+++++ Elysium. (?)
Shinji's eyes snapped open, informing him that at some point during the first round of healing, he had fallen unconscious. The lingering mental ache of the agony he'd gone through was handled by diverting his attention to the point of curiosity regarding why he wasn't able to scream in pain, but was able to roar in anger. Continuing to focus on linguistics, instead of focusing on the mounting dread of going through more of what he'd just been through stopped him from crying, at least.
"Pilot?" The voice of General Soryu drew his attention further from the pain, "Pilot, how are you feeling?"
His head lolled over towards the woman he wasn't yet certain whether or not might be the mother of a different sort of pain, and as soon as he caught sight of her he lost track of pain entirely. Dressed in a toga, much like every other woman had been in the Asclepion, the poised military officer now looked more akin to a learned scholar than a warrior. Blue eyes that neatly mirrored his own were filled with genuine compassion, heartfelt concern over his status that went beyond simple utilitarianism. Long, well-maintained, raven black hair that was allowed to drift freely down her back, unconstrained from the confines of regulations and expectations. A face that now held no possibility of being anything but related to some version of the fiery redhead he'd lived with for months. She was, like so many other women that had made their presence known to him in this world, brains, beauty, and boundless potential.
A slight lift of one side of her mouth into a knowing smirk allowed a sharp wit to add itself to her tally. "I forget that people often don't look past the uniform and rank until I'm not wearing either, sometimes." Remaining far enough back to not risk touching part of him that was not as cleaned of the Blood as it ought to have been, she shifted her smirk into a pleasant smile. "Should I summon the healers, or do you feel up to chatting for a time?" With a gesture, she indicated a slate tablet and chalk that had been left near him so that he could communicate. "No pressure, either way."
He was groggy, he was aching, and worse still…he was alive. Duty, though, would not be pushed off childishly. He had sworn to himself when he had killed his mother that he would stop the bad habits he had allowed to accumulate. The debate as to whether he should live or not had never been part of those habits, not until he had arrived on this world at least. Pushing himself up to a seated position, grateful that he was at least wearing what passed for underwear beneath the sheet he'd been covered with, he scooped up the tablet and scrawled out a terse, 'I apologize for staring. That was rude of me.'
"Hmm. Was it, though?" A few steps brought her back into his line of sight, still outside the perimeter of the safety zone though only just. With her arms clasped behind her back, she considered him for a moment before adding, "When presented with something unexpected in a social situation, the human mind has a tendency to pause while it finds the correct neural pathways to engage, or to react with disdain and violence to remove that unexpected stimulus from our presence. We live our lives according to a matrix of decision-making that has been created by our past experiences with specific circumstances. You, just now, were not ready for me to approach you in the clothing I am wearing, appearing as a woman and not a warrior. To take a moment to understand the situation is, thereby, only human."
With one edge of the sheet, he wiped away the statement he'd made, shrugging his shoulders. He had frozen because she had to be the woman who bore Asuka, in his world, and because she was so unlike that red-headed irritant in so many good ways that it had caused an uncomfortable level of attraction that he had to stamp on. Any animal that feels attraction to that degree might do what he did. It wasn't proof of humanity; it was proof that he was a living being.
"You disagree?"
Looking back up to her, he noted that the question wasn't loaded with anything but curiosity. She was attempting to engage him as an equal, and was perfectly willing to have her declaration challenged in the course of the discussion. This wasn't Asuka saying red was green and expecting him to either start a fight or accept her as flawless, this was one human making an effort at connecting with another. It baffled him. 'You may very well be the mother of a young woman I knew in the world I came from.' He waited for her to consume the message, then erased it to continue on. 'Asuka Langley Soryu, another pilot like me, looks like a redheaded version of you.'
"Langley?" Her mouth bunched off to the side, distaste evident in her bearing. "A Franz Langley did in fact make an effort to ask me out on a date every time he visited to update our Section." She shrugged, clearly not concerned with 'might have been'. "So your fellow pilot, if I'm reading you correctly, was something of a thorn in your side? Friendly rivalry?"
Shinji snorted out a scoff, 'No. More like slavery. I allowed myself to be bent to her whims, stupidly.' His mother had not been far from the mark there. She had some of his motivations wrong, such as the thought that what he wanted out of the relationship was sex and not emotional bonding, but she wasn't wrong in that he'd chosen the easiest path through his interactions with Asuka.
"Ah, my apologies." Her sincerity took away any potential for misunderstanding her intent.
He began to appreciate how…honest she was being. Even the Sailors tended towards talking around what they wanted, it made him feel inept for how guileless he was. Speaking to the elder Soryu, however, was like speaking to a female version of himself. She said what she thought, meant what she said, and you could take it or leave it. 'No offense taken, ma'am. It was my stupid decision, and I accept that.'
"That ethos will get you far, if you hold onto it," approval rang through her tone. "Though, please, at least while I'm not in uniform…call me Kyoko. Might I have permission to call you Shinji?"
Kyoko Soryu. The name seemed to fit the woman well. Nodding once, he granted her permission to use his given name. There was a moment of hesitation, however, as he remembered what happened to Saeko Mizuno, the last adult human female that he spent time getting to know. The weight of the death toll made itself evident in his bearing as his head drifted back to where he was looking down at a spot well beyond the floor to the room he occupied.
"The Tokyo Incident was, if I am to be honest, proof that the governments of the world have not taken Project Y seriously enough." Her statement served its purpose, redirecting the fugue she had seen building away from where it had been taking him. "Expecting a single, if singular, weapons platform to be able to respond to a multi-point incursion into our territory was naïvely irrational. That you managed to limit casualties to the degree you had in your first few encounters is a testament to your old unit and how they prepared you. I can't imagine the support costs in upkeep alone were anything short of staggering. The wear and tear I've seen…well, my hope is that I am able to convince you to work with us so we can develop the technology needed to give you at least proper maintenance. The scientists and engineers I've spoken to regarding what this would entail are all excited about the prospect, of course, but offer little by way of concrete plans to provide support. Relying on supposed 'Magical Girls' and local youkai does not serve as a 'plan', in my opinion. They may be valuable allies, and I will gladly cooperate with them to ensure that this ball of rock and water continues to revolve around the sun, but humanity cannot sit back on its heels and expect someone else to save the day. We have a real chance to achieve global peace and stability after decades of the Cold War creating the complete opposite…." With a sigh, she gave him a tired smile. "I am disappointed in the decision the Joint Command made to authorize attacks on you and your allies. I have spent my career attempting to build bridges between communities, to defend the right to hold different beliefs…and your first interaction with the Japanese and American militaries was via thirty-millimeter autocannons and AGM-114s. It made my job seem impossible, until I actually met you of course."
