Shin Persona Evangelion

by Ultra Sonic 007

Shinji Ikari stared, bewildered by the bizarre-looking man, who gave an intrigued smile. "An interesting guest has arrived. My name is Igor. Welcome to the Velvet Room, young fool...we have important matters to discuss, you and I." (A fusion of the realms of Evangelion and Persona, where not all is as it seems.) (Cover art by Renu of the Sufficient Velocity forums.)

112. Saturday - September 12, 2015

Sokila quietly drew a picture of two people talking.

"My Guest...and his new friend..."

It was of Shinji and Asuka; his Persona, Hamlet, was telling them a story.

"...I wonder how I can help...?"

Suddenly, she began drawing a picture of a boy with glasses: Kensuke.

"...wasn't everyone saying it was his birthday today...?"

Her face split into a great grin.

"I know. We need to have a SURPRISE! Theo-senpai, I need help!"

"Oh..?"

The faint haze of blue began to brighten...

xxxx

/Saturday: September 12, 2015/

/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/

As seven o'clock rolled through, the quartet of boys were already preparing for the day ahead when Shinji Ikari, Kensuke Aida, and Toji Suzuhara each received a simultaneous text message.

NERV: SHINJI IKARI, KENSUKE AIDA, AND TOJI SUZUHARA
NERV: YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUIRED AT HEADQUARTERS BY 0900
NERV: YOU WILL BE PREPARING FOR TOMORROW'S NEW MOON OPERATIONS
NERV: DO NOT BE LATE

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," said Kensuke, his words muddled by the toothbrush in his mouth.

"Think we can grab a quick breakfast on the way to NERV?" asked Toji, busy as he was putting pants on.

"I don't see why not," said Shinji, quickly sending out messages to the Statherós group chat and the Evangelion-user group chat. "Where should we go?"

"It has to be quick and simple, so LeNoir is out," remarked Kensuke, as he quickly looked around for places to go. "There are some breakfast diners on the way to NERV Headquarters..."

At that moment, the muffled singing of Kaworu Nagisa — busy as he was in the shower — distracted them. "We should leave a message so Nagisa-kun knows why we left," said Shinji.

"On it," said Toji as he whipped out his own phone. "Birthday's already off to a great start, eh Ken? No school for us!"

"It would've only been a half day anyhow, and we're going to stuck at NERV until tomorrow at least," griped Kensuke. "But...thanks for the wishes."

That's right, thought Shinji with a frown. We never did come to a decision about what to do for Kensuke...hm. He quietly prepared a joint message to send to Mayumi and Misato...

xxxx

/Room 1, 2nd Floor, Izanami Dorms, Hakone Academy/

Asuka Langley-Sohryu was just getting out of the shower when she noticed Rei Ayanami and Mayumi Yamagishi moving with more alacrity than expected. "Where's the fire?"

"We've been requested to go to NERV for preparations for tomorrow," said Rei.

Asuka's hand reached for her phone like a guided missile.

NERV: REI AYANAMI, ASUKA LANGLEY-SOHRYU, AND MAYUMI YAMAGISHI
NERV: YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUIRED AT HEADQUARTERS BY 0900
NERV: YOU WILL BE PREPARING FOR TOMORROW'S NEW MOON OPERATIONS
NERV: DO NOT BE LATE

"...does that mean we're excused from school?" she asked, with not too much hope. When Rei nodded, the hope became glee. "Juhu! At least NERV shows some freakin' sense."

Mayumi, looking up from her phone, said, "The boys say they're looking for places to grab breakfast on the way to NERV." (Under her breath, she wondered, "I wonder if Katsuragi-san would be able to implement that idea...?")

"As long as it's filling!" said Asuka, quickly combing her hair into a somewhat orderly flow. Her eyes shifted towards Hikari Horaki, who was quietly tying her hair into their distinctive pigtails. Eh, might as well throw a bone. "If our classmates ask, just tell them that we're preparing for tomorrow's new moon!" Giving a thumbs-up, she added, "With three Evangelion-users in one town, we're practically guaranteed to keep this place safe from the Angels!"

"Don't jinx us," hissed Mayumi.

"...I'll pass your message along, Sohryu-san," acknowledged Hikari with a nod. Looking at her three roommates, she solemnly asked, "Please...be safe, everyone."

"We will do what we must," said Rei. And that was that.

xxxx

As Kaworu Nagisa emerged from his dorm bathroom, he idly noted the absence of his roommates. "Hm." Before even reading the message on his phone, he had sensed his roommates' departure. "But it's no surprise, I suppose...tomorrow is 'that time of the month', as the girls would say..." Smiling to himself, he briefly glanced at the ceiling, staring at some unseen point. Will they be able to conquer tomorrow's trials, I wonder...?

xxxx

The group of six students ended up rendezvousing with Mana Kirishima and Misato Katsuragi at Suemitsu Gurume — "Might as well pay for your breakfast, because tomorrow will be busy," remarked Katsuragi with a tired smile — where they all had a relatively quick but hearty breakfast; they walked to NERV Headquarters from there, where everyone split off to prepare for tomorrow's operations.

"Aida, Suzuhara, Mayumi-chan, Mana-chan; you're all with me. We'll be covering the logistics for tomorrow." Misato turned towards their trio of Evangelion-users. "You three head to Training Room Seven; Ritsky wants to test something."

'Training Room Seven' triggered all of the red flags. "Does...it have something to do with the Ascended State?" wondered Shinji.

"Eh? Why do we need to do anything with that?" asked Asuka with a frown. "With all three of us, what do we need to do any of that stuff for?"

"Contingencies," instantly answered Misato, with a tone that brooked no argument. She immediately started ushering the others along. "Come along, kiddos!"

"Good luck!" cheerfully echoed Kensuke and Mayumi, even as Toji and Mana gave halfhearted waves.

"...feh. I almost wish we'd gone to school," grumbled Asuka.

"Do you dislike your Ascended State that much?" wondered Shinji. (Because if that was the case, why had she even provided an offer of sparring with him, mere days ago...?)

(September the 7th: As Asuka's capabilities were displayed in a number of spars within the Metaverse, his turn came up. When he asked what they would be limited to, she remarked, "If you really want a duel in our Ascended States, then I'll be happy to school you whenever you'd like. But I want to see just how good you are with your Personas.")

(...had that merely been a bit of bravado in the moment?)

His Other rolled his eyes.

Asuka rolled her eyes, bringing him back into the present. "It's...a necessary evil, in my opinion. I hate how it makes me feel." She glanced at Shinji. "How about you, Third? Have you been able to avoid bad dreams?"

"He has not," answered Rei on his behalf. "Let us see what Dr. Akagi wants." The First Child promptly began walking away, shutting down the conversation before it could go anywhere.

Asuka and Shinji shared a complicated expression before following her.

Upon arriving in Training Room Seven, Ritsuko Akagi quickly walked them through what she wanted. "We don't know what the capacities will be of the Angel you face tomorrow," she explained over the intercom. "It could be quite possible that you face more than one, so it's important to ensure there will be no negative feedback if one or more of you decide to trigger your Overdrive at the same time."

"I don't get how sparring in our Ascended States is going to leave us in good shape for tomorrow," complained Asuka.

"You won't be; this is strictly a means of determining if there will be any adverse effects to you triggering Overdrive nearby. We're reasonably confident that two are fine based on past performance; we don't want to risk a situation where three Overdrives at once will render any of you insensate, or worse."

Asuka, alas, couldn't complain about that without coming off as unreasonable. "Hmph..."

"It is important to test this," said Rei, looking at her fellows with a detached gaze. She quietly backed away to the middle of a wall, resting one hand upon her womb. "Let us know when you are ready, Dr. Akagi."

"Ikari, Sohryu: retreat to the opposite corners. You will engage your Overdrives on my mark."

"...fine, I guess," muttered Asuka as she walked away.

Shinji dutifully retreated, feeling a strange bit of trepidation about this whole situation. When he had last activated the Ascended State in this room — on August the 28th, what felt like so long ago already — it had brought about strange sensations and visions. When he had last used it, on September the 2nd, at Himmel...well, the debriefing of that battle spoke for itself. I...I won't lose myself again, he swore, resting a hand upon his head.

Asuka, resting a hand over her heart, asked "Okay, I'm ready whenever!"

"Three...two...one...mark."

Even as the air around Rei and Asuka shifted, Shinji's awareness was drawn to himself, almost to the exclusion of everything else...

xxxx

The Beast of Rei Ayanami stared at her counterparts.

"All of us...in a single place...I am sorry, that my weakness has brought this upon you..."

The Beast of Asuka Langley-Sohryu shook her head.

"Fear not. This was the risk we accepted..."

The Beast of Shinji Ikari, however, laughed.

"Remnants of our final states! Little wonder, that you would weaken me so."

The Beast of Asuka snarled.

"Foul Destroyer! I have lingered for good reason; you, however, deserve to be buried. I know you not."

The Beast of Shinji sneered.

"Is that a fact? If I am 'Destroyer', then you know why...ye, the failed 'Protector'."

The Beast of Asuka stood tall.

"I have acknowledged my failure...we both have. It is only because of the nature of this world that you are even here at all...so tread lightly."

The Beast of Shinji could only grin at her bravado.

