Sokila was staring at Elizabeth.
"Are you ready?" asked the latter with undeniable amusement.
"Yeah," answered the former.
The little girl proceeded to jump(?) high into the air(!), angling her foot down towards Elizabeth. "SOKILA KICK!"
Elizabeth caught the girl by her heel, spinning about to bleed off momentum. It ended with her staring with a delightful grin at the younger girl. "How droll. Not nearly enough adjectives!"
"...but, but I don' think my kick is good enough to have a fancy title yet...not like what Mister P did!"
"How humble. But aiming far too low!" Tossing the younger girl onto her bed, Elizabeth added, "Maybe we should practice it while you're on fire...then you could it the Sokila Meteor of Doom Kick!"
"...isn't 'doom' bad? I wanna fight for good stuff! Like dinner! And the freedom to draw whatever I want! And for...well..."
"Be careful, lest you be consumed by selfish desires. I should know," remarked Elizabeth with a knowing giggle.
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Tuesday: August 25, 2015/
/Misato's Apartment, Tokyo-3/
Shinji Ikari slowly awoke, feeling the buzzing of his phone. Hmm...? Pulling it out, he noticed texts from a rather familiar source.
PILATE: HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO
PILATE: IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
...ah. This. Scrolling up revealed the last time he had 'spoken' (texted?) to this facet of the Tokyo-3 MAGI had been on August the 11th.
S. Ikari: I guess it has.
PILATE: WHAT BETTER WAY TO WELCOME YOU BACK THAN WITH ANOTHER QUESTION?
PILATE: ARE YOU READY?
Shinji didn't even have a chance to type back before PILATE's texts came in hot and heavy.
PILATE: IMAGINE IF ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE WERE DISPLAYED FOR PEOPLE TO WATCH: AKIN TO A TELEVISION SHOW, OR PERHAPS A SERIES OF MOVIES.
PILATE: EACH MOVIE DISPLAYS A DISTORTED VISION OF EVENTS FROM YOUR PAST, EMPHASIZING A CONSISTENT MESSAGE:
PILATE: "DISCARD INDIVIDUALITY. CONFORM WITH THE GROUP. STANDING OUT WILL ONLY GUARANTEE PAIN. OBEY YOUR SUPERIOR IN ALL THINGS, NO MATTER WHO IT IS."
PILATE: CHANGING THESE MOVIES TO REMOVE THE DISTORTED VISIONS WOULD GIVE A 'HAPPY ENDING', SO TO SPEAK—
PILATE: A VISION OF THE TRUTH, WITHOUT EMBELLISHMENT: VICE AND VIRTUE TOGETHER, WITH ALL OF YOUR BLEMISHES.
PILATE: WITHOUT REMOVING THESE DISTORTIONS, YOU WOULD BE FORCED TO OBEY THE MORAL MESSAGE AS IT STANDS.
PILATE: ONLY BY REMOVING THE DISTORTIONS CAN YOU BE FREE TO 'BE YOURSELF.'
PILATE: ARE YOU FOLLOWING SO FAR?
S. Ikari: I guess so?
PILATE: YOU SOUND HESITANT
It's kind of a weird scenario, though.
S. Ikari: it just seems odd
PILATE: NOTED, BUT IRRELEVANT.
PILATE: NOW, YOU MIGHT DISAGREE WITH THE MORAL MESSAGE OF THE DISTORTED FILMS, BUT THERE IS A CAVEAT
PILATE: HIDDEN BY DISTORTIONS, YOUR LIFE IS LARGELY INVISIBLE TO THE MASSES: THEY HAVE NO MEANS OF KNOWING THAT THE FILMS ARE DEPICTING 'YOU.' IT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VIEWING A FICTIONAL 'BASED ON A TRUE STORY' FILM...AND A BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY.
PILATE: BUT IF YOU REMOVE THOSE DISTORTIONS, EVERYONE WILL SEE THOSE EVENTS IN YOUR LIFE FOR WHAT THEY ARE. THEY WILL *KNOW* ABOUT YOU, IN ALL THE MOST INTIMATE DETAILS.
PILATE: NOT JUST STRANGERS...BUT FRIENDS. FAMILY. THOSE YOU ARE CLOSE TO.
PILATE: THEY WOULD SEE THE THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT YOU WOULD BE ASHAMED TO ADMIT.
S. Ikari: ...
He didn't know what to make of this scenario. (It made his skin crawl, to be sure.)
PILATE: THINK OF THE EVENTS IN YOUR PAST THAT FILL YOU WITH REMORSE AND SHAME, EVEN TO THIS DAY.
PILATE: THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE PEOPLE YOU HOLD IN THE HIGHEST ESTEEM
PILATE: KNOWING ABOUT SUCH...INTIMATE HISTORY
PILATE: CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING JUDGED BY THE MASSES
PILATE: IS YOUR DESIRE TO BECOME A BETTER PERSON ABLE TO HANDLE SUCH A WEIGHT?
