Sokila was speaking to someone else.
"I really don't wanna mess things up..."
A slightly smaller girl with long platinum hair, black pantaloons, white stockings, a blue dress, and a similarly colored headband with butterfly ornaments answered.
"That is why you have sought my expertise, yes?"
The unknown girl spoke with a very mature tone, coming across as someone beyond her years.
"What do I have to do?" asked Sokila.
The girl smiled.
"First, you must remember to maintain control, and refuse to give in to your impulses."
Sokila blinked. "...huh?"
"For example, the first rule: no matter how much something may vex or irritate you..."
Sokila nodded, trying so very hard to be serious. "Uh-huh...?"
"...do not use Megidolaon on the target of your anger," finished the girl, with a most grim expression.
"..."
"You have a question?"
"...what's a Mega-doh-leon?"
"..."
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Saturday: July 4, 2015/
Shinji Ikari woke up to the sound of Toji Suzuhara pounding on the bathroom door.
"DAMN IT NAGISA, YOU'VE BEEN IN THE SHOWER FOR HALF AN HOUR!"
"Come on Toji, he's got some big practice spar this afternoon, you know what kind of mood he gets in-"
"-don't matter Ken, we've got classes in like forty minutes!"
"Then just take a shower after classes. It's not like you've got an appointment afterwards."
"It's the principle of the matter!"
"Man, you've been salty since you got back last night. Wanna talk about it?"
"No. This ain't got nothing to do with that, anyhow."
"...the Class Rep's ordering you in for tutoring, isn't she?"
"..."
"See, this is why I told you to keep up in class. Horaki's not the type to take things easy...though this does explain your insistence. Don't wanna give her a reason to use her patented Glare of Disappointment."
"..."
"And lemme tell you, your smell after Track Club is just the worst-"
"Ken."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
Shinji inwardly sighed as they continued their banter. I wonder if Kirishima-san slept well...
xxxx
/Misato's Apartment, Tokyo-3/
Misato Katsuragi stared with amusement at her couch. Well...not quite what I had expected.
Mana Kirishima was slumped over the crouch, one leg dangling off the side; the television was still playing episodes of Bishoujo Senshi Featherman Z. It was...reassuringly normal. You'll have your chance to be a kid...at least, for a little while, thought Misato, reaching out to pat the girl on her head.
The moment her hand touched Kirishima's head, the girl's eyes shot open, her hands grabbing onto Misato's arm and yanking.
Though she was surprised enough to lose her balance, Misato retained enough composure to roll with the movement, hauling the girl over her shoulder and slamming her into the ground. Reflexes took over, as she pinned the girl's arm behind her back, pressing her face against the floor. "Tap out," she stated with a no-nonsense tone, now fully awake thanks to good old Mr. Adrenaline.
Grimacing, Mana did so.
"...okay, so I've learned that you're not quite ready for an affectionate headpat in the morning."
"The hell's a headpat?"
"No, you're not making me feel guilty this time." After a few seconds of silence, Misato said, "okay, I'm going to let you go, and I'm going to get up. No further hostilities. Sound good?"
"...sounds good."
Slowly, Misato released Kirishima's arm. When the girl didn't immediately struggle, she slowly rose, backing away from the child soldier. "Sorry about that."
"...about what? I'm the one who attacked you. I just...reacted."
"Yeah, but I should've thought about that. You're not used to the touchy-feely stuff." This is going to take some getting used to.
From the kitchen, a distinctive warble rung out. "Wark!"
"Yeah yeah, I'll get your breakfast in a moment!" Sighing, Misato rubbed the bridge of her nose, staring intently at Mana as she sat back on the couch. "So...after breakfast, we're going to go shopping. Any questions?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"What's a headpat?" she asked with all seriousness.
...damn it Sae Niijima, she thought with a grimace, inwardly railing against the custodian who had basically drafted her for the position of Mana's legal guardian. One day, you'll get your comeuppance! Somehow! Without letting her impulsive frustration show, Misato simply said, "eh, you'll find out eventually."
xxxx
/Class 2-A, Junior High Branch, Hakone Academy/
As the early afternoon began and classes came to an end, Shinji Ikari quickly put away his portion of the cleaning supplies. On his way out of the classroom, an authoritative voice called out his name. Turning towards his homeroom teacher, he said, "yes, Fuyutsuki-sensei?"
"Have things been well for you? You were...absent, for a few days."
"Oh. Um...I'm doing fine." Don't be rude, don't be rude, don't be rude! "Uh...I...have to meet someone soon. Is it okay...if I leave? Sir?"
"...more 'work', I suppose?"
"No, sir." For once.
"...then I suppose I shouldn't keep you waiting. Take care of yourself, Ikari-kun." Fuyutsuki-sensei returned to gathering his materials, allowing Shinji to move on.
