This time...he saw...Rei Ayanami...?
The blunette was walking along an orange path through space; her appearance seemed to flicker between various shapes and outlines: her school uniform; her white Evangelion bodysuit; her tattered Metaverse bodysuit; pure white skin that seemed to glow.
Eventually, the path trailed off, terminating at a simple blue door. She quietly opened it, stepping inside.
She was in a part of the Velvet Room he hadn't seen before: a singular room with wooden floors painted blue, with comedy and tragedy masks hanging from the ceiling. Underneath a spotlight stood a female soprano singer, adjacent to a piano being played by a blindfolded man. (Were they the ones who were responsible for the neverending song...?)
"It has been quite some time since your last visit," said the man. "The number of souls that have been consumed since then are-"
"You do not have to remind me of what I already know, Nameless. I am simply here to converse with your master."
"You know the way."
Ayanami quietly walked towards a nearby wall (all of which were covered by those familiar velvet curtains), where she reached between two folds...and found a hidden passageway? She walked down a spiral staircase lined with glow-in-the-dark star decorations, eventually entering a long hallway that connected to a pair of theater doors.
Elizabeth was sitting in front of them. "Hello there."
"...Elizabeth," murmured Ayanami. "There is something I must discuss with your Master."
"About the girl known as Minako Arisato? Or perhaps Hamuko? Kotone? Runako? Please, be specific."
Elizabeth's whimsical tone was absent, for once. "This is important."
"You will have to wait. Once she engaged in open conflict with the penguin's purple-haired pal...her current affliction was confirmed. It became even more obvious, once you observed her. Theodore...did not take it well."
Ayanami frowned. "And that affliction would be?"
"Who else would be powerful enough to keep a Guest separated from the Velvet Room? Who else would be duplicitous enough to have claimed her long before she ever signed a contract?"
"Then you have confirmed my suspicions." What suspicions was she talking about? Who was this girl they were talking about? "All the more reason that I speak with your master. That I was kept unaware of the existence of another Wild Card is inexcusable."
Elizabeth smiled. "How odd that the one time we were trying to be discreet, you find cause for complaint. Were the subject matter not so dire, I would find it hilarious." She suddenly looked thoughtful in a melancholy way that he hadn't quite seen on her face before. "I am often accused of being unkind to my foolish brother...of lacking empathy...pithy...pathfinding...maps? Something to that effect." She paused, regaining her train of thought. "Yet when I consider Minako Arisato's fate...when I imagine my own Guest suffering such a dreadful destiny...it starts to hurt in a way that is not physical, right here." She prodded at her sternum. "I tried casting Diarahan, and it did nothing to alleviate the pain. I don't like the sensation...so I can only imagine what my brother is feeling right now. How fortunate, that Lavenza and Sokila are more amenable to cuddling with him than I." Her yellow eyes were decidedly serious in a way that didn't fit her face. "Please...let him grieve. You understand the importance of that, do you not?"
"...more than you know," admitted Ayanami. "Very well. I will return at another time."
"Then may you have sweet dreams until then, you two."
Ayanami frowned. "What do you mean by 'you two'?" She turned around, looking towards him. "...of course," she said with a forlorn sigh. "It only makes sense that you are drawn to this place while you sleep..."
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Wednesday: July 29, 2015/
/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/
Shinji Ikari blinked confusedly, feeling somewhat out of sorts in his own head. Already, whatever he had dreamed about was fading away. That felt...weird.
Still...it did nothing to detract from what he had planned to do, that day.
He glanced over at his sensei's letter, sitting on his desk, and gathered his resolve.
Then he looked at his phone and saw that it was 5:21 AM, and immediately resolved to grab a decent cup of coffee first.
xxxx
/Room 1, 2nd Floor, Izanami Dorms, Hakone Academy/
Rei Ayanami opened her eyes, feeling somewhat vexed that her dream walk had not been more fruitful. I don't know when the path will be that clear again...how unfortunate.
Still, she had managed to verify the most important fact of all: namely, that this unknown Wild Card was in fact a pawn of the One Who Sat Upon the Throne.
That their enemy had managed to claim even one of the Velvet Room's most powerful assets...
Her Other looked upon a field of statues.
"That wretch always seems to be one step ahead..."
The Beast sobbed as the statues all dissolved into ash and dust, scattering to the winds.
"...what hope do we have...truly...?"
Rei tried unsuccessfully to banish her somber thoughts; ruminating on all that she had lost in this neverending conflict would do her no good at this juncture...especially when she had already done plenty of that to last ten thousand lifetimes.
Her Other snorted.
"Ten thousand...as if it were that few."
You don't need to remind me, she chastised herself.
xxxx
/? ? ?/
Phanuel suddenly frowned, feeling a sudden epiphany bolt across the ether. "Memories reclaimed..." he murmured, shrouded by his burning wings.
It would seem that Tabris and Zeruel had sensed the activity of one 'Minako Arisato'...and from there, had recalled many other things from prior instances...including the fact that she had been the Usurper's pawn. "That poor girl..."
A response echoed back, sounding like the metal keys of a grand piano being played in a sad yet forceful manner.
"S/L/A/V/E"
Phanuel gazed through a glass darkly, at the face of his Progenitor. (At the pseudo-divine chains which bound Him.) "Yes...she is."
"A/L/L"
"...I do not think we are all fated to share in her fate."
"D/E/S/T/R/O/Y"
Phanuel sighed. "We are not mere destroyers; we are so much more. We can still be more. The servants of Philemon are still working to fight the Usurper. We still have allies."
"P/O/I/N/T/L/E/S/S"
"...I do not begrudge your despair. It is why I came to be...yet because I exist, it is a testament to the fact that you once had hope as well. You can have it again."