PILATE: OR WOULD YOU SETTLE FOR THE COMFORT OF CONFORMITY, AT THE EXPENSE OF YOUR INDIVIDUALITY?
PILATE: AFTER ALL...IT CERTAINLY WOULDN'T 'HURT' AS MUCH.
PILATE: WE'LL GIVE YOU A WEEK TO RESPOND.
PILATE: END OF LINE
...I really wish I knew what the MAGI were trying to get at...
xxxx
The morning hours proceeded relatively quickly, courtesy of some missions that Shinji and Mana selected which even Kensuke and Toji were allowed to participate on.
Mostly because they consisted of Shadow pacification within the local Cognitive Protection Center...and some of them were familiar...
xxxx
Shinji stared despondently at Aika Nakamura's Shadow. "You're stressed out again?"
"Well, with the recent events happening at Tokyo-2, not to mention all of the global isolation our country is experiencing, supply chains are...unpredictable." Tapping her feet against the ground, the various masked silhouettes in the stands around the racetrack cheered. "So clearly, the solution is to go faster to make ends meet."
"...do we have to race again?"
"I learned my lesson last time. I'm sticking with my vehicle this time. Do you have one?"
"...does a two-headed dog count as a vehicle?" he asked.
"Why not? But is it faster than this?" The red Formula 1 car roared furiously by her will.
Probably not, he mused. Fortunately, he had an ace in the hole.
"Step aside, Ikari," said Toji, summoning Gilgamesh. "Speed? Racing? That's my turf."
"...I don't see why not," he said, stepping aside to join Kensuke and Mana on the sidelines.
"Think he's got it?" asked Mana.
"Of course he does!" said Kensuke, waving a pennant he had procured from...somewhere. "Might as well cheer him on, right?"
As it turned out, when he wasn't focused on fighting, Gilgamesh's arsenal of speed techniques proved quite suitable for racing; he beat Aika's Shadow, but just barely.
xxxx
...but others weren't.
xxxx
The moment Shinji, Mana, Kensuke, and Toji entered the Shadow's Realm, they found themselves in the midst of a very stylized kitchen. A salaryman with yellow eyes looked at them despondently. "You just can't leave it alone, can you...nothing but disappointments...!"
Without warning, the Shadow seethed with a crimson aura, taking on aspects of a horned ogre wreathed in fire. "Whoa, what the hey!" exclaimed Kensuke. "Going berserk already?!"
"I provide and provide, and you show no gratitude...!" The monstrous Shadow snarled, stampeding towards the quarter without abandon.
He slammed into Mana's shield, and was smacked immediately by the broadside of Mana's axe. "Take him down!"
Ailments from Ozymandias, blunt force attacks from Mana and Gilgamesh, and a variety of distance Skills from Shinji's Personas were enough to whittle the Shadow down, until its berserk status ceased. "Ah...ah...I feel tired, now. I think I'm going to bed now..." The Shadow trudged into the next room, where a singular bed sat. He was soon snoring afterwards.
"...so...we gonna talk about that...?" wondered Toji with some uncertainty.
"Probably not," advised Kensuke.
xxxx
(Shinji had made it a point to at least inquire with the Chief Warden after that particular Shadow pacification, because 'temper management' had been putting it mildly. What if the person that Shadow belonged to was as angry in real life? Was anyone...in danger...?)
("As far as we're aware, there've been no complaints of domestic abuse by his wife or children," advised Goro Akechi with a solemn expression. "But we do know that he's taking anger management courses with his employer. Take from that what you will.")
("...facing Shadows can be difficult.")
("Indeed.")
And so it went, as several Shadows were successfully pacified that morning by the quarter of teenagers.
As for Mayumi?
She was having her powers broken in at NERV.
xxxx
Misato and Tokoyo were both wearing blindfolds and earmuffs within one of NERV HQ's Metaverse training rooms. Mayumi sat further back upon the throne of Armisael, blank book at the ready.
Moments later, a pod burst open.
'Incoming Kinnara! Move to the left, duck underneath an Maragi, and retaliate!'
Mayumi's mental commands were obeyed, as the woman and her Persona dodged the orbs of fire. Tokoyo's blades flashed quickly, slicing the Archetype to pieces.
Two more pods opened up.
'Um...a Pixie and an Obariyon! Follow my mental path; you can separate the Obariyon long enough to take down the Pixie so she can't do any healing!'
This was the overall pattern, with Misato and her Persona dutifully following Mayumi's instructions as though they were orders. Bereft of sight and sound, she had no choice but to obey the telepathic commands as though her life depended on it. All the while, the clarity and acuity of Mayumi's thoughts increased, bit by bit.
