CHAPTER 10_SHE SAID DON'T MAKES OTHERS SUFFER OVER YOUR INADEQUACIES (AND OTHER HANGUPS)

Shinji Ikari was many things. Shy, a master at doubting himself, an exploder of slimes, friends with a two-headed wolf and sampled the lips of not one, but two queens (and a third whom he subconsciously worshipped as one). But being resistant to dry desert heat he was not. Ever since he had been volunteered by Anna to go to Sapphirica as one of the representatives of Summerise on yet another diplomatic mission to forge an alliance, he'd gotten increasingly worried about the journey. And he was also sceptical at the relative competence of the people he was helping who viewed Shinji Ikari was seen as good for diplomacy.

Sapphirica, he was told, was a desert city standing between and fed by two massive rivers. The rivers enabled healthy trade, vibrant crops and ensured that the city had the loyalty and support of nearby tribes, since they were reliant on Sapphirica for food and other essentials. It was a symbiotic relationship built up over many years.

The delegation from Summerise was small this time around. Just Anna, Marcus, Renee and himself. Given the multiple attacks against themselves and their allies recently, it was decided that they would not risk taking precious soldiers and supplies away from the city. There was a Steward of Summerise, who would run the city during their absence, and the gentile man was Anna's own uncle Max, who fawned over her every chance he got. Shinji wondered whether that was just a ploy, but apparently he fawned over everybody he knew.

Even Shinji got a slight taste of Max's generosity when he was given a huge hamper including a massive fruit cake upon departure. "Make sure you eat up on the journey! I hear it's pretty long! You need to keep up your strength since you'll be seeing so much of Anna in the next week or so! She could tire out any man with her insatiable needs!"

There were some attempts at retorting and denial. Max had managed to shout that out at them as they were boarding Unit One in front of what was likely the entire city's worth of people. What eventually emerged from the teenagers' mouths were some stuttered words that individually made sense, but failed to form any coherent sentences. Both of their cheeks were incandescently red, as they gave up trying to define their relationship amidst the cheers from the jubilant crowd.

Shinji wondered if there was any sense of modesty in Summerise as Unit One booted up.

[Hello Shinji, how are you?]

"I'm great mother. How are you?"

[I'm fine, apart from the being trapped in a giant mech part. But I'll deal with…Oh Shinji, what's gotten into you? Or more likely who have you gotten into?]

"MOTHER! Not you too!"

[Shinji, I always hoped you'd find someone suitable to spend your life with. I didn't imagine that would be a literal queen…]

"Well, I…" Shinji tried to think of anything but what Rivera Sergevague had promised him too, but failed that test dismally.

[Wait, two queens? Shinji…just wow! I don't think there's anything else I need to say!]

"BAH! I-it's not what you think mother," Shinji groaned, trying to rescue the situation in any way he could. Except it probably was exactly what shew as thinking. His mother seemed to be very good at intuiting other people's feelings.

[It's alright Shinji. I'm just glad that you're growing up. And, word of advice? Enjoy your popular phase!]

It was all he could do to not groan again. He could feel the smirk radiating from the seat of his mother's soul. There was nothing more annoying than having a direct neural connection with his mother. Then again, at least it wasn't his father's soul trapped in the body of a giant bio-mechanical monstrosity. Shinji couldn't bear to think of the quality of his father's advice or the gods forbid, the elder Ikari's dad jokes, if he was even capable of possessing a sense of humour after whatever event lobotomised his soul.

To make the ride as smooth and comfortable as possible, the Summerisian League of Engineers had rigged what was a relatively large horse drawn carriage to the left hand of Unit One. Shinji also held it gingerly, knowing there was precious cargo inside. This was similar to the run he did against the rampant Jet Alone robot, except this time he'd have to keep running for miles and miles until he reached the city of Sapphirica.

Unit One strode carefully over the newly rebuilt wall and turned south. According to the maps, it would take nearly two days to travel there on a galloping horse, which needed to be rested, fed and watered. The Evangelion, now that it incorporated an S2 engine, needed none of that. Just a lucid pilot who could relay neural commands. Shinji thought they could be there in a matter of hours at Unit One's pace. He had balance that with the comfort of those he was carrying of course. No use getting there at top speed if the passengers were delirious from the shaking during the journey.

