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.)

58. Friday - July 31, 2015

Sokila was...pouting?

"You're about to go travelling...?"

She idly drew pictures of the Japanese countryside.

"...I wish I could go with you..."

Crossing her arms, she sat down...looking...thoughtful?

"...I wonder...maybe that would work...?"

The faint haze of blue began to brighten-

xxxx

/Friday: July 31, 2015/

/Courtyards, Outskirts of Hakone Academy/

Shinji Ikari, Kensuke Aida, Toji Suzuhara, and Kaworu Nagisa moved as a pod towards the parking lots at edge of the Academy grounds; only the latter wasn't carrying bags with him. "You are uncertain as to how long you will be travelling?"

"Well...as long as we're back before school starts, does it really matter?" replied Shinji, who was simply wearing his normal summer school uniform, albeit with the white shirt unbuttoned and untucked, allowing the black undershirt to be seen.

His answer elicited a chuckle from the ashen-haired boy. "A fair enough point. I suppose some measure of uncertainty leads to excitement."

"Any idea what vehicle Amamiya-senpai's gonna bring?" asked Kensuke, who looked ready to go hiking through the woods with his get-up: camouflage cargo pants, brown boots, a dark green tee shirt, and a tan vest with a proverbial smorgasboard of pockets.

Shinji hummed. "Well, he knows that there's going to be five of us...so with him as the driver, it would be a six-seat vehicle?"

"Good thing that Sakamoto-sensei's buddies are gonna be bringing their own vehicle then," said Toji with a chuckle. His outfit was far more sporty-looking relative to Shinji's and Kensuke's: black sweatpants rolled up to the knees with white stripes along the sides, a blue athletic shirt that hung loosely to his frame, and a red baseball cap facing backwards. "It'd be a tight fit otherwise."

"You mentioned that Sakamoto-san's presence was non-negotiable, right?" asked Kensuke.

"That's what Katsuragi-san and Niijima-san pretty much said," answered Toji.

Shinji sighed, wishing that something as...mundane...as a summer road trip didn't have to be so complicated. Then again, given his circumstances, it wasn't that surprising. I just hope everything goes well...

xxxx

Meanwhile, Misato Katsuragi was driving her Alpine Renault — with uncharacteristic carefulness, as she had yet to fully recover from her wounds — through the streets of Tokyo-3. Mana Kirishima sat in the passenger seat, looking rather...subdued.

Given the suitcase sitting in the backseat alongside LABRYS and AIGIS, the whole situation probably felt odd. Heck, she's never even BEEN on a vacation before. The very concept must seem bonkers.

"...Katsuragi."

"Yes, Mana-chan?"

The girl — clad in sturdy jeans, a black tee shirt, and a well-worn denim vest — glanced over at her with an uncertain expression in her green eyes. "Am...am I doing the right thing?"

Misato blinked, unsure where this line of questioning was going. "What do you mean?"

"...I need to find my brothers. But I need to get stronger in order to do so...and Shinji Ikari's the best path to strength for me. But...from what you've been saying...this whole 'road trip' thing is just going to be about...kicking back, and relaxing, right?"

"That's generally what vacations are for."

"...do I even have the right to do something like this?"

"...it's not about whether you have the right to do something or not. A vacation doesn't have to be complicated..." How to put this in a way that she'll understand? "Just think of it is an extended mission with undefined goals. Given Shinji-kun's circumstances...combat at a moment's notice isn't out of the window. So just be prepared for anything, try to have some fun in the meantime...and don't worry: the opportunity to search for your brothers will come. Just have to make sure you won't be in over your head whenever you do."

"How come? I could take my weapons and just...go, now that you no longer lock them up."

"Then what's stopping you?"

Mana went silent at the question, because...really, what was stopping her, other than her own sense of self-preservation? "...because there's stuff in the Metaverse I can't deal with." I wonder if she's thinking about the Reaper? "Not yet, anyway...that's why I have to get stronger."

Misato took the opportunity while they were at a red light to ruffle the girl's hair. (By now, the little tyke no longer resisted, which was a minor miracle in and of itself.) "Your time will come...and at least you'll be with people who can hold their own for the most part." Accept for the lone civilian girl...Mayumi Yamagishi, her name was? Then again, it might do her some good to hang out with a girl that has no powers...damn it, there should have been more planning that went into this! Why the hell would the Commander sign off on this without any oversight? It was like the man didn't care about his son's wellbeing at all. "...also, just remember that although the boys are able to fight in the Metaverse...the girl you'll be traveling with won't be. So try to be gentle with her, okay?"

"If she can't fight, why would I fight her? There'd be no point."

Misato couldn't help but smirk at that: sometimes, Mana's straightforward bluntness was so damn refreshing. "Just giving you a reminder, that's all."

And so they puttered on through morning rush hour traffic towards Hakone Academy.

xxxx

Speaking of Mayumi Yamagishi, the Class Representative of class 2-A had taken it upon herself to escort the girl to the rendezvous point at the Academy's parking lots. To Hikari Horaki's surprise, the bookish president of the Literature Club also lived off-campus for the most part, in an apartment complex not too far from her own. "I'm surprised you got permission to do so," she admitted.

Mayumi, pulling a rolling suitcase behind her, and with a heavy rucksack on her back, simply smiled in return. "My parents were persuasive, I guess. I...don't do well around other people when sleeping."

"...and yet you agreed to go along with Ikari-san on this road trip?" In which Yamagishi would be rooming with a girl that was a practical stranger?

The girl adjusted her glasses and the straw sun hat resting on her head, electing not to answer. Her outfit was rather conservative: a pink button-up with loose sleeves, and a long skirt the color of burnt orange that went down to the calves. It was rather demure, which was in keeping with Yamagishi's personality as far as Hikari was aware.

Hence why this whole turn of events seemed...odd. Come to think of it...that's right! "How exactly did Ikari-san have your number anyhow?" Mayumi's answer was to blush slightly. "...are you two... secretly dating?"

"N-no, not at all," muttered Mayumi.

"So why does he have your number?"

"...because he gave me his number first," she admitted with a red face.

Hikari's eyebrows shot up with surprise. "Really? Wow...I didn't realize Ikari-san was a player...he doesn't seem the type."

Yamagishi sputtered in protest. "H-Horaki-san, it's not like that! I...honestly don't think he sees me that way...he actually offered his contact information as an apology for missing our club meetings so often."

Hikari blinked dumbly. "He what?!"

"Yeah...I don't think it occurred to him what exactly he was giving me, at the time."

"...okay, so not a player. He's just dense."

"...I believe so, yes," she admitted.

Hikari sighed; that was a relief! At least the likelihood of shenanigans was reduced on Ikari's end...and from what little she had seen, Mana Kirishima was intimidating enough on her own that Aida and Suzuhara wouldn't try anything funny. Combined with their high school chaperone and the three adults accompanying them, this road trip looked like it was going to be free of stereotypical teenage follies. "That's good to hear..."

"Why?" Yamagishi stared shrewdly at her. "Are you...interested in Ikari-san?"

"Not at all, no," she freely admitted. Ikari was nice and understanding enough...but he just wasn't vibrant enough for her, lacking a certain vigor. (Which a certain someone else did have, but there was no way she was going to say that aloud.) "Feel free to go for him."

Mayumi flushed prettily, her eyes narrowing with irritation at the blunt and open talk. "...you're mean. I guess I won't ensure Toji Suzuhara stays out of trouble, then..."

Hikari's insides suddenly froze. "...I don't know what you're talking about." In contrast, her face felt warm.

"Horaki-san, I may not be in your class, but you are not as subtle as you think you are."

Oh no her face felt hot. "...how many people know?"

"...I can't help but overhear what other people say. The girls tend to keep it quiet whenever the Class Representatives are around, but gossips will gossip."

Oh gods. "...what do they say?"

"There's actually a few who rate what they call your Wistful Stares...and at least one girl in 2-A who times them, I think? Honestly, most of the conversations I hear are chiding you for having a thing for Suzuhara. They think you could do better."

Oh GODS. "...I'm going to have to restore order once classes resume," she grumbled.

"Do as you please; it's none of my business...just so long as you return the same courtesy to me."

"Deal."

The two girls continued on towards the Academy, consciously deciding to talk about other matters that were farther away from the proximity of emotional peril.

xxxx

As the four boys of Room 23 neared the parking lot, their eyes fell upon Ryuji Sakamoto, leaning against a large touring motorcycle colored ivory; all of its chrome surfaces were polished to a near-mirror shine. "...sensei..." mouthed Toji with something akin to awe. "...you're a biker too...?!"

The middle-aged man pressed down on his cane, stepping away from his ride with a wry grin. "Usually stick with Metaverse travel to get around all quick like...and if I'm travelling local, might as well walk, ya know? Either that or take a cab, cause those guys need to get paid too. But since we're going all the way to Okayama Prefecture, I figured I'd drag this baby out of storage." The man adjusted his clothing: brown leather jacket, with a matching pair of chaps over his jeans, complete with a shocking yellow shirt with stylized English text that read 'CAN'T TOUCH THIS' in red. Sitting in the bike's front seat was an open-face helmet colored black, its visor partially tinted with a reflective golden sheen. "Any idea when your ride will get here?"

"Amamiya-senpai texted me about ten minutes ago and said he was almost done picking it up."

"Great." Without hesitation, Sakamoto reached up with his free hand and spun Toji's cap around so that the bill was facing forward. "Don't wear your hat backwards. You may think it looks cool, but it just makes you look like a dweeb."

Toji, caught off guard by the brief burst of unexpected criticism, immediately straightened his posture. "Yes sir, sensei sir!"

"You don't need to overdo it either," he said with an easy smile, eyes rising towards two more incoming figures. "...I recognize the Horaki girl, but not the other one. She must be Yamagishi?"

Shinji nodded, waving towards the two girls. "Good morning!" As the two got within earshot, he gratefully nodded towards Yamagishi. "Thank you very much for agreeing to come along, Yamagishi-san."

"It...it wasn't a problem, Ikari-san," she said with a nod back. Looking over at the other three boys, she politely greeted them by surname before adding, "we haven't all been in one place since...the night before exams, correct? At that study session at KiKi Ichibanya?"

"Ah yes, that was quite the wondrous evening," remarked Kaworu, smiling in an affectionately genteel manner.