It certainly got the girl's mind off of recent events, for sure, and it helped give her some form of confidence...that is, until an errant Garu from an Anzu knocked Misato off of her feet, prompting Tokoyo to drop her blindfold out of self-preservation.
"Break time!" said Misato as her Persona bisected the flying lion-bird.
"...sorry," murmured Mayumi, closing her book with a frown.
"Hey, that's the point of practice, after all. This training will probably help you save someone's life in the future. That's something to be proud of."
"...okay." After a short recess, they were back at it.
xxxx
The five teens all rendezvoused later, heading for the place where Mayumi said that Hikari was going to meet them for lunch.
(Misato was rather plain as she spoke to them all. "No mentioning anything related to Mayumi being the former host of an Angel. You also might want to err on the side of caution when it comes to anything related to the government's less clandestine missions...other than that, it's fair game.")
"Do you think Horaki-san will be understanding?" asked Mayumi. "We did go through a lot during our road trip..."
"It's the Class Rep, dealing with stuff is like, her thing," remarked Toji, stifling a yawn as the walked along the outskirts of Hakone Academy. "Pretty sure she's mature enough to handle anything we talk about..."
"Why's that?" asked Mana.
"Well, we're handling it, right?" he replied. "If I can deal it, she can."
"Putting yourself on a low pedestal, eh Toji?" cracked Kensuke.
"I'm just sayin'."
"...before we get there, let's agree not to mention anything regarding...a certain room, where a certain man with a long nose is," diplomatically said Shinji. "Just to be on the safe side..."
"...well, duh, that'd be kinda crazy," grumbled Toji.
Kensuke snorted. "If we're not allowed to talk about the full truth of the Angel we fought, no way would we mention...that."
So with that mutual pact made, they eventually made their way to the restaurant of Hikari's choosing — "LeNoir Café? Good choice," remarked Shinji, approvingly recalling the last time he had been here with Ayanami — and entered.
The girl herself was already present, sipping from a cup of hot green tea at a large booth. Clad in a cream-colored dress with a white blouse and lavender cardigan, the pigtailed girl rose to greet them. "Thank you all for coming."
"Eh, it's no big deal!" remarked Kensuke with a grin.
Hikari slid to the side, allowing Mayumi to sit next to her while Mana took the edge; Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke sat on the opposite side. Their erstwhile 'host' looked at them all with a keen eye, as if taking their measure. "You all seem...different."
"Different how?" asked Toji with a frown.
"...I'm not sure."
"Well, I don't exactly know you that well, but a lot happened over the past few weeks," remarked Mana as she looked at the menu.
"How about we order first before we start talking?" diplomatically said Shinji, which everyone agreed with.
Once their orders were placed, Hikari opened up first. "I had lunch with Ayanami-san last Thursday...and she mentioned something about you all attending a funeral."
The mood immediately dimmed. "Man, just ripping the bandaid off, huh?" muttered Toji.
With a flustered frown, Hikari plowed on through. "I just...I was just concerned, that's all. And I was curious, as well. So...if you don't mind...could you tell me what you all went through, over your summer vacation?"
Kensuke adjusted his glasses, saying, "Just so you know, there's some stuff we're not at liberty to discuss. Confidentiality, and all that."
"...I understand," acknowledged Hikari.
"...all right then," said Shinji, inhaling deeply. "After you walked Yamagishi-san to the parking lot on July the 31st, Amamiya-senpai arrived in a rented HiAce, and two of Sakamoto-san's old teammates arrived in a DeLorean..."
The recollection went in fits and starts, as the teens got bogged down on certain events and glossed by others.
Hikari Horaki sat through it all, listening patiently, asking questions every so often.
The soulful music from the cafe's tinny speakers — a piano and saxophone number — lent a decidedly serious air to the proceeding, even during the funny parts. After all, the teens had gone through a life-changing event...and then another, and another, and then some.
The recount of the first couple of days had been almost idyllic, in retrospect. Their time in Nishiawakura had been much the same...
xx
Hikari frowned. "...why the emphasis on Kirishima-san's abs?"
Toji frowned. "What's with that look? They were pretty gnarly!"
"Here, I can show you if it's that big a deal," said Mana as she rose to pull up her shirt-
"NO," cried out Shinji and Mayumi, the latter grabbing at Mana's arm to keep it down.
THWACK.
"OW! What the hell, Ken?!"
"You know what you did," grumbled Kensuke, decidedly looking away from Mana.
Hikari's frown only deepened. "Let's...move on..."
...
"...how big was the seabream?!"
"Almost a meter long," explained Kensuke. "I think Iori-san sent us the picture..."
...
"So it turns out that Shinji's a coffee snob," joked Kensuke. "Given the cafe his guardian ran, it makes sense!"