"E/N/D/B/R/I/N/G/E/R"
The image of Shinji Ikari flashed into his mind. "...perhaps. Yet he is not bound as we are. Not yet. There is still a chance."
"P/O/I/N/T/L/E/S/S"
Thus did Phanuel, willingly separate from the subjugation that his Angelic kin had chosen to pursue, continue to try and invigorate the entrapped mind of his shackled Progenitor.
xxxx
/Courtyards, Hakone Academy/
Kaworu Nagisa quietly walked along the concrete sidewalk, taking a circuitous path along the greenery.
All the while, his arms were crossed; his right hand's fingers tapped rhythmically against his skin.
The sensation of Minako Arisato's soul...mind...and essence...had filtered through this world like a higher-dimensional shockwave: invisible to most, but oh so clear to those who knew what to look for.
It was...an unfortunate (and oh, how limited that word was!) thing to recall: how close they had once been, to stopping the Usurper entirely; how far they had fallen since then.
Alas...there was nothing to be done about it, now. We simply have to account for her presence now, he thought with a grim expression.
He hoped this morning walk would suffice to bring himself under control. (The utter sting of those memories was still raw, in a way that no human would ever be able to understand.)
(He pondered what would happen if Shinji Ikari and Minako Arisato were to come to blows.)
xxxx
/Gendo Ikari's Office, NERV/
The Commander of NERV stared quietly at his visitor, sitting on the other side of his desk. "I must admit that I am curious as to why you requested a meeting at this hour."
Shinji Ikari stared back evenly. "I...have a request."
"Is that so?" This promised to be...interesting. "Then by all means: do tell."
xxxx
Honestly, Shinji wondered why his father kept his office so...dark; as it was, the only lights came from his computer monitors, casting the man in a stark and ghostly glow. Yet, somehow, the thought of turning the lights on seemed...unnatural, in this place.
The Beast's grin bore splatters of red blood.
"It is his way..."
A streak of light briefly illuminated the shadows around them.
"...because in the light, he would be so very SMALL."
"...I received a letter, from my old sensei," he finally said. "He invited me to come visit his home in the Aida District. During the summer break, that is."
"Indeed." An affirmation, a statement; not a query for additional information.
"Since I can...well, teleport, thanks to Evangelion...if I'm needed for something, I can be anywhere in a flash."
"This desire to visit is a curious one, given how you dropped everything at a moment's notice to come here."
Shinji grimaced. "...I came here because you asked me to come." (Because he's your father, and because you still want him to love you.)
"And what reasons have I given you to stay? You've already gathered that I hate you." He said those words (those awful, awful words) with such detachment that he wondered if the man even believed them. "Any rational individual would have given up long before now to seek greener pastures. Why haven't you?"
Shinji's right hand clenched impulsively, unseen by either individual. "...because..."
His Other placed a hand upon his fist.
"He's trying to bait you. Don't fall for it."
"...because I still have hope."
Gendo coolly regarded him for a few seconds, before stoically answering, "I would believe that, were it not for the scent of anxiety and unease that clings to you now...like the stench of a rotting corpse." (He wished that his father would remove his hands from in front of his mouth; it was so unnerving to hear the man talk without seeing any change of expression.) "You've learned something...significant, haven't you: something terrifying. And so your first impulse is to run away to someplace...familiar. More comfortable. Am I wrong?"
Shinji didn't want to show how deep those words hit. Marie...she said that he wasn't in league with the Usurper, or the Angels...does that mean he knows...? "...how...how much do you know..." About the Usurper. About the War in Heaven. About the One Who Sat Upon the Throne. "...about them?"
Gendo snorted. "They are simply seeking to fulfill their interests using whatever means are available to them. Even if I despise them, I cannot begrudge them for doing something that is reasonable in their eyes. They are simply being true to who they are...and what they want. It is more than what I can say about you."
"...huh?" he uttered, caught flat-footed by the sudden vindictiveness.
"...you got what you wanted...after everything, you had it all...and then you threw it away." The man sounded like he was on the verge of spitting, yet his facial expression still remained unchanged. "And yet you have the gall to ask me such questions when you can't even remember. So you'll have to forgive me if my capacity for caring is somewhat...limited."
"...what do you mean?" What was his father talking about? "What don't I remember?"
His Other and the Beast were both silent.
"Now, what would be the point in telling you everything? Those fragile things that you call a mind and a body...I doubt they'd have the wherewithal to withstand the revelation. And after everything that's happened, such an end would be...distasteful." The man finally leaned back, revealing the flat line of his lips: a sign of disinterest or barely constrained fury, Shinji couldn't tell. "So go ahead: take a summer vacation. Take some 'friends', if you so desire. Go play at being a decent human being. It'll only make the moment you break even more of a spectacle than it otherwise would be."
"...father...what did I do to make you hate me...?"
"You'll remember...eventually. And when you do, I'll look for the impact crater and devastation that you leave behind."
Shinji impulsively grit his teeth.
The Beast suddenly began to tremble with rage-induced seizures.
"Kill him kill him kill him KILL HIM KILL HIM-!"
"...why...why are you like this...?"
Finally, the man showed a hint of emotion: a bitter smirk, that belonged to someone far older than either of them. "Because...for the first time in a long time, seeing YOU..." There was so much emphasis placed on that last word. "...it only reminds me of how much of myself I can see in you, especially in retrospect...and I know how that story ends." The man promptly turned away towards of his monitors, and began typing on his keyboard. "You're dismissed."
Shinji grimaced as he stood up, wishing he could see whatever his expression looked like right now; was it full of hatred for his father? Grief? Disappointment? He couldn't tell. I...I got permission to visit my sensei, he tried to assure himself. He had gotten what he wanted. He had even come to understand his father a little more...
(Yet that increased knowledge came with its own costs.)