"At least it was nice for one of us," growled Toji.

"Well, since I won't be accompanying you on this little journey, I'd best be off." With a exaggerated emphasis, he patted Shinji, Kensuke, Toji, Hikari, and lastly Mayumi on their shoulders.

xxxx

At the precise moment Kaworu Nagisa's hand made contact with her shoulder, Mayumi Yamagishi felt as though she were in the presence of something great and terrible.

The coiling beast hissed from its underground hole, looking upon a majestic Hunter with trepidation.

This land was the Hunter's; the curious cat and the beast were but mere trespassers.

However, his attention was elsewhere, and he moved on without another word; thus were the cat and the beast left to themselves.

She didn't even have time to categorize the sensation before Nagisa turned away.

(Thank goodness.)

xxxx

The bespectacled girl shivered at his touch, hunching her shoulders as he turned his crimson gaze towards Ryuji Sakamoto. "Do keep these troublesome rascals safe, if you'd be so kind." He then clicked his tongue and aimed two finger guns at Sakamoto before winking. "Have fun!" And with that, he walked away with a jolly step, humming the opening bars of Beethoven's 5th Symphony out loud.

"...that boy ain't right," muttered Sakamoto with a shake of his head. "Where'd you find him?"

"Better, more learned scholars have tried and failed to answer that question," said Kensuke with an air of faux sagacity. "So, while we're waiting for the others to get here...has Yamagishi-san been told exactly about the other girl she'll be accompanying on this trip? Cause given Kirishima's circumstances, it's kind of important."

"...well, how much does the little lady know about you guys' Metaverse shenanigans?" asked Sakamoto. "I know that Horaki is a little in the loop because of that dinner we had Katsuragi's place, but I don't know you." He glanced over towards Shinji. "She trustworthy?"

Shinji blinked. "Yamagishi-san...she knows what I've done in general terms, at least as far as my work as an Evangelion-user is concerned. I...I'll vouch for her."

"Well, guess that'll have to do then." Clearing his throat, Sakamoto shifted his gaze towards Mayumi. "Hey."

"...yes, sir...?" she answered hesitatingly.

"So here's the basic crash course that you need to know about Mana Kirishima: she was kidnapped as a young kid alongside four other orphans. Thanks to some shady corporate jackass, her two sisters got turned into an axe and a shield, which she uses to fight Archetypes, Ghosts, and Acolytes. Said jackass kidnapped Katsuragi when she tried investigating their base of operations back at the end of June, but ol' Ikari here helped rescue Katsuragi and laid the smackdown on said jackass's whole project. The jackass tried to clear out, but I was part of the group that pretty much arrested him. Unfortunately, Kirishima's two brothers vanished during the chaos, so that's a bummer. Katsuragi took Kirishima in to make her a more productive and well-adjusted member of society, but she's basically a child soldier in every sense of the word, so you'd best keep that in mind when trying to talk with her. Odds are some of the social cues you take for granted are gonna go phewww," and to punctuate his point, he swept his hand through the air above his head to pantomime missing the point, "if you talk with her. Clear enough?"

Shinji, Kensuke, Toji, and Hikari all stared with open mouths at how blunt Sakamoto's explanation had been. Mayumi, on the other hand, seemed to take it in stride. "I see...I appreciate the explanation...um, I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've been acquainted...?"

"Ah, where are my manners? Name's Ryuji Sakamoto, Cognitive Freelancer." Jerking a thumb towards Toji, he added, "Suzuhara-kun's my apprentice, which is but one of the reasons I'm tagging along as an additional chaperone."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sakamoto-san."

"...you followed that along without any issue...?" murmured Toji.

"Well, the 'child soldier' as a narrative trope has gained greater prominence since the Valentine Treaty, for obvious reasons. However, it's not one that's new; notwithstanding historical examples before Second Impact, it's also been a part of fiction as well. Horatio Hornblower comes to mind...and the trope is practically baked into the entirety of the Gunton franchise..." It was at this moment she realized that everyone was staring at her. "...I like to read," she added with a nervous gulp.

"Clearly," said Sakamoto with a knowing smirk.

Kensuke simply grinned, adjusting his glasses with a wide grin. "Not only am I in the presence of another nerd, but one who appreciates the classics. Nice!"

Yamagishi blinked, apparently unsure if Aida had complimented or insulted her. "...thanks, I guess?"

Hikari's mind seemed to have finally caught up after Mayumi's relatively blasé reaction to Sakamoto's explanation. "So...two of her siblings were turned into...weapons? How does that even work...?"

"...right, she didn't show them to you at Katsuragi's," murmured Sakamoto. "Basically...not pleasantly. I'll leave it at that."

Hikari's eyes seemed to slowly widen out of dawning horror as she tried to wrap her head around Kirishima's circumstances; Kensuke, who was more inured to Mana's circumstances by now, wondered, "she sometimes acts like they're still alive...I wonder if they can talk to her?"

"That would be interesting," said Mayumi, thoughtfully cupping a hand around her chin. "What would they be like? Akin to the Sword of Freyr...or Muramasa...or Ruyi Jingu Bang...maybe the Cloths of Sanctus Pegasus...hmm, hopefully nothing like Time Fugitive Eidolon..."

Kensuke blinked out of bewilderment. "Man, you must have a wide collection. I'll second that Eidolon bit, by the way."

"...why?" hesitantly asked Shinji.

"You don't want to know," echoed Kensuke and Mayumi both.

"Back to the point," stressed Ryuji, "the girl's been through some really effed up stuff. So just...keep that in mind, okay?"

Mayumi nodded. Hikari, by comparison, seemed even more perturbed than before, which prompted a grumbling shake of the head from Toji. "And this sort of crap is why I wanted Ken and Ikari to keep their Metaverse junk to themselves. Can't help it now, though..."

"...I see." With a deep inhale, Hikari apparently decided that now was the time bow out. "Well...I think I'm going to get back to my family's apartment to finish preparing for my sister's return. Everyone...please be careful, okay? And don't get into any trouble!"

"That's a tall order there, Class Rep!" cheekily exclaimed Kensuke.

"We'll...do our best," admitted Shinji with a wan grin.

With those words said, Hikari lightly nodded towards Mayumi before departing. I wonder what they talked about on the way here, he idly wondered in the way of someone who honestly didn't care that much but wouldn't have minded knowing.

Sure enough, not two minutes later, a blue Alpine Renault rolled into the parking lot, rolling to a halt near their position.

Sakamoto couldn't help but whistle, even before Misato Katsuragi and Mana Kirishima stepped out. "Hold the phone...zat an A310? Talk about a classic. I don't even want to imagine the loopholes that thing went through to get from France to Japan."

Misato quirked an eyebrow, apparently intrigued by the fact that Ryuji knew Alpine was a French auto manufacturer. "You know your..." She trailed off as her eyes fell upon the motorcycle. "...stuff..." She glanced at Ryuji's biker outfit, and added two and two together. "...nuh uh."

The middle-aged man smirked. "And it looks like you know your bikes."

Impulsively adjusting her beret to sit tighter on her head, Misato zipped over to the ivory beast, looking with wide eyes at the specimen. "This is a Yamaha Royal Star Venture Millenium Edition...!" She took in the sight of the numbered placard on the back, and knew it was the real deal. "Only fifteen hundred of these babies were ever made; how the hell did you get your hands on one?"

Ryuji snorted. "Who do you think you're talking to? I was still doing pretty well off from my time as an Olympic athlete back in 2000; you'd be amazed what getting sponsored can get ya. It helped that I liked biking anyway, and I was looking for something to go touring the country with. Course, a few months later, thoughts of a road trip kinda...fell by the wayside."

Shinji inwardly winced; once the year 2000 had been mentioned, the words 'Second Impact' didn't even need to be spoken.

Misato, fortunately, was quick on the uptake. "Well, at least you'll be escorting the kids in style," she said, running hands over the tan leather seats. "These the original seats?"

"Eh, they've only been reupholstered once. But she's got less than fifty thousand kilometers on her, so she's in great shape."

"...how much you willing to sell it for?"

The man barked out loud with laughter. "More than any price that you'd be able to pay for, little lady."

The woman nonchalantly shrugged. "Eh, figured I'd ask."

As Misato and Sakamoto proceeded to talk shop — throwing out vehicular jargon like 'V4 versus V6' and 'five-speed manual' and 'ideal fuel mix' and 'aerodynamics' — Mana Kirishima shambled on over to her peers with an uncertain look in her eyes. Honestly, the presence of AIGIS and LABRYS on her back was a reassuring bit of normalcy (and wasn't that a sad commentary). "So...what now?"

"...well, perhaps introductions, first?" asked Mayumi with an air of unease. "Um...I'm Mayumi Yamagishi. I'm Ikari-san's...friend. Yes, his friend."

("There was a lot of hesitation with that one," slyly murmured Kensuke into Toji's ear. His reward was an elbow to the side and a whispered command to shut up.)

Mana tilted her head, looking oddly at Ikari before replying, "the name's Mana Kirishima. But I'd prefer if you just use Mana."

"...no attachment to a name that's not yours, I presume?" Mayumi cautiously ventured. Every so often, her eyes flickered to the large profiles of the axe and shield...because honestly, how could they not?

"...you could say that." Mana set her lone suitcase down on the asphalt; with crossed arms, she slowly walked in a circle around Mayumi, looking with a critical eye. "...hmm..."

Mayumi slowly turned her head every which way to follow Mana's movement, feeling her anxiety begin to rise. Fortunately, Shinji intervened to ask, "um...is everything okay, Kirishima-san...?"

xxxx

Mayumi barely had the time to process the fact that Ikari had used Mana's surname (I thought she didn't want to be called by that?), much less that the girl had actually responded (wait what I thought she hated that name...is this something that she allows only from Ikari-san? Or am I overthinking things again?) before the weapon-wielding girl leaned in. There was a look of...

A roving spotlight scoured the fields; the beast was perfectly safe within its underground dominion.

The cat was not, so she scrambled about, trying to find refuge; all the while, the wounds left by the beast's foul skin seemed to hiss and bubble.

The tiny feline took shelter under the exposed roots of a dead tree; thus did she keep a wary watch for the illuminating pillar of light.

...suspicion, in the girl's eyes. "...um...is something wrong...?"