The Beast of Rei simply stood apart, serving as a witness.

xxxx

...and as mind and body and spirit aligned, he looked towards Rei Ayanami; just like before, there was Evangelion, Human, and Persona: Zerogoki, Rei, and Lilith, without contradiction.

He looked towards Asuka Langley-Sohryu, expecting the same: Nigoki, with four green eyes, clad in red and white armor; Asuka Langley-Sohryu herself, wearing a crimson bodysuit with distinctive barrettes holding her hair up in a familiar(?) style; Matilda, watching with a small yet knowing smile. Yet...for some reason...the eyepatch from her Metaverse outfit was overshadowing her human self-

xx

Another place. Another time. A time and place that was not his own, but another's.

She struggled against nine giants, at the grand stage upon which the fate of the world was decided.

xx

-except it wasn't actually an eyepatch, it was a mere illusion, disguising a raw and bloody wound-

xx

Yet, at the very pinnacle, where triumph was just within reach...

A great spear, piercing her left eye.

The nine giants, rising from defeat, grinned with wicked intent.

xx

-and then he could not help but witness after-images of hands and teeth and spears-

xx

They tore her to pieces.

Yet...she...still...tried...to rise...

And so she was rewarded, with lances piercing her from the heavens.

xx

-and so returned the despair and the agony, followed by a lingering rage rooted somewhere deep that he could not identify...!

"Third."

Shinji's eyes focused, darting towards the voice. Asuka was standing in front of him, staring with irritation...confusion...empathy(?)...confused empathy? She seemed unaware of why she had even approached him. "Sohryu-san..." (That seemed...unfitting.) "Asuka...?"

"You look like you're about to lose it. Are you able to handle it?"

The more she spoke, the more grounded he was within the moment. (The visions, whatever their origin, were not present; they were not relevant to the moment. She was here, alive, and without injury.) "I...I'm fine."

"Good. This Ascended State won't do much good if you can't keep your head."

Her voice, still full of confidence, was affected by something which Shinji could not believe. "Are you...crying?" he could not help but ask.

The empowered girl impulsively backed away, her teeth clenching tightly as she immediately wiped at her eyes. "Always happens when I Ascend. It's why I hate using it, because I don't know why I feel like Scheiße." As she continued backing away, she growled, "Okay; are we done?!" she yelled in the direction of the reinforced window separating them from Operations.

Ritsuko's answer was immediate. "I want you all to maintain this state for as long as possible. I want to at least have a baseline for future reference."

"Understood," said Rei, speaking on everyone's behalf.

Asuka huffed, saying nothing more. She looked once more in Shinji's direction before turning away, staring at some unidentified point on the ceiling.

Shinji exhaled, trying his best to maintain control...even as a part of him wondered what had just happened.

xxxx

Shortly after classes let out at 1:45 PM, Hikari Horaki — already thinking ahead to taking refuge for the new moon tomorrow — found herself walking beside an unusual yet familiar character through the Academy Courtyards. "Nagisa-san?"

"It feels odd, with our roommates being absent...doesn't it?" Kaworu remarked, walking with hands in his pockets. "Even though we were absent from school for over a month, it's intriguing how quickly we can adapt to being back amongst our fellows..." With a curious gleam in his eyes, he asked, "How has it been, being roommates with Ayanami-san, Asuka-chan, and Mayumi-chan?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, it's not exactly a secret that you've roomed with two Evangelion-users and the president of the Literature Club. People gossip...plus, my roommates are Shinji-kun, Kensuke-kun, and Toji-kun."

"Ah. That makes sense," murmured Hikari. "Ayanami-san and Yamagishi-san are...fine. As for Sohryu-san..." She swiftly suppressed her honest opinion, and stuck to what was most true. "I think she's having difficulties adapting to Japan. I hope she eventually gets better." No, that sounds too judgmental-

"Are you sure?"

Hikari blinked, looking at Nagisa with confusion. "Huh?"

"That Asuka-chan 'gets better'?" he asked. "What does she need to get better at? Most of the students have seemed rather enamored with her...and I've heard no complaints from my roommates about her behavior. Not what I would call 'true' complaints, at any rate."

"...true complaints?" she echoed.

"Well, compared to how often Toji-kun, Kensuke-kun, and Kiryu-chan remark about my behavior, Asuka-chan comes off quite well by comparison."

"That's...not a fair comparison-"

"What exactly are the difficulties you have with Asuka-chan?"

Hikari wondered why she inwardly felt flat-footed; this was hardly an interrogation. (After all, she had actually gone through police questioning with Agent Kurosawa back during August!) "I mean...I don't-"

"People gossip," he repeated, as if stating an obvious truth. "Others in your class have talked quite frankly about the personality clash ongoing between you and the new transfer student. Most people assume you'll eventually win because you're the Class Representative of 2-A, but others are quite intrigued by Asuka-chan's apparent defiance." Tilting his head, he asked, "Is that why she irritates you?"

"...she doesn't irritate me," Hikari insisted. "She's had to make an adjustment to the way things are in Japan; I can't blame her for feeling frustrated."

"And yet you expect her to eventually fall in line, I assume. What if she doesn't?"

Hikari huffed, ignoring the odd tingling deep within. "Nagisa-san...I have to get home and help my family prepare for tomorrow. If you have a point, could you please make it?"

"Ah, no need to be so testy," he said, with hands raised in defense. "I'm simply an advocate for love and peace amongst my fellows, Hikari-chan; but if Asuka-chan was privately tutored before coming here as she claims to be, then I highly doubt education will be an issue for her. So why press it?"

"Because..." It felt weird to say out loud, but it was only Nagisa; it wasn't like anyone would take anything seriously from him. And besides, for all his reputation as a pervert, no one had ever accused him of spreading secrets. "...because school is something important for everyone. There's an order to it. Something nice, predictable...and normal. A lot of people rely on that, even if they don't say it out loud. So I do my best to keep the sense of normality going."

(Because it's not like there's another place in your life where normality reigns...)

Kaworu quietly pondered her words, looking strangely intrigued. "Hmm...a very interesting admission."

"It...it is?"

"Indeed. Is school the only place where you feel normal?"

Hikari couldn't help how pathetic her gulping sounded. "I'll...I'll be going now, Nagisa-san." She quickly bowed. "Be safe tomorrow." She quickly turned away, fighting the urge to run away.

(It still felt like she was fleeing.)

(Because you hate how such a goofy, airheaded deviant could somehow see right through you...)

xx

Kaworu hummed to himself, pondering the trace sensations he had observed from within Hikari Horaki. (An ancient life, tied to Minato Arisato; many more lives, tied to Minako Arisato; each one had provided insight, even if he had not been aware of it at the time. Retrospective realizations were truly something else...) "How interesting..." His preferred metaphor — a door with ten deadbolt locks — had provided interesting imagery within his room at the Izanagi Dorms; while his own door had four unlocked deadbolts, and Toji Suzuhara had six, Kensuke Aida's door had been fully opened, bearing a tangible connection of light to Shinji Ikari.

Hikari Horaki's door only had three unlocked deadbolts. The door also had the number three painted on, in Roman numerals.

"So...she is his Empress," he whispered to himself, curious as to the nature of the obvious turmoil that Horaki had blinded herself to. "Those frailties are not for me to unravel, alas..."

He considered his own memories, of the Arisatos and their comrades; he considered the trace memories of his Angelic kin, as to the allies that had fought alongside Yu Narukami and Akira Kurusu on a more or less permanent basis...specifically, their number. "Shinji-kun only has six...so he is due for at least one more." The more that the pattern held, the more all parties involved would be compelled to let things play along, hoping to maintain the status quo...and thus would Shinji Ikari have more time to reach his pinnacle. It would also potentially reduce other, unforeseen risks...plus, there was no guarantee as to how much longer Phanuel would be able to keep the Usurper distracted; especially with Sahaquiel's misanthropic thrall now out and about, acting as a wild card...ah, the irony.

I know not how Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzuhara ended up in the Metaverse to face their Shadows...and there's no guarantee such circumstances will happen again, whatever they were. Smiling to himself, Kaworu impulsively clenched and unclenched his right hand. A rare chance to put my thumb on the scales in a more constructive fashion...

With amusement in his heart and insight searing through his mind, Kaworu Nagisa turned away, taking a walk to nowhere in particular...

xxxx

After what seemed like hours of the Evangelion-users moving back and forth in Training Room Seven — testing the inherent resonance of their Ascended States, using only audio and video footage to try and draw conclusions; validating just how long they could last without fatigue setting in; and so on — Dr. Ritsuko Akagi finally called it quits, if only so they could give the MAGI time to parse the data.

Which meant time in The Tube™.

Shinji Ikari, lightly resting against the side of the cylinder, could only wonder as to why the MAGI had chosen another English singer.

"...aren't you glad you're you?" crooned the voice of Bing Crosby.

"They always do this on the day before a new moon," murmured Shinji, glancing over at the terminal where Ritsuko was working. Rei Ayanami was currently undergoing a detailed session with some of the staff psychiatrists to determine if there were any latent effects of staying in Overdrive for so long; Asuka Langley-Sohryu was much the same, except focusing on the physical side of things with the staff physicians. After this, the trio would rotate, until all three of them were cleared. "I wonder why...?"

