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Advice and Trust [NGE]

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Comedy Omake #136 - Chronicles Project G 08
  • Apocrypha
    • And here's that update for later today, new Chronicles!

    More car tinkering, backstory, and Iruel does more than usual!

    Back in Garage 2B, two elders continued working on a slightly less dilapidated looking car. Sure, it was still rusted to pieces and one of the doors had fallen off its hinges during maintenance, but that was nothing. Parts were a dime a dozen practically anywhere in Japan, which made it a hotbed for tuning and customisation (despite the heresy of it using a diesel hybrid, it looking like an AE86 certainly worked in its favour). Toss in an electric motor or two (or, if you could afford the fuel cost, a pre-Impact 2JZ, VTEC or even a Wankel), and you got yourself a capable (if precarious, due to lack of any safety at all) street racer that could outpace many prefectural police department cars, much to their chagrin.

    But that's another story.

    Kyoko thought to get Yui down here and working on something, after how poor Maya reacted to Yui's little slip. Hoping it would make her feel at least slightly better.

    'Ich hätte ehrlich gesagt nicht gedacht, dass sie es in sich haben würde.' ('I honestly didn't think she'd have it in her.') Her other mused, as they tackled a wiring harness. 'Unschuldige Frau Maya Ibuki, die-' ('Innocent Miss Maya Ibuki, who-')

    'You know you're not helping, Zep.'

    'Ich erwähne nur was ich denke. Zumindest     spreche ich sie nicht.'
    ('I'm merely stating my thoughts. At least I'm not     speaking them.')

    'I suppose.'

    A sigh from Yui bought her out of mental conversation. "Do... do you think I should've told her?"

    Kyoko stopped her actions, to think about this. "...She would've figured anyway, eventually." She eventually spoke, before going back to the wiring harness. "Best you tell her now, instead of her finding out from someone else who knew."

    "...That seems fair. But..."

    "You said you don't hold any animosity. Is that true?"

    It was Yui's turn to stop her actions and ponder. "I... don't know her side of the story. But... I can see why she would, based simply on what Gendo was trying to do."

    "...You said it was much like the Laserdiscs."

    A slow nod. "Except... I doubt Ritsuko's intentions were exactly the same."

    "Nicht, dass er es hätte wissen können."
    ("Not that he could have known.")

    "...Yeah."

    Even without seeing her, Kyoko could tell she was rather uncomfortable with this subject matter. Everything else she had going on in her head couldn't have helped.

    "...Maybe that's also another reason why I want to get away from this place." Yui realised.

    Kyoko huffed. "It'd do us good to get away for a while." She went back to the task at hand. "Say, once we get this frankenwagen up and running, where do you want to go? We have an entire country to explore, don't we?"

    "I... was thinking Okayama. I have family there."
    ~

    Everyone had filed back in and found their seats. All except Misato."

    "She likes being fashionably late, does she?" Joked Zero Two.

    "It would not surprise me if she spent some time with Kaji. After... those chapters."

    Her Field picked up on someone.

    "Speak of the devil." Kaworu mused.

    As the door slid open, and Misato practically bounded in.

    "What kind of magic did Kaji do on you this time around?" The doctor muttered.

    "Magic that made up for last night." A canary eating grin, that could spar with Zero Two.

    Asuka merely rolled her eyes. "Kaworu, might wanna get started before we start talking about our sex lives again."

    "Gladly."
    Character Key:
    Shinji (S) Asuka (A)
    Rei (Re) Kaworu (K)
    Misato (Mi)
    Ritsuko (Ri) Maya (Ma) Eliza (E)
    Hiro (H) Zero Two (Z)


    (in which there's more techno-babble than normal, Mayumi gets unceremoniously dumped, and an assassin is stopped by a penguin.)

    "I'm sure he'll get some salmon for that." Shinji mused.

    "That poor boy Mayumi's with is gonna get filleted like a salmon, if that subtitle's anything to go by."

    "Is that the nomenclature for technical speak?"

    "Specifically speak that people don't understand." Her mother clarified. "It really depends on the person, though. And what they understand."

    "For example, anything about computers you guys say is practically techno-babble to me."

    "I wonder what Iruel could've possibly seen to call abomination."

    "Herod." The bluenette surmised.

    "I mean, not to insult you or anything Sempai, but it can be seen as abominable, can it?"

    "At least what was done to her." Her Sempai conceded.

    "That doesn't entirely bode well for Iruel, then. At least in my mind."

    "I can see your view, Hiro. If they view such thing as abominable, such thinking may overwhelm them and leave them open to exploitation. As what befell Ramiel."

    "You could say the same of Sandalphon and Sahaquiel, as well."

    "Indeed, Zero Two. What my kin and I desired was complementation, with our father. That was the goal. The Lilim were almost irrelevant, in that regard, if not for the Evangelion. It's rather a shame, then, that many of my kin in this work cannot see that. When even my kin could understand as much."


    Back to the Past
    ""Oh stop!" yelled Yui, an embarrassed flush on her face."
    Mi: "Jeez. Hard to see them as henpecking."
    A: "I'm not even sure if they had this kind of friendly relationship, before they both got out of Eva at least."
    E: "There would have to be some collaboration, I would think. They were all leading figures in Project E."
    Ma: "We can tell she has your fire, Asuka."
    A: "She might've hidden it with me, but with others I imagine it's fair game."
    S: "Maybe when you're not around."
    A: "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised."
    H: "I know it was the same in the Laserdiscs, but I still find it difficult to picture Gendo as being submissive."
    Ri: "Rather amazing what the right partner does." She glanced around the entire room. "I don't recall Kyoko being married to her husband for that long."
    A: "I'd say half that. I came along pretty early into their marriage, least according to my mama. Kinda like you, Shinji."
    Re: "Tells us a lot about how much they loved one another."
    S: "My father trying to end the world to get her back wasn't obvious enough, then."
    A: "Sure didn't stop my father from jumping ship as soon as my mama went mental."
    K: "Goes to show how quickly such love can become corrupt."
    ...
    "Naoko smirked. "Always so optimistic.""
    Re: "They were already experimenting with the Chamber of Guf this far back?"
    Z: "Which is?"
    Ri: "Where every Lilith soul is made, stored, and one day returns to."
    K: "I know for a fact Seele would've wanted to experiment with such thing. And since Gehirn is Seele, especially back here."
    S: "...They were also talking about... that, back then."
    A: "I... still don't think they intended on doing that."
    H: "So to make a Nephilim, you have to get a soul from the Chamber of Guf?"
    Re: "Yes, as a regular human would get their soul from the Chamber of Guf or any number of wandering soul. You cannot merely enter the Chamber of Guf and collect a soul like it were a fruit."
    Ma: "Would've made everyone's life easier if we could do that, I imagine."
    E: "It doesn't sound like something a living soul can tread, either way."
    K: "The only glances into the Chamber of Guf we have had was via the Laserdiscs. Even the deceased will most likely not enter the Chamber, instead being reborn."
    Mi: "So the only way a soul will return to there would be Instrumentality?"
    K: "Indeed. Man made or natural."
    Z: "...Natural Instrumentality?"
    K: "A theorem that circulated around Seele. It was believed that Instrumentality would eventually happen, on the scale of billions of years. Once Lilith determined the Earth was no longer suitable, Instrumentality would occur as you have seen in the Laserdiscs."
    Ri: "That makes some kind of sense. Such thing is obviously a mechanic of Lilith, it makes sense there is a natural trigger."
    Re: "And Seele merely wanted to manually trigger such a thing, believing it would ascend them to Godhood."
    H: "Would that have ever been possible? From what it sounds like, you can't."
    Re: "We cannot know for sure. We know from the Laserdiscs you can control Lilith. You could consider that Godhood."
    K: "Which is what they wanted."
    ...
    "Now Naoko's scream joined Yui's."
    Shocked silence.
    Z: "...Well."
    Ri: "It... didn't go violently."
    S: "...Was that how she got there, in that world?"
    Ri: "Yeah... Much like the Laserdiscs."
    Re: "This would be Unit-00, would it not? It mentioned a single eye. This was not how the soul of Unit-00 found Unit-00."
    E: "If Unit-00 was the prototype, it's possible they could swap the core to the Test Type Unit-01 after the fact, with it being built up."
    Ri: "Except the experiment was done with Unit-01. Not Unit-00; that didn't even acquire a soul until early 2010."
    K: "They went a different strategy, then. One that... didn't pay off, in the end."
    A: "...Could it be like my mama? How she got... broken into two people from this?"
    Re: "...If that is the case, then half would enter Unit-00, and the other Unit-01."
    Mi: "Did... Naoko wanted this, right?"
    Ritsuko thought back. "I don't want to think that. But... it sounds like it." A sigh of dejection. "...Damn it, mother."

    Compile
    ""NOPE," stated HEROD, MELCHIOR, BALTHASAR, and CASPER."
    E: "...Oh. So that's what the Virtual Compiler does."
    Ritsuko pounded her head on the desk.
    A: "It's VR technology. That shit died with Nintendo."
    Mi: "And of course you use it to terrorise Maya and Miyata."
    Ma: "I can think of worse positions."
    Re: "It seems we know the full story on how Herod came to be, at the very least."
    K: "So it is a prison."
    S: "It kinda sounds like that LCL healing thing we have here."
    Ri: "...It might've started like that. Of course, once they realised that, they... might not've bothered to get her out of there."
    Z: "That sounds kinda vindictive of that Gendo, doesn't it?"
    S: "...How would you react if someone took Hiro away from you like that?"
    Her eyes glanced elsewhere, as if realising.
    ...
    "Fuyutsuki groaned. "Can we move on to discussing the logistics of the school play? I'd rather not think of what you and Yui considered romantic."
    Gendo smirked."
    S: "Yeah, I'd rather not think that as well."
    A: "Maybe that's why you also fell for me."
    Mi: "Though you're not drunk brawl level bad girl, like Gendo was."
    H: "He got better after he met Yui, at least."
    A: "Could say that's the same for me, still. How Shinji quelled my fire some."
    Ma: "Not that you seem to mind that."
    Ri: "They've got much more on their mind, though. I don't think any Seele personnel visited NERV or even Gehirn."
    K: "It doesn't make sense for them to, at least here."
    S: "Though it is true that my mum had family in Seele."
    Z: "That high up, as well?"
    Shinji gave a nod. "I can't know for sure, of course. But... from what my mum said."
    Mi: "Do we know what ever happened to your grandfather?"
    S: "Can't say I know. I can't even remember him. Though I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't appreciate my father."
    Re: "It would be seen as spiting him, I imagine. Taking his family name."
    E: "...The Virtual Compiler sounds like what Rei and I did. When we were... merging."
    Ri: "It would be rather useful, in theory. Being able to translate your thoughts directly to machine code."
    E: "...Though I see a massive problem with this system, at least in the short term."
    K: "The problem with this system has a name."
    E: "You gathered. If this is a way for a person to interact with a computer, what's to stop Iruel from interacting with a person?"
    A: "The Magi better do a better job this time around."

    So Spoke Zarathustra
    ""That…that…was sublime!" exclaimed Annette, brown eyes watering as she subconsciously fiddled with her blonde ponytail."
    Mi: "'Course she thinks that."
    Z: "What was he trying to say?"
    A: "NERV is so great they can make Angels explode, just through symbolism alone?"
    K: "The way I've interpreted it, Sahaquiel somehow saw the beauty that Gendo saw, and subsequently exploded for seemingly no reason."
    Re: "The beauty was too much for them, perhaps?"
    K: "If Angels could not handle the beauty of this world, I would've exploded as soon as I laid eyes on you, Rei."
    Her pale face quickly flushed red. "...Dumb trout."
    ...
    "Annette whooped. "Yes! Road trip!""
    S: "Gee, thanks Annette."
    H: "Sounds like your uncle also doesn't get along well with your grandfather."
    S: "I doubt he even knew what happened to him. We didn't even get so much as a letter from him, at least during my time with them."
    Ma: "Sounds like there's gonna be a lot of tension at this school play, then."
    Ri: "Hopefully that doesn't ruin things for them. The last thing they'd need will be a fight breaking out."
    E: "That wouldn't bode well for the Commander's relation with Seele."
    A: "The relationship is already icy at best."
    K: "And yet they continue to work together. Teeth gritted, yes, but they share a common goal."
    Re: "They thought they shared a common goal."
    Mi: "They haven't gotten to the point where they can stop pretending to collaborate with one another."
    Z: "I'm sure we'd know if things got to that point again."

    Lysosome
    "Shinji Ikari grimaced as he moved along, privately grateful that they had elected to decontaminate them one-by-one. The whole situation was awkward enough as it was."
    Shinji, Asuka and Rei all slowly craned their heads towards Misato.
    Mi: "God damn it Bond, stop making me look bad!"
    E: "Seems you decided more on efficiency than considering your pilot's privacy."
    Mi: "Yeah yeah, hindsight and all that."
    A: "You could've thought of that without hindsight!"
    ...
    ""They're still deliberating.""
    K: "Ah, but we know what this corrosion is."
    Re: "It appears they will be attempting the same plan."
    H: "Which failed here. I imagine there it'll fail as well."
    E: "It'll certainly be interesting how Iruel responds to the somewhat different layout of the Magi."
    S: "Surely if they adapt to the Magi, it'd be difficult to adapt to Herod."
    Ri: "She is rather different to a standard Magi, but Iruel's thing is adaptation."
    K: "They should be able to adapt to such a thing. Of course, you can also manipulate this adaptation."
    Ma: "Which is what happened here."
    A: "I wonder if Herod can do that, then."
    Ri: "It'd save me having to do it. Though if I do defeat Iruel again, that'd be something I can brag to my mother about."

    Quorum
    "Naoko scowled; sometimes CASPER's cycles were utterly vexing. "Why the hell do you keep proposing that?""
    Mi: "What the hell are you even saying, Kaworu?"
    K: "I believe they are system logs."
    Ri: "A mixture of syslog and system messages. A human legible rendition of what they communicate."
    A: "Would the number appended be a thread the Magi uses?"
    Ri: "The Magi have trillions of threads, though it would have something to do with multitasking."
    Re: "As the narration suggested."
    Ma: "Though I find it questionable the Magi divert resources for game mods and redefining Gendo."
    E: "Casper is certainly strange like that."
    H: "They do that here?"
    Ri: "Not the game modding, but all the Magi have unique quirks in their own way. Casper's is an... affinity for Gendo."
    Z: "Was it that affinity that killed you in the Laserdiscs?"
    Ritsuko huffed. "Almost killed me here."
    ...
    ""Catty little minx." For all the advantages that came with how Naoko had modeled the MAGI after facets of her personality, sometimes CASPER took the 'Naoko the Woman' part too far. At least MELCHIOR – Naoko the Scientist – and BALTHASAR – Naoko the Mother – were more predictable."
    Ri: "Essentially what I just said."
    Mi: "The hell is Kaji doing?"
    A: "Maybe Matarael's coming up soon."
    E: "It seems Herod's starting to pick up that this is not just corrosion."
    K: "It would be rather concerning to have corrosion of that magnitude."
    Ma: "Corrosion that quickly just doesn't happen. Not unless you're in some acid bath or something."
    S: "They're focusing on Kaji, though."
    Ri: "As the would, sneaking into Terminal like that."
    Z: "Not like they'd know Iruel was there."
    ...
    "At that precise moment, the alarms began to wail."
    H: "It didn't take them too much longer before they determined that, at least."
    Ri: "This would've been similar to here, then. Only without Herod as central coordinator."
    E: "Of course, even with our knowledge, to the Magi it'd be too early to say if it was certainly an Angel."
    A: "It'd be rather likely, though. You don't really get stuff like that without it being Angels."
    K: "We can only know for sure once they produce an AT-Field."
    Ma: "Was Iruel made of nanomachines?"
    K: "They were nanoscopic, indeed. Their intelligence was more hardwired and difficult to even call conscious, at least here. I would expect that Iruel's consciousness to be spread through however many countless iterations of Iruel there was."
    Re: "If they were a constantly evolving being, how could they maintain such a consciousness?"
    K: "A question for the philosophers."