"...nothing...you just have an odd feeling about you."

"...well, I hope I can help with that?" Mayumi hesitantly offered.

xxxx

Mana Kirishima frowned, because the sensations this girl was throwing off were weird. The presences of Shinji Ikari, Misato Katsuragi, Kensuke Aida, Toji Suzuhara, and even Ryuji Sakamoto were familiar by now. (The sensations of her brothers and Shiro Tokita had practically become second nature by now.) Kaworu Nagisa had been...the only weird one, due to his utter lack of presence.

Mayumi Yamagishi was almost as weird. Almost. There was that subtle echo of human cognition...but it was hollow, lacking something tangible and fundamental. Almost like...

xxxx

Her Little Sis quietly held out a pair of L-shaped dowsing rods; however, she was bluntly stabbing at the ground, waiting for the disturbance to make something emerge.

Her Big Sis, meanwhile, held a bazooka at the ready...albeit with the safety on.

xxxx

...almost like her thoughts were a mask being worn by something else. I wonder...hmph. This 'Mayumi Yamagishi' would merit close observation...unless she just happened to be an oddball of a girl.

(But her gut said otherwise.)

(Who are you to talk about anyone being an oddball?)

So she stopped circling the bespectacled girl. "Maybe. We'll see."

Mayumi blinked a few times before nodding slightly, as if grateful for the chance to get in her good graces. (And boy, wasn't that an odd feeling to have.)

xxxx

Shinji's heartbeat finally began to lower as Mana's odd investigation came to an end. I wonder what that was about...?

Fortunately, the lumbering profile of a gray van pulled into the parking lot: a massive beast of a vehicle at just over five meters in length, Shinji could see three rows of seats behind the driver's and passenger's chairs (that seemed like overkill). Even so, the driver drove with a surprising amount of dexterity, pulling into two adjacent parking spots with ease. With an almost casual aplomb, Ren Amamiya — clad in blue jeans, a black tee shirt, and a white polo that was unbuttoned and untucked — hung out the driver's door, looking at them all. "Your chariot awaits."

"...you know, compared to sensei's bike and Katsuragi-san's car, these seems like a letdown," griped Toji.

"If you're going for reliability, space, and affordability, you kind of have to give up on class," remarked Ren. He hopped out and opened the sliding door to the rear cab, showing eight seats total in the back. "Besides, better to have more room than not enough. Gotta have space for any souvenirs you pick up along the way, after all."

"This kid speaks wisely." Ryuji leaned on his cane, investigating the vehicle with a glance. "A Toyota HiAce...year and mileage?"

"1994. It has over four hundred thousand kilometers on it."

Kensuke sputtered. "I'm sorry, four hundred K?! How has it not fallen apart yet?!"

"Nah, you kids will be fine," assured Ryuji. "That's actually not too bad for a van that age."

"Considering that model has been known to run up to a million kilometers, I'd almost say that level of mileage is just about right for a passenger van like that," added Misato, kneeling down with a slight wince to peer at the underside of the vehicle. "It'd be just around of twenty thousand a year..." Rising back up, she gave a thumbs up. "No red flags that I can see. My estimation of the high schooler has slightly risen!"

Amamiya rolled his eyes, taking the good-natured jab at his ego for what it was. "I aim to please." He glanced (cautiously?) towards Sakamoto. "I guess you're our other chaperone?"

"Got it in one. But I ain't the only one."

Ren blinked, suddenly looking worried...for some reason. "Wait, it's not just you? Who else is coming?"

"Gimme a sec." With those words said, Ryuji calmly hobbled over towards an emptier section of the parking lot. "I think...standby." He held a hand up to his tin badge, pausing. Shinji recognized the motion from his experience with Misato: Sakamoto was communicating with someone in the Metaverse. "...yeah, they're here. You two have enough space on the spots near the curb, starting with the fifth from the left...so what if Incubus Archetypes are doing wheelies in the parking lot? Run em' over!" Another pause, as his face curdled with annoyance. "No, I don't care if it'll get the Succubi upset with you, you're about to be in the real world anyway! They could stand to have their fun ruined anyhow: disappointment builds character!" Ryuji removed his hand from his Freelancer medal, shaking his head with annoyance. "Damn, forgot how horny kids are at this age."

Misato snorted, glancing towards Kirishima. "Yeah...not looking forward to that phase if it ever hits."

"Why are you looking at me?" Mana asked.

Suddenly, without warning — in the manner of A.T. Agents, blinking into existence — a sleek sports car with a stainless steel body appeared.

("Oh my God it's an actual DeLorean," muttered Misato with a drooping jaw. "That is so not fair.")

The driver and passenger doors actually flipped up in a manner that Shinji hadn't seen before ("Ooh, gull-wing doors, those are unusual," casually remarked Mayumi). Out of the passenger's side arose a man in his late 20s, wearing black jeans, a white tee shirt, and an orange utility vest (which, based on its bulky look, had armor plating in it?); his short brown hair had a rather stylish look to it (the closest comparison that Shinji could think of was if Akechi's hair was fuller and less messy), but the confidence in his brown eyes couldn't be denied. Out of the driver's side emerged a slightly older man — probably in his 30s, but not as old as Sakamoto, even though he was definitely taller — with a bushy goatee and dark hair going down to his neck. Clad in blue cargo pants, a black tank top, and a loose white jacket with a thin collar, he appeared a strange mix of casual and cool...which was slightly marred by the A.T. Agent-branded cap that he wore backwards on his head.

"So these are the other two chaperones, eh?" remarked Misato.

The brown-haired man nodded politely. "My name's Ken Amada. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

The dark-haired man simply waved a hand. "Hey! Name's Junpei Iori. Hope our old captain hasn't been giving you any grief."

Ryuji Sakamoto's response was to simply hobble over towards Junpei and twist the black hat around so that its bill was facing forward. "See what I mean Suzuhara-kun? Total dweeb."

"S-sir, a total dweeb!" exclaimed Toji with exaggerated emphasis.

Ken shook his head while Junpei simply sighed with irritation. "And just like that, it's like you never left..."

xxxx

Ren Amamiya, meanwhile, was sweating bullets out of sheer relief. Oh thank Igor it's not anyone else I know.

(But man, Arisato would have had a tough time if he had ended up being the driver for this road trip.)

(...wait, no one from Narukami's crew was represented amongst the three chaperones.)

(That lucky bastard.)

xxxx

"...so. An actual DeLorean. Explain," demanded Misato.

"I'd honestly like to know myself," remarked Kensuke, eyeing the gull-wing doors with fascination. "I mean, I get that Reverse from the Past was a big thing, but how'd you get one of these?"

"Especially since the DeLorean Motor Company went bankrupt before the first movie even released," murmured Mayumi.

"Okay seriously, how do you even know that?"

"I wondered about it one day a few years back and looked it up."

"And you still remember that?

"Why wouldn't I?"

("Yeah, and I bet you'd be just as nerdy about anything related to the A.T. Task Force," quietly griped Toji.)

Ignoring Kensuke's and Mayumi's interplay, Junpei answered Misato's question honestly. "Long story short, Ken and I took a mission several years ago to hunt the Shadow of an international fugitive; that sort of thing used to be more common in the days before the CPC's. One thing led to another, and we ended up in the area where the original DMC assembly plant was in Northern Ireland. Turns out an enterprising local had snagged a model that had come off the assembly line with a few mechanical errors, and he corrected them himself over the years. Kept it under wraps once the movie made it a household item."

Misato frowned. "...yeah, not buying it. Anyone who put that much attention into a freakin' DeLorean wasn't gonna part with it that easily."

"Turns out people tend to be grateful when you save their whole town from a wild Acolyte," retorted Junpei with a grin. "Granted, it was only one, but any kind of anti-Acolyte presence was mostly focused around the cities of the UK, and the only Irish city with any token level of support was a place called Dublin. There was apparently some old national feud of some kind involved with those decisions, but it was above our paygrade."

Ken nodded solemnly. "I did a little bit of reading up after that. Let's just say there are some parallels with our country's history with the Ainu, and leave it at that."

("Oof," whispered Mayumi with a quiet wince.)

"...still not hearing how you got the DeLorean," asked Misato.

Junpei grimaced. "Sheesh, you're an impatient one, aren't you? Ken and I teamed up to take down the Acolyte, we won, we got the car as a reward for saving the owner's family and their hometown, since the guy was getting too old to drive it anyways: bada bing, bada boom."

Ken gave Junpei the stink eye. "I'm the one who fought its Shadow alone; you got the job of trying to restrain it in the real world, so pardon me for thinking that I got the short end of the stick."

"Excuse me, but you try getting an entire Irish village to help you set up booby-traps when you have a less than perfect command of the English language! The fact that I managed to keep the Acolyte distracted with no casualties was a damn miracle!"

"Yeah, and the fugitive's Shadow ended up getting crushed during my battle with the Acolyte's Shadow, so we failed the mission we had gone all the way to Europe for in the first place. Over a month of legwork: wasted."

"And we got a DeLorean out of it, and that's been worth way more to us since then." Junpei shot a cocky grin over towards Misato. "Seriously, if you hit eighty-eight miles per hour in the Metaverse, the speed on this baby is cuh-ray-zee."

Ken rolled his eyes. "True...but at the time, some of us had bills to pay."

The banter elicited a theatrical groan from Ryuji, who simply looked at the young teenagers with a put upon expression. "My peers, boys and girls: still arguing like it's no tomorrow."

"Well, this level of heated banter clearly this means that their teamwork must be top notch!" exclaimed Kensuke with an excited grin. "Man, two active Agents and a seasoned Freelancer as our escorts...this is wild." The unspoken intent to get all the stories he could was obvious to all.

Toji huffed. "Yeah yeah, just don't try to tick my sensei off too much."

Mana, justifiably out of the loop on all of the hubbub, looked towards Shinji and Mayumi and asked, "what's the big deal? It's just a car with weird doors."

"I...think it's from some famous movie?" answered Shinji, hazarding a guess.

"A famous movie trilogy, to be precise," added Mayumi. "I'd recommend just watching Part 1 though."

"Why?"

"Because Part 2 isn't as enticing now that we've actually made it to 2015. Reality is...less glamorous than they envisioned. And skipping to Part 3 would sort of break the narrative a bit, so just stick to the original." After a few seconds of silence, Mayumi added (almost as an afterthought) "but that's just my opinion."