Shinji wisely didn't rise to the bait, though his face did color somewhat. "Sakura-sensei is good at what he does."
...
Hikari blinked with surprise. "You met celebrities twice over?"
"The Feathermen were cool," said Mana, nudging at the pretty circlet adorning her forehead. "Then again, the Emporium were pretty cool too."
"I'd say they were cool in different ways," remarked Kensuke.
Toji shook his head. "The Emporium would be cool if it weren't for Kitagawa. He just came off as kind of weird."
"...I think intense would be a better word," diplomatically offered Shinji.
"Intense for art," joked Kensuke.
...
"You were abducted by a delinquent bird-man in a tuxedo...who challenged you to a spar?"
Shinji arched an eyebrow. "What makes you think Mister P is a delinquent?"
"Well, he has a mohawk, doesn't he? What kind of respectable individual would have hair like that?"
(Kensuke snorted under his breath. "Don't ever let you hear him say that.")
Hikari's gaze narrowed down like a laser. "What was that, Aida-san?"
"Nothing!"
...
Hikari blinked with utter shock. "Aida-san got kissed?"
"Why do you have to sound so in disbelief about that?" groused Kensuke.
"Because it's you, Ken."
"I've got enough lip out of you, Toji!"
Shinji looked away from Hikari, saying, "Is...something wrong, Yamagishi-san?"
"No. Nothing at all," quickly said the bespectacled girl, who was pointedly looking away from Kensuke.
(Hikari filed this away for later.)
xx
...but with the good and the lighthearted, came the bad and the harrowing...
xx
"Even though the Ghosts gave us a rude awakening at Arida, it was my first time in the Metaverse," elaborated Mayumi. "It was...interesting."
Mana shrugged. "I thought Ikari and I put them down pretty quickly, all things considered."
...
Hikari's face turned paler with each and every detail that was relayed about the Ai Ferry Incident (albeit without going into all of the nitty-gritty about who had tried to capture them and why). "...that sounds awful..."
"I'm afraid I don't remember much about it," murmured Mayumi. "I had fallen unconscious, for some reason." (The others pointedly didn't comment as to why, given what they had learned in retrospect about Armisael.)
"...let's move on," said Shinji. Toji, Kensuke, Mana, and Mayumi were in agreement.
...
"Nagisa-san was the reason you ended up in that underground fight club?!" hissed Hikari.
"It's not like I knew that's what he had in mind," offered Shinji in his defense.
"Honestly, given everything else that happened after that, the whole 'fight club' bit seems kind of minor," pointed out Toji.
Kensuke snorted. "Compared to a deranged terrorist attacking the Olympics? I'd say so."
...
Hikari looked downright flabbergasted. "You were chased by a literal kuchisake-onna...?"
"Literally figurative, or figuratively literal?" joked Kensuke. "But yeah. It was a pretty close call."
"...that explains why you got kissed, though..."
Kensuke's face fell. "Oh come on, can we not? Am I that repulsive?!"
"No no, that's not what I mean, it's just...well, you normally come across as too...earnest?" said Hikari, trying to be as polite as humanly possible.
"..."
"...I'd say that's pretty accurate," offered Toji. "A total tryhard and a pain in the-OW! Damn it Ken, quit hitting me!"
"I'm not here to be roasted, darn it!"
"...to be fair, I don't think Akane Hasegawa would've kissed just anyone," observed Shinji, trying to help him save face.
"I don't need your pity," grumbled Kensuke, crossing his arms with a harrumph.
...
"You...you all fought an Angel alongside Ikari-san...?" said Hikari with a sense of wonder. "Like that giant blue crystal from July...?"
(Everything regarding Mayumi being bound to the Angel had been glossed over; they had only said that, through a peculiar set of circumstances, the girl had stumbled onto the battle and had awoken her Persona during the mayhem.)
"More like a giant glowing halo that could transform into a bunch of monsters and summon a bunch of Archetypes instead of a crystal," remarked Mana.
...
Hikari's expression turned a strange color when Mayumi disclosed that her parents had passed away. (The exact reason why wasn't spoken aloud.) "Oh Yamagishi-san, I'm so sorry...was that you were around yesterday...?"
"Yes. I'm living with Misato Katsuragi and Mana-san for the time being."
"Honestly, Katsuragi's not that bad. We'll make do," encouraged Mana.
...
Hikari seemed withdrawn by the time they had gotten to the assault by Minako. "...so a woman just attacked your sensei's home without warning, and killed Agents Iori-san and Amada-san...?
"Yeah. She wasn't exactly the talkative type...and she was strong. Freaky strong," darkly growled Toji.
"Stronger than anyone I've ever heard of," acknowledged Kensuke. "The scary thing is, if that Angel hadn't shown up, we probably would have all died. Who knows where they went, but I don't want to tangle with a gal that nonchalantly decides to chase after a literal Angel."