(Little did he know that Rei Ayanami stared quietly at him as he left.)
The boy quietly exited the Junior High Branch, gazing at the blue sky with an odd sense of anticipation. The last time he had felt this anxious (in a 'hey this might actually be sort of fun' kind of a sense as compared to the 'oh gods I'm about to get maimed and/or die' kind that had come to define his life as of late) about something was at his old school, when the Farming Club had presented its crops for the Cooking Club to use at the autumn school festival. (The vegetables had been passable, but that was neither here nor there.)
The idyllic views of the school's courtyards slowly trailed by as he strolled along. Quietly pulling the Velvet Room Key out of his pocket, he stared at it with inquisitive eyes. I wonder...where am I supposed to find it? Was there supposed to be some kind of feeling? Some kind of mental alarm, where he would implicitly understand when he needed to use the Key? Some kind of-
SHING.
There was a bell-like twinkle as - amidst a dense row of katsura trees that lined the border between the grounds of Hakone Academy and the public sidewalks of Tokyo-3 - a bizarre door of blue with golden designs manifested. Adjacent and flush against the trunk of a tree, the vaguely translucent door glowed with a misty aura.
Or...it could just appear out of the blue. Ignoring the inadvertent pun, he looked at the pedestrians not ten meters away, walking along the public sidewalk without so much as glancing in his direction. Do...do they not see this? It's a glowing blue door! With a bit of trepidation, he held the Key forward, trying to find a door knob, or a keyhole...and the door was opening on its own. Okay...? A velvet void glistened within, yet it did not seem threatening or dangerous; with trust born from his experiences in the Velvet Room, he stepped in-
xxxx
-and found himself sitting in a familiar folding chair, within a familiar auditorium. "...wasn't I just standing?" He didn't remember sitting down. At all.
Igor's smile was present, as ever. "This Room lies between dream and reality, mind and matter; the doorway is visible only to those with a contract; the doorway will open only to those with a key. As such, it is only to you, our guest, that the door appears. It is neither physical, nor tangible; it has no true presence within the real world."
Shinji blinked. "...then what did I walk into?"
xxxx
Two high school students were walking by on the sidewalk, when one of them came to a halt. "...what's that little kouhai doing?"
"Eh, don't bug the kid. We're gonna be late for lunch with the others."
"...he's just staring at the tree."
"Kids are weird these days."
"...he's like a statue."
"Maybe he's just meditating?"
"Seriously, we have finals in a few weeks, how can anyone be that calm?"
"Then go stare at a tree if you're that into it."
"Maybe I will! I bet I could recruit the Botany Club into staring at trees!"
"Whatever."
"Dude, it's no fun if you don't play along."
They continued on, leaving Shinji Ikari to - seemingly - stare absentmindedly at the tree.
xxxx
Igor chuckled. "Perhaps it is best not to wonder. You have more important things to consider, hmm?"
Shinji Ikari sat up straight, eyes falling upon a tiny figure standing beside the long-nosed man's desk. "Sokila-chan?"
"...hi." Nervously, she walked to the edge of the stage, hopping off - at three feet and eight inches tall, she was just barely above the height of the stage and how did he know that? - onto the hard floor of the auditorium. "I know I was excited...really, I am! I'm just...nervous."
"...but I'll be there with you," reassured Shinji.
That prospect seemed to please the smaller girl. "Okay." She clenched her fists, forcing a determined expression onto her face. "Gotta be tough! Gotta be a big girl!"
"Yeah," said Shinji with a nod, rising to his feet. "So...ready?" Sokila happily nodded, grabbing for his hand; just going by height alone, there was a 'big brother/little sister' vibe going with the two of them. It somehow seemed...fitting, yet not, at the same time. He wasn't quite sure how the relationship between Attendants and their Guests were supposed to go.
(Also, were they just going to ignore how Kinnara was instructing Jack Frost about proper breathing exercises on the far left side of the stage?)
"Yeah!" With youthful confidence, Sokila held on tightly. "Let's go!"
"...so, how exactly do we leave?" There wasn't a door behind him. He had literally walked through a door, and in the next instant had been sitting in a chair. "Do I just...think about leaving-?"
xxxx
"-and...I guess that's all I have to do," finished Shinji, finding himself standing in front of the same tree, with the Velvet Room door looming quietly. However, his hand was still occupied. "...Sokila-chan?"
The small girl was staring with unabashed shock. Not at the trees, or the grass (which her bare feet impulsively squeezed between her toes); rather, at the buildings, the vehicles moving about the streets, the people. "There's...so many..." Wincing, she used her free hand to reach up for her head. "...and it's so loud. Why is it so loud?"
Shinji blinked. Was it really that loud? It didn't seem so loud, relative to the Velvet Room's song...was it because he was used to it? "Are you okay?"