"...I see..."

All of a sudden, Misato cleared her throat to grab everyone's attention. "Okay, geeking out over vehicles aside...I think it's time you kids get on the road if you want to make it to Okayama Prefecture in a decent time. Whether you get back to Tokyo-3 in two weeks or spend the whole month travelling...just be careful." She specifically looked over at Shinji and Mana. "Shinji-kun...keep an eye out for any emergency missions, okay? Now, Mana-chan..." She reached into her jacket and pulled out an older model of smartphone, holding it out to the girl. "You can call and text and receive mission directives on it. I figured an explanation of how to use it would be best served from your peers...I mean, you're going to be on the road for a while, you know?"

"...this is mine?"

"Yeah. It's yours."

Mana quietly took hold of the device, looking at it with a degree of...uncertainty. Shinji wondered what she was thinking, even as part of him tried to decipher the expressions on her face. Finally, the girl replied, "...thanks..."

Nodding, Misato turned towards Kensuke. "Aida-kun, try to stay out of trouble. Ritsky needs her favorite intern back in one piece, you know?"

The bespectacled boy snorted. "Yeah, her favorite for all the wrong reasons. But I'll keep this whole caravan of crazy in line!" Kensuke ignored Toji's subsequent snort of disbelief.

"Suzuhara-kun," she said, turning towards the newest Persona-user of the bunch, "please don't do anything reckless."

"Hey, I'm not a troublemaker like Ken is," he griped before catching himself. "Wait, we've got another Ken with us now...damn it, that's gonna get confusing..."

Misato chuckled. "Maybe you're not a troublemaker, but your custodian will chew me out if anything happens to you, and I'd rather not get on her bad side anymore than I already am."

"...ah. Good point." With an exaggerated salute, Toji roared, "will do, Katsuragi-sama!"

The woman snorted, finally turning towards the newcomer. "Yamagishi, was it?"

Mayumi, even though she had expected being called upon, still jolted with surprise. "Erm, yes?"

"...you do realize what kind of craziness you've potentially signed on for, right?"

"...I believe so, yes."

"Welp, then that's on you then." Misato turned towards her two senior A.T. Agents. "Iori-san, Amada-san, you guys should know the details from the Mission Board, right?"

"Yeah yeah," casually remarked Junpei, waving his phone around. "Be their escorts, don't let them endure any bodily harm, hazard pay is included with each cognitive or metaphysical incident that occurs, the whole nine yards."

"We'll keep them safe at all costs," remarked Amada with a serious nod.

This only caused Ryuji to snort. "Seriously Kenny, way to bring the mood down."

The younger man flushed with embarrassment. "Come on captain, I've told you not to call me by that name-"

"Too late, too bad, so sad." Ryuji turned an assured gaze towards Misato. "You don't have to say anything; I'll do my part."

"...thank you, Sakamoto-san." Finally, she looked at their chauffeur. "Amamiya...judging from what little I've been able to dig up on you over the past 24 hours, you seem to be on the level."

"Well I'm glad I meet your expectations," casually remarked the boy, who had just finished loading everyone's luggage into rental van. (Wait, when did he do that? All of the teenagers, Mana included, seemed surprised that their suitcases and baggage had been proverbially purloined without them noticing.)

"But this is a pretty big vehicle for a high school kid, and you'll be responsible for at least six lives: theirs, and yours. Can you hack it?"

Ren's response included a smirk, albeit in a manner that evoked confidence and skill rather than unfounded cockiness. "I've driven more troublesome vehicles than this one before, and in worse circumstances. They'll be fine."

Shinji immediately thought of the first time he had met Amamiya (a black scooter; a part-timer working for Proto Transport; going way too fast; his senpai somehow managing to outpace the trio of police cars that had been chasing them) and inwardly winced. I hope we'll be fine...

"...well then, I guess that's that! Off you go!" exclaimed Misato, releasing them into the wild.

Ren nodded, snapping his fingers to catch Mana's attention. "You'll be riding up in the passenger seat with me."

"...why?" she warily asked.

"Cause I figure you'll get more out of it than the other four. Just a hunch."

The girl seemed to accept his reasoning, because she quietly placed LABRYS and AIGIS in the row right behind the driver's and passenger seats before taking her seat. Toji and Kensuke — recognizing that the second row was occupied by giant weapons — hopped into the third row, while Mayumi and Shinji wiggled their way past to get into the back row of seats.

As Amamiya negotiated with Sakamoto, Iori, and Amada about driving order, Shinji reached for one of his bags and pulled out a rather familiar book: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

"...you're still reading through that?" inquired Mayumi with honest surprise.

"Well...life's been busy. I'd like to finally finish it. Would you mind helping me?"

Mayumi smiled lightly. "I'd...I'd like that."

At last, Amamiya turned the key in the ignition, and the engine rumbled to life. "And we're off. Buckle up!"

"And thus the road trip officially begins!" exclaimed Kensuke as he punched the air excitedly.

"Watch it man, you nearly hit me in the face!" yelled Toji.

Mana simply sat quietly in the passenger's seat, fiddling with her new phone.

All told, Shinji felt like things were starting off well.

xxxx

Misato Katsuragi watched with a forced smile as the trio of vehicles departed: Ryuji Sakamoto at the lead, with Iori and Amada taking up the rear in their DeLorean. The Toyota HiAce driven by Amamiya would be between them both, so there was at least some protection. Given the itinerary drawn up by Sakamoto yesterday, it would take them at least a few days to make it to Okayama Prefecture. The normal 'straight shot' would've gotten them to Nishiawakura by evening...but given current circumstances in certain cities along Honshū, a more circuitous route was deemed necessary. Be safe, she quietly thought to herself...and then with a forlorn sigh, her thoughts shifted.

Her Other had been waiting for this moment.

"You have said your goodbyes, temporary though they may be."

She rose, hands holding onto her swords tightly.

"Time to get to work."

Misato's eyes were hard as she contemplated what was on her plat for the upcoming month of August. Mister P; Pen-Pen; Kaji; whatever deal his Shadow made with Shinji-kun; how are they connected? At that moment, her phone buzzed; with a nonchalant gaze, Misato's eyes narrowed.

R. Akagi: Hello Misato.
R. Akagi: Attached is the sum total of my contact with Kaji since the Third Child arrived in Tokyo-3.
R. Akagi: It's not much, but I assume you already have a hint about what you're looking for.
R. Akagi: Also, can you hurry up and get back to HQ? Dr. Uehara is complaining that you left without getting properly discharged.

Like I was going to miss Mana-chan leaving for something like this, she inwardly griped. Still, true to her word, there wasn't much: it was a single chat log that was four lines long. And of COURSE your contact tag for him is 'Mr. Katsuragi', she thought with some bitterness. Reading them...

Mr. Katsuragi: By the way, Ritsuko-chan.
Mr. Katsuragi: From what I've been able to ascertain, an associate of mine should find Misato-chan by tomorrow.
Mr. Katsuragi: It's a little out of the way~
Mr. Katsuragi: Make of that what you will.

...made her blood boil. The date of those texts was June 30th: the day before Shinji-kun and Mister P had rescued her (and Mana by proxy) from Shiro Tokita. So...it's not just that Mister P and Kaji's Shadow have been in contact...but Kaji HIMSELF knows about Mister P. That changed the dynamic considerably. "Just great," she grumbled to herself, feeling a sudden twinge of pain in her ribs. Once I fully recover...Ryoji and I are going to have a talk.

xxxx

From atop NERV HQ, Rei Ayanami watched quietly as three particular vehicles began driving westward along Prefectural Route 337, which had been expanded and straightened out in the years since Hakone had been rechristened as Tokyo-3. "Be safe, Ikari-kun," she murmured to herself, looking up at the sky.

Her Other gazed at the full moon.

"Will it be a brief respite?"

The Beast gazed at the moon's dark side, screaming for the death of mankind.

"Will their enmity be held at bay? Doubtful..."

Rei sighed — briefly glancing towards the corpse of Ramiel to the east — before preparing to return to the Metaverse. There was no rest for her.

xxxx

Shuzo Ubukata was no one of any particular importance, in the grand scheme of things: as a NERV employee within HQ's Technical Branch, he was one of several debuggers for the Tokyo-3 MAGI, and moonlighted as an analyst for the cognitive and metaphysical data that were Project E's bread and butter these days.

It was rather...uninspiring and mundane work, to be honest.

But he was of enough seniority (i.e. someone with sufficient proximity to Ritsuko Akagi) to know that that certain teenagers of influence were going to be out of Tokyo-3 for the foreseeable future. (The fact that they were was mystifying to him; why Commander Ikari allowed it was inconceivable.)

At least two of the aforementioned teenagers would be of...particular interest to many...especially his primary benefactor, who had helped him transfer to NERV HQ to begin with.

And so, in his personal cubicle — whilst responding to various e-mails from his teammates, as well as preparing up a response to Dr. Akagi about some oddities in the Third Child's most recent cognitive scan — Ubukata typed a single message: THE THIRD AND THE JET ALONE ARE OUTSIDE OF TOKYO-3.

Some would consider it treason. He would simply say that the happiness and freedom of mankind was too important to entrust to a myopic organization like NERV. Hopefully, the boy and the girl will end up in the hands of those who can better utilize their unique talents.

Calmly and quietly, he hit 'send', and closed the window; it was done.

Shlyoop.

Ubukata froze, as something cold and soft yet harsh slipped through his back: not a knife, yet far more deadly, as an unknown hand clenched his metaphorical heart. "...huh...?" he whispered.

"Your subterfuge was unnecessary." In the corner of his vision, he saw Gendo Ikari lean in towards his ear. "If you had wanted to subject my son to unexpected trials...I would've given you the greenlight to do so. But I suppose your imagination is consumed by base and unimportant things."

The Commander was talking normally; there were other people in the office; why wasn't anyone hearing this?! "...help..." The words were no louder than a muted hiss.

"I can tell that you're working with the same man who gave inside information to Shiro Tokita...and to be honest, I'd be very interested to see the fruit of his labor. But your undermining of my authority can't be countenanced, purely on the principle of the matter."

He couldn't even speak, anymore. What was happening? What was Gendo Ikari doing to him?!