    Quarantine
    "The Ibuki Twins shut the door right as the contaminated waters submerged the Pribnow Box."
    Z: "Well, that could've gone a lot worse."
    Ri: "I'd rather not drown in Iruel water myself."
    Ma: "That was the same as here, wasn't it?"
    H: "At least you isolated it some."
    E: "Not that it even stopped Iruel. If it can find a way into the Magi, then this will become a similar scenario to here."
    S: "At least we'll be getting a break from fighting Angels."
    A: "A break is all well and good, but I would've highly preferred not to have spent 12 hours naked in an entry plug."
    Mi: "We knew where you all were, and we knew the simulation plugs had plenty of life support. You guys were probably in the safest position though all that."
    H: "Did you guys even know it was an Angel attack?"
    Re: "Not until we saw the Laserdiscs." A look towards Misato.
    Mi: "Oh cut me some slack, it wasn't up to me whether you were told or not."
    A: "At least not until you became Commander."
    Mi: "You guys didn't even bring it up until you saw the Laserdiscs, you could've asked Kaworu about it perhaps."
    K: "I knew what Seele knew. Which was practically nothing. But I figured Iruel had played their hand and failed, based on how the next Angel I remember being public was Leliel."
    Ma: "So you would've also found out with the Laserdiscs."
    K: "Indeed. I always wondered what happened to Iruel."
    ...
    "The pigtailed girl smiled, memories of a red-eyed blunette – younger, stranger, but practically oozing control – coming to mind. "I had a good teacher.""
    Rei smirked.
    A: "She got pretty good at that here, as well."
    Re: "And that is without me teaching her."
    Ri: "Still, being able to do that with someone like her."
    K: "The mark of a good representative, I would think."
    Mi: "Not many people can whip super soldier Nephilim into line."
    S: "That'd probably be easier than whipping high schoolers into shape."
    E: "They would appreciate the chain of command. Mostly."
    ...
    "The nephilim facepalmed. At least my sister's having a better time."
    Ma: "She probably is, relative to you guys at least."
    Z: "The subtitle mentioned she getting dumped though."
    A: "I wouldn't say that was better."
    Mi: "It depends on your perspective on what's worse. Breaking off a relationship that isn't exactly working out, or spending hours trapped naked in an entry plug."
    Ri: "Not like they even got a choice in that matter."
    K: "Rather amazing how such things can happen to NERV, and yet life goes on unabated."
    E: "It helps the Blue alarm was cancelled. Passed off as malfunction."
    Re: "It does affect the image some, if an Angel could get that deep into the facility."
    S: "And take over the computers."
    Ri: "Almost taking over. It's rather a miracle we even could."
    A: "Why did Iruel set off the self destruct, anyway? Surely that'd be against what they wanted, right?"
    K: "They had access to all the files of the Magi. And... if they had found out the truth. That it was not Adam they had been seeking but Lilith."
    E: "Could you lead them into a honeypot, potentially?"
    Ri: "We tried that, it only held back Iruel for a second at most before it broke containment."
    K: "That doesn't surprise me."

    Rough Spot
    ""Can't say that he does. He says that they're nice enough." The boy sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I just wonder why. Mankind seems to have lasted just fine on its own, hasn't it?""
    Z: "Well, this certainly isn't promising for their relationship."
    E: "My hope values were low ever since the subtitle."
    K: "It is a rather fascinating aspect of humanity. No matter what, you adapt and rebuild. Second Impact happened, you did just that. During the Angel war, you did just that."
    Mi: "That's what we do, though. No matter what shit gets thrown at us, we find a way to retaliate against such thing!"
    A: "A very Gurren Lagann approach to things, ain't it?"
    Ma: "Only we don't have that Spiral Power, do we?"
    Re: "We analogised such power to the power of the soul. Our power, which it is. Spiral energy comes from your determination and your soul, similar to our power."
    S: "Could boil that all down to determination. We are determined to survive, or to accomplish a task. Therefore we do."
    Ri: "You certainly took that to heart in the Theatrical."
    S: "I haven't ended the world yet, have I?"
    Mi: "No ending the world under my watch, mister."
    H: "Now if only that worked for Seele."
    Mi: "Oh it did work. You just have to say that while holding a gun."
    ...
    "So consumed was she in her sorrow that the distant, telltale sounds of an Evangelion emerging from the magnetic-rail ducts – a sharp pop of metal on metal, and sizzling electricity – were completely disregarded. Over a ten minute stretch, these sounds repeated twice more throughout Hakone."
    E: "Incorrect."
    A: "Yeah that's pretty fucking shitty, ain't it? She opens up to him, thinking he'll accept her, then he does that? What a fucking scumbag!"
    Mi: "Even if he was uncomfortable with her being Nephilim, running was completely the wrong thing to do."
    S: "If anything, that'll just make her more closed off, won't it?"
    Ma: "It'd do that to any of you lot if that happened to you."
    K: "I dread to think what Mana will do to him, now."
    Ri: "I dread to think what our Rei would've done to him, if that happened here."
    Re: "I would prompt him to point to a tree."
    Z: "Then you break that tree?"
    Re: "Or I throw them against said tree."
    Mi: "Probably shattering every single bone in their body."
    Re: "If they were not Nephilim, I can simply turn them into LCL before throwing them against a tree."
    Mi: "That's not much better, Rei."
    H: "At the very least, Iruel seems to be going as it did."
    Ri: "It's a necessary contingency. If the Evangelion were not deployed, and if Iruel got their metaphorical hands on them, then we'd all be screwed."

    Target
    ""My preliminary analysis has already shown me what I know in my gut to be true: the Angel's target is the MAGI. I don't need to tell you why this is a bad thing.""
    Ritsuko huffed. "Of course she gathered that immediately."
    E: "Hacking into the network would've been a good indicator they were trying something."
    K: "Even so, it's but a mere stopgap."
    A: "You still flooded the Pribnow Box with ozone?"
    Mi: "Not like we could know it'd just adapt to the ozone. Pretty sure that's more or less standard for purging any biological contaminants in the Pribnow Box."
    Ma: "At least the Magi haven't immediately fallen. So it's already gone better than here."
    Z: "Suppose having a central coordinator helped in this situation."
    S: "Not like we'd even know how to deal with an Angel that hacked into the Magi."
    Ri: "A good thing we were there, then. Though if we could initiate lockdown procedure before the hack began in earnest, then we might've had a bit more time to deal with it."
    Re: "This would all be standard security measure here, I imagine."
    Ri: "Access codes, you could apply the same algorithm used to secure Evangelion communications. Dummy proxy servers look like a path to the Magi but they merely lead nowhere, essentially designed to waste an attacker's time. Not as great as a proper firewall, but it can give you enough time to put up a firewall."
    H: "Would you have done that with the Seele incursion?"
    Ri: "Oh we got the 666-Type firewall up immediately, as soon as there was even wind they would attack."
    ...
    "Fuyutsuki sighed at the doctor's bombastic exit. What a time for Ikari to go hunting."
    Mi: "Hunting for wayward UN inspectors. He better not get himself killed again!"
    A: "It does seem rather stupid of him, but then again, that's pretty much how he got himself offed in the Laserdiscs, wasn't it?"
    Ri: "Though Kaji would still have some use for us. He's in with Seele, which we could use to our advantage."
    Z: "What are you gonna do, then? It sounds like you're gonna use that Virtual Compiler to use."
    Ma: "If Iruel infected us while we're using it."
    Ri: "Yeah, I personally would not use such a device against an enemy like Iruel."
    E: "Then again, the other mama would."
    S: "Does Casper go against anything you do?"
    Ri: "Not everything. Just the things that matter. Good for nothing-"
    K: "Though you have a point, Ritsuko. Self destructing the facility requires all the Magi's approval; a simple majority is not enough."
    Re: "Not to mention Herod can initiate such a thing by themselves. This seems rather problematic."
    E: "If someone is an administrator of a system, it is expected they are responsible enough to use it. I know for a fact my underlying architecture assumes this."
    H: "Herod does seem responsible enough to not randomly destroy the facility, at the very least."
    Ri: "Self preservation is a wonderful thing."

    With Catlike Tread
    "Ryoji Kaji turned around, coming face-to-face with the dreaded gaze of NERV's Supreme Commander. "It's very interesting, Inspector.""
    A: "Self preservation is obviously something Kaji seems to lack."
    Mi: "I'm his self preservation."
    H: "I wonder how something can be too generic."
    Ri: "It is possible to try too hard to look normal. If it looks excessively clean, for example."
    E: "Not that Terminal is clean."
    S: "Not many people even go to Terminal Dogma. It seems you only go down there if you need to go down there."
    Re: "It is not exactly publicly accessible. Only the Commander and Subcommander can access Terminal Dogma unrestricted, everyone else requires authorisation from either."
    Ma: "Though the Magi are smart enough to determine that if you're with the Commander or Subcommander, you have implicit permission to view what's going on in there."
    K: "Unless you just so happen to have seen the Laserdiscs."
    Mi: "Even then, we don't just show the Laserdiscs to anyone. I'm pretty sure the only person not in this room that has seen the Laserdiscs was Kaji and your mothers, Shinji and Asuka. Even then, there's a lot of stuff in there that you guys really shouldn't know."
    Re: "We knew a majority of the contents of the Laserdiscs either way. Iruel was one of the few exceptions, it seems."
    ...
    ""I always do, Inspector.""
    S: "Wow, he lived."
    Mi: "He's lucky he's still useful to him. We've seen how that Gendo can be when push comes to shove."
    E: "Though it is interesting to see the Dummy Project continuing development."
    A: "Of course, we know how utter scheiße they are against an actual enemy. Hell, even the MP-Evangelion are pretty terrible when it comes to actually being effective. And they're supposed to be advanced."
    Ri: "They know it as well, at least according to Kaji."
    Z: "At least the motive seems altrusitic. Wanting to protect you, Shinji."
    S: "Shame it doesn't work. If anything, it only harmed us."
    Ma: "That's one of the reasons we only went with an AI core."
    Re: "I imagine Eliza, as she is, would be a perfectly capable pilot."
    E: "I was Evangelion. Though was I even from the same fork as the Dummy System?"
    Ri: "Not at all. We completely went back to the drawing board for you."
    E: "Thank the Gods."
    Her remark caused laughter in the group.
    H: "Was the Dummy System really as bad as you guys put it? In the Laserdiscs, it seemed somewhat effective."
    K: "I suppose you haven't heard the story of their deployment." He chuckled. "It's a fun one."
    A: "So after we defeated Bardiel, Commander Asshole arrested us and fired us, for disobeying orders and actually recovering Unit-03."
    S: "Then once Zeruel attacked, he sent Unit-01 and Unit-02 up against Zeruel. With Dummy Plugs."
    H: "...Oh."
    A: "Yeah they were fucking destroyed. We had to sneak in with Kaji and pilot Unit-03 against them, cause otherwise it would've just been Rei up against them."
    K: "He was reprimanded by Seele and ordered to reinstate Shinji and Asuka. This was actually the ostensible reason I was sent to Japan early."
    Mi: "So one of the reasons this world ended up alright was 'cause the Dummy System sucked?"
    Ri: "It's not as absurd as Shinji and Asuka saving this world with a kiss, at least."
    A: "Even though that's pretty much what happened, eh?"

    Prude
    ""If you say so.""
    A: "That is rather gentlemanly of you, Shinji." She smirked, before realising something. "Hang on, could we have done that?"
    Ri: "No."
    Asuka huffed. "Cause I was getting worried I wasted hours in that damn plug."
    Ma: "If you exited the plug, then we wouldn't know where you got off to. At least with you lot in those plugs, we knew where you were."
    Mi: "Not like you could even do much in this scenario anyway."
    A: "You're certainly not much of a prude when it comes to nudity here, Shinji."
    S: "...I mean, it helps I know you rather well at this point."
    Z: "If anything, you seem like less of a prude this time around, Asuka."
    A: "Yeah, I was never that enthusiastic at being naked in front of them."
    Mi: "You sure changed your tune, then."
    A: "At least with Shinji."
    Misato raised an eyebrow.
    A: "...Maybe in front of Rei as well."
    Rei had a small blush. "I never really cared for such thing, myself."
    H: "Sounds like you, Zero Two."
    Z: "Mine was rather deliberate, though."
    E: "Akin to Asuka there."
    A: "I believe that nudity should be saved only for those special people in your life. You're pretty much showing them everything of you, ain't ya?"
    K: "No walls or masks between you and your other. Rather poetic, when you think about it."
    A: "Exactly my point."
    ...
    "Then he jumped back into the creek to wash the blood off. It wouldn't do to bring such a mess back to his home, after all."
    Mi: "Jesus fuck, Pen-Pen!"
    Z: "Remind me not to mess with him."
    A: "What is he in that world, fucking Wolverine?"
    Ri: "Not a huge loss in the slightest."
    Mi: "Oh I'm not complaining he killed that shoe slime!"
    Re: "It would be the method, I imagine."
    Ma: "And how bloody it was?"
    K: "It's a quicker death than any of you would've given."
    Most of them reluctantly agreed.
    E: "Including you, Kaworu?"
    K: "Wanton violence isn't my cup of tea. I imagine it would be similar to Pen-Pen's method; quick."
    S: "And bloody?"
    K: "It depends what method I use."
    H: "Am I the only one who wouldn't outright kill someone like that?"
    A: "Congratulations, Hiro. You're probably the most well adjusted person in this room."
    Mi: "When you deal with people like that, most people stick to the policy of shoot first, ask questions never. Though speaking of questions, HOW did they get in the fucking Geofront?!"
    E: "At least with the Asama ERL, you can assume an organisation such as that wouldn't have the strenuous securities that befits NERV."
    Ri: "So how on Earth could they even get in Tokyo-3?"
    Re: "Security is obviously not as much a priority for that world. Perhaps if you allocated resources away from making devices like Misato's motorcycle."

    Termina Field
    "To Ritsuko, Maya, and Miyata, all sensation of the real world faded away, tunneling into darkness."
    A: "So what, you three are gonna fight Iruel in a video game?"
    Ma: "Bit of an extreme game, isn't it?"
    S: "Not exactly Puckman, is it."
    K: "Almost akin to The Matrix."
    Ri: "Is that where we took the Virtual Compiler idea from?"
    Mi: "It wouldn't surprise me, at this point."
    ...
    "Well, not to Kozou Fuyutsuki, but that was a story for another time."
    K: "It's rather fascinating how you fashioned an image for Iruel."
    Re: "Imagination is wonderful."
    E: "Not like they had a previous image of them, after all."
    Mi: "Plus, it would've been rather boring if they just fought a grey mass or something."
    A: "How the hell is he feeling nostalgic holding an axe like that?"
    Ma: "...Sounds like we fought in wars, as well."
    Ri: "I can't see you as a soldier, Maya."
    Ma: "Never wanted to be a soldier. That wasn't what I joined NERV for."
    H: "It sounds different, there."
    S: "Was there another war in Vietnam? I remember my uncle talking about the one in the 70s."
    K: "Laos and Vietnam collapsed in the aftermath of Second Impact. Most of that region collapsed, actually. China eventually annexed them for 'security purposes', which the UN allowed because they all lacked functioning government."
    Z: "This world never fails to surprise me in how varied it seems." She said with an air of awe.
    ...
    ""That's putting it mildly.""
    Ritsuko grunted. "The one type of computer that could top the Magi and it makes that."
    K: "If it saw fit."
    E: "And it's simple logistics. The more clock cycles one can do, the more you can do. Iruel would currently be running in the exahertz range, I would imagine."
    Ri: "The Magi cycles in the high petahertz range, though that sort of traditional measurement begins to break down somewhat when you get into biocomputing."
    Mi: "Just so you know, I have absolutely no idea what's going on."
    A: "Think of it like a regular Angel battle except with keyboards and computers. Just swap out the tech focused technobabble with Evangelion focused technobabble."
    S: "Even with all these words, at least we can still see how things are going."
    Ma: "How badly they're going."
    Re: "It took this long to get to a position where you were at within a minute."
    Ri: "Yeah, it's still going better than it was here."