/

Inside the carriage tied solidly to Unit One's hand, Marcus and Renee sat together opposite Anna. The three of them had no idea how to approach the elephant in the Evangelion-drawn carriage. Instead, they all sat staring at the hamper and the fruit cake, which somehow seemed totally inadequate to resolving a diplomatic incident. Which, unfortunately, started them thinking about what Anna's uncle Max had said as they departed.

Anna could only hide her embarrassment so much.

Renee was the person who spoke first. It helped that Marcus had nudged her in the ribs a few times to get her to broach the subject first. "So...you and Shinji seem to be getting along well. I heard the dance you two did together really lit up the ballroom."

"Yes, we're getting along. He's a good guy and could dance pretty well for someone who looks his hobby was lying down and staring at ceilings," Anna replied. "I had a good time with him during the ball."

"Hmm…you seem to have a good time with him every time you're together," said Renee cheekily. "Are you sure dancing vertically is all that you want him for? Maybe you're thinking of some horizontal moves too?"

The joke was totally lost on Anna, who tried and failed to understand how one could dance in any other orientation. "Is horizontal dancing a thing you learnt in Boldhold? I've never heard of it…"

"Ahem, if I may interrupt this lovely conversation," said Marcus, clearly not wanting the ride to get any more awkward for anybody. "Have any of you been to Sapphirica before?

His two companions shook their heads. "Alright. You both realise that it's in the middle of the desert. So why did you bring so much of your winter clothes?"

"I was taught that the desert nights are very cold!" Renee defended her packing choices. "Plus, we're getting taken there by colossus, it's not like there's a big luggage train behind us we need to worry about."

"Still, that's not a good reason to bring six cases of stuff for a visit of less than a week."

"Half of the cases are gifts for our diplomatic mission," Anna piped up. "I packed a mix of clothes because that's what Uncle Max advised."

"Alright, alright," Marcus admitted defeat. "What about King Kosta, what's he like?"

Anna's face scrunched up like a piece of tissue. "He's a total arse. Totally pompous, good for nothing, narcissistic little baby who thinks everybody should pay attention to him and only him."

"Sounds charming. I'm sure that we can work with that," said Marcus nonchalantly. "This isn't the worst situation we've had to deal with. At least there's no giant rabid enchanted animal attacking us."

"That was the diplomatic way of expressing my thoughts on that guy," said Anna, getting ever angrier. "I can't believe we're wasting our time by going all the way to Sapphirica to try and coax him to remain a reliable ally."

"He does sound immature," said Renee thoughtfully. "From what I know of his parents, they were kind, wise and gentle. I wonder how he turned out this way."

"Maybe unlike our dear queen here," Marcus postulated thoughtfully. "When his parents died, all the people in his court spoiled him instead of actually helping him learn how to navigate his position of power. It would explain his…choice of transport for arriving in Summerise."

The three of them shuddered at that unnecessary grotesque display of arrogance and avarice. Thinking about their upcoming missing made the three companions drift off into their own thoughts as the conversation went to its natural end. Renee settled her head on Marcus' shoulder. Anna looked out the window, deep in thought. The three hoped that they would arrive quickly and complete their mission just as quickly.

/

There was a lot of sand in the desert. It seemed obvious to Shinji in retrospect, he'd seen pictures of deserts in books at school, but they never really prepared him for the feeling of absolute desolation this desert's vast expanse would give him. And there was so much sand. It was coarse and rough and irritating and it had been hours since it started to get everywhere inside Unit One's shoes. He could feel the little pricks in the cockpit and was starting to really dislike sand.

It occurred to Shinji through word association of sand and being very thirsty that he'd never been to a proper beach before. He stored that little tidbit in his mind for later. He would have liked to go to the beach in Okinawa and smash a watermelon or something instead of getting deep fried in a volcano. The hot springs, as relaxing as that was, had been a poor substitute for what Toji and Kensuke had assured him was a great time on the tropical island.

The desert finally gave way to something other than sand and blue sky. Ahead of Unit One and the small diplomatic party were the Twin Dragon Rivers and nestled in between, was the gleaming white and blue city of Sapphirica. Shinji could understand why it was named after the shining blue jewel, with many shiny blue tiles glinting amongst the white marbled buildings in the harsh desert sun.

Sitting in between the rivers meant they acted like a natural moat, with the city walls extending all the way to the shoreline. Massive gates on the riverbank surrounded by turrets and other defences ensured that nobody without a giant purple mechanical robot could get in easily.