(Even now, you still want him to love you. That's why it hurts so much.)
With a frustrated sigh, he turned away and left.
xxxx
/Neo Hagakure, Outskirts of Hakone Academy/
A collection of five teenagers had joined Shinji Ikari for lunch at his invitation.
"So...lemme get this straight," said Toji Suzuhara, his chopsticks waving an oodle of ramen noodles around.
Hikari Horaki frowned. "Suzuhara, manners."
"Come on Class Rep, it's summer," groused Toji, who nonetheless lowered his chopsticks back into his ramen bowl. "But seriously, you go to ask your old man for, what, time off? All to go and visit your old stomping grounds in...Nishikawa? Nishimura? What was it called?"
"Nishiawakura," corrected Kensuke Aida.
"Yeah, what he said. I mean...don't you have stuff to do?"
"...well, I can be anywhere in a flash, more or less," informed Shinji. "So...distance isn't really an issue. For me, at least."
Toji huffed. "Tsk. Lucky."
"It is useful though." Mana Kirishima — who had ended up tagging along after Misato had essentially kicked her out of NERV HQ, because 'a kid being cooped up in a medical ward is depressing' or something to that effect — placed a whole pork bun into her mouth, chewing rapidly before swallowing it in a matter of seconds. "It's how we were able to get to America to do missions over that one weekend."
"Ah yes, that weekend where we had the festive gathering at Misato Katsuragi's place," remarked Kaworu Nagisa, who sipped at his beefy broth. "That was an eventful day."
"...guess that's fair enough." Toji took another large bite of his noodles.
This allowed Kensuke a chance to interject. "So, if I'm reading the room right...the reason you gathered us was because...you wanted company? You wanted to make a summer vacation out of it?"
"...yes, actually." Something simple. Something wholesome. Something grounded in reality, separate from the war which apparently spanned all of time and space.
"I'm afraid I must decline," remarked Kaworu with an enigmatic smile. "I will be travelling with the Boxing Club for the upcoming tournament, so my upcoming schedule is...occupied, alas."
Horaki suddenly looked uncertain. "Well...my older sister is going to be on break from university, so it'll be the first time all of my sisters have been in town for a while..."
That was fair enough on both counts. "Aida-san? Suzuhara-san?"
Kensuke grimaced. "Well, the big question is where or not Ritsuko 'Slavedriver' Akagi will let me go...but if she does, then I might be able to get permission from my dad..."
Toji seemed thoughtful by comparison. "...well, it'd be a matter of getting Sakamoto-sensei to agree, but he seems pretty chill...wonder if my custodian would go along with it though...but it would give me more stories to share with my sis..."
"Well, am I invited?"
Shinji blinked, turning towards Mana. "You...want to come, Kirishima-san?"
The girl looked annoyed. "Well, how else are we going to keep training? You gave me your word, didn't you? And I have no idea how long this trip of yours would take."
"...I...didn't think about that," he admitted.
"Well, I obviously did."
"...but...would Misato-san agree?"
Kirishima shrugged. "I don't see why she wouldn't. I mean, it's just a small trip in the real world, right? It's not like a combat mission...and nothing near like our trip to America. It should be easy, right?"
...she kind of has a point, Shinji admitted to himself. It almost seemed logical, when put that way.
"...so...it would just be you four?" murmured Hikari, looking uncertainly at Mana. "One girl and three boys...?"
Nagisa chuckled to himself. "It would seem that Mana-chan is angling for the stereotypical harem plot...how unexpectedly lewd of her."
Shinji, Kensuke, Toji, and Hikari stared woodenly at Kaworu.
"The hell's a harem?" asked Mana.
Shinji, Kensuke, Toji, and Hikari slowly looked in her direction.
"...why are you all staring at me? I just asked a question."
Kensuke finally recovered enough to say, "well, there's certain genres of manga and anime that specialize in that sort of thing...though, if you want a no-cost entry into that sort of thing, I know some fanfic and doujinshi websites that have-"
Toji and Hikari both spoke as one: "Ken, NO;" "don't you dare Aida!"
Kensuke backed away, with his hands held up. "Hey, I'm just saying, it's a legitimately popular type of story!"
"For those desperate for wish fulfillment, maybe," muttered Hikari.
"You're all talking and I'm still not hearing you explain what a harem is," complained Mana.
Shinji mentally decided to check out of this conversation, because there were some things he just did not have the guts to even try and explain. Shaking his head to try and get his thoughts in order, he turned towards Hikari with a serious expression. "Horaki-san...am I to understand that if we had another girl tag along, it wouldn't be...well, as awkward?"
Hikari blinked. "Well..." She paused, and actually gave it some serious thought. (In the background, Toji and Kensuke were trying desperately to keep Kaworu from launching into a seemingly innocent explanation which would nonetheless be way too inappropriate. Mana was simply getting more irritated by the fact that her question wasn't getting answered.) "...hmm. Not only would it be a better and less...problematic balance between the sexes...but it would make any adult supervision more palatable, in my opinion. Though, that does bring to mind an important question: who would be your chaperone?"
"...I...haven't thought that far, yet?"
Hikari sighed. "Planning ahead is important Ikari-san, especially when you're talking about a cross-country trip. Were you all going to take a train, or were you going to take someone's vehicle? And if so, who's going to coordinate the itinerary, your rest stops, travel expenses..."
"...that's a lot of stuff."
"And this is why this sort of thing needs some grown-up supervision!" she exclaimed. "No offense, but you look like you've got a lot on your mind, so I'm not blaming you for overlooking this stuff...but it does need to be accounted for."
(To say he had on a lot on his mind was underselling it.)
(You can't unlearn what you've learned.)
"...but I don't really know any adults who'd be free," he admitted. "Misato-san...maybe, but she's still recuperating..."
