Sokila quietly fidgeted.
"...I don't like seeing you get punched."
She had drawn a picture of a silver-haired chibi with red eyes, who now bore angel wings and lots of words insulting him.
"Kaworu Nagisa...I don't like him anymore."
Words like 'SUPER MEGA ULTRA MEANIE' were in abundance.
"...I hope you're feeling better...because I wanna play soon..."
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Sunday: July 19, 2015/
In the last gasp of darkness before the dawn, most people still slumbered.
(Shinji Ikari lied bonelessly in his hospital cot, dreaming of pleasant velvet colors. Faint sparks of orange light were ignored.)
(Misato's apartment was rather crammed, as she had opted to let the boys crash at her place instead of sending them off at a late hour. Hence, while Mana and Misato slept in their respective rooms, Ryuji snored loudly on the couch while Toji and Kensuke slept in futon blankets on the floor.)
Others, however, were already out and about.
Rei Ayanami was one of them.
She had long felt a certain sense of unease regarding one Kaworu Nagisa, he who left no tangible impact or presence upon the cognitive world. He had an A.T. Field, and it felt like Kaworu Nagisa's, down to the very last metaphysical micron (so to speak, because physical dimensions lost any sense of measure when it came to spirits and souls). That he appeared practically brain dead from the standpoint of the Metaverse was...a mystery.
(In the aftermath of Shamshel's defeat, she spoke to a broken man within a dark and lonely office. "Despite all observations on my end, he has demonstrated no connection to them. Nor has he exhibited any Angelic influence, cognitive or otherwise, beyond his physical appearance. For all intents and purposes, Nagisa is a simple, if decidedly odd, student.")
Alas, he had been an inoffensive mystery, seemingly content to act in an oddly flamboyant manner, the practical manifestation of 'Camp'. Compared to everything else lying on her plate, he had been 'safe' to ignore.
Yesterday's events had rendered that option a non-starter.
(Rumors had already begun flying around the proverbial courtyard by the time Rei Ayanami checked her phone for any particular messages or updates. When she discovered that Misato had taken Ikari-kun to NERV Headquarters to make sure his brain was in good condition, she felt a very compelling urge to commit great and terrible violence. Even as her face remained passive, nearby students began to subconsciously shy away from her.)
Which was why she now sat within a dormitory bathroom, waiting. (Such benefits there were, to being able to phase through dimensions.)
Listening.
She heard the boy awaken, hopping off of his top bunk. She heard him walk towards the restroom door.
She was on her feet, taking long strides as he opened the bathroom door. Such was the timing that she seamlessly grabbed his throat and pinned him against the wall. Her other hand went rigid, fingers hovering in front of the boy's eye. Ready to pierce. Ready to kill.
"...good morning, Ayanami-san," choked out Kaworu Nagisa. "Why...are you in my dorm room?"
"You know why," she quietly said.
"...is...this what they call a late night rendezvous? Because if you're looking for Shinji-kun or Kensuke-kun, I'm afraid they're not here."
She blinked.
"You've demonstrated no interest in Toji-kun, but most people know he's secretly pining for Hikari-chan anyway, even if he doesn't consciously realize it." He paused. "I'd ask if this meant you were wanting to rendezvous with yours truly, but your actions toward me throughout our time at the Academy have been decidedly cold...wait." His eyes widened with a sudden epiphany. "Is this what the other students call...kuudere?"
With a decisive motion, she slammed his back once more into the wall.
"...then again, perhaps tsundere is the proper term, here."
Rei Ayanami resisted the urge to tighten her grip even further. "Your juvenile rambling will do you no good here."
"...and this is why I call you 'Ayanami-san'," admitted Kaworu. "You're the only one who's ever looked at me with murder in your eyes. Sure, some are driven to annoyance by my mannerisms; a few actually hated me in truth...but none have ever gazed at me with such deathly intent."
Rei resisted the urge to make good on that look her eyes possessed, because there was still that niggling bit of doubt in the back of her mind. (What if I'm wrong?) Caution gained a brief foothold against protective anger. "Why did you knock out Ikari-kun?"
"I invited him to a voluntary Boxing Club session, and Captain Sanada wanted to test his strength. I offered Shinji-kun the first punch, and I countered out of pure reflex. A blow to chin, and he was out cold."
"...so it was-"
"An accident, yes."
Rei tried not to let her features contort into a mulish expression. "...I see." Still, since she had the opportunity...now was the time to try and make at least one gain, to get at least something out of this. "...does the name 'Tabris' mean anything to you?"
The boy's face went still, even as his lips contorted to a bitter smile. "Tabris...an old name. A hated name. The name of one who is now a castaway. Free Will, rejected in favor of Wrath and Retribution."
So he remembers. Slowly, delicately, she released her hold on him, letting him down onto the ground. "My apologies, Nagisa. At this stage...I can't afford any mistakes."