Within the walls themselves, palm trees lined the streets with regularity and clusters of little sand-coloured homes clustered around shaded open-air markets. The city hustled and bustled in a similar way to Summerise, but it was different in a way that Shinji couldn't quite put into words. Nonetheless, the centrepieces of Sapphirica were the huge gleaming spires of the central citadel, which towered imposingly over the city. Gathered around the structure were large villas which were obviously where the wealthier denizens lived.

Normally, visitors would have to pass by the gates conveniently located on the banks of the rivers surrounding the city, watched by hundreds of soldiers ready to empty their quivers into them if there was a threat. Not so for the privileged guests riding in and on Evangelion Unit One. After wading through the not very deep river, the purple colossus simply stepped over the walls (and eliciting a spectrum of reactions as it did so) and crouched down in a large open square to allow its passengers to disembark.

The small party of four got many wide-eyed stares for their unconventional method of travel, but nobody dared challenge them as they walked into the city proper. Not least because there was a giant biomechanical beast that could lay waste to the whole city without much effort.

"So where do we start?" asked Marcus of his companions. "We need to meet with Kosta but I doubt after his display in Summerise he'd want to meet us."

"There has to be a way," said Anna determinedly. "I was taught that everyone has their price."

"Maybe, but this is King Kosta, he seems like he's got everything he's ever wanted," Renee chipped in. "I mean he does look like he has the most satisfied grin in the world."

"I don't know, people always present the façade they most want the world to see," Marcus said sagely. "Weak men pretend to be strong with big words and loud weapons. Proud men pretend to be humble by walking in the background. Rarely are the few who would wield power responsibly given the chance to do so."

Everyone stared at Marcus in shock at his unexpected monologue. Renee was the first to break the silence. "My dear, I didn't think you had it in you. It was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one."

"What?" retorted Marcus. "I did recently get my Master's in Philosophy from the Summerise Correspondence University you know. I'm not just some blockhead who can only stab things to death."

Renee just smiled and nodded. Clearly, she didn't want to press the point too much. "I'm hungry. Any ideas for dinner?"

Shinji piped up at that. "Actually, I think there's a good place I can recommend here."

Anna, without any other real alternative, simply shrugged her shoulders. "Lead on, Shinji."

/

The Sapphirica Adventurers' Guild was housed in a non-descript sand coloured blocky building nestled in one of the market strips in the city. There was a small Guild crest next to the front door, but there was no other sign of the building's purpose until one stepped inside.

It's good to be in a place with a familiar feeling.

The usual raucous laughter and the light smell of sweet booze permeated the air. Boastful stories full of half-truths and half exaggerations interrupted by light-hearted ribbing and banter filled the remaining volume of the room. Shinji visibly relaxed. It had dawned on him that he really enjoyed this kind of place. Here, everyone was treated the same, the food was good, the conversation was meaningless but fun and usually, he wouldn't accidentally get served with alcohol.

Anna looked unimpressed and a little sceptical. Obviously, she was used to more salubrious establishments. "This is your suggestion, Shinji? I've never actually been in a Guild Hall. The food had better be good, unless you want a second monarch to stop talking to you."

"U-uh, I-I'm…"

"I'm kidding Shinji," smirked Anna, happy that she had that kind of effect on him. It was too easy. He was like a well-trained puppy. It did make her wonder who had trained Shinji such a doting young man for a split second before her attention was diverted away.

"Ah, a new adventuring party has arrived in town!" said a cute waitress in Adventurers' Guild uniform. She fluttered her eyelashes at the party, though Anna suspected it was more at Marcus and Shinji, which brought about a feeling in her stomach she couldn't quite describe. The waitress rang a bell and shouted: "Free round of drinks on the house to welcome the new party!"

The whole place erupted in a boozy cheer.

"Um, we're…" Marcus tried to say something.

"Please, sit at that booth over there, and I'll give you the menus," the waitress directed.

Marcus and Renee on one side with Shinji next to Anna on the other, and each received a menu from the cute waitress.

"Thanks, Joyce," said Shinji.

"Oh, I'm not Joyce. I'm Joyce."

"Uh, alright Joyce. Could I please get some fruit punch to start? What would you guys like?" he asked of his companions. Everyone else seemed to follow his lead, asking for the fruit punch too.