"...it's...just a lot..." Sokila grimaced, her face going through a multitude of complicated emotions - so honest, so open, but so many that he couldn't tell them apart - before settling onto simple determination. "But I'll be fine. Really!"
"Okay...so, what do you want to do?"
"...uh..." Inspiration suddenly struck. "I need new crayons!"
"Ah." That was right. But first...there was an important matter to rectify. "...but first, we'll need to get you some shoes."
Sokila's mood immediately soured. "Why?"
"It's good manners," he said matter-of-factly.
"...do I have to?"
"I don't think any places that sell crayons will let you in with just bare feet." He wasn't quite sure, but he was eyeing the dirty soles of her feet with intent. "Especially like that..."
"...m'feet are just fine..." she muttered. "I'm just fine without em'!" she challenged.
"But...what's wrong with shoes?" For that matter, why didn't she have any? No slippers, no sandals, not even any socks!
"I don't like how they feel," she bluntly answered. "Plus, they make my feet get hot and stinky. No thanks!"
...well, I can't exactly dispute that, wearily thought Shinji. This hadn't been what he had been expecting. "Well, I'm sure we can find a pair that fits you-"
"Nuh-uh!"
"...even if it means no crayons?"
The girl grimaced, her desire for more drawing implements warring with her distaste for constrictive footwear. "...ugh, I hate this! Why do I have to choose?!"
"That's just the way it is-"
A grown man's voice suddenly interrupted their back-and-forth. "Is there a problem?" Shinji blinked - and Sokila squeaked with shock and fright, impulsively hiding behind him - as he turned, staring at the neutral face of a Community Safety officer. "Private Takagi; is there anything I can do to help?"
"Oh. Um, we're fine, officer."
The man idly gazed around him, staring at Sokila with an unnervingly calm stare. "...what's the relation of this girl with you? You don't look like family..."
Any impulsive thoughts of possibly lying (which were immediately countered by his brain going 'oh that's a good one: lying to a police officer? give me another joke you foolish boy') were conquered by a burst of irrational fear, if only because he had no idea what would happen if he tried to explain where Sokila had come from. The girl seemed to be of a similar opinion, given how she kept trying to hide from the policeman.
Calmness gave way to suspicion. "I can tell you're a student of the Academy, but where are her parents? Odd hair, yellow eyes...pants that are well-worn...are your parents from overseas?"
"...uh..." Sokila had no answers to provide.
(Come to think of it, that was a good question, did she have any parents? Was Igor her dad or something? They certainly didn't seem related in that way...)
Officer Takagi grimaced, putting on an authoritative tone. "Since you seem reluctant to provide me with any answers, how about you two come with me? The kōban's only a few blocks away, and we can get some more information-"
It was at that point that a thrown slipper smacked the back of the officer in the head. In the next instant, there were the sounds of tires squealing and car horns honking. "What the-?!" yelped the officer, whirling on his feet. "Who did that!?"
"Yoohoo!" exclaimed a young woman in a blue elevator attendant's outfit (and she looked strangely familiar); her short silver hair bounced with every movement as she practically danced in the street. "Oh my, officer! I've not only allegedly assaulted you, but am now jaywalking in a positively indecent manner! What a scandal!" Her boot-clad feet moved with surprising dexterity as she kept performing chassé and assemblé and pirouettes in the middle of the road, compounding the traffic jam. "If only there were someone to stop me from inconveniencing these metallic deathtraps on wheels!"
Officer Takagi - briefly stunned in the way of someone who had just seen a toddler perform a Full Nelson on a champion sumo wrestler - stared with bug eyes at the bizarre woman, before finally regaining his composure. "Hey! HEY! Get out of the road! You're under arrest!" Blowing into his police whistle, the officer took off in a run, leaving Shinji and Sokila behind.
Shinji had no idea who that odd woman was, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Come on Sokila-chan!" With an insistent tug, he led her along at a brisk pace. "I think there's a recycle shop close by."
Sokila briefly looked over her shoulder at the woman before following along.
xxxx
As Elizabeth sowed chaos in her own inimitable fashion, she chanced a sly smile at the retreating form of Sokila and her Guest. Pursue your happiness however you can, little one. With a knowing grin, she continued her dance, drawing ever more attention as the sound of sirens began to sound. "Oh my! I believe I'm being a little naughty! I sure hope the police don't follow me~" she crooned, as various pedestrians watched with stunned and bewildered expressions.
xxxx
After a few minutes of brisk walking, Shinji and Sokila ducked inside Ryaku Used Clothing, successfully dodging inquisitive looks from the other patrons. As they made their way over to the section with children's clothing and accessories, the boy sighed with relief; he released the girl's hand to wipe the nervous sweat from his brow. That...that was close. What would have happened if that...rather unusual woman hadn't distracted the police officer? What would happen if he encountered another similar situation in the future? I doubt I can show them where she came from...
