Hymns of Adam - IC

[Cyborg Mage]

Adptus Evangelion - Hymns of Adam
Episode 1: Matins

Pilots

There was silence in Narita Station far beyond a mere lack of noise. It was a mind-numbing silence, one that smothered any attempts to converse or interact or relax and maintained a kind of stasis in that red-barred waiting area on Platform 1. The station had been emptied and cordoned off hours before the pilots had arrived, although the sheer quietness and orderliness of the platform made it seem like it had been abandoned for weeks. No roads went anywhere near the station, except those reserved for the shuttle buses sent by the airport linked to the station, the roar of aircraft engines was so muffled and distant as to be nonexistent and not a single train was to arrive at any platform today-except the one that would head directly to Nerv HQ, but it was far beyond hearing distance... for now. The waiting area that the pilots occupy now is shared with them by six stern-looking men in the plainest and most pristine-looking black suits any of the adolescents had ever seen. There was no doubt about it. Section 2 were professionals. Their expressions were blank, without even a hint of weariness or boredom or an unspoken dare to the pilots to try and pull something just to make the day interesting. They looked as though duty and professionalism had been beaten into them, engraved onto their psyche relentlessly. The effect is... unsettling. The awkward silence would ordinarily have been broken by the gentle female voice of the platform announcements, but it seemed to be less sound in this case and more information that happened to be in the form of sound.

"The Superexpress Line train bound for Tokyo-3 will soon be arriving at Platform 1. For your safety, please step back to the area inside the yellow lines.
The train arriving at Platform 1 is reserved for special government use only and will depart for Tokyo-3 at 5:00. Section 2 agents are authorised to use force to prevent any unauthorised attempts to board or tamper with the train."

Operations Director

The inside of the train car was oddly quiet. There was the sound of metal on metal from the train lines and the rattling of the carriages-carriages full of enough Section 2 agents to seize a military base. No bullet train was going to be entirely quiet, of course, but nonetheless there was an awkward silence between the Operations Director of Nerv and the Section 2 operative sitting opposite her-and "sitting" was a word that would have to be carefully applied to this man, who was currently slouching with one foot resting on the seat beside him at a right angle to his other leg, which was resting on the long, white table in front of him. He appeared to put such a conscious effort into looking comfortable and at ease that it became almost comical. Thinking him a comedian, however, was the mistake that he waited for everyone to make when they met him. His actual identity was strictly under wraps, on orders straight from the Commander, but he has for now been given the alias of "Tanaka Tarou"-probably the Japanese equivalent of "John Doe", a name as absurdly generic as they come. He was apparently the official "Section 2 Political Liaison", which appeared to be code for "best damn operative we've ever had". Tanaka was a mastermind. The man could tell what you had for breakfast by looking at the colour of your teeth. Or so the men in Section 2 said. Memetic badass or not, the fact of the matter was that Tanaka could read people like books and play mind games like they were tic-tac-toe. He kept up this perpetual image of boredom and disinterest just to catch out anyone who thought he was just another goon who hated his job. His job was a game to him. An easy one.

And Nerv saw fit to assign him specifically to take care of the Children's security.

No wonder there was an awkward silence.

[RandomWombat]

Testing Willpower to see if I start this session depressed. And... he is a sad test-tube baby.
[roll0] 01

Waiting patiently on the platform was one of the pilot children. He had short-length straight brown hair that framed his face, and which barely covered the nape of their neck. He was tall for his apparent age, with lanky features and long legs, though he wasn't quite the tallest of the children present. His green eyes stared straight ahead, the expression mostly blank, but there was an empty sadness in his eyes. The boy was clothed in a plain, dark green jacket with a brown turtleneck underneath. On the right breast of the jacket was the number 01. His pants were pain dark brown, and looked like teacher pants. 01 turned his head to look in the direction the train would come from, quietly waiting.

[Steel Mirror]

Renata fidgets a little nervously with her handbag, trying not to be obvious but clearly excited about everything that is going on. She is dressed in a pretty yellow sundress, complete with a wide-brimmed, floppy straw hat and open-toed shoes with about an inch of platform. One of her handlers had told her to dress professionally, as she was about to meet her new boss, and the Japanese are notoriously fixated on respect and professionalism. But where is the fun in that? It's not like she has many opportunities to dress up around the base, and she wants to make an impression on her new companions.

