silent One. Lost, confused, and alone. When I set everything in motion, I did so because I was alone." There was an earnest curiosity in her voice as she asked, "Don't you think I did the right thing by making everything for the children of the Sun and the Two Moons to play upon?"
Whether bravery or idiocy prompted him to retort as he did, none would ever know, "If you set this all in motion, why did you make it so the Angels wanted to kill us? Why didn't you make it so that whoever it is that brought them here-"
"Why does the shark feed upon the tuna?" She refused to feed his anger by becoming angry in turn at a question that came from mortal ignorance. "Why does the panda feed upon the bamboo? Why does the hornet prey upon the honeybee? You ask why I did not make humanity the pinnacle of all life without considering what would be lost to them by doing so. If they had every answer before they even asked it, what reason would they have to live? If they had no predators to drive them to self-reflection, would they not continue to war amongst themselves? The world you remember now stands united, a truly unified people where disputes are resolved with words and not weapons. What they view as your sacrifice emboldened a few good-hearted men and women to aspire to greatness. They suffered so they could find their truths, and now nearly all of them suffer no longer. Those who do either suffer by choice, or because the good-hearted still fight to lift them up from their sorrows."
"And now Usagi's family was killed! And now people are being slaughtered in broad daylight! AND NOW…." Somewhere in his mind, a light switch flicked on. Realization granted him the serenity that confusion had stolen from him. "…and now it's this new Earth's time to suffer…it's their time to find their truth."
Finishing up her task on the second Focus, she granted him a kiss upon the tip of his index finger. "And so, they have been given a gift. A guardian who knows the costs of this war, a warrior who can fight alongside their champions, a man who has his own truths to seek beyond the borders of any world." Folding her much smaller fingers around his much larger hand, she made her final point clear, "Not every life exists for a reason. Not every story has an end, good or bad. Those few who are chosen by a hand far greater than my own are granted an opportunity to provide those…more common lives, more common deaths, both meaning and value." She was not asking him, she was telling him, "You are greater than common, you are exceptional beyond the meaning of the word…act like it."
Shinji had felt physically powerful since the moment he landed on the street near the Sailors. He had felt stronger, faster, and more capable with every hour that passed. What he was being asked to do now went even further beyond what he had thought to be his upper limits, and a being he had been told since he was young was both myth and legend sat upon his lap demanding that he not fail. There was even further clarity lent to him by her blessing of his Foci. "I…I need the blessing of the Two Moons."
"You do."
"Usagi…and who?"
She could only shrug, a small smirk on her lips.
"Ok." If she knew, he knew she would tell him. "I…uhm…I guess that's part of my truth to find, then." Her smirk became a genuinely contented smile, and he now knew he'd do anything to give that smile to everyone on Earth. "…Thank you, Ōmikami-sama."
As the Plains of the Highest Heaven faded from sight, he felt her arms lace around his neck, hugging him close. "Thank you, Silent One."
+++++ Akagi-Ikari Apartment, Hiro-o, Japan. (Saturday + 7)
Just as Shinji was put into a deep sleep, and as the Tengu ushered a seriously livid Maria out of the apartment, Ritsuko came storming out of her room with the Jorōgumo tailor hovering protectively behind her. Wearing a demi-sleeve, low V-neck, mid-thigh, form-fitted 'Little Black Dress' that bore silvery imprints of stalks of lavender blossoms woven strategically throughout the silk, she managed to draw a distinct contrast between the message she sent physically and the message she sent verbally, "I'm becoming a little worried that perhaps knocking him out every time he begins to display signs of a temper might inhibit his ability to process any of this meaningfully." Her eyes took in the room, both the state of the furniture and the people. "Did he break the table, or did…where did Doctor Namaha wander off to?"
"The suck-u-bitch was evicted from the premises," Haruka's voice would have had to work very hard to layer more contempt for the woman into it, "you're welcome."
Ritsuko wasn't being sarcastic when she nodded politely to the tall Sailor and replied, "Thank you. While I respect her intellect, her tendency towards smug superiority tends to grate after an attosecond." She shifted her attention to the Denmother. "What did she do?"
"What she always does," Toyouke sighed out, "she grew waspish when challenged regarding her failure." Gesturing to the two Sailors, and then to Ritsuko, she continued, "She also did not take well to seeing Shinji's attentions drawn more easily by women of more pure intentions. She is enamored with his blend of power and vulnerability, and despite what she says is growing worried that she stands no chance at him."