What if they assumed it had something to do with the Metaverse?
What if someone believed she had something to do with Acolytes, or Ghosts?
What if...what if...?
He had no way of knowing. But deep down, he knew that nothing good would come of it.
His Other looked serious.
"You want to be upfront. You desire to be honest..."
He leaned in.
"...but is there anything you're willing to lie for?"
As he gazed at rows of used footwear (eyeing the sandals for anything that Sokila might want to try, if shoes were going to be such a hassle), Shinji resolved not to let it happen.
The Beast scoffed.
"You might want to think hard..."
Its - her? - grin was vicious.
"...because if you can't be convincing..."
Her breath smelt of carnage.
"...would you be willing to kill to protect her?"
But he would have to think about something...simple. Or perhaps natural. Something that people wouldn't really think twice about. If someone lied to me about something...what would I believe without a second thought? Was he even a good barometer for that sort of thing? "...hey, Sokila-chan, do you want to try these on?" he asked, looking at some practical leather sandals. However, there was no answer. "...Sokila-chan?" Looking around, he noted her absence. "Sokila-chan?" He quickly moved to another aisle - politely trying not to bump into any of the other shoppers - before seeing her in front of the shirts and coats, with an intense expression on her face. "...what is it?"
The girl quietly ran her hand across the sleeve of an ultramarine peacoat, which had a black puritan collar and cuffs; three stripes colored a crayola blue swung around the back, terminating at black rings - surrounding six goldish buttons - along the front. "...it looks like..." she muttered to herself.
"...do you want that?"
Sokila looked up at him, nodding intently. "Yeah! It'll help me fit in!"
'Fit in'? Shinji wondered what she meant by that. "Well...your blouse's sleeves are kind of big, so you'll need to get a different shirt to help it sit right..." Maybe they could also use this opportunity to get some less threadbare pants as well. "But first, you'll want to try it on, to make sure it fits."
"Kay." Sokila grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted-
Shinji immediately grabbed her wrists, stopping them in their tracks. "What are you doing?!" he hissed, pushing the hem of her shirt back down.
Sokila blinked, looking confusedly at him. "I was gonna try it on!"
"Not here!"
"Why not?"
"Go to the changing room!" he loudly whispered.
"Why?"
"..." Shinji briefly wondered just what exactly the girl's upbringing had been like. A topic for later, surely! "Because..." He looked around, eyeing the customers who were (mercifully!) too busy searching for good deals to pay attention to them. "...because it would be inappropriate. And rude."
"Why?"
"...it just is," he said, exasperated.
"...if you say so," said Sokila with a shrug.
xxxx
As the brief argument concluded, the woman who had left said peacoat amongst the clothing racks smiled; clad in a long beige overcoat (with only a hint of her blue dress showing near the collar), a headscarf colored Bleu de France (letting her platinum-blonde hair out only near the back), and thick sunglasses (hiding striking yellow eyes), Margaret considered it a successful attempt at going incognito. Such is the way of children, it would seem, she thought with a warm smile. If it seems like their idea, they no longer resist as fiercely.
("Nuh-uh," insisted Sokila as she crossed her arms with a pout, much to the exasperation of herself, Elizabeth, Theodore, and Lavenza. "I like what I've got on!" To accentuate her point, she flapped her billowy sleeves with impressive emphasis.)
Enjoy the rest of your outing, wished Margaret as she quietly rounded a corner. Pretending to be yet one more woman entering a restroom, she waited until she entered a stall before phasing out of reality, disappearing without sound nor trace. I do hope Elizabeth will finish her business before long...
xxxx
Meanwhile, in an entirely separate part of Ryaku Used Clothing, in a bit of purely cosmic coincidence, Misato Katsuragi was waiting for Mana Kirishima to show off the clothes she had picked. The results were...interesting. "Gotta say, didn't think you'd gel to the otaku stereotype so hard."
"What the hell's an otaku?" asked Mana, looking decidedly stern in spite of the Featherman-themed apparel that she wore, as well as bizarrely colorful compared to her battle uniform.
"...never mind," muttered Misato. "Anyhow, that stuff is fine as comfortwear. But we do need to get you some basic outfits for everyday activities. Then our last stop will be to a department store to get you some undergarments, and hopefully the furniture we picked out earlier will have been delivered by the time we're done." It had been a busy day, alas.
"Why can't we just get underwear here?"
"...important life lesson: unless you have absolutely zero alternatives, NEVER buy secondhand underwear."
"Why?"
"Besides the comfort of having fresh underwear that perfectly fits you? Hygiene."
"...ah." Mana, to her credit, quickly understood. "Good to know."
"There are some things where being thrifty or cheap just doesn't apply: besides underwear, I would also include toilet paper, the tires on your vehicle, and at least one pillow."
