Well atleast Rei will let Yuzu have her peaceful locker to herself. through asking if someone is a threat is a terrible way to actually find out if someone is a threat.
Well time to learn for Rei to learn fighting games from the best. through how long it will take for Rei to learn fighting game jargon is anyone's guess.
Rei has found the idea of challegeing someone repeatedly for fighting games so naturally, and it good chance that they may be her game of choice.
Oh the nameless priests know of the seeds of life. oh no the nameless priests know of the seeds of life!
well time to see if any of Rei's angel weridness can be used since it will be hard for her to defend herself against AL-1S in melee considering that she can lift up a railgun ment to be mounted on a ship and use it as a club, while Rei without angel stuff should have the strength of a 14 year old girl, which isnt a good match up against a killer robot.
The next chapter should hopefully be out in two weeks so I hope that that isn't too long a wait. I promised a flashback, but fingers crossed that that doesn't take up the whole chapter =X
"Momoi, I want to go home," Midori spoke up in a small voice as the pair trudged through the rubble of another ruined, empty street. Words were left unsaid, but Momoi understood plainly what her twin did not voice aloud. Midori was scared. For a moment, Momoi felt a twisting pang of guilt at bringing her younger sister along, but she quickly shook it off. Guilt would help neither of them now.
"We'll go back soon, I promise!" Momoi replied, putting on a veneer of cheer into her voice for the sake of her sibling. The oppressive, all-consuming silence of the ruins was getting to her too, but she would never let Midori know that. "We just need to find the G. Bible first so we can save the clubroom."
G. Bible, the holy grail of all game developers in Kivotos. A program said to contain the secrets of making the perfect game. Veritas, Millennium's preeminent hacker's club, had done Momoi a favor and tracked it to a location within these ruins. With G. Bible on their side, they'd be able to make a revolutionary game to silence all their naysayers, win the Millennium Prize, and protect Yuzu's sanctuary. Just a bit more perseverance and they'd be able to use it to save the Game Development Department from that heartless accountant. Facing ahead, the pink garbed twin merrily fiddled with her phone for a moment before nodding with satisfaction. "Come on, it's this way!"
"Momoi…"
"Hm? What's up?" The older twin turned around to find her younger sister still rooted at the same spot as before. The girl who she shared her face with looked distraught and on the verge of tears, and Momoi's guilt returned with a vengeance. With great difficulty, she fought it off again. Because they couldn't turn back. Not now. Not with G. Bible so close. Faced with that immutable reality, Saiba Momoi did the only reasonable thing she could.
"Want me to hold your hand?" she asked her younger sister with a broad and toothy grin that was as wide as it was honest.
Midori hesitated for a second before replying shyly. "Yeah."
The older twin nodded, slung her cutely decorated pink rifle over her shoulder as she took her sister's hand in her own. Together they walked deeper into the dead city.
Complete and utter silence was not the only foe striking at the pair's nerves. Rubble, craters, and overgrown vegetation unsteadied their steps and slowed down their pace. Crumbling, forgotten walls collapsed after countless years of neglect to pelt them with debris and dust. Gaping holes in the pavement bared the city's darkened underground maw at them, forcing them into long abandoned buildings to find other ways around. It was this forced exploration that revealed to them perhaps the most unsettling thing about the ruins aside from the overbearing silence.
The lifeless metropolis was utterly ordinary.
They walked through the innards of what resembled a grocery store, past the bones of what might have been a library, in front of the shadow of a likely train station. Were it not for the decay and deterioration of ages that surrounded them, it would have been no different from taking a stroll through any neighborhood in Millennium.
The thought of a civilization so alike their own disappearing in some forgotten calamity and leaving nothing behind aside from faintly familiar echoes sent a shiver down the girls' spines.
"We're almost at the coordinates that Veritas gave me," Momoi spoke up, cutting through the heavy silence that mercilessly weighed down upon them both. Injecting as much pep as she could into her voice, she continued, "We'll have the G. Bible and be back at the clubroom before lunch time!"
At the mention of their clubroom, Midori squeezed her sister's hand and the slightly older girl stopped, turning around with a look of mild confusion on her face.
"The clubroom," Midori spoke up in a voice that trembled slightly with a mixture of uncertainty and fear, "Why did you make up that ridiculous excuse? We waited for SCHALE to arrive and then we just ran." Exasperation at her twin's antics finally overcame both uncertainty and fear as she continued, "What were you thinking?"
Momoi hummed softly under her breath and her features took on a rare pensive cast before she replied, "Well, the SCHALE girl didn't have a halo, you know? It wouldn't have felt right to bring her along. What if she got hurt?"
Midori nodded at her sister's explanation. It made sense. Regardless of how disturbing and frightening she found the ruins to be, the both of them were going to be safe no matter what. Their haloes would protect them from all but the most egregious injuries. Neither of them could, however, vouch for the safety of a girl without a halo. The green-eyed twin shook her head with disbelief. How could such a person even exist? It was beyond imagining.
"Besides, we haven't run into any GSC guards, have we?" the older twin continued happily even as Midori's face turned to shock, "Everything's working out anyways!"
"No, don't say that! You're gonna jinx-"
"Shh! Did you hear that?"
"You jinxed us!"
"Ssh! Quiet!" Momoi insisted as she pulled her twin to crouch behind a large piece of wreckage that had been dislodged from the crumbling remnants of a towering building in some distant past. No sooner had the pair of strawberry-blonde girls hidden, nervously clutching their weapons to their chest, that the silence which had frayed their nerves was broken by the steps of unexpected intruders. Not far from their hiding spot, a small group of strange looking robots lumbered into view from out of a street corner and unto the wider streetway ahead of them. Robotic citizens were something common in Kivotos, but the things that ambled into view were altogether something that neither twin had ever seen before.
Like the other robots that inhabited Kivotos, they were humanoid in shape and size with sleek, metallic bodies but those were the only similarities that they shared. The strange things that shambled forward wore no clothes, had too long, gangly limbs and an arched, animalistic posture that had their digits practically dragging on the floor. The cranium was elongated as well, almost akin to a canine's muzzle, and a long, crimson tongue lolled forth from the jagged and uneven teeth of an otherwise featureless face. Their plating was also uneven on their torso, covering only certain portions and giving the impression of ribs poking through emaciated skin. The gaunt things halted, raised their heads in unison as if they were a bizarre pack of utterly mute wolves, and then, just as silently, shuffled forward to disappear into the alleys between abandoned buildings leaving behind nothing but the fading sound of their footsteps.
The twins looked at each other.
"Momoi, I want to go home…"
"Yeah," Momoi finally agreed, "Me too."
It took them a moment to gather their courage before they once again moved towards their destination. Terrified though they were, they were too close to give up now. Their best friend depended on their success and so they put their fear aside and moved onward again.
The coordinates that Veritas had given them led the twins to the crumbling carcass of what appeared to be a factory. Portions of the walls and floors were missing, holes having been blasted in every surface in some conflict vanished into the haze of time. The twins walked cautiously, attempting to keep their footsteps from ringing upon the metallic catwalks and attempting to keep the corroded portions from crumbling beneath their feet. It was a mercifully swift and intruder-less search before they arrived at what should have been their destination.