"Who knows, but congratulations on basic pattern recognition," murmured Ritsuko, a cigarette lightly dangling from her lips. Under her breath, she said, "Some outliers for alpha and delta waves, but nothing beyond our thresholds..."

Shinji looked at her, wondering if she intended to come across so snappily. Instead, he asked, "Where are the other technicians?"

"Busy coordinating with other departments and the A.T. Task Force for tomorrow," she replied. "It's more grunt work than this sort of thing, and I can take care of the analysis myself; they were more needed elsewhere."

That made sense. "Huh..." As he spoke, the song had gotten to another part of the lyrics.

"And when you wake up each morn, aren't you glad that you were born? Think what you've got the whole day through...aren't you glad you're you?"

By now, Shinji noticed that the 'aren't you glad you're you' part had repeated for every verse except the chorus, but the audio quality was such that he couldn't quite parse English words and their meaning.

Ritsuko, however, certainly did, judging by her snort. "Cute." Quietly, she added, "A very inventive way of kicking me in the face, mother..."

Shinji, however, could not help but note her bitter tone. "Dr. Akagi...?"

"I went through HEROD's logs," she said, changing the subject. "An interesting question asked, about who amongst your group of friends you'd side with in a dispute."

"...do you have any insight to that question?"

"Well, who's your favorite?" asked Ritsuko.

Shinji impulsively balked. "I don't have a favorite-"

"Oh come on, everyone has a favorite. You can't have more than one best friend, after all. And amongst your friends, your colleagues, your peers, or even your enemies...some get on your nerves more than others. It's a fact of life." She said it very plainly, as though it were an absolute truth.

"...I'm not sure it can be quantified that easily, though," he said, by way of quiet protest. "Because my friends aren't the same. The things I like about them and the things I...dislike about them," which felt weird to say, because phrasing it as 'dislike' seemed like the wrong word, "are different."

"And I'm sure the MAGI would be able to quantify it if you asked them."

"But I'm not the MAGI." With a strange insight based on his prior interactions with Dr. Akagi, he asked, "I mean...correct me if I'm wrong, but you wouldn't have the MAGI make decisions for your personal life, would you?"

Ritsuko was quiet. Unnervingly so, even as she typed at her keyboard.

The silence was such that Shinji was compelled to break it. "So...have you been able to find out about what PILATE's been texting me about?" It was something he knew she had been curious about.

"No, I haven't," she shortly replied.

"...well, if you wanted to know, I could tell you," he said, as a way of easing the tension.

Alas, it was the wrong thing to see. "Do you think I need to be reminded of the fact that my mother's more interested in you than she is in me?"

"...what?" he impulsively sputtered.

"It's not like it's new, because despite being supercomputers, they've clearly maintained some sense of will and personality beyond their original state. But just like the original, they certainly don't care about me. But they certainly have time to ask you inane questions about friends, and love, and hypothetical ethical dilemmas." With emphasis, she removed her cigarette and snuffed it out in an ashtray. "But I've long accepted this. So if they just want to be computers, that's how I'll treat them."

Shinji looked at the woman, noting how — in spite of her bitter tone — her face was stoic, as if on purpose. "...but...you don't want that, do you?"

Ritsuko inhaled deeply-

(In a bit of cosmic irony, or unfortunate timing, or perhaps actual malice...the Crosby selection went to the next one in line.)

"Be honest with me dear, whatever you do...!"

-and she — as if responding to the song — suddenly snarled, "And what does what I want MATTER?" Shinji balked, even as she continued her tirade. "What does a child know about anything?! The fact you have these powers, as far as I'm concerned, is a freak accident of history, because I can't fathom that Commander Ikari would let a valuable resource just languish out in the middle of nowhere. But just because you're special doesn't make you infallible, or a genius, or someone whose opinion means shit." With utter venom dripping from every syllable, she added, "As far as I'm concerned, your only worth is in fighting the Angels and the other threats to mankind...but you can kindly drop whatever Savior Complex that power's given you and shove it."

Shinji was flabbergasted, unable to do anything but gape soundlessly.

"My relationship with my mother isn't something you can pick at; just because you miss your mother doesn't mean I miss mine...I'm a damn adult, not some project for you to try and fix."

Where was this coming from? "Dr. Akagi, I'm sorry, but-"

"Spare your apologies, Ikari-san. I'm not in the mood." Turning back to her computer, she bit out, "You'll be done in a few minutes, and then you can move on with your day."

Shinji, unknowing of where this outburst had come from, could only ponder in silence...

xxxx

And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...the Beast spoke with knowing glee.

Such is the pain, of one
who has lost their way...

Thy bond with the Moon Arcana
is now reversed.

Until thou reconcile, this path
shall be DENIED to thee...

xxxx

...and wonder where he had gone wrong. What did I say...? What should I have said...?

(And how long had such poison been percolating...?)

And all the while, the MAGI's song selection seemed both ill-suited and wickedly appropriate for the mood and the conversation they had just had.

"Wherever you wander, on land or on sea...if you really love me; be honest, with me!"

(If the MAGI were trying to say something, Ritsuko was certainly not receptive to it.)

xxxx

By the time the Evangelion-users and Team Statherós congregated in the main cafeteria of NERV later that afternoon, the Crosby selection had continued on.

"I don't believe in frettin' and grievin'; why mess around with strife? I never was cut out to step out and strut out...give me the simple life!"

"I wish I could have the simple life," griped Asuka, taking some tentative bites of her noodle stir fry. Looking over towards Shinji, she asked, "Say, Third. Did you say anything to Ritsuko Akagi? Or is she always so bitchy?"

Shinji froze. "Erm."

Rei's sigh went unnoticed as Asuka pumped her face. "I knew it. No one's that frigid!"

"What's this about Ritsky?" idly asked Misato, looking up from where she had been texting Ryuji Sakamoto about tomorrow's new moon operations.

"Well..." Shinji gave a heavily abridged version of what he and Ritsuko had talked about. "I...honestly wasn't trying to make her upset, honest."

"It's not your fault Shinji-kun; Ritsuko's relationship with her mother was...is...complicated." Sighing mournfully, she rubbed at the bridge of her nose, as if realizing something new had just fallen into her lap. "I'll talk with her about...we're kind of overdue for catching up anyhow..."

"Can you tell her to improve her bedside manner while you're at it?" asked Toji.

"And to lighten up on my workload as her intern?" pleaded Kensuke.

"Hey, I'm not a miracle worker," griped Misato. She gave a meaningful look to both Mayumi and Shinji(?) before rising. "I've got a cluster of rooms arranged for you kids in NERV's barracks; Mayumi-chan has the numbers."

"Understood," said Yamagishi, who quietly rose to put away her bowl. "I'll make sure everything's in order."

As the long-haired girl left, Asuka looked around with confusion. "The barracks? Are we staying here overnight?"

"Standard procedure," remarked Mana. "I think."

"Makes it easier for us to coordinate the moment the new moon emerges," explained Kensuke. "Of course, we're likely going to split up based on needs..."

"...well, I guess it's not that big of a deal," relented the Second Child. "Think I'll go and make sure I have at least some of my things..." Without warning, she suddenly dissolved into static before vanishing.

"That'll never not be freaky," grumbled Toji, slurping up the last of his noodles with emphasis.

As they began wrapping up minutes later, Shinji suddenly received some messages directed solely to his phone.

M. Yamagishi: Here are the room numbers.
M. Yamagishi: *attached photo image*
M. Yamagishi: Also, can you make sure everyone follows you as a group? Katsuragi-san came through.

Shinji blinked.

S. Ikari: with what?
M. Yamagishi: the thing you texted us both about this morning? oo;
S. Ikari: about Aida-san?

Shinji blinked again. Oh...oh!

S. Ikari: did Misato-san coordinate with the others?
M. Yamagishi: she made sure to meet privately with myself, Mana-san, Suzuhara-san, Ayanami-san, and Sohryu-san throughout the day
M. Yamagishi: everything is set up
M. Yamagishi: Aida-san doesn't know

...well, at least we'll be able to end today on a high note, thought Shinji, as he went to deposit his dirty bowl with the staff. "Please follow me."

Kensuke looked up, distracted from his strategizing with Toji, Mana, and Rei (well, mostly the first two). "We'll be there in a bit!"

Ah...come on, think. (Shinji was knowledgeable enough to come up with a reasonable counterargument.) "Wouldn't it be better to strategize in a place where no one could hear us?"

Toji looked around at the various NERV employees, frowning at the explanation. "They're working with us, right? And we're already talking."

That's...a good point. (Shinji was just charismatic enough to be convincing.) "My father is the head of NERV; would you want to make plans while he was listening?"

"That is a good point," remarked Rei, unintentionally(?) backing him up. "The capabilities of the Angels are varied; even if we are capable of facing them, they may be capable of sensing intentions and stray thoughts from those unaware."

"...you know, you make a fantastic point," remarked Kensuke, rising to his feet. "Lead the way, Shinji!"

Shinji inwardly sighed with relief as he led the quartet away from the cafeteria, eventually leading them to an elevator that would take them to the floor with the barracks. They eventually made their way to three rooms located side-by-side; Shinji stopped by the central door, gesturing towards Kensuke. "After you...birthday boy...?"