The knowledge that there were discussions being had well before the night they'd lost Ami was news to him. Everyone had made it seem as if the human world was being kept ignorant of him, even Naoko's hints that she knew had already been explained away by her…. 'Where is Doctor Akagi?'
"In a holding cell." Bemusement became antipathy. "I do not know what is going on in her head, but it is not anything that ought to be happening there. If she's cracked, or compromised, or even just improperly infatuated with you, I'm not going to allow her to harm you by allowing crazy like that to run amok. Once we're able to depart, after you've been healed enough to fight, I'll return her to Yokosuka and remand her to Gehirn's doctors. They'll figure out how to fix her, or they'll find out what's caused her to smile like a feral cat every time she looks at you."
…Is she infected? Like the Sailors? The idea made little sense to him. Saeko's actions had been because she was lonely, sad, and afraid that she had no value. The youkai would have known if she was attempting intimacy because she'd been infected by whatever had killed Makoto and Ami, wouldn't they?
His anxiety, and lack of ability to hide his emotional state, prompted Kyoko to switch gears again. "You are safe, and she will be as safe as we can keep her. You have my word on both. I didn't get the feeling from you that you were interested in her from a…physical perspective, and the way she had been acting smacked more than a little of sexual harassment looking for a place to happen. Nothing you did prompted it, and nothing you could have done would have prevented my actions. I will not allow professionalism to become a casualty of this conflict. You, as a human, deserve more than to be used or seen as a means to an end."
'She…isn't my type.' Her assurances helped him calm down, at least enough to respond. 'I had just hoped to ask her a few questions about something she said to me.'
"Well, good morning Shinji." Mizore floated into the room quietly, barely disturbing the curtains that separated his room from the surrounding halls. "Good morning, General. I'm sorry I left to go find breakfast now, I would have asked if you wanted anything."
Tsuruko had accompanied the snow maiden, and was patently relieved to see he was awake. "I too wish that I had been present. You should have regained consciousness surrounded by those who would be your allies, not only one such woman. I would not have you labor under the perception that your struggles are either unnoticed or unappreciated."
"We were discussing the world he came from, and the situation he has helped improve here on this world." There was no disappointment in Kyoko's tone or bearing. She welcomed the others into the conference openly, and shifted where she stood to allow them to place themselves easily in his line of sight. "Apparently, my counterpart on his world was the mother of a fellow Pilot. Unfortunately, it appears that my counterpart did not raise her with an appropriate degree of discipline, leaving Shinji to suffer for that error."
She…was dead, I think. Shinji looked to Mizore to translate, now that someone who could 'hear' him was present. Asuka never mentioned her, she only spoke of her stepmom once, and always said she hated dealing with her family.
Following the message being relayed, Kyoko frowned further. "Hmm. With the difference in dates between our worlds, the fact that I had died shouldn't be discounted as natural. Though, I am only forty now. One should think I would hope to live longer than my sixties, naturally."
This world hasn't lived through Second Impact. He didn't know the details of Kyoko Soryu's death in his world, either. According to my teachers, life expectancy plummeted in the years following that.
"Ah, well that might well explain it then." She smiled with good humor, dismissing the topic as pointless speculation. "I am rather focused on living as long as I can manage on this Earth, which brings me back to what we were speaking of first. How are you feeling? Honestly, now. The healers have already said you will require additional procedures."
Mizore rounded the bed and sat down next to him, placing the back of her hand on his forehead. "Feverish. His eyes don't look as clear as they ought to, either."
Tsuruko added her own quiet pressure, "We will not belittle the pride you have earned. We ask as fellow warriors, those that will stand alongside you to defend those who deserve defense. Our chain will only ever be as strong as the link most likely to break, which means your temper must be measured from time to time, just as ours will when we inevitably become injured and allow base pride to dictate our actions."
…Why is it I am surrounded by women who manage to say, without knowing me at all, what I had always wanted to hear from women who knew me for months? He looked to Mizore, the question being intended for her alone. And is there some sort of university and modelling requirement for global defense? Everyone's smarter than I am, and you're all…really pretty.
"I would say we have been given more opportunity to pursue knowledge," the yuki-onna curated her response for the other two women present. "Though I am certain everyone present would be pleased to hear that you find us aesthetically pleasing." When his cheeks bloomed red, she gave a small titter of laughter. "I promised I would not do something that would hurt you physically for what you said in the helicopter. I gave no such promise of not voicing a truth that might cause you to feel embarrassed."
"To be told that I remain attractive despite little sleep and excessive bruising by a man that I adjudge to be well proportioned is nothing to be embarrassed over, good sir." Tsuruko lifted her chin slightly, her shoulders settling back with confidence. "It has been many years since a man worthy of fighting alongside has given me such a compliment. I will wear it gladly."
Kyoko sighed out a laugh. "First he tells me that my would-be daughter treated him poorly, and now he tells me that I'm pleasing to look at. You're a very difficult young man to get a read on, Shinji."
The discussion he'd had with Tsuruko combined with the plea from Kyoko to help them fight. The memory of his mother's words that he'd only ever fought when there was no other choice combined with Mizore's displeasure at him wishing for death. There was confusion aplenty in his heart. Fear that if he reached out for someone, they'd just die like so many before them. Fear that if he made his emotions available, they'd just be trampled again. He had to be honest with everyone, mostly because he couldn't lie worth a damn but also because they earned that honesty by being people he would have loved to have known when he was a child. I'm…not really that complicated. I just…I just want someone to help me figure out what the right thing to do is. I've…I've killed so many people by not knowing what to do. By reacting, instead of acting. By letting life drift past, by not embracing obligations, by…by failing to be who I should have been. Mizore imparted his words to everyone else, and he looked between the three women with tears standing in his eyes. Why do I deserve to live when all I've ever done well…is kill?
+++++ Elysium. (?)
A conference was being held outside of the room Shinji was undergoing further healing within. Noriyasu Seta, Tsuruko Aoyama, Mizore Shirayuki, Kyoko Soryu, and Epione were all seated at a table that had been brought in for just such a purpose, sharing tea while worrying at the silent screams of agony projected outwards by the only man that could keep them all alive.
"It is a question that every warrior must wrestle with at some point," Kyoko stated with a firm gesture. "He has had no provable leadership, no provable support, and carried a burden that no single person should be allowed to carry. Armies exist because we recognize that no one person should ever be responsible for the physical defense of anything. I do not mean to draft him into my military, and I would urge everyone present to refrain from doing the same. What I would like to see is actual guidance provided to him. Mentorship."