"We're practically above it," Momoi spoke in an uncommonly low and hushed tone as she ran her hand over the dusty surface of the wall barring their way. "Let's look for a way down."
Midori simply nodded, still unwilling to speak up after their frightening encounter.
Their search led them to a gaping hole in an isolated hallway. The rubble had formed a tightly packed slope that they could use to reach the lower levels of the facility with ease. Reorienting themselves, the sisters walked hand in hand once again, glancing cautiously at the shadows dancing in the distance and peeking warily around corners. In this fashion, they arrived at the specified coordinates, and they gasped in unison at what they found there.
What they found there was a circular room where the ceiling had disappeared long ago, allowing sunlight to stream inside unimpeded. Broken computers and terminals and all manner of corroded wires and cables lined the walls which were slowly being overtaken by creeping vegetation. In a similar fashion, strange geometric patterns and drawings that neither could recognize were visible on the parts of the floor where nature had yet to regain its dominance.
What they found there was a solitary girl, asleep upon some strange contraption that vaguely resembled a chair at the center of a raised dais in the middle of the room. More terminals stood in silent vigil around the girl, and a veritable web of wiring, cables and smaller devices crossed the room to end like prone, mechanical supplicants at her feet.
What they found there was the haloed robot girl that they had rescued and brought back to their clubroom refuge, and who was now clawing futilely at the strange blue barrier of interlocking triangles that had shimmered into existence a second before she could get her hands on the stunned SCHALE representative.
A moment prior to the attack, Rei had scooted back on the sofa when the dark-haired girl had started speaking and reached into the schoolbag she had placed there earlier in the day when she first arrived at the clubroom. Her fingers accidentally brushed against the Shittim Chest before retrieving the firearm that Commander Ikari had ordered her to carry as a precaution in case she ever needed to defend herself: a CZ-75D Compact. The moment that the strange girl had lunged, Rei had attempted to raise the firearm and aim it, but the girl's words had struck a chord within her and made her hesitate.
Seed of Life?
Then, before the girl could reach her, the blue barrier had suddenly appeared, defending Rei in her moment of distraction.
Initial reactions varied wildly between the girls gathered in the dimly lit Game Development Department clubroom.
"She has Protect?!" The twins cried in unison, their eyes going wide with shock upon seeing the unexpected defensive matrix while Yuzu shut her eyes and whimpered softly, seeming to fold in on herself at the sudden violence that had erupted in her sanctuary.
The haloed robot girl had scratched and scraped at the barrier uselessly before halting her assault in momentary confusion. She had then winded back her arm and punched at the triangular formation. The barrier held, but the resulting surge of light and horrific cracking sound jolted everyone else out of their stupor and into action.
As one, the members of the Game Development Department leapt at the robotic girl and held her arms to prevent her from striking again. It was a struggle that was equal parts futile as it was effective: the robotic girl struck the barrier again, but they managed to hinder her movements to such an extent that the horrific force of the first blow was absent.
"Stop!" Momoi sobbed as the robotic girl attempted to wind up for a third strike. "Stop, please! Why are you doing this?!"
At those words, the robot girl jerked back as if she had been hit and ceased her aggression. She shook her head, long black hair trailing the motion, and her whole body seemed to twitch. The girl's blue eyes expanded and contracted slightly, refocusing like the mechanical lenses that they were.
"Error: Mission purpose not found. Error: Self not found. Error: Memory not found. Diagnostics: All green. Error. Retrieve Seed of Life?" she asked sounding as confused as a robot could.
"NO!" the Game Development Department shouted together as one.
"What are you even talking about? What's a Seed of Life?" Midori asked warily.
"Error: Data not found. Retrieve Seed of Life?"
"N-no!" Yuzu simpered tearily, still holding on to the girl that was no longer aggressive. "No re-retrieving in the clubroom. No fighting at all…" The redhead trailed off into small sobs, but the robotic girl lowered her arms in compliance and proceeded to sit perfectly straight on the sofa's middle seat. Ayanami Rei took the opportunity to pick up her schoolbag, sedately standing up and moving to the other side of the room, near the windows; she kept her firearm pointed at the sofa's sole occupant all the while. The robotic girl's eyes tracked her movements, but she did not stand up from her spot.
"Momoi," Midori whispered urgently, "we have to take her back." Her tone was grave, and it brooked no argument. Her older sister, however, shook her head and Midori could already tell she was going to say something ridiculous and migraine inducing.
"Not happening," Momoi argued, crossing her arms in defiance. "Take Aris back to that scary place? Nuh-uh. Besides, look at her! She's just as confused as we are! No way can I just dump someone that looks like that."
Midori looked at the robot girl's blank expression and somehow resisted the urge to throttle her twin.
"Momoi, no. You can't just name her and keep her like a stray cat! She just assaulted a federal officer! We gotta take her back before-"
"Before what, pray tell."
The General Student Council was at the door.
Two of them, in fact.
Iwabitsu Ayumu had a cross expression on her normally gentle features. Her eyes scoured all the occupants in the room before finally settling on the girl by the window with a melancholy look.
Nanagami Rin, Vice-President and Chief Administrative Officer of Kivotos' General Student Council, adjusted her glasses, and her voice was fit to freeze the blood in their veins as she spoke, "I would like to hear all the details about this 'assault on a federal officer' that you just mentioned."
---
Lesson 9: End
What did we learn today, class?
Yes, that's correct!
Fighting on school grounds is prohibited.
Join us again next time for Lesson 10: be Human. We'll have: Talking. More talking. Lots of talking. And a truly SHOCKING development.
Don't be late!
---
AN: Oct 29, 2023. Normally I would try to avoid retreading off-screen events, but the twins' adventure in the ruins was too important to leave out. I hope that you'll agree with me in that regard and excuse my going over events that had "already happened" again for this chapter. The next chapter will be on Nov 5, with the usual caveat that it might be delayed an extra week. See you then! --Kero
Ayanami Rei observed with cool detachment as Nanagami Rin interrogated the blonde twins that she had briefly met that morning and then again when they had burst into the room she had been asked to watch, dragging along the robot that had attacked her. The twins were of little consequence, she decided after a moment. She had already fulfilled their request and they did not pose an immediate threat, kneeling contritely on the floor as they were. Upon further consideration, Rei realized that they were of so little consequence that she did not even know their names, as they had not been included in the request that brought her here and they had not introduced themselves before their sudden departure either. The albino girl put them out of her mind entirely as her gaze returned to the unblinking machine sitting on the sofa.
Robot.
A creation of humanity.
A tool for achieving her creator's purpose.
What are you?
The robot girl's words rang in Rei's memory, a discordant trill that derailed her thoughts, and her eyes briefly glanced downwards at the hand still holding the firearm that was both her final means of protection and escape.
Ayanami Rei.
A creation of humanity.
A tool for achieving her creator's purpose.
What am I?