The way Mana nodded - as though Misato had just imparted true wisdom, sagely enough to befit an ancient hermit emerging from a thousand-year slumber atop Mt. Fuji - made her feel strangely prideful.
xxxx
After departing Ryaku (coincidentally missing Misato and Mana, though Shinji had no way of knowing that), the Third Child and his Attendant made their way to a multi-story department store.
As they entered, Sokila's eyes brightened with awe and delight at how tall the ceiling was, with people milling about like ants on an upturned dirt mound. "Wow...how can this place hold so many people...?"
Shinji glanced at the girl with fondness; now wearing leather sandals (colored blue, as a compromise), black pants (which she had placed butterfly stickers on in various places, as a compromise; where the butterfly stickers had come from had been a mystery), and a white undershirt underneath her blue peacoat, Sokila cut a very different figure compared to her previously bedraggled appearance. "Well...it is a department store. It was built that way." He readjusted his grip on the plastic bag which held Sokila's old clothes (since she appeared to show some measure of fondness for them).
The girl grinned, her toes wiggling happily in her open-toed sandals. "Now to find some crayons!" The girl took off in a joyous jaunt, moving with a bit of an odd gait as she got used to her-
SMACK.
-sandals. "Ow..." whined the girl, rubbing the spot where her head had slammed into the floor. "I'm okay!" Hopping back up, Sokila kept on moving at the same pace as before, trying to find a store which sold art supplies.
Shinji sighed with the exasperation of an older brother seeing a younger sister discovering roller skates for the first time. A nearby security guard looked quizzically at the girl, asking, "a little rambunctious...what's with the silver hair and yellow eye contacts?"
"Oh." Play it cool. You've had a while to think of an excuse. "She's...into cosplay."
"...doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before."
"It's some foreign show, I think? I don't really pay much attention to her hobbies. Not my thing, you know...?" Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it! Trying not to show his inward panic was an exercise in patience, and oh gods he was literally TRYING to lie to security!
His Other sighed.
"Do you remember PILATE's question?"
He looked at his spoken words, born from falsehood.
"Can your decision be justified?"
Fortunately, the security officer seemed to be mollified by this explanation. "Eh, kids are kids. Just try to keep your sister under control, okay?"
"Yes sir." Shinji calmly walked away, hoping that his heart wasn't going to burst out of his chest. This sucks! I don't like this! He was going to have to endeavor to try and avoid these situations, because it sucked!
The Beast sneered.
"Even lies can be honest..."
Her monstrous hand caressed the falsehood.
"...and this disdain is of yours is ill-suited. You think of lying as something new..."
Furious eyes glared at him.
"...but how was your former cowardice and unwillingness to stand up for yourself...anything LESS than a lie...?"
Shinji steeled himself, moving briskly to keep up the whirling dervish that was Sokila. It's for her sake, and nothing else. Still, it wouldn't hurt to advise the girl about the importance of acting less...rambunctiously...
xxxx
Meanwhile, as the shopping adventures of Shinji/Sokila and Misato/Mana continued, Toji Suzuhara was sitting at the library at Hakone Academy, writing down notes and reading from a textbook.
Hikari Horaki stared intently at him, hands holding onto a stopwatch. "Time."
The jock grimaced, looking down at his practice test book with irritation. "Damn it, not fast enough."
"...Suzuhara-san," softly said Horaki. "Your focus this past week has been...lackluster."
"I've been trying. You've been wasting your time trying to help me anyway, so I don't have room to complain."
"But trying to bulldoze your way through a problem isn't always effective. Why has your focus been off?"
"Just something to do with my custodian..."
xxxx
He stared with disbelief at Sae Niijima. "Sorry, could ya repeat that for me?"
The stern woman responsible for managing the estate of the Suzuhara family sighed with poorly-disguised irritation. "Unfortunately, Japan's life insurance market has been through immense upheaval since Second Impact; there's been a number of annuities and contracts that have had to be amended or nullified when the source of their value has suffered a negative impact from supernatural incidents."
A pit grew in Suzuhara's stomach. "...just tell it to me straight."
"...the company which serviced your parents' life insurance policies has had to reorganize their investment portfolio, due to three incidents of Angel Syndrome in Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe within the past several days. Certain firms were impacted so negatively that they've had to reduce operations or shutter entirely. It's an unfortunate coincidence that those firms were the source of value for the majority of the company's insurance policies, including your parents'."
"...then...is it gone?"
"The company is tentatively optimistic that it will be able to recover at least sixty percent of its portfolio value; however, the process of accounting for such losses due to supernatural disasters is time-consuming. Likewise the matter of settling their own commercial insurance claims to help facilitate the transfer of their portfolio to potential buyers. Payments will be minimized for an indeterminate amount of time."
"...how will this impact my sister's care?"