Whenever one of the other children meet her eyes (or the agents, but they seem to look through her rather than at her, and it's hard to tell what they are thinking behind those bland expressions), she smiles shyly, then looks away demurely. So many new people! Some of them even her own age, probably even pilots!

She is sure that they won't be like the bland, cookie-cutter agents here at the platform, or the obsessive, inhibited, myopic scientists back at the laboratory who bury themselves in research but can't come to terms with even the most basic ramifications of their work. Adults are so boring. So stuck in the way things are that they can't see how things could be. So afraid of change that they entrust children with the keys to the future, without stopping to wonder just which door those children will see fit to unlock . . .

Yes, she's very excited to be here. When the announcement of her train's imminent arrival comes in over the speaker, she stops her fidgeting and reaches up to hold her sun hat down, in preparation for the gust of wind that will be doubtless be accompanying the train as it pulls in.

[AutumnLotus]

Haruka hated trains. The landscape whisked by her as the transport maintained its speed, and this did not bother her. The potential for death was a constant in this zone, and the woman assumed that being hurled into the ground below them at 250 kph would be a quick death, far more merciful then most scenarios. No, death was a constant reminder of being alive. What she hated was the people. Trains were always crowded with them: Loud, self-centered people rambling on about their mundane lives as they are packed into the rail system as if it was a clown car. And if there was something Haruka hated more then having her personal space being violated, or her eardrums being invaded with a cacophony of droll voices, it was the staring. The officer was slightly taller then most Japanese people, definitely outside the norm for a classical woman of the islands. That, in addition to her intimidating demeanor, has always gained her the attention of at least a few people when she was in public. In trains and buses it was even worse, because Haruka simply could not escape the stares.

This train ride was different, though. There was room for personal space, there was quiet, and most importantly: there was a lack of attention on her. This train was meant for others, she is merely here as a formality. As much as she wished for that to be of comfort, Haruka could not help but be anxious. She hated Tanaka for that, he was always so relaxed as a contrast to her rigid posture. She hated him so much, but her respect for the man refused to let her act on it. He was useful, he was 'dependable'.

"It looks like we are almost there..Do you think they will be prepared?"Haruka asked dryly, leaning back into her seat and watching as the station moved closer towards them from the distance.

[Silver Coin]

Mischa rested a little more of her weight against the back of her bench as she watched the train approach, slow, and finally glide smoothly to a halt. She was tenser than she had expected herself to be. Dressed in well worn, browns and greys, she would have been unnoticeable at any other time, in any other place, but here and now, surrounded by the gleam of new metal and lacking the camouflage of the crowd, Mischa had to consciously resisting shifting her weight, knowing how conspicuous she was as it is.

This wasn't the first time the small Russian girl found herself surrounded by strangers, or in a foreign environment, but there was something a little different here. The girl in the sundress unnerved her, as did the boy staring off blankly into the distance. There was something about them that reminded her of past experiences she would rather not relive. Compared to the two of them, the men in black suits barely registered in her consciousness. On one hand, it was simply because they were unimportant. On the other, they were easy to understand. The other Children on the other hand, were a little more complicated than that. To the twelve year old eyes of the Third Child, that made them both interesting and very, very dangerous.

[Overlord Rion]

As was normal, Kouhei was a little on the bored side. It didn't help that the silence was killing him. How could people stand to just sit around in silence? That was bad enough, but the waiting. Jesus, was it killing him here. They did not pay him enough for this. He could sit here and wait in silence, like the others, or he could say something and try to get a conversation going. He went with waiting.

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Welp, that's it, he was tired of waiting. "All right, that's it. I can't stand the silence anymore. Can we just speak like people instead of sitting here in silence? Anybody?"

[Steel Mirror]

"All right, that's it. I can't stand the silence anymore. Can we just speak like people instead of sitting here in silence? Anybody?"
Renata shoots a mischievous look at the agents, and when they don't seem interested in this young man breaking the silence, she smiles even wider.