"But for the time being...perhaps you should follow my son's example...and take a nice, long, vacation."

With a sudden yank, he was pulled into Gendo Ikari, falling down and down and down into someplace that couldn't BE-!

(No one heard a single sound from his private cubicle. It would be five minutes until a security officer went by on their usual rounds, and would see that Ubukata's computer was unlocked. Naturally, a brief questioning of his nearby peers would be conducted as to where he had gone, but it would be to no avail.)

(Within the hour, security footage would be reviewed; all cameras and sensors within this particular office, for a period of about two minutes, had a gap consisting of nothing but white noise. At the beginning of that gap, Ubukata was at his desk; after that gap, he was gone.)

(It went without saying that Gendo Ikari didn't appear whatsoever.)

xxxx

At the very instant Ubukata met his fate: Gendo Ikari — sitting in his office, calmly reviewing the preliminary analysis submitted by Shuji Ikutsuki regarding NERV-02's work with the samples derived from the bodies of Ramiel and Matarael — shivered unnoticeably. "...another loose end. Interesting." He could only imagine what particular parties would try and take advantage of Shinji and Kirishima's relative isolation. Knowing those two...especially Shinji...it'll end in a rather bloody and grotesque manner. It wouldn't surprise him in the least.

And so the Commander of NERV continued on with his day.

xxxx

Finally, a young woman clad in black stood atop Mt. Mikuni: a peak that formed part of the western rim of the Hakone Caldera. Quietly, she watched as a motorcycle, a van, and a car moved in tandem along the prefectural highway connecting Tokyo-3 to the Numazu-Mishima metropolitan area.

(Somehow, looking at that car was painful. Why?)

She did not recognize the pain in her heart; she simply listened for orders.

The One Who Sat Upon the Throne was curious.

"Interesting...for them to engage in such frivolity...but if it increases his metaphysical bonds, so much the better."

They leaned back, gesturing with their right hand.

"Follow them from a distance. I will tell you when to engage, if needed."

Minako Arisato nodded; slipping into threshold between dimensions, she began her pursuit.

xxxx

Mana Kirishima had the window down so that she could feel the wind rushing through her shoulder-length hair; she also let her left arm dangle, allowing it to 'glide' with the passing wind; Amamiya was driving at a relatively sedate pace of fifty kilometers an hour.

There was something...fundamentally different, about the sensation. In the Metaverse, if she really concentrated, she could go at bursts nearly twice as fast as this van. However, this speed was occurring because of an internal combustion engine, with no power provided by her or her weapons; as such, she could simply sit back and...feel, and enjoy the wind. Even though she could not decide the path that this van took, she didn't feel trapped, or constrained.

xxxx

Her Big Sis stood atop the vehicle; she held Little Sis above her head, allowing the girl to simulate flying.

Both smiled as the wind blew through their hair.

xxxx

It was weird to think about the seeming contradiction...and slightly irritating, at that.

She glanced over her shoulder, glancing into the back: Aida and Suzuhara were playing some card game between each other; in the very back, Ikari and the Yamagishi girl were reading from some book.

"Yen for your thoughts?"

Mana turned towards their driver, the rather enigmatic Ren Amamiya. "...what does that mean?"

"Just an expression. I'm asking what you're thinking about."

"Why?"

"Is it a bad thing to be curious? You were talkative enough during the first leg of the trip."

Said first leg had been filled with certain questions about driving in general, about the vehicle that Amamiya was driving, the meaning of various road signs, and certain rules of the road. (Why not learn? Even if she was never going to get a vehicle of her own...it was still knowledge. Knowledge about normal life. That alone made it valuable.) Then, after passing the city of Fuji, there had been a decent stretch of the E1 highway where Suruga Bay had been in full view. She had stopped talking after that. "I guess...I was just enjoying the ride. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. I'm glad you're able to do that."

"Why?"

"Because a kid your age deserves the chance to enjoy the simpler things in life. Can't focus on your goals if you forget the reason for it all, right?"

Mana's eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"

"Well, I can't say I know all of the details about what you've been through, but I'm sure that axe and shield aren't just for show."

"You'd be right."

"Which means you've probably had it tough compared to most. Am I wrong?"

"...I can't speak for other people." She had once thought that Ikari had been lucky to have the power of Evangelion. (Part of her still envied that power.) Yet...who knew what cost had been paid for him to attain it? She didn't know. "But my life hasn't been easy."

"Well, if you're mixed up with this bunch, you're probably doing better than you used to. Gives you more of a reason to fight, don't you think?"

Mana thought about Musashi and Keita; wherever they were...were they safe? Were they happy? (She imagined them sitting behind her; Musashi griping with Toji and Kensuke, while Keita would watch the scenery with a sort of pleased silence.) Once I find them...we'll be able to enjoy this stuff...together. "...yeah," she admitted.

Ahead of them, Ryuji Sakamoto performed a few hand gestures, ultimately pointing to the left. "Got it..." murmured Amamiya.

"What's that about?" she asked.

"He wants us divert from the Tomei Expressway onto National Route 150 on the upcoming fork, before we get into Yaizu proper."

"Why? Didn't we also divert earlier in Shizuoka? Why are we taking these longer routes?"

"Some of the cities and towns on our route have been hit by new cognitive voids as of late. We're just being proactive to avoid them outright: better a longer route than risk encountering one of those."

"...sounds like a hassle."

"Imagine being the people who have to live in those sorts of places full-time. Tokyo-3's pretty lucky to have so much support in the cognitive world, if you think about it. From what I know, it's very stable compared to other places."

...it feels weird, to think of myself as being privileged in anyway, she mused.

(She was also on a road trip with people that she could consider her peers: such a prospect would have been unimaginable not even a month ago.)

(You can enjoy this without feeling guilty.)

Mana huffed, turning her gaze back to her open window. There was something cathartic about 'turning her brain off' to simply indulge in the scenery.

xxxx

Meanwhile, as for Toji and Kensuke...

"Seriously Ken, the fact you keep drawing all of these eights is suspicious."

"Don't patronize me when you've won four of the last seven!"

"I'm just sayin', it's suspicious."

"Since you're winning, my capacity for caring is minimized!"

...the card game of Crazy Eights continued.

xxxx

Meanwhile, as for Shinji and Mayumi...the slog through The Tragedy of Hamlet continued.

"I could be bounded in a...nutshell?" Shinji frowned at the word choice. "And...count myself a king of infinite space...were it not that I have bad dreams." He glanced at the girl sitting beside him. "Is that right?"

Mayumi nodded. "Very good, Ikari-san. You didn't even have to use your Japanese-to-English reference for that one."

Shinji felt a bit proud from the compliment. Alas, thoughts turned back to the character in question. "Hamlet...he's complicated."

"He is."

"..."

"...you once said that Hamlet is your Persona, correct?"

He thought back to that afternoon of July the 3rd, when he had summarized (among other things) his brief time as a Persona-user. "Yeah..."

"...do you wonder what it implies about you, when reading more about Hamlet?"

"...I'd be lying if I said no."

Yamagishi smiled somberly. "Well...I suppose the only to get past that is to keep going."

"...right."

Thus did he continue reading, with Mayumi perfectly happy to provide context as he went along.

xxxx

After passing through Yaizu, the 'Hakone Caravan' had driven along the horn of the Omaezaki Peninsula, then through Kakegawa, Fukuroi, and Iwata, before arriving at the city of Hamamatsu. The decision had been made to stop for lunch, because they had been on the road for a few hours...and teenagers needed fuel as much as vehicles did.

But given that this was a summer road trip, emphasis had been made to find some place...unique, to eat at.

Hence why they found themselves at a place called Nippon Churrasco, which had a lot of Brazilian decor and Portuguese signage (which, amusingly enough, included a placard that said 'No Tips Expected' in Brazilian Portuguese, English, kanji, and hiragana). "Huh...this is an interesting place..." murmured Shinji.

"I wonder what they serve," wondered Kensuke.

"I smell meat on the grill, so that makes it fine by me!" said Toji with a happy nod.

Sakamoto grinned. "Speaking my language, Suzuhara-kun."

Inside, everyone gathered at a long table (with Ryuji at the head and Junpei at the foot), and opted for the buffet line instead of ordering off of the menu. Some of the staples were familiar — rice and beans, along with some pastas and legumes — but were accompanied by savory red meats, foreign fruits and uncommon vegetables, and various pastries with unusual fillings.

"Mmm...I could get used to this," muttered Toji with a happy grin, teeth tearing into a slice of churrasco. "They just carved it straight off that giant hunk of meat!"

"Somethin' satisfying about that," replied Iori, mouth full of the same.

Amada, in the midst of cutting into a fried pastry filled with various nuts and fruits, sighed. "Suzuhara, please chew with your mouth closed. Junpei, I don't need to tell you the same; you should be setting the example."

The hat-wearing A.T. Agent rolled his eyes at the criticism. "Come on Kenny, summer vacations are meant to be a little messy. Let the kids have their fun; it's not like they're hurting anyone."

"It's a-about the principle of the matter!" Amada sputtered in retort.

Ryuji gave them both the stink eye from the other end of the table. "Come on you two, do I really have to get on you before the freakin' kids?"

"Sorry Captain," they both chorused.

Mana was eating intently from her heavily-laden plate, which had a little bit of practically everything she hadn't ever had before. She ate methodically, almost forcefully so (perhaps to keep herself from devouring everything with gusto). By comparison, Mayumi was sampling more liberally from a smaller selection of foreign dishes, mostly from the filled pastries, fruits, and legumes; the girl loosed a satisfied hum of delight after biting into the purple flesh of an acai fruit.

Shinji looked around curiously at the decor: the earthy colors, old-fashioned wooden furniture, and various Brazilian paraphernalia were decidedly exotic to his eyes. "Do the owners just really like Brazil...?"

"Eh, they're probably nikkeijin," remarked Sakamoto.

Kensuke caught onto the term as he quickly swallowed a bite of roasted palm. "Diasporan-born, huh?"

Shinji blinked at the term. "Diasporan?"

"The descendants of Japanese emigrants," explained Mayumi as she daintily wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I believe Brazil has the highest population of ethnic Japanese of any foreign country on Earth...and I believe Hamamatsu constitutes a pretty high percentage of the country's Brazilian nikkei. Maybe the largest? I'm not sure offhand."