    We Are Legion
    ""Hmm. This is problematic.""
    Ri: "I don't say."
    K: "I see Iruel also has a soft spot for Biblical literature."
    H: "Which is where legion comes from, I assume?"
    K: "One legion is a group of around 3000 to 6000 armed soldiers in the Roman Empire of old. The biblical Legion called themselves Legion, 'for we are many'."
    Re: "Very much akin to Iruel there."
    Mi: "You could even call all this an exorcism, if you really wanna stick to Christian stuff."
    A: "I'm surprised you didn't even call it that in the Laserdiscs."
    E: "You even imagined the Magi in a set image."
    Ri: "I wouldn't imagine Melchior in a hazmat suit. Something like I wear, perhaps."
    S: "What about the other Magi?"
    Ri: "They're close, admittedly."
    E: "Of course, any sort of apparition of the Magi we see now will be dictated by this work."
    Z: "If you guys could even figure out how to do such a thing."
    Re: "It sounds akin to diving."
    Ri: "Do you guys even know how diving works?"
    K: "It's an application of Astral Projection."
    Ritsuko furrowed her brow. "That doesn't help us much. Unless you figure out how to Astral Project into a computer."
    E: "They did it for me."
    ...
    ""I have a little executable program that I've been creating while we've been chatting. A subroutine matrix based off of my thought processes and persona: a condensed version of how my mother utilized the Personality Transplant OS to create the MAGI.""
    A: "Are you planning on driving Iruel insane or something?"
    Ri: "If anyone could."
    Mi: "Just about any idea at this point would be good."
    Z: "Beats dying."
    E: "I can see Herod's point, when it comes to forcing Iruel to evolve faster."
    Ma: "They never reached quantum here, least from what I could tell. We almost certainly forced it to evolve faster."
    K: "If they saw fit to evolve like that. And it's rather obvious they have held the advantage thus far."
    Ri: "Not many things stack up against quantum computers, not even the Magi. The only reason we don't use quantum computers is because it'll take centuries before they can match the Magi, with how current development is going."
    A: "Are people even developing it? When I was doing my bachelor, I was taught it was mostly stagnant. Biocomputing was the next leap, not quantum computing."
    Ri: "One or two research organisations, at most. Everyone else is busy trying to top the Magi in biocomputing."
    S: "Which I'm guessing might as well be futile."
    Ri: "They're free to develop their own method of creating an effective biocomputer."
    Re: "Copyright law is wonderful."
    ...
    ""I could say that I simply refuse to die. I could say that I have good friends that keep me going. But you know what, Angel? The truth is…" Ritsuko Akagi grinned, bearing her teeth and raising her hands into the air. "I! AM! A MAD SCIENTIST! BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!""
    Kaworu, after laughing like a madman, gave a flat stare to Ritsuko. "You are insane."
    Ri: "I've been getting that a lot, lately."
    H: "That is pretty... bold of you. Allowing an Angel to get to your brain like that."
    K: "Understanding the human mind was of some interest to my kin."
    E: "Rather a shame the human mind they were trying to comprehend was mama's."
    K: "Indeed."
    A: "I was right? You are driving Iruel insane with how fucked you are!"
    Ri: "If it works."
    Ma: "Though you could've at least used an interface that didn't require exposing your brain."
    Ri: "I doubt serial has enough throughput for mental activity."
    A: "The way you're communicating with the Magi is essentially serial. And yet it's still driving them insane."
    Mi: "What port was the serial port again? Was it the long one or the short one?"
    Ri: "Short one, with pins exposed."
    Mi: "Huh. I know my old terminal had that, not that I used it."
    Ri: "I used it." She grumbled. "It's handy in communicating with devices, but noooo your terminal just has to go and use Firewire doesn't it?"
    Mi: "I don't even think I've used the ports in my new terminal yet. I don't even know what Firewire is."
    A: "It's for high speed data transfers and daisy chaining, I've had to use it once or twice before. It's one of the better ways of transferring data if you don't have high speed network access, but I've only seen it on higher end systems. Like Misato's terminal."
    S: "I don't think our terminals even have ports. You've got power, yeah, but everything else is just there, isn't it?"
    Ri: "It helps we can just offload everything onto the Magi. Your cell phones probably have more processing power than those terminals."
    Re: "It makes them cheap, at the very least."
    ...
    "The Supreme Commander smirked. "I'm sure it will, Fuyutsuki.""
    Ri: "That's probably the first complement she's ever given me."
    Re: "You defeated an Angel. With your mind."
    K: "If that didn't get a complement out of her, then nothing much would."
    A: "That gives you a score again, Rits."
    Z: "You guys keep a leaderboard?"
    Asuka shrugged. "We might as well. You've been keeping tally, Eliza?"
    E: "If I am correct: Shinji defeated the first two, Rei has one, Asuka has one, Kaworu has one, mama has one. Sahaquiel was collaborative so I didn't add it to the individual tally."
    Mi: "You're still two up, Shinji!"
    S: "Well... I mean they still haven't seen Matarael."
    H: "Not to mention Israfel ran."
    Ma: "I imagine Israfel would've been a collaboration either way."
    K: "Like most Angel battles, then."
    Ri: "We want collaboration. Need I remind you about Israfel?"
    A: "I'd rather talk about that play at this point."

    Gentleman
    ""Checked by a healthy fear of women." His aunt and cousin had seen to that. "You'd think being around Horaki-san for as long as you have would have enlightened you.""
    A: "Helps you are a gentleman."
    S: "Yeah, you don't have to beat such a thing into me."
    Re: "I would not be surprised if Mana took it upon herself to... teach Toji."
    Ma: "You'd think he'd know by now. What, with Rei and Hikari being around him."
    Z: "Rei seemed more disciplinary, though."
    Re: "Consider I do not entirely know about social decorum, other than basics."
    K: "Do you think she knows what happened between her sister and Sawamura?"
    Ri: "If she doesn't, she'll sure as hell know soon."
    Mi: "And that's when the gates of hell will open up. Underneath Sawamura."
    ...
    ""I've done a little bit of reading." Mayumi held up her pale hands, staring calmly at her fingers. She curled them up, holding them over her chest. "I think I have a broken heart." She glanced at Shinji, her eyes lacking any sign of life. Dried tear tracks were evident on her cheeks. "Do you know how to fix it?""
    Rei shook her head. "Poor girl."
    Ri: "It's not a great feeling, that's for sure. Be glad you guys probably won't ever deal with such a thing."
    H: "Mana will most likely break his heart. In the literal sense."
    E: "I am currently measuring his life in minutes."
    K: "I doubt she'll outright kill him."
    Mi: "Maim him, almost certainly."
    A: "Either wouldn't really look good on her part, wouldn't it?"
    S: "Do you think she cares about that, at this point?"
    A: "Probably not. Hell, you're probably a better pick for her, Shinji. You wouldn't just dump someone over a difference like that, would ya?"
    S: "Not at all, even if I was uncomfortable with that. Which I am not."
    Z: "You're rather used to it, at this point. And you've already accepted Rei, as she is."
    A: "Either way, you're probably the best person there for her right now, Shinji. I would've said Mana, but she immediately went on the warpath instead of even trying to comfort her."
    Mi: "Not like Hikari Kirishima is there, anyway."
    Ri: "Even she might not offer much. She's not exactly a mother to them, is she?"
    A: "Good thing Shinji's there to work his magic, eh Shinji?"
    S: "I'll... certainly try my best."

    Heee~ey
    ""Just fine," Genji looked fondly at him, joy and contentment evident even in his tired eyes. "I never say this enough…but I love you, my son.""
    Mi: "You gonna tell your dad how you broke that girl's heart?"
    A: "Of course he won't. At least he seems to have a decent relationship with his dad."
    S: "Better than us, at least."
    Re: "Rather a shame what is about to happen to him, then."
    Ri: "He's a dumb teenage boy who doesn't know how to handle something different. Most of them would've reacted like that."
    Z: "Is just everyone there stupid?"
    A: "We make it sound that bad, do we?"
    K: "You think it true, with some exception."
    A: "Well yeah, I know teens can be assholes like that. Children, as well. Just look at how Toji's sister reacted to my sister."
    Ma: "Yeah, a lot of people here don't like differences."
    Ri: "We'd know."
    E: "I imagine we all would know that."
    ...
    "With an uncharacteristic venom, he hissed, "Freak.""
    H: "That didn't help his preconceptions."
    A: "I would've done the same." She shrugged. "It'd be a bit less violent, not like I'm Nephilim."
    Re: "Some people are like that. On the surface is something, but buried beneath is something else."
    Z: "I mean, we're all like that, aren't we?"
    S: "We aren't like that underneath."
    Ri: "Thing is, most people here are like that. As we said."
    Mi: "Perhaps that's why all our relationships are rather close to NERV."
    A: "I mean, I tried to date outside of NERV. And you guys know how that ended."
    E: "You leaving."
    A: "Yeah, but he was as bad as the others at that damned school. I don't know what Hikari saw in him."
    Re: "Something you told her."
    Ma: "I imagine she wasn't too happy with them."
    A: "I imagine. She never really bought it up after that, especially once she knew Shinji and I were an item."
    Z: "So they should keep to NERV? Who are they gonna be with; they can't exactly share Shinji around, can they?"
    S: "W-well, with how I am, I don't think I could do that."
    K: "You could be friends, at the very least. If not romantic partners."
    ...
    ""Which does me no favors whatsoever.""
    Re: "She never wanted to be a mother?"
    Mi: "You've never had to deal with broody teenagers."
    A: "We weren't that broody."
    Ri: "Though Hikari is right. That is something every human has to deal with, in their own way. It's unavoidable."
    S: "I had to be taught that in the Laserdiscs. And look how well that went."
    E: "You did learn it, though."
    Ma: "And it only took ending the world. Hopefully things don't have to go that far."
    Z: "'Least you guys seem much better here, and there as well."
    K: "Rather fascinating how this wasn't expected, in comparison to Iruel attacking."
    Re: "They actually had a thing, at least on first glance. Rather disappointing he let his preconceptions get the better of him."
    Mi: "You know if you guys did something like that, I'd have to give you some token discipline as well."
    A: "I mean, you're our guardian. That's kinda your job."
    Ri: "She doesn't seem to do a good job at it."
    Mi: "Oi, they're well adjusted enough, aren't they?"
    A: "This world's definition of well adjusted is not ending the world, though."
    Mi: "You haven't done that yet. I'd say mission accomplished."
    Ri: "It's not even over yet!"

    It's not even over yet
    "The voice of Iruel slithered across the ether. NOW THE REAL FUN BEGINS."
    Mi: "I'm blaming you for that, Rits."
    Ritsuko grumbled.
    K: "This is certainly an... interesting development."
    Z: "Didn't they get wiped out here?"
    Ri: "Obviously we couldn't manage that. Perhaps I should've written a virus, like here."
    S: "Looks like I'm getting screwed over, then."
    A: "Not everyday an Angel launches a personal vendetta on you."
    E: "Perhaps there should've been yet more security."
    Ma: "Then again, without an AT-Field, it'd be difficult at best to determine if Iruel got away. Hell, the only reason we know Iruel truly died was the lack of AT-Field."
    Ri: "Almost like nanoscopic materials are difficult to observe."
    H: "Iruel is gone here, right?"
    K: "I would know if they remained. They are gone."
    Re: "They planned this feint. Which is rather interesting; they are no longer acting to their call. They are acting to themselves."
    K: "This was not what we had agreed upon."
    ~

    "To be continued..."

    "Well, regardless of everything, next chapter will certainly be interesting." Misato thought.

    "Maybe for you." Asuka panned.

    "Oh come on, Asuka. This is something completely different from us, ain't it?"

    "At the very least, it would be intriguing to see how this upcoming battle proceeds."

    "It will be a large battle." Kaworu spoke. "The narration suggests this will be the end of a first season, so to speak."

    "This is just the first season?" Shinji exclaimed. "Are we even halfway through this book?"

    "I would expect the second season to be as lengthy."

    "Well, we might as well keep reading then!"

    On Misato's behest, Kaworu did just that.
    (in which Iruel is an (expletive), Gendo drops the mic, and we have what is still my favorite mythology gag.)

    "You can swear, Kaworu." Misato insisted. "Not like we're schoolchildren or anything."

    "I wish I wasn't a schoolchild."

    "It literally says 'expletive'."

    "Oh." She realised. "Well, pass that onto Bond, then."

    "I'll certainly try."

    "Should I even ask what a mythology gag is?"

    "I assume it is just that, Zero Two. A reference to whatever mythology this stems from."

    "So probably a reference to us, then."

    "Perhaps."

    "What about dropping the mic?"

    "Dropping the microphone is a boastful gesture one does after a speech, or equivalent. It is mostly a thing in western media and culture, however; I have yet to see a Japanese native perform such an action."

    "Microphones are expensive." Maya remarked in a confused manner. "Why would you just drop one, and wouldn't that just cause massive feedback anyway?"

    "You can always turn it off."

    "As I said. I have yet to see anyone actually do it."