"Having someone he trusts help him understand the path he walks would go far in quelling his fractious spirit," Epione agreed. "That alone, however, will not suffice to improve the outcome we face. To restore his spirit, to reinfuse the light that has dimmed, we must find a way to restore his balance. He needs the feminine to bolster and nurture him. To show him that peace exists in addition to war. We must help him find love, find a way to no longer fear hope!"
"Has he no paramour?" Tsuruko was shocked to hear as much. "Handsome, capable, far smarter than he believes himself to be, humble, and eager to please…has no woman truly yet claimed him?"
"Many have tried," Mizore smirked with dark humor, "none have lived long enough to cement their victory."
Noriyasu frowned. "I thought Akagi-sensei, err…I mean Ritsuko Akagi-sensei and he had a thing going on. Did I misread that situation?"
"She will not press her case further than he will comfortably allow." The yuki-onna had watched that halting effort with both frustration and amusement. "She, rightly or wrongly, believes that he is still too emotionally damaged to commit to even physical intimacy without creating further harm."
"So, he believes he has no one to return home to after fighting." Kyoko sat back, idly tapping one finger against her lips. "No one to confide his darkest secrets to. The briefing I received has placed at least four women that he might have grown close to as having deceased or disappeared. Is this the enemy's goal? Isolate him, force him to despair…to what end? Pushing him to suicide?"
"Perhaps they seek to fill the void themselves." Tsuruko rocked her hand back and forth. "There are too many variables when one does not properly know their enemy. He would make a far more valuable convert than corpse. I have never seen his like, and his aura has been seen to blaze like few others I have known, and may yet shine even brighter than any ever born."
"Keitaro-kun. You. Haruka-chan. Granny Hina." Noriyasu nodded in agreement with his colleague. "If Akagi-sensei hadn't told me to go away, I would have pressed my case to see if I could maneuver Ikari-sensei to where I could test him. It's not just that armor he wears, he has untapped ki that would make him a dangerous adversary."
"So, do we have any candidates available to us?" Kyoko would see the number of challenges they faced dwindle, whatever it might cost her. The defense of the planet rested on a broken young man, and so repairing him enough to get him back in the field in the short term was top priority. "He commented on myself, Miss Mizore, and Miss Aoyama today. That's a wide array of physical markers, emotional temperaments, and backgrounds. We have to be able to draw up a list of candidates from there."
"I do not feel it would be wise to push a member of Reliqui to pair with him." Epione raised an objection that the humans present were largely ignorant of. "That alone could very easily spark a new war."
"An Elysian is equally unacceptable," Mizore retorted. "He was born in Japan, in the world he hails from. He is of our culture. I do not see a path forward where we sit idly by as he is removed from his heritage and placed in the care of those who murdered his kin."
"Then would a human be acceptable to both parties?" Tsuruko's thumb was idly rubbing against the pommel of her family's sword. "Since it is obvious that each of your houses is a poor fit?"
The verdict was unanimous from both Epione and Mizore, "No!"
"From the perspective of someone who spends much of his time studying civilizations through the ruins they left behind, I believe the crux of the problem there is that his presence here is ascribed to both of their belief systems. His humanity, in their eyes, is secondary to his existence as a primal deity." Noriyasu was cautious to remain visibly neutral to all parties, hoping that he could help things remain calm. "As a human, however, it would really help put those of my kind at ease if he wasn't seen as just…war made flesh. A human wife would give him a reason to not flip the genocide switch and kill us all. A wife, such as yuki-onna-san, would begin to heal the lingering wounds from the Academy Wars. A wife from Elysium would help normalize political relations between Reliqui and Elysium. Each party here has sociopolitical concerns that are valid. Which, typically, would mean that either negotiations begin, or we seek a neutral fourth party to help formulate a plan."
"We could always convince him to take a wife from each culture?" Kyoko had remained unconcerned that the others were becoming angry. Cool rationality had always provided more to her than crass emotions would. "Legally, he is only technically a citizen of Japan. The records that were altered at Reliqui's request are legal, yes, but those could easily be changed to reflect his divine nature. Polygamy is, of course, illegal in Japan. However, laws do not cover kami. Laws cannot cover kami. Any marriage he enters into would not require the assent of the State. I'm almost positive that taxation would be impossible, considering many people would be making donations to him in exchange for blessings. We don't tax that as income, as it is intended to be a donation for upkeep of temples and those maintaining the temples. In reality, the only reason to support marriage politically is to simplify taxes and encourage breeding. If whatever woman he marries doesn't spend a significant amount of time helping him work off his frustrations, they're likely to face the ire of the kami. If they don't end up pregnant through those efforts, again I assume that the kami will involve themselves." Spreading her hands, she finished her case, "Taxation is not a concern, breeding is not a concern. It would make sense to me to pressure the state to allow for polygamy in this single instance owing to the need to both broker peace and maintain peace. I'm certain I can argue the merits with Gehirn, who can pressure their colleagues in the Diet, who will likely acquiesce to avoid stoking the fires of war with either Reliqui or Elysium."
Mizore closed her eyes and groaned, massaging her temples. "I believe the biggest obstacle to that outcome is the man in question. I know his type. I know his type very well. He would view that as dishonoring the women involved, and would fight against that harder than he fights against our enemies. Even if we manage to convince a trio of women to accept it, we'd never convince him to allow it."
"A stronger man than most," Noriyasu quipped. He'd held some excitement that the solution would work, believing that it would be diplomatically convenient and beneficial to Shinji himself. "Though I'd guess that it's that quality that draws women to him. Nobody should eagerly jump into a group relationship with a guy who has a wandering eye."
"So they must seduce him into it." Tsuruko understood Kyoko's mind, the need to actively shore up their defenses by buttressing the man responsible for them. "He is not stone. Enough pressure, he will cave. If the proper women are chosen, he will not suffer for that act."
"I…will have to discuss this with…others." Epione was visibly uncertain of the entire discussion. "I do not have authority to strike any bargain that involves the Silent One, nor do I believe this to be the wisest course of action."
"Your supposed gods on Olympus have abstained from aiding anyone but themselves, Healer." Mizore's voice was laden with frost. "You will not find Reliqui interested in bargaining with laggards and cowards."
"Why are you against providing him more support, Epione-san?" Kyoko's tone was far more diplomatic, her attention non-judgmental. "Is it distaste for polygamy? I admit to a gap in my education on how your peoples would feel on the issue."