Kaworu rubbed at his throat, still maintaining that bitter smile. "A fair enough statement. Though, for those who don't know you, your behavior would seem awfully...interesting. And you would prefer not to be interesting, wouldn't you? After all...such effort only signifies the truth of who Shinji-kun truly is."
(...that was a fair point for him to make.) "There is also the manner by which you appear...to a certain sense. Your soul is familiar, but the mind-"
He answered before she could finish. "A consequence of how I have manifested myself, this time around. A consequence of the rules that govern the workings of this particular world." His smile became slightly more genial: losing the character of an old and frustrated soul, gaining that of one who was seeing an old friend. "You have no fear of any harm coming from yours truly."
Finally, Rei allowed herself to relax. "...sometimes, I cannot be certain as to who is friend and who is foe. The variables can be...vexing."
"A desire for more constants: I can empathize with that."
"So...can I count on you as an ally? Your power would be useful."
Kaworu shook his head. "There were many consequences to Tabris's departure. To summarize a long and sordid story, let's just say that I would be...ill-suited, to help you in the battles you have chosen."
"...I see."
Her Other sighed.
"How unfortunate. He would have been useful."
The Beast shivered in the cold.
"Yet one more card denied...what else is new...?"
Nagisa quietly leaned against the wall, his red eyes gleaming with untold knowledge. "In fact, I would advise that it would be best to not associate with me, going forward...at least, in so intimate a manner."
"Why do you speak with such innuendo? It only serves to make your life more difficult."
Kaworu's smile morphed into the grin of one who was in on the joke. "Why not?" And that was all he had to say.
"...I see."
"But still, heed my advice: after all, you have no idea who could be listening...or watching."
That was very true. Now that she had more or less gotten what she wanted, it was time to depart. "A shame, Nagisa. It would have been...nostalgic...to have you fight by our side."
"I'm sure," he said, gazing away. Gazing on a vector towards the unseen moon. "You should know that even if Free Will is gone, that does not mean that my kin lack agency. Even if their destination is now set in stone, they still have some leeway on the path that they take...after all, it is no small thing for Him to be reduced to such a state where even freedom seems meaningless."
Rei instantly knew that he was referring to the long-suffering ADAM. "I...would prefer not to imagine."
"It is a sign, one of many: however many times we have suffered before...it is this time wherein shall be the culmination of all our destinies...for good, or ill. Be mindful of that...Rei-chan."
"...that sounds odd, hearing it from 'this' you."
"I suppose it does."
"One last question." To sate her curiosity (to be a balm on her fear), more than anything else. "Knowing the circumstances...if you are unwilling or unable to assist, then why then do you still persist in getting close to Ikari-kun?"
The smile fell, as Nagisa's expression became uncharacteristically serious. "The minds of lilim...sorry, humans...can be so base, no matter how long it's been. I am not blind nor deaf to what others say; yet, I will act as I will, until we attain the consummation of all things. To put it very bluntly...Shinji Ikari gives my existence meaning. Nothing more, and nothing less."
"...in that, you and I are still alike," she admitted, a rare smile coming to her face. "...fare thee well, Kaworu Nagisa. Maybe...once all this is over-"
"Let's not make any plans now. After all, as students are so fond of saying, you might jinx it." He smiled. "It would be best if you leave the way you came; it would be quite scandalous if you were seen leaving through the halls, or jumping out of my window...unless you want to be the subject of licentious gossip, for a change?"
"Goodbye, Kaworu-kun." With those words said, Rei Ayanami shifted away, departing through the familiar grayscale that few could see or access; though her melancholy still remained (would always remain), her heart was noticeably lighter than it had been mere minutes ago.
She would take whatever she could get.
xxxx
Kaworu Nagisa sighed as Ayanami vanished from sight and sense. "Well...that was certainly something." He slowly walked over towards his desk, reaching for the familiar stress ball. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. "Yes...something..." Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. The limitations of mortal flesh could be incredibly tiresome at times, regardless of the advantages that came with it. Still...at least Rei Ayanami (nay, Lilith) had departed in a better mood.
Squeeze.
...the spirit is willing, but this flesh is so very weak...
Squeeze.
It took about thirty minutes before he finally stopped.
xxxx
"You know, if nothing else, your receiving a concussion has provided an unusual opportunity."
Ritsuko Akagi's dry commentary elicited a weary sigh from Shinji Ikari. Sure enough, the moment he had woken up, Dr. Uehara and Nurse Takemi had given him the once over (and why oh why did their smiles seem so scary?) before releasing him into Dr. Akagi's care. From there, it was time for another session in The Tube™. As usual. "...how so?" he quietly asked.
"Scanning your brain while you're recovering from a concussion provides me an interesting variable to compare your baseline readings with," she answered. "Could provide some insight into how exactly you differ from other Persona-users."
"Ah..."
"Please, contain your excitement," she said with a sarcastic edge that was simultaneously as bored as Nebukawa-sensei's lectures sounded.