    The Law
    ""Holy crap, Shinji-kun wasn't kidding about the mustache. Come on in!""
    S: "Misato!"
    Mi: "What? Best they see my casual side early so they aren't freaked out by it."
    A: "You would've known about this as well, this was completely deliberate!"
    Ri: "It's what she does."
    Mi: "And it is my apartment, after all. A home's your castle and all that."
    K: "I'm wondering just what they were expecting, considering the first thing they saw about this was that photo."
    Ma: "They seem reasonably lighthearted anyway, don't they?"
    Z: "Comes with Annette, I imagine."
    ...
    ""I am confused as to what just happened."
    "Same here.""
    Re: "I believe this is the start of a beautiful friendship."
    A: "We are rather alike, ain't we?"
    Mi: "You playing the role of Cupid, Asuka?"
    A: "Not like that's too dissimilar to here."
    S: "Though I wonder who could be feeling like that."
    H: "Rei seems to be the consensus, at least among you guys."
    A: "It probably is. Amazing how I can see that."
    K: "Perhaps you're a Nephilim, Asuka."
    A: "That's not even the most screwy thing that could happen to me at this point."
    Ma: "With how everyone is like with Shinji, just about anyone except Mana and Misato could be possible."
    Ri: "Asuka has already ruled herself out. Rather noble of her, actually."
    K: "Much like you, Rei."
    Rei gave a small smirk. "It is rather like my situation."
    E: "Which leaves Mayumi and Rei."
    Z: "Would Mayumi want a relationship that quickly?"
    Mi: "Shinji obviously did a good job in calming her, maybe that's what she sees."
    A: "He does have that tendency, don't ya Shin-chan?"
    ...
    "Annette threw her hands into the air. "Hopeless!" She promptly hugged him tightly. "Man, I missed you."
    Shinji's brown eyes twinkled. "So have I.""
    Mi: "Aww, she missed you Shinji."
    S: "...As she would, despite our... differences."
    Ri: "Opposites attract, as they say."
    Z: "I'm guessing she's out of the running."
    Re: "They are cousins."
    Z: "So that's a no?"
    E: "Does she go on these adventures daily? It seems that way at this point."
    K: "She might've slowed down once Shinji left. It wouldn't be safe without someone else."
    Ma: "It wasn't safe anyway."
    A: "Not that it's ever stopped her."
    Ri: "You could've at least held back on drinking beer, Misato. And this early in the morning as well."
    Mi: "Least I hold back on morning drinks."
    Ma: "Asuka would yell at you, wouldn't she?"
    Mi: "That's why I hold back on a morning drink. Also, how would Pen-Pen know about what Annette did?"
    H: "Maybe he's a Nephilim."
    S: "At this rate, I wouldn't even be surprised if that was the case."
    ...
    ""What is going on…?" wondered Shinji."
    A: "Ah Christ, is this some Freaky Friday shit?"
    Re: "They have not even swapped personalities, which would be a prerequisite for such a thing. They have swapped bodies."
    Kaworu furrowed his brow, and read back a few lines. "You do not have a taper cut, Shinji."
    S: "...Wait, what? So Sawamura and I have swapped bodies, but everyone just thinks we're the same?"
    E: "Excluding Sawamura himself, and Annette."
    Mi: "Even Annette chose to ignore that, though."
    Z: "How does that even happen?"
    Ri: "I'm sure the Nephilim have a method of doing such a thing."
    K: "None that we know of. It would most likely require transferring the soul, but your body image is painted by your soul."
    Ma: "Though it's not even just like two people swapping personalities, that's generally how it goes. At least in the stuff I've seen."
    K: "It is rather strange. I wonder if Rei would pick up on something like this."
    Re: "The other Nephilim in the room have not drawn attention to such thing."
    H: "What would even be the point of such a thing?"
    Ri: "Obviously the Gods have thought to teach Sawamura a lesson."
    S: "What lesson, exactly? To be more like me?"
    A: "If the lesson was to be more like you, all the boys at our school would look like you!"
    Mi: "It'd make things rather confusing, wouldn't it?"

    Katsuhiro
    ""If he tries to give you anything else, you are to decline."
    "Yes sir.""
    Misato snorted. "Fair enough."
    K: "Goes to show their stoicism, at the very least."
    A: "Did he really have to name them after the colours of their hair, though? Imagine if Rei was named Blue?"
    Re: "I feel I am more of an Azure, myself."
    Ri: "I wouldn't be surprised if his senility was starting to get to him."
    S: "Y'know something? This is probably the first time I've seen my grandfather in some form, at least with what I remember."
    E: "I wouldn't be surprised if your uncle also didn't have a fond relation with his own father."
    Ma: "If they even knew what happened to him. He would've gone dark ages ago, at this point."
    H: "Was he involved in Seele? If your grandfather was, then surely he would be as well."
    Shinji shrugged. "I can't really know for sure. I don't recall him doing anything shady in my time there."
    K: "Rather miraculous if he wasn't involved in some way."
    Z: "Could explain any animosity he had, at least."
    Re: "Perhaps Katsuhiro abandoned Tomoe, as your father did you, Shinji."
    S: "So it runs in the family." He deadpanned.
    Mi: "You're sure as hell ain't running now, Shinji."
    S: "Wouldn't even think of it."
    ...
    "'Shinji' shrugged, looking keenly at 'Ryo' as he faded into the crowd. "I suppose.""
    The confusion only grew.
    Mi: "...Wait, so you have swapped personalities?"
    A: "What the fuck did Shinji do to deserve that? If anything, this just punishes him and not Sawamura!"
    S: "Not the first time something's screwed me over. I knew things were going too well."
    Z: "You expected something would happen?"
    Shinji simply offered her an unamused stare.
    Z: "Oh. Yeah, right."
    Ma: "I'm still confused how this happens."
    Hiro had a revelation. "Could Iruel have done this?"
    There were a few seconds of silence as they thought.
    K: "They did say they wanted to take revenge on Shinji."
    A: "That just raises further questions!"
    E: "Out of all entities, Iruel could potentially create a way to swap the two."
    Re: "But with our understanding of the soul, it should shape a vessel into its own self image."
    Ri: "Either Iruel circumvented such a thing, or that hasn't yet begun."
    Mi: "This is gonna confuse the fuck out of me. So 'Shinji' " She added deliberate air quotes, "is Sawamura, and 'Ryo' is Shinji. And they're in each other's bodies."
    Re: "That is generally how 'Freaky Friday' works. The mind of one person finds themselves in the body of another."
    Ma: "I don't even know what Freaky Friday is."
    Re: "A western novel from the 70s, where a teenage daughter swaps with their mother. That is why it is named as such."
    Ma: "...I'm recalling a recent film that had something like that."
    Re: "Perhaps calling it the Your Name approach would have been less confusing."
    Z: "Doesn't help us."

    Red
    "How fascinating."
    Mi: "Huh, how strange."
    Ritsuko prompted her to continue.
    Mi: "Kaji has a spy friend in Germany that he calls 'the woman in red'."
    Kaworu hummed in curiosity. "What a fascinating revelation."
    Re: "They could be the same person, in that case."
    A: "If they are, that means she might know a bit more about your grandfather, Shinji."
    S: "Honestly, this is telling me more about him than anything else I've seen or heard."
    Ri: "I doubt this is information Kaji doesn't otherwise know or is otherwise irrelevant anyway."
    Mi: "He always appreciates this kind of intelligence."
    Re: "Is Rift material appropriate for intelligence purposes?"
    Mi: "It can be a good springboard. He's already set out a hefty bounty for Fourier, and activity against Fourier sounds well and truly active at this point."
    Ma: "...How does he afford a hefty bounty?"
    Mi: "The same reason he could afford all those Christmas presents he got us." She shrugged.
    ...
    ""I do my best," affirmed Gendo, stepping aside to let the father and son meet face-to-face for the first time in years."
    Z: "This'll be good."
    Ri: "It still baffles me how such groups can do that."
    K: "As we've said before."
    Mi: "Man, you can tell they have some bad blood between them."
    A: "I'm guessing Katsuhiro wanting to use neurotoxin on Gendo wasn't obvious enough."
    Ma: "Such thing wouldn't help against the other human elements."
    Re: "When there is a greater enemy, it is easy to grit your teeth and work with another enemy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
    A: "I like my version better."
    ...
    ""Given that you haven't even seen the boy face-to-face since he was a mere infant, I would withhold judgment. You might be surprised.""
    S: "That wouldn't surprise me if that was the case."
    E: "Seems like bad blood runs in the family."
    S: "I certainly can't speak for my father, but that wouldn't surprise me in all honesty."
    Mi: "I'm sure Yui would've been hurt if she knew her father was like this."
    Ri: "She most likely did know; he seems to be rather candid with how he despises Gendo."
    A: "Like most of us, then."
    H: "Things were certainly less violent than I expected."
    Re: "If they tried anything, the Nephilim would have torn them to shreds."
    K: "There's one interesting thing from this exchange, at the very least. He was given the Ikari name."
    Ma: "...Your mother must've really cared for him, Shinji."

    Your Name
    "Then he smirked. "An interesting thing about the sensory systems in this fortress city: below a certain threshold of self-actualization, an AT-Field is invisible to them.""
    Silence.
    Before Kaworu gave a low chuckle. "Iruel, you continue to surprise me."
    A: "Did they possess Shinji? Great, now I have to add another Angel to my shit-list."
    Re: "It is not even possession. Iruel is actively altering your Field." She frowned, displeased at this aberration.
    A: "Still on the shit-list."
    S: "So how the hell do I convince people I'm the real Shinji?"
    Mi: "Saying one of those lessons to your father would help, I imagine."
    E: "How could they even do something on this level without triggering the Blue alarms? Surely actively altering other's Fields would require immense power."
    K: "It would in our world. Perhaps Iruel has figured a way to do so without triggering said alarms."
    Ri: "If the evolved that way."
    Ma: "Is it possible to evolve purely from spite?"
    Z: "...Okay? So Shinji somehow has been altered to look like Sawamura, Iruel has possessed Sawamura and is making himself look like Shinji, and he's doing all this while not triggering anything."
    K: "I am sure further reading will enlighten us more."
    ...
    ""But a young, male student with no distinguishing features? He was practically gift-wrapped.""
    Z: "That just raises more questions." She flatly remarked to Kaworu.
    H: "So because he looked so generic, that made him a target?"
    Ma: "This means the Sawamura we've seen throughout all this hasn't been Sawamura. It's been Iruel."
    K: "This was always meant to be a contingency."
    A: "I thought the Gundams were meant to be the contingency."
    Re: "This would help as well."
    Mi: "Is that why he seemed to have hated Mayumi?"
    E: "Maybe it was intentional. It would help separate him from that entire group, and further ostracise Shinji when the time would come."
    S: "What the fuck do I do, then? Absolutely no one's gonna believe me at this point."
    Ri: "I'm sure you'll manage. Somehow."
    Re: "If you can convince people you are the real Shinji, then his trickery will fail."
    A: "Then what? Then he goes full Angel or uses the Gundams on us?"
    Mi: We'll manage. We always manage."
    ...
    "I have to get with my father.
    Somehow. Someway."
    K: "It seems that is what you'll do."
    A: "What else can he do? We've picked apart Iruel's plan completely!"
    Re: "Though you did not pick up on the fact he also wanted Mayumi to suffer."
    H: "As if Iruel couldn't get worse."
    Z: "So because of the way you killed Ramiel, he went on this whole warpath."
    Ri: "We should be thankful none of your kin were as vengeful here, Kaworu."
    K: "We knew what would happen to us if we were to fail. Even there I know it."
    E: "Iruel should know this as well."
    Ma: "And it was all because of how Ramiel was defeated. The way they were defeated didn't even seem as different as any other Angel."
    S: "Didn't Shamshel take me a while to kill? I imagine that could've counted as defiling."
    K: "In Iruel's eyes, it might've. If that was how Shamshel met their end in this work."
    Mi: "But Ramiel did die in a rather spectacular way, this time around. You could certainly see it as a slight against them."
    K: "And yet we did not."
    A: "That's why Iruel decided to do things like this."
    K: "But, of course, the Lilim can adapt. Even in this situation, Shinji will adapt."

    Welcome to the Show
    ""You were a natural, Lieutenant Colonel!" reassured Maya."
    Mi: "Public speaking is probably the easiest aspect of this job."
    Ma: "I imagine it helps you don't have to act in this play."
    A: "I wouldn't be surprised if it was Ritsuko who wanted you two to dress like that."
    Ri: "It wouldn't surprise me either."
    K: "It can be a way of fostering goodwill and camaraderie. Helps paint NERV as the good side."
    Z: "On one hand, I kinda wonder why that never happened with you guys."
    S: "On the other, my father."
    Z: "Yeah that was the other hand."
    Re: "Of course, there are other ways of fostering goodwill."
    Mi: "A good benefits package is one."
    E: "Propaganda is another."
    H: "In comparison to other places, NERV seems the better option."
    Ri: "That's not exactly goodwill, that's more they have no better alternative."
    Mi: "There is no better alternative. It's either us or Seele. And they do not want Seele."
    K: "Some people would, I would expect. Just as some people follow a cult."
    ...
    ""Penguin justice indeed!""
    Rapturous laughter from all. "That's actually pretty funny!" Misato admitted.
    Re: "Nothing like a bit of dark satire."
    K: "I'm sure Michael would wish they went to China now."
    A: "I doubt they'd be much more accepting of Angels."
    E: "It seems unlikely a Taser of all weapons would work on either kind of Angel."
    Ma: "Good thing about absurd comedy, you don't need to suspend your disbelief."
    S: "Not like we do so anyway. Doesn't help any of this could happen on our world."
    Ri: "I don't even see why we would use a Taser. A gun is more effective at downing an enemy anyway."
    Z: "What even is a Taser? Is it like another gun?"
    Mi: "An electric gun. Fires barbs at someone and electrocutes them, supposedly they're less deadly than firearms but they aren't really my thing." She shrugged. "Gimme a good pistol anytime."
    Ri: "It's mainly police that use them nowadays. Even then, they still have firearms on hand or close by."
    A: "In this place of all places, you'd want firearms."
    H: "This place seems rather secure from most things, though."
    Mi: "Yeah, but still. It's more for the peace of mind on my end than anything."
    ...
    ""Ladies and gentlemen, we have now reached our intermission. We will continue in twenty minutes; please take this time to avail yourselves of the lavatories and the many vendors parked outside the building.""
    Z: "Sounds like he needs to use such facilities."
    S: "Gods know I needed such an intermission."
    Mi: "Either way, that is a pretty funny play, ain't it?"
    A: "Good luck getting us to act in it."
    Ri: "Do you even know how to write?"
    Mi: "Nope. Good thing most of it is in this very book."
    Ma: "Wouldn't that just be copyright infringement on Bond?"
    Mi: "Not like he's here."
    Re: "This was exactly Ritsuko's point when it comes to enforcing copyright law through dimensions."
    Misato shrugged. "If we can't enforce our copyright, it means others can't enforce it on us."
    E: "If anything, NERV has copyright over any Rift material that comes through."
    H: "Even over our material?"
    Ri: "Ostensibly. Of course, we'll ask you two if we wanted to do anything involving publishing. It is your life, after all."

    Memory
    ""…after the Contact Experiment…after Unit-01 absorbed mom…" Shinji looked straight into Gendo's eyes, dreading what he had to say, if only because he knew how much it would hurt. However, it had to be done. "…you tried to kill me.""
    All that good mood that had blossomed beforehand had evaporated.
    A: "He didn't try to kill you here, did he?"
    S: "N-no. Merely abandoned me."
    E: "...Perhaps he knew he would've tried something like that."
    Shinji seemed to think about that. "...Makes abandonment seem preferable, doesn't it?"
    Z: "And yet your relationship is still better than it was here."
    Re: "And... that would be the one memory that would convince him."
    Ri: "You would hope, at least. It's clear Gendo, despite his outwardness, does not tolerate this kind of stuff."
    K: "The narration made that rather evident."
    Mi: "...I have a feeling the next few parts are gonna be a bit... taxing? Is that the right word?"
    S: "...For me, at least."
    ...
    ""Wan' play happy song," said the young child. "Cheer you up.""
    Ritsuko seemed to have realised what was about to go down. "He snapped, didn't he?"
    K: "All that emotion and tension that would've built up since the Contact Experiment. It would not take much to blow it all up."
    Mi: "So Shinji just wanting to help his father made him snap? Like he was that guy from The Shining?"
    Re: "That was more supernatural forces at play. This would be his myriad of mental issues coming to a head."
    A: "...And work would've been just one of the many ways of forgetting about that. It's... it's kinda like how I got through all the shit I had to deal with."
    Z: "Without that way of release."
    S: "...It'd be no wonder why he snapped, then."
    Ma: "That drink would not have helped that."
    H: "...Puts what he did into perspective."
    A: "We... kinda know how easily someone can snap, at this point. You just had to look at our Laserdisc counterparts to see how we were living on the edge."
    E: "Rather miraculous you were able to be defused."
    Re: "We found productive methods of easing our burdens. For all the issues we have at the moment, we are still in a better position than where we were."
    K: "And where we would've been. Of course, it's easy for me to say that; I would've been rather deceased at this point."
    ...
    "Gendo Ikari held onto Shinji Ikari, staring intently at everything and nothing, their forms shrouded in the dimness of the apartment. He needed to think. He needed a Plan."
    Kaworu had finally glanced around, fully taking in the Fields of the gathered.
    The feelings were rather unanimous, if intensified in a select few people. "...fuck's sake." Misato soon muttered, maternal instincts in overdrive.
    Rei herself was trying to hold back excess emotion, the scenario reminding her too much of the past for her own liking. "...He stopped. Before it was too late."
    E: "He never even realised what he did before he was doing it."
    Ritsuko offered Rei a look of melancholy.
    It didn't take her much to pick up on such a thing. '...I wonder what would have happened if...'
    '...I wouldn't know.'
    A: "...What's with us and getting strangled?"
    Shinji too gave a significant look to Rei. "This... was-"
    Re: "Yes... this is what happened to me. And... it would not surprise me if those thoughts were similar."
    Kaworu closed his eyes, keeping himself composed. "We know for sure why Unit-01 is as they are. Much like your mother, Asuka."
    A: "...It is, isn't it? Except it was the loving half that remained behind, in his case."
    S: "...Not that it helped either of us. My father and I."
    Z: "...It's rather amazing you could love him after this. I know when... I snapped."
    H: "I still came back for you."
    Ri: "Children do not know the intricacies of people. Even if they are trying to help, it can... only serve to harm."
    K: "Do we need a pause in procession?" He looked to the crowd, and glanced around at the forlorn group.
    Asuka gave an equivalent sigh. "No use stopping now." She admitted. "...I really need a beer once I get back home. Or... my mama."
    Mi: "We have both at home." She offered a warm smile.