Epione found it difficult to ignore the barb Mizore had stung her with, and it took her a few seconds to compose an answer that wasn't vitriolic. In the end, she chose to give a name and allow the history to speak for itself. "Hera."
Noriyasu whistled low. "Ikari-sensei is going to be cockblocked by a goddess because her husband mated with anything that moved. Now there is irony you just can't buy."
"I would remind everyone that after Shinji is healed, we have no need of Elysium or its people." Mizore stood up from the table, past traumas resurfacing the more she discussed future problems. "If we manage the impossible and convince him to join himself with even one woman, Reliqui has tens of thousands that would give him anything for a single night. Elysium can die, alone and isolated." Turning about sharply, she stalked away, ending the discussion.
+++++ Elysium. (?)
Shinji awoke, once more, after not remembering falling asleep. What had caused him to awaken, however, was the low murmur of voices speaking in the hushed tones of those visiting a hospital. Groaning silently, he lifted one hand to rake his fingers through his hair in an effort to restore order. Sitting up slowly, his head wobbled as he located the source of the noise. What he saw caused his heart to ache, as a pair of young women wore a look of helplessness that he had so often worn himself in Nagano.
Tsuruko inclined her head politely. "My apologies for awakening you, Ikari-dono."
His hand trembled as he waved off the apology. It took him a few seconds to situate his body so that he could use both hands to speak in Sign, ensuring that he covered below his waist with the sheet. 'Please, Aoyama-san, just Shinji. I'm certainly no lord or noble samurai. I'm just the unlucky idiot cursed with the responsibility to pilot the Eva.'
She ignored the latter two-thirds of his message as she translated for the two others present. "Shinji-dono, then. I would ask that in return, you call me Tsuruko. You are right that those who fight together should seek mutual respect, but balance that respect with reaching a familiarity that stops them from standing overmuch on formality." Gesturing to the two by her side, she made introductions, "Please, allow me to introduce two of the many you have saved in your efforts. First, Shinobu Maehara. She was to graduate this year, before her school was turned into an emergency shelter for those displaced by the unfortunate events in Tokyo. To her side, Sarah McDougal. She had just begun her time in secondary nearby to the Hinata Inn when all of this began. She is in the care of Seta-kun, who has acted as her guardian since the unfortunate passing of her mother."
The first teen, with hair that was so black it had become blue, would likely have been stunning had it not been so obvious that she had spent many hours recently crying her eyes out. As it was, she was still most pleasant to look upon, and her voice carried a practiced passivity that had likely been formed by past abuses, "It is an honor to meet you, Ikari-sensei. Seta-sensei said that you were a professor in the physics department at Todai, and that someday I might be fortunate enough to be in one of your classes."
I was a teacher for less than one full class before screwing up and forcing Ritsuko to send everyone home in order to finish a proof that she hadn't been aware of. What came out through his hands, however, was much more controlled, 'I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to attend whatever university you want, Maehara-san. My…fellow professor told me that Seta-sensei knew his business.'
The second young lady, blonde and clearly American, had a natural scowl that forewarned of a serious temper. What exited her mouth, however, was exceedingly polite. "Thank you, sir, for chasing those monsters away from my daddy. I am sorry that you were hurt, and I hope you recover fully."
Her 'daddy', in Shinji's estimation, was handling the situation well when he arrived. His forms were fluid, like water, and even standing toe-to-toe with someone who had several hands worth of height on him he was managing with skin and bone what Shinji was nervous to do with the Eva protecting him. 'Seta-sensei has a strong heart, McDougal-san. I truly believe that even without me stepping in that he would have kept you safe. Don't worry about me. I'm too stupid to die.'
Tsuruko, once more, edited out the parts that she did not feel would serve her purpose well. "The ladies had asked to see me regarding a matter of some concern. I apologize again for waking you with our conversation, but I am obliged to remain here until General Soryu or the good yuki-onna return. Perhaps you might be willing to add your perspective to the situation?"
While Shinobu was of an age with him and Sarah was only a pair of years younger at most, neither appeared half as 'mature' as Hikari Horaki. They had lived a life that was an odd mixture of comforting and tragic, but none of it had been nearly as rough as what those of his world had survived. What Tsuruko was asking, in his mind, was whether or not he would use his position as someone who had defended them to settle nerves. 'I'll do what I can.' It was the right thing to do.
"As those such as us must always do." Tsuruko again inclined her head in gratitude, gifting him a hint of a smile in approbation. "The issue is such: the hot springs that they were living at had been turned into a dormitory of sorts. More of a communal home than an apartment complex, and with the intent of building a sorority that would outlast their presence within the walls. The matriarch who owns the property had gifted it to her grandson in the hopes that it would help him find his path in life. That grandson was the young man you defended the day you met Seta-kun."
'The one that Narusegawa-san was about to hit?'
"The same."
'Ok. How is he doing, by the way? I had hoped to talk to him again, to urge him to listen to what Ritsuko-san said. He shouldn't have been putting up with the abuse, and I'd like to encourage him to put an end to it if it's happening around these two.'
After repeating what Shinji said for the two young women, Tsuruko informed him of the rest of the story, "He is dead. After returning home the evening that you defended him, his leg was broken as a result of yet another assault. I arrived the next morning, unaware of the particulars of the situation, to confront my sister about her continued…."
"Misandry." Sarah stated with quiet conviction.
Tsuruko reached over and gently stroked the back of the young lady. "As good a term as any." Maintaining the motion, she returned to Shinji. "In the course of my visit, my sister lied to me about her situation with Urashima-kun. She said that they were engaged to be wed, and that she could not return to the Clan to take over as headmistress because of her obligation to him. The matter of who it was that broke his leg is as of yet unanswered, as both Narusegawa-chan and Motoko-han blame the other. The fact that had he not been burdened by a broken leg he would have successfully saved two other lives is not in question. He had, prior to the damage to his limb, proven rather durable and healed with amazing haste. They have lost dear friends, and the protection of a good man who allowed terrible deeds to be done to him in the name of maintaining the peace. They wish for me to seek the truth of the matter, to determine the guilty party and to devise an…appropriate punishment."
The ache in his side was no longer the worst of his pain. How many people live a life like that? Like…like mine? 'Please tell them that I am heartbroken to know that someone who was willing to sacrifice their life to save others has died. That someone as capable as him, to make it into Tokyo University, was taken from all of us. He had a good heart, and…and I wish I could be everywhere at once.'
After listening, Sarah scowled at the ground. "He was a dork…but he was our dork. I teased him, but I never really tried to hurt him. I thought he was invincible! With all the punishment he could take, he never once was injured that I saw!"