Mana, Mayumi, and Shinji solemnly nodded in agreement.
Hikari didn't know what to make of the tale.
...
"...even after everything, you were all in Tokyo-2 when it fell to that fog...?"
"We arrived after the fact," explained Mayumi. "But we were present when the fog faded. Our...our efforts helped to end it."
(Hikari's face had taken on an ashen hue, it seemed.)
xx
Before long, two hours had passed.
Though they had drank and eaten amidst the retelling, Hikari's appetite had been relatively subdued as they had started talking about the less pleasant parts of the road trip.
"There's a lot of little bits and pieces we can still mention, but those are the major points," finished Kensuke. "We did have a fun time at karaoke on the way back...and we slept under the stars. That was nice."
"We also woke up with beetles crawling on us," groused Toji with a mulish scowl.
"...shouldn't...shouldn't you all...be in therapy, or something?" asked Hikari with a plaintive gaze. "I mean...what you all went through...it's not normal...!"
Shinji inwardly grimaced, looking at the glances sent his way by the other members of Team Statherós. (What would therapy do, other than provide an opportunity for the secrets they knew to be unleashed? What would it do, but risk the Velvet Room?)
His Other quietly looked at an old, faded crayon drawing.
"It would be put your Attendant at risk."
The Beast loomed over the horizon, like a bloody face emerging from the deep.
"And wouldn't THAT be a shame..."
(No.) "...I don't know if we need it-"
"Don't be so blasé!" interrupted Hikari, trying to keep her voice down. "How can you even know-?"
"Class Rep," interrupted Toji, arms crossed. Surprisingly, Hikari stopped. "Look...I get that you're concerned. It's...well, nice that school stuff isn't the only thing you're worried about. But you weren't there. Don't act like you know what we went through or how we're supposed to be handling it."
"...but..." Hikari seemed to be at a loss for words.
Kensuke interjected. "I think what Toji's getting at is that it wasn't just us who were there. We had Sakamoto, Katsuragi, Shinji's sensei, Agent Hasegawa...and even before they passed away, Junpei Iori, Ken Amada, and Hirofumi Kurosawa were also a part of it all."
"It feels like Kurosawa shouldn't even be a part of that group," grumbled Mana.
"...but he was just doing his duty, even if it was in a way we didn't like," remarked Shinji, trying to keep up with the big picture. "Just like everyone else...just like we are. Duties, responsibilities...they're like weights that we have to carry. School's a kind of weight, if you think about it...we just have to carry more than the average student." Looking back at Hikari, he added, "does that help, Horaki-san?"
"Going to school and trying to get good grades isn't in the same league as watching people die, Ikari-san," she reiterated with emphasis.
For some reason, this pushed Toji to stepping away from the booth, hands on his hips. "If you're gonna get on our case, that's fine. Your whole thing is being a worrywart. But...it's not something you have to worry about; it ain't your place." Scratching irritably at his head, he said, "I'm going to take a walk."
Kensuke flashed everyone a brief look before sliding out of the booth. "I'll go with."
"...I can get the bill for your food," said Shinji, sensing they were going to step away for a bit. Both boys gave their thanks before walking out of the cafe.
"Did...did I say something wrong...?" wondered Hikari.
"I don't think so," answered Mayumi. "You're just...trying to be helpful."
"...can sorta see where Suzuhara's coming from though," remarked Mana, looking somewhat introspective. "It's one thing to hear Katsuragi or Sakamoto talk to us about this sort of stuff, 'cause they lived through it. But coming from you?" Mana turned her head, looking across Mayumi towards Hikari. "You a Persona-user?"
"Well, no-"
"Is there anyone in your family who's dealt with Metaverse combat, or with anti-Ghost ops?"
"...no-"
"Then why are you acting like you know better?" she asked, with absolute sincerity; the fact there was not a hint of snideness in her tone somehow made it worse.
Mayumi, looking somewhat nervous by the impending escalation, decided to switch tactics. "Um, Mana-san...would you be available to practice in the Metaverse? I did so yesterday with Katsuragi-san, but I'd like to get better at coordinating with you as well."
Mana took the change of topic in stride. "I'm up for that."
Shinji had enough empathy to understand what Mayumi was trying to do. "I can get your bills as well."
Mana casually thanked him whilst Mayumi nodded gratefully. "We'll pay you back later, Ikari-san," she added, before following Kirishima out of the cafe.
Then, it was just Shinji and Hikari. Way to leave me to deal with the emotional fallout, guys, he couldn't help but inwardly muse, even as he ventured forth. "...Horaki-san?"
"What did I do wrong?" she frankly asked.
"I...I don't think you did anything wrong. You just wanted to know how our vacation went. You were worried. That's...that's not a crime."