    Advantage
    "Iruel stood at the entrance to the hidden restroom, calmly holding Gendo Ikari's pistol. "You Lilim are annoyingly stubborn.""
    Sorrow turned to anger.
    Silent anger. No one could properly articulate what had just happened.
    E: "Oh no."
    Eliza's innocuous words were enough to set off the powder keg. "ICH WERDE DICH ZUR HÖLLE SCHICKEN, IRUEL!" (I will send you to hell, Iruel!)
    Her hand made a crater in the desk.
    Mi: "Never thought I'd see you defend Command Asshole like that."
    A: "He's not even an asshole in this version! Plus, this just makes things even worse for Shinji!"
    Ri: "It's a stomach shot, at the very least. Not immediately fatal."
    Ma: "And Gods know everyone would flock to him afterwards."
    Re: "But the ego is still altered. Iruel still had the upper hand."
    Z: "Not to mention the Gundams they have."
    K: "Jesus, they really did think of everything."
    H: "Get rid of the head of NERV, and everything else would fall to chaos."
    Mi: "That's exactly what they're doing. And God knows there'd be a lot of chaos after this."
    ...
    "Iruel mentally chuckled as the purple-haired woman knelt down to tend to the Supreme Commander. THIS HAS BEEN DELICIOUS. He quietly left the restroom, strolling silently back to the theatre room. NOW IT'S TIME TO BEHEAD THE BEAST."
    Re: "...Not even I know. Sorry, Shinji."
    H: "That was my analogy!"
    Shinji sighed. "I knew I'd get fucked over. Things were going too well."
    A: "It only took sixteen chapters. Maybe Bond decided to give you a lump sum this time around."
    Z: "Guess there is no exception to that."
    Mi: "I'd say you guys were lucky. You only have one work where you were completely fucked over. I don't think there's been anything that hasn't fucked over at least one of us."
    S: "And almost always me, as well."
    K: "It's annoying being a protagonist, isn't it."
    Ri: "It's not just you."
    A: "Yeah, it's us as well. Especially if it fucks Shinji up!"
    E: "Does the universe just have it out for you guys?"
    S: "At this point, I firmly believe that."
    A: "Which is why we had to spit in the face of God in order to get a good life!"
    Ma: "Even that sometimes doesn't work. The Theatrical didn't exactly go to Shinji's plan, and Re-Take went opposite to what Shinji wanted to do."
    Re: "Life is not without struggle, as they say."
    A: "I know that. We all have things we have to go through, that's life. It just seems we get a lot more struggles to deal with than anyone else."
    Mi: "A good thing we have support networks. The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives."
    S: "Looks like I'm fucking dead, then!"

    Flight
    ""Lying does you no favors." Such a craven beast, this Angel. "Die." Rei stepped forward, rearing her fist."
    Ri: "We're all dead with those Gundams attacking."
    K: "Exactly Iruel's point."
    Re: "...Sorry, Shinji."
    S: "Blame Iruel. He's the one giving me this lump sum."
    A: "You can always blame Bond, as well."
    Z: "Makes for an interesting read, at the very least."
    Mi: "What, wish you had some popcorn to go with the entertainment, Zero Two?"
    Z: "What's popcorn?"
    Misato burst out a laugh at the remark. "You know what corn is, right?"
    Z: "Sure, yellow thing that tastes good when cooked."
    Mi: "Popcorn is a certain type of corn that, when heated, turns all puffy and chewy. Goes good with some salt or butter."
    Z: "Huh. That does kinda sound good. Though you guys eat during entertainment?"
    Ma: "Mainly with movies. Nothing like dumbly chewing on a snack while watching some mindless action, or a glass of red during a romance."
    Ri: "Or endlessly snarking about it, like we tend to do."
    E: "That might as well be tradition at this point."
    ...
    "More's the pity."
    Rei     grunted in annoyance.
    A: "Life can be annoying like that, can it?"
    Ri: "If Randall has any smarts in him, he'd bring him back to Misato, where I assume they will then tell Rei and Shinji."
    H: "Or Rei could just kill him."
    Re: "...Let's hope it does not come down to that."
    Ma: "Seems you believe Pen-Pen and Randall are somehow controlled by Shinji."
    Mi: "That's one of the problems with relying on your phone. What if you lose it? I doubt any of you guys keep your phones anywhere but your pockets, eh?"
    A: "My phone's too big for my pockets. Doesn't help all my pockets are much smaller than the ones on Shinji's clothing."
    K: "That seems to be a theme. Rei has commented as much."
    Re: "The school clothing has pockets sizeable enough for a standard mobile phone."
    A: "Yea, the school clothing. Where do you keep your phone, Misato?"
    Mi: "In my jacket, same place I keep my gun. It's 'bout the only place I have pockets anyway."
    E: "Seems reasonable. Though that still exchanges function for style."
    Mi: "Welcome to being a woman, Eliza. You'll get used to it."

    Bad Robot
    "Within the crowd, Katsuhito Ikari looked at this progression of events with a disdainful sneer. "Hmph. This play has taken a turn for the worse.""
    A: "I see where you get your deadpan from, Shinji."
    S: "It runs in the family."
    K: "This would be problematic for me. Having someone from Seele personally witness this."
    Re: "And he, of all people, would know. This was not part of the deal."
    Ri: "If it was like here, they wouldn't have even known about Iruel. And Kaworu and Zeruel sure as hell didn't know either; Iruel's completely independent."
    Ma: "Though even with such thing going on, you still name the operation something like that."
    Misato shrugged. "It's fitting."
    E: "At the very least, the chain of command is intact."
    Z: "And Gendo's still alive, can't believe I'm saying that."
    A: "That Gendo is... well, I was gonna say alright, but he still has some issues going for him."
    H: "Better than the Gendo here. Or practically anywhere."
    S: "Goes to show just how bad my father was, when even the one who strangled me when I was four is a better option."
    Re: "It very easily could not have been the better option."
    K: "Even with that... unsavoury action. It was clear it was an act of impulse; compounded by inebriation and the stress of what happened. But... in a way, it was that action that shaped him into the man he became. One that appreciated you and fully loved you, after he almost lost it all."
    A: "It just took strangling his son." She scoffed. "You guys know I like to shit Gendo, but I'm increasingly believing the universe is doing that as well."
    Ri: "Not that many of us would even care at this point."
    ...
    "In an instant, the school became a warzone."
    Z: "Those AT-Fields better hold."
    Re: "They will."
    Ri: "That Gendo is really making sure he atones for what he did."
    K: "That has been his modus operandi ever since that day."
    Mi: "He's right about the budgetary hearings at least."
    A: "Have you even been shot, Misato?"
    Mi: "I've been shot at."
    S: "So I'm guessing I'm not going to the school, then."
    E: "With it being reclassified as a warzone, I doubt it."
    Ma: "That still leaves Rei out on the hunt, though."
    H: "Lets hope they have a significant memory together, like Shinji and Gendo."
    Re: "...One would hope."
    ...
    "Her fist shot towards his face."
    Kaworu could practically taste Rei's trepidation.
    Re: "...Is that all?"
    K: "For the moment."
    Re: "...I hate it when they cut away like that."
    H: "Would that be enough?"
    A: "I would hope."
    Mi: "Not like Pen-Pen's there to protect him anymore."
    Ri: "And Randall's out of the picture as well. Unless he's a Nephilim."
    Z: "Are we just calling everyone a Nephilim in that work?"
    Ma: "With what they can do, you can see why we'd think that."
    E: "And all the while, the school is burning."
    S: "...Not like that's Rei's concern, at the moment."
    Re: "...I don't want to kill you."
    K: "That's up to Bond now." He shot a look to the book. "And with all this left, I doubt he'll die."
    Not like that helped sooth her feelings.

    Fire Up
    "Misato smirked. "Joke all you want, but you know this is more exciting!""
    Mi: "It is kinda more exciting, in its own way."
    Ma: "Kinda like how a comedy and an action film is entertaining in their own right."
    S: "At least he could tell them. If he couldn't..."
    A: "Then we'd be fucked."
    K: "...It seems even they have picked up on Iruel's wrath."
    Re: "Rather human, is it not?"
    K: "Indeed. They have become the very thing they sought to destroy."
    E: "Destroying humanity is a secondary goal, at this point. Shinji had priority."
    Ri: "It would be that wrath that ends them. As it did Ramiel."
    Z: "But if Shinji dies, then they have won."
    Re: "Then he must not die."
    ...
    "Shinji Ikari's jaw dropped."
    H: "You will see what we see."
    Rei breathed a sigh of relief, tension and trepidation releasing. "That... is good."
    A: "And it only took you having to go beyond."
    Re: "...I do not think I have done that. Even during the First Incursion or against Rogue-00."
    Mi: "I know Kaworu has."
    K: "And it almost ended up killing me. It is not something done lightly. This was her last resort."
    E: "But you knew. You knew it was him."
    Re: "Of course I would. Even if you could alter the ego barrier as Iruel has done, the person that is there is still there. And it is their song that will sound out."
    S: "So I'm not dying today?"
    Re: "No. Not at my hand."
    Z: "Unless Iruel has another trick up their sleeves."
    A, S, Re, K, Mi, Ma: "DON'T SAY THAT!"
    ...
    ""Some part of you recognized me without any help on my part…I have no doubt that my mother will remember me." He slammed the large red button, and the two Children plunged into the Geofront."
    Rei had a small smile, glancing elsewhere. "...And you still forgave me for all that."
    A: "Of course he would, Rei. He knows it wasn't your fault."
    Re: "Still. I would see it as my fault."
    Z: "Then this would be a chance to redeem yourself, in your eyes."
    Ri: "...I know we needed something like that. It's all well and good someone forgives you, but that doesn't matter if you yourself can't."
    Mi: "Self worth always seems to be an issue with us. Can't say I haven't had moments like that."
    K: "It would be more of an issue for Nephilim, as well. Your self worth is built off a foundation, and the foundation for you and I expect most Nephilim would be the ability to follow orders."
    Re: "...Hopefully Shinji might be able to change that."
    Ma: "He's certainly trying."
    S: "...It's certainly looking like that."
    A: "Ah, Shin-chan!" She lightly slapped his back. "You ending up with Rei isn't so bad, ain't it? I know she'd treat you right!"
    Misato raised an eyebrow.
    Rei blushed.
    H: "...You guys continue to surprise me."

    Goodbye
    "Deep within NERV-1, nestled inside the primary control console of the P2 System, was a penguin.
    "Wark."
    A: "Fucking hell yeah Pen-Pen!"
    Ri: "Good to see you both on our side, Kaworu."
    K: "This was not what we wanted. We want to understand why our father found Lilim intriguing, and Iruel is not only destroying it, they were actively torturing it."
    Ma: "Quite a beatdown from Zeruel as well."
    Re: "He would not deal with such frivolous matters. I would know."
    K: "Zeruel wanted what we all wanted. I dread to think what he would think about this, if he were here."
    Z: "Probably along the same lines as that Zeruel."
    E: "This is weird, compared to other Angels. As you said, not even Sahaquiel was this extreme in their actions."
    K: "Though... we do know you can override instinct. I would know that well."
    S: "Just instead of love for someone, it's utter hatred for someone."
    Mi: "Congrats, Shinji."
    S: "Yeah, yeah."
    ...
    ""…what just happened?" Asuka turned back towards 'Shinji', only to see that he was gone. "Shinji?""
    A: "Rei and actual Shinji completely saved our asses, that's what happened!"
    Z: "That was really cold, Kaworu."
    K: "They burnt their bridges with me as soon as they sought to torture you. Whatever happens to them now, I do not care."
    H: "You know it's bad when even you are burning you're bridges with them."
    K: "There are very few of my kin I actually abominate. And it would've taken a lot to do that."
    E: "That list sounds populated."
    K: "There are two. And I shouldn't have to tell you who they are."
    E: "...You don't."
    Re: "...At the very least. We were able to save the day, as Shinji put it."
    S: "As we do."
    Ri: "There's still the matter of Iruel. Though I imagine that'll be a rather simple task, at this point."
    Mi: "Maybe we can somehow cast them into a herd of pigs."
    K: "It would fit the Biblical theme. It also wouldn't surprise me if you decided to torture Iruel, as Iruel did so to you."
    Ma: "I imagine we'd be tempted. But I'd also imagine we would know better than to keep an Angel like Iruel alive."
    A: "Kinda a shame, but I'm sure Kaworu wouldn't mind."
    K: "Whatever their fate, it was their own fault."
    ...
    "Her fist pulverized his head, and Iruel knew no more."
    Kaworu was noticeably cold in his narration.
    A: "Jesus Christ, Mana!"
    Ma: "...Could it have been possible to save them?"
    K: "As Iruel said. Their brain was their core. And... it would not surprise me if the Ryo Sawamura that was known before was long dead."
    Mi: "...Wouldn't help his father. But... yeah, I can see why they would have to die."
    K: "I'm sure if there was an alternative."
    S: "If she even wanted there to be an alternative."
    Re: "She already wanted to kill him. This just gives her a reasonable excuse."
    E: "This does mean the end of Iruel, at the very least."
    Ri: "Indeed. But... it is tragic Sawamura couldn't be saved."
    H: "You might have to cover it up some."
    Ri: "Oh I'm sure of it. It'd be even worse if we told his father he was possessed by an Angel, and that the son he knew was dead for almost a month at this point."
    Z: "You could simply say he died during the Angel attack. Crushed after saving someone from falling debris."
    Ritsuko huffed. "Give him a last bit of redemption with his dying act. Wouldn't be surprised if we went with something like that."
    A: "Though his father does work for NERV. You could tell them the truth about it, if you wanted to."
    Ri: "...It's difficult to see what would be better for them. The truth and nothing but, or a more embellished version that would be more palatable. I know you guys would prefer the truth, but some people like to live in ignorance."