'Until he was.' Shinji knew that Sarah was far too young to be truly guilty of making the situation worse. Precious few students even understood the concept of 'abuse' unless they had lived through it, and Tsuruko would not have been so kind to Noriyasau had she been being abused. 'From what Tsuruko-san has said, neither of you are guilty of anything but living with people who…who made it 'normal'. People who either didn't, or refused to, see that what they were doing was setting expectations for their kouhai. You thought he was invincible because the people who should know better treated him like he was. Honestly, it sounds like they're both guilty in the end. The first lesson that anyone learning to fight needs is to know is when to fight and when not to. When I'm in my armor, I can destroy buildings. I could destroy volcanoes! I can't afford to act like…like someone who beats up people and breaks their limbs for anything short of stopping them from killing someone. Strength is for defending people, not…not winning arguments or settling scores.'
Tsuruko agreed, approving of the message. "An astute observation. Those who create the situation are just as culpable for the culmination of that situation. Whether she struck the blow or not, my younger sister created a situation where a man that never once struck back was hobbled at a time most inopportune. The same must be said of Narusegawa-chan."
Shinobu's voice was quiet and pale, "But…but then aren't I guilty? Shouldn't I have said something? Shouldn't I-"
"No." Sarah, it seemed, was fearless in defending those she called friend. "You cried every time they did something like that! You said your mom and dad used to fight like that before they divorced! You don't go walking up to someone bleeding and ask them to donate blood, do you? I mean…yeah, we should have told daddy sooner, but…but it's like Ikari-sensei said! We thought it was normal, because that's what Naru and Motoko made normal!"
Could they have helped…probably. But kicking a puppy for making a mess on the carpet the same way the older dogs do isn't justice. 'She's right, Maehara-san. People with power have a responsibility to not use that power to needlessly or recklessly hurt others. I…I know it can be hard to accept that, especially right now when you've lost friends. But 'what if' and 'I should have' are usually only good for beating ourselves up. The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to make sure to teach your kouhai that violence is only ever useful when it's preventing violence. Give his death meaning by sharing his story with others, by making others better people. It's probably what he'd've wanted.'
"I believe that would be exactly what he would have wanted." Tsuruko appeared more than content as she moved behind both ladies, placing her hands on their shoulders and urging them towards a polite bow. "He supported my sister in her lie, despite there being no benefit to doing so. He truly cared for those in his charge, and he died as those such as us wish to: trying to do what is right." Urging the young pair towards one of the doors, she called back over her shoulder to him, "General Soryu is just outside. You should not want for company for a time."
+++++ Elysium. (?)
"His heart has not hardened towards others, only himself." Tsuruko once again stood watch with Mizore over the procedure that inflicted torment on the young man they'd sworn to defend. "In truth, the McDougal child was rather eager to torment Urashima-san. She lost her mother at a young age, her true father never known by any. She only had ties to Seta-kun, and even he set her aside often to go chasing the past. Shinji-dono recognized that her rearing had not properly prepared her for the situation, and that her actions were emboldened by others who should have had done a better job of setting expectations."
Mizore was leaned against one of the two enormous pillars that formed the exterior of Shinji's room, thinking back on her own past as she listened to the tragedies of the Hinata Inn. "We send good people out to die for people that only seek pleasure for themselves. Is it honestly any wonder that Shinji views himself as expendable?"
"He will require someone willing and ready to sacrifice as much as he is. Someone, potentially, stronger than he himself in that arena." The swordswoman's past was itself close to mind, the similarities to so many dead men piling higher. "Someone who will love him for who he is, who will not belittle or berate him…and who will share him with a world that does not deserve him."
Silence stretched outwards, the quiet reassurances of Panacea and Aceso inaudible from the distance they stood at. The healing process had been explained using a barbed vorpal dagger, a normal dagger, and a flank of ham. The normal dagger, with a keen, straight, edge was able to be removed from the ham easily. The trauma left behind remained, but would have easily been able to be healed by even a student of the art of healing. When Panacea removed the barbed vorpal dagger, the meandering curves of the blade created new injuries for every millimeter it traveled, the barbs ripping out chunks of flesh and destroying the veins beyond hope. She had ended the demonstration with the admonition that the Blood of the Hydra acted like the latter, if the latter was rotating around the central axis at several hundred times a second.
"If you know anyone that has either a sense of duty that matches that, or a complete lack of jealousy to enable that, I'm all ears." Mizore wanted to cry, knowing that she had to recreate a situation that had killed the only man she'd ever loved.
"I have a few in mind. Though they are all damaged from previous traumas, and that increases the risk to a degree that some may find unacceptable. Were he not as…pure, the situation might be more easy to resolve. As it is, we risk creating co-dependence if we choose women that are either lacking in maturity or self-discipline." Tsuruko had long since run out of tears, leaving behind only the bitter aftertaste of failure. "He will want to see them succeed at something. Whether it be self-improvement, a career, or maternity. It is his nature to find joy in the success of others."
"That's only because he doesn't see what he is doing as successful. From what the General has said, he stood head and shoulders over a trained pilot, and someone with far greater experience in the armor. Without training he defeated beings that dwarf buildings. Then he comes here, overcomes yet more lack of understanding, and limits the casualties to only a few million essentially alone. They will require the capacity to understand his hardships so that they can translate them for him in a way that breaks down his preconceptions. They will have to understand failure, to show the relative nature of both."
"He needs someone with experience."
"He needs a survivor."
+++++ Elysium. (?)
It took a few seconds for Shinji to realize that the room was dark after opening his eyes. Night, at least as far as Elysium determined it, had arrived and in an effort to not disturb his recovery the candles had been removed from the room or snuffed. His eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of ambient light, revealing a room that was far different than he had anticipated. Seated on the floor in the corner of the room, sleeping with dignity and poise, was Tsuruko. With her sword across her lap and her hands ready to engage in violence at a moment's notice, she seemed a lion in repose. Lying on a pillar of frost in the opposing corner, positioned where she could easily watch him as he slept, Mizore slept fitfully. It was obvious to even his inexperienced eye that she suffered from nightmares that were not caused by an overactive imagination. In the corner between the two, Kyoko slept seated in a chair. The career officer looked completely different while she slept, the poise and polish allowed to fade away to reveal a woman with a warm heart. That did not, however, detract from the threat she posed with a PDW resting easily in her hands with only the safety between any enemy and death.