"My name is Renata," she says in chirpy, exotically accented Japanese. She looks the talkative boy up and down, and decides to go with 'overeager and a bit inexperienced'.

"Do you know why they've called us here today? None of these adults will say anything to me, and I haven't seen my family for ages. But isn't Japan wonderful! The trains are supposed to be legendary for always being on time, and I hear that Tokyo is the most advanced city in the world!"

[Silver Coin]

Mischa glanced up as Kouhei broke the silence, and looked uncomfortably away as Renata picked up after him. There was something sickening about her, even more so than some of the more..."exotic" samples she had the fortune of coming across before. A quiet note was left within her mind to spend as little time with this creature as possible. And the boy. He was naive, lacking in good sense and impatient. A liability in all likelihood. If she was smart, she would leave him be.

...

"Come here and sit beside me," said Mischa, patting the empty space by her side after shifting herself to occupy a little less of the bench. "We could talk if you wish. I'm willing to share a few things that should prove useful to you."

In the dim lighting, her eyes flashed for a moment when she looked up to meet Rentana's.

[Steel Mirror]

"We could talk if you wish. I'm willing to share a few things that should prove useful to you."

Renata looks over to the speaking girl, and back to the boy. "Thank you," she says as she walks over, still smiling at the boy. "My feet have gotten tired from all this standing."

She sits down next to the girl, who doesn't look Japanese, and decides to offer her hand to shake. "I'm Renata. What's your name?"

[Silver Coin]

Mischa smiled as Renata sat down beside her, shaking her hand politely, almost mechanically.

"I'm Mischa. And before you go on about it, I know it's a boy's name. It's a name that has proven more trouble than it's worth. Nice to meet you."

[RandomWombat]

The boy staring out at the train rail turned away to examine those who were talking. He blinked methodically at regular intervals that seemed manually timed. Unsteadily at first, seeming forced, the boy spoke to Kouhei, "Communication is... important to teamwork. Do you have an inquiry?" The child's voice sounded empty, with no tone. The only thing to separate it from being computer-generated was the slight french accent with which he spoke.

[Steel Mirror]

"I'm Mischa. And before you go on about it, I know it's a boy's name. It's a name that has proven more trouble than it's worth. Nice to meet you."
"What is that, a Russian name? I'm from Brasil, myself. I wasn't expecting Japan to be so hot. It's even warmer than it is back home. Is it true that Russia is all frozen over, like an ice age?" Renata talks quickly and enthusiastically, seemingly making up for her companions' lack of enthusiasm with an excess of her own.

[Overlord Rion]

Okay, good. Got them talking. That's something at least. Kouhei, upon starting the conversation, quietly slid backwards a little into the background. He started filing away things about the others. Speech patterns, personality traits, that sort of thing. Of course he had no idea he was doing this, to him it boiled down to this:

Mischa: Seems normal. A little like me, perhaps?

Renata: Happy and smiley. Something feels...off, though. Though that IS a nice dress.

Nameless Guy: Is his mom a robot? The hell kinda talk is that?

In response to the boy he was now referring to as the French Robot, Kouhei shakes his head. "Not really. It's just...basically as you said. Communication is key. Better to get to know each other in advance so there's less surprises later, right?"

[RandomWombat]

"Not really. It's just...basically as you said. Communication is key. Better to get to know each other in advance so there's less surprises later, right?"

"Instructions are to use the name Thomas," the French Robot replied. That was, presumably, supposed to be an introduction. "Occupation is Pilot. Designated role is Pointman. Purpose is to minimize loss of human life during operation. Method of attack is close-range combat, to maximize aggression generation on self and provide openings for designated roles with greater force output, while minimizing damage to those roles. What is... your role?" After rapidly and awkwardly spewing out the report, Thomas paused, before seeing Renata and Mischa shaking hands. The boy tried extending a hand towards Kouhei in imitation. He didn't understand the meaning of the gesture, but he had seen others perform it as a greeting before.