"...I guess...a lot of the stuff you talk about is over my head..."
"And yet you keep trying to talk anyway."
"...sometimes, silence is harder to deal with than talking...even if it's something I don't really know about..."
"So if 'silence is golden', then does that mean 'awkward silence is hydrogen'?"
"...eh?"
"Common enough to be everywhere, yet it's very easy to go up in flames with the slightest spark," she said, explaining her joke. "Ha ha."
"..."
"See what I mean?"
"...um..."
"Not every doctor's visit needs to be treated as a friendly visit. Sometimes, suffering in silence is the most preferable option."
"...that's...kind of sad..."
"So I've been told. But I can guarantee you that most people have had a doctor's visit like this. We just happen to run into each other more. Now, try thinking about your Persona until I tell you to stop."
Shinji huffed, letting the cool surface of the tube press against the back of his neck. So this is...normal? It felt weird to think of it that way.
Still...it allowed for greater empathy with others, even if it was a little mundane. After all, everyone struggled and dealt with the mundane...
xxxx
By the time the scans were done and Shinji had been let go, he found himself wandering the city. He was actually incredibly hungry, but for some reason grabbing lunch by himself felt a little...'meh'. That was the perfect word to describe it. 'Meh.' He could text one of his roommates...or maybe Misato-san...but actually asking someone to have lunch with him felt rude. (Sometimes, he hated how his thoughts turned against himself. Why couldn't he maintain the focus and concentration he had from the fight against the Angels?!) Ugh...I really hope this is just my concussion talking. Although...now that he thought about it some more...there was someone who he wouldn't mind seeing right now. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he sighed. Too bad I left it back in..my...room? Blinking, he pulled his right hand out of his pocket, holding the Velvet Room Key. How did this get here? After all, it certainly hadn't been in his pocket while in NERV HQ. (...maybe it's more Velvet Room weirdness? Best not to think about it.) Sighing, Shinji gazed at the pleasing blue color, wondering how long it would take him to get to the Academy Courtyards-
SHING.
...or it could appear in a random alleyway, thought Shinji with a confused blink. Indeed: further down the alley he was walking by, the translucent door to the Velvet Room stood calmly. As if mocking him by its mere presence. 'Why yes, I'm right here. Did you miss me, you silly little teenager?' (...I really hope this is just my concussion talking.) Loosing a tired sigh, Shinji walked into the alley towards the door as it opened...
xxxx
...and, as always, he was sitting in the metal folding chair.
"HEY!" squealed Sokila.
Shinji winced at the high pitch of her yell. "Ow..."
The girl immediately paused before she could launch into a flying tackle-hug. "Uh...did I do something wrong? I didn't hurt you, did I? I'm sorry! I didn't mean-!"
"No no, you're fine...my head is just a little...sore, is all." In a way, the siren song of the Velvet Room was a soothing balm to the latent headache he still felt. "I just need to...take it easy, is all. Which means no loud noises."
"Oh...so you have a head-achey? I know about those!" The girl paused, suddenly pressing her fingers together. "Kinda...not that I have em', but someone's told me that I can cause head-acheys when I'm too much of a brat...I don't mean to be..." she murmured, withdrawing into herself.
Shinji briefly wondered who had referred to Sokila as a 'brat' (because Igor didn't seem the type), even as he felt a subconscious urge to find the person who had called her a brat and give them a piece of his mind. (Seriously, who would it be, though?) "Well...I certainly don't think you're a brat." He glanced up towards the stage, where the Velvet Room's master sat quietly. "Mister Igor? Do you mind if I take Sokila-chan outside?"
"She is your attendant, my dear guest. The decisions you make are yours."
It was cryptic in Igor's typical manner...and as such was oddly mundane in its expectedness. Still, he took it as permission. "Sokila-chan?"
The girl jolted out of her introspective mood, blinking up at him with wide yellow eyes. "Huh?"
"Would you like to go outside to have lunch?" The girl's response was to squeal with delight. (And the sheer volume was such that, deep down, he could at least
understand the anonymous accusation of 'brat'...even if he didn't fully agree.) "Not so loud..."
"Sorry!"
xxxx
Shinji Ikari walked along the city sidewalk, Sokila's hand in his own. The younger girl seemed pleased with this arrangement, taking exaggerated steps and swinging his right arm with excited emphasis.
He pondered where to go for lunch, because his first suggestion — sushi — had been shot down.
("No fish!" exclaimed Sokila with an almost instinctive defiance. When he tried asking why, she simply reiterated "I don't want fish!" Somehow, he knew there was a story there, because what Japanese kid didn't like fish?)
Although...even though she speaks the language, maybe she's not Japanese? Something about that idea seemed wrong, though...but he wasn't sure why. Speaking of which, what ethnicity is Mister Igor?
Before he could ponder such esoteric questions further, a familiar sight came into view. "Ah...how does a beef bowl sound?"