The ache he anticipated was present, if muted more than he expected. He was nowhere near as tired as he believed he should be, either. It wasn't a sudden blooming of energy as much as it seemed…false. Like he'd just consumed a massive amount of coffee, or received one of the stimulant injections that had been given when undergoing stress tests but without the jittery anxiety it brought. Flexing his hand to get a feel for how he was doing, he looked around for the source.
Fortunately, his answer made itself known. Unfortunately, that answer confused him even more than the question. A peacock strutted through the curtains separating the room from the hallway, taking several steps into the room before shaking itself to limber up its feathers. The bird stood still for a few heartbeats, then tilted its head at an angle before turning about and taking a step towards the door. Another few heartbeats later, its head rotated back to look at him. The message was clear, he was to follow.
Part of his mind was worried that following the bird would risk lives. He was carrying a poison that he had only survived due to what he had become. He couldn't summon Unit-01 without increasing the number of sessions he had to undergo, which left the potential for his wound to open and spill blood all over where someone could step in it. The other part of his mind accepted that it was highly unlikely that a bird he'd only ever heard about in biology would walk in and ask him to follow it without someone powerful asking it to. Ignoring the peaceful summons of someone powerful might, ultimately, lead to the summons becoming less peaceful.
His feet touched the floor silently, a lifetime of practice at not making noise in the dark of night lending him the stealth he needed to leave the room quietly. Hurrying enough to move past the peacock, he held the curtain open for the bird so that it didn't need to struggle and make additional noise. The calm, contemplative, nod he received as thanks reminded him a great deal of Pen-Pen, which brought with it a stab of pain at the loss of the one person in the apartment that seemed to understand his frustrations. Backing out of the room, he made certain the curtain did not make more noise than it had to as it drifted closed. When he turned to look back for the peacock, he instead was faced with a woman.
Hello. Her voice in his mind matched her visage, matronly and powerful.
A number of potential reactions to yet another unexpected visitor were shoved aside for the one that he'd used thousands of times in his life: a polite bow of greeting. It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am.
Indeed. Once he was standing upright again, she took another look into his eyes and nodded slowly. If I might ask that you escort me around the Asclepion. It is late, and a woman should not walk about without an escort lest her reputation suffer for it.
If you would like me to.
When he stood still, waiting for her to decide their destination, the woman's mouth curled into a lightly amused smile. I forget myself. In your culture, it would be rude of you to offer your elbow to a woman you do not know for fear of initiating or demanding physical contact. In mine, it is expected of the young and strong to offer their elders a point of balance across uneven ground, regardless of recognition or status.
Shinji had a head and a half on her in height, and her age was a complete mystery based on physical indicators. A much lighter shade of that shared by Panacea and Hygieia, with hair held that was shorter and well-kept beneath a diadem of gold and jewels, she could easily be anywhere from late twenties to early forties that he would venture to guess. Still, commenting on a woman's age was one of the quicker ways to receive a lengthy reminder on manners. Turning his body to face what he believed to be the direction of the entrance, he placed his hand under his left pectoral and extended his elbow like he had seen in several textbooks on European history.
Lacing her arm between his arm and body, she laid her forearm against his and wrapped her hand around his elbow. When she set their pace, and moved them out into the open Elysian air, the very night around them seemed to quiver with respect and fear in equal measure. "Now that we are away from those we might disturb, I can give voice to my truths. The prohibition on lying is easier to manipulate with thoughts, and I would not have you labor under misconceptions regarding what it is I have to ask you."
That was something he'd begun to be used to. Where he'd come from, nobody felt the need to declare their honesty, or the reasons behind their chosen method of communication. Here it seemed as common as discussing the weather. Once again, nothing he said would change anything and saying anything at all seemed a guaranteed way to say the wrong thing, so he remained quiet and kept his eyes scanning the area around them for potential problems. Their slow pace allowed for an adequate analysis of threats, and gave him an appreciation for the marble architecture of the Grecian areas of the city.
"A wise man holds his tongue when uncertain," she stated approvingly. "I do not intend you harm, Slayer. Perhaps, in exchange for loosening your tongue, I might offer you a few boons?"
His head turned slightly in her direction, allowing him to keep his eyes on the road they walked while indicating he was listening to her and responding in kind. I…I don't worry that you'll hurt me. I'm worried that I'll hurt you.
"Manners have their way of forming the man who heeds them. That is true." As her approval grew, the plant life around them flourished and offered their bounty to any who might need it. "In exchange for a freer dialogue, I will offer the answer to several ills that continue to plague you…and a kiss."
Shinji blushed, looking quickly away and at the path they were turning towards. Y-you don't need-
"Need? No, I do not." Curiosity colored her voice, "Am I unsightly?"
F-far from it.
"Does my breath carry malodor?"
N-no!
At the crossroads they approached, before they set foot on the path perpendicular to the one they'd been travelling, she pulled him to a stop and placed herself before him. Looking up at him, holding his gaze through sheer presence, she tilted her head curiously. "Then what is it that stops you from accepting a kiss from a willing woman?"
I-I…I…. He didn't know her. He'd just met her. He hadn't brushed his own teeth! It wasn't done, where he'd come from. She was beautiful, he was-
"Ah, and the true reason comes out." A pillar of earth gently lifted her until she was looking him eye to eye. "Boundless confidence indicates a being that has not suffered the sting of defeat. A lack of confidence indicates one who has suffered that sting too often. You, however, are neither overburdened with confidence nor laboring without. One without any confidence in themselves would not fight to defend others. One with too much confidence would not have accepted healing for their wounds. It may be true that you arrived at both decisions by a roundabout path, but arrive you did." The fingers of both hands settled on his cheeks, the tips slowly tracing the lines of his face. "We are, none of us, perfect. You are fully aware of the lack of that state of being in yourself, but have worth that is not measured in victories gained nor struggles overcome. Your spirit is becoming clouded, doubt seeping in through the cracks created by the abuses of a life that would never have happened in this world." Setting her fingers to holding his head in place, she leaned forward and kissed him. Gently at first, but slowly with more warmth and passion until her fingers slipped behind his head to comb into his hair and pull him into her.
Startled and caught off-guard, Shinji initially had to fight against the impulse to pull away. When the kiss changed from something that might be given between grandparents and grandchildren, or between close siblings, to something that was uniquely the realm of lovers, he found himself fighting against wrapping his arms tightly around her back and toppling into the nearby grassy commons. Her lips were candied joy, her breath was spring mist, her body conformed itself to his own as if it belonged there, and her hunger for what they were doing rose with each beat of his heart.