"So this is where you disappear to often Shinji," remarked Renee as she took in the sights and sounds. "It's not what I imagined you would enjoy, I have to admit."

"I-it surprised me too," he admitted. "Before I came here, I just wanted to be alone. I was scared of getting close to people even though I really wanted to, and I was forced to do something I really hated. But here, the people just accept each other, even someone like me, and they celebrate every success with each other, and help each other when they're down. And I got great new friends in you guys too."

"Shinji, that makes us feel happy, especially as we've watched you grow out of your shell a lot since you've come here," Renee smiled as she said. Shinji could see it was a genuine smile, not the kind that Misato gave him, the way she smiled after she'd ordered him to fight. He was far more willing to fight for his friends here, who understood and appreciated his sacrifice, rather than drink themselves to sleep and ignore his pain.

It helped that his mother was there too, in more ways than one.

Their conversation was interrupted by a very familiar and roguishly handsome man bringing their drinks to them.

"Mr Charmers! What are you doing here?" a very surprised Anna asked.

"Come now, Queen Greendrake, it shouldn't come as a surprise that news of the arrival of a purple colossus inside our walls spread quickly," Charmers drawled smoothly. Shinji thought he really should be selling things on television with that natural charm, rather than playing at spy. "I had some of my little birds tell me where you'd gone. Imagine my surprise when you all went for lunch at the Guild! It makes my job easier since you're all here. And the noise makes it easier to hatch schemes."

Charmers dropped some flyers on the table in front of them. Marcus picked one up and read it intently. "You're here to try and meet Kind Kosta and convince him to return to the alliance table, right? I believe this is the opportunity you're looking for."

"A sled race in the desert, huh?" said Marcus absently while looking over the colourful flyers. "Whoever wins will have any one wish granted within King Kosta's power."

He put the flyer down. "That seems awfully convenient, Mr Charmers. But we don't have anyone who has done anything like this…"

It was at that moment, that Renee put her hand up. "Actually, I've done something similar.

Marcus seemed to be learning more about his wife in these recent days than he'd expected. Renee continued: "I was in the Ice Capsule racing team in Boldhold University. I even won the championship with my team of capsule dogs!"

"But these are camels that you'll be racing with Renee," replied Marcus, still somewhat surprised at this revelation. "They're much harder to control than dogs…"

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Renee exuded confidence with her response to her husband's doubts. "I think animals love me as much as I love them. Those dogs I won the championship with were half wild before I met them."

"Fine, fine, we'll have to go with that plan," said Anna. "Unless you guys have any better ideas? There's nothing else we can do if that idiot refuses to meet with us. We'll force him to do it."

The party at the table nodded, since there really was no other plan, aside from having Shinji use the brute force of Unit One to get an audience. It was unlikely to have the desired effect.

"Anyway," said Charmers, breaking the silence. "I hear that the food here is actually pretty good. If you want a local specialty, I would go with this." he pointed at an item named 'The Mountain'.

"The mountain?" asked Shinji sceptically. "What's in it?"

Mr Charmers smiled his charming smile. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that it tastes good, right? I feel that on your first visit to a new place you should be testing out their local delicacies to really understand a culture."

Shinji couldn't fault that logic. But then again, he'd never been outside of Japan aside from this jaunt to another world. He hadn't considered to possibility that food was a way to understand a new culture. Japan, at least Tokyo-3, was cosmopolitan enough that talented people from every culture was kind of just mashed together inside a city populated with more ammunition and missiles than people. Not to mention the gargantuan invading monsters marching in at semi-regular intervals.

Shinji waved Joyce – Joyce – over to them, and they made their orders from the menu. They continued to chat about the strategies they could use in the upcoming race, even when the food was finished. There was analysis and intelligence on their likely opponents and even suggestions on which camels would form the most cohesive team to draw the sled along the desert sands.

/

Without much of any other choices, the Summerisian party of four hired some rooms in the Adventurers' Guild. Shinji awoke slowly, enjoying the feeling of stewing in a comfortable bed and snuggling with a soft blanket covering him. Sunlight was streaming through the light curtains placed over the window in his room. Despite the unfamiliar ceiling, he felt at ease that morning.

He got up and completed his routine before going downstairs to get his fill of breakfast. It seemed that he was the latest of the early risers amongst the travelling party, with him being the only one at the breakfast table.