His awkward intonation of 'birthday boy' made Kensuke snort. "Sure thing, but don't mind-" He opened the door, stepping in. "-if I...do?" Kensuke stared. "The heck...?"

Instead of the nondescript furniture, two large television stands had been placed side-by-side, with dance pads sitting in front of them, connected to old video game consoles. Situated on the small table in front of the couch was a small pile of gift-wrapped parcels (some done immaculately, others...not so much), next to various plates laden with finger foods and snacks.

Mayumi shared a glance with Shinji, before they both chorused, "Happy birthday!"

"Well heck, you guys didn't tell me?" protested Toji, wrapping an arm around a still-shocked Kensuke. "I know Katsuragi grabbed my gift, but I didn't know you two were in the loop! How come I wasn't in on it?!"

"...I think Aida-san would have known something was up if we had told you," admitted Mayumi with a flustered expression.

"No offense, Suzuhara-san," said Shinji.

"...eh, that's fair," admitted Toji.

Kensuke was still downright flummoxed.

"...can we go in?" asked Mana, eyeing a platter of sweets with a curious eye.

Kensuke was nudged into the room by Shinji and Rei, his face still stuck into a stunned expression. It wasn't until his seat met the couch that he had the words. "Guys...I said you didn't have to-"

"And they ignored you," interrupted Toji, already joining Mana at the various snack platters. "And since Katsuragi helped get this set up, she clearly approved!"

"...but-"

Asuka, staring intently at the game consoles with a critical eye, remarked, "Protesting isn't going to change anything, you know?"

Her offhand comment was apparently enough for Kensuke to relent, as he leaned back with a wide-eyed expression. "...thanks, guys."

"So...how is it being fourteen?" asked Shinji out of curiosity.

"I don't know; same as it was yesterday. How did you react to turning fourteen?"

"...well, I arrived in Tokyo-3 and manifested my Evangelion for the first time...and blew up a rail car as a result..." Shinji halfheartedly shrug. "Poorly, I guess?"

Kensuke snorted, treating his comment as a joke. "That's putting it mildly!" With a pair of chopsticks, he quickly swiped a dumpling, chewing with happiness now that he was more or less accepting of the current turn of events.

"So...do we eat first? Or do we do presents first?" asked Mana, who was already nibbling on a cookie.

"I vote for presents!" exclaimed Toji, grabbing his box first. "Starting with my gift, for obvious reasons."

When Kensuke unwrapped the parcel, he blinked at the sight of something...unexpected(?). "A camcorder?"

"Asked Sakamoto-sensei for some ideas," said Toji without a whit of shame. "I mean, given everything that's happened to us, being able to record memories and junk is...well, it's important." The younger man scratched at the back of his head. "Because...you never know. You know?"

(Mana tilted her head, looking at Mayumi. "How can he know if he never knows?" Mayumi merely smiled knowingly, promising to explain later.)

Kensuke seemed to get it. "...yeah. I do." He reached out a hand, vigorously shaking Toji's. "Thanks." He quickly fiddled with it as though he were an old pro, inserting batteries and getting it set up. "Seems pretty intuitive..."

Shinji smiled slightly, feeling a strange sense of completeness from the image before him. (As if Kensuke Aida with a camcorder was...natural.)

"Anyhow...now that I'm narrating the tale of my surprisingly nice birthday," said Kensuke, providing voiceover for his own camera as he scanned the room. "Let's move onto the next present!"

Rei was next: her present was a selection of various straps and chains that he could attach to his glasses, so as to keep them from falling off during strenuous activity. "It is...practical."

"And appreciated!" exclaimed Kensuke with a genuine grin. "Thanks, Ayanami-san."

Next was Mana. "Given everything, it's always good to be stronger," explained Mana, as Kensuke stared at the pair of five-kilo dumbbells he had unwrapped. "And when I asked Katsuragi a simple way to get more muscle, she said dumbbells are always nice."

"...five kilograms, huh...?" said Kensuke with a strangely hollow tone, even as Toji barely managed to contain his snickering in the background. (Even Asuka was chuckling under her breath.) "I mean...you could have gone heavier..."

Mana blinked. "But you're always calling yourself a support character, and the supporting cast in Featherman Z generally aren't that strong. So I figured these would be good for you."

(Scratch that, Toji was audibly laughing now, even as Mayumi tried to shush him.)

Kensuke, alas, maintained some measure of youthful bravado. "I appreciate it...really! I'll put them to good use." Mana's smile, small as it was, was genuine enough that even Kensuke couldn't feel bad about it.

Asuka's gift was next. "Ah, the last resort of all desperate gift-givers," narrated Kensuke, holding up a shiny piece of plastic. "...a gift card."

"I've literally known you less than a week," grumbled Asuka. "Be grateful I got you anything at all!"

"Does this mean whenever your birthday comes around, a gift card would be acceptable?" quipped Kensuke.

The mulish expression that spread across Asuka's face was captured for posterity.

Mayumi was next up; her gift was wrapped nicely, with rather exquisite paper. Within was an old hardcover book, but the title was distinctive enough. "A collection of translated stories about...Sinbad the Sailor...?" Kensuke looked up with surprise, his hand impulsively holding up the camera.

Mayumi, flushing red — apparently embarrassed to be on camera, maybe? — replied, "W-Well...just like with how Ikari-san has been learning about his Persona through Shakespeare...I figured you would appreciate some material on your Persona. Maybe get some inspiration." She folded her hands behind her back, fidgeting with nervousness. "I hope you appreciate it."

"...yeah. I think I will," said Kensuke, giving her a thumbs-up. "Thank you!"

Mayumi smiled, looking strangely pleased with herself. I wonder what that's about, mused Shinji. Huh...

"And last but not least!" exclaimed Kensuke, whipping his camera around into Shinji's face. "So: I don't see another gift on the table. What have you got in store for my illustrious birthday?"

Toji rolled his eyes. "Sure didn't take long for him stop griping about celebrating his birthday..."

Shinji, blinking at his distorted reflection in the lens. "Oh. Well...it's something I haven't gotten to yet...but I was thinking about getting something to upgrade your Naptime Bolter...?" Left unsaid was that it would require a visit to the Velvet Room, because a certain redhead wasn't in the loop. (When would she be brought into it...?) "Does...that sound good?"

"I mean, it's kind of rude to rate gifts in front of the gift-giver," joked Kensuke. "But I will eagerly anticipate my new crossbow!"

Asuka looked in Shinji's direction with a strange curiosity. "A weapon upgrade...? What, you some kind of blacksmith or something? Got any other talents you'd like to show off?"

xx

...

xx

Shinji raised a hand defensively. "I mean, it's not quite like that..."

xx

..."focus"...

xx

"...it's...more...like..." Shinji trailed off, wondering about the strange and familiar feeling in the air.

(Little did he know, but Rei's eyes sharpened out of alarm.)

xx

..."gotta...make it...to...the party...!"

xx

For the briefest of moments, a spectral blue door appeared above the couch; in that brief instant, it opened, dropping a silver-haired girl in blue right next to Kensuke. As it vanished in the blink of an eye, the yellow-eyed girl held up a plate holding a bizarre-looking cake. "HAPPY BIRFDAY!" cheered Sokila.

There was impulsive yelping at the girl's sudden arrival; Toji, Mayumi, and Asuka all leapt back with astonishment; Kensuke scooted to the side of the couch in alarm.

Rei went silent. (Inwardly, she forced her soul and mind to churn, to drown out the signal noise of the Velvet Room's intrusion.)

Shinji merely stared, bewildered.

Mana continued eating her cookie, looking perplexed by everyone's shock. "Why's everyone alarmed? It's just the Sokila kid."

"...wait, you sensed her coming?" asked Mayumi.

"Yeah." Mana tapped AIGIS and LABRYS, where they were settled against the table. "Kinda like how Ikari and Ayanami and Sohryu feel when they use their Evangelions, or like how the Angels feel...except different. Plus, after going to that place," she said by way of referencing the Velvet Room (with a remarkable display of discretion), "that kind of feeling is hard to ignore. But Sokila's cool, so why worry?" She punctuated her point by devouring the rest of her cookie.

"...I guess that makes sense," muttered Toji, looking at the diminutive girl with a grimace. "Could at least have given us a warning."

"But I heard it was his birfday!" exclaimed Sokila, before screwing her face up. "Wait...birthday. Birth. Day...yeah!" Having corrected herself, she held up her plate, which held a cake that appeared to be made of...

"...are those Jack Frosts?" murmured Kensuke with a curious eye, staring at the suspiciously familiar patterns in the cake itself. "And is that frosting made of...Kodamas...?"

"Yep! I got help from my senpai!" exclaimed Sokila, her wild movements causing the cake to jiggle. (As if it were a figment of the imagination, a pleased "Hee~" echoed through the air, followed by a resigned "Ho...") "Because you have to have cake at birthdays! It's a law!"

"...not that I'm disagreeing, but I'm uncertain as to whether or not eating food made of Archetypes is a good idea." Kensuke prodded the cake with an experimental finger. "...it feels like a cake..."

Mana promptly grabbed a piece, tearing off a bit of frosting and leavened flour(?) and eating it before anyone could stop her. "...it tastes sweet. I think it's good."