Seed of Life…
Her thoughts were brought back to the clubroom as one of the twins -the pink one- complained loudly at something that Nanagami Rin had said. Nanagami Rin's voice was ice itself as she calmly berated the twin in a low and harsh tone, and the pink-garbed girl shrunk in on herself almost immediately. Iwabitsu Ayumu, the black-winged blonde that had been Rei's escort in this ever increasingly strange city, whispered something to Rin's ear and the bespectacled girl sighed. The whispering continued and Rin's lecture stopped momentarily, but her stern glare did not diminish at all. When Ayumu finished confiding with Rin, the Vice-President's tone was still icy, but decidedly softer and lower when she spoke again, and Rei could not make out what she said despite paying renewed attention to the twins' plight. Ayumu seemed satisfied and sidestepped the still kneeling Game Development Department, heading towards Rei.
"Rei," the blonde asked with concern once she was close enough to whisper, "are you alright?"
Red eyes blinked in confusion at the question. This was the third time since arriving in the city of Kivotos that someone had asked about her wellbeing. It was just as strange as the first two times.
"Yes," she answered with some trepidation. Knowing that Ayumu would insist on more information, Rei continued, "I am unharmed."
The taller girl nodded and smiled at her, and Rei was reminded of the unfamiliar sensation she had felt when Yurizono Seia had laughed without restraint.
What is this feeling?
It is… warm…
"Good. I'm glad," Ayumu answered, worry giving way to relief in her voice. After a brief pause, she found her voice again and asked, "How was the assignment? You didn't feel lonely?"
Rei's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly at Ayumu's questions, but she replied in the same detached tone as always, "I played games with Yuzu."
"You… played games?"
"Yes," she replied, "With Yuzu. I could not win."
Ayumu seemed at a loss for words for several moments before she gathered her thoughts to speak once more. "Did you have fun?" she finally asked with amusement and a hint of something more.
"I do not know," Rei replied after considering her words. She shook her head slightly and, once again, expanded on her answer knowing that Ayumu would just inquire further. "I wanted to win," she said.
The GSC officer seemed both troubled and satisfied with Rei's reply and turned to look at the wilting pair of twins as well as the mortified redhead sitting next to them. Nanagami Rin's disciplinary lecture had seemingly regained its momentum.
"Don't worry," Ayumu whispered surreptitiously to the shorter student. "Rin won't be too hard on them. The jurisdiction battle would be too much of a hassle, after all." She mumbled something that Rei could not quite make out aside from the word 'arbitration'.
"I am not concerned," the blue-haired girl replied stoically, but Ayumu caught the quick glance Rei gave Yuzu and smiled softly at it. The smile disappeared when she noticed that Rei had not lowered her firearm throughout the entirety of their conversation.
"Were you scared?" Ayumu asked worriedly, her eyes studying Rei's face for any fleeting sentiment that might cross her features. She wanted to ask how Rei had come out unscathed from what appeared to be a fight against a malfunctioning robot. She wanted to ask how there was even a robot with a halo in the first place. She wanted to know where it had come from and why it had apparently assaulted Rei, but all these questions, however, were secondary to finding out how the slender, taciturn, and emotionally wounded girl in front of her was holding up.
"No. I was not afraid," Rei replied without hesitation. Ayanami Rei understood fear clearly, at least. The thought that she could no longer be replaced terrified her. The fleeting memories of her first death -the crushing force on her neck and the pain of each rasping, desperate breath- haunted her dreams. That all-consuming darkness was not something she wanted to experience ever again. No, what she had felt when the black-haired robot leapt at her had not been fear.
Shock.
A sentiment of apprehension.
Seed of Life…
"I was surprised. It will not happen again," Rei finished and the blonde girl beside her nodded after a few seconds of further scrutiny. Ayumu's features took a serious cast, and she placed a gentle hand on Rei's shoulder.
"Rei," Ayumu spoke softly, "you can put the gun down, ok? No matter what happens, I will protect you."
You will not die.
Because I will protect you.
I will protect you.
You.
…Myself?
Seed of Life…
The words struck her like a physical blow, and Rei flinched and lowered her firearm as she turned to look at Ayumu. They were the same words she had told Ikari-kun through a changing room's curtain when she had been asked to lay down her life for his. Words she had never expected to hear directed at herself. Why would anyone want to protect her? Rei shook her head softly. She couldn't understand Ayumu's reasoning. There was no mission she knew of that would require the older girl to lay down her life for hers.
She cannot be replaced.
I do not understand.
Why?
The words must have been written plain on her normally expressionless face because Ayumu answered before Rei could give voice to the questions running through her mind.
"Because I want to be your friend," the blonde smiled broadly, her green eyes shining, and Rei felt the return of that increasingly familiar and bizarre sensation which both warmed and confused her. "Can I?"
"…What?" was the only word that the albino girl could gasp through her suddenly unresponsive lips.
Nanagami Rin cleared her throat, commanding the attention of both girls standing by the window once again towards the demoralized Game Development Department and the motionless robot girl.
"I've explained their situation to them. In detail," Rin spoke up in a voice that was business-like and without a hint of partiality. "While normally each academy has complete purview of disciplinary matters related to their students, they've confessed to breaking several federal laws including trespassing and assault," the twins flinched and Yuzu whimpered as the General Student Council Vice-President continued without missing a step, "as such, we could make a formal request to Seminar and have them extradited to D.U. without too much difficulty, but..."
"But?" Ayumu prompted her friend to continue speaking.
With a put-upon sigh, Rin continued, "But since SCHALE's Sensei, Ayanami Rei, was the aggrieved party, I'll leave the choice to her. Would you like to press charges, Rei-sensei?"
All eyes turned towards the room's only halo-less occupant, and the clear expression on Rei's normally unreadable face was one of complete confusion. Normally, the senior staff of NERV would make any significant decisions and she would simply follow the orders that were borne out from the minds of her commanders. She cast her eyes downwards, avoiding their gazes. She could not meet their eyes.
A momentous decision.
The decision… is mine?
And half-remembered words floated up through the jumble of her disarrayed thoughts.
We are most curious what a misplaced doll keeps within her heart of hearts, the memory jeered at her.
…I am not a doll.
I am not an alien, nor a ghost, nor a zombie.
I am not sick.
I am myself.
I am Ayanami Rei.
I am myself that can make decisions for myself.
Ayanami Rei lifted her head and her red eyes crossed Yuzu's tearful eyes, and her decision was made in an instant.
"I will not press charges."
Several reactions occurred simultaneously at her words, but the most evident was that a strange, haloed girl once again launched herself at Rei.
"Waaaaah!" the pink twin wailed as she hugged her legs, weeping noisily. "Thank you, hero! Thank you, savior! Rei-chan-sensei, I love you!" The rest of her words were lost as she wept without care and buried her face in Rei's legs.
"Let go. Do not touch me."
The pink girl wailed louder and gripped her tighter, and Rei's discomfort increased as she felt all eyes upon her once again. She sought out Ayumu's and Rin's faces, but they smiled faintly and said nothing. The green twin looked at her strangely, and Yuzu…
Her lips formed two clear, unspoken words.
Thank you.
And she smiled.
Rei felt the strange emotion well up once again, accompanied by the bizarre warmth which had now traveled to her face. The halo-less girl heard someone gasp, she wasn't sure who, and she hid her face in the crook of the arm that held her schoolbag until Nanagami Rin finally decided to come to her rescue.
"Let her go, Saiba Momoi," the blue crowned student chided the teary mess at Rei's feet. "You're embarrassing her."