Time itself hung motionless, the interplay lasting for seeming hours. Eventually, reluctantly, she pulled back slowly, pressing several smaller kisses to his lips as she wound down the pleasurable activity. Her hands were not fully steady as they released his head, instead coming to rest on his chest. Her eyes danced with curiosity and excitement, pleased with the result of what she had just done. Her words, breathy and elated, came out as a moan of joy, "So now I see the man of passion behind the wall of will." There was fire now, where before there was maternity. "Why is it that someone with every right to act with confidence in their own capacity hides themselves away from those who would most benefit from it? Surely there must be someone, or some few, who have caught your eye."
The question seemed out of left field, no less so than the action they'd just been engaged in. Habit demanded that he berate himself for allowing himself to do what he had done. To harm the woman before him in the way he had. Habit was not in charge at the moment, crushed beneath the weight of the affection he had just been gifted. There…was. Is. …Both. Swallowing back his racing desire, he shivered with delight at her continued touch. I…I don't….
"Death is inevitable for those burdened with mortality." His unspoken thoughts were evident to her, her tone conciliatory for his losses. "Unless you find a way to kill yourself, or a strong enough foe fells you, it is an end you will never experience. You wish to be claimed? Won?"
Did he? It would certainly be easier. There was always the fear that whoever 'claimed' him would be acting with malicious intent, though. The memory of Hikari, of how she set herself in his path and did not move until he allowed her to lay her case out for them spending more time together struck him as the perfect example of 'how to'. A confident, caring, woman that presented herself and said that she wanted to spend more time with him. It would give him time to adapt to the change, and stop him from sabotaging everything with over-analysis. The only real problem there, though, was that was not what society had told women or men was their role. Few were willing to buck that trend, and nobody really had the opportunity at the moment owing to the constant assaults by various enemies.
"…That does make sense." Leaning forward again, she gave in to her own desires and stole several more kisses. Resting her forehead against his, she snickered as if having done something naughty. "I wonder what it is you will choose to become. Titan, Elder, something else entirely? The vast halls of the boundless void open themselves to you…and all you must do is choose what you will fill them with."
Who…uhm, who are you?
The question, directly asked, gave her the opportunity she had hoped for. "I am the Seasons, the third-born of Time, the Mother of Summer, the Protector of Men, the Virgin and Widowed," her smile was that of someone who knew their worth and cared little if you recognized it or not, "I am Hera…the answer to several ills that continue to plague you."
+++++ Elysium. (?)
The return of Shinji to the Asclepion was met with a combination of relief and anger. There had been a desperate search for him once Mizore managed to overcome the gentle urging towards sleep that had been implanted in her mind by Hera, whereupon she shook the others awake and began looking around for any clues that they could follow. When they found that everyone in the entire building had been rendered unconscious, the search had gained further urgency.
A total of ten minutes had passed after Mizore had startled herself awake when Shinji escorted Hera back in. Less than a millisecond had passed after that before Mizore had Shinji in hand, hauling him away from a woman that she would have killed in any other situation. Her anger was informed by fear and distress, more than any actual irritation at Shinji for having been taken advantage of, "Do you typically just walk out of a hospital without informing anyone responsible for your care and safety?"
"You would ask that he rudely ignore a summons from his hostess? That he would not fulfill his obligations under the sacred xenia?" Hera clicked her tongue chidingly. "That would have been very unwise. The curse that would have triggered would have made his situation far worse."
"You are not our hostess." Mizore's growl was accompanied by claws of ice forming on one hand.
"Steady." Kyoko interposed herself between the parties, remaining closer to Shinji and keeping her PDW at the low-ready position. "A fight right now isn't going to help us."
Tsuruko moved to support the other flank, completing the barrier between Shinji and Hera. "Perhaps, madam, you might introduce yourself?"
"Of course, Tsuruko Aoyama. My name, as you would know it, is Hera. I wish to offer my condolences…he was a good man given a burden far too heavy for any one man to carry." She paused, considering something only she heard. "You could not have stopped him; the guilt does not lie upon your shoulders, nor upon his own. Even those of my kin may be pushed only so far before they must inevitably break." Kyoko, however, received a deep frown. "You should not deny yourself the companionship of another. You do not prove your strength by forging a path alone, even the Slayer understands that much, and he had none of the familial bonds you were blessed with."
"Stop that!" Mizore was growing angrier by the word. "They are not-"
Stop! Shinji's side had gone from aching to throbbing, his blood pressure increasing with the tension in the room, the Blood of the Hydra raking his insides with living agony. I'm…sorry. Breathing was becoming difficult. I…was…safe….
"And now you are safer." Kyoko was able to read the anger hidden just beneath the mask of calm Tsuruko wore, and did not even need sight to know that Mizore was only holding back out of fear of Shinji being harmed. Motioning for him to move towards the bed, staying mindful of potential infection, she worked to calm the situation further. "Let's get you laid back down. Mizore-san, why don't you help him lie down. You're the only one of us that can touch him safely right now, and I saw him calming when he had his head in your lap a few days ago."
Hera spread her hands slightly, demonstrating she had no weapons. "I am here on a mission of peace." When Mizore went to retort, she held up a hand for patience. "I am not here on Olympus' behalf, either. I stand before you by my own will, with my own motivations. By speaking these words, I grant you the knowledge that they are true."
"A mid-night walk with a weakened patient seems to me a dubious motivation for anyone." Tsuruko kept herself close to Shinji, ignoring the potential for exposure to the Hydra's blood to ensure that Hera could not get closer without going through her. "What beneficent purpose might reasonably be served by such callous disregard for his health?"
With Shinji's head safely in her lap, Mizore kept one hand on his chest and the other combing through his hair to use her command over ice to cool his body down. The exertions and increase in blood pressure were causing him pain, and lowering his temperature would alleviate that in the absence of available healing. "And why did you call him 'Slayer'?"
"In opposing order," Hera summoned a seat of pure loam to sit upon, "because that is what he thinks of himself as, because I am capable of granting him some reprieve from the pain for short periods of time, and I believe that it would be a fantastic idea for that to happen. Though, of course, it remains a decision between you and he."
I…I didn't follow that last one. Shinji did in fact feel his anxiety lowering. The yuki-onna's presence was oxymoronically a warm blanket to him. What fantastic idea?
"That is not my place to say, unfortunately." The Goddess apologized with a rueful smirk, tipping her head towards Kyoko. "She knows of what I speak, and that is all that matters."
Kyoko spoke through gritting teeth, "What, right now, do you want from Pilot Ikari?"
