mental link; it's a catbus!

[wille]

[ It's an ungodly hour of the night as these things go, with both Misato and Gildor's minds flickering to announce their presence to all. Forceful and unapologetic, for her part, while urgent and unsettling, for his part. They insist on your attention. ]

( Everyone. We found something out there beyond the barrier. It was too dark for us to see much-- )

(Or anything, for some of us, but-- )

( But it's massive-- )

(Big as the shuttles that brought us-- )

( And predatory. At least, it seemed pretty clear that it wanted to take a chunk out of us. Some of you found tracks the other day, right? Let's talk. )
 

Comments

[extradite]

[ There is a boy in this chrysalis of cheap teenage petulance. One day, he will learn to give the mental finger.

For now, he stalls all of a few seconds, the background white noise of his presence withering down to something staccato and scant. ]

( That sort of thing is for Misato to say. )

[redheadcarrier]

( What Ikari means to say is that Misato used to be our commander. It was her job to send us into combat. )

[ Don't mind her butting in on this. Her mind is jagged and sharp and red when it comes to Misato. ]

( No point in being sentimental about it. It's what we're here to do, right? )

[perroquet]

( You-? Both of you? )

[ The organ playing in the background of his mind softens, mental fingers slipping off the remembered keys. It's not that what he's hearing is unbelievable or even so unusual, but that doesn't mean he agrees with it.

He's a bit surprised to find Misato not only does, but commands ones so young- ]

( You ought to be in school. Or training for combat if that's the road you've chosen, but not yet in the heat of it- )

[ Miss Katsuragi has some explaining to do. ]

[redheadcarrier]

( Why not? Someone has to do it and the old men aren't gonna go out there and fight. )

[ None of the "adults" could actually do it, anyway. That doesn't stop Asuka from feeling a touch resentful. But there's also pride. It was something only she'd been able to do. She'd been good at it. And that meant she had worth. ]

[wille]

[ She may or may not volunteer the explanation if asked, but if shame and genuflection is part of the demand then whoever it is would be sorely disappointed. Sending children out to battle is the least of her sins. The least. ]

( I can do it myself now, so you don't have to.

Speaking of, children should be in bed! )

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka would never ask Misato to feel shame. She was good at what she did. Her resentment is more about being treated like a replaceable cog than actually going out to fight. ]

( Oh, so now you want to be my CO again?

And I'm not a child. )

[wille]

( "Want" has nothing to do with it. )

[ Read: I never wanted to be your CO nor do I want to now. What made you ever think that, Asuka? ]

[redheadcarrier]

( Then don't tell me what to do. )

[ If Misato is going to stonewall her, then Asuka is going to start 'ignoring' her right back. ]

[wille]

( Suit yourself, Asuka. )

[extradite]

( Ah, Asuka... Misato... ladies ... )

[wille]

( Shinji-kun, don't worry.

The thing I was talking about, it's all safely behind that barrier. )

[ Clearly, that's the matter at hand. ]

[extradite]

( That's... not the... right. Asuka or I should have checked. It's oir job to. Just... let us do our job. )

[wille]

( You don't have a job anymore. I told you. There's no Eva, no NERV, not here or back home. )

[ There's no home either, if home is a city, a country or a planet. Absolute freedom is the true horror of being survivors of an apocalypse. ]

( Clinging to the old ways is just going to make things harder for you. )

[extradite]

[ And lo, there is silence. ]

( ...right. Sorry. It's out of line to assume . )

[wille]

[ How many hosts have told him to stop apologizing? And among them how many, like her, have given up on the attempt? ]

( You'll find your place here soon enough.

Look -- you can do something for me if you want. )

[perroquet]

( If you want. )

[ He pointedly reiterates, not liking the revealing turn this train of thought has taken - though he is impressed at the way Shinji listens to his (former) commander. He and Lakshmi were given so much grief, but Misato seems to have a connection with him.

A connection or a grip. He's not sure yet, and the shadowy mass of his consciousness continues to hover over them, fretful and listening. ]

[extradite]

[ He shouldn't let his enthusiasm spill over, shouldn't, shouldn't, shouldn't. Does, in shy ripples and short waves. ]


( What is it? )

[wille]

( If you want. )

[ Repeated for Gildor's benefit rather than Shinji's. The boy's enthusiasm, no, eagerness to please is grist for the mill. ]

( Make friends with the locals, especially the kids. See what stories they know about monsters lurking in the dark. Children hear and understand more than adults think they do, right Shinji? )

[ Wink wink. ]

[extradite]

[ 'Right, Misato.' Is that how she wants him to betray himself?

It's easier to just ask him to set rope around his neck. Faster. ]

( Is that what you think about them? )

[wille]

[ But Shinji, where would the fun be in that? ]

( About what? Children? )

[extradite]

( Them. Yes. Children. The children you meet first, or the children other people meet first. Since they're different. )

[wille]

( You mean -- what I think about you? )

[extradite]

[ He has, at least, the good grace to consider. ]


( I'm not a child anymore. )

[wille]

[ How generous. When she isn't even generous enough to argue his point, dismissing it entirely instead. ]

( If you don't want to do it, you can just say so. )

[extradite]

( I know I can say that. )


[ There's a smile, all teeth, and it's grinding down. ]