A new voice cut in. "Well, who says the grown-up has to be an adult?"
The duo turned their heads towards the one who had spoken: a young man with frizzy black hair, wearing glasses and a delivery boy's outfit. "Amamiya-senpai?" blurted out Shinji.
"I've been told that's my name," he cracked. His eyes turned towards the freckled girl before he continued. "Judging by your authoritative voice and slightly exasperated tone, you must be a Class Rep from the Junior High branch...and you're getting on my kouhai's case for not thinking about the five P's."
Hikari blinked. "Five P's?"
"Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance."
"...that's a good one," she muttered, whipping out her phone to type out a memo to herself. "I'll have to remember that one...but yes, I am a Class Representative. For class 2-A, to be precise. And you are?"
"I'm a second year from the High School branch at the Academy, and I've been looking for an excuse to spend some time away from this city. The way I figure it, it would also allow me to mark off my summer assignment."
"Summer assignment?" asked Shinji. "What kind of summer assignment would helping us involve?"
"Ah...I've heard about this," said Hikari. "The 'Kouhai Summer Assistance Program'; it's something that's been in place for several years now. Basically, to promote civic virtue and to influence older students to assist their juniors, High School students have to help Junior High students with a project, or with home life, or with personal problems. Personally, I think it's quite a nice ideal-"
Ren interjected with "which doesn't pan out perfectly well all of the time, because some students try and game the system-"
"-but that doesn't explain why you would offer to assist Ikari-san with this. Do you know each other?"
"I tutored him once." Amamiya did not specify what the tutoring had been about. "But he's also taken up playing a neat card game that I'm pretty skilled at, if I do say so myself." To punctuate his point, Ren pulled out a few playing cards (an ace of spades, queen of diamonds, and a king of hearts), manipulating them expertly between his fingers. With a sleight of hand, the three cards combined on top of each other; he then flipped them over, revealing only one joker: a wild card. "Figured I'd give him a few pointers."
(The writing on the back of the Melon Patch business card was telling: Arisato, Narukami, and Amamiya are your Wild Card senpai.)
The subtext was clear enough for Shinji Ikari. "Thank you, Amamiya-senpai."
"What mode of transportation would you be using?" quizzed Hikari.
Ren pocketed his cards, and pulled out his wallet; he showed his Class 1 license with not only a Semi-Medium Vehicle category, but also a Heavy Motorcycle license class. "I think I'll be able to rent a vehicle, no problem."
Hikari narrowed her eyes. "That's quite an impressive license for someone your age."
Amamiya shrugged. "Better to have than to have not. Besides, if it weren't for the lowering of minimum driving ages a few years back, I'd only have an Ordinary Motorcycle license at most. But, I guess it seemed a bit inconsistent, given how many teens and preteens were being actively recruited to fight in the Metaverse, you know?"
"...that's a fair enough point," admitted the Class Rep. "If that's the case...it would just be a matter of getting another girl to accompany you, and I don't think any adults would reasonably complain..." She discreetly glanced at him. "Ikari-san, given your...work...are you even allowed to leave the city?"
"I got my father's blessing." More or less. (Calling it a blessing is a stretch.) "...and I think I have an idea..." He reached for his phone and dialled one of his contacts. After a few moments, the lady on the other end picked up. "Moshimoshi."
"...Ikari-san?" answered Mayumi.
"Hello, Yamagishi-san."
"Is...there something I can help you with? You're not one to call, usually."
"Well...I'm going on a road trip soon, and since we only have one girl compared to three boys in total, I was informed it would be a good idea to bring another girl along. To balance things out." Maybe? Honestly, it's not like he had to worry about Kensuke or Toji doing anything untoward to Mana (because she could quite literally cut them in half with her giant axe), so it honestly seemed a bit arbitrary. "Would you like to come along?"
"...is...is this an invitation?"
"...I guess it is, technically?"
"Um...I see, well...hmm...I...I think I can..."
"Do you have to get parental permission?"
"I don't think I have to worry about that. Has it all been planned out?"
"I...can text you the details later, but it's coming together pretty quickly...thank you, Yamagishi-san."
"It's...not a problem, Ikari-san. I...guess I'll talk to you later?"
"Yeah. Goodbye."
"Bye..."
Shinji Ikari hung up, lowering his phone back into his pocket. "Will that do it?"
"...who was that?" inquired Hikari. "Yamagishi...as in the head of the Literature Club?"
"The same."
"A club president adds more legitimacy. A smart choice," she said with an approving nod.
Shinji shrugged wordlessly. (It's not like he knew any other local girls outside of Rei Ayanami...and he had the strangest feeling that her schedule was far more complicated and lacking in free time than even his own.)
xxxx
Little did they know, but across the city, Mayumi Yamagishi was looking at her phone with a flushed face.
Did...did a boy just invite me to join him on summer vacation...?
She glanced towards her large book collection. (Her traitorous eyes drifted towards the shelf devoted to romance novels and shoujo works.)
I was insufficiently prepared for this possibility!
xxxx
"...if that's the case...then I guess it's just a matter of Aida-san, Suzuhara-san, and Kirishima-san getting permission to go with you," finished Hikari. "That might be easy or hard."
Ren Amamiya chuckled, typing onto a phone. "Eh, parents and guardians are easy to deal with if you know em' well enough." His senpai then held the phone forward, and wait a second that was his phone. Shinji impulsively reached for his pocket; his phone wasn't there. (How did that happen?! When had he grabbed it?!) "I put in my contact number. Text me when the plans are finalized."
"...the fact you managed to pickpocket Ikari-san's phone in plain sight without either of us noticing is very impressive, but I also feel a lot more concerned now," bluntly said Hikari.