"A trade. A service rendered; a payment delivered." Her hands folded neatly, resting in her lap. "In exchange for him performing a duty that is long overdue: I will swear fealty in all things to the Slayer, I will order Elysium to muster its armies to support your world in repelling the forthcoming invasions, I will demand that blood money be paid to the families wronged during the Wars, and I will oversee the normalization and restoration of diplomatic assemblages between Elysium and the world outside." Pausing again, she titled her head slightly while observing Mizore. "I cannot alter the flow of time. I am his daughter, and that power was never mine to claim."
"Stop. That." The frigid glare from the yuki-onna set the tenor for her rebuttal, "You have no intention of honoring fealty to anyone, let alone a male. Accepting aid from those who slaughtered my kith and kin, who not only conceived of but built the accursed Horn of Gavriíl?! What possible reason would I have to believe any of what you say? You who stand among the twelve that established the laws that govern this land? That can bend them at will?"
Hera remained resolute in the face of accusations that she could not, and would not, deny the truth of. "Should he not receive some say in the matter? Does that medallion he wears mean so little? Your mistrust of the truths before you is colored deeply by the disgusting actions of those I would see dead. His view is still as yet unclouded by the malaise foisted upon him by the machinations of our common foe. If it will lessen your temper enough to allow a fair hearing, I will give you the location of she who is responsible for your pain unending."
I…I told her…. Shinji wanted to speak, wanted to share what he was thinking, but was weakened by the fatigue and pain that had been his life for the past several forevers. Wouldn't…without…you.
"That is true, and commendable." Hera gestured to the other two women present. "They did not hear his words, and I would not risk misunderstanding by speaking for him without permission. Please, share his words."
When Mizore hesitated, Kyoko stepped into the silence. "We cannot reach a consensus on the best course of action if we're kept in the dark. I understand your emotions, to an extent. The tales from my parents of what I was too young to remember back in the Forties cause me pain each time I recall them. What did he say?"
"He waited until he arrived here before risking making a decision." Tsuruko had seen more than enough of the man lying down to know how he would act. His brand of honor may not be the same as others in their shared profession, but it nonetheless contained the same strain of loyalty to those who he called friend, ally, or even neighbor. "She made her offers, obliquely, and he refused to agree to any terms without notifying those he had already given his aid to." She considered the necklace around Shinji's throat. "I have seen those tokens a time or two. Always on a man without wife or consort, never on one who I would declaim as without honor."
Mizore looked down to Shinji, his eyes pleading with her to help him understand the situation better instead of allowing anger to make decisions for her. "We grant these to those who would become friends to our clan, in normal times. Meaningless trinkets that only help the human demonstrate their loyalties to those who know where to look. It is…different, for him."
"If he makes the decision of his own accord, as he must, they will serve a much greater purpose to him and him alone." Hera skirted around the risk of forcing a misfire. "He has six, each with a steady tie to him from his perspective. That is what gave me hope that I might stand some chance at altering the status quo for the better. I expect before the end he will have more, seeing who he is and what he can become."
"Slayer, Silent One, Pilot, Shinji," Kyoko ticked the names off on her fingers, "if I had to guess, we're talking around kotodama? Trying not to bind him to some particular frame of mind?"
"It goes deeper." Mizore wanted to be better. Wanted to be the woman Shinji thought her to be. She also wanted to create a block of ice inside Hera's skull so that it blew her head apart from the inside. "He has to find who he truly is, to achieve what he can become. He's spent his whole life being told what to be, what to do…it's poisoned him. He mistrusts those people now. Anyone who tells him who he is, or what he is, they lose standing in his eyes. If any of us were to utter the name we see scribed on his soul, we would ruin everything."
Hera nodded slowly, agreeing with the caution being employed. "It is different for each of us that can see it. Only those of us who have lost a part of our own selves may see it, and of those even fewer might see the full truth of the name. The word itself is meaningless to you, or to any other mortal. You could scream it from the tallest mountains, sing it from dawn to dusk, and nothing would change. To those who understand the Ways and can see the Name…it would be a death sentence. Something far stronger than anything yet known has set that rule upon everything we can conceive of. We might trigger the end of all reality, we might simply vanish ourselves…only a fool would risk either."
Then…your name…? Shinji could barely make sense of the conversation, despite its importance.
"I am no longer Mizore Shirayuki, no more than you are Shinji Ikari. We left those people behind when the world they occupied changed…violently. Who I am now, what I am now, is both far more and far less than that simple girl. What I am and what I must be…can never be her again." Frustration grew as she spoke around the topic. "If you were born an Elder, if you were raised by Elders, you would understand without any need for explanation. You would look upon me and know my name, the way you look upon the curtains and know their name, or the walls, or the air you breathe."
"You would know it, but you would only ever utter it if the circumstances required it." Hera spread her hands helplessly. "I have made my offer. If asked, by him, I will grant firm commitments for services rendered."
Tsuruko had grown curious, learning more about those she was sworn to kill should they harm humanity. "What service are you asking of him? What could be worth such a drastic change to this society?"
"Nothing of much import, to be honest," her lips curled into a dark smile, "I'd like him to mete out justice to a criminal who has gone unpunished for far too long. An evil masquerading as something benevolent that has treated all he touched with contempt and disdain. Someone he alone has the strength of both character and body to punish." Her pause lent what followed all the more meaning, "I'd like him to kill Zeus."
+++++ Author's Notes.
JaceSterne:
RE: Kyoko.
No points for guessing that, the last name was a lot too obvious but not something that could be hidden easily considering it would be used to identify her and attached to the outside of her MOPP equipment.
RE: Mizore.
Yeah...man I really put her through the wringer writing her background. When Shinji finds out, he's going to be unhappy.
RE: Academy Wars.
Might have to wait a bit longer on that. Other factors are looming.
Guest 1:
RE: Rosario.
Yeah. In an infinite number of universes undergoing an infinite number of repetitions, some Tsukune are going to be built tougher than others.
RE: Naoko.
Heh. Heh heh.
Guest 2:
RE: Rosario.
Good artists borrow. Great artists steal. FanFiction artists club people over the head and drag their creations into dungeons to toy with and shove into their own mediocrity.
RE: Temple.
I liked her a lot in YA(N)C. Wanted to use her more in that story. Thinking I might find a way to fit her in here better. Might not.
Ghost Man:
RE: Keitaro.
He had to not be invulnerable for his leg to break. That moment was the best time to use (as it is canon) to have him reach the end of his luck.
Guest 3:
RE: Eva trailer.
I think Anno-sensei is doing his traditional "screwing with expectations and making people believe things that aren't true". My guess? Either time travel, or Shinji fighting himself in his own mind.