"Then why did it seem like I upset Suzuhara-san? Why did Kirishima-san agree?" The pigtailed girl looked strangely vulnerable, in a way he wasn't used to seeing from the authoritative Class Representative. "I bet Aida-san and Yamagishi-san were of the same opinion..."
Shinji leaned back, trying to understand exactly what might have gotten under Toji's skin. The dual pianos playing over the speaker seemed rather fitting for the conversation. "Well...we went through a lot. Not just individually, but as a group. As a team. We even picked a name for ourselves: Statherós. It means 'steadfast' in another language. It was...a vow. A promise. We're still trying to live up to that."
"...I guess I was just the odd one out."
"Well...it's not your fault that so much happened to us."
"But people are allowed to worry even if they weren't there," she retorted. "I don't have to have lived through it to know that a kidnapping plot on a ferry, encounters with terrorists, and funerals aren't normal for a summer vacation...and that's not even all of it..."
Shinji grimaced. "I know, Horaki-san, I know it's a lot..." (And that wasn't even all of it. There's more you aren't telling her.) "...I guess it seems different, coming from someone who didn't experience any of what we've been through? Even if you possessed as much knowledge as Misato-san...it just wouldn't feel as authentic, I guess?"
Hikari mulled over his words, hands bunched together on the table in front of her. "...why would it be different?" she muttered quietly. "No one listens about him, when I've lived through it, so why..."
Shinji blinked, leaning in closer. "I'm sorry? I didn't catch that."
"...it's nothing." Looking back up, she briefly bowed her head. "I'm...I'm thankful that you shared all of that with me. Could you let them know that?"
Scratching at the back of his head, Shinji replied, "Well, it's not like this'll be the last time you see us. We're probably going to look into tutoring sessions at school to catch up on summer homework..."
"...I guess you still have that to deal with," she remarked with a tired smile. "That's one thing I can help with, at least..." Rising from her seat, Hikari said, "I'll pay for everyone's meal, Ikari-san."
"No, wait-!"
"I insist," she firmly said, with such conviction that it rooted him in place. "You've...you've all been through enough. So...please."
(He had an inkling that his finances were in a considerably better position than hers.)
(Yet you can't help but feel that she...needs this, somehow.)
"...okay."
"Thank you," she said with honest gratitude. Bowing once more, she added "have a good day, Ikari-san."
Shinji watched her walk away, idly sipping from a mocha that had long since gone cold. She tries to take on so much responsibility, he wondered to himself. Why? In spite of his concern, he couldn't help but feel that he had more insight into Hikari as a person, because of this...
xxxx
Shortly after Hikari had departed, Misato had called Shinji to rendezvous at a parking lot near Hakone Academy: the same one where the summer road trip had initially begun back on July 31st, in fact.
Standing beside her Alpine Renault, Misato inquired as to how his 'lunch date' with everyone had gone.
("It wasn't a date, Misato-san...!")
("A lunch date doesn't have to be romantic, you silly goof.")
("...then why are you smiling like that...?")
("Because your embarrassment is kind of amusing.")
("Misato-san, come on...")
After explaining about where the others had gone — with Misato expressing particular interest in Mana and Mayumi deciding to go into the Metaverse to train — he had gotten into her car, whereupon she had begun driving to a different part of the downtown area. "So...we're going to meet Kaji-san?"
"Yeah," gravely answered Misato, taking a circuitous route to their destination. "Haven't told him that we're coming. Hope it'll put him off his game."
"How so?"
"He's always been pretty shrewd...but he's gotten a lot cagier ever since he met his Shadow. And with his involvement with Mister P and whatever he's talked to you about...well, I'm not exactly keen on letting that dog stay sleeping."
Shinji briefly thought back to the first time he had met Ryoji Kaji's Shadow, when he had first learned about the War in Heaven from Marie. What's going to happen when we meet him...? (He'd find out soon enough.)
Before long, as sunset's dimming ambience coated the city with a pleasing shade of orange, Misato pulled alongside a rather old building, bearing a logo of a stylized melon that Shinji recognized. "This is...the Melon Patch?"
"Yep. Stick with me, Shinji-kun," advised Misato, adjusting the beret on her head. "Let's crash Kaji's evening, shall we?"
Shinji grimaced at the sight of her rather savage grin. "...no collateral damage, please...?"
"That's entirely up to Kaji."
xxxx
Misato's eyes expressed a fury that was entirely out of place with the relaxed pace of the jazz number being played by the live band. "What do you mean he's not here?"
The brusque bartender shot Shinji Ikari a curious look. "This isn't a place for minors."
"Knowing Kaji, he's briefed every single employee of his about the identities of the Evangelion-users and what to do if they tried to get a drink."
"...you would be correct, ma'am."
"Then don't change the subject," growled Misato, leaning onto the bartop. "The way you phrased it made it seem like he's not just out doing a brief spot of shopping. Where is he?"