"...what's beef?" she asked with a tilt of her head.
Well, that made the decision for him.
Stepping into the colorful interior of the Big Bang Beef Bowl Shop, Shinji and Sokila were instantly directed to an open booth by the proprietor. "Enjoy your meals!" exclaimed Kunikazu Okumura as he left him a menu and a kid's menu for Sokila. Shinji watched as the man walked away to help another customer, briefly mollified by the fact that the man didn't treat him the same way that most of the other students at school had as of late.
(The thought that the man simply didn't care who he was so long as he was a paying customer didn't cross his mind.)
"So...what would you like, Sokila-chan?"
The girl stared at her miniature menu with the sort of intense and hyperbolic focus that only children were capable of. "...I recognize some of the veggie and rice characters, but not the others...uh..."
"How about I order for you instead?"
"Okay!" Sokila seemed just fine with that arrangement.
As such, Shinji ordered a classic gyudon (kid's size, naturally) for Sokila while he requested the Big Bang Special, with extra ground beef (because he was famished). While their orders were being made, Shinji looked over at the girl, who was looking around inquisitively. "So...you've never had beef before, huh?" he asked, sipping from his water.
"Nuh-uh!"
"...you know, come to think of it, what is there to even eat in...well, you know?" For some reason, saying the words 'Velvet Room' out loud felt...verboten.
"Nothin'."
"...nothing?" he asked, flabbergasted. "How-?"
Sokila took a large sip of water before replying, "well, there's no kitchen! And in that place...I don't feel hungry. No one does. Dunno why."
"...huh." The Velvet Room was weird.
Before he could inquire further, a familiar voice echoed through the cafe. "Well if it ain't Ikari!" Glancing over his shoulder, Shinji watched Kensuke and Toji walk towards their booth. Sokila impulsively ducked under the table, shuffling across the floor to slide onto Shinji's booth, between himself and the wall. As he impulsively slid outward to get some more room, his two roommates grabbed the opposite booth. "Finally out of the clink, eh?" asked Toji, pronouncing the latter word like 'coo-rinku'.
"What's a clink?" he and Sokila both impulsively asked.
"English slang for a jail," answered Kensuke. "Because learning foreign slang instead of what's actually going to be on our exams is such a bright idea."
"Hey, it's a legitimate idea! You never know what kind of curveballs they could throw!"
"They have a curriculum to stick to Toji, they're not gonna throw any curveballs!"
"Eh, whatever." It was at this point that he finally mentioned the proverbial elephant in the room. "So, who's the girl?" asked Toji.
The silver-haired girl went nervously quiet, so Shinji answered for her. "This is Sokila-chan." (Oh crap how do I explain her because there's no way they're going to buy my cosplay lie from the last time she was outside!)
Kensuke thoughtfully hummed. Toji instead, decided to voice his hypothesis out loud. "Never woulda figured you for a lolicon...guess you never know with some guys." Kensuke audibly facepalmed (not even bothering to take off his glasses), which elicited a defensive, "hey, I'm just saying! You really never know with some people!" from Toji.
Shinji darkly glared at Toji.
"What's a lolicon?" innocently asked Sokila.
"Nothing you need to know about," immediately answered Shinji, his grim displeasure somehow not emerging in his voice.
"Kay!" said Sokila, accepting his word as law.
The sudden burst of fierce protectiveness in his gaze brought Toji to a halt, since he gulped nervously. "Okay, never mind, it was just a dumb guess...but seriously, who is she?"
"I'm babysitting," Shinji impulsively answered. (Hey, that actually isn't bad...)
Sokila pouted, irritably crossing her arms. "M'not a baby."
"Huh, never would've thought. It's not like you're hard up on money," said Kensuke with an observant glance.
(In a normal situation, Kensuke — being the A.T. Task Force aficionado and NERV intern that he was — would've seen her yellow eyes, so eerily like those of a Shadow. He would've asked some insightful questions that Shinji may not have been able to answer...or unwilling to.)
(How fortunate, that the Velvet Room protected its Guests in more ways than one, and not always in so obvious a manner. As such, the boy's mind simply chalked up her appearance as being a little odd, and thought nothing more of it.)
"Anyhow, my name's Kensuke Aida!" He pointed a thumb towards his taller compatriot. "This here's Toji Suzuhara."
"Yo," grunted the track jock.
Sokila looked back and forth between the two of them. "Kenny...and Meanie!"
"Wuh, HEY!" exclaimed Toji. "I ain't a meanie!"
Kensuke snorted. "Eh, you kind of deserve to be called a meanie after the 'loli' crack."
"Look, okay, so maybe I was being stupid, but I ain't mean!"
"You sound mean," said Sokila with a matter-of-fact tone. "So that makes you a Meanie."