    Cancelled Apocalypse
    "Dr. Akagi let a puff of smoke float into the air, the ash mingling quite well with the general mood of the audience. "What a mess this has turned out to be.""
    Ri: "I can say that again."
    K: "War is always a messy affair. Rather a shame even the reprieve was not much of one."
    Mi: "...And it's never just the Angel, as well."
    E: "A reality of war. There is always innocents."
    Z: "Rather dour coming from you."
    E: "It's the truth. I would know."
    S: "...I wonder how they'd react to our conversation."
    Ma: "Rather amazing we could record such a conversation with no active mics."
    A: "Are they even possible?"
    Ri: "Fiber optic microphones are possible. Though we don't use them; too expensive to manufacture and install and gather data from. Plus, not everyone has the ability to fry a standard bug anyway."
    H: "I imagine you'd only need something like that if you needed to counter that."
    Ri: "Not like we took into account Kaworu's ability to fry any bug we planted."
    K: "It's good to hear they aren't used."
    Ri: "Of course you'd think that."
    ...
    ""Still thinking about it." The Lieutenant Colonel turned, seeing Gendo Ikari walk onto the stage. "Sir?""
    Mi: "A well needed pep talk, I imagine."
    Z: "That seems like a lot of Section 2."
    Ri: "It is. We only have around 1000 Section 2 active at any one time, with around 3000 more NERV staff as reserve. I doubt the total numbers there are the same, but if we applied the numbers to our world, that's one fifth of Section 2 wiped."
    The gathered seemed to reel at this. "Jeez, that's way too many."
    E: "Have we ever lost that many Section 2 or staff at one time?"
    Ri: "Against Zeruel, total casualties were in the mid hundreds, but there were only around 50 total deceased, 10 of which were Section 2 personnel. Even during the First Incursion, there was no deaths among Section 2."
    Ma: "Preparation goes a long way."
    K: "God knows it wasn't like that in the Laserdiscs."
    Re: "We would know that as well."
    Mi: "But this is why we are always prepared. For anything that could happen. I do not want people to die under my watch, and yet I know innocent deaths is inevitable in our line of work. And the only way to prevent as many deaths as we can is to be prepared."
    A: "...Kinda puts our lack of vacation days into perspective."
    Ri: "You guys get plenty of leisure time anyway. Just have to spend it around Tokyo-3, is all."
    ...
    "Katsuhito snorted. "You are one piece of work, Rokubungi."
    "I do only what I must.""
    E: "Well that last bit was lifted straight from Gurren Lagann."
    A: "It is a very Gurren Lagann-esque speech, ain't it?"
    Ma: "It worked."
    Misato huffed. "He's good at this sorta stuff."
    K: "And this will only serve to redouble the efforts of the Lilim. To the further detriment to my kin."
    Re: "One that is entirely Iruel's fault."
    S: "Doesn't help they said we were vermin. Now everyone knows what the Angels really think of us."
    Ri: "I'd say dropping the microphone after such a speech fits with what Rei said, doesn't it?"
    Re: "It would. This is boasting to the Angels, after all."
    K: "Human determination is a wonderful thing. Even a single person's determination can change the world, for better or worse."
    H: "And when several people get determined in that way."
    K: "It's what happened on your world, after all. In no small part thanks to you two."
    Z: "Well, we never made a grandiose speech like that, did we?"
    H: "Almost reminds me of Pacific Rim, in a way."
    Mi: "He has pretty much cancelled the apocalypse, didn't he?"
    A: "That's practically a weekly thing, at that point."
    E: "I have a feeling this will be the most significant attack they've faced. At least, for the moment."
    Ri: "Oh for sure. This is what happens when we're caught off guard, and we still overcame it all. Gendo's speech is just codifying this in the minds of the world."

    Familiar Ceiling
    "The boy flushed out of embarrassment, scratching the back of his head. "Eh, there's no need to flatter me, Ayanami-chan.""
    Asuka chuckled. "-chan, eh?"
    Mi: "Makes sense they grow closer from this, eh?"
    K: "Almost getting killed does that."
    Z: "Not just that. Shinji went through a lot of shit, and he's still like that."
    A: "Yeah, that's Shinji." A smirk aimed towards him. "He's good at this bounce back kind of stuff, ain't ya?"
    S: "...Sure seems like it, at this point."
    A: "Oh don't discount yourself, Shin-chan!"
    E: "It certainly isn't everyday something like this happens. And you handled it in a masterful fashion."
    Ri: "Others here could handle that as well, I imagine."
    Re: "We have to. That is one of our skills as pilots, adaptation."
    K: "That was the core skill in the Lilim defeating my kin. And I had to learn this, in order to persist here."
    H: "Having good teachers would've certainly helped that."
    K: "As I've said. If it weren't for them, I would be long dead."
    ...
    ""Still, the man is a snake in the grass; he wouldn't be the Supreme Commander of NERV if he wasn't. Trying to determine how truthful he was is a fool's errand.""
    S: "...They're watching as well..."
    Asuka giggled. "It is Rei. I'm sure I'd be proud of that."
    Re: "It is not like we are kissing in front of them all. I am sure that would turn heads."
    Mi: "Baby steps, Rei."
    Z: "With the length of this, maybe by the end of it all you'll be holding hands."
    Ri: "I'm sure their relation will pick up some kind of pace after this."
    K: "And a relation can quickly jump ahead. Look at Shinji and Asuka, for example."
    All this didn't help Shinji's embarrassment.
    H: "I still find it amazing how you guys seem rather eager for their relationship."
    Asuka shrugged it off. "We know we all have some complex feelings for one another, Hiro. It's like a tumbleweed."
    E: "All seemingly focusing on Shinji."
    Re: "It is not just Shinji."
    Asuka smirked. "See? Complicated."

    The Game of Thrones
    ""No. There would be no point. Once Instrumentality is complete, and mankind has transcended…we will have all the time in the world.""
    S: "He could at least let me know he exists."
    Re: "It is rather obvious at this point, he does not care about his family."
    K: "Not since your mother died, at least."
    A: "You'd think he'd at least try to be a good father, but I guess he's the bad father this time around."
    Ri: "It's somewhat understandable they don't focus on their family, at least. Seele and all that."
    E: "Even so, you'd expect something."
    Mi: "I'm not even sure who's relationship with him is worse. It's clear he doesn't see Gendo as an Ikari, but he has bad blood with his son as well."
    H: "And they always had this relationship."
    S: "I assume. I don't remember my grandfather at all; that work was right in that regard."
    Ma: "And it wouldn't surprise me if that was the same with your uncle as well."
    S: "Never really asked him about him. Might have to do that, actually."
    Mi: "Well, when're you calling them again?"
    S: "Weekend, I think. That's usually when I do so anyway."
    ...
    "The Plan will see the light of day…no matter what the cost."
    A: "Is it bad I'm more interested in the fact you two are holding hands already?" She glowed. "That's kinda adorable!"
    Mi: "Gee, you'd think you were that Asuka."
    A: "Oh I'm not that obsessive in pushing those two together."
    Ri: "It helps you already have Shinji."
    Ma: "What was it you said about those two holding hands, Zero Two?"
    Z: "Alright, maybe I underestimated how quickly things could go."
    H: "How about you make an overestimate, this time around?"
    Z: "Good idea, darling! By the end they'll be married."
    S: "...We aren't even married yet. Engaged, yeah."
    A: "Not like we can even organise a wedding at this point."
    Re: "It would not take too much to organise a small wedding, I imagine. Then you can have a second ceremony afterwards."
    Asuka chuckled as she entertained the idea. "Might be a good idea. Reckon you can organise that, Misato?"
    Mi: "Depends if I can get the government to sign off on you guys getting married."
    K: "...I find this plan fascinating. In our world, Adam's weapon was destroyed."
    Ri: "Is that what the Sword of Uriel is? The Adamite equivalent of the Lance of Longinus?"
    K: "That is what the plan makes it sound like."
    E: "So Lilith's weapon impales the Evangelion born of Lilith, and vice versa? Would that cause an Instrumentality?"
    Ri: "The Lance being Lilith's weapon, it would disable anything Adamite. But... I would not know what happens the other way."
    K: "We shall refer to the Laserdiscs, then. The Lance was a core component in Gendo's plan."
    Re: "The Commander wanted to recover Yui Ikari in any way possible. And now that Yui is split in two, this plan will require... adaptation."
    S: "...So Unit-00 is also important to this?"
    Re: "Yes. I... dread to think what he would do if Unit-00 met the same fate as here."
    ~

    "To be continued..."

    "Now that was a good Angel fight!"

    Zero Two's enthusiasm was not met with enthusiasm back.

    "What?"

    "All the death and destruction has rather muted our enthusiasm about it." Ritsuko stated in deadpan.

    "Not to mention Shinji got really fucked through it all." Asuka backed up. "But to look on the bright side, not only did he not die, he's got something really good going on with Rei now."

    "Not dying is always preferable."

    "I can understand why I and Zeruel would be contemplating about this, at the very least."

    "The committee would not be pleased about this, I imagine."

    "Half of that contemplation would be pondering how to explain it to the committee." A glance to the clock. "That would be us, I imagine. I imagine some of us would want to be heading home."

    Everyone else glanced to the clock, and rather agreed with him. "Same time tomorrow?"

    "Might even be able to read some more tomorrow." Suggested Shinji. "It's a Friday, after all."

    "Or, maybe we could go out and do something after reading our requisite four chapters, eh?"

    Shinji chuckled. "Whatever works."

    So they all quickly filed out.

    "...Should you check on Sovereign, Sempai?"

    A curious glance towards the Kohai. "Maya?"

    "I... promised Eliza I would tell her about-"

    A finger pressed against her lip. "...Will you be fine, Maya?"

    She gave a small nod.

    "...Okay."

    Ritsuko knew that wasn't entirely the truth. But she can't stop her. It's her own story, after all.

    At the door, she turned back. "...Should I leave a glass out for you? When you come home?"

    "...I wouldn't mind."

    Ritsuko gave an unseen smirk. And then she was gone.

    "...Ma?"

    Maya sat back down, next to her daughter. "...I told you I'd tell you later, didn't I?"
    (080516 Sunday 1000 JST)

    The guttural, deliberately haunting alarm echoed through the darkened Geofront.

    Interspersed was a cold, clinical, computerised voice, repeating the same message in three different languages. 'Attention, please. Emergency alert. All NERV personnel are to report to their posts. All civilians and contractors are to report to emergency shelters. Cooperate with Section 2 to ensure your safety. All unauthorised personnel will be shot. All dissenters will be shot. It is the duty of every member of NERV to do harm to any enemies of NERV. Authorisation code: Duty. Lance. Midnight.'

    Central Dogma, on the other hand, was in organised chaos. "Aoba, sitrep."

    "Geofront is locked down." In practiced calm. "Traps are primed, Bakelite is primed."

    "Huyga?"

    "All active Evangelion deployed. Tokyo-3 is in complete battle formation."

    "Ibuki?"

    No reply, as she continued working.

    "Lieutenant Ibuki?"

    Fuyutsuki finally caught her attention. "F-firewall is up. 666-Type Firewall is up."

    "The Magi have yet to pick up on any bogey."

    "Only a matter of time, Akagi." A warning. "If they want to play their cards early, then so be it."

    All this had merely added to her worries. Now     they were attacking them? Why were they coming under attack? By who? There was still one Angel alive, wasn't there?

    Her woes were not abated by the entrance of Misato and Nagisa, covered in... blood. "How many?"

    "Twelve, sir." A cool statement of fact as she barely kept courtesy. "They were trying to organise, but we put an end to it. We think they were going for Pilot Nagisa."

    "Any Section 2 casualties?"

    "Six had superficial gunshot wounds in the arm or leg. Blazkowitz put down four and got shot in the gut for his trouble, last I checked he was getting carried to the ward."

    A huff from Fuyutsuki. "Nagisa, please remain here for the duration of this operation. We may need to swap a pilot at a moment's notice."

    "Yes sir."

    "The Evangelion are deployed. You have jurisdiction, Major Katsuragi."

    "Yes sir." She sounded     much more lively than Kaworu, as she grabbed a headset and briefly took in the situation. "Horaki, you're on defence. You have an S2. It's up to you to defend Pilots Ikari and Soryu; make sure their cables don't get blasted, keep them safe with your AT-Field."

    'Yes Ma'am.' There were nerves in her voice, but an underlying determination.

    "Shinji, Asuka. Give 'em hell."

    'Y- Yes Ma'am.'
    'Yes Ma'am!' They both synchronised. 'Lets kick some ass!'

    On the screen, they saw the Evangelion get into position. The unplugged Unit-03 in vanguard, AT-Field already deployed, and Units 01 and 02 in tangent.

    And there they waited.

    The grinding of the alarm had ground Maya down to the ground; she noticeably began to tremble.

    Someone noticed this, at least. "...Subcommander?"

    Ritsuko had caught his attention. "Permission to relieve Lieutenant Ibuki."

    He only had to take one look at her to realise she would not be able to handle this. "...Permission granted."

    Maybe it was to give her one last bit of comfort before the end. She didn't know for sure.

    "Akagi, please accompany Lieutenant Ibuki to a shelter. Hyuga, take over for Lieutenant Ibuki."

    He offered a sorry look. "Yes sir."

    Ritsuko merely offered a nod before going to Maya. "Come with me."

    She didn't have to ask twice.
    ~

    It was with desperate fervour that Ritsuko traversed with Maya in hand. She had long since figured they were     not heading to a shelter.

    Maybe it was the fact they were in Terminal Dogma.

    It was there she was hidden. "Maya, listen to me. Do     not come out or even make a sound until I come back for you, okay?"

    She was handed a loaded gun, a standard H&K USP in .45 ACP. "If anyone tries to harm you. Treat the gun as if it was always loaded, only aim at something you want to shoot, only put your finger on the trigger when you want to shoot."

    "R-Ritsuko, what's going on, what are you doing?"

    "Something very stupid, but it's the only way we'll all survive this."

    "W-what? That-"

    Her hands now free, she cupped Maya's face and kissed her, an attempt to quell her worries. "Do you trust me, Maya?"

    She felt rather shocked at how bold she was. For so long they have had to dance around each other and here she just outright     kissed her.

    But... it was enough to convince her. "...Yes. I trust you."

    Ritsuko offered a small smile, one clouded by worry. "Thank you, Maya. I'll tell you everything after this is all over, okay? I promise you."

    "...Okay."

    She ducked down, and there she was hidden for what felt like ages.

    Until she heard voices. One was obviously her Sempai, but the other was... the Commander?

    Against her own judgement, she peeked over the barrier she used as shelter.

    And bore witness to the Commander pointing a gun at Ritsuko. An unclothed Rei was by his side.

    Maya's mind flooded with adrenaline, time seemed to slow.

    "The truth is..."

    His voice echoed through the cavern.

    "I needed you."

    No.

    Her sempai, clutching a PDA, shot him a cold look.

    Maya clutched the gun. No.

    "Liar."

    A gun fired.

    Unknown to her at the time, it rebounded off an AT-Field.

    A gun fired.

    There was no AT-Field to stop the bullet from tearing through the target's chest.

    Two persons snapped their heads to the source of the second shot, shock evident even on the stoic Rei.

    One person dropped their gun, and slowly craned their head to look at the source.

    They soon dropped to the floor, blood pooling around them.

    Maya's eyes darted around, breathing unsteady, still holding the smoking gun at the Commander.

    Her eyes laid on Ritsuko. Unscathed. "W... wuh-"

    It was around this point the true magnitude of what she did had hit her. The Commander was dead, at her hands.

    The gun dropped to the ground, strength leaving her as she plummeted to her knees; hyperventilating, eyes unblinking and locked forward.

    She didn't notice her Sempai running towards her and locking her in a close embrace, not until her arms were around her.

    And that was the straw.

    Her screams echoed through Terminal Dogma.
    ~~

    (Current Day)

    Eliza was silent.

    "...Now you know." Her breathing was irregular. "It's... been almost two years at this point. But I still remember it all too much. The weight of the gun, the harsh smell of gunpowder. The recoil."

    Her daughter still had no words.

    "...I'm not surprised you don't know how to react, Eliza." The melancholy was well and truly there. "How are people meant to react, when I tell them this."

    "...You did it to protect mama."