"That's not exactly scientific," murmured Mayumi.

Shinji, looking at Sokila's pleading gaze, cleared his throat. "I doubt that her...senpais...would let Sokila-chan make something that's harmful to us," he offered by way of consolation. "I think it's fine...and that it's sweet she wanted to give Kensuke something for his birthday."

Sokila grinned happily. "Yeah!"

"...Was zum Teufel ist hier los? Wer ist sie?!" The German hissing, quiet yet harsh, brought everyone's attention towards Asuka; she was against the wall, looking at everyone as if they had lost their minds. "A girl just appears out of nowhere, and none of you are questioning it?!"

"...oh, right," blubbered Toji out of realization. "Sohryu's never met her, has she?"

...oh. That was awkward. How do we explain this? (The immediate option of telling Asuka about the Velvet Room was thrown out; not because of any animus against the Second Child, but because the time just didn't feel right.) Everyone looked uncertain, whilst Sokila had gone strangely still, looking at the redhead with an expression he could only call 'purposefully stoic'.

Fortunately, Rei Ayanami provided them all with an out. "She is a denizen of the Metaverse...just like I was," she explained, referring to the public story of her own origins.

"...another human from the cognitive world..." muttered Asuka, looking intensely paranoid. "So...what? She an Evangelion-user? A NERV asset?"

"She's only interested in helping out Shinji, as far as we know," said Kensuke, as if shrugging it off. "She just...kind of showed up, one day."

Which is TECHNICALLY true, mused Shinji, as he intentionally moved to the other side of the couch, sitting beside his Attendant. "She's an ally...and a friend." Her patted her on the head, ignoring the strange trill of contentment as Sokila leaned into it. "She doesn't mean you harm, Sohryu-san."

Asuka, still looking perturbed, looked at the girl once more, then at everyone else. As the seconds trickled past, her hackles eventually lowered. "...this is strange...but I guess I'll just have to deal with it."

"...you can have some of the cake too," said Sokila, as if by way of apology.

Asuka could only sigh. ("Way to make me feel like a heel," she grumbled under her breath.) "Well...free cake is free cake."

Sokila's smile was small, yet grateful.

"Plus," said Kensuke with a trollish grin, "She says her dad is God, so you might want to be careful, or else you'll get smited!"

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and my assistant Mari is a time-displaced reincarnation of Judas Iscariot."

(Elsewhere, Sister Mary Makinami violently shuddered, feeling an intense sense of revulsion: as if the very moral order of the universe had been violated in a bizarre yet arcane manner. She performed the Sign of the Cross thrice over to banish the feeling. "That was weird...")

"That seems strangely specific," said Toji with an arched eyebrow.

"I believe she made it intentionally absurd on purpose," whispered Mayumi back to him.

xxxx

As a cohort of teenagers were entertaining their impromptu visitor in the barracks, Ritsuko Akagi was staring through a haze of cigarette smoke at the monitors in her personal office.

"Geez, Ritsky; you need a gas mask just to see!"

"And I'd need scuba gear to make it through all the alcohol you drink," Ritsuko tiredly shot back, even though it was with a smile on her face.

Misato didn't take it as anything other than what it was: an old joke, from their postsecondary days. The smoke itself was standard: a slight tinge, with the odor being more noticeable than anything else. There was a faint hint of yellow near Ritsuko's desk, along with an ashtray that looked like it hadn't been emptied in days. "Mah, I'm sure you have a dedicated member of the cleaning staff just for your office..."

Ritsuko sighed. "Why are you here, Misato?"

The A.T. Agent frowned, crossing her arms as she leaned against Ritsuko's desk. "Am I not allowed to check up on my friend?" She said those words casually, almost out of habit. Yet, it was a habit she immediately regretted indulging, because it rang hollow.

"Are we?" wondered Ritsuko, even as her fingers moved with listless intentionality.

The two remained that way for minutes, it seemed, with the interminable silence broken only by the tapping of keys. The air was heavy with their shared history, of those who had known each other for a decade, by this point. Yet, as with many things, life had gotten in the way; more and more, it seemed, in the past few months.

As was the usual, Misato broke first. "When's the last time we had a night out?"

"...it was at the Melon Patch, back in the middle of spring," answered Ritsuko. "We both needed to unwind after the April New Moon, and you didn't have a work-related motive for seeing Kaji, for a change."

"It's not my fault Kaji has good intel," said Misato, before going quiet. "...I wasn't that bad, was I?"

"The only reason you two didn't wallow in sorrow and anxiety was because I was there," Ritsuko replied, leaning back in her chair. Languid, the faux blonde stretched her arms, resulting in an audible crack from her shoulders. "We actually talked about old times, and kept it at that; it was the most either of us had smiled in a long time."

Misato cracked a grin. "Yeah; reminiscing about two university studs, slumming it up with the college girl. I'm sure my very presence was a scandal."

"Not like either of us cared about such things."

With a complicated expression, Misato glanced out of the side of her eye, wondering just how much makeup Ritsuko had put on to hide the fatigue on her face. "...were you ever upset? I know Ryoji knew you before I was ever in the picture..."

Ritsuko understood that her use of Kaji's given name was an excuse to be more open. "Ryoji was a friend, but you two were inseparable in a way I envied. Why would I get in-between that?"

Misato shrugged. "I dunno; you're smarter than I am. Maybe you would have been able to see what drove him to change..."

"I think he was going to change regardless of what either of us wanted," Ritsuko replied, pulling out her cigarette to stare at the burning tip. A trail of smoke drifted upward, almost hypnotically. "If you couldn't get through to him, I certainly couldn't...but what's past is past. And I doubt you would have come to my office just to chew the fat."

"...yeah," Misato admitted. "Whatever Shinji-kun did to upset you, he wasn't trying to offend. He means well."

"I'm sure," she remarked. "Children should know when not to pry."

"Kids have a way of worming their way into spots you're not expecting."

"You'd know, wouldn't you?"

Misato frowned at the dour tone. "Come on, Ritsky, it's not proper to be jealous of a kid." She said it halfheartedly, almost like a bit; yet, when Ritsuko didn't immediately respond, Misato dug in. "Ritsuko..."

"People want to cling to things they're familiar with," murmured Ritsuko, leaning on her elbows to stare at the screens, where lines of code and data outputs seemed to blend together into an incomprehensible mess. "It's a shitty world, Misato...but even if life kept getting in the way, we had managed to carve out our own place, as sad as it was. But ever since the Third Child arrived...so much has changed."

Misato couldn't even dispute that. "I mean, the kid's a magnet for trouble."

"It's not just that. You...used to be driven, but focused. Now you've somehow all but adopted two teenage girls in as many months, and whatever you're digging into spooked Ryoji into skipping town. Notwithstanding your whole episode with getting kidnapped in June by Shiro Tokita's outfit..."

Misato tried to shrug it off, but failed. "I mean...it is what it is." Which reminded her of something, come to think of it. "Say, did anyone ever find out what happened to Shiro Tokita? He's been AWOL ever since he went missing from his cell..."

"After the Fog of Desolation? After the national government was eradicated? Tokita's honestly small fry...and don't you have enough balls in the air that you're trying to juggle?" Ritsuko remarked.

"Fair enough."

"...I just don't know how you're able to spread yourself so thin without being torn apart."

Misato saw the statement at face value, but she knew there was something deeper to be gleaned. "It's troublesome, but it hasn't been all bad..." Grabbing a nearby chair, she scooted it up to sit right besides Ritsuko. "...we know about each other's hangups. You know, with my dad, and your mom-"

"I'm not in the mood for a pop therapy session-"

"Lemme finish," interrupted Misato. "So if what Shinji-kun told me is true, the MAGI have been chatting him up. And apparently this 'PILATE' personality has been playing hard to get with you...which is a pretty shitty thing for a mom to do, even if it's just some computer-generated abstraction that's playing pretend."

Ritsuko huffed. "The MAGI don't pretend."

"Then why get upset at a kid who probably didn't ask for the supercomputers to play 'twenty questions'?"

"Because it made me feel better," she spat, without venom or energy.

Misato knew Ritsuko wasn't being flippant, which only made it worse. "...we're both adults. We're supposed to have a handle on our own shit, you know. But I'm no mind-reader...so before you feel inclined to vent your frustrations on Shinji-kun, maybe call me?"

"Sure. You'll be venting more than me, anyhow."

It was a cheap shot, but Misato couldn't even deny it. "After tomorrow, I'll pretty much be in Tokyo-3 for a more or less permanent basis because of the Warden gig...so maybe it won't be too long before we have another get-together."

"...I'll hold you to that," muttered Ritsuko, quietly snuffing out her cigarette. "...thanks."

"No problem. And...sorry."

"...just because we're adults doesn't mean we're ever going to 'have a handle on our own shit'," mused Ritsuko, leaning forward towards her computer monitors. "We're just supposed to be able to hide it better...so I'm sorry too."

It was a rather unconventional way of doing things, but convention had long ceased to have any meaning in Misato's life. "Want me to get you a bite to eat from the cafeteria?" Knowing Ritsuko, she would be plugging away for many more hours, perhaps until midnight.

"Just as long as you don't try to spice it up."