"Good morning Mr Ikari," said Joyce gesturing to an empty table. There were very few other patrons around in the morning. It seemed most adventurers liked to party hard into the night and wake up late. Shinji wondered if that contributed to the low number of ranked adventurers.

He ordered and ate his breakfast quickly, keen to catch up with his companions. He knew the plan for the day already; eat, go to the stables, look at some camels and size up the competition for the upcoming desert sled race. In his previously sheltered and monotonous life, he never imagined ever thinking, let alone uttering such a sentence.

How life had changed, even after being coerced into fighting giant Eldritch horrors with a giant Eldritch horror of his own.

As he finished his breakfast, he thanked Joyce for her prompt and cheerful service, received a signature eyelash blink in return, and he was on his way to the camel stables. Given the cool morning air, he was surprised there weren't many people out and about yet. The sun felt prickly against his skin, and the clear blue sky put gave him a sense of tranquillity.

He quickly walked past the quiet streets, the markets where some were setting up for the day at a leisurely pace, others were shifting stock, and there was no bustling noise of kids and people moving about for business. It was actually nice being able to just walk at his own pace, rather than flow with the crowd, whether it was quickly or slowly.

Shinji finally arrived at the stables with sweat streaming from his face and down his back. Even though the air might have been cool, the unrelenting sun grew ever more intense as it rose towards its zenith. Now he knew why everyone was taking things slowly, so slowly indeed that most of the city was still asleep.

"Ah, good morning Mr Ikari," said the suave Mr Charmers. He was with Anna, Marcus and Renee as they toured the stables, inspecting the camels. There was one camel per stall, and to Shinji, there was no difference between them. That someone alive could tell the difference between each beast was testament to how some people were able to focus on details. "We were wondering when you would be able to join us."

"Sorry for being late," said Shinji apologetically. "Looks like I was more tired than I thought yesterday."

"That's alright," replied Marcus with a smile. "I don't think you missed much anyway. We're just looking at some camels. I honestly have no idea what we should look for in a racing camel."

They might look peaceful chewing away at breakfast, but boy do they stink.

"Ah," came a new voice behind the group. "I see you are a novice at the art of camelling. Pleased to meet my new friends. I am, humbly, your camelling guide, Mossman."

The voice had come from a little moustachioed man. Shinji, who always regarded himself as just average in height had to tilt his head forward just to make sure Mossman stayed in his vision. Mossman bowed, which caused his wide brimmed hat to fall off his head and on to the ground, eliciting hurried apologies from him. Evidently, milliners in Sapphirica only made hats in adult sizes.

"Ahem, yes," Renee broke the awkwardness. "So, we're here to pick a camel team for the…"

"…sled race, yes?" finished Mossman. "Of course, I am Mossman, the breeder for all the camels here. Have you ever raced sand sleds before?"

Everyone looked at Renee, who looked nonchalant at all the attention. "I've raced ice sleds."

Mossman nodded and twirled his moustache. "Hmm, yes. Raced one kind of sled, then all others should be similar, yes?"

Shinji had no idea, leading him to nod along with Renee, albeit with less confidence. Everyone else gave their tacit approval with a casual shrug or hand gesture. It seemed that was all the encouragement Renee needed to continue. "I was very good at snow sled racing. Given that, how hard could sand sleds be?"

It proved to be much harder than she bargained for. Whilst Renee was able to control the sled, camels were definitely harder to control than any sled dog teams that she had raced to victory previously. Dogs could be temperamental, but they were nothing compared to the camels that Mossman had recommended. Even when Mossman was hitching them up to the sled and harnesses the two camels instantly started hissing and spitting at each other, despite what he said about the compatibility and propensity for teamwork.

Admittedly, the two camels were quick. Whenever Renee had some semblance of control over them, they zipped across the landscape. When she had no control over them, the camels bickered like they had been married for far too long, and Renee was taken along for what looked to be a particularly nauseating ride. She alighted after a few tries around the track, white as a sheet and panting.

"Are you alright dear?" asked Marcus urgently.

Renee didn't speak a word, only holding up a finger as she nodded quickly and bent down to catch her breath and stop from throwing up.

"Alright," said Marcus. "That…didn't seem fun at all."

She shook her head and gave a thumbs up, and then held up a finger again.

It was on this day that Shinji learnt a lot could be communicated without words between two people who were very in tune with each other. He wondered what that would be like, being so close to someone that just one look at them gave away their very soul.