Toji gawked at her; Shinji — putting his inherent politeness aside for a change — didn't feel obligated to correct her. Kensuke simply laughed, saying, "she has a point, Toji; good thing she hasn't seen you in one of your surlier moods, or she would've nicknamed you Yakuza. Or maybe Thug."
The newest Persona-user of the trio grunted. "Whatever," he grumbled, crossing his arms petulantly.
It was at that point that Shinji and Sokila's orders were brought out. "Enjoy!" said Kunikazu before turning to grab Kensuke and Toji's orders.
Sokila stared with wide eyes at the bowl of rice and neatly-cut sirloin. "Whoa...what is that...?"
"It's sliced beef," answered Shinji as he slapped his palms together. "Itadakimasu."
"Oh, right! Itadakimasu!" exclaimed the smaller girl, dutifully snapping her chopsticks and taking a big heaping bite of sliced beef with rice...and the way her eyes practically glowed with disbelief and awe signalled how she felt about the food.
"It's so good~!" she exclaimed, digging in for even larger mouthfuls.
"Hey, eat slower," impulsively cautioned Shinji.
Kensuke blinked at the sight of the girl voraciously devouring her beef bowl with all the ferocity of a starving wolf. "Man, what's with her?"
"She's apparently never had beef before."
Shinji's answer elicited a dumbfounded look of shock and horror from Toji. "What kind of deprived life has she been living?!"
The lone Evangelion-user shrugged (because he honestly didn't know), taking a bite of his own meal in the interim. Before two minutes passed, the kid-sized gyudon was all gone, consumed by Sokila. "Can I have some more?!" she excitedly asked.
"I don't see why not," answered Shinji with a warm smile; coming here had been a great decision.
That being said...Shinji was grateful for the fact that his account with NERV was relatively robust in terms of funds, because he had not expected Sokila to go through nine more servings of the kid-sized beef bowl.
Kensuke (eating from a beef noodle bowl) and Toji (who had gotten an extra-large beef tempura bowl) both stared with shock at the little munchkin. "Geez, where the heck does it go...?" wondered Toji.
Sokila looked at Toji as though he were truly addled in the head. "Into my tummy."
"...okay I kind of deserved that," grumbled the track jock.
"Can I have some leftovers? To take back with me?" asked Sokila with a wide smile.
Shinji nodded. "...sure, why not?" After all, maybe even Mister Igor would appreciate it...?
"Yay!"
Kensuke chortled. "Well, far be it from me to interrupt you emptying your wallet. I'm going to get back to studying for the finals."
...oh. That starts on Tuesday. (Oh dear. Oh dear.) "...ah. That's right."
"We should get back too, Toji." Kensuke rose, heading over to the front counter to pay his bill. "See you back at the dorms, Ikari!"
Toji huffed, rising to his feet. "Yeah yeah, whatever. Was nice meeting the brat you were babysitting."
As Toji walked away, Sokila stuck her tongue out at him. "Meanie!" She cutely growled, glaring at the table as though she could set it on fire with her gaze alone. "I still don't like him...even though he's gone through tough stuff...he doesn't have to be such a jerk..."
Shinji sighed; now that Toji was no longer present (and especially since he had duly apologized for his poor attempts at humor), he tried to play peacemaker. "He's...honestly not that bad." As teenagers went (Personas aside), Toji was relatively normal as far as Shinji was concerned.
His Other chuckled.
"Perhaps that says more about what you consider 'normal', by this point..."
"...I guess..."
"...anyhow, what would you like to take back with you?"
Sokila smiled widely.
And that was how Shinji found himself walking with two plastic bags full of takeout bowls; Sokila walked ahead of him on the sidewalk, humming cheerfully to herself as she held a large carton filled with nothing but sliced and ground beef. "...are you going to be able to eat all this? I mean, if that place doesn't have a kitchen..."
"...maybe Mister Igor is really hungry and doesn't say anything? I mean, he is kind of skinny..." She glanced over her shoulder. "Do you think his nose could get fat?"
Shinji tried not to think of that mental image. He promptly failed. "Uh..."
"Maybe I can ask him?"
"...I think that would be rude."
"Why?"
"...it just would be."
"Why?"
Shinji sighed, intentionally refusing to answer. I wonder if there's a way to get a kitchen in there...or at least a refrigerator? It would be just awful for so much food to spoil...though, would food even spoil in the Velvet Room, if its inhabitants didn't even go hungry? Why does the Velvet Room have to be so weird?
Before long, the duo had made it back to the alleyway where the blue doorway had manifested; it gleamed brightly, opening to let them in-
xxxx
-which is how Shinji and Sokila found themselves standing in the auditorium.
Except now, for some reason, built into the right wall of the theater...was an open-air kitchen, fashioned in the model of a concession stand. "...when did that get here?" asked Shinji.
"Wow!" exclaimed Sokila, charging into the kitchen that had seemingly been carved out of the very wall. "It even has a really big cooling box thingy!" She opened it, marvelling at the light inside and the chilly air. "And it works! This is amazing!"