"I'm currently negotiating with the government to lower the percentage that your family's estate is responsible for as it pertains to Sakura-san's ongoing medical expenses. Fortunately, your parents' pensions are relatively unaffected...but until the issue with their death benefits is resolved, your tuition in the long term may be negatively affected."
"How long we talking about?"
"I've managed to allocate some level of reserves to keep you satisfied for the remainder of the academic year...however, if the current situation isn't resolved within that time frame, we may need to restructure your arrangement with Hakone Academy, or look at transferring you to a less expensive institution."
Well. That sucks. "But my sister will still be taken care of?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll try and figure out how to improve things on my end, maybe make your job easier."
"It shouldn't be that way," muttered Niijima.
Toji listlessly shrugged. "Can't help it." Just his luck that Angel Syndrome would keep biting him in the metaphorical ass.
xxxx
"...it was just a long meeting yesterday. Nothing to worry about," finished Toji, waving off his classmate's concern.
Hikari Horaki seemed unconvinced. However, she had always been hesitant to pry or intervene on difficult family matters (that's what the faculty is for). "...if you say so."
"Come on, let's try another subject. I need to keep prepping."
"Very well."
"...sorry I ain't the best study partner."
The Class Rep's smile was oddly melancholy, her gaze slightly unfocused. "Well...I've come to learn that sometimes teaching is the best way for a teacher to learn. Same applies to a tutor."
"Eh, whatever ties your shoes in the morning, right?"
"I'm...not familiar with that idiom."
"I'd say 'whatever floats your boat', but neither of us owns a boat, do we?"
The pigtailed girl lightly giggled at the casual joke (man, the Class Rep laughing like that was a bit weird, in a 'the natural order's been violated!' kind of way). "I suppose that's true."
Thus did their studies continued, even as Toji's thoughts whirled about a future which was now more uncertain than it had been yesterday.
xxxx
The trip to the department store had been...exhausting...
("...I've never seen so many crayons..." whispered Sokila, eyes wide at the sight of a bucket of two hundred crayons. "...m'I dreaming?)
...but satisfying, in its own way.
(Sokila stared with hunger as a specialty dessert kiosk put out tiny plates of freshly-made castella cake. He thought he was simply being polite when he bought her a single slice. One tiny bite quickly turned into one ravenous chomp, at which point the girl asked if she could have more; never had a more grievous mistake been made.)
If only for the little girl's happiness, if nothing else.
(The girl, still on a bit of a sugar high, browsed the aisles of a toy store with utter fascination. She briefly stopped by the dolls - "Huh...they don't have what I want." - before moving on in a flash of blue. How could someone so small be so quick?!)
However, he couldn't deny feeling wiped by the time he left. Even Sokila was starting to flag a little, deprived of the Precious Sugar Ambrosia known as cake.
His Other chuckled.
"Your inner monologue is much more lively around her."
He smiled knowingly.
"I wonder why?"
As they neared the grounds of Hakone Academy, the door to the Velvet Room loomed large. "Well, we made it back...did you have fun?"
"Yeah!" tiredly exclaimed the young girl, holding her bucket of crayons with both hands. "I'll be able to draw lots of stuff now...do you think Mister Igor would mind if I try to make the room less blue?"
"...I...don't know?"
"...I guess I'll ask." Sokila nodded to herself, solidifying her course of action. With little aplomb, she pushed the door open and skipped inside.
Shinji sighed, looking specifically at the ground as he walked towards the door, he was walking-
xxxx
-and he was sitting in the chair again. "How does that work?"
"It would seem that you've had quite an eventful day," said Igor. "Little Sokila; how did you fare in the outside world?"
"I had lots of fun, Mister Igor! I got more crayons!" With those words said, the girl promptly bounced towards a corner of the wall that already bore a multitude of scribbles, and commenced to drawing.
"Hmm. An interesting change has occurred." Igor seemed to stare intently at the plastic bag in Shinji's hand. "I hope that young Sokila behaved well."
"She did." For a kid, that is. "Um...a little situation came up..." Shinji stood up, walking towards the stage; after waffling a little, he decided to take the proverbial plunge and climb onto the stage, so that he could look at Igor more closely. Yep. The nose is still that long. "...although I kind of found a way to avoid it, it would help if knew where Sokila-chan came from."
"You have difficulty with deceit and deception?"
"...well...I'd prefer not to do it..."
Igor thoughtfully drummed his fingers along the table. "...the existence of the Attendants, and myself, is shrouded in mystery. We know of our origins, to be sure; yet, it is not within our power to reveal such knowledge to our guests before they are ready."
"...why?"
"This place lies between various dimensions, yet bears a subtly profound connection to every human heart; such a place does not arise without impetus. As I am the master of the Velvet Room and its attendants...so too, do I have a master, who I must answer to."
"And...who is that?"
"I am not at liberty to say."
"Why not?"