[Overlord Rion]

Oh dear. Did this boy even know basic social etiquette? First he blurts things out, and now the way he was holding his hand out...Eh, Kouhei could fix that. "Inexperienced in social situations, huh?"

Right after he fixed his own issues. Kouhei grasps the French Robot's hand and shook it, attempting to teach without words. "I'm your resident...uh, crap, what did they call it?" He scratches his head for a second, as if attempting to remember. He knew perfectly well, but his perfect memory was better kept a secret. He puts on relieved expression, as if he just remembered it. "I'm the guy that messes with the AT fields.!"

[RandomWombat]

"I have... admittedly had little social experience with-" Thomas glanced at the men in suits guarding them, as if not sure what to say. After a brief silence he continued, "Other people." The boy's handshake was weak and unsure.

"A Tactician. I see," stated Thomas, unsure where to go from there. Looking over to Renata and Mischa, he asked, "Your designated roles are Skirmisher... and Berserker, then?"

[Steel Mirror]

"Your designated roles are Skirmisher... and Berserker, then?"
"Oh, no I'm a gymnast. I want to be chef when I grow up, though. My coach says I'm growing too fast to be a very good gymnast for much longer, and my mother always had such high expectations that I think I'm looking forward to being able to disappoint her by making a living with my hands."

She smiles once again, interested in seeing how the others react to her non-sequitur. Thomas is interesting- he is either super awkward (she could work with that) or his mind works differently from anyone she's ever met. And she is very interested in different.

[Cyborg Mage]

Haruka hated trains. The landscape whisked by her as the transport maintained its speed, and this did not bother her. The potential for death was a constant in this zone, and the woman assumed that being hurled into the ground below them at 250 kph would be a quick death, far more merciful then most scenarios. No, death was a constant reminder of being alive. What she hated was the people. Trains were always crowded with them: Loud, self-centered people rambling on about their mundane lives as they are packed into the rail system as if it was a clown car. And if there was something Haruka hated more then having her personal space being violated, or her eardrums being invaded with a cacophony of droll voices, it was the staring. The officer was slightly taller then most Japanese people, definitely outside the norm for a classical woman of the islands. That, in addition to her intimidating demeanor, has always gained her the attention of at least a few people when she was in public. In trains and buses it was even worse, because Haruka simply could not escape the stares.

This train ride was different, though. There was room for personal space, there was quiet, and most importantly: there was a lack of attention on her. This train was meant for others, she is merely here as a formality. As much as she wished for that to be of comfort, Haruka could not help but be anxious. She hated Tanaka for that, he was always so relaxed as a contrast to her rigid posture. She hated him so much, but her respect for the man refused to let her act on it. He was useful, he was 'dependable'.

"It looks like we are almost there..Do you think they will be prepared?"Haruka asked dryly, leaning back into her seat and watching as the station moved closer towards them from the distance.

At this question, Tanaka for once seems to stop idly inspecting the back of his hand and turned his head to face Haruka with an intent, knowing look. It was a sharp contrast to his casual demeanour, and an unsettling one at that. Moreso for anyone who met him for the first time, but even for those familiar with him, it's still slightly confusing to be reminded of the great mind that grinds away behind those eternally bored eyes. He began to speak in a Kansai dialect, using some accent that sounded like someone had thrown California, Manhattan and Osaka into a linguistic blender. As par the course for Tanaka, it would be easy to write him off as some clueless foreigner right up until he begins to talk to you, rather than just talk.

"You want my honest opinion? No, they won't be prepared. They'll never be prepared. Nobody on Earth is prepared, not least some confused teenage kids. For the first time in history, Captain, we are facing something completely alien, something that takes everything we understand and hold to be true about nature or tactics or logic and pisses on it right before our eyes. Nearly all our knowledge is for naught now. As a race, we're like cavemen again, the weakest of the beasts, born without claws or fangs, throwing stones at mammoths. The survival of our species depends on a psychopath, an orphaned waif, an otaku and no less than eight kids who may as well have walked off a production line."

At this point, with almost prophetic timing, the train eases to a halt in front of the platform, its approach whipping up the air as it passes, sending fallen leaves or dust or anything loose pirouetting and twisting. It could be seen as beautiful, yes, but knowing what this train represents and where it will take the children, a better word might be dramatic. Tanaka paused for a moment, looking as though he counting inwardly, before speaking again.