Amamiya chuckled, rising to his feet. "Hey, can't blame me if you didn't see me coming. Anyhow...break time's over. Gotta get back to my deliveries. But first..." He glanced over towards the other four teenagers, who were still carrying on the harem conversation.
"Seriously Toji, I think Magical Mentor MacLeod would be a good one for her to start with, because it deals with a bunch of harem tropes and silly rom-com cliches before doing a genre swerve to an epic plot and fantastic action-"
"Ken, you lost your right to make any recommendations after you said Escapulario+Lichgirl was the new popular thing, and I got yelled at when someone saw me reading it at school!"
"Okay, first of all, that was all your fault for reading a work with that many comedic panty shots in class; don't put that kind of rookie boneheaded move on me. Secondly, that series is notorious for its author's 'tastes', so anyone who saw you reading it in public was going to think you're a bit of a pervert. Third, that was part of your weird phase in middle school where you tried to expand your social clique beyond athletic stuff, and you just came off as hilariously inauthentic."
"Dude, come on, that's a low blow."
"Face it Toji, you were being a poser."
"Why you-!"
Kaworu chuckled at their banter. "Such energy and passion spent over such a bawdy subject."
"Seriously, is no one going to tell me what a harem is?!" asked Mana, almost on the verge of yelling.
"QUIET!" yelled Hikari, defaulting to 'Class Rep' mode. She pointedly ignored the angry stares from the other patrons and staff of Neo Hagakure, focusing solely on her peers. (Shinji couldn't help but admire the ability to flip that kind of focus on and off at will.) "You will drop this conversation right now or I'll MAKE you," she hissed.
"...yes'm," muttered a properly chastised Toji and Kensuke. Kaworu simply returned to his ramen, while Mana appeared nonplussed.
Ren cleared his throat, drawing Mana Kirishima's attention. "Long story short, any person who has multiple romantic partners at the same time can be said to have a harem."
"...that's it?" replied Mana with an incredulous expression. "Why was answering my question so freakin' hard if that's all it was?"
"Some people like to make it complicated," answered Amamiya with an easy grin. "And when it gets complicated, there's lots of drama involved. One of my roommates...oof, the stories he could tell..."
"Sounds like a hassle," grumbled Mana.
"It pretty much always is."
"Then I think I'll pass." She glanced oddly at Toji, Kensuke, and Kaworu. "Seriously, why'd you guys try to make it so damned difficult to understand?"
Toji and Kensuke sputtered out answers to various degrees of incoherence, while Kaworu loudly slurped his noodles. Hikari sighed, shaking her head in the way of one trying to save off an impending headache. "I'm going to go apologize on our behalf for making such a commotion..."
As the pigtailed girl walked away towards a member of the wait staff, Shinji couldn't help but marvel at how briefly yet intensely chaotic things had been.
Amamiya clapped a hand onto his shoulder. "Well kid..." He leaned in towards his eye, discreetly whispering, "you seem to have quite the interesting set of Confidants this time around..."
Shinji just barely managed to restrict himself to a slow turn, shifting his head just enough that he could see Amamiya's face out of the corner of his eye. "...I'd like to think so."
"Then I suppose we'll be keeping in touch, then."
And so did Shinji's fellow Wild Card depart, grabbing a bunch of delivery orders in the process.
It was strange to think of how quickly things were coming together. I...I hope this is the right thing...
xxxx
Since it was now a matter of simply waiting for his peers to make arrangements on their end, Shinji Ikari found himself with some free time.
So he ended up grabbing a few missions (and also to absolve his conscience over the fact he would be taking a road trip soon, even though he could literally drop it all at a moment's notice), mostly comprised of Ghost hunts throughout Kanagawa, Yamanashi, and Shizuoka Prefectures. However, he did end up grabbing a mission to subjugate a Shadow within the Panopticon as part of a warrant.
He wasn't surprised that Goro Akechi was the Agent who ended up accompanying him.
"Agent Goro Akechi, identification zero-zero-foxtrot-zulu-six, requesting access to Resident Eta-Zulu-Five-Eight-Zero-Alpha."
"Guest Shinji Ikari, identification Evangelion-user, Third Child, requesting access to Resident Eta-Zulu-Five-Eight-Zero-Alpha."
"Standby for authorization."
The armored door — one of thousands within the Panopticon's great expanse — hissed and unlatched, unveiling to reveal a rather...interesting Realm: amidst a cluster of judicial court houses, there was a conveyor belt stretching from horizon to horizon. The belt came from a dark and stormy wasteland; upon it stood clusters of shadowy humanoids, each of them bickering amongst each other. After passing through the courthouses, though, they had transformed into perfectly happy family units, dropping off into an endless field full of flowers and sunshine. "...interesting development...hmm," murmured the Chief Warden.
"So...what exactly are we doing with Maiko Oohashi's Shadow?"
"There have been anonymous tips provided regarding someone allegedly blackmailing various judges to influence the decisions made. Certain cases in the family courts over the past several years have not reached a decision, and as such are kicked up to the district court...even though they would honestly be considered easy decisions by most. The one common factor identified was the involvement of one Maiko Oohashi: a seasoned court clerk who I assume knows how the system works. The tips were deemed substantiated enough for a warrant...and here we are."
"So...what is she accused of doing?"
"Essentially manipulating cases to try and keep families from splitting up."
Shinji blinked. "...but, isn't that a good thing...?"
"...I'm not surprised you might think that at first glance. But the institutions exist for a reason, do they not? And not all situations in real life end...happily, or even ideally. After all, are there not any men that you can think of who are less than acceptable father figures?"
Shinji pointedly tried not to think of Gendo Ikari as he admitted, "...I guess."
"Well, let us be off to find Ms. Oohashi's Shadow." The young man's manacles clinked as he summoned Robin Hood.