The girl with the pink halo, Saiba Momoi, finally let go of Rei and stood on shaky legs, wiping at her tears with her jacket sleeve even as she kept crying. Sensing the motion, Rei stopped hiding her face as well and looked up to see Rin and Ayumu looking at her with bemused expressions on their faces. Rin's expression, however, quickly shifted to her mask of professionalism as she sought out the haloed robot that had remained seated the entire time.
"Now, all that's left is her."
Saiba Momoi stopped her inelegant wailing immediately even as her younger twin dabbed at her teary face with a handkerchief she had produced from a pocket in her own jacket. Momoi started to speak but was interrupted by Midori.
"You shouldn't cry in public, Momoi," the younger sister explained patiently. "You don't have the complexion for it."
"We have the same face, Midori," she rebutted briefly before turning her attention back to the Vice-President of the entire city. "You can't have Aris. She's the newest member of the Game Development Department so Rei-chan-sensei's decision applies to her too."
Rin simply nodded in agreement, surprising the younger girls gathered in the room.
"An old friend asked me for a favor before I got here," Rin explained simply before her tone took a sharper edge, "You're getting one chance, and only one chance. If she steps out of line again, I'm dragging her straight to D.U. Got it?"
The twins nodded their cat-headphone wearing heads simultaneously, and Yuzu hesitated for a second before joining them. The robot said nothing. Satisfied with their response, Rin crossed her arms below her chest and fixed the robot with a troubled expression.
"I do have some questions, however. You said she's a robot, right? Aris?" she waited for the twin's response, a cautious nod, before she elaborated on her question, "A robot with a halo is just as unusual as a student without one." Rei scowled at Rin's words but said nothing. "Do you have any idea who made her or what caused her to malfunction?"
The twins were once again in sync with each other as they shook their heads. "No, ma'am," Momoi replied somewhat warily, "We couldn't even get her to turn on until we arrived at the club room and then she suddenly turned on by herself and said something about-"
"The Seed of Life," Rei interrupted as she stepped forward, Ayumu following behind her a second later. The robotic girl had never taken her eyes off Rei during the events that unfolded so she did not move her head nor adjust her line of sight as the halo-less girl approached. Rei noticed, however, that the blue lenses of her eyes expanded and contracted slightly as she refocused. "What is it?"
"Error: Data not found," the black-haired robot spoke for the first time since the arrival of Rin and Ayumu.
"Why do you seek it?" Rei asked again before Rin could speak.
"Error: Mission purpose not found."
Ayumu spoke then, while everyone else took in the robot girl's words.
"How do you know Rei has this thing? This Seed of Life?" The concern in the blonde's voice was tinged with a sharpness that reflected the determination in her green eyes.
"Wide area search results identified target designation: Ayanami Rei. Blood-pattern: Blue. AT-Field: Cannot measure. Seed of Life Designation: Unknown Fruit of Knowledge detected. Retrieve Seed of Life directive: Negated," the blue-eyed robot explained in a mechanical tone. "AL-1S, new designation Aris, awaiting further instructions."
Expressions of bewilderment and confusion arose in the occupants of the room who stood around the pink sofa's occupant…
"I-I didn't understand any of that," Yuzu whimpered softly, and the twins nodded along with her words.
…except for one.
"Blood-pattern: Blue… Me?" Rei whispered in an incredulous tone that once again shattered her emotionless façade. Ayumu looked at her with a worried expression.
"Rei? Are you okay?"
"The others? What is their pattern?" Rei ignored Ayumu's question to once again ply Aris for answers, a hint of desperation creeping into her voice.
"Analyzing. Unable to determine. Further analysis is required. Classifying. Blood-pattern: Orange." Aris stopped speaking then, emitting a strange noise from within, and for a moment it seemed like her explanation was finished, but Rei's next question died on her lips as Aris spoke again after a brief pause.
"AT-Field: Limited personal barrier. Further analysis is required."
Click.
Rei turned to face the younger twin, Midori, and the halo-less girl's voice was cool and emotionless once again as she asked "You were surprised that she had a halo. Why is that?"
"Huh?" Midori was briefly puzzled at being addressed. She quickly composed herself, however, and answered. "Well, only humans have haloes, right? Everyone knows that. Each halo is unique so it's like our soul, I guess? I think we cover the details in biology class next year…"
Halo.
A symbol of divinity.
A symbol of Angels.
A symbol of Humanity.
Human beings created from red clay.
Human beings created from unknown clay.
What is man?
Man is the body. Man is the self.
Man is the soul.
What am I?
I am myself. This object is myself.
The shape that forms my own self.
The vessel of my soul.
A soul that cannot be seen.
A soul that can be seen.
Blood-pattern: Blue.
"I understand now."
All the students felt it then.
A chill that had seeped through cloth, through skin, through bone, into their very core.
A pressure that forced them to their knees, robbed them of their breath, and threatened to crush them.
A terror that drove all thought from their heads as they gazed at Rei and the air that shimmered behind her head and took form.
A simple crimson circle with half of a red fig leaf tilted diagonally at the center.
A halo.
"Now I am human," Rei said.
And she smiled.
---
Lesson 10: End
What did we learn today, class?
Yes, that's correct!
Not everyone has the right facial features for crying cutely.
Join us again next time for Lesson 11: Round Two. We'll have: a letter, videogames, pop culture references, and the arrival of everybody's favorite hero! Also many confused girls, I guess.
Don't be late!
---
AN: Nov 5, 2023. We finally got to an element I'd been wanting to introduce since Lesson 3, but it kept getting pushed back until an appropriate opportunity arose. Were you shocked? Please let me know your thoughts. I hope to see you again in the next chapter! It's scheduled for Nov. 19 --Kero
Kivotos was either an alternate Earth where Lilith chose to get funky or the product of some other Seed of Life, and not necessarily one of the Fruit of Knowledge. Leaning towards the latter possibility, what with Aris identifying Rei as an unknown Fruit of Knowledge. Then again, Aris isn't strictly a reliable source of information - while she may possess the means to identify a Seed of Life, she lacks the actual identification of the individuals or some other such hiccup.
The physical resiliance of students and the nature of their halos both point towards usage of the AT field, if only in an extended capacity rather than anything angely. Not exactly something hard to figure out, since it's something that translates quite well across Evangelion and Blue Archive. A bit concerning when you consider the... let's just say sexual undertones Evangelion uses in regard to the AT field. Really makes you think about what goes into breaking a halo. Eh, at least Asuka will have someone other than Rei to pal it up with in the "mind-raped" club.
Rei just making a halo for herself, which caused her to flex her godly powers, is utterly hilarious, by the way. Also sweet, what with the crumbs of self-realization coming together for her in this moment.
Kivotos was either an alternate Earth where Lilith chose to get funky or the product of some other Seed of Life, and not necessarily one of the Fruit of Knowledge. Leaning towards the latter possibility, what with Aris identifying Rei as an unknown Fruit of Knowledge. Then again, Aris isn't strictly a reliable source of information - while she may possess the means to identify a Seed of Life, she lacks the actual identification of the individuals or some other such hiccup.
The physical resiliance of students and the nature of their halos both point towards usage of the AT field, if only in an extended capacity rather than anything angely. Not exactly something hard to figure out, since it's something that translates quite well across Evangelion and Blue Archive.
