ƸӜƷ 001 Memory

[sunflowering]

Featuring: Yuuki Kuran, Rei Ayanami, Zero Kiryuu
What's Happening?: Follow up of Dead Man's Hate. Both Rei and Yuuki are locked up for three days.
Day: Feb 15-18
Content Warning: Possible talk of hanging and death, minor hunger and dehydration

For all their effort to do the right thing it looked as though it had gone to waste. With a small sigh Yuuki sat with her back to the cool wall. This wasn't the first time she had been locked up in her life, but it had been a while. The hardest part was the boredom that came along with finding themselves jailed. Somehow she hadn't managed to make it even a week without getting into trouble. She suspected that any one of her friends at home would have been exasperated, but she hadn't honestly done anything wrong. The corpse she had found had been dead some time before she stumbled upon it... the decomposition of his body should have made it obvious in correlation to the day of her arrival. Despite that her and her unfortunate partner for the mission found themselves being scapegoated.

Her dark eyes observed the girl who had wound up incarcerated with her. She was young and a little difficult to read. Despite their unusual circumstances she remained unusually calm in the wake of things. Yuuki wished now that she had pressed harder for the girl go home rather than report along side her. They couldn't change that decision now, but she thought in the future it would be good if she sat out on future missions. It had been over twenty four hours since the two were locked inside, and although Yuuki thought it would be easy enough to escape, at the same time she didn't want to risk further upsetting the natives.

. . . That said, neither had been given anything to eat or drink for the entirety of that time.

Knees pulled up and her device placed in her lap she sent a message to the other girl.

Don't worry. My friend will be here soon to deliver some food and water.

Comments

[lilithsoul]

Unlike Yuuki, who was apparently struggling with the almost crippling boredom of being both incarcerated and not able to speak, Rei was doing just fine. The scapegoating had a mild irritation for her, but she also assumed that it would eventually be revealed that they weren't the ones responsible. Sitting alone in a cell for a full day didn't bother her in the slightest, nor did the hunger that she'd experienced in that time.

She hadn't shown any sign of distress, her eyes staring off into the distance unless she was addressed. Occasionally, she'd taken in some detail of the room, filed it away and then gone back to staring, but she'd shown no real sign that anything was wrong, other than the faintest sensation of her stomach being upset at not eating anything.

When Yuuki sent her a message, she looked down at her device and then over at her curiously. She typed out a reply quietly and shifted her weight to face the vampire a little more closely.

I am not worried. There is nothing wrong.

After a moment, she felt just the barest hint of curiosity and added.

Why are you concerned for me?

She had a suspicion that it was just in this one's nature. Some people were apparently like that, after all, so maybe she was like the Major, prone to involving herself in others' lives out of concern.

[sunflowering]

A frown tugged at the corner of Yuuki's lips and she lifted her head up to give the opposite girl an exasperated look. Not worried seemed to be the theme with the girl but Yuuki wouldn't let her off with just that. She shook her head and then returned to the device.

Of course there is something wrong!
If you go too long without food or water you could become dehydrated.
It's better to take care of that now

She paused... before her frown softened into a somewhat tired smile. This girl--

Does someone have to have a reason to worry about someone else?
You're pretty young and I just don't want to see you hurt
it's as simple as that.
We all have to look out for one another, right?

[lilithsoul]

[Rei looked at the reply and nodded. It wasn't as if that wasn't true, and going without for a full day wasn't precisely pleasant for her, but at the same time it was only one day. The body could handle a day without water or food without collapsing. It was simply discomfort to her, and she had been through discomfort before.]

It is only a concern after the second day, or repeated problems. We should be fine if food and water are brought before ten.

[Admittedly, she did think it was a little unprofessional not to feed them. But, she wasn't going to actually say that. She read the rest of the reply and looked at Yuuki with that sort of vacant curiosity. What did her age have to do with this?]

I will protect you if there is danger, yes. You do not need to worry about me getting hurt. It would not be the first time. But we are barely connected. Do you feel this for everyone?

[sunflowering]

[This child is too much....! Protect her, she says... not only that but shouldn't she be more worried? It's not like Yuuki wants her to panic, not in the least. But she's much too calm.]

I'm a super fighter so please leave any danger to me... [She's begging her.] But this isn't the right attitude at all, Rei-chan!

[. . . She wishes she could stand up and point without having to stop and type. It kills the mood.]

There's no reason to wait until a point where you will be too hungry! It's better to take care of things now. And anyway, isn't it natural to worry about others? We don't have to be connected to want to help someone else out. As the oldest here I think it's my responsibility to see us through this.

[lilithsoul]

[She looked at her with the same sort of impassive curiosity evident in her eyes. She didn't look confused, or worried, when she typed out her response.]

Then I will assist you. I am a soldier. Danger is nothing new to me.

[Yeah, she might have been distantly aware of how little she looked like a soldier, much less an ace pilot of any variety. She didn't think too long on it as she read what was sent to her, never moving or showing anything was wrong.]