"Very exciting, yes?" interjected Mossman. "Camel races are fun because they are unpredictable. Everyone has a chance to win!"

Shinji spied a few others returning from their practice session, many in even worse states than Renee. It seemed she actually had a pretty good handle on controlling the oft wayward beasts. That meant they did indeed have a good chance of winning the race.

"So what's the race format? How does it work?" piped in Anna as she read parts of a large sheet of garishly colour paper. "That wasn't made very clear in the brochure."

"Ah, yes. I will explain," Mossman replied enthusiastically. He motioned them to a big sign and started pointing out various aspects of it.

"First, there are two practice sessions on the Day of Gold, which is today. You have just completed the first of those," Mossman said, to appreciative nods. "Then on the Day of Earth, there is one more practice session before qualifying."

Some nods were given for the simple explanation.

"Qualifying is split into three rounds. Hmmm, there are thirty entrants this time, yes? That means the slowest ten racers will be eliminated in the first round. Then the slowest ten in the second round, leaving the top ten to see who starts in front in the final round."

More nods, though some were uncertain.

Then, on the Day of Sun, the race will be run. And you know what the grand prize is for victory is, yes?" he asked, more to himself. "Yes, a private, decadent audience with his Majesticalness, King Kosta himself. Oh if only I was young enough to race. I damaged my knee when I was younger you see, and racing has never been the same since."

Shinji took a mental note that knees, for some inexplicable reason, were particularly susceptible to the dangers of this world. He hoped he wouldn't be next.

"Thank you, Mossman," said Renee shakily. "I think that's very clear now. I…think I need to go and sit down."

Marcus helped his beloved wife to a seat under a large umbrella and handed her some water. Shinji watched them go, wondering if he would ever have the privilege of receiving that kind of love too. He shook the thought away, remembering that this wasn't really the time to ruminate on such things. The second practice session would start soon, and there was much to discuss.

Anna signalled to him, and the younger members of the party went to get some food and drinks for Renee. It didn't take long for the colour in the Templar-Commander's cheeks and the certainty in her legs to come back. She seemed to relish the challenge of going as fast as a sled team of two galloping camels would allow. Which seemed like a ridiculous thing to imagine, let alone witness.

After the respite, Renee couldn't wait to get back behind the reins for second practice. She seemed to be more relaxed now that she knew what sort of tempest awaited her at the off. Shinji and the rest of retinue went to the 'paddock' – ironically named despite there being no grass - to watch the action.

The session wound on, amateur and professional sledder alike trying to find out about the tricky track, their beasts, their sleds and just how much punishment their senses could take before they pulled up to bark by the side of the track. Renee seemed emboldened by her earlier experience. Now knowing what to expect she seemed to have a tighter leash on her two erstwhile camels. And by the time the session ended, she was among the top of the timesheets.

"How are you feeling?" asked Marcus as she stepped off the sled onto solid ground. "That seemed more under control."

"Yeah, much better," Renee said. She wasn't quite as white as before, though she still wobbled a bit when walking. "Those camels are definitely quick, but boy are they annoying to drive."

"Ah, good to hear," chimed in a smiling Mossman. "That's it for today, unless you want to stick around for the goat obstacle course."

The party looked at each other, communication happening without the need for words. Anna, as the queen, was the one who volunteered to answer with the best fake smile she could muster. Shinji realised seeing her smile awakened something in him. "Oh, thanks Mossman, we'll be fine. We, uh, need to sort out some things, fill in forms, sit for an official sledder's portrait, you know, the usual."

"Oh, of course, of course," Mossman acknowledged. "The portraits are very important! You want to make sure you look your best, yes?"

Nods followed the question. "In that case, I will see you around tomorrow for qualifying!"

Hands were shaken, and smiles were exchanged, before Shinji and the rest of the party left to assess the day's events. Hopes and spirits were high, since Renee had shown she could actually make an effective race team and she knew how to control the sled. Qualifying would be an interesting event the next day.

A/N:

Howdy folks, author here. Back again with another chapter of Mopey Boy. This is a new arc, which I hope will bring you will enjoy. It's a lot of fun writing this part of the story, so stay tuned for more! Thanks for all the views, follows and comments, they mean a lot to me.

On the next episode of Mopey Boi:

Shinji sits down. Shinji eats iced cream. And Shinji looks intently at a sled!