"So, shall we meet the fate of mankind?"

As if on cue, the doors slid open in total silence. The train may as well have been beckoning.

[Silver Coin]

As the doors of the train slid opened, Mischa picked herself off from the seat and dusted herself off smoothly, seemingly out of habit. The fact that Renata has managed to distract herself was a valuable opportunity. As she padded softly into the train, she brushed her elbow against Kouhei's surreptitiously.

[Steel Mirror]

Renata bows her head and holds on to her hat against the wind of the train's passing. By the time it comes hissing to a halt and the doors slide open, Mischa is already up and moving.

Taking her time, Renata stands, primly smooths her dress with her hands, and puts the strap of her small bag over her shoulder. She keeps smiling and walks onto the train, looking carefully for any adults.

She looks for all the world like a cat introduced to a new apartment- cautious, hesitant, investigating every corner and ready to bolt at any second, but carrying herself like she owns the place and is looking for a good way to claim her territory.

When she spots the adults she pauses, waiting for them to introduce themselves or give instructions.

[RandomWombat]

"Oh, no I'm a gymnast. I want to be chef when I grow up, though. My coach says I'm growing too fast to be a very good gymnast for much longer, and my mother always had such high expectations that I think I'm looking forward to being able to disappoint her by making a living with my hands."

"You want to... cook the enemy?" Thomas asked in quiet confusion as he looked at the girl. His expression remained neutral, however, and as he heard the train approach he turned to face it again.


At this point, with almost prophetic timing, the train eases to a halt in front of the platform, its approach whipping up the air as it passes, sending fallen leaves or dust or anything loose pirouetting and twisting. It could be seen as beautiful, yes, but knowing what this train represents and where it will take the children, a better word might be dramatic. Tanaka paused for a moment, looking as though he counting inwardly, before speaking again.

As if on cue, the doors slid open in total silence. The train may as well have been beckoning.

Waiting for the others to enter first, Thomas proceeded inside. He examined the interior of the train car, eyes resting on the man and woman sitting there. The boy quietly stared at them with his empty eyes and awaited instructions.

[Steel Mirror]

"You want to... cook the enemy?"
Renata answers Thomas as she walks by. "I don't know," she says, glancing into the train. "Do you think they taste any good?"

[AutumnLotus]

"Lets get this over with..I have so much paperwork to do because of their arrival" Haruka murmered tiredly, clutching her already sore neck and standing up from her seat as the train came to a complete stop. Looking out the window, she gritted her teeth slightly.

The captain had intel about all the assembled child recruits, and she was less then pleased. As much as she was glad that regular children were spared the brunt of this duty, Haruka secretly despised the concept of an 'artificial' humanoid. and from what she read about Reneta, the manufactured girl, she had good reason.

Watching the future pilots shuffle into the train she slowly stood up as a professional habit to address them, glaring briefly at her compatriot for his ever-relaxed demeanor. Watching each intently, Haruka held her hands behind her back with her back straightened completely.

"Glad to have you all aboard. My name is Captain Goto Haruka, and I-" Haruka paused curtly, pointing to Tanaka "Along with the gentleman beside me will be escorting you to Tokyo-3 proper, and from there into the Nerv Headquarters. Are there any questions?"

[Steel Mirror]

"Along with the gentleman beside me will be escorting you to Tokyo-3 proper, and from there into the Nerv Headquarters. Are there any questions?"
"My name is Renata Borges, Captain Haruka." She curtsies, making the motion fluid and expansive, like a dancer accepting applause in front of a packed hall. "yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

[RandomWombat]

Renata answers Thomas as she walks by. "I don't know," she says, glancing into the train. "Do you think they taste any good?"

"I find it doubt-" Thomas stopped and stood respectfully at attention as the authoritative woman addressed the group. If there was one thing Thomas respected and understood, it was the chain of command. Once she finished and Renata introduced herself, Thomas saluted. "Thomas, designated Pointman. No questions, madame."