Shinji nodded, summoning Bicorn; hopping upon the equine's back, he let Akechi lead the way.
After about an hour of fighting extensions of the Realm (masked hammers, floating law books, shadowy husband-and-wife pairs that were bound together by a broken child) and navigating the labyrinthine hallways, they finally ended up at the primary courtroom. "...well, that certainly took a while," murmured Akechi, sounding rather unconcerned.
Shinji — had by now switched to Matador — huffed, only somewhat out of breath. "Akechi-san...what do you think of what Oohashi-san's done?"
"Well, you might as well allow me to list her charges before making your opinion," he said with a subdued smirk. Without hesitation, Robin Hood kicked the doors in.
"ORDER IN MY COURT!" roared the yellow-eyed woman who sat in the towering judge's seat; clad in black robes and wearing a simple square cap, she certainly looked the part. "Who are you two? I don't have any cases involving juveniles today!"
Akechi wasted no time, stepping forward boldly; the shadowy denizens who occupied various seats within the courtroom turned with masked expressions. "Maiko Oohashi: per a judicial warrant served to the Anti-Terror Task Force by the Summary Court of Hakone, you have been accused of at least twenty counts of blackmail, numerous counts of extortion and bribery, as well as at least five counts of witness tampering and subornation of perjury in separate matters. Given the nature of your interference with the normal course of justice, every count has been compounded with the charge of contempt of court for each separate alleged offense. Do you contest these accusations?"
The woman's Shadow — judging by the slight wrinkles on her face, she was in her forties at the very least — snorted, rising out of her seat to glare angrily at them. "And what would you know? What could mere children such as yourselves know about the travesties I see on a day to day basis, of the families I see that are irrevocably shattered?"
"Given that you are a mere court clerk and not a judge, I don't recall how that's any of your business," coolly said the Chief Warden.
The woman was already incensed enough, seeing as how she slowly began to swell. "Idiots...wretches...you're just like the rest of them...you don't care about them at all!" she shrieked.
Akechi sighed, glancing quietly out of the corner of his eyes towards Shinji. "Well, at least this one isn't interested in monologuing..." Clearing his throat, he authoritatively called out, "Maiko Oohashi! By the authority vested to the Anti-Terror Task Force from the United Nations and the government of Japan, you will be compelled to settle equitably. It is our sincerest wish that you cooperate with us now, to minimize legal complications for your physical self. Any attempts at resisting will be met with force."
"I'll have you locked away for INTRUDING ON MY COURT!" The Shadow burst outward with an aura of red mist and black clouds, growing into hulking judge with a gigantic hammer in one hand and a fierce-looking sword in the other. Her black cap had always morphed into a far more elaborate headpiece. "I sentence you to ten years of getting smacked by my hammer!"
The young man shook his head. "They almost never take the easy way out..." Flexing his limbs, the Chief Warden prepared for combat with an almost nonchalant air. "Ikari-san, try not to do anything to get in my way."
"Oh, um...okay!" said Shinji with a brief stutter, all while Matador raised his sword and cape to greet the rampaging Shadow.
Down came the judge's hammer, and the battle began without delay.
With all the being said: in the grand scheme of things, Maiko Oohashi's Shadow was pretty tough...at first. Flinging lightning around from her sword, smashing her judge's hammer about, and screaming with invective that was both visible and physical; the latter, in particular, could cause those affected by it go berserk, judging by the shadowy manifestations which went wild with every word.
Then Shinji had switched Personas to Agathion, which not only resisted Electric Skills, but was also more agile in the face of such attacks.
His Other read from an encyclopedic tome.
"I believe the technical term is 'Dodge Elec'..."
The Beast sneered.
"How inelegant."
Since Agathion also knew Dia and Rakukaja, Shinji had willingly stepped up to be the target of the Shadow's rage. (For some reason, he could hear Kensuke's voice sagely saying something about being the 'designated tank'.)
Goro Akechi had been just fine with this arrangement, as it allowed him to strike with relative abandon.
Despite her toughness, Maiko's Shadow just...was not on the same threat level as something like Shamshel, Ramiel, or the Reaper.
Before long, the berserk Shadow fell; the Realm around them went still, as the masked humanoids all vanished. The sensation of righteous indignation faded from the back of their minds, and all that remained was the original Shadow, no larger than an adult woman.
She was crying with angry tears. "How dare you...how dare you..."
Shinji looked questioningly towards Akechi, who had a mildly detached expression on his face. "Yes, how dare I?" he said back to her. "How dare I what, though? Be specific, if you don't mind."
"You're not there...day in and day out..." growled Maiko's Shadow. "Our system is so flawed...even if parents have issues with each other, so many are able to keep it separate from their children...so why should the father be stricken out of the lives of their own children forever after?! Why should the mother be practically thrown out to fend for herself? Foreign parents are discriminated against, regardless of the circumstances...and even if the father is a piece of shit, it doesn't matter if turns out that their family has money, because only then does the court bend backwards..." She looked up with angry eyes. "I make no apologies for trying to tilt the scales...to try and make things fair."
"...as an individual, I can understand that sentiment. More than you might know," cryptically said Akechi. "However, as someone involved with the enforcement of 'law', albeit in a limited capacity...it was not your place to step into the affairs of other families. Were you asked to intervene? Were you given the authority to act unilaterally?" He knelt down, staring into her yellow eyes. "If you want to change things...if you want to correct injustices...then there's a proper way of doing so. An ideal way...and the difficult one, to be sure. But it ensures that everything is above board...and that it's done for the right reasons. Otherwise...how can you be sure that you're doing it for anything than your own ego?"
"...but...it's a painful thing, for families to break apart..."