A bit concerning when you consider the... let's just say sexual undertones Evangelion uses in regard to the AT field. Really makes you think about what goes into breaking a halo. Eh, at least Asuka will have someone other than Rein to pal it up with in the "mind-raped" club.
That's also one of only two cases where the AT Field isn't treated as a purely physical barrier to overcome so I feel pretty confident that it's something that can be treated tastefully without leaning on Handel's Hallelujah.
Rei just making a halo for herself, which caused her to flex her godly powers, is utterly hilarious, by the way. Also sweet, what with the crumbs of self-realization coming together for her in this moment.
That's also one of only two cases where the AT Field isn't treated as a purely physical barrier to overcome so I feel pretty confident that it's something that can be treated tastefully without leaning on Handel's Hallelujah.
It's more than just that but let's not get into the Freudian shitfest that NGE is hiding in plain sight. It's best to do away with as much of it as possible without compromising the setting.
The Nerv symbol is a pretty appropriate halo for Rei and tbh as she spends more time in Kivotos I do doubt that she will want to go back to Tokyo 3 considering just how much more friendly and warm Kivotos has been to her so far.
"This is loneliness," Ayanami Rei realized as she sulked on the bed that she was borrowing from Nanagami Rin's absent roommate.
"Hm? Did you say something, Rei-chan-sensei?" Arona, the perpetually cheerful AI girl in the tablet computer asked innocently. A slight tilt of her digital head made the white bow upon it bob up and down like a rabbit's ears.
"…No," the other blue haired girl replied sullenly, and she moved her head to face the opposite side of the pillow and away from the tablet computer.
Days had passed since the robotic girl, Aris, had revealed Rei's true nature to her.
Blood-pattern: Blue.
Days had passed since she had understood the truth that Commander Ikari and Doctor Akagi had kept hidden from her.
An Angel… No, something more… Seed of Life.
Days had passed since she had realized the reason behind that strange and pervasive sensation of detachment and alienation that had always hounded her in every interaction of her life.
I am not human. I never was.
Rei understood that now. The intrinsic differences in her nature separated her from others. A barrier of the heart separated humanity from each other, and her from humanity. The only meaningful bond she had ever formed with others in Tokyo-3 had been as the pilot of Evangelion Unit-00: The First Child.
But if humanity were defined differently?
She had felt a sense of familiarity and kinship with others in Kivotos since her arrival. None of them were human. They were different and strange. Like her. Similar and yet distinct. Something about them called to her.
The AT-Field is the light of the soul. The boundary that defines individuality.
A halo.
Rei had grasped it for herself the moment the disparate pieces had finally fallen into place in her mind. She could be like everyone else because she was not human. She could be human because they were not. And yet…
The only one who had seemed even slightly joyful then had been Ayumu. The others who had been with her in the dimly lit Game Development Department room had reacted with what she thought was shock, or perhaps fear. She wasn't certain. Becoming human had not made them or their emotions any easier to understand. And she had not had time to understand as they -Rin, Ayumu, and herself- had retreated in a blur of haste that night, with Rin constantly looking over her shoulder as if they were being chased. No one chased them, however. They arrived at Rin's dormitory, where the Vice-President had once again hurriedly ushered Ayumu and her into their rooms, and then…
Nothing.
Days had passed since she had become human, and nothing had happened, nothing had changed.
Rin and Ayumu invited her to meals, and then quickly disappeared with rushed excuses about meetings and conferences tumbling out of their lips. No new requests arrived, and Rei was left to her own devices and her own thoughts in what amounted to a stranger's empty house as the days passed. And so, with nothing else to occupy her mind, Ayanami Rei looked inward and arrived at a conclusion:
"This is loneliness."
"I heard you this time!" Arona crowed triumphantly before quickly shifting to a saddened pout. "You know, if you're feeling lonely, you should go talk to Rin-chan and Ayumu-chan when they're here instead of staying in the room like this."
There was a silence between crimson-eyed young girl and blue-eyed AI assistant as Rei processed her words.
"I can do that?" Rei asked finally.
"Huh?" was Arona's eloquently confused reply.
"It did not occur to me," Rei admitted, a hint of astonishment on her voice.
The childish AI was momentarily wordless before she smiled a wan smile at Rei, and in a gentle tone said, "You don't need permission to talk to your friends, you know?"
Friends.
The word reverberated strangely in her thoughts and brought back the bizarre warmth she could not yet explain. The blue-haired girl shook her head and made up her mind. With the confirmation that she did not need express authorization to approach the other girls, Rei stood and walked towards the dormitory's living room where she could hear the other residents conversing. Rin and Ayumu were there, watching the conclusion of what appeared to be a news report on the television.
"Yes, the General Student Council is working closely with Seminar to find the source of the strange power fluctuations that occurred throughout Millennium and nearby academy districts in days prior," the Nanagami Rin on the television said in a perfectly neutral tone of voice which contrasted her harried appearance. Someone in the audience shouted a question about the Millennium Ruins, and the televised Rin glared in response. "We will not be taking further questions."
"You heard it here first, dear viewers! The General Student Council hides the truth! It's up to myself, Kronos News Club's star idol-reporter Kawaru Shinon, to uncover the-"
The Nanagami Rin on the sofa turned off the television with a weary sigh and rubbed her temple with a gloved hand. Ayumu placed a comforting hand on the dark-haired girl's shoulders and whispered something that Rei could not hear. She was noticed by Ayumu a heartbeat later.
"Oh, Rei, a-are you feeling better?"
Rin raised her head and looked at her with a strange expression as Rei considered Ayumu's question. The younger girl with the red halo nodded a moment later. She had not felt wrong to begin with and she was now feeling better after talking to Arona.
"Good, I'm glad. You've been looking a little off these past few days."
Rei blinked in response, a slightly puzzled expression on her face. She hadn't been aware of that at all.
"Come sit, Rei. We need to talk."
The pallid girl nodded and moved to do as instructed. Ayumu's eyes followed her movement. Rin's eyes followed the red halo with the half-leaf symbol, and a dark and somber expression cut across her features.
"We've done as much as we can to keep what happened under wraps for now," Rin began without preamble the instant that Rei sat down. "We've been lucky that Seminar's Big Sister was not present that day, but that luck won't last forever. Rei, I…" The bespectacled girl's voice trailed off and her carefully prepared words slipped from her mind. Ayumu gave her shoulder a squeeze and Rin rallied herself. "Ayumu and I are going to be busy for the next few days, so we won't be able to go with you around Kivotos. I can't even spare Momoka right now. I'm sorry."
Rei's expression was neutral as she nodded at the older girl's words, but bewilderment snaked its way through her thoughts. She wondered what had happened to change things.
"We ran into the Saiba twins at Millennium yesterday," Ayumu continued for Rin, "and they asked us if you could visit them today so what Rin is trying to say is-"
"What I'm saying is that you need to be careful. Kivotos is… not a nice place. The city nearly tore itself apart only a few weeks ago and now everyone is hunting for a new excuse to go wild again. Stay out of trouble and don't go with anyone that isn't wearing a GSC uniform, got it?"
Rei nodded in understanding. The orders were simple enough: stay out of trouble and obey authority.