    "That's... that's what everyone tells me. But... thing is, she would've been fine regardless. Rei protected her, that's why she wasn't shot! I didn't need to kill him and yet I did!"

    Quickly, Eliza had wrapped Maya up in herself. "I don't know what else to say. But that is the truth. You... did what you did to protect mama."

    Quiet descended once again.

    Maya soon clutched onto her daughter, holding her close. Reminding her she wasn't alone. "...I was never a solider, Eliza. I... I never wanted to..."

    "Shh..." Quelling. "I... I know. But..." A somewhat pained and frustrated sigh. "Why... can't I find the words."

    "...You don't have to, Eliza."
    ~

    Shinji and Asuka (understandably) had elected to spend some time with their mothers. Shinji and Yui sitting on the couch and chatting about recent happenings, and Asuka and Kyoko on the balcony doing much the same.

    Sharing beers. "I'm rather surprised Misato allows you to drink this stuff."

    "The laws here are rather more strict than Germany. Same with most things, really." She cracked open a second. "Though not like she can cast the first stone herself."

    "Pft. Fair enough."

    They clinked cans, and took a swig.

    Kyoko seemed to approve of the taste. "Tastes like home. Not as good as tap, but still good for an import."

    "It's either this or Misato's Yebisu or Kirin."

    She huffed. "Very good, then."

    They shared a laugh.

    "Y'know, Asuka? I never thought I'd be able to share a moment like this with you. To see you grow into the woman I see today."

    "Honestly? I didn't think I'd get here myself." She admitted. "Hell, I still might not get there. Who knows what this year'll hold."

    "That marriage between you and Shinji, perhaps." She suggested.

    "I'm guessing Misato told you."

    "Yep."

    "Figures." Another swig of beer. "Not like you'd complain."

    "I know Shinji loves you, Asuka. And... well, I've always wanted you to be happy."

    A small smile. "Least you weren't as frank as Shinji's mama was. But don't expect children anytime soon. Misato said-"

    "-that if you had children before you were 21, she gets to name them." A barely suppressed chuckle. "Though you two have been responsible enough already. She's done a good job drilling that into you." She adopted a sly look. "Even if that's not the drilling you prefer."

    Asuka's laughter was not suppressed at that innuendo. "Mama! Least I know where I get that kinda humour from now!"

    "Not like I could use that kind of humour when you were young. Not without some complicated explanations, at least." Her eyes glanced to the beer can, as she contemplated talking about her other.

    With a sigh, she downed the rest of her can. "Though... speaking of complicated explanations."

    Asuka gave her mother a glance, and could pick up on what she wanted to say. "I already knew of your other, mama. It was like that in the Evangelion. And... it's like that here."

    "...Yeah. I... didn't want to tell you. With what-"

    "I know. No point reminding us both."

    Kyoko fell silent, and decided to simply lean on the balcony.

    "Does she speak?"

    Her eyes went wide. "...Yeah. Though... I reign her in a bit around you."

    "...May I speak with them?"

    There was a few more moments of silence. As Kyoko contemplated this.

    'Lass sie sich ihren Dämonen stellen, Kyoko.'
    ('Let her confront her demons, Kyoko.')

    "...Okay. I'll... be keeping an eye on them though. You'll know when it happens."

    "...Thanks mama."

    Seamlessly, Kyoko and Zeppelin swapped. But there was a few more moments of silence.

    "...Hallo."

    Asuka didn't visibly react to these words, in an odd tone. Like they didn't know how to react.

    "Das erklärt wohl, warum du sonst nicht wirklich unsere Muttersprache sprichst."
    ("I suppose that explains why you usually don't speak our mother tongue.")

    "Ja. Zumindest unterscheidet es uns. Kyoko spricht Japanisch, und ich spreche Deutsch."
    ("Yes. It differentiates us, at the very least. Kyoko speaks Japanese, and I speak German.")

    "Du hast einen anderen Namen für dich?"
    ("Ah. You have a different name for yourself?")

    "Zeppelin."

    A grim laugh. "Ich kann nicht sagen, dass meine Mama keinen Sinn für Humor hat. Macht dich das auch zu meiner Mama, oder
    "bist du eher sowas wie eine verrückte Tante?"
    ("Can't say my mama doesn't have a sense of humour. So does that make you my mama as well, or are you more along the lines of a crazed aunt?")

    "Ich kann verstehen, warum du mich verrückt nennst. So wie Kyoko ich bin, bin ich Kyoko. Wir sind beide die gleiche Frau, nur zweigeteilt. Sie hat all das Einfühlungsvermögen und den Verstand, und ich... hab nur noch die Reste bekommen."
    ("I can see why you call me crazed. Though as Kyoko is I, I am Kyoko. We are both the same woman, just split in two. She got all the empathy and sanity, and I... got left with the scraps.")

    Asuka kept up her stony facade. "...dann kann ich dir wohl nicht einmal die Schuld geben."
    ("...I suppose I can't even blame you then.")
    She admitted, sipping her beer.
    "Wie ich, wie Shinji, wie Rei und Kaworu und Hikari, war es Evangelion, die dich gefickt hat. Hat euch beide gefickt?"
    ("Like me, like Shinji, like Rei and Kaworu and Hikari, it was Evangelion that fucked you. Fucked you both?")

    "...ich bin überrascht, dass du das überhaupt denkst, nach allem, was passiert ist."
    ("...I am surprised you even think that, after all that happened.")

    "Es hat mich wirklich fertig gemacht, versteh mich nicht falsch. Aber... wie kann ich das überhaupt gegen dich halten? Ich kann nicht, oder?"
    ("It really fucked me up, don't get me wrong. But... how can I even hold that against you? I can't, can I?")

    "Nein. Du... kannst nicht."
    ("No. You... can't.")

    "...Mach dir keine Sorgen, Zep. Meine Probleme liegen nicht bei dir. Nun, das heißt, solange du nicht versuchst, mich zu verletzen."
    ("...Don't worry about it, Zep. My issues aren't with you. Well, as long as you don't try hurting me, that is.")

    "Kyoko würde es nicht zulassen. Plus... ich glaube, sie hat viele meiner... Probleme gelindert."
    ("Kyoko would not allow it. Plus... I believe she has mediated many of my... issues.")

    "Du bist auf jeden Fall besser als ich mich erinnere."
    ("You're definitely better than I remember.")

    Zeppelin kept looking over the balcony. "Ich... denke, ich sollte jetzt gehen." ("I... think I should go now.")

    Her daughter gave a melancholic smile, a small break in the facade. "Mama wird ein bisschen unruhig?" ("Mama getting a bit restless?")

    "...Etwas."
    ("...Somewhat.")

    Asuka gave a chuckle. "Okay, Zep." She turned to face her, wanting to see if there was anything different between the two. A stoic disposition, and a stony eye. "...Lass von dir hören, okay?" ("...Let me hear from you again, okay?")

    Zeppelin continued her contemplative look, stargazing.

    "Ich kann es immer versuchen."
    ("I can always try.")

    And like that, she yielded control back to Kyoko. "Are you alright, Asuka?"

    "Jeez, you were getting a bit restless." She joked, despite everything.

    "I wasn't- okay, maybe I was getting a bit restless." She soon admitted. "But... you can see why, at least."

    "I know. But... I'm not sure how this all works, but you might've seen it was rather... amicable."

    Zeppelin reminded her counterpart. "You... really believe that?"

    "I've never blamed you for what happened, mama. Hell, I blamed myself."

    "...I know. But... who do you blame now?"

    "Seele. I've practically narrowed down most things to either be from Gendo, or from Seele."

    Asuka would've expected her mama to laugh it off, but she didn't exactly expect a hug from her. "...Thank you."

    The younger candle dropped her beer to the floor, and likewise returned the favour. "...Don't mention it, mama."

    "...You wasted good beer."

    "I can always get some more."

    "It's a school night."

    "Yeah, which means I shouldn't be drinking at all."

    "And how does that help your case?"

    "I've already started." A cheeky grin. "One more isn't gonna hurt in the grand scheme of things."

    It only took Kyoko a few seconds to decide on a course of action.

    "Get me one as well."

    A lotta German this time around, hopefully it isn't completely abhorrent :V

    So quite a few things have happened, haven't they? Yui knows where she wants to go (and I have a few great ideas as what to do when she gets to Okayama, but that's for the future ;)). And Maya's story, poor Maya. Eliza is probably the first person she's explicitly told about what happened (Ritsuko and Rei were there, everyone else heard about it through hearsay). Hopefully it'll give her some comfort, being able to tell someone else about this. Even if Eliza doesn't have that emotional development you'd expect of someone looking like her (she only became truly sentient a short while ago), hopefully having that familial connection would help regardless.

    Though speaking of family, Asuka. What would you call Zeppelin? She's still a part of Kyoko so that should make her a mother, but you could technically classify them as twins. Which would make her an aunt? Mother-aunt?
    I dread to think what a relationship tree would look like for Chronicles, I imagine it'd match the House of Hapsburg in complexities :V


    Either way, they managed to make some kind of accord with one another. It's true, at least. Asuka never blamed her mother for what happened; indeed it wasn't her fault. She merely tried to make things better, in response to Yui's Contact Experiment. She wanted to be there for Asuka and what did she get? Split in two. With the other half clearly unable to function normally. But now those two halves have much more interactions with one another, having to collaborate and share a single body. She's still distinct, sure. But there's starting to be a bit of crossover between the two. The fact she even identifies Asuka is evidence of that.

    It's probably the best case scenario, anyway.

    And now to MFE, and by Jove was Iruel more a threat this time around :V They deliberately set all this up, just to torment Shinji.

    ...Yeah, that obviously didn't go down well with everyone. You know you fucked up when Kaworu detests you. Buuuut at least it resulted in a relationship upgrade between Rei and Shinji (which Asuka was rather pleased with, you'd think she was shipping them together or something :V). Rather a shame Ryo Sawamura had to die, but odds are (as they said), Ryo Sawamura as he was known was long dead.

    What other insanities occured this time around... oh yeah, how about Pen-Pen? Did he get Adamantium infused into his claws this time around or something? Not that anyone complained about another deceased cultist, except for the cleanup and for how a cultist even got in the Geofront (at least with the Asama ERL, it's somewhat expected to not have as strenuous security as the Geofront).

    Though there was still some rather emotional scenes in this for the crew (as you'd expect, this is Evangelion after all :V). Naoko may not have been responsible for Rei's first demise this time around, but she was still responsible for something. Not even mentioning Gendo's actions in his past, now that wasn't taken that well. Almost puts his outright abandomnent into perspective; maybe he knew he'd try something like that and he didn't trust himself with Shinji. Of course, this served only the opposite purpose; insteaed it forced them further apart.

    Rather amazing how the reality where Shinji got strangled by his father is still a better reality than how it was, at least when it comes to their relationship. But hey, sometimes things work like that.
     
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  • Apocrypha
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    BG_Character_592 said:
    Compile
    ""NOPE," stated HEROD, MELCHIOR, BALTHASAR, and CASPER."
    E: "...Oh. So that's what the Virtual Compiler does."
    Ritsuko pounded her head on the desk.
    A: "It's VR technology. That shit died with Nintendo."
    Mi: "And of course you use it to terrorise Maya and Mayumi."
    Click to expand...
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    I believe you meant to say Miyata there, because that would have been a very different scene otherwise. :V

    Ultra Sonic 007 said:
    Then, out of the blue, a new feed transmitted itself into her mind's eye, of Ritsuko Akagi standing on a vast plain within a deep blue void. "MOTHER!" She gripped the sides of her white lab coat, which was buttoned over her torso. "WE…HAVE BECOME ONE!" Then she ripped open her lab coat, flashing her breasts. Except her breasts were replaced by the heads of Maya and Miyata, staring forlornly.

    Naoko Akagi stared. And stared. "Nope. Nope." She quickly cut the transmission feed. "Nope."

    Ritsuko's voice still somehow came through. "But-"

    "NOPE," stated HEROD, MELCHIOR, BALTHASAR, and CASPER.
    Click to expand...
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    Instead of Maya and Miyata's heads, it was Maya...and Mayumi's.

    Mayumi's head blinked. "...what." She tried to look around, mostly failing, because what. "How?!?!"

    Maya simply shook her head, seeming rather nonchalant about their current proceedings, even as Ritsuko continued to bluster past all of Naoko Akagi's 'noping'. "Best not to question it. Any idea where my bro went?"

    Mayumi's head began to hyperventilate. Virtually speaking, that is.

    "...eh, maybe he accidentally got lost in the Recycle Bin..."

    :V

    Anyhow, the overall monster designs for Iruel's virtual forms were basically pulled from the Goliath, Kraken, and Wraith monsters from the video game Evolve. T'was fun, while it was still active (but that is the weakness of a game essentially being a multiplayer-only experience; when activity dies down, the game itself is essentially worthless). His personality and disposition was heavily influenced by Iruel's sadistic portrayal in Nobody Dies by Gregg Landsman. Granted, being subjected to the Ree and 4chan would have made anyone go nuts, but I utilized the 'defiling' of Ramiel's soul to serve as the impetus for this portrayal.

    The Shinji/Ryo body-swap scene was apparently more confusing than I thought, as I tried to imply it was merely a full-on swap (aka, Sawamura somehow ended up in Shinji's room, while Shinji ended up in Sawamura's room overnight), yet people recognized them as the others. Oh well, I tried at least.

    Episode 16 is one of the ones I recall most fondly, if only for the Shinji/Gendo flashback. Because let's be honest, if you can get away with Gendo essentially quoting End of Evangelion by saying "I'm so f****d up," why not go for it? ;p

    And of course, we've got Shinji and Rei being cutesy. We'll actually get insight into her genetic 'parentage', so to speak, in Episode 17 (which also has the 'clip show' that actually breaks out the world's backstory even more, at least as far as ADAM/LILITH/SEELE/Gehirn/NERV go).

    Episode 18 may result in the most notorious reaction, simply because of what Yomiko Nagisa does when she makes a brief trip to Tokyo-3. :3

    /half way through MFE
    //in a little over two months!
    ///currently on track for this arc of Chronicles finishing before October rolls around. :V
     
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    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Shinji Ikari grimaced as he moved along, privately grateful that they had elected to decontaminate them one-by-one. The whole situation was awkward enough as it was."
    Shinji, Asuka and Rei all slowly craned their heads towards Misato.
    Mi: "God damn it Bond, stop making me look bad!"
    Click to expand...
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    No :p

    BG_Character_592 said:
    With Catlike Tread
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    :D

    COME, FRIENDS, WHO PLOUGH THE SEA!

    BG_Character_592 said:
    Z: "I'm guessing she's out of the running."
    Re: "They are cousins."
    Z: "So that's a no?"
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    Hehehehe, while I think this is intended as a joke, it works as an honest question, too, if no one ever explained to ZT how biological families and genetics work.


    Really liked these chapters of MFE. LOVED the little "I'm so fucked up!" reference, I liked Gendo going all Gurren Lagann, and I loved all the references to Nobody Dies, subtle or otherwise.

    Mana's "Heyyyyyy~", "You are, all of you, garbage vermin", Iruel in general, and ending Gendo's speech with the ND fanmade introduction of the 18th Angel.


    Really well done chapters of Chronicles, too, especially Maya's story.

    ALSO HANDHOLDING LEWDNESS. OF COURSE ZERO-TWO'S THE ONE TO SUGGEST IT, NAUGHTY GIRL.

    Ultra Sonic 007 said:
    Instead of Mana and Miyata's heads, it was Mana...and Mayumi's.

    Mayumi's head blinked. "...what." She tried to look around, mostly failing, because what. "How?!?!"