[Silver Coin]

The conversation between the French boy and Renata was growing more distasteful and sickening than ever when the captain and her lieutenant greeted them. Best to move on.

The lady, she looked careworn, tired. A good sign. The cruel and powerful, the bullies, never looked careworn. And her flippant looking subordinate with that flint like look to his eyes wasn't half as flippant as many would believe. When his eyes met hers, her eyes flicked subconsciously to the side. He was like her. He watches the people around him, observes them, judges them, but he was better at it than she could ever be. She knew. And she knew that he knew that she knew. The idea shook her deeply. She did not like to be read like a book.

After a brief moment, Mischa focused herself. There were formalities to be carried through. Unlike the others, she neither bowed nor curtsied nor held herself like her rod. She simply stood, her hands in the pockets of her overcoat, and spoke.

"My name is Mischa. I'll be in your care. As for questions, I only have one at the moment: Will you be the one in charge of us?"

[AutumnLotus]

"My name is Mischa. I'll be in your care. As for questions, I only have one at the moment: Will you be the one in charge of us?"

"Yes, I will be. I am your commanding officer as of now, while Tanaka over there will be assisting in keeping you safe" Haruka stated with a nod, glancing along the line of children. "Currently I have no reason to hold you lower then myself, but do not forget who is in charge, ne?"

[Steel Mirror]

"So you're like our team Mom? Does that mean you'll be living with us? I've been practicing how to make Japanese food. Can I help you make dinner for everyone tonight?" As she speaks, her eyes slide toward the adult who hasn't said anything yet.

[Silver Coin]

Some of tension seem to leave Mischa's body at Haruka's words. These were good people, or at least capable. That said, there would be a need for a good long talk soon. Just to lay things down.

Nodding slightly at the captain's response, Mischa shuffled forward and settled herself down on a seat one space away from the captain's.

[Overlord Rion]

Why are people touching him all of a sudden? He was about to say something before the Operations Director started talking. Kouhei stands firm and at attention. The picture of respect. "I only have one question: when do we eat?" Just like that, the illusion was shattered.

[Cyborg Mage]

At the mere mention of the word "gentleman", the Political Liaison starts to chuckle, his errant sense of humour keeping him occupied just long enough to not interrupt the OD. When he sees his chance to speak, he does so in a voice that can only be called a drawl. "Gennl'man, huh? First time I've ever been a gennl'man. Will I need to buy a tie? Don't think gennl'men just go 'round not wearin' ties, y'know." Every aspect of his voice and accent from before was turned up almost to the point of ridiculousness; he sounded like a stereotypical Eagleland tourist who was taught Japanese by some illiterate inner-city punk, and apart from an unexpected degree of fluency in this redneck-style Japanese, there is nothing in his voice to make someone think of him as anything other than a bumpkin.

He doesn't even bother getting up to greet the new recruits-in fact, it seems to take him a few seconds to realize that he can't see them past his own knee, or that half of them won't be able to sit down if he doesn't move his other leg, before nonchalantly swinging it up to rest on his other leg on the table. And then, he listens. As the first two children introduce themselves, he remains silent, yet watchful, observing the two Manufactured pilots with air of unusual interest-suspicion? No, surely such an idiot wouldn't be suspicious of any emotionless or overly sweet teenagers, would he?


"Yes, I will be. I am your commanding officer as of now, while Tanaka over there will be assisting in keeping you safe" Haruka stated with a nod, glancing along the line of children. "Currently I have no reason to hold you lower than myself, but do not forget who is in charge, ne?"

He smirks at Haruka's first remark. "Assistin' in keepin' y'all alive, yeah. Don't give me too much credit, like. He doesn't seem to be so humorous about the Captain reminding the carriage who is in charge. Behind his facade of jokes and irreverence, Tanaka's mind gritted its teeth. But it made sure its mouth said nothing, despite its obvious desire to do so.

At the mention of "team Mom", he starts to laugh quietly again, almost wheezing audibly by the end, but this time he has no sarcastic remark. He seems to remain an uninterested jester.

But just like that, the illusion was shattered.