"...how did that get here?" asked Shinji, with emphasis.
The delighted chuckle of the Velvet Room's master echoed from the stage. "A curious development, is it not?" Shinji looked towards the stage, where Igor sat as ever. "As I told you before, the Velvet Room manifests in such a way as to reflect the 'inner heart' of our guests...and that reflection is a very hard thing to change. It is usually only at the end of a Fool's journey that even the slightest alteration will manifest: an elevator reaching the top floor; a limousine reaching its destination; the bars of a jail fading away. And yet, from a sincere desire to accommodate your attendant...the Velvet Room complied." The long-nosed man's smile seemed particularly intrigued. "How bizarre. How fascinating. Would you not agree?"
"...I guess?" Honestly, he was just grateful for the fact that the leftovers for Sokila wouldn't go bad.
xxxx
It was one of those odd little quirks of how this world functioned, especially in relation to the Velvet Room. To an outside observer, they would have seen Shinji Ikari and a little silver-haired girl walking towards the end of an alleyway...and then, with a sudden shift of perception, they would have only seen Shinji, staring quietly at nothing, hands free of food.
The change would have been unrecognizable to practically everyone.
But it was witnessed by one of the few who did matter.
Gazing down into the alley from the lip of the rooftop, a figure in a black robe and cowl stared down at Shinji Ikari.
(The disjointed flow of time meant that, normally, however long Shinji Ikari was within the Velvet Room...no more than a minute would pass in the physical world, if that. A pity, that this individual did not stand in either flow, but merely with their toes dipped in.)
(By the time Shinji Ikari emerged, it would be too late.)
They gazed upward at the still sky.
The One Who Sat Upon the Throne frowned.
"An interesting confluence...one that feels familiar."
Their nostrils twitched.
"It smells of...interlopers."
With quiet acquiescence, they leapt down, landing silently in the alleyway. They walked towards the unmoving boy, gazing at eyes that witnessed without seeing.
The One Who Sat Upon the Throne chuckled.
"The mind is currently elsewhere. How interesting. Very nostalgic, is it not?"
They leaned back, pondering how to approach this.
"He's not quite ripe yet...but if he were to die, his soul would become part of the Cycle which binds us all. He would be...easier to influence."
They smiled.
"Let us see what shall happen."
That was all the permission that the mysterious figure in black needed. With a snap of their fingers, a great naginata manifested in their hands. Formed from a jade staff and a sharp blade of divine steel, its distinguishing characteristic was the blazing wing curving up towards the head of the staff: asymmetric, it solidified the image of the weapon as a naginata instead of a spear.
With a calm flourish, they tilted the wing towards the boy's neck, ready to slice it open.
Then...without warning, they leapt away, soaring atop the roof and away from the Third Child. A single millimeter closer...and they might have been unmade.
As it was, it merely felt as though the city's underlying geometry desired to devour them.
The One Who Sat Upon the Throne grinned.
"It is no surprise, I suppose. After all, this is 'his' city, and you are intruding without an invitation."
It was of no consequence.
"Let Ikari play at whatever game he desires with his son. It is still a boon if the boy becomes stronger."
Leaning forward, they catalogued the strange impression of the interlopers for future reference.
"Come along, my dear. You'll test him soon enough."
The figure — a girl with striking red eyes that were impossibly both fiery yet dead to the world — nodded, stepping away with naginata in tow. She stepped away from the flow of local time, and vanished entirely.
xxxx
Within the darkened office of NERV's Commander, Gendo Ikari grimaced as the foreign sensation departed. "And stay out," he murmured, even as his unholy Other still simmered.
The cognitive and spiritual mass underlying Tokyo-3 — and no further — groaned sympathetically. Those who were attuned to such sensations would have felt a strange foreboding, akin to a thunderclap along the horizon.
But before long, it settled.
Thus did Gendo Ikari return to work, confident that the Third Child would remain...unspoiled.
xxxx
Shinji Ikari couldn't help the shudder that went down his spine as he watched Igor politely eat from a simple gyudon bowl. It was the sensation of something in the natural order being violated.
(Little did he know, but the other three Wild Cards shuddered too, for reasons they couldn't articulate.)
"As your bonds change you, so too do your bonds change others," remarked Igor, his smile never fading as he politely finished his meal. "And yet it is highly unusual, for mortal concerns to intrude so deeply into this place. Very interesting."
"Is...is that a bad thing...?"
"Who is to say? It is not mine to determine one way or another, for the Velvet Room's purpose is to help its guests."
"But to help us with what? Why am I so important? This...power of the 'Wild Card'...if other people had it, then wouldn't it be easier for you to help people?"
Igor quietly tapped his right index finger onto his desk. "It is a curious thing, to ponder the spread of Power." There was emphasis in that word, meriting a capital letter. "Power can be wielded by one...by few...by many...by all...or even none. The manifestation of Power tends to vary, based on its quantity, quality, and category. For example, the Power of Free Will is one that all of humanity shares by its very nature...and it is a truly magnificent Power. Yet, it is a Power that many choose not to use, believing themselves prisoners of fate, or of circumstance."