"Good. Ayumu and I are heading to Millennium again today. We still have more press conferences and meetings to take care of. We can take you there, and we can talk about everything else later."
Days had passed since Rei had last been in the Millennium district and much had happened, much had changed.
The sky was the same as before, the buildings were the same as before, the students were the same as before, but overnight there were security cameras, drones, and robotic guards at every corner of every street. The air was charged with tension, and students wearing Seminar jackets walked around with strange devices.
Once again, Rei wondered what had happened to change things.
"Keep your ID card on you," Rin said by way of farewell from within the car.
Ayumu said nothing, instead hurriedly getting out of the car for a quick hug which left Rei feeling slightly warm all the way to the Game Development Department clubroom. It was there that her prevalent emotion would be changed into something else when the door burst open from inside, and she was roughly dragged within by the black-haired robot that had attacked her a few days ago.
"Pam-pa-pa-pam! Rei-chan acquired! The Hero party is now complete!" Aris chimed energetically, effortlessly pulling the stunned and motionless Rei into the room.
"Wait, wait! The movie is almost done! This is the best part!" Momoi spoke through a mouth full of popcorn. On the television set in the middle of the room, a white chicken monster opened its beak and shot a purple beam which made Momoi start cheering and hooting. "Midori, how do you think he got away with this? Did he even get the rights for this?"
"Umm…" It was Yuzu who answered. "I think he got sued, but claimed it was a parody? I'm not really sure."
"Smart!" the twin with the pink accessories cackled.
"Momoi, I would like to borrow the television. I want Rei-chan to play Final Fantasia before we embark on our adventure."
"No, no, Aris," Midori argued in a sweet tone, a too saccharine smile on her lips. "You like Stratagem Ogre, right? Remember? She has to try that one first."
"Um… I would like a rematch in HFZ3," Yuzu squeaked, and both Midori and Aris turned to look at the redhead who shrunk in on herself, but managed to smile and speak up again, "She's really good."
"Wait, I still wanna watch Shin Kaitenger!" Momoi shouted without turning around from the explosions on the television. "Also, you're doing it wrong! She's obviously gotta start with Tales Saga Chronicle!"
The Game Development Department started their best impression of the Debate Club for a brief and shining moment before they devolved into shouted titles and recommendations, leaving Rei to stand in complete befuddlement for several minutes before she managed to find her voice.
"What is happening?" Rei asked in a soft voice that somehow managed to catch the attention of the four other arguing girls. She turned to face the smiling robot girl who was acting nothing like she had before and asked, "Is this really… the same person?"
"Yep! Aris is Aris, hero-in-training!" the blue-eyed robot replied cheerfully as she struck a pose.
"We, uh… we had her play games and she wound up like this," Yuzu explained in a hesitant tone that was still more confident than she had been before. "A-and… we wanted you to try some too before we set off."
"Set off?"
"It was my idea!" Aris said as she pumped her fist. "This way you can raise your lore rank, gain many experience points, and gain the hero class like me. It will be like Wyrm Adventure!"
"…What?"
"Hey, Rei-chan-sensei, how old are you?" Momoi asked apropos of nothing, a rare thoughtful look on her features as she turned away from the television and stoop up.
Finally having something concrete to latch on to, Ayanami Rei answered without hesitation, "I am fourteen."
"Oh, right at the threshold! Ok, we're inducting you as an honorary member of the Game Development Department! Welcome aboard!"
Aris threw her hands up in the air, shouting a fanfare as Midori and Yuzu clapped politely, and Rei only stared.
"I… I do not understand," the younger girl looked around, confusion writ plain on her face.
An explanation arose between Momoi, Midori, and Yuzu as they talked over and interrupted each other. In the intervening days, Seminar's treasurer, Hayase Yuuka, had given the Game Development Department an ultimatum and they now needed to provide proof of accomplishment to maintain the club functioning. The requirements to be recognized as a club had been laid out in a meeting that Yuzu had failed to attend -she interrupted to apologize when this was brought up- and now the GDD found itself once more in need of SCHALE.
"And that's why we need you to join our little adventure to the ruins this time and-"
"No. Rin said Aris must not step out of line."
Momoi groaned at the same instant that her younger sister smacked her on the back of the head.
"Ow!"
"See? I told you she wouldn't go along with it."
"It-it's fine… I agree with her, too," Yuzu said. "The Vice-President did say she'd take Aris away if we broke any rules and I… I don't want that."
"I agree with Yuzu. I don't want to leave. We do not need the G. Bible. I would like to make a game honestly with my friends," Aris chirped cheerily while Momoi flopped limply to the floor next to various game and movie cases.
"But what are we gonna do? Our scenario writer doesn't have any ideas-" Midori's complaints were interrupted by the suddenly resuscitated Momoi slapping her hand over her younger sister's mouth.
"No, no. I just got an idea," Momoi said conspiratorially as she held a game case in her hands, and the smile on her twin's face made Midori cringe back slightly. "Aris, go stand next to Rei-chan-sensei for a sec."
"Like this?"
The two girls were roughly the same height and build, and standing next to each other, the differences in their bearing were magnified. When a few days prior they might have behaved similarly, now they were starkly different in myriad small mannerisms.
Momoi cackled, and Midori and Yuzu both knew in that instant that the situation was hopeless, and the Game Development Department was doomed.
"Ok, we're heading out! It's time to gather references!"
"Our epic quest begins!" Aris cheered, as she dragged the still very confused Rei outside. "Where is our destination, Momoi?"
The older twin considered briefly before replying. Her answer just increased the confusion of the group and resulted in a new round of bickering that encompassed the attention of the girls so thoroughly that they did not notice how security camera after security camera turned around to follow their movements as they stepped outside. The cameras, however, noticed all and relayed it accurately to another group of girls in a different part of Millennium.
"You'd better keep your word," Rin said tersely.
"Don't worry, don't worry. You'll get wrinkles if you keep worrying so much," the wheelchair bound girl replied airily with a dismissive wave of her hand which only made Rin scowl further. "I, the beautiful, sickly, wonderful, prim and proper, genius hacker of Millennium, will keep my end of the bargain and keep Big Sister off your back if your charge can prove herself to me."
Akeboshi Himari smiled a smile that wasn't anywhere near prim and proper and spoke once again as she turned to look at the monitors arrayed before her.
"Now, Ayanami Rei, show me who you really are."
The girl in question, for her part, suddenly realized she wasn't feeling lonely anymore.
---
Lesson 11: End
What did we learn today, class?
Yes, that's correct!
Time spent with friends is never wasted.
Join us again next time for Lesson 12: The First. We'll have: an adventure, a letter, a meeting, and a few other firsts as well.
Don't be late!
---
AN: Nov 19, 2023. Free time to write escaped from me and this was almost delayed. I will aim to have another chapter on the week of Nov. 27, although that might be slightly tricky. December will not have a set schedule as it's a very irregular month for me. --Kero
"Why are we here?" Rei asked in a tone that betrayed not even the slightest hint of curiosity.
"Research," was Momoi's instantaneous, grinning reply.
Rei nodded, accepting the answer at face value without question.
It made sense that the Game Development Department would conduct research at a game center.