"In any case," added Amada, "you'd have seen as much while we were driving into the city: there were several businesses and markets with Brazilian colors to mark themselves. This one just happened to be conveniently close to a public parking lot."

"And thus does one's knowledge grow," remarked Amamiya, even as he ate from a bowl of yellow porridge that smelled like curry but was considerably thicker in consistency. The high school student was eyeing it critically. "Hmm...could be a good idea for a curry recipe..."

Sakamoto chuckled at the display. "What, you a curry snob or something?"

Amamiya dramatically adjusted his eyeglasses, looking oddly in Ryuji's direction. "I'm practically the Gideon Lambsey of curry."

"Hah! Big words, Frizzy Hair; we'll have to test that later," said Sakamoto, seemingly pleased by his moxie.

Oddly enough, Ren didn't seem pleased by that; he went back to eating his food without another word.

Shinji, nibbling on a skewer of seasoned grilled shrimp, looking around inquisitively. Sure enough, one of the restaurant's cooks was replacing older dishes on the buffet line: now that he knew what to look for, the traces of South American features could be seen on his face. I wonder...what their life is like...?

His Other quietly caressed a human skull.

"No one has a monopoly on suffering..."

Finally, he dropped it into an open grave.

"...and death eventually comes to everyone."

His eyes trailed towards a television hanging from the corner of the ceiling; a few nikkei were watching quietly, as the TV displayed a South American news channel. Currently, the broadcast concerned the ongoing recovery in the city of Natal since the horrific casualties of the July New Moon.

Shinji winced inwardly.

The Beast, hovering amidst a tiny yet everlasting void, laughed.

"Thou art a king of infinite space: the great expanse that is your mind!"

It leaned in, leering at him with a vicious grin.

"But even kings aren't immune to bad dreams...perhaps not even the gods..."

He wondered, not for the first time, if this whole trip was merely an exercise in selfishness.

(But that wouldn't stop him from enjoying it.)

(You know better than to be that optimistic.)

xxxx

With a filling and satisfying lunch in their bellies, Sakamoto advised the junior high students that they would be refueling their vehicles in preparation for the next leg of the trip. Given that there was a nearby tourist attraction of sorts, he had advised them to kill a bit of time by taking a short walk...under supervision, of course.

(Junpei Iori and Ken Amada settled the matter with a round of janken, best of five. Iori walked away the victor, leaving Amada to accompany them.)

After several minutes of walking, they arrived at the tourist attraction in question: the Nakatajima Sand Dunes. The gently sloping dunes gave off the impression of waves, while long pathways led directly to the waters of the Pacific; patches of grass and wooden fences — some partially buried — broke up the natural monotony. Without nearby buildings, they had an unobstructed view of the cloudy summer sky.

Mana Kirishima was less than impressed. "It's just a bunch of sand!"

"Well, it's one of the three largest sand dune areas in the country-"

Mana cut off Mayumi's explanation before she could finish. "So? It's just SAND!"

"...she's not wrong," remarked Kensuke with a wry grin.

Shinji, not wanting to intrude on the impending argument, had a question about something else. "Um...what are those barriers?" He pointed towards a large rectangular section of the dunes, warded off by purple ribbon and held up by warning signs of a sort: white squares rimmed by a border of red and black, bearing the black icon of a human brain that had been crossed out with a red danger symbol.

Amada calmly answered, "danger signs for a cognitive void: a warning to the public to stay away, lest they find themselves losing all capacity for thought."

"I've...never seen those before."

"Well, in a place like Tokyo-3, I imagine the level of personnel that could be dedicated to reversing a void is sufficient enough that these signs wouldn't be necessary. Villages, towns...even some cities lack the manpower to undo them. Hence these warning barriers." The young man sighed, forlornly scratching at his hair. "I mean...it's not like anyone's going to devote resources to remove a cognitive void on a sand dune."

"Yeah, because it's SAND!" Mana kept going back to that point. "Why would anyone come here?!"

"...well, it is the reproductive season for loggerhead turtles. There might be some eggs on the shore?" offered Mayumi.

"...what's a loggerhead turtle?" Mana asked, completely serious.

Mayumi blinked, seemingly caught flat-footed by the display of ignorance. "Um...well...gosh, how do I explain this-?"

"I think I've got an idea," said Kensuke, a shrewd look in his eyes. "Mana-san, you know about the Genbu Archetype, right?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Imagine a smaller version of it without that wicked serpent for a tail, and you basically have what the average turtle looks like...oh, and remove the fanged teeth as well. There's variation between the species, but you've got the gist for the most part."

"...huh. That a fact?" It seemed to click for her. "And they lay eggs?" She got a nod in response. "...that's weird." However, she seemed more inclined to look around, now.

And that's when Toji suddenly and out of nowhere upped the stakes. "Then let's make it interesting!" Taking off his shoes and socks, he declared, "I'll race you to the ocean."

Mana blinked. "...why?"

"Why not? Afraid I'll beat you?"

Just like that, a switch was flipped. "I'd get nothing out of it. I can run faster and harder than you anyway."

"Yeah, in the Metaverse, sure," admitted Toji without hesitation. "But what about in the real world, without your fancy superpower weapons?"

Mana raised a hand to object...only to pause, a frown crossing her face. "...you know, I don't think I was ever tested for long-range amplification of my abilities in the real world..." The girl promptly removed her shoes and socks, duplicating the boy's actions; her toes wiggled in the sand with caution. "Feels funny."

"Well, it's better than getting sand in your shoes. It's a pain to get all the grains out." Toji whipped his head around. "Ken!"

"Yes?" chorused Kensuke Aida and Ken Amada.

"Not the big Ken! I mean, you know!" he sputtered, before quickly gathering his composure. "Time us!"

Aida rolled his eyes, satisfied with that little bit of fun. "Okay then, on the count of three, you both are gonna take off running: one..." Toji leaned forward in a sprinter's stance, while Mana simply leaned forward on her right leg. "Two..." Both competitors tensed up. "...THREE!"

Toji burst off with impressive acceleration.

Mana slipped on her third step and fell face first in the sand. "DAMN IT!" she growled, spitting out some grains before taking off with renewed intensity in pursuit of her opponent.

"...it's probably a good time to mention that Suzuhara is on the Track Team at our school," Kensuke pointed out to Yamagishi and Amada.

"Ah. No wonder. Stacking the deck in his favor before even taking to the field." Their chaperone shook his head. "Just like Captain Sakamoto..." As he walked off to pursue the sprinting teenagers, Mayumi — having taken off her open-toed sandals — hopped forward to keep pace, so she could inquire of the young man about his work as an A.T. Agent.

This left Shinji and Kensuke to take up the rear. "Well, might as well bring their shoes and socks. I'll grab Toji's," said Aida, discarding his own footwear in the process. Shinji did so as well, holding his shoes and socks in his left hand while he gripping Mana's in his right.

As the two began to follow everyone else towards the shores, Aida suddenly asked, "you were pretty quiet during lunch."

"...I was just thinking, is all. About...what happened during the last new moon."

"Ah, you saw that broadcast too, huh? Awful stuff, isn't it?"

"And yet here we are...on a road trip."

"Given that you've killed two Angels in as many months, I think you're entitled to a bit of downtime."

"...maybe..."

"Hey, cheer up! It's been pretty nice so far."

"It's just...my father gave me permission to go on this trip, but I get this feeling that he just doesn't care." Sometimes even worse than that. "About me...or much of anything, really."

"...pretty odd for a guy like that to be the Commander of an organization like NERV, then...but hey, from what little I've seen of you two interacting, I want nothing to do with it." Shinji honestly couldn't blame Aida. (Who would want to have the kind of relationship with their own father that Shinji had with Gendo?) "...though, I'm not exactly in any position to say anything myself..."

The sudden admission surprised him. "Aida-san?"

"Eh, just some difficulties with my old man. Nothing big..." The bespectacled boy trailed off, looking thoughtful. "...you, Toji, Nagisa-kun and I all talked about our fathers at Neo Hagakure that one time, near the beginning of the month...but I don't think I know much about your own mom."

"Huh?"

"I mean, you kind of know a little bit about mine: kickass A.T. Agent, role model and inspiration for all things Metaverse as far as I'm concerned...but you've never really mentioned your own mom. Stop me if I'm prying."

"No, you're fine..." he admitted. "It's...complicated. She went missing in 2004, and no one knows what happened to her. Dr. Akagi thinks she's dead...and father's never said anything. It was shortly after that when he sent me away to live with a custodian...my old sensei. Then, nearly ten years later...he calls me back to Tokyo-3, where I get attacked on the train before it even arrives at the station."

"Sheesh, seriously?"

"Yeah...I've actually learned more about my mother through Fuyutsuki-sensei over the past several weeks than I ever knew about her before." He gave an abridged summary of what Fuyutsuki-sensei had disclosed about his academic and professional career, including his association with the Ikaris, the Akagis, and the Isshikis (which naturally included Takuto Maruki, given how Futaba Isshiki had married him).

All told, the brief stories elicited a grin from Kensuke. "Sounds like your mom was quite the character! Sorry she went missing."

"...but my father...it's like he's determined to forget everything about her. I actually sent him a bunch of pictures of my mother that Futaba Maruki sent me, and he told me he wanted nothing to do with them! I just don't understand...!"

"...sheesh. That too, huh...?" muttered a suddenly somber Kensuke.

"...'too'...?"

"My old man...he's not really talked about my mom, since she passed away. And I just don't get it. I'd say he's determined to forget everything about the woman known as 'Naomi Aida', but at least he never went to the level of tossing out her things! Put them into storage, sure...but they're still at our place. Just...hidden. Swept under the rug, like a mess to ignore. It's crazy."

The unspoken comparison that Kensuke was drawing between their fathers prompted Shinji to speak up on the behalf of Kensuke's. "Well...it can be difficult, to talk about this stuff, you know...? Maybe...maybe it's the same with your father. Maybe talking about your mother hurts."

Kensuke actually thought about that prospect. Just a little bit. "...I don't know why it would, though. She was kickass! I'd brag about her all day if I could! I just don't know why he wouldn't feel the same!"