"Hey, my spices were how I made cheap college food edible."

"Which says so much about you..."

Old territory, rife with easy but well worn jokes: baked with nostalgia as they were, it was another mutual apology in and of itself.

xxxx

Rei Ayanami watched with a tense nervousness as Kensuke Aida's birthday celebration turned towards the game consoles and the connected dance pads. The silver-haired girl — who was, in a queer inversion of events, their guest at the moment — quietly poked and prodded at the snack platters, asking Shinji Ikari for permission. (He naturally obliged.)

She oft wondered if the Velvet Room's denizens considered her to be...off-putting, or perhaps cold, for treating them with such detachment.

When they cavalierly let one of their own traverse the 'real world', within the heart of NERV Headquarters, where so much of history turned?

Who could blame her for being frustrated?

Her Other and the Beast were silent.

Yet, as Sokila handed her a cookie covered in chocolate — "Sweets cause smiles, right?" Sokila asked without guile — Rei could not find it in herself to blame her. How could she?

"...thank you," she said, taking the offering. "You are...aware...of what not to say?"

Sokila nodded. "My senpais made sure to tell me." With a curious expression she suddenly asked, "Uh...how do you know...?"

"...I have my ways," she said cryptically. She wouldn't dare say more in the normal course of events...but here, in the heart of NERV, where Gendo Ikari sat? A lonesome sovereign of a kingdom she could not quite fathom the depths of? His power's nature in this time has eluded me...were it not for his wretched conviction that Ikari-kun is doomed to fail, his spite would be much more worrisome...

And yet, that dread lingered...and so she focused on ensuring her soul and mind buzzed with spiritual and mental activity, if only to crowd out the sensations of Sokila...

(Alas...)

xxxx

Gendo Ikari sat quietly within his office, observing the cognitive patterns of the world, trying to determine where the most likely strikes of the Angels would be. Tokyo-3, he knew, would be targeted by at least one (especially with three Evangelion-users)...but who? He pondered if the joint military operation would manage to snare Strega tomorrow, just as he wondered what other countries would be targeted by the Angels.

It was with all this in mind that the tiny little video feed in the corner of his left monitor, displaying a rather crowded unit of the barracks floor, filled with children...in more than ways than one.

"A strange bit of cognitive manipulation," mused Gendo, focusing upon the little girl in blue. "It's as if my mind is convinced no one is there, yet they are undeniably present: a unique presence, not quite rooted in mind or matter..." Though minute by comparison to the presence of the Evangelion-users, the uniqueness was undeniable...and the girl's presence echoed of a familiar power.

A power that was quite obvious to him, in this place.

His Other laughed to scorn.

"The fool...who would dare to deceive us in our seat of power?"

He quietly ran a hand through the dirt; the action unsettled whole foundations.

"After all...this city is MINE..."

"Yes," he murmured, speaking aloud to himself. "In the real world...Tokyo-3 was unquestionably seen as my domain...so much so, that overwhelming force was deemed necessary to usurp me." It would have all been futile, had it not been for...well, that was an old tale by now. "An impression so omnipresent, so ubiquitous, so common knowledge...that it always carries over..."

A pity that Rei's paranoia had blinded her to the truth; it would undoubtedly come to haunt her before long.

Yet things were progressing as expected. Let the children play for as long as they dared; it would matter not in the end.

Gendo's eyes briefly lingered upon Shinji Ikari — upon his content smile, mixed with uncertain anxiety — before he cut the feed.

xxxx

Asuka knew that everyone was hiding something from her.

Which made sense, given that it apparently involved a human resident of the cognitive world. That sort of thing was unusual. And clearly they hadn't tried to advertise the girl's presence, otherwise they wouldn't have acted so oddly. And Rei's obviously concerned, because she's acting so damn fidgety!

The Beast stared quietly at Ayanami's Beast.

"There is such a thing as trying too hard..."

Even so, the entire situation was niggling at her in a way she couldn't quite fathom. Even Kensuke and Toji's attempts at dancing — more like flailing — weren't enough to distract her; it was annoying.

It probably had something to do with the strange girl, staring at her from across the couch with those peculiar yellow eyes.

Asuka glanced around; Rei was leaning against the opposite wall, while the others had largely congregated around the two television sets. The Third Child kept glancing in her direction, as if worried something was going to happen. Sheesh, no faith, huh? It's not like I'd do anything...unless the girl was a threat. Like an Alice Archetype, or something. Her eyes flicked to the other end of the couch, where the girl had shifted closer. She's like a cat. Asuka intentionally looked away, resting her chin in her hand; sure enough, the subtle vibrations of a body scooting closer could be felt through the couch cushions. Not exactly subtle, either, which was a strangely amusing thought.

After a few more seconds of affected ignorance, Asuka looked back over, where the girl had scooted closer. "Ah. Sneaky," she said, pretending to be shocked.

The girl yelped, looking astonished. "Oh! Um...I didn't scare you, did I?"

...well, she's apparently more like an ACTUAL child than I gave her credit for. "Nope."

"Oh. Well...good! I don't want you to feel bad..."

"Why would I feel bad?" Asuka honestly wondered.

"...because...um..." The girl frowned, as if curious about her own feelings. "...I'm...uh..."

Ugh, spare me. "Look, kid...they said your name was Sokila, right?"

"Yeah! I mean, yes! Um...yes. Ma'am?" The girl honestly seemed downright flustered. "Mmph...I'm being stupid..."

"Why?"

The girl looked up with a pouty expression. "'Cause I'm introducing myself! And I'm messing it up! 'Cause you're a friend of Mister Ikari, and I don't want to mess things up..."

...urgh. She is sickeningly sweet. The sheer earnestness was honestly somewhat unnerving. "Look, kiddo; whatever beef I have with other people is with them. If I ever have any beef with you, it'll just be between us."

"...but I like beef!" exclaimed Sokila with emphasis. "I had a beef bowl for the first time not too long ago, with Mister Ikari and Birthday Boy and Meanie!"

Asuka blinked. "...well, beef is nice," she admitted. "But my point is this: if you somehow irritate or upset me, I won't take it out on 'Mister Ikari'." He irritates me enough just on his own without help. "Does that sound fair?"

"...I guess..." Almost without prompting, she pointed at her head. "I like your hair. It's red! And long! It's pretty!"

Asuka, impulsively huffing with pleasure, ran her fingers through her tresses. "Well, of course it is." With informal ease, she patted the girl on the head, ruffling her already messy hair. "I bet if you grew your hair long, it'd be pretty too. Not often you run into people with hair that's naturally silver or gray...unless it's dyed. Is it dyed?"

"Nuh uh," murmured Sokila, feeling at her hair with a flushed expression. "...never thought of havin' long hair..." She looked up with those haunting yellow eyes, looking oddly vulnerable hair. "...you think I would still look like me...?"

Asuka huffed, finding the irrational fear to be strangely cute. "I mean, hair is hair. Whatever it is, you gotta own it."

"...but I already own my hair...?" Sokila said, giving her own hair some experimental tugs. "It's mine, isn't it...?"

...how is it that a strange Metaverse kid is more tolerable than actual teenagers in my age group...ah right, I answered my own question. Asuka rolled her eyes, ruffling the girl's hair once more. "Don't think about it too hard."

"...m'kay..." Strangely, the girl didn't protest the presence of Asuka's hand.

xx

Shinji kept glancing every so often towards the couch, hoping that Asuka's standoffish attitude towards Sokila would fade by virtue of exposure.

Fortunately, it seemed that she was already warming up to his Attendant. That's good...though, it's not like anyone could actually stay mad at Sokila-chan...

xx

The party continued, and some of the games had gotten...intense.

"Why does this feel more impressive than actually fighting a tough monster in the Metaverse?" asked Toji with an arched eyebrow, watching as Rei and Mana competed on a paradoxical song: relaxing instruments with a high tempo. Rei moved with relaxed confidence, while Mana's moves were sharp and heavy: both of their legs were proverbial blurs on their dance pads.

"Because in a way, it is. They're literally compensated for fighting cognitive beasts and spiritual anomalies," remarked Kensuke, testing out his camcorder to record the contest. "This? This is voluntarily. This...is art."

"...I wouldn't go so far as that," remarked Mayumi, who was nonetheless watching with rapt interest.

Shinji was personally wondering if either of the two were tapping into their inherent abilities, because it's not like they had the time or the inclination to practice these sorts of dancing games. Toji's right though; this is impressive.

Asuka was watching with a stern expression, even as Sokila's head bobbed up and down excitedly.

Finally, when the song ended, Rei's score was just that much higher; Mana didn't seem too put out by that. "I never knew games could be such good cardio," she mused, huffing with satisfaction. "Are all games like this? Because gamers must be pretty strong then..."

"...eh...not as a rule," said Kensuke, even as Mayumi shook her head.

"Welp, it's time to show my stuff," said Asuka with a boastful tone. "Third, you're up!"

Shinji blinked. "Eh? Me?"

"I mean, who else would I challenge?" With hands on her hips, she added, "Our honor is at stake."

"...is it, though?"

Asuka's eyes narrowed. "Come on, you can afford to show some spine for a harmless little game!"

"...isn't this supposed to be for fun?" wondered Mayumi.