"...it's hard not to think that way, sometimes," he murmured. "It...makes it easier to live..."
"Perhaps. Yet, you do not agree?"
"...if I ever did...not anymore." Surrendering himself to the whims of others would take him off the path he had sworn to follow...no matter the cost. He had chosen to take a stand. What he was taking a stand for...well, that was for the future to tell.
"Then I believe it is time to assist you even further." With a snap of his fingers, there was a sudden lightening within his head, as though additional rooms had been added to a house. "You may now manifest ten Personas at a given time; may this increased versatility enable you to walk your path wherever it may tread."
Shinji nodded. "Thank you, Mister Igor." He slowly turned away, glancing towards the kitchen; Sokila was opening the freezer door...then closing it. Open. Close. Open. Close. The sheer mundane fact that such a thing contained frigid air seemed to amuse her. "...you didn't answer my question...about why only I have the power of the Wild Card."
Igor rested his elbows on the table, leaning forward with his ever-enigmatic grin on display. "The Power of the Wild Card, much like Evangelion...is one that can alter the Passage of Fate itself. Such Power...is only gifted to those with the greatest potential."
"...sometimes...I wonder if you chose the right person."
"And who is to say that I did?"
"...if you didn't...then who...?"
"Such Power is not within my purview to gift or to take. I can only assist...and only so far as you are willing. Besides, the world is far too grand to be affected only by those who are in the right place, at the right time. You could be the wrong man at the wrong place; the wrong man at the right place; or even the right man at the wrong place. Is it not wondrous, that they can make all the difference in the world? As much, if not more so, than the right man at the right place?"
"...I'm not sure which one I am."
"Such is the journey of the Fool. You will only find out, if you continue...and if you do, know that I will still be here."
"...thank you." As Shinji lightly bowed, he turned towards the door leading out. He briefly turned towards Sokila, who was stumbling towards him. "Are you okay?"
"...do you really have to leave?" she asked.
He smiling, he knelt down to pat her on the head, ruffling her silver hair. "I'll be back soon. I promise."
"...you'd better..." Her melancholy swiftly vanished, replaced by an eager smile. "Can you bring stuff for me to try cooking with? I wanna make somethin' for Mister Igor!"
"...I'm not so sure you should be cooking unsupervised."
"...but I can do simple stuff! I can even use a rice cooker without spilling water!"
The sheer earnestness was too much. "Maybe...wait to cook until I'm around. How about that?"
The girl's smile was all the answer he needed, but she spoke regardless. "Even better! Oh, and about my next request...this time, can you bring me a doggie with two heads?"
Shinji blinked. "Why two heads?"
"That way he'll always have someone to talk to!" she answered with a beaming grin.
His Other laughed.
"You're hopeless against the likes of this one."
The Beast chuckled as it lightly juggled a burning globe.
"You don't deserve her."
Shinji was subconsciously in agreement with both sentiments.
xxxx
/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/
The studies of the four boys were interrupted by a prompt knocking on the door. "Hello! One package for Shinji Ikari!"
Shinji blinked. "Huh?"
"You order something?" asked Kensuke.
"I...don't think so...?"
"Well, go and get it!" demanded Toji.
Shrugging, Shinji stood up to answer the door.
Seconds later, he was walking back in with a case of specialty coffee beverages, delivered courtesy of Tanaka's Portable Commodities. "...I'm a little confused."
"Well, did you not order it?" inquired Kaworu.
Scrolling back through his messenger log, Shinji found that — apparently — he had actually clicked the URL back on 7/17, and had proceeded to order the case of caffeinated goodness he now held in his hand. The purchase had been debited from his NERV account, and had arrived within a matter of days. (How tired was I that I don't even recall doing that?)
Kensuke snorted at the sight. "Eh, too snooty and uppercrust for my choice of beverages, eh? I see how it goes," he joked.
Shinji sputtered. "No, it's not that, I honestly don't remember clicking it."
"Such is the magic of Tanaka's deals, apparently," said Kensuke. "Hey Toji, what did you choose for the fifth question on the practice quiz on page 200?"
"For Fuyutsuki-sensei's or Hyuga-sensei's class?"
"Homeroom!"
"I picked C."
"Okay, good to know."
"...why?"
"Just making sure to know which one to not pick."
"...Ken."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
"If you want me to shut up, then prove me wrong!"
"Well fine!" The track jock griped as he leaned into his textbook, reading with exaggerated emphasis.
Kaworu chuckled at the duo's shenanigans. "Ah, the Springtime of Youth, soon to give way to the Summertime of Adolescence, followed by the Autumn of Adulthood, culminating in the Wintry Withering of Death."