"Wait," Haruka snorted a laugh through her anger, "what do you mean 'pure intentions'?" Swirling a finger over Shinji's head, she grinned wolfishly. "When he wakes up, I'm going to give him a kiss for letting me work off some anger."
"She means that we do not intend to use him for his strength, or for his status," Michiru corrected her lover, deep in thought herself. "While any, all, or none of us may come to love him dearly as a friend or even more…it will be love for who he is, not what he is." She considered Ritsuko for a short time, her eyes narrowing. "It is social convention alone that keeps you safe from her, you know that, yes?"
"I do." Ritsuko shrugged, moving over to Shinji and delicately lowering herself to where she sat on her heels to move his hair away from his eyes. "I will not live my life cowed by stronger people, male or female. If I'm going to make my mark on this world, it will be because everyone knows that I am confident in who and what I am."
Toyouke motioned where Michiru and Haruka could see, asking for patience. "The good Professor has accepted our protection, just as the Silent One has. While you are not incorrect regarding social convention, Maria also does not wish to damage her relations with Reliqui. We have quite a long reach, and her life of comfort and mischief would not be so easily maintained without our good will, much less our sufferance."
She accepted the pain in her heart as she continued to gently run her finger along Shinji's face for what it was, the first signs of something more than attraction. "I have, and I will continue to accept their assistance, and even your assistance Tenou-san, without complaint. Strength without wisdom is meaningless."
"Then you will also accept calling us by our given name." Michiru joined her on the opposite side of Shinji's head, picking up his hand and willing him to recover and calm. "We are not business associates, nor are we your betters or lessers."
Ritsuko was surprised, though she hid it well, that the gorgeous Sailor for Neptune's actions did not trigger any feelings of jealousy in her after her newfound realization. "Only if you do the same."
"With pleasure, Doc." Haruka took note of motion down the hall, several people exiting the elevator. "Company."
The Jorōgumo hurried over to lean out and look as well. "Ah, the Mujina. They are associates, Mother Sky, here to perform construction."
Feeling out potential boundaries or problems, Ritsuko made to stand up, leaving Shinji in Michiru's care. "Make sure he's comfortable, and that he's not alone, ok?"
"Without question. I will make certain he knows you are re-securing your shared home, should he wake." Michiru's smile explained what was left unstated, that she knew this was a test for Ritsuko herself. It also made clear that she approved of the exercise.
+++++ Maria's Market, Azabu-Mamianachō, Japan. (Saturday + 7)
Maria stormed into her store, past several antiquities she'd left in disarray in her haste to aid Shinji, and directly before the mirror that allowed her to communicate with her sisters. Taking several deep breaths to calm herself enough that she wasn't once again making a fool of herself with family as she had with Lilith, she managed to at least only sound angered instead of enraged, "Eisheth…if you have a moment, I would appreciate a chance to talk."
A golden cloud began to coalesce into a slender, blonde-haired, middle-aged, woman. "Is something wrong, Naamah?" There was concern present in her tone, though only a trace. "Having difficulties with Agrat again?"
"I wish it were that simple, sister." Crossing her arms before lifting one thumb up to chew on the nail, she made a calculated decision to expose some of her plan to the most cunning of her sisters. "It's…a man."
"Oh?"
Weeding through her thoughts, she phrased it in the least damning fashion she could find, "He's not…making it very easy."
"The good ones rarely do." The corner of her mouth curled up in a knowing smile. "Lilith, and you may feel free to tell her I said so, had more than her fair share of trouble landing her version of him. She nearly lost her chance repeatedly, and even now is only one of more than three dozen women shared by him."
"You know she nearly lost her temper when I went to mention you, right?" Maria wasn't going to be made to feel uninformed by the woman that was never satisfied until she had every scrap of information available. "If I tried to tell her you told me, she'd probably just visit and slap me."
Eisheth's eyes rolled to the ceiling, a disgusted frown overtaking the smile. "You mention one tiny specimen sample and she loses her mind. Even The Wanderer himself was amenable, so long as I didn't harm his daughter in any way." She snorted a laugh. "Like I'd willingly commit suicide. I'd pray that he would get to me before she did, if I were that stupid."
Forgetting her own problems for a second, Maria asked probingly, "You've spoken to him? To The Wanderer?"
"Spoken to, flirted with, and came away extremely impressed by, yes." When Maria looked doubtful, she quirked one eyebrow in return. "Which part of that are you having difficulties believing?"
"You flirted with Lilith's husband, in front of her, and lived?"