Shinji thought of a particular photo, provided by Fuyutsuki-sensei: of the last night his grandfather Katsuhito had been alive, surrounded by friends, students, family. (The image of a smiling Gendo Rokubungi was seared into his brain.) "Maybe...maybe your father thinks that your mother is just as great as you think she is...maybe even more. Maybe that's why it hurts...and so instead of facing that pain...he runs away from it: better to not talk about it at all, so it doesn't hurt..."

xxxx

Another place. Another time.

A common mantra.

I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away...!

How little it would matter, in the end.

xxxx

Shinji sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry. I don't know your father; it's not my place to talk about what he's dealing with."

"Nah, you're fine. Heck, maybe you're onto something." Kensuke grinned good-naturedly. "It's strange, thinking of how timid and reluctant you used to be back in June, you know? Like you were just trying to slide on by everyone without being seen...and now look at you, being all introspective and insightful and stuff. I'd find it annoying if you weren't so darn humble about it."

"...sorry?"

"Nothing to apologize for." With a jaunty motion, Kensuke raised his shoes into the air: a mock toast, in place of an actual drink. "To our magnificent moms and disappointing dads!"

...it was certainly an odd thing to cheer, but Shinji raised his shoes upward regardless, returning the 'toast' with a shy smile.

(As it turned out, Mana Kirishima couldn't siphon power from LABRYS or AIGIS from sufficiently long distances; hence why she had ultimately lost to a cheerful Toji Suzuhara.)

(Running on sand hadn't helped either. "I...hate...sand!" she snarled.)

(And there weren't any turtle eggs to see either; bad timing, alas.)

(But there were dozens upon dozens of ghost crabs unexpectedly scuttling about, taking advantage of the cloudy day to scavenge for sustenance with the cooler temperature, so that had been a sight all on its own.)

xxxx

Approximately seventy kilometers of driving later (past Hamamatsu, through Kosai of Shizuoka and Toyohashi of Aichi, and finally into Tahara), the Hakone Caravan had arrived at Cape Irago on the tip of the Atsumi Peninsula.

Unfortunately, that's where the trip for the day would have to stop.

"So, as it turns out, the ferry schedule's all bonked up due to some ongoing maintenance on the ship in Toba...so we're just going to have spend the night here and take the first one in the morning." Sakamoto pulled out a small atlas of Japan, pointing to their current location in Aichi Prefecture. At the moment, they were situated in the parking lot of a small hotel within walking distance of the ferry, the beach, and other parts of Cape Irago. "We'll cross over to Kii Peninsula tomorrow, and skirt along through Mie Prefecture and into Wakayama Prefecture; hopefully we'll make it to the next ferry before it closes down, but I'll be fine if we end up making it to the prefectural capital by tomorrow night."

"Why the rush?" calmly inquired Amamiya. "There didn't seem to be much of a rush with the detours we took today."

"Sounds like someone who hasn't really travelled anywhere," cracked Junpei with a knowing grin.

Ren simply shrugged it off, replying, "what can I say? I'm a homeboy."

"What the captain and Junpei are trying to get at is that Wakayama is on the threshold of Keihanshin," explained Amada, referring to the colloquial name for the Kyoto-Osake-Kobe metropolitan area. "And those places have been pretty antsy for the past month: a string of Angel Syndrome incidents, followed by a heavy influx of Ghosts and Acolytes during the July New Moon. Nowhere near the havoc unleashed in certain specific places on the day," he said, trying to be somewhat discreet, "but still enough that the cognitive landscape in those areas hasn't quite settled back down yet."

Kensuke frowned. "...so this is basically a subtle way for you to say that we're trouble magnets, and that it's better if it happens out in the boonies instead of in major populated areas that are already unsettled."

"Pretty much, yeah," said Sakamoto with absolutely no hesitation. "But hey, at least it's the scenic route to Okayama Prefecture, eh?"

"...so, what now?" asked Mayumi.

"We've still got some hours to go until nightfall, so...go do whatever! There's the beach, there's some sights, so...go be kids and burn off some of that excess energy." Ryuji was practically shooing them away. "I'll check us in and handle the room arrangements. Need to work out my leg anyhow."

"Need a hand with the luggage, captain?" asked Amada.

The older man snorted. "I've got a bum leg, but I ain't an invalid, Kenny; go watch our gang of brats, will ya?"

The younger man flushed with embarrassment at the nickname. "Come on..."

Thus proceeded the afternoon.

xxxx

It was odd, mused Mana Kirishima, being away from her weapons for so long.

("I'll put them in your room in a discreet place and make sure to lock the door. Not like room service will be coming by at this time of day anyhow." Sakamoto ruffled her hair with a grin that should've been patronizing, yet somehow wasn't.)

Don't know how to feel about it yet.

She stepped out of the public changing rooms at Kojigahama Beach, wearing a black swimsuit that Katsuragi had helped her pick out; the top was more akin to a sports bra than an actual bikini, but it still showed off her midriff.

("Look, better to have a swimsuit than to have not," explained Katsuragi as they had been shopping the other day. "Plus...there were still a few years before Second Impact where I dealt with all of the normal craziness that kids struggle with while growing up. Body image, hormones, comfort with who you are...all that jazz." She shot her a confident grin. "And hey: even if you still think of yourself as a weapon in some way...you still have a pretty athletic body for a kid your age. Own it and make it yours!")

Katsuragi must have been onto something, because Yamagishi — wearing a baby blue one-piece with an attached skirt around her bottom, carrying a pink handbag to place her glasses in — actually blinked. "Wow...you're very toned, Mana-san."

"...is that a compliment?" Had to make sure, after all.

"...yes?"

"Then thanks."

Apparently, Yamagishi wasn't the only one who noticed. The trio of Ikari, Aida, and Suzuhara were digging at the sand for some reason or the other (and of the three, only Suzuhara wasn't wearing a tee shirt, even though they all had swim trunks on), but they all blinked and blushed when they looked at her.

"Holy shit you're shredded," remarked Toji.

"Abs," blurted Kensuke.

Shinji simply kept his mouth shut, looking away before saying, "um...you both look nice." (She didn't know why he was so embarrassed.)

Yamagishi muttered a few words of gratitude, while she simply nodded.

Ren Amamiya — setting up a couple of beach umbrellas and a few rented lounge chairs with Ken Amada, whilst Junpei Iori had gone to fill an ice chest with drinks — simply looked at her critically before saying, "eh, I've seen better." To punctuate his point, he pushed his glasses up against the bridge of his nose.

Paradoxically, that offhanded remark made her feel better. (She wasn't more abnormal than she already was. You're not a freak.) "With who?" she asked honestly.

"A girl I used to know. Probably would've given you a run for your money in a sparring match," he remarked. "One fist of justice, and BAM. Out like a light."

"Is that so? Maybe you could introduce us."

The boy smirked (sadly? There was...something melancholy about his expression that she couldn't identify) before replying, "she's not around anymore, alas. But hey, I bet the boys could use a hand with their sand sculptures."

"Yes, let's!" exclaimed Mayumi, pushing against her shoulders towards the trio.

(As it turned out, only Aida and Yamagishi had anything approaching architectural aptitude when it came to sand castles, so she, Ikari, and Suzuhara essentially served as the hired muscle.)

(It was a lot of fun to eventually knock them over, though, for some childish reason she couldn't quite articulate.)

xxxx

The beach volleyball court was set: Shinji, Kensuke, Toji, and Junpei versus Mayumi, Mana, Ren, and Ken.

It was close. It was competitive. It was fun.

Still, there was at least one point of contention, it seemed.

As Yamagishi lobbied the ball upward, Amada immediately took advantage of it with a devastating spike...

POP!

"OW!"

...right into Iori's face, sending him into the sand. "Damn it, why is it always the face?!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," calmly remarked Amada.

"That does it: you've awoken the fury of da man!"

Junpei's attempted rallying cry didn't fly. "...dude, that just sounds lame," grumbled Toji.

"Try hard," pithily yet playfully remarked Aida.

"Oof, I could hear the critical damage being done with those," snarked Amamiya.

"Yeah yeah, you're all very funny," griped Iori, shooting a glance towards Shinji. "Got something to add?"

"...I don't think it was bad?"

"I don't need your pity!" he moaned with exaggerated mopiness.

"But it's not, I swear!"

The whole bit of boyish banter elicited a cheerful giggle from Yamagishi, as well as several nearby beachgoers.

xxxx

Shinji and Mayumi both sat upon the heavy slabs of stone that served as the barrier between the brick-laden walkway and the rocky shoreline; the white lighthouse of Cape Irago — which looked like it was overdue for preventative maintenance — loomed to their right, serving as a distinctive landmark. The sands of Kojigahama Beach could still be seen to their left (because the adults had insisted they not go beyond their eyesight); Sakamoto, Amada, and Iori were lounging in their beach chairs, idly watching as Aida, Suzuhara, and Mana-san tried to tackle and wrestle Amamiya into the shallow beachside waters.

The second-year high schooler was surprisingly slippery and agile, it turned out.

"...this has been a fun day, Ikari-san."

Shinji nodded, arms resting on his elbows. "Yeah. It has..." Glancing at her, he said, "I know I've already thanked you for choosing to come along...but really: thank you."

"Why? Is it because of Mana-san?"

"...not just that. I...I'm not sure I can explain it, but it would've been different if you hadn't been here. Not just with me, but with Aida-san, Suzuhara-san, and Kirishima-san as well." (Again, he used her surname. But why? She would have to find out later.) "You bring something to our conversations that no one else would have...and it's been nicer because of it." The boy scratched at the back of his head nervously. "Sorry if it comes out wrong..."

"No. I...I think I understand what you're getting out. Different characters bring different perspectives to conversations...and I'm different from any of your other friends." She had no difficulty admitting that, because to be honest, this day...

The beast had been relatively silent, that day. The roving spotlight had also been absent. For the first time in a while, the cat had been free to prowl and play.

...had been the height of normalcy, for the first time in a long while. It seemed like forever since she had last felt this...ordinary. "Thank you for inviting me, Ikari-san."

"...you're welcome."

They both sat in silence, content to watch the sun slowly set towards the west; the glow cast upon the Pacific was mesmerizing.

xxxx

Night had fallen, and all of them had gathered at a local seafood restaurant.

"Nothing beats freshness," remarked Sakamoto with a grin as he chewed at his grilled eel.

"That's kind of a trite observation, captain," remarked Aida.

"Doesn't mean it's not true!"