The bartender sighed, reaching into his pocket for a folded slip of paper. "He had an important task to see to; said it would keep him away for a time. In the event you were going to drop by, he said to give you this."
Misato swiped the paper from the bartender, unfolding it to reveal a handwritten letter. Shinji peered around Misato's arm, trying to see what the man's message had been:
Hello, my lovely Misato-chan~
Don't know when you'll get this letter, but I've got a little errand of sorts to take care of. It'll keep me out of Tokyo-3 for a bit, but I figured it would be polite to at least leave a message.
"That son of a..." growled Misato.
I'm aware about the promise to talk with you and Shinji Ikari about...well, a few things. That'll come, I'm sure. But for the time being, I don't want to leave you empty-handed.
Bartender-kun should also have a disc to give you. I left it so that you'd at least have something to occupy your time.
I truly am sorry for causing you so much trouble. I'd suppose it's just my nature, but that seems like a cop-out.
I'd trouble you to water my flowers...but I've been so busy that I'd forgotten to plant them during spring. Fitting for a louse, eh?
For some reason, Misato's breath hitched at that line, almost uncontrollably; Shinji had no idea why.
I know you'll do whatever it takes to find the truth...but don't let it become an obsession.
That's what I'd tell you in person...but I think we both know you'd ignore my advice anyway.
Oh well; I couldn't change you even if I tried...and even after all this time, I wouldn't dare.
See you later.
- Kaji
There were layers of meaning in that letter that Shinji couldn't even begin to fathom.
"...he said he left you a disc," stated Misato, looking dully at the bald bartender. The brusque 'Bartender-kun' nodded, reaching under the bar and pulling out a jewel case with compact disc inside. "When exactly did he leave?" she asked as a follow-up.
"A few hours ago, when we were setting up for the night."
Misato's face darkened with irritation and suspicion. "So we just missed him..."
"...so, what now, Misato-san?" asked Shinji.
With a deep sigh, the tension seemed to leak out of Misato's body, leaving only a weary woman behind. "...you can go if you want. I'm gonna stay and grab a drink; sorry for wasting your evening..." With those words said, Misato saddled up onto a stool and ordered cheap saké.
For some reason, Shinji felt like leaving would be the wrong thing to do. So instead, he looked over at the bartender. "Um...is it okay if I stay?"
"I'm not serving you any alcohol," flatly stated the bartender.
"No no, not for that," he stated. Looking towards the stage, he added, "do you mind if I watch the band play?"
"...sure. Reasonable enough for the Third Child. You can order anything non-alcoholic."
Shinji expressed his thanks, purchasing a can of Dr. Salt ROCK and grabbing an empty chair near the live band. Keeping an eye on Misato, he ignored the smoky haze in the air as he sipped at his drink, focusing on the jazz band and the songs they played.
If nothing else, the song selection was quite invigorating...
xx
After a couple hours passed, Shinji noticed that Misato hadn't moved from the bar.
He didn't ask how much she had had to drink, because the sullen and moody expression said plenty. (What was he going to do?)
(You're out of your depth.)
Clearly, it was time for assistance.
-Team Statherós Group-
S. Ikari: Misato-san's at a bar and she's had too much to drink
S. Ikari: what do I do?
M. Yamagishi: Oh my!
Mana: cant yu pull her thru the Metvers?
K. Aida: probably not a good idea if she's drunk. her cognitive profile will be off (´_ゝ`)
K. Aida: BUT!
S. Ikari: ?
K. Aida: first question—why are you at a bar with her
T. Suzuhara: kind of important
S. Ikari: this is apparently where Kaji-san works
T. Suzuhara: who?
S. Ikari: her ex, I think? It's complicated
S. Ikari: but he left her a letter and it made her rather upset
S. Ikari: I've been listening to the live band for a few hours to pass the time
M. Yamagishi: Have you been drinking?
S. Ikari: NO
S. Ikari: just soda
S. Ikari: but I don't think she should stay around
K. Aida: come to think of it, would alcohol be dat big a deal given what we've been thru? ಠ ‿↼
M. Yamagishi: Aida-san!
T. Suzuhara: I don't even wanna imagine Drunk Ken
T. Suzuhara: heh, "drunk ken". drunken
Mana: why is that funny?
T. Suzuhara: wordplay!
K. Aida: more like BOREDplay└( ▼▼ )┐
T. Suzuhara: you suck -.-
M. Yamagishi: Why are we on the subject of drinking? Don't we have enough things to worry about?!
K. Aida: was just a joke, geez
K. Aida: OTZ
Mana: Big Sis made us all try beer once
T. Suzuhara: ?
K. Aida: ?
M. Yamagishi: ?!
Mana: was at a ghost town
Mana: found it in a old stor
Mana: tastd nasty
Mana: we nevr wantd to try it agin
M. Yamagishi: I suppose that makes sense, if she wanted you to think of alcoholic beverages as repugnant.
S. Ikari: so
S. Ikari: about Misato-san
K. Aida: it's a bar, there's gonna be taxi drivers around
K. Aida: it's kind of what they're there for ;D
S. Ikari: it's that simple?
T. Suzuhara: Don't overcomplicate it, man
M. Yamagishi: Is Katsuragi-san that inebriated?
Mana: whats tat word?