"No, I flirted with him before Lilith felt my presence," she corrected. "He and I were having a rather lovely discussion regarding multidimensional boundaries, a discussion I was including all sorts of delightful innuendo into. Despite my laying the charm on quite heavily, his mind remained pure. To be frank, I do not believe it possible to actually seduce him. He, quite likely, must genuinely be interested, or properly motivated by duty, to garner any attention." Her eyes grew distant. "Awe-inspiring, really."
That gave Maria more than a fair amount of concern by itself. "…That might explain my problem."
"Oh, no, no, no. Your problem is you lack humility." Waving away the previous topic, Eisheth imparted her own observations in an effort to send Maria off so she could return to her own business. "You are, for all intents and purposes, physically perfect. You know this, I know this, but more importantly for your understanding of the problem, he knows this. You're also brilliant, though perhaps not as intelligent as he believes you to be. Rounding out the issue, you have carved out your own place in the world by your own power and charisma."
"I am not going around acting like I'm perfect!"
"You're also not going around acting like you're human." Setting one hand below her hip, she attempted to explain further, "In his mind, he is here. Substandard, common on a good day, and hardly worthy of notice." Her other hand moved above her own head. "You, in his mind, are up here. Now why would he conceive of the notion that you might in any way be interested in him, if in his mind he's not even within the same galaxy as you in looks, intellect, or status? Why wouldn't he view your attempts at enticement as an odd form of friendship or comradeship, when he's never known anything of love or affection? Why would a blunt instrument grasp subtlety?"
The argument made far too much sense for her taste. "…Shit."
"He is going to spend most of his time with you expecting you to lose interest in him. He's going to see every handsome, beautiful, talented, and rich man or woman you reflexively flirt with as a threat to your friendship, let alone any relationship you manage to coax him into. You're not human, in his eyes. You're divine, as close to perfect as is possible to achieve."
"He needs confidence in himself," Maria scoffed. "Even without his mother's added intellect, he's easily capable of becoming the smartest man in any room he walks into with a little time spent in academia sharpening his talent. He's quite handsome, and will only become more so as he continues to fight and mature. He's a virtuoso with a cello, and nearly as talented on the piano. His ear for music is second to none."
"As you say," Eisheth agreed without reservation. "But even with all the confidence in the world, you're pulling hard against those facts I mentioned. You want to keep his attention? Then show him that you're neither unapproachable, nor prone to faithlessness…so long as he pays proper attention to your needs."
+++++ Akagi-Ikari Apartment, Hiro-o, Japan. (Saturday + 7)
Shinji's return to the world that had adopted him was without most of the traditional problems that waking up caused him. There was no unfamiliarity with the ceiling above him, as there was no ceiling above him. There was no jolt of shock at not being alone in the room, he was well aware of who held him simply by her touch and voice. There was no disorientation as to how or why he was waking up when he had no recollection of going to sleep, Toyouke, or as he now knew her, Inari, had pushed his body to rest while his spirit discovered truths he needed to know. Truthfully, his only real issue was that he had to open his eyes and end the overwhelming feeling of comfort he was receiving.
Michiru sang, quietly, a tale of love and longing. Of standing against the tides of fate to embrace those who may disagree with you from time to time, but who would never stand aside and let you be swept away. Her singing voice, like her speaking voice, like her violin playing, was the closest he had ever heard to perfection. Her fingers lightly combed through his hair, her other hand cradling his head in her lap, as she gave him the peace of mind that he had heard of so often but never himself felt. After reaching the conclusion of her song, she bent forward and kissed him in the same place Inari had. "Ritsuko-san works with the Mujina inside to make changes to the structure of the building and the floor we live on. She would be here, in my stead, but duty remains a harsh mistress."
Even though he hadn't opened his eyes, she'd known he was back amongst the living. His attempt to speak an apology was, as he thought it would be, fruitless. They were out on the balcony, the dawning sun just caressing the horizon, the morning chill making the closeness comfortable for them both. I need to figure out who I am so I can get my voice back.
"It shames me to admit, I had you brought out here so that you would not have the opportunity to interrupt." Her smile was sad when he opened up his eyes to look at her in confusion. "So much is already asked of you, yet I feel compelled to add yet another to your list of duties." His new attempt to sit up was thwarted by the simple expedient of her lightly pressing against the motion. She knew the mind of the man she held, the power she held over him by the simple virtue of existing as she did. She was, in his mind, 'good'. A woman to both protect and obey, and far more worthy of deference than she herself felt she would ever be. There was an earnest desire to be helpful threaded throughout his confusion now, and it pained her that she would exploit it so. "I know you are not one to consider the debts others owe you as valid, but if you promise me this, I will insist on paying off my side as you desire."