Why are people touching him all of a sudden? He was about to say something before the Operations Director started talking. Kouhei stands firm and at attention. The picture of respect. "I only have one question: when do we eat?" Just like that, the illusion was shattered.

"HAAAHahaha! Oh thank God, at least one of 'em knows what 'e wants!" he yells, or essentially yells anyway, in between bouts of hyena-like cackling. By the time he manages to look up again, he has to dry his eyes after such theatrical giggling, before speaking again to Kouhei in a welcoming, approving manner. "Ah, somefin' tells me we'll get along fine an' well, kid. Come up an' take a seat with Uncle Tarou.", he says, slapping the padded seat where his leg once was for emphasis.

At this point, the doors to the train slip shut again in a hush. No going back now.

[Steel Mirror]

Renata stops herself from frowning at the strange man- with some effort. He is loud, though his uninhibited cackling is odd for an adult. Which is interesting. She doesn't get the subtleties of his accent, or what statement one might be making by choosing to employ it. She isn't a native speaker, after all. All she knows is that he is hard to understand.

And while she might be a sociopath (bona fide and certified, she has the evaluation to prove it), she's never been very good at discerning deception, insincerity, or even sarcasm. Her therapist would have said that she lacks even the empathy needed to understand that other people have agency, and might seek to mislead and misdirect just as she does. She would say that she just has a trusting personality.

"That's an interesting accent, Uncle Tarou. Are you not Japanese, either?"

[Overlord Rion]

Kouhei heard the door shut behind him. That was the door of your own doom, Kouhei. Can't back out now. He shook off the idea as he took his seat beside 'Uncle Tarou." "You're a nice change from the other guys in suits, I'll give you that. You're not seriously asking us to call you Uncle though, are you?" He's off too. Is there something wrong with everybody here? The only normal one appears to be the Director. Kouhei inwardly shrugs and leans back into the chair.

[RandomWombat]

The sudden shift in atmosphere caused by Renata, Kouhei, and Tarou threw Thomas off. Looking nervous and uncertain, he dropped his salute and wasn't sure how to react. Not wanting to sit next to the director in case it would be taken as disrespect, the clone quietly sat down on the other side of Mischa. Thomas looked away from everybody else, at the closing door, trying not to draw attention to himself. These people were nothing like Thomas 02 through 08. He had no idea how to relate to or understand the things these real humans were talking about. Problems in future communication could jeopardize the mission, however, and he forced himself to speak.

01 turned to Mischa, "I do not believe I completed my inquiry before the transport arrived. You and... the other girl. You are a Skirmisher and a Berserker respectively? The boy had already forgotten their names in the confusion. Had they introduced themselves? Possibly. In all honesty, he hadn't been paying attention to much aside the train arriving.

[Steel Mirror]

Renata sits down next to the seat that Captain Haruka had been sitting in. She puts her bag on the table and tucks her skirt in under her legs, and continues to look at Uncle Tarou, waiting for a response.

Well, at least these adults are talking. Glad to be away from the monotonous silence of the suited figures outside, she waits patiently for the man to answer her and the Captain to sit down next to her.

[Cyborg Mage]

Renata stops herself from frowning at the strange man- with some effort. He is loud, though his uninhibited cackling is odd for an adult. Which is interesting. She doesn't get the subtleties of his accent, or what statement one might be making by choosing to employ it. She isn't a native speaker, after all. All she knows is that he is hard to understand.

And while she might be a sociopath (bona fide and certified, she has the evaluation to prove it), she's never been very good at discerning deception, insincerity, or even sarcasm. Her therapist would have said that she lacks even the empathy needed to understand that other people have agency, and might seek to mislead and misdirect just as she does. She would say that she just has a trusting personality.

"That's an interesting accent, Uncle Tarou. Are you not Japanese, either?"

"Heh, honestly? I forget where I'm from m'self sometimes. Your uncle's been all 'round the world more times than he can count. Higher-ups won't lemme talk 'bout it, though. Honestly, the holiday snaps weren't THAT bad!"