"Go, Mister Ikari!" cheered Sokila, her eyes sparkling with sheer glee. "Oh, but I hope you have fun too, Miss Sohryu!"

Asuka huffed, stretching her legs as she browsed the song selection. "Ah, one's named after Beethoven? Good...all the more reason for me to win."

"...oh that's right, Beethoven was German, wasn't he?" idly pondered Shinji out loud, even as he wondered how well he could go without his Evangelion. Besides, it's just a dance game.

Asuka, selecting the Beethoven-flavored dance remix and cranking the difficulty up to the highest level. "Prepare to lose, Third! And if you feel the need to go into your Ascended State to win...that'll be my victory by default."

Shinji blinked. "...why would I do that?"

For some reason, this made Asuka frown, even as she started the song.

Shinji never expected that he'd be hearing a peppy remix of Für Elise, but apparently life was just full of surprises. Amidst the colorful background and frantic imagery, he tried to focus on matching the arrows as they scrolled across the screen, moving his legs with an almost frantic energy. (Had his vigor been anything less than dynamic, he'd have probably called it quits not even twenty seconds in...!)

He chanced a glance to his right, blinking with surprise at how Asuka had apparently decided to look at him at the same time. With a frustrated growl, she turned back to the song, focusing on moving her feet with speed and quickness.

Shinji opted to skip certain arrows if they were too close together, prioritizing maintaining a steady rhythm instead of hitting all of the 'notes'. Yet the pace and effort was utterly ridiculous...!

The song lasted less than ninety seconds. Yet, by the end, both Shinji and Asuka were resting their hands on their knees, breathing heavily and gasping for air. The screen flashed a colorful 'B' score for both himself and Asuka. "...huh...not...bad..."

"Speak...for...yourself..." griped Asuka. "Again..."

"I wanna go!" cheered Sokila, playfully shoving Shinji in the legs with such force that he was pushed into Asuka. It was only the intervention of Rei that kept them from sprawling onto the floor in a heap.

"Thanks," murmured Shinji, grateful for Rei keeping them aloft and separate.

"It is no problem," calmly replied the First Child as Asuka moved away with an irritated huff.

Yet, as Mayumi helped the silver-haired girl make her musical selection, the Second Child apparently couldn't maintain her frustration. "Eh...I guess the kid gets a turn." Looking at Shinji with a casual glance, she offhandedly remarked, "I'll beat you next round."

"...it's Kensuke's birthday. It doesn't have to be a contest..." moaned Shinji.

This only seemed to vex the girl even further. "You're hopeless..." By this time, Mayumi's worried tone caught their attention. "Hm?"

"-you're absolutely sure?" said Mayumi with concern.

"Yeah! I've been training with Elizabeth-senpai! I gotta show that I can do stuff by myself!" exclaimed Sokila, hands held high with excitement.

"...well, I guess it can't hurt to at least let you try," said Mayumi, looking warily at the song with the highest difficulty rating.

Kensuke laughed, holding his camcorder up to record everything. "It's important to have ambition," he narrated.

The next two minutes were literally unforgettable, as classical string instruments played alongside electronic noise and hectic drums in a discordant rhythm: the scrolling arrows sped up and slowed down seemingly at random, with such tempo that Sokila's bare feet sounded like tap dancing shoes, nay, like bullets fired from a machine gun! The young child's eyes seemed to glow with fire as she moved with impossible energy, appearing as a living blur to the eyes of stunned teenagers.

By the end, as the screen flashed a flawless 'AAA' score, Sokila — heavily breathing as one who had just run a marathon — turned towards Shinji and Asuka with an excited expression, unaware of how her feet had all but torn apart the dance pad. "I did it!"

"...you sure did," murmured Shinji with wide eyes.

("Nine hundred and twenty-five steps in a hundred and twenty seconds," narrated Kensuke with utter shock.)

(Toji and Mayumi were agog. Even Rei seemed surprised.)

("Cool," blithely said Mana.)

"I'm a big girl!" Sokila tiredly cheered, as if trying to argue the point. "I'm tough! Right...?"

"...of course you are," acknowledged Shinji.

Sokila's ensuing grin was so wide that it physically hurt to look at.

Then she promptly collapsed to the floor, unceremoniously and without warning; cute yet audible snoring ensued, to everyone's relief.

"...she tuckered herself out," dryly said Toji, in utter disbelief.

"Was zum Teufel," exhaled Asuka, utterly stunned by the disbelief. "How did you end up meeting a girl like this?"

"...I wish I knew," admitted Shinji with honest bewilderment.

xx

After Sokila's little performance, everyone seemed to agree that it was time to turn in. Rooms were divided accordingly; Asuka and Rei would have the left room, Mana and Mayumi would take the right room, while the one sandwiched between them would be occupied by the boys.

"What about her?" asked Asuka, looking at Sokila's sleeping form with a curious(?) eye.

"We should let her sleep," said Shinji, quietly running a hand through the hair of his sleeping Attendant. (She quietly mumbled, rolling over on the couch where she had been placed.) "She'll go back to where she's from before long..."

"Understood," said Rei. "We should rest for tomorrow, Sohryu-san."

Asuka grumbled. "...fine. We got a big day tomorrow..." She quickly grabbed several more treats before retreating, without so much as a 'please ad thank you'.

"I'm the birthday boy, those are technically mine," complained Kensuke, even as he tidied up.

Rei simply nodded knowingly before walking, following Asuka to the adjacent room.

"...shouldn't we take her back?" wondered Mayumi, speaking quietly after she was sure the door to the other room had closed. "I...don't think it'll be good if someone comes here and sees her..."

Shinji thought of how Misato had reacted to Sokila, back in Nishiawakura. (Then he thought of how his father would potentially react to her presence, and he shivered.) "I'll take her back myself," he whispered, reaching into his pocket and — with ease of practice, knowing it would be there because he had need of it — pulled out the Key to the Velvet Room.

"I wonder if her other family members are as strong," mused Mana, looking at the ruin of the dance pad that Sokila had used. She briefly glanced towards AIGIS and LABRYS, whose gemstones glittered with a strange light before going dim. "Hmm..." Picking up her weapons, she then said, "That was fun. We should have more birthday parties."

"...I think Kaworu Nagisa actually turns fifteen tomorrow," remarked Kensuke with a grimace.

Mana blithely replied, "Yeah, but that's Nagisa. He doesn't count."

Mayumi quietly ushered Mana out before she could say anything disparaging about their roommate, wishing them all a goodnight.

Once the door closed behind them, Kensuke looked over at his roommates with a smile. "...seriously guys, you didn't have to do this...but thanks."

'S'no sweat," remarked Toji.

Shinji nodded, feeling rather invigorated by the proceedings...and, knowing just how much the gesture was appreciated, empathized with the bespectacled boy. "I'll...try to be quick," murmured Shinji, gently picking up Sokila and cradling her against his torso. "She's...surprisingly heavy..."

("M'not heavy," slurred a sleepy Sokila, her hands tiredly clinging to Shinji's shirt. "Jus' a big girl...not heavy...")

Palming the Velvet Room Key and adjusting his hold for a better grip, Shinji focused his will...

SHING.

...and watched as the spectral Door appeared in front of him.

"Freaky," grumbled Toji.

"Try to be quick," advised Kensuke.

"I shouldn't be long," replied Shinji, even as the Door slowly opened to reveal a void of blue. He walked forward...

("What are we gonna tell Katsuragi about the dance pad?" asked Toji towards Kensuke.)

(The birthday boy stared at the ruined game accessory, suddenly looking rather pale.)

...stepped through...

xxxx

...and emerged within a familiar place.

"Welcome," said Igor from his usual spot, looking at them with a pleased expression. "Your attendant seems to have had quite the evening..."

"I hope the cake turned out well!" exclaimed Theodore from the kitchen; the apron he had on still bore the gory splatter of dismembered Archetypes. "We tried so very hard..."

Shinji stared, wondering once more just how the pulverization of cognitive beings translated into what had been a rather tasty cake. Do I even want to know...? "...it did," he said diplomatically. "We all enjoyed it."

Theo seemed rather pleased. "But of course! Unlike others, I am not tainted by the curse of 'Mystery Food X'."

"That can be arranged, brother dear~" crooned Elizabeth from elsewhere in the auditorium.

Shinji let their banter wash over him as he carried Sokila over to her bed, gently laying her down. The sense of peace and tranquility was so very inviting...but he resisted. Tomorrow was an important day, after all.

And so Shinji clambered onto the stage, staring resolutely at Igor. "I'm here to forge a weapon for Kensuke...and to fuse some Personas, if at all possible."

Igor grinned. "Very well..."

xxxx

Only a few minutes had elapsed by the time Shinji emerged once more into reality. A bit more of the party stuff had been gathered up by now. "It's done," said Shinji, looking towards Kensuke. "You'll have your new weapon tomorrow."

"Sweet," said Kensuke with a grin. "Looking forward to it!"

"...not that my Seven Star Stick is bad or anythin'," remarked Toji, suddenly looking rather shrewd. "But how would I go about getting an upgrade of my own...?"

"...when I can next afford it," admitted Shinji, trying not to think of the mental fatigue in the back of his mind from what he had just fused.