Shinji's brow knit, and he frowned slightly. I don't do things for others because I want them to pay me back. In a rare moment of self-realization, he appreciated the truth of the matter. I do things for others…because I'd like it if people did things for me from time to time. They don't have to be equal things, just…things.
Michiru set the tip of one finger on the end of his nose, causing his eyes to cross in an attempt to look at it. A giggle of laughter later, she sighed with happy frustration. "You, good sir, are far too adorable when you're determined." Sobering slightly, her touch once more became a caress. "Tsukino-san does not have full control over herself, her emotions, or her powers. She may, despite herself, attempt to approach you. Should she, and neither Haruka nor myself be there…I beg you to flee." She anticipated his concerned look and shook her head. "We do not know any more than you do. We are going to search for answers ourselves, and should we discover anything we will share it. Nothing hidden, no matter how concerning. Not as repayment for your actions, but because we too are concerned over the fate of our allies."
That level of certitude and willingness did a fair job of dimming his frown. Very few people had promised to be honest or open with him in his life, even fewer had actually acted upon it. The woman that now held him had two very compelling points in the case to trust her: she did not act like someone who preferred subterfuge, and she was one of two women who made him feel…intact, without triggering anything negative at all when she held him.
"Please?" Pleading without wheedling, she urged him to agree. "I do not know what it is that I might do to repay you for this, but in her condition she might well harm you in ways that we cannot repair. She might compel you to do something, or not do something, that would risk all life as we know it. Until we know why you are the key, and why she is no longer wholly the woman we knew, please?"
Shinji Ikari was many things. He was young, he was inexperienced, he was driven by a fear of rejection, but more than any of that, he was weak to honest requests for assistance from women. Letting his head sink back down into her lap, and closing his eyes once more, he cursed himself for a thrice-damned fool and nodded his agreement. If she doesn't do what she promised…it's not like she's the only one who's told me to not go near them.
"Ok," Haruka strolled out onto the balcony from the side she lived on, brash and decisive as ever, "you and I need to have a little heart-to-heart, my good sir." Easily hopping the divider, then straddling him before landing with all of her weight on his abdomen via her posterior, she leaned forward with her fists resting atop his chest. "Right now, you are the target of some extremely bad nonsense. Right now, one of the few women I believed to be beyond corruption is possibly being corrupted fairly effectively. Right now, you have next to no defense against her that doesn't involve a fight. So here's what you're going to do: you're going to stay away from the Bunny and her Band, you're going to not complain about having one or more of me, Michi-chan, or Setsuna around you, and if things go south, you're going to find us and let us help." Shifting her arms so that she fell forward and went from bracing on her fists to bracing on her elbows, with her face a hair's breadth from his, she gave him that cocksure grin she preferred. "Do the right thing, use your brain, and in exchange, I'll let you kiss me from time to time."
Worry and anxiety had mostly gone by the wayside with the way Michiru had treated him. She radiated calm, her every word spoke of her capacity for violence remaining firmly subjugated to her will. Her song had worked its way into his heart, the same way that Amaterasu and Inari had, the same way the Vixen Triplets had. All of that was now thrown out by the impetuous and self-assured demands of the Sailor for Uranus.
Neither woman was prepared for his next acts, and neither was fast enough to recover after his face drew flat. Without warning, Haruka was launched off of her perch towards the corner of the balcony furthest from the opened glass door. Next, Michiru's grasp on his shoulders was now ignored where it had not been before, and Shinji stood up and stormed into the apartment. Both made to regain their own footing quickly, one to apologize for playing too rough, the other to openly berate her lover as a way to recover the good favor she'd had in his eyes. Both, too, were pulled up short by the door to his room slamming behind him.
Ritsuko, who had been watching from afar with a tinge of irrational jealousy at her roommate being pressed between two women who had her beaten by a mile in looks, now had a clear lane to work out some of her own irritation on those very same women. "I believe I said 'comfortable' and 'not alone', ladies." Her tone grew frostier as Michiru blushed in shame and Haruka began to puff up in anger, "It appeared, from my perspective, that she," her finger indicated Michiru, "had the situation well in hand. You," that finger moved to Haruka, "on the other hand, just can't help yourself, can you? You see something that needs protection, and you charge in. Doesn't matter who or why, just that it needs saving. Your partner here at least understood him enough to know that the last thing he needs or wants is salvation given to him by someone else. He views himself as a detriment to all of us, making him feel useless is just going to exacerbate everything." As the tall blonde deflated under the weight of logic, Ritsuko took control over the situation and used the Sailors division against them. "Now, I would like it if both of you left for a while. He needs to calm down, he needs to get out of his head, and if he comes out of that room and sees you, he'll spin himself right back up."