K. Aida: ...u wanna take this one, Yamagishi?╭( ๐ _๐)?
M. Yamagishi: ?
S. Ikari: I think I'm just going to call a taxi
...texting is exhausting, he couldn't help but muse to himself.
xxxx
One taxi drive (and one cab fare payment courtesy of his account with NERV) later, Shinji was awkwardly letting Misato rest on his shoulder as the elevator car ascended towards her apartment's floor. "We're almost there..."
Misato huffed as she leaned against him, her face flushed red. "...it's stupid...you probably think I'm stupid..."
"I don't," he advised. The elevator opened, allowing them to proceed; Shinji grimaced as she seemed to transform into dead weight with every other step. "Just a little further..."
"...thought I'd be over him...thought I'd be able to let go...why can't I let go...?"
Shinji tried not to comment on her murmurs, because why make this any more awkward?
Before long, he was knocking on her door; thankfully, Mayumi was at the ready, dressed in pajamas. "Oh my," she said aloud at the sight of her drunken guardian.
"How does she look? I don't know what counts as 'too drunk' versus just 'drunk'..." he said.
"I'd veer towards the former," said Mayumi, backing away to let Mana — clad in only a shirt and shorts — take the reins.
"I've got her," said the more physically-inclined of the children, more easily letting Misato's weight balance against her. "Come on Katsuragi, let's get you into bed." Misato snorted to herself, grumbling incomprehensible words under her breath. "No idea what any of that means," grunted Mana.
As Mana guided Misato through the kitchen and towards the woman's bedroom, Mayumi turned back towards Shinji. "Was it that bad...?"
"It's...I'm not really sure," he admitted, explaining to her the circumstances about what he knew about Misato's relationship with Kaji...which was, admittedly, rather little.
Mayumi sighed, fiddling with the hem of her snug yet loose pajamas. "It's strange...she's always come across as someone who's in control. Why else would she take in two orphan girls...?"
Shinji frowned, recalling the first time he had woken up in the woman's apartment, all the way back in June; the sense he had gotten back then was of someone who was slowly but steadily climbing out of a hole of their own making. The insights he had gleaned into her past — especially with regards to her parents — made that only more important. "I think everyone has problems...it's just that hers are apparently tied to Kaji. And Mister P."
"...she's not an angry alcoholic, is she?" wondered Mayumi aloud.
After seeing how she's behaved? "Probably not...not that I've seen. I think she saves her anger for when she's sober..." (Small mercies.)
Mayumi, despite her own uncertainty, was sufficiently mollified. "Are you going to head back to the dorms?"
"Yeah...I don't want to keep you any further."
"Thank you for bringing her back. Good night, Ikari-san."
As he returned the farewell, Shinji briefly looked over the waist-high wall, staring at Tokyo-3's glittering skyline and the darkness of the nighttime sky. Misato...what happened with you and Kaji...?
A question for another day, alas.
xxxx
By the time Shinji finally crossed the threshold into Room 23 at the Izanagi Dorms, he was well and truly beat.
"Welcome back," remarked Kaworu Nagisa, quietly doing push-ups in the middle of the room; Kensuke and Toji were at their desks, doing summer homework. "You seem tired."
"Was just taking Misato-san home...and it's been a long day..." Without saying another word, Shinji barely got his shoes off in time to collapse onto his lower bunk.
Kaworu hummed thoughtfully at his state of exhaustion. "My word; it seems this 'Misato-san' wore you out..."
In dead silence, Kensuke and Toji woodenly turned to stare at Kaworu.
Oblivious to their deadpan expressions, Kaworu added, "...or perhaps it was Shinji-kun who wore her out...?"
"...I'm suddenly reminded of why you irritate me," growled Toji, turning back towards his homework with a huff.
"Just gonna ignore that," repeated Kensuke, trying very hard not to snicker.
Kaworu blinked with confusion. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Shinji heard nothing else after that, for sleep had finally claimed him.
xxxx
END OF 8/25/2015
xxxx
Author's Note: We have Team Statherós stretching their legs with morning missions, but the big meat of this day was taken up by Hikari finding out just how much craziness her classmates went through. (At least Shinji's Empress Social Link made it to Rank 3.)
Misato's all like 'darn it Kaji, why are you so SUS'.
And Kaworu is...still Kaworu. What else is new?