Mana looked curiously at the fried squid, which looked like some bizarre creature straight out of the Metaverse. She then shrugged, dipped it in soy sauce, and then put the whole thing into her mouth. "Hmm...not bad," she muttered with a full mouth, chewing contemplatively.

Aida, Suzuhara, and Yamagishi both shuddered at the image.

Shinji was too busy sipping from his seafood ramen to care.

xxxx

As the full moon's pleasant shine settled over them, the Hakone Caravan split off to their rooms at the local hotel: a rather cheap and modest place with three floors. The three adults would be bunking together, while the two girls would be in an adjacent room; the four boys, alas, were all going to be squeezed into the room next to the girls'.

Any and all complaints on the part of Aida and Suzuhara had been quickly shut down.

("You're young, and this won't be the first time circumstances result in you having itty-bitty living space!" retorted Sakamoto with authority at the two boys. "Do janken, draw lots to determine who sleeps on the floor, I don't care! Just deal with it.")

That wasn't something that the girls had to worry about, as they each had their own bed. Yamagishi, whose hair had dried in a rather gnarly fashion after being on the beach for the whole afternoon, had taken the shower first. Kirishima had gone next, enjoying the warm water as it trickled over her. Today was...nice.

xxxx

Her Big Sis and Little Sis both sat on the edge of a wooden pier, staring out at the ocean.

There was an undeniable sense of nostalgic happiness on their faces.

xxxx

Mana, stepping out of the bathroom in her Featherman-themed pajamas, noticed Yamagishi staring at her; the girl, wearing a loose yellow nightgown that went down to her ankles, stopped combing her long hair. "What?"

"Oh. Um...I just didn't expect Featherman, is all." She squinted, looking closer. "...and Featherman Z, at that. That one's a bit older. Still a classic, though."

Mana crawled onto her bed, crossing her legs to stare directly at her roommate. "Honestly, it was pretty much the first show that caught my interest after Katsuragi took me in. It was...exciting. Inspiring. So when she took me shopping, why wouldn't I get stuff with their image?"

The girl smiled. "That's a very simple way of looking at it...I like it."

Mana hadn't had much occasion to think about the odd feeling she had felt from the girl that morning; after the whole day, it was less pronounced, less obvious. (If she focused enough, she might even be able to ignore it entirely.) "...it's been odd, dealing with all of this stuff. Different." She briefly 'felt' LABRYS and AIGIS, resting underneath her bed. Their latent power hummed pleasantly in conjunction with her mind and spirit. "...it's been a damn sight better than what it used to be."

"...Mana-san...do you mind if I ask about...well, everything you went through?" Yamagishi was stern. Solemn. Serious. "I only got an abridged summary from Sakamoto-san...and I'd like to know the full story."

"Why?"

"I want to know. Do I need another reason?"

Mana frowned, because it wasn't like it was an invalid reason. Besides...she hadn't really told anyone about the fullness of her circumstances before. Ikari and Katsuragi knew the details only because of their conflict with Tokita. Sae Niijima knew about the details because of her position as a custodian...but actually talking about it? Out loud? She hadn't done such a thing since...her brothers had been with her. Well...might as well get some practice in. That way...I'll be able to help Musashi-nissan and Keita-niisan when I find them. "It's a long story."

"We have plenty of time."

"All right then." So Mana Kirishima began to explain: of her earliest memories alongside Musashi and Keita; of being found by her Big Sis and Little Sis, whose names she had never learned (and somehow, that was troubling her when it hadn't before; how annoying); of surviving together in a Post-Impact world as orphans who were nonetheless family; of being found by NHCI and getting kidnapped; of her sisters volunteering themselves for the experiments that would ultimately turn them into AIGIS and LABRYS; of the various trials and tribulations she and her brothers had endured for years as part of the JET ALONE Project (of how she slowly yet inexorably stopped thinking of herself as anything but a weapon; even now, she still believed herself to be one fundamentally, despite her interactions with other people...because when the going got tough, it would be Mana the Weapon who would be able to do something, not Mana the Human); of how Katsuragi's kidnapping had ultimately been the catalyst for Tokita's downfall; of how she had come to respect the woman for not taking it easy on her; of how she had fought Ikari when he had come to rescue Katsuragi (strangely, she felt reluctant at this point...and didn't mention how terrifying the boy had been. She wasn't sure if it had been for his sake or hers); of how Tokita had tried escaping, only to fail; of how her brothers had disappeared in the ensuing chaos; of how Katsuragi had been chosen to be her guardian by Sae Niijima.

"And ever since then...I've just been trying to adapt. It's all I can do, really," finished Mana. After what felt like hours, Mayumi had ended up on her bed, leaking tears in ever greater amounts. Somehow, Mayumi was able to sob heavily without crying aloud; it was actually rather interesting, in a way that she could only ponder because of how the sheer catharsis had emotionally emptied her out. "...told you it was long."

"T-t-that's...o-okay..." sniffled Yamagishi. "T-t-thank you..."

"Why? It doesn't look like it did you any favors."

"...y-y-you were well within y-your right to not s-say anything...but you did...and y-you t-t-told me something so private and so p-painful...it's...h-humbling. And it's a w-wonderful feeling..."

Mana blinked. "You're weird."

"C-c-can I hug you?"

"...why?"

"Because i-it would feel right, and p-proper, and i-i-if I don't do something with th-these emotions I'm just g-gonna be a mess..."

Normally, Mana would've been more prickly about this sort of thing. Now? She was too drained to care. "Go for it." Yamagishi promptly embraced her tightly; although she didn't return the hug, Mana felt the catharsis fade away into a pleasant numbness. Guess Katsuragi isn't unusual with physical affection, then...?

"...sorry." Mayumi snorted in an almost ugly fashion, trying to clear away the fluids leaking from her face. "I'm a mess...and you talked for so long, your hair dried out without getting combed. Do you mind?"

"Mind what?"

"If I comb your hair. It's only fair."

"...sure. Why not."

And that was how Mana Kirishima fell asleep: to the gentle ministrations of Yamagishi combing the knots out of her hair.

(Somehow...she had the distinct impression that Big Sis and Little Sis were happy for her.)

xxxx

(Meanwhile, as Mana Kirishima had been unknowingly pouring her heart out to Mayumi Yamagishi about her past...)

Ren Amamiya, as their designated driver and senpai (but mostly their driver), had claimed seniority and grabbed a bed for himself. Thus, between Shinji, Toji, and Aida, they had to decide on how to divvy out the other bed, the couch, and the floor.

Aida had ended up on the floor, much to his dismay.

But he still somehow tried to have the last word. "Hey. Ikari."

"...what?" he murmured from the bed.

"...remember how I asked about your 'lady friend' from way back at the beginning of the month?"

"...vaguely. Why?"

"It's Yamagishi-san, ain't it?"

From the couch, Toji groaned audibly. "Seriously, you're picking now to do this...?"

Shinji blinked once. Twice. Too tired to care about any embarrassment or social anxiety, he simply replied, "yes. She is a lady who also happens to be a friend. I don't think I can call her a 'lady friend' in the sense you mean it."

"But come on, I heard you call Yamagishi the other day when we were all at Neo Hagakure."

"Weren't you in the middle of debating Suzuhara about something...?"

"My capacity to multitask is without parallel. But that means you've got her number on your phone."

And all of a sudden, Suzuhara's complaints quieted. "...you know, that's a good point. I remember you telling us that you exchanged contact info with a girl. It was Yamagishi?"

"...yes. Your point?"

Thanks the ambience of the full moon coming in through the window, Shinji could see Toji give him a thumb's up. "Nice."

Shinji, who was quite frankly done (and feeling more vigorous than he normally would be after such an eventful day), grabbed two of his three pillows and threw them at Aida and Suzuhara.

As the two boys sputtered from the sudden impact, Ren Amamiya chuckled knowingly. "Ah, to be young again..."

xxxx

END OF 7/31/2015

xxxx

Author's Note: (Goes to begin a nice, lighthearted summer arc.)

(Proceeds to write the longest chapter in the entire fic thus far.)

Hoo boy. This was an eventful and character-driven chapter. But it's good to have those!

The Magician Social Link is now at Rank 4, and Shinji's "Vigor" Social Stat went from Rank 2 (LIvely) to Rank 3 (Vibrant). Not bad!

In the time-honored tradition of Persona parodies and Bland Name Products, here are the equivalences: "Gunton" would represent "Gundam"; "Sanctus Pegasus" would be "Saint Seiya" (as the titular Seiya was the Pegasus Knight); "Time Fugitive Eidolon" would be the famous thematic precursor/inspiration to Evangelion known as "Space Runaway Ideon"; and "Reverse from the Past" is, of course, "Back to the Future". Ren's crack about "Gideon Lambsey" is of course a reference to the celebrity chef "Gordon Ramsey." (Similarly, from the chapter for 7/29/2015, "Magical Mentor MacLeod" would be "Mahou Sensei Negima!", while "Escapulario+Lichgirl" was, naturally, "Rosario+Vampire.")

Although "Horatio Hornblower" is not quite yet a public domain work, I figure that the works of C.S. Forester are sufficiently old and 'classic' enough to be mentioned as a regular literary figure (similarly to Sherlock Holmes).

Also, here's Ryuji's bike: automanager . blob . core . (windows-dot-net) / wmphotos/028734/3c1d116b15f84687b6c94f3c0e2bd9ab/6aa32c7ab8_640 . jpg

This is Misato's car: (look up Misato's Car entry on the Evageeks wiki)

This is a DeLorean: (look up DMC DeLorean on Wikipedia)

And this is what Ren's basically driving: webcache . googleusercontent (dot-com) / search?q=cache: (https): / / carused . jp /car-list/detail/toyota/hiace-wagon/KZH120G/TGB00076

(Trying to get past the URL filter on this website is an absolute pain at times.)

As for the Shuzo Ubukata guy that got seemingly om-nom'd by Gendo, he was the unseen Monarch for the Okinawa Jail in P5 Strikers. He seems to be an unlucky chap in general, so the position fit.

/but at last, we're out of the month of July!
/fun fact
/even when disregarding the long hiatus from June 22, 2019 through May 25, 2020
/it took 301 IRL days to write out the month of June
/and it only took 233 days to get through the month of July
/but yeah, this month has been going on since last November