    Maya simply shook her head, seeming rather nonchalant about their current proceedings, even as Ritsuko continued to bluster past all of Naoko Akagi's 'noping'. "Best not to question it. Any idea where my bro went?"
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    Honestly can't tell if you switched Maya and Mana on purpose in that first sentence.
     
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    Indeed. In both Nobody Dies and MFE Iruel is one of, if not the nastiest angel of the bunch. When Tabris and Zeruel abandoned Iruel to be killed, that showed how horrible he really is. Even evil has standards. Pity Ryo could not be saved. Is it wrong that I took great pleasure in reading Iruel get pounded into sludge? On another note, we finally see how in the chronicles timeline Gendo got killed. Maya panicked and and shot him. Will we see how the Coup went?
     
    notraceofsense said:
    So we've got a Knife of Longinus, a Spear of Longinus (that could potentially be used as a fork), now all we need is a Spoon of Longinus, a Spork of Longinus, an Extendable Fork of Longinus, a Chef's Knife of Longinus, a Straw of Longinus and most of all...

    Chopsticks of Longinus.
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    Don't forget the Crab Claws of Longinus
     
    Strypgia said:
    Surprise twist: It's Hikari saying it to Pen Pen. :V
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    Ultra Sonic 007 said:
    On that day, they cried out for a savior.

    And I whispered...'wark'.

    There's no saving this world.

    BANG.

    Not anymore.

    /well
    //that got dark
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    Boo! You're one hundred years too early to get a drop on me, Shitposter Supreme!1!1!

    Raiseth said:
    Alright, I'll rise to the challenge. Deep breaths, deep breaths...
    Maya Ibuki looked askance at the lying figure, not two feet away from her. This is it, she thought. Now that the shadows clear, this is the only way things could've ended.
    "Are you going to shoot me too?" she asked calmly, serenely. She no longer feared death...



    ... Even if it came in form of a slightly miffed penguin, who was holding two pellet guns in its hands, ( wings? Flippers? ) commando-style.
    "Wark!" Pen-Pen answered smartly, and aimed.
    Maya closed her eyes and started counting to three.
    Ritsuko groaned on the floor, her face contorted in a grimace of frustrated bemusement. She was so not getting paid enough for this shit.
    Click to expand...
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    ( fishing it out took some time. The search function isn't working for now? )
     
    Well, now that I'm awake and the site is back :p :

    BG_Character_592 said:
    'Ich hätte ehrlich gesagt nicht gedacht, dass sie es in sich haben würde.' ('I honestly didn't think she'd have it in her.') Her other mused, as they tackled a wiring harness. 'Unschuldige Frau Maya Ibuki, die-' ('Innocent Miss Maya Ibuki, who-')
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    Hm, not sure if I'd go with "unschuldig" in this context. But I'm hard pressed to thinkg of something better, so I guess leave as is? XD
    BG_Character_592 said:
    'Ich sage nur meine Gedanken. Zumindest spreche ich sie nicht.'
    ('I'm merely stating my thoughts. At least I'm not     speaking them.')
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    A bit tricky. I would translate it as "Ich sage nur, was ich denke. Wenigstens spreche ich es nicht aus." but "sagen" already implies it being spoken out loud. So, "Ich erwähne nur was ich denke"...? :eyebrow:
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Nicht, dass er es gewusst hätte."
    ("Not that he could have known.")
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    "Nicht, dass er es hätte wissen können."
    BG_Character_592 said:
    'Lass sie sich ihren Dämonen begegnen, Kyoko.'
    ('Let her confront her demons, Kyoko.')
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    'Lass sie sich ihren Dämonen stellen, Kyoko.'
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Das erklärt wohl, warum du nicht wirklich unsere Muttersprache sprichst."
    ("I suppose that explains why you don't really speak our mother tongue.")
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    Not really a matter of translation, but maybe
    "Das erklärt wohl, warum du sonst nicht wirklich unsere Muttersprache sprichst."
    ("I suppose that explains why you usually don't really speak our mother tongue.")
    Given that she's currently addressing Zeppelin, who does speak her mother tongue?
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Ja. Zumindest unterscheidet es uns. Kyoko spricht Japanisch, und ich spreche Deutsch."
    ("Yes. It differentiates us, at the very least. Kyoko speaks Japanese, and I speak German.")
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    :)
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Ah. Du haben einen anderen Namen für dich?"
    ("Ah. You have a different name for yourself?")
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    "Du hast einen anderen Namen für dich?"
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Ich kann nicht sagen, dass meine Mama keinen Sinn für Humor hat. Macht dich das auch zu meiner Mama, oder bist du eher im Sinne einer verrückten Tante?"
    ("Can't say my mama doesn't have a sense of humour. So does that make you my mama as well, or are you more along the lines of a crazed aunt?")
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    Almost, but "im Sinne" doesn't fit here. I'd go with "bist du eher sowas wie eine verrückte Tante?"
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Ich kann verstehen, warum du mich verrückt nennst. Obwohl Kyoko ich bin, bin ich Kyoko. Wir sind beide die gleiche Frau, nur zweigeteilt. Sie hat all das Einfühlungsvermögen und den Verstand, und ich... bin mit dem allein gelassen worden Fetzen."
    ("I can see why you call me crazed. Though as Kyoko is I, I am Kyoko. We are both the same woman, just split in two. She got all the empathy and sanity, and I... got left with the scraps.")
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    "Obwohl Kyoko ich bin, bin ich Kyoko." - I have to admit - I'm not sure whether it should be "ist" or "bin" there, it sounds off to me either way. :/ Also not sure if you really meant "Though" as in "Obwohl" ("even though"/"despite" or more as "So wie" ("like").
    "und ich... bin mit dem allein gelassen worden Fetzen." - "und ich... hab nur noch die Reste bekommen."
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "...dann kann ich dir wohl nicht einmal die Schuld geben."
    ("...I suppose I can't even blame you then.")
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    :)
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Wie ich, wie Shinji, wie Rei und Kaworu und Hikari, war es Evangelion, die dich gefickt hat. Haben du beide gefickt?"
    ("Like me, like Shinji, like Rei and Kaworu and Hikari, it was Evangelion that fucked you. Fucked you both?")
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    That "gefickt" again! :rofl: Again, could be left, but second part should be "Hat euch beide gefickt?" in that case. ;)
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "...ich bin überrascht, dass du das überhaupt denkst, nachdem das alles passiert ist."
    ("...I am surprised you even think that, after all that happened.")
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    ", nach allem, was passiert ist."
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Es hat mich wirklich fertig gemacht, versteh mich nicht falsch. Aber... wie kann ich das überhaupt gegen dich halten? Ich kann nicht, kann ich?"
    ("It really fucked me up, don't get me wrong. But... how can I even hold that against you? I can't, can I?")
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    Almost! :) There is no "repeating" the statement to make it a question (there probably is an actual term for that), the equivalent would be to add "oder?" at the end. So "Ich kann nicht, oder?"
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Nein. Du... kannst nicht."
    ("No. You... can't.")
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    :)
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "...Mach dir keine Sorgen, Zep. Meine Probleme liegen nicht bei dir. Nun, solange du nicht versuchst, mich zu verletzen, heißt das."
    ("...Don't worry about it, Zep. My issues aren't with you. Well, as long as you don't try hurting me, that is.")
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    Works, but I would probably put the "heißt das" to the beginning. "Nun, das heißt, solange..."
    And perhaps "Ich hab keine Probleme mit dir"? Though you might have intended it that way, since you also didn't just write "I don't have issues with you"?
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Kyoko würde es nicht zulassen. Plus... ich glaube, sie hat viele meiner... Probleme vermittelt."
    ("Kyoko would not allow it. Plus... I believe she has mediated many of my... issues.")
    Click to expand...
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    Also not sure if you meant "vermitteln" here, since that's usually something someone does between two other parties. Maybe "gelindert" ("eased")?
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Du bist auf jeden Fall besser als ich mich erinnere."
    ("You're definitely better than I remember.")
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    :)
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Ich... denke, ich sollte jetzt gehen." ("I... think I should go now.")
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    :)
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Mama wird ein bisschen unruhig?" ("Mama getting a bit restless?")
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    :)
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "...Etwas."
    ("...Somewhat.")
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    :)
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "...Sei kein Fremder, okay?" ("...Don't be a stranger, okay?")
    Click to expand...
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    Technically correct, but not really something you'd say. Translation sites suggest "Lass (mal wieder) von dir hören" or "Meld dich (mal wieder)" ("Let me/us hear from you (again)", "Contact me/us"...)
    BG_Character_592 said:
    "Ich kann es immer versuchen."
    ("I can always try.")
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    :)

    A bit more than I thought yesterday, but still pretty good overall.
     
    New site! Let's make it count.

    BG_Character_592 said:
    S: "Not exactly Puckman, is it."
    K: "Almost akin to The Matrix."
    Ri: "Is that where we took the Virtual Compiler idea from?"
    Click to expand...
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    Fingers crossed for more VC, or a working version in the Chronicles world. Even if you dial back from the MFE!Ritsuko level of... ahem, 'dem assistants', that's an absolute goldmine, both on the technical side, the shenanigans side and the side that tells me I really need to try harder to get my mind out of the gutter next time.

    No, I'm not going to elaborate. Not when i'm tired and have less of a filter, anyway. Maybe later.

    BG_Character_592 said:
    Z: "Good idea, darling! By the end they'll be married."
    Click to expand...
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    I haven't read to the end of MFE yet, but narrative logic ingrained by 2 years of high school Media Studies and TVTropes tell me ZT really ought to put money on this. I know a Chekhov's Gun when I see it.

    BG_Character_592 said:
    Though speaking of family, Asuka. What would you call Zeppelin? She's still a part of Kyoko so that should make her a mother, but you could technically classify them as twins. Which would make her an aunt? Mother-aunt?
    I dread to think what a relationship tree would look like for Chronicles, I imagine it'd match the House of Hapsburg in complexities :V
    Click to expand...
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    ...is that a challenge, dear sir?

    I mean, I have an unfinished one for A&T proper, but Chronicles would be a whole other beast entirely...
     
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    JimmyWolk said:
    Also not sure if you really meant "Though" as in "Obwohl" ("even though"/"despite" or more as "So wie" ("like").
    Click to expand...
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    'So wie' sounds a bit better with what I was aiming for, so I went with that :)

    JimmyWolk said:
    Technically correct, but not really something you'd say. Translation sites suggest "Lass (mal wieder) von dir hören" or "Meld dich (mal wieder)" ("Let me/us hear from you (again)", "Contact me/us"...)
    Click to expand...
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    That's quite a nice phrase actually, 'Lass von dir hören'. Added.

    JimmyWolk said:
    A bit more than I thought yesterday, but still pretty good overall.
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    Many thanks :)
    Maybe I'm slowly learning German or something :V
     
    Wixelt said:
    Fingers crossed for more VC, or a working version in the Chronicles world. Even if you dial back from the MFE!Ritsuko level of... ahem, 'dem assistants', that's an absolute goldmine, both on the technical side, the shenanigans side and the side that tells me I really need to try harder to get my mind out of the gutter next time.
    Click to expand...
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    I think in Episode 21, they'll discover a practical use for a Virtual Compiler that involves paperwork. :V

    Also, @JimmyWolk; your brief thoughts on the following?

    "Nein, ich verstehe nur Bahnhof."

    Naoko laughed. "My my, you're stumped so easily?"
    Click to expand...
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    "Perish the thought! Arbeit adelt!" With those words, the static picture of Kyoko faded away on the monitor, leaving only a blank screen.
    Click to expand...
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    /also
    //when saying 'mein schwester'
    ///is schwester supposed to be capitalized?
    ////on an unrelated note
    /////this new forum layout seems more resource-intensive than the older one
     
    Remove ads
    4000 words of update with the betas, and Lilith Prime has already said there were stabs right in her feels. One more scene to do tomorrow, then we go live.

    Preview:

    +++

    Asuka pressed the cup of soup to his hand and guided it to his mouth. "Drink, baka. You're severely depleted on a lot of major nutrients, according to Doctor Fake-Blonde. Especially calcium and potassium. So eat up. I am going to pamper and feed the stuffing out of you. I want you healthy enough to ravish me gently again as soon as possible."

    Shinji gave her a weak smile, and sipped the soup. With his right hand, so as not to disturb the IV line going into his left arm. "Kaworu, are you..." He trailed off again, staring at his friend. His friend who had no IV line. "Why don't you have an IV?"

    Kaworu and Rei looked at each other, then back to Shinji. "I am... more healed than you," Kaworu eventually said.

    Shinji looked to Asuka. "I thought you said he got shot through the chest? How come he's not as wiped out as I am? Did Doctor Akagi do... no, it's only been a day, so...?"

    Asuka pursed her lips, and turned to Kaworu. "Show him."

    Kaworu hesitated, but pulled his shirt up to show his own patch of bandages. He reached up with his other hand and carefully pulled the clean, white bandages away from his chest.

    Revealing utterly unmarked pale skin.
     
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    Ultra Sonic 007 said:
    Also, @JimmyWolk; your brief thoughts on the following?
    "Nein, ich verstehe nur Bahnhof."

    Naoko laughed. "My my, you're stumped so easily?"
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    Hm, out of context perfectly fine, but I did a quick check in the fic and you have her essentially saying "No, I don't understand a thing." as answer to "how are things going on your end?", so it should probably rather be "Schlecht" (bad) rather than "Nein"?
    Ultra Sonic 007 said:
    "Perish the thought! Arbeit adelt!"
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    Ehhh, technically fine, but I'm not sure if anyone would say that. Might just be me, but sounds a bit too close to Nazi terminology for my taste ("Arbeit macht frei"). :/
    Even if it isn't, it's certainly not commonly used. Though that might just be because we lazy Millenials don't care as much about work anymore. :p
    "Die Arbeit ruft!" perhaps? Not quite the same meaning though, since it's essentially just "There's plenty of work to do".
    Ultra Sonic 007 said:
    /also
    //when saying 'mein schwester'
    ///is schwester supposed to be capitalized?
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    Yes. Also "meine Schwester". ;)


    Strypgia said:
    I want you healthy enough to ravish me gently again as soon as possible.
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    Ah, priorities. :p
    Strypgia said:
    Asuka pursed her lips, and turned to Kaworu. "Show him."
    Click to expand...
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    Yeah, let's confront the bedridden guy who just woke up with a shocking revelation that'll turn his life upside down (again). At least he's in the perfect place already when he's going to faint. :V
     
    Strypgia said:
    4000 words of update with the betas, and Lilith Prime has already said there were stabs right in her feels. One more scene to do tomorrow, then we go live.

    Preview:

    +++

    Asuka pressed the cup of soup to his hand and guided it to his mouth. "Drink, baka. You're severely depleted on a lot of major nutrients, according to Doctor Fake-Blonde. Especially calcium and potassium. So eat up. I am going to pamper and feed the stuffing out of you. I want you healthy enough to ravish me gently again as soon as possible."

    Shinji gave her a weak smile, and sipped the soup. With his right hand, so as not to disturb the IV line going into his left arm. "Kaworu, are you..." He trailed off again, staring at his friend. His friend who had no IV line. "Why don't you have an IV?"

    Kaworu and Rei looked at each other, then back to Shinji. "I am... more healed than you," Kaworu eventually said.

    Shinji looked to Asuka. "I thought you said he got shot through the chest? How come he's not as wiped out as I am? Did Doctor Akagi do... no, it's only been a day, so...?"

    Asuka pursed her lips, and turned to Kaworu. "Show him."

    Kaworu hesitated, but pulled his shirt up to show his own patch of bandages. He reached up with his other hand and carefully pulled the clean, white bandages away from his chest.

    Revealing utterly unmarked pale skin.
    Click to expand...
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    Why is preview marked as a chapter?
     
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