Toji blinked. "Doesn't your job with NERV, like, give you a lot of money?"

"I don't think I can just pay money to beings from another world to fuse beings made of my own cognition," tiredly said Shinji, slumping over towards the couch.

Toji snorted. "You don't have to make me sound dumb."

"Well Toji, when you say it out loud, it sounds dumb," joked Kensuke.

"...you know what, I was gonna blame Sohryu's Evangelion for ruining the dance pad, but if you're gonna be like that...!"

Shinji was already sleeping, as the friendly bickering of his friends served as pleasant(?) white noise...

xx

Asuka — having quickly warped back to her dorm to grab toiletries and her own nightwear — looked over towards Rei, who had opted to sleep in her school uniform. "You know, you can warp back to get your own sleeping clothes."

"I am fine," remarked Rei, laying still on her back. Their particular room in the barracks had only one long couch and a single bed; Asuka had claimed the couch before Rei had been able to say anything. (Not a sign of pity or charity, but a sign of some strange one-upmanship...or even a commentary on fairness, seeing as they lacked a second bed? Deciphering would take more energy than she could spare.) "Slight discomfort is preferable to spending the spiritual and mental focus needed to traverse the city." Tomorrow is important. I do not know what Angel we're going to face...

"...ugh, fine. Be dumb," grumbled Asuka, wrapping herself up in a thin blanket. After a few seconds of silence, she asked, "So...do you know what's up with that Sokila girl?"

"...to an extent," Rei admitted, which was technically true. "But you can be assured that she is not a threat to you."

"I don't like being kept in the dark," Asuka growled.

"...the events by which she came to be acquainted with Shinji Ikari and his friends...are something that is their choice to disclose. With time...I believe they will feel inclined to trust you."

Rei could feel Asuka's eyes staring at her. "Must be something pretty big, then."

"Are you inclined to share the story of your parents to just everyone?"

Asuka grunted at the comparison. "I sincerely doubt it's that dire...besides, I already told Third about that sordid story yesterday."

Rei was glad that she wasn't looking directly at Asuka, because her surprise was — for the briefest of moments — palpable. "...I see. I did not know you were already that close."

"You're reading too much into it," she griped, turning over on the couch. "We're Evangelion-users...if we don't have each other's back, who will?"

"...who indeed..." murmured Rei, letting the conversation die out from there. Ultimately, for all that we try to empower others, and rely on them...the power of Evangelion is what ultimately decides our fate...

(Such was its curse.)

xx

In the room taken by Mana and Mayumi, the two girls shared the same bed; despite it being a rather tight fit, it was still more comfortable than the couch. Mana had, to Mayumi's surprise, been surprisingly insistent on the arrangement; so much so, that Yamagishi felt compelled to ask, "...is everything okay, Mana-san? Are you worried about tomorrow...?"

Mana, staring stoically at the ceiling in the dark, remarked about something Mayumi hadn't been expecting. "Katsuragi's apartment...got kind of quiet." She didn't immediately elaborate.

Even so, Mayumi could sense the underlying intention behind her words. "...you don't like the fact I'm living at the dorm, do you?"

"...not sure if it's a matter of liking or not liking. It is what it is. But I punched a hole in the wall of my room, and I still don't know why."

Mana's matter-of-factness reminded Mayumi of how frank the girl had been about her horrid upbringing. "I...I don't mind coming back when school's out. I didn't think about how much of a change it would be for you..."

"I'm not weak. You don't have to change for my sake-"

Mayumi impulsively rolled over, embracing her fellow orphan from the side. "It's...it's not about being strong or being weak," she whispered, feeling tears build up in her eyes. "It's okay...to miss how things used to be, even if it seems small..."

Mana huffed, saying so much with just that single breath: a bloom of apathy, grounded in fear and self-loathing...paired simultaneously with unmistakable yearning. "I guess...even with how crazy it was, I got used to how things were on the road trip. This little birthday party...was just like that. I missed it." Their position allowed Mana to lower her head into Mayumi's shoulder quite easily; the trembling of her chin could be felt. It was a small and tiny thing, yet said so much. "...damn it...we're gonna be fighting an Angel tomorrow, why am I thinking about shit like this...?"

Mayumi felt hot tears soak into her shoulder, and could only marvel at how her perception of her own problems — being a Persona-user, a former host of an Angel, and a recent orphan who had yet unpack all of the baggage from her parents' deaths — was ameliorated by Mana's own problems. Perspective truly could make all the difference. "It just gives us another reason to make it through tomorrow...so we can figure all of this out..."

They cried themselves to sleep.

(And so the bond between them grew stronger from the catharsis; how long, before they would be sisters in all but name...?)

xxxx

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, within one of NERV's many cognitive shelters...another pair of sisters were trying to get to sleep.

"This bed isn't comfy," grumbled Nozomi Horaki.

Hikari Horaki smiled, smoothing out her pink pajamas as she tried to lull her younger sibling to doze off. "It could be worse; you could be sleeping on a futon on the floor...like otousan," she remarked, looking towards the floor, where Bunzaemon Horaki was already sound asleep.

"But daddy can sleep anywhere," grumbled Nozomi.

"True," acknowledged Hikari, not wanting to delve into precisely why their father could sleep so easily, and for so long, for periods where it seemed as though he would never wake up (and that he didn't want to wake up...). "But even if it's tough, you have to sleep."

It took a bit of effort, but Hikari finally managed to get her sister to close her eyes; before long, the young girl was sound asleep.

There we go, thought Hikari with a tired smile, briefly retreating from the tiny room — with its sparse furniture and comfortable orange nightlight — to head to one of the common restrooms on their floor. Even this late at night, there were numerous civilians milling about the common rooms, engaging in activities that were designed to promote a good spirit amongst their fellows: anything to promote positive reinforcement amongst the cognition of Tokyo-3.

(It was a tiresome duty.)

It was worth it, for the sake of the common good.

(She was so tired.)

Hikari eventually found herself in one of the women's restrooms, closing herself in a stall. She didn't quite need to use the toilet, it seemed...she just needed the tiny bit of isolated space to herself.

(She had nothing to herself; not truly.)

I'm...okay, she thought to herself, trying to pep herself up. Tomorrow's just another new moon...another day I have to help our family get through...

(You're the only who bothers to help; no one else cares...)

She lightly patted her face, trying to shock herself to wakefulness. I'm...I will be okay...I'll be okay...

(Nagisa was more right than you want to admit: you have no power to change what you truly care about...and those with power don't care enough to listen...)

I'll...be okay. For some reason, the world seemed to be falling away. I'll...

(You're speaking into the wind...no one hears you...no one cares to hear you...)

She was more tired than she thought. Maybe sitting down for just a little while wouldn't hurt...

(Hikari Horaki would not exit that bathroom stall the way she came.)

(Whenever someone came by hours later, they would pry it open...only to see no one in there.)

xxxx

Elsewhere in the city, as midnight neared, Kaworu Nagisa — sitting upon a park bench overlooking Tokyo-3 — suddenly shivered. "And so it is done..." I wonder how long it will take for someone to realize?

Alas, it was not his place to question; manifesting even a bit of power to plunge Horaki into the cognitive world came with risks. Yet, so close to the new moon...he was capable of just a bit more, so long as he acted with subtlety. A difficult prospect, in normal times, for one with his nature. But the girl had been simmering with such emotional turmoil...her Shadow would doubtless call to her. From there?

Well...that was for another day.

For now, Kaworu sat back on the bench, waiting for the day to come. Closing his eyes, he let his senses expand slowly but surely...and began to observe.

xxxx

As the world turned, and the Sun's light upon the Moon receded; as the New Moon prepared to make itself known...the distorted skull of Zeruel gazed outward from the darkness.

"AND SO THE PIECES CONTINUE TO PLAY THEIR PROPER ROLE."

Even now, Phanuel continued to fight. Doomed though he was, it would buy them precious time to act with relative impunity.

"THRALLS MOVE INTO PLACE; BRETHREN PREPARE TO STRIKE; ALL IS PROCEEDING ACCEPTABLY."

He eagerly awaited the eventual end...for the battle to end all battles.

"SHINJI IKARI: YOU FIGHT ALONGSIDE ALL THOSE WITH THE POWER OF 'EVANGELION'...WHAT CHANGE WILL THIS CREATE IN YOU?"

Only time would tell.

And so the world continued to turn.

xxxx

END OF 9/12/2023

xxxx

Author's Note: Kaworu, why are you yeeting people into the Metaverse; that's Mister P's thing!

/the main party members for Shinji Ikari (at least in Kaworu's eyes)
/are now Kensuke, Toji, Rei, Mana, and Asuka, with Mayumi serving as the group's navigator
/he clearly believes Mister P, Mari, Misato, Ryuji, and the other Wild Cards are only guest members :V

But man, Ritsuko's increasing bitterness actually resulted in a reversed Moon! (Alas, poor Shinji; he should've been more willing to hang out with Dr. Akagi. Even if it meant more time in The Tube™!)

And if there's one thing I wish Persona did more of, it's to feature characters celebrating the birthday of fellow party members...if only because of the hijinks that would result. Like the Velvet Room Attendant just *killing it* at DDR.

(Also, even Asuka's tsundere power is no match for the cuteness of Sokila!)