Michiru wasn't in disagreement with the broad strokes, but she did wish to continue talking to Shinji. "I do not think that-"
"He has been abused by women, just as badly as he has been abused by men." She wouldn't give up ground. "Until you manage to control your emotions around him, you're going to keep delaying his recovery by stumbling over landmines. He won't be angry forever. Out."
+++++ Akagi-Ikari Apartment, Hiro-o, Japan. (Saturday + 7)
Shinji stalked back and forth in the room Ritsuko had lent to him. Every time he wanted to calm down, he heard Asuka's voice again, 'Benutzt du jemals dein Gehirn?' She always belittled him for being slow, confusing it with him being methodical. For thinking things through. For not just jumping on the first fanciful idea to saunter past. For not, as she later translated the German for him, 'Ever actually using his brain'. And now, here, in a world where she never even existed, another woman has to come along and paraphrase her just to drag her back into his….
The Foci began to slowly pulse with warmth, bleeding steam from his rant and reminding him that he'd just come back from a place of peace. I'm not angry at them, he reminded himself, I'm angry at what they reminded me of. Looking back at the door he'd slammed, his jaw clenched with irritation. But I am angry right now. If I go back out there to apologize, I think I'm just going to make matters worse. The Foci pulled at one another, and soon his hands were rubbing slowly against themselves. Ok…ok. Several deep breaths followed, and he shifted from pacing the floor to walking slowly along it. I can't go out there. Not right now. But I really want to walk. The slower pace he kept wasn't helping him drain the abscess of irrational anger the way the faster pace had. He had to move, had to strain his muscles more.
A glint of sunlight as a building in the distance received the first kiss of the sun's rays drew his attention to the considerably sized window he'd not given serious consideration to. It opens. He verified that the window would open enough to let him out. I mean…I fell further than this when I arrived here. There was a part of his mind that was rebelling at the notion of simply allowing gravity to carry him down, but it wasn't in control of his mind in full. Doesn't seem to be anyone around that roof there, the overhang of a walking bridge across the nearby street drew his eye next, I could land there, slide down, and just walk away. Come back later.
A quick search for paper and pen brought him the tools he'd need to leave a note for Ritsuko to find. I don't want her to think I'm mad at her. I really don't want her to think I forgot about dinner tonight. I just…I need to walk. Steadying his hand so that the script would be legible and not marred by haste, he set out his thoughts, 'Ritsuko-san, I'm sorry for leaving without telling you, and I promise I'll be back later. I just want to go stretch my legs and get away from everything for a bit. I'm probably going to make a few stops here and there for some things I need anyway. I'll be back around noon, that way I'm here in plenty of time for dinner. I promise I'll explain what set me off too…you deserve to know which buttons in my mind do what. Friends do that, right?' Waffling for a moment over which valediction to use, he shook off the indecision and simply signed his name with nothing else attached to it. What do friends put down on notes to each other? Why do social rules have to make no damn sense?!
Folding the note neatly, he set it on the foot of his bed and weighted it down with the heavy pen he'd used so it wouldn't be lost. Organizing his backpack, and removing things he wouldn't need for his excursion, he made certain to keep enough money inside to cover any eventuality. I'll get her something as an apology. Friends do that…I think. Pushing the window open, he climbed out and onto the balcony before pressing the window closed quietly. Before he had a chance to overthink things, he then hopped the barrier and plummeted down towards the walking bridge. A quiet landing, a quick glance around, and he was off on his own once more.
Or so he thought.
+++++ Author's Notes:
RE: Setsuna and the Garnet Orb.
Wherever could Setsuna find a reddish-colored orb in a world with Angels meandering about causing problems? The mind fairly boggles, doesn't it? (Stop reading my story notes, Jace!)
RE: Artwork of the Vixens.
I took a look around my mutuals, and realized that I have absolutely no friends who dabble in art. Considering I have, roughly estimated, two people I know the actual names of, that's not a lot of mutuals, but still.
RE: Haruka.
She's a lot of fun to write, and to bounce off of the other characters. I envision her as a great deal like a stable Asuka, with the right amount of grit, sass, and intelligence to back everything up. Undercutting the 'Intelectuals' with Clemens-esque wit stops things from becoming too heavy all the time, I think.