Worrying will not cause them to bring us food faster. It will only waste energy. I have never really had anyone worry about my well being other than Ikari-kun, and he is strange.

[Well, technically the Major did, but more or less as a professional courtesy. There was nothing personal about it. And Ikari? Well, he was honestly a bit weird and touched in the head.]

[sunflowering]

[Why do people use kids for their dirty work? She remembers being distinctly frustrated that the Hunter's Association was just fine sending Zero out into dangerous situations when he was younger, too. While her own daughter is welcome to learn how to fight and Yuuki has no qualms teaching her something if she likes, she'd never put her child in a situation where she would be used by anyone.

And should someone try to mess with her so help their soul.]

Are you saying I'm strange?

[If she thinks he is. She's more amused than anything by the comment, which is reflected in her smile as she glances back up at the other girl.]

. . . What are you supposed to fight at home?

[lilithsoul]

[Something about synch rates, ignoring the fact that she was the clone of an angel and a much older woman, and so not remotely normal. But in the end? Gendo was an ass. That's why.

The question caused her to cock her head and look carefully at the woman before shaking her head. No, Yuuki was not strange, not the way Ikari-kun was. She behaved a little like people that Rei had seen in the past, but largely ignored, like a civilian.]

It is classified.

[A pause and a look around before she sighed. No, whatever was going on, this was not an angel's intervention, was it? And their history was entirely wrong... classified didn't entirely matter anymore, did it?]

Angels.

[sunflowering]

Angels...?

[That gives her pause and she blinks, watching the other in confusion. Usually a person would picture an angel as a champion of justice.]

[lilithsoul]

[A curt, simple nod in confirmation. They were definitely angels, or at least that's what they were called anyway. Admittedly they weren't the winged defenders of life and humanity that people tended to think of them.

For a second, she considered leaving it at that, but decided some clarity would be needed.]

They wish to destroy humanity.

[Admittedly, it increasingly felt like their efforts were an act of personal survival. Kill, or be kill, as it were.]

[sunflowering]

[She blinks in clear confusion. Yuuki might not be overly religious, and she's not sure that people often picture her kind as rising to heaven, but--]

Somehow I thought angels were supposed to be the good guys.

[lilithsoul]

[She supposed that she could understand the confusion. Angel was, once, supposed to have been a good thing. But, twenty story monsters trying to destroy Tokyo 3 was hard to ignore, regardless of their motives.]

I cannot say, other than that they were trying to destroy us all. It is possible that man is at fault originally.

[Yeah, she had a good feeling Gendo was a big part of why. Loyal or not, that man was always scheming something. It just wasn't her job to question him.]

[sunflowering]

[Well-- people are often their own worst enemies. But that doesn't mean a monster destroying the world is okay either. It sounds a lot more like a demon.]

I'm sorry to hear that things are so rough back home for you. It sounds like you've been through a lot.

[lilithsoul]

[Rei didn't shrug, mostly because it wasn't a motion she really saw a point in, though she did look back at the girl with that same non-committal stare that she always seemed to wear.]

I am a soldier. War is our natural state. Others have suffered far worse.

[sunflowering]

Even so.

[A child soldier is tragic.]

I hope that one day things will be easier for you. Here, too.

[lilithsoul]

[If only a single, deadpan and emotionless stare could convey 'I expect the world to end every day, and am prepared to move heaven and earth at the command of the fools who try to stop it until the day I die, and have accepted this as my reality. Death will be the only measure of peace for me.' If only. She was certainly trying to do that.]

My current situation is less physically trying. Some would consider this an improvement.

[...]

[sunflowering]

[THAT... Doesn't make the situation better!? R-REI...]

. . . I feel like you might like it better in my own world. Where a nice girl like you can just focus on nice things like school.

[lilithsoul]

[No, it really doesn't does it?]

It would be quieter there, but I do not know that this is better or worse. School is just school. I attend in my home. I do not know that I care one way or another?

[bloodyrose]

[It really doesn't take Zero especially long to make his way over. Only that it was more so tedious; remaining as silent as possible, strictly staying to the sand paths, procuring the necessities. True, he is a little frustrated by Yuuki's actions, but at least she's still safe (enough).

He has little trouble being allowed in.

(This should be enough, just don't eat it all in one go. Especially the water.) He says to Yuuki through their link, but giving a nod to Rei as well.

He then passes two medium sized bundles carefully wrapped in cloth. There's a water skin in each, and while the food is nothing special at all, it should be fine for just another day or so.]

[lilithsoul]

[Rei was, thankfully, not the sort to gorge herself on whatever was offered. Even if she was hungry, the truth was that she tended to be a tidy enough eater. She could measure and pace herself with the assumption that they might not get more for another day.

She looked at him impassively, not saying anything and nodding in thanks while she looked across at the other girl with a bit of curiosity. So, was this the friend she'd mentioned?]