"...true. Some pain is involved, even if it's only deep down...and sometimes circumstances are worse for some than for others...but pain is not something which is intrinsically evil in and of itself. Besides, sometimes trying to keep a broken family together will only result in more pain than letting it split amicably...and in the grand scheme of things, none of your motives — however laudable — excuse the methods you took to enact them."
"...I...I see your point..." Maiko's Shadow's sobbing became sadder, less angry. "...this is an awful world...with so many awful things...I was just trying to help..."
"And what is the road to Hell paved with?"
"...that's...a good point, young man..." Maiko's Shadow chuckled bitterly. "...a very good point..."
Shinji remained silent as Akechi calmly and methodically coached the Shadow on what her real self would be doing in the immediate future: similarly to Chiba Takehide, Maiko would be receiving a summons her local prosecutor, at which point she would turn herself in and confess her crimes. Before they turned away to leave, he finally broke his silence. "Um...Oohashi-san..."
"...yes?"
"...I don't know about the things you've seen...but...this doesn't have to be the end. You...you can start again, and do things...better."
Akechi looked at him quietly. Maiko's Shadow stared...only to chuckle bitterly. "...are you trying to convince me, or yourself, young man...?" Shinji pointedly did not answer, but the Shadow seemed to accept his words for what they were. "I suppose that's a truth I'll have to live with..."
As the two Persona-users left the cluster of courthouses, Shinji finally found the willingness to speak. "Akechi-san...she didn't seem like a bad person..."
"True. And yet how much pain and suffering has been introduced into the world by those who believed they were acting in people's best interests?" The Chief Warden glanced down at his wrists, bound by thick manacles that clinked and clanked with each movement: an eternal reminder of something that Shinji had no knowledge of. "You know that in this line of work we see the dark sides of humanity, yet have to leave them be if they've done nothing actionable in reality...people like Maiko Oohashi represent the other side of the coin: those who are convinced of the righteousness of their own cause, who are genuinely motivated to do good...so much so that they use whatever means they can conceive of to enact it. Even if it's self-destructive in the long run. Even if their desires become distorted, perverting what made them good to begin with. More often than not, it is the latter type which A.T. Agents are called to stop, more than the former."
"...that sounds a little depressing."
Akechi smirked; there was a distinct edge to it. "It is a very tempting thing, to think of the power we possess, to use it of our own volition, and shape the world according to our own whims...but all too often, that way of thinking is a road which ends in ruin. It discards the fact that other people have wills of their own, and have just as much right to the consequences of their own actions as we do...no matter how much it may gall us. No matter how much we think that we're right, and they're wrong. Accepting that can be...difficult."
"...you sound like you've struggled with that before."
"Not past tense, Ikari-san...present tense. It never ends. But I have to make do with what I have...and accept that there are things about the world, about humanity, that I can't change. If nothing else...it allows me to focus." He looked at him with an enigmatic expression. "And how about you, I wonder? As an Evangelion-user...as someone who can wield multiple Personas...how much are you tempted to change the world, to accomplish your goals? What are you willing to do, to grasp your destiny? How many people are you willing to trample, to get what you want?"
Shinji sputtered at the sudden turn in the conversation. "Uh...um-"
"I am not accusing you. I am simply offering you food for thought. After all..." He held up his own chains, audibly clattering them. "...those are questions I must remind myself of every day."
Shinji didn't know what to say. So he simply nodded.
(This wasn't what he had bargained for when selecting this mission.)
(How often do you, though?)
xxxx
Shinji — ignoring the rowdy boys watching the Summer Olympics in the common rooms — returned his dorm room, only to find it empty. I...wonder where they are?
(Meanwhile, Kaworu Nagisa was shadow boxing in the Boxing Club, moving to a beat that no one else could hear.)
(Meanwhile, Toji Suzuhara sat in front of his unmoving sister, face set into a thoughtful expression. Finally, he reached for his phone and dialed the number of his custodian. "Hey Niijima-san, it's Suzuhara. I got something I'd like to talk to you about...")
(Meanwhile, Kensuke Aida — for the first time in a while — was spending the night at his old family apartment. There was a forlorn awkwardness in the air.)
"...oh well," he murmured, changing into some sleeping clothes and reaching for his SDAT player. He was in the mood for a particular song. Thus, he lied quietly on his bottom bunk, closing his eyes as a blue tape began to play...
xxxx
...and he opened his eyes, once more sitting in a familiar metal chair. However, the distinctive song of the Velvet Room had changed: although the melody was familiar, the female soprano and piano had vanished. In its place was...a melancholy music box?
Sitting in front of him in a crouch was none other than Sokila, her bare feet clenching onto the metal. Her open-toed sandals were neatly placed on the floor beside her chair. "...hi, Mister Ikari," she murmured.
"Hello, Sokila-chan." The fact that she wasn't upbeat triggered his inner anxiety. "Is...something wrong...?"
"...one of my...senpai...found out somethin' awful about his Guest. He was very sad."
She must have been referring to one of the other 'residents' that Igor had often alluded to without ever saying anything concrete about them. "...what happened?"
"...he never knew what to do...so much he wanted to do to help, but couldn't...because there's only so much we can do for our Guests..."
"What do you mean?"
"...you've learned somethin' terrible..." she murmured, sounding...older. It was in the way she spoke, and it was very jarring to hear that sort of tiredness in a child's voice. "...and I don't know if I can help with that...cause I'm so small, and so...me."
"I...don't understand."
"I don't have all the powers that my senpai have...not yet anyway. But I wanna help you now, but it would be a bad idea..." She stared earnestly at him; even though there was not a single unshed tear to be seen, he had the strangest sense that she was on the verge of crying, and trying so very hard not to. "...am I a bad 'Tendant, Mister Ikari?"