The locale, a place by the name of Jellies Arcade, was lit in bright, multi-colored neon with a nearly uncountable array of games on display through the large windows that allowed the group to look within at their destination. Everything ranging from video game cabinets to crane games, to air hockey tables, to dance pads and drums, and every unique variation in between was visible. Blaring pop tunes, all manner of assorted beeps and boops, and the babbling of excited students floated from inside and blended into a singular auditory battering ram.
It was the first time Ayanami Rei had ever been to such a place and she felt a slight discomfort that another person might have recognized as anxiousness.
The young girl did not have much time to contemplate her discomfort, however, as she suddenly felt someone gently take a hold of her wrist as if meaning to pull her towards the establishment. A half-formed protest died on her lips when she noticed that it was Hanaoka Yuzu who had softly grasped at her with a look in her light purple eyes that was somewhere between anticipation and trepidation.
"I, uh… T-this place ha-has…" the redhead's voice trailed off in a high-pitched squeak that oddly resembled a boiling kettle.
"What she's trying to say is that this place has Halo Fighter," Saiba Midori finished for the GDD's President with a small smile on her face. Excitement quickly made the small smile become a large grin that was, for evident reasons, very similar to the one her older sister usually wore on her face, "Come on!"
For an instant before she was unceremoniously pulled into the waiting game center, Ayanami Rei found herself briefly wondering when the students of the academy city got any studying done.
Rei did not get another chance for similar errant thoughts because, as the twins pulled Aris along to play at a light gun cabinet, Yuzu took her towards opposing white cabinets baring Halo Fighter illustrations and soon all her thoughts became focused on the life and death struggle that played out on the screen before her. Compared to their previous battle, the stakes were higher now that each set required her to insert a coin to challenge Yuzu again and Rei found herself concentrating on their fight with a razor focus that she had not experienced outside of Unit-00's Entry Plug. Their characters exchanged colorful blasts, punches and kicks, and bullets once more, time passed, and Rei came to a pixel's distance to victory.
"Again."
More coins were inserted, a new match started, time passed, and a pixel's distance became a round.
"Again."
More coins were inserted, a new match started, time passed, and a round became a draw.
"Again."
More coins were inserted, a new match started, time passed, and a draw finally became a torturous victory, and Ayanami Rei felt herself melt into her seat with a sigh, overwhelmed with a deluge of emotions that she could not make sense of even as her surroundings exploded into cheers of celebration. Bright crimson eyes turned around to look at a crowd of students, animal people, and robots she had not noticed forming. A quick glance towards a nearby clock on the wall also indicated that more time had passed than she realized, but she barely had a chance to ponder this discrepancy before Momoi was there, shaking her shoulders and making her head bob back and forth.
It was a strange feeling.
"That was incredible!" the pink twin exulted, a wide and honest smile on her face, "I've never even been able to win a round against Yuzu!"
"I see, I see. I understand now," Aris nodded sagely, her arms crossed over her chest. "Rei-chan's class is Monk. This is a surprising twist."
Other unrecognizable voices joined the rowdy crowd in asking all manner of things ranging from her name to her class to her school to her club, and Rei rapidly realized she was overwhelmed. She stood without warning -the crowd's verbal bombardment did not diminish in the slightest- and walked towards the other side of the cabinets to find that Hanaoka Yuzu was also being swarmed, her face was as red as her hair, and looking on the verge of both melting and exploding simultaneously. The Saiba sisters and Aris became aware of their troubled leader's plight and immediately began trying to disperse the chattering congregation.
It was not an easy task, but the Game Development Department prevailed over their adversaries until the mob had diminished to only one person.
"Oh? You're not the redhead I expected to find at the center of an unruly crowd."
The student who spoke wore a long-skirted maid's uniform and a brown scarf around her shoulders. Her gently smiling, bespectacled face was framed by light brown hair and a halo shaped like a crosshair within a large circle that matched the color of her hair floated behind her head. Despite her kindly demeanor, Rei noticed that the Saiba twins and Yuzu instantly seemed wary of her.
If the maid noticed the sudden tension that came over the cat-themed twins and their redhead friend, then she decided not to pay it any heed as she stepped forward and lifted the corners of her skirt in an exquisite curtsy.
"Please forgive my rudeness," the smiling maid spoke in a softly mirthful tone, "I'm Murokasa Akane with Cleaning and Clearing. If I may be so bold to ask, have you seen a redhead student wearing a maid uniform and jacket? About so tall?" She made a gesture with a gloved hand indicating that the girl in question was approximately the same height as Rei and Aris.
The first year Millennium students looked at each other briefly and shook their heads in reply. Akane sighed in disappointment and curtsied again, seemingly ready to depart before she was interrupted by Midori speaking up.
"The one you're looking for… It's the C&C President, right?" Nervousness seeped into her voice.
Akane smiled the same gentle smile that constantly graced her face as she nodded and said, "Yes, that's right. Neru likes to frequent this arcade. I thought she might be behind the commotion, but it appears that I was wrong. If you'll excuse me."
And she turned to leave without another word.
"Right, thanks. We'll keep an eye out," Midori answered in a pleasant tone. Once the maid was out of earshot, she turned around to her twin and Yuzu and said, "We can never come back to this arcade again."
Momoi and Yuzu nodded vigorously.
Rei and Aris just looked at each other with expressions of mild confusion until Momoi declared it was time to continue their research, and the group rapidly left the game center behind and ventured further into the city.
The sun was still bright in the sky indicating that it was still early despite the hours that vanished into thin air at the arcade. During their unhurried walk to their next destination -which Momoi once again refused to specify- Rei noticed that Midori had slowed down her pace to walk alongside her and was nervously glancing towards her while making sure the others were far away enough to not overhear.
"How did you do it?" the younger twin finally asked, glancing towards her sister and friends all the while.
Rei considered her words momentarily before answering truthfully.
"I do not understand," she responded with a shake of her head. After a brief pause, and remembering how Ayumu always insisted on asking further, she elaborated with a guess, "Winning over Yuzu?"
Midori shook her head and looked furtively at the others before speaking up again.
"How'd you just… make a halo?"
Ayanami Rei stopped walking as she realized the importance behind those words.
"The halo… you did not make your own?"
The green-eyed twin shook her head one more time and her expression was a tapestry of conflicting emotions.
"We're born with it. I've never heard of a student without one before. Never heard of someone without a halo getting one either."
Suddenly, Nanagami Rin's words, which had seemed meaningless before, made more sense to Rei as the young SCHALE representative came to understand that her lack of curiosity had led to incorrect assumptions about the similar nature of Kivoto's residents and herself. Rin's warnings played through her mind even as she considered the implications of her own actions, a bitter taste settling in her mouth as she warily looked around.
It was the first time Ayanami Rei had ever felt that way.
"Hey, are you okay?" Midori's eyes reflected the concern in her face.
"I am not human," Rei answered Midori's question abruptly, and quickened her pace to catch up with the others, leaving a stunned Midori behind.
It was a strange feeling.
Momoi's next destination turned out to be a retro-videogame store and the Game Development Department were in their element as they browsed excitedly, talked among themselves, and smiled with satisfaction. Rei, despite looking through the titles on display with a small amount of interest, did not really share in the others' excitement. She had only played her first game a few days ago and did not know the differences between one retro console and the other, or one type of cartridge and the other. Aris soon joined her, however, and the robot girl who had only recently tried to attack her, happily pointed out her favorite games and talked about them in great detail.