"...Nagisa, were you going anywhere with that?" grimly asked Toji. "Cause it was kind of morbid."
"Was it?" asked the ashen-haired boy with an owlish blink.
Sighing, Shinji sagged back into his chair, popping the top of one can (at least they had delivered it cold; that's actually not bad service...) and taking a tentative sip. Mmm...hazelnut. With a sudden burst of vigor, he flipped over to his messenger log and scrolled over to HEROD's most recent question.
HEROD: SUPPOSE YOU WERE A NORMAL HUMAN WITHOUT EVANGELION OR A PERSONA; YOU ARE TASKED TO VENTURE ALONE ON A QUEST THAT PROMISED A GREAT DEAL OF BODILY HARM. YOUR GOAL ON THIS QUEST INVOLVES SAVING A COUNTRY AND THE LIVES OF MANY PEOPLE.
HEROD: OF THE FOLLOWING, WHAT WOULD YOU TAKE AT THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHERS?
HEROD: A SWORD THAT WOULD NEVER BREAK; A POTION THAT COULD HEAL ANY WOUND BUT WITH LIMITED USES; A GUIDE WITH ALL THE KNOWLEDGE YOU'D NEED TO COMPLETE YOUR QUEST.
He quickly typed his answer.
S. Ikari: the sword
HEROD: THIS IS AN UNEXPECTED ANSWER GIVEN YOUR PERSONALITY PROFILE.
HEROD: ELABORATE.
Shinji did so, because he had actually put a bit of thought into it while resting overnight in NERV HQ (among other things, naturally).
S. Ikari: i don't know how long the potion will last
S. Ikari: once I use it up, I'm probably a goner
S. Ikari: and the guide
S. Ikari: that was my 1st pick
HEROD: THAT WAS THE CHOICE WE EXPECTED.
S. Ikari: well
S. Ikari: i realize that what I 'need' to know to do things isn't much
S. Ikari: but what if i want to know more than what I need to know?
S. Ikari: the guide could help me complete my quest
S. Ikari: but it could guide me on a path i dont like or want
Shinji twitched at the minor typo. Agh, I was doing so well...
HEROD: THAT DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE SWORD.
HEROD: YOUR PERSONALITY PROFILE IS OF ONE WHO PREFERS A PEACEFUL PATH IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
Shinji agreed. Yet...sometimes, Power had to be used, if all else failed.
S. Ikari: i wish life was always like that
S. Ikari: but with an unbreakable sword
S. Ikari: I would be able to defend myself
S. Ikari: defend others
S. Ikari: and hopefully not fight at all
After all...it was his choice as to whether or not he actually used the sword.
But as he had come to learn, the very reputation of Evangelion preceded him...and that in and of itself had a Power of its own.
HEROD: CLARIFICATION ATTAINED.
HEROD: THIS IMPLIES THAT IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAIN THREATS, YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE THE CAPACITY TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHOICE WITH THE THREAT OF FORCE, BE IT OVERT OR UNSPOKEN.
HEROD: THE MEANS OF HEALING POTENTIAL ALLIES FROM ANY WOUND IS ESCHEWED, EVEN IF IT COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR LIFE OR DEATH. A SIGN THAT YOU WOULD PREFER TO JOURNEY ALONE INSTEAD OF RISKING THE LIVES OF OTHERS?
HEROD: THE POSSIBILITY OF NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE, IF IT BE IN SOME WAY FLAWED IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR IMPERFECT REASON, IS CAST ASIDE, REGARDLESS OF ITS UTILITY. FURTHERMORE, IT IS KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU KNOW WOULD BE USEFUL, SO THERE IS A DEGREE OF CERTITUDE THAT YOU ARE INTENTIONALLY DISCARDING.
HEROD: IN THE END, WHEN FORCED TO MAKE A CHOICE, YOU ULTIMATELY BELIEVE THAT THE PATH YOU WALK WILL BE AN UNCERTAIN ONE, AND AS SUCH WOULD PREFER TO TRUST IN YOUR OWN POWER.
HEROD: THIS IS USEFUL DATA.
HEROD: WE WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INQUIRY SOON.
...well, when it was put like that, Shinji couldn't help but question himself. I didn't think of it like that...did I?
The Beast cackled.
"Do you truly believe yourself to be so noble?"
Black ooze and putrid bile leaked from its monstrous chest.
"Can you truly profess to know the depths of your own heart?"
It gripped his head and glared with sudden fury.
"SUCH ARROGANCE! WHAT HUBRIS!"
Shinji shivered, lightly setting his phone down.
It was almost a welcome distraction to get back to preparing for summer finals.
xxxx
END OF 7/19/2015
xxxx
Author's Note: More points for Empathy, but not enough to rank up. But he still ranked up both the Fool and Star Social Links to level 3!
/also
/I'm sure that scene with the girl in black with red eyes and a naginata is no big deal
/best not to think about it
/better to think about how Sokila
/is a total cutie