He shook his head. "Not at all. You're..." A great source of comfort? A guaranteed bright light? Someone who made him feel inexplicably content and at peace with himself? (Those sounded so...self-serving.) "...you're someone precious to me. Even if...there's a lot that neither of us know, about anything. Maybe...maybe that's why I'm your Guest, and why you're my Attendant...because we're both struggling in our way..."
"...it's funny, to think of you strugglin'," she admitted with a small smile. "Cause you're tough. And strong. And kind...I wish you knew...what you look like, in my eyes...so you could see for yourself how amazin' you are."
Part of him so badly wanted to know.
(The rest recoiled, because how could he possibly compare to the Shinji Ikari in her mind?)
(You know just how much ugliness you carry. Why taint her with that?)
Instead, he smiled gingerly. "...thank you, Sokila-chan. I wish I could do more to help..."
"...can I...have a hug...?" She asked, trying not to sound so little or shy, yet failing.
Shinji simply held his arms out; it was invitation enough, as the silver-haired girl quietly crept over and crawled into his lap. She nestled against his torso, curling up so that she could easily fit. As he wrapped his arms around her, she hummed contentedly. "...please don' be 'fraid," she tiredly mumbled. "...you have...hrm..."
He simply tightened his grip, ever so slightly. Her voice trailed off into nonsense, into barely audible whispers, and finally into light snoring.
I wish you didn't have to be afraid for me, he told himself, even as his eyes impulsively looked around for...a bed. A bed fit for a girl of Sokila's size, with a frame formed from wood painted a deep blue, covered with sheets and pillows that he knew were the epitome of 'comfortable' just by looking at them.
A bed that hadn't been there mere moments ago. What...? Well, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Slowly rising with a strained grimace, he nestled Sokila so that he had a better grip on her, leaning backwards slightly to better carry her weight. Mercifully, the girl remained asleep as she walked over towards the left wall of the Velvet Room, which was by far the one that his Attendant had drawn upon the most. With an ease that could have been practiced, he shifted the cover aside with his foot, providing a spot for him to set her down. With gentle motions, he shifted her under the blankets, resting her head upon the lone pillow.
The girl smiled in her sleep.
(You didn't screw up. This is a victory!)
With a somber sigh, he glanced towards the stage, where Igor sat silently as ever. His eyes were nonetheless upon him and Sokila, as though taking their measure.
Well...might a well ask about what I came here for. No pressure.
By the time he stood in front of Igor's desk, the familiar song had supplanted the music box, returning to its soft yet omnipresent prominence. "Mister Igor."
"Greetings, dear guest..." He gestured towards the bed where Sokila now slept. "Another change, brought into the Velvet Room. Minor...yet nonetheless interesting, for the insights that it brings."
"...maybe," he said, noncommittally. "...I found out that three of my senpai at Hakone Academy are Wild Cards...does that make them Guests of the Velvet Room?"
"Indeed! They once stood in your shoes, long ago; facing their own unique trials, they nonetheless managed to reach the end of their paths. Despite the circumstances humanity finds itself in, their accomplishments still stand on their own merits."
"...did something happen with them? I'm...assuming that Sokila-chan was referring to another Attendant."
"No; it was not either of the three boys you know.
She is another Wild Card, who has been trapped in a fate not of her own choosing. A regrettable turn of events, to be sure...but one that we have no capacity to change, at this point in time."
A certain mysterious being known as the 'Usurper' was likely to blame for that, judging by what Marie and Kaji's Shadow had revealed to him. "...were you around...for the War in Heaven?"
"Not at all; the Velvet Room did not exist, back then. I, and my assistants, came to be in the aftermath of that great and terrible conflict. Ever since then...we have acted in ways that are best suited for our nature."
"...and that nature is...what?"
"As guides; as helpers, in the struggles that our Guests inevitably endure. I have heard the sentiment more than once that our aid should be clearer, and more easily given...but the Velvet Room's very existence precludes such a thing."
"...it's because there's value in the journey...right?" he said, remembering a conversation from weeks ago. "...I wish it would be easier..."
"Perception often dictates how hard life may, or may not be; for example, you have felt a keen sense of dread these past days, have you not? Your mind has taken in new knowledge, and reacted accordingly; however, where you see the enormity of the task before and ponder whether or not it's even possible to overcome...some would perceive it as a challenge, and relish it. Others might succumb to despair, and run far, far away...and perhaps others would simply ignore it, deciding to let the chips fall where they may." Igor slightly leaned forward. "How you will ultimately respond, I wonder?" he asked with his ever-present grin.
"...I...I honestly don't know, yet...I mean, how am I suppose to react to finding out that I'm somehow supposed to stop something which apparently has control over everything?"
"If that were true, would the Velvet Room exist? Would the Angels still have the capacity to fight? Would humanity have the capacity to change and grow?"
"...I guess not," he admitted. "Maybe...I'll have a better answer soon..."
"I look forward to day you have an answer; you have been quite the interesting guest, thus far. Now, while you are here...is there anything I can do to assist you?"
"...well, I might as well fuse some Personas."
With a knowing grin, Igor flipped open the Persona Compendium. "Then let us begin."
xxxx
END OF 7/29/2015
xxxx
Author's Note: So...Devil SL with Gendo is now at Rank 5, while Fortune SL with Akechi is now at Rank 3. Fun fact: Maiko Oohashi is in fact the Hanged Man Social Link from Persona 3 (i.e. the little girl you meet at the shrine playground). Given that her Social Link is driven by her parents' divorce in the games, I figured a timeline where her adult self is involved with Japan's Family Court system would be fitting.
But we have something even more important to focus on! Not the fact that Sokila continues to be cute, or that Igor continues to be cheerfully cryptic.
No: WE ABOUT TO HAVE P5 STRIKERS STYLE ROAD TRIP.
And this, it'll be Joker behind the wheel.
This can only end well!