It was the first time anyone had shared their interests with Ayanami Rei.
The strange bitter taste receded when Aris promised to teach her all about Final Fantasia and Wyrm Adventure.
They did not remain at the retro-videogame store overlong as Momoi soon complained that she was hungry, and the small group of girls headed towards a nearby family restaurant for lunch. The Saiba twins ordered the same Hamburg steak set while Yuzu became flustered and needed Momoi's help in ordering a curry dish. Aris ended up ordering the same steak set as the twins after some urging and Rei settled on ordering soup.
It was at that point, as they waited for their orders to arrive, that Saiba Momoi, in a manner similar to her younger sister, blindsided Ayanami Rei with a question of her own.
"So, Rei-chan-sensei, what do you like to do?"
It was the first time anyone had asked Ayanami Rei about her interests.
She honestly had no idea how to answer.
The Game Development Department watched with rapt attention as clear emotions ran across the younger girl's face: a widening of the eyes -astonishment-, followed by a creasing of the brow as she thought over her answer.
"I like reading," Rei announced after much consideration as their orders arrived, "and swimming."
"Swimming! I didn't see that coming. Let's go look for swimsuits after lunch!"
Hurricane Momoi was irrepressible, and the group soon found themselves at a shopping mall with full bellies, renewed energy, and a mission. At that moment, Ayanami Rei was surprised to realize that she did not mind the Game Development Department's company.
The comfortable camaraderie would not last, however, as the Saiba sisters soon fell into an argument about whether dark or light colors would suit Rei better. The sonorous sibling squabble resulted in a robotic clerk threatening to throw the group out if they could not keep their voices down, and the twins turned to Yuzu to mediate the issue. The club president, however, wilted under the intense gazes of her friends and could only stammer unintelligibly in response. It fell to Aris to resolve the disagreement and resolve it she did, as she would not budge from her opinion.
"Heroes wear white," she said, and that was that.
And so, Ayanami Rei found herself owning a brand-new white one-piece swimsuit that was not provided to her as a part of school nor NERV activities.
It was a strange feeling.
Momoi seemed to have run out of ideas for her so-called research so the group of girls found themselves wandering around the mall and browsing through various shop windows aimlessly. Even without a clear destination or goal in mind, Saiba Momoi seemed to have nigh bottomless reserves of energy as she dragged the rest of the groups from record store to electronics store to shoe store to ammunitions store and finally to bookstore.
It was at the latter location that the group ran across a familiar face that none of them had expected to see.
"Oh? The Game Development Department and SCHALE? What a surprise," Ushio Noa greeted the younger girls with an enigmatic smile on her face. The smile briefly faltered only to become wider as she caught sight of the halo floating behind Rei's head.
"Waah! Noa! Yuuka is being mean to us! Help us!!" Momoi threw herself at the silver haired girl wailing comically and begging the Seminar secretary to intercede for them until Midori finally caught up with her older sister and pulled her off.
"Sorry about that, Noa," the younger twin said, meekly lowering her head, "She's incorrigible."
"It's fine, it's fine," the elegant, silver-haired Seminar member assured Midori with a giggle. "I just didn't expect to find you here. Working on the game for the Millennium Prize, I take it?"
"We could ask you the same," Midori finished. "I thought Seminar was busy with both the Millennium Prize and the strange reading from a few days ago."
Rei noticed Noa's purple eyes momentarily drift towards her, and she felt her blood run cold.
"Well, you're correct on both accounts," Noa replied easily and without missing a beat, "Seminar is pretty busy right now, but Big Sister gave us the afternoon off. It seems she had an important meeting, and she didn't want Yuuka-chan breathing down her neck or Koyuki getting underfoot."
Momoi muttered something about heartless accountants under her breath and Midori resisted the urge to hit her older sister. She made to ask Noa another question, but she was interrupted by an unexpected voice speaking up.
"I, uh… th-the club p-president m-meeting," Yuzu stammered, her eyes darted from side to side to avoid meeting Noa's gaze, "I-I… I'm s-sorry I couldn't go…"
Noa covered her mouth with a dainty before lowering it and smiling at the younger girl.
"Don't worry, Yuzu-chan. Win the Millennium Prize and I'll see you at the next one, ok?"
Yuzu did not speak up then, but her energetic nod and shy smile were answer enough.
The encounter with Noa marked the end of the day's adventure as the hour had become late and the girls decided to head back to campus so that Rei could meet up with the GSC and depart for the day. Farewells were cheerful and energetic mostly thanks to Momoi, and Rei, to her astonishment, promised to return the next day as well when asked.
In the car with Rin and Ayumu, Ayanami Rei realized that it was the first time that nobody had stared at her in shock, nor recoiled in revulsion during the entire day.
It was a strange feeling.
At Millennium, however, the feeling was clearly one of exasperation as Midori finally whirled on her older sister with a cross expression on her face.
"Spill it. What are you up to right now?"
"The Shin Ayanami Raising Project," Momoi grinned.
Midori groaned and asked the only thing she could.
"Why 'Shin'?"
"'Shin' is in right now!"
"Momoi is correct! The Director's movies all begin with 'Shin' in the title. It is stylish," Aris agreed, merrily nodding her head.
The mood was jovial and friendly as the quartet headed indoors to plan and discuss the making of their magnum opus.
In another section of Millennium, however, the mood was less than jovial for Tsukatsuki Rio, Seminar's President and Big Sister of Millennium. Not only had the Princess of the Nameless Gods appeared, but now there was another unknown variable endangering the students of Millennium. Her delicate features might have been impassive, but her mind had been in turmoil over the past few days as she tried to determine exactly what had happened during the strange power fluctuations of days prior.
Akeboshi Himari had been no help, not that Rio had ever expected her to be, and Hayase Yuuka had been watching Seminar's funds like a hawk because of the GSC President's extended disappearance. Rio considered her options and arrived at two conclusions in order to defend Millennium from threats both known and unknown: she needed information, and she needed funds.
As always, Tsukatsuki Rio would have to handle things on her own.
The first was simple enough to resolve. An order to Asuma Toki, her personal C&C Agent, had the young maid spying on the Princess of the Nameless Gods. Whatever the unknown fluctuation had been, it was surely related to her, and Rio would have confirmation soon enough.
The second resolved itself for her.
With Hayase Yuuka keeping a tight leash on both Koyuki and Millennium's funds, the only other logical option would have been to resort to outside funding.
It was fortuitous that she had received an offer for several personal patents the moment she arrived at this conclusion.
The door to her office opened as she ran the numbers through her mind once more.
This would surely be a profitable first meeting.
"Welcome to Millennium, Mr. Black Suit."
---
Lesson 12: End
What did we learn today, class?
Yes, that's correct!
Heroes wear white.
Join us again next time for Lesson 13: The Nature of Humans. We'll have: wheeling and dealing and scheming.
Don't be late!
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AN: Dec 3, 2023. I will attempt to have at least one more chapter out during December, but this month is so irregular that I cannot make any promises. Things should hopefully return to a more regular pace in January. Fingers crossed. --Kero