Kouhei heard the door shut behind him. That was the door of your own doom, Kouhei. Can't back out now. He shook off the idea as he took his seat beside 'Uncle Tarou." "You're a nice change from the other guys in suits, I'll give you that. You're not seriously asking us to call you Uncle though, are you?" He's off too. Is there something wrong with everybody here? The only normal one appears to be the Director. Kouhei inwardly shrugs and leans back into the chair.

"Oh, well, call me whatever you'd like, kiddo. I'll answer to mistah, sir, boss, lord, baron, o wise one and, if yer'e British, the right honourable. Never understood why they said that in guvver'ment. Sounds like somethin' ye'd hear from a biker gang. And prob'ly one of these Japanese ones too-they're like sam'rai on motorbikes, right?"

[Overlord Rion]

Okay, the guy may have been trying too hard, but it got a small smile out of Kouhei. "All right, in that case, I'm going to call you boss-man." He glances over towards the Director. "And I'm going to be calling her boss-lady. Feel free to call me whatever you like. It's only fair, after all."

[Steel Mirror]

Renata turns her attention to the boy who just spoke. The one who broke the silence back on the platform. "And you, what is your name? I'm from Brasil, where are you from? Your Japanese is very good."

[Overlord Rion]

"Japanese, born and raised, pretty lady." Kouhei was putting on his act of confidence. He needed to stay confident for a while.

[Steel Mirror]

"Japanese, born and raised, pretty lady."
"Oh! Will you show me around? I haven't had the chance to look around the city or anything yet. I hear the shopping is really good in Tokyo. Maybe you could help me pick out some new clothes, something that is more fashionable than what I brought with me from Brasil?" She smiles as widely as she knows how, but despite her intentions, it comes across as just a little too wide. You couldn't say, really, what is off about her smile. All you would notice is that it's not quite right.

It comes from a lifetime of being poked and prodded by scientists instead of having friends or family.

[Silver Coin]

Berserker. Skirmisher. They had a pseudo militaristic sound to them, as was to be expected, but they sounded like something out of a game. Two things were for certain: 1) She was clearly not on her way into a game. 2) The boy before him, however queer, knew much more about what was happening than she did. And judging by the reactions of the other children, so did they. In the void of knowing, the words sounded menacing in their mystery.

"I don't know."

The words spilled out, almost without thinking. A more paranoid part of Mischa immediately begin to fret over the wisdom of making her ignorance so obvious, but perhaps it was for the best.

"...no one has told me anything."

[RandomWombat]

"I see. I will explain what I know, then, to my understanding," Thomas stated immediately after Mischa finished speaking, "A Skirmisher is an adaptable combatant capable of both close-quarters and ranged combat. Among us, however, it would be the most capable in ranged combat using conventional weaponry. A Berserker is, conversely, a powerful and dangerous combatant in close-quarters combat. This is all that I have been instructed on. Has this exchange been helpful in raising your level of understanding?"

Ending the burst of words with an awkward question, Thomas waited for a reply.

[Silver Coin]

The boy's sudden torrent of words helped little. What were they fighting? How were they going to fight? Why them? Why her? The lack of context means the information provided made little sense. Frankly, they simply raised more questions. Nevertheless, to say so would be rude and likely unkind.

"...thank you. It was...informative."

Quietly, Mischa glanced towards Haruka, hoping for aid.

[Overlord Rion]

"Oh! Will you show me around? I haven't had the chance to look around the city or anything yet. I hear the shopping is really good in Tokyo. Maybe you could help me pick out some new clothes, something that is more fashionable than what I brought with me from Brasil?" She smiles as widely as she knows how, but despite her intentions, it comes across as just a little too wide. You couldn't say, really, what is off about her smile. All you would notice is that it's not quite right.

It comes from a lifetime of being poked and prodded by scientists instead of having friends or family.

"The shopping can be pretty alright. I'm not much of a shopper myself, but I can most assuredly help you pick up a few clothes more fitting to the country."

[Steel Mirror]

"The shopping can be pretty alright. I'm not much of a shopper myself, but I can most assuredly help you pick up a few clothes more fitting to the country."
"And what about kitchen shopping? I need to buy some aprons, some pots and pans, some ingredients . . ." she looks through the corner of her eye at the adults. "Some knives."