"Are all secrets given away at a whim?" he calmly asked, never losing his enigmatic smile. "Are all mysteries unveiled simply because we ask for them? There is value had in the journey, the struggle, to uncover such things. Your actions and choices; your triumphs and sorrows; your joys and pains; they all contribute to your growth. They all contribute to the foundation of tomorrow's Shinji Ikari. If such things were simply given to you...would it have the same meaning? Would it have the same value?"
"...I...kind of understand...?"
"It is not out of malice, that I keep secrets. To put it more finally...there are many powers at work in this world, which I am also not at liberty to discuss. Some are friendly..." he said, gesturing towards Sokila in the process. "...and others are not, as you've already come to understand."
"...yeah..." The Acolytes. The Angels. The Reaper. Even some humans, as Shiro Tokita had made clear. "...I guess so."
"But do not let such worries plague you; you have enough as it is, do you not?"
On that, Shinji Ikari could most heartily agree.
xxxx
Meanwhile, in the real world, the two same high school students from earlier were walking back after a day of fun and harmless rabble-rousing.
"...dude."
"What is it?"
"...that kouhai's still standing there."
"...I think you're right."
"Dude, what kind of patience does that kid have?!"
"Even assuming he's been standing there that long, which I doubt, that only means he's a weirdo."
"...think I can learn anything from him?"
"Do you think you'll be able to learn calculus from him?"
"...I dunno, maybe. What if he's some kind of super genius?"
"If he was a super genius, he wouldn't be wasting his whole day staring at a tree!"
They continued on back to their dorm, once more leaving Shinji Ikari to - seemingly - stare absentmindedly at the tree.
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Igor suddenly chuckled. "Ah, before you depart...it would seem that your Persona has completed his Apprenticeship."
Glancing to his left, Shinji looked over at Kinnara, who was looking with horsey pride at Jack Frost. The diminutive snowman hopped off of the stage, strolling towards the scribbling Sokila. "Hey-ho!"
Sokila blinked, staring at Jack Frost confusedly. "Eh? Aren't you still...doing school stuff?"
Jack Frost simply titled his head backwards, chirping, "Agi-ho!"
When the snowman loosed a tiny puff of flame into the air, the girl loosed a tiny squeal of glee that filled Shinji's heart with inexplicable joy.
xxxx
As Shinji Ikari departed the Velvet Room - coming out of his unconscious state with a blink, walking away from the trees lining the edge of the Academy grounds - Rei Ayanami watched silently from atop a nearby building. From twenty stories up, Ikari seemed so small...and yet his presence weighed heavily. As had that of his companion for the afternoon.
(Out of sight and out of mind, she observed the interactions between the A.T. Fields of Ikari and his Attendant. It was...edifying.)
It served as a balm, or perhaps a sweet elixir. It was weakness on her part, to be sure.
It was why the fingers on her right hand were currently embedded into her palm, drawing blood. Weakness had to be endured, and conquered.
To do anything less...would be be to succumb, bit by bit, until she would inevitably throw herself away for mere selfishness.
But for the time being...she had someone to speak to.
Slowly turning away, her focus aligned...
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...and she looked about a shadowy world of gray, slowly drifting towards one soul of great import...
xxxx
...and emerged within an alleyway, empty of any denizens save one. A blue-haired high school student was leaning against a wall, headphones blocking out the sounds of the world. "Arisato."
He coolly opened his eyes, not bothering to remove his headphones. Perhaps some part of his unique existence enabled him to understand her. Or perhaps he had lowered the volume on the music player in his pockets. "Ayanami."
"Your old...friend...caused quite a ruckus today."
"So she did."
"Even if her motives were good...there is such a thing as being too distracting."
"I know. I already talked to her."
"...and?"
xxxx
/Earlier That Day/
As Shinji Ikari and Sokila were entering Ryaku Used Clothing, Elizabeth found herself skipping into an alleyway, a cheeky smile on her face. Who knew that a rubber chicken and tap dancing could cause a four-way traffic jam? She had to applaud the local police for their driving skills, to swerve so magnificently, to avoid all collisions! In all the confusion, and with the help of a gigantic bouncy ball to attract everyone else's attention, she had managed to slip away. Strange; I've heard and read so many admonitions about the childishness of cartoons, yet they offer tactics of unparalleled success!
Then she rounded the corner, coming face to face with Minato Arisato.
"Why hello there," she said with ease, ignoring the impulsive feeling of 'oh dear this might not turn out well' and 'oh HELLO my dear~' and 'my what nice blue eyes you have'.
"Hello Elizabeth," he said, hands ever in his pockets. The tension in his arms showed that they were clenched into fists. Whether out of frustration or self-control, she knew not. Part of her wanted to find out.
"What brings you to this potentially treacherous alleyway? They always seem to have such a bad reputation. Do you know why?"
"Heard a bunch of commotion. Was coming back from a late lunch. Decided to look around."
"Blunt as always."
The young man stepped forward; with a quick burst of shuffling feet, her back was against the alley wall. Outsiders would likely describe this as an aggressive move on the boy's part, to assert dominance and control. They would have had to be ignorant of the gleeful smirk on her face, or how she still stared at him without fear or resentment. All he had done was ensure that the only way for her to escape was to go through him. What a delightful challenge that would be. "Oh my. A mutual test of self-control, to see who'll break first? You must know that self-control has never been one of my strong suits~"
Minato calmly asked, "why are you here?"
"Simply looking out for a little child."
"Which one?"
"Which one indeed."
"...I was under the impression that doing your thing at this point was to be avoided."
"Oh, for sure. However, there are always exceptions...acceptances...accepted? Academy Award? Something like that."
The boy was unfazed by her non sequiturs, unflappable and apathetic to the outside world. It hid that inward tempest which could be unleashed at a moment's notice. That sense of control, that mastery over one's passions...she envied such discipline; her Master would likely have far fewer headaches. "...you shouldn't be here," he muttered, an all-too-brief sign of what he truly felt beneath that stoic exterior.
Elizabeth smiled with melancholy. With a single gesture, she removed the glove on her right hand, revealing a dainty hand that could crush and destroy with ease, yet couldn't save her Guest from his fate. Not alone. "Permit me this one little dalliance. For both our sakes."
Minato said nothing, acquiescing by his silence. With gentleness, her fingers caressed those lips. "It feels so strange; there is no change in the local electromagnetic field, nor is there any conflagration...yet my spine tingles with lightning, and my body burns. What a strange thing, to come from so small a touch..." Then, all too quickly, she forced herself to stop. Slipping her glove back on, she looked into those intense eyes. "I wonder...what do you see, in my eyes?"
"A troublemaker."
A playful giggle muscled its way past her lips. "A very correct answer."
"...Ayanami would probably disagree with this little indulgence of yours."
Ah, the little blunette with awesome powers; a very interesting and vexing individual. "Would you agree with her?"
"Just making an observation."
Elizabeth smiled. "Indeed...but I believe I've had my fun for now. If she does complain...perhaps she would be wise to remember our arrangement." With a calm expression, she willed the world to part behind her; the wall seemed to slide open as the doors of an elevator would, unveiling an empty void beneath the fabric of reality. "She would do well to remember that she is not my Master; and furthermore, that it was my Master and his confederate who first enlightened her as to our plan. For all the power and prestige that her station grants her..."
("...what are you?" As Erebus was once more suppressed by her power, she turned away to come face-to-face with a nigh-ethereal waif with pale blue hair. "Your soul...your presence...is unusual. Who are you?" demanded the girl with crimson eyes.)
"...the timetable by which we move is not solely hers to decide," she finished.
"...I'll keep that in mind." With deceptive quickness, Minato's left hand left hand emerged from his pocket, brushing through the hair by her face with a seamless movement. "Still as soft as ever."
"And you would accuse me of being a tease~" she crooned, inwardly delighting at their back-and-forth. Such it was with them: the push and pull of the tides by the moon. She oft wondered who was who in this little analogy of hers. "Until next time...do behave yourself, my most precious Guest."
"...see you later, Elizabeth."
And with that, the enigmatic woman slightly bowed, backing away into the void behind her. She looked up just in time to drink in the sight of his face before the doorway closed, sealing up the dimensions once more.
xxxx
"...she said a few things. Mostly about remembering the arrangement."
Ayanami resisted the urge to sigh. "She is well aware that without my cooperation, we would be unable to succeed. We are equals in this endeavor."
The young man calmly shrugged, looking remarkably cool and levelheaded for a teenager. The sheer density of his A.T. Field belied such an appearance. "Maybe. Your interest in Ikari outweighs theirs. But you shouldn't let that control everything about you."
"...I will not risk it unnecessarily. Nothing more, and nothing less." The denizens of the Velvet Room seemed remarkably cavalier at times, content to let events play out according to some mysterious flow. However much she sympathized with such thinking, it was far too lax and carefree, as compared to Mister P's brash and brazen manipulations. "Even they must desire emancipation."
Her only answer was a shrug.
Perhaps it was best to leave things there; she needed to work on some missions as it was. "...have a good evening, Arisato-san." She quietly walked into the alley, preparing to transition into the Metaverse. "Remember that finals are approaching," she said as an afterthought.
Right before she crossed the threshold, she heard a wry chuckle from the stoic boy. "You can only graduate high school so many times..."
How very true.
xxxx
END OF 7/4/2015
xxxx
/Sokila, the Star Confidant, is now at Rank 2!
/also
/I'm sure that scene with Rei, Minato, and Elizabeth is no big deal