Closed are the Gates of Heaven 1b (AdEva, IC)

[PalusAbel]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/Crimson_Knight06/Forum%20Images/PreventThirdImpactWith.jpg

This is the in-game thread for the second team of pilots, consisting of Diego Ayala, Sana Hosseini, and Eve Mackenzie, and their Operations Director Azuma Saito.

Mechanical Information (Sixteen Questions and FAQ):


Expectations:

Be courteous to others, and follow the ToS. This goes without saying.
Please be literate with your posts. If you can reasonably respond to another person with a one-liner, and writing more would only bog things down, then there is no problem with doing so. A common example of this might be combat, but even then melodramatic narration occasionally has a place. Otherwise, writing very short posts can leave other players at a loss when they have to write reactions.
Players need to either have watched the Evangelion TV series, or else not mind spoilers. Other references and inspiration may also be taken from End of Evangelion or Rebuild. I do not profess to own any of these media.
If you are going to apply, please commit yourself to the end. One player dropping out can destroy an otherwise successful game.
On that note, players will be expected to post reasonably often, at least every once in three days. More would be appreciated. Players will be messaged by the end of the fourth day, and if by the end of the fifth day no post or explanation has been given, I will fill in as best I can based on my understanding of the character. If you know ahead of time that you are going to have problems with this pace, please message me beforehand.
My word as GM is final. If you have a problem with anything that happens, you are free to appeal, but I am not obligated to rescind any ruling. Please do not think that I am trying to be mean. I will try to the best of my ability to keep the game fun for everyone.


Sixteen Questions
1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
Dark Heresy

2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?
Adeptus Evangelion, set in the near future in a world similar to that established in the TV series.

3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
Four or five, the fifth being an Operations Director. Ideally, there should be one character from each background and one in each career. This will not be strictly enforced, but it is encouraged.

4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
PbP here on GitP.

5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
Characters will begin with 400 xp that does not count toward rank progression, in addition to the normal starting traits.

6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
Not applicable. If there is an item that a character wants/needs and could reasonably obtain directly or indirectly through Nerv operatives, it will be granted as dramatically appropriate.

7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?
As above, I would prefer there be one of each career, if possible. Homebrew suggestions are welcome.

8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?
The standard four backgrounds are allowed, but alterations may be proposed. If suitable, such changes will be permitted.

9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
As described in the variant rule section of Borderline, starting characters will use a 141 point buy. Do note that we will be using the condensed skill list, also described in the variant rule section. See below for more details. Evangelion creation will be handled and described separately.

10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
There are no character alignments provided in the system. I do expect, however, that there be consistency in the characters' actions, barring extraordinary circumstances (I'm looking at you, Arael).

11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
Generally no, but I may be persuaded otherwise if a good case is made. It would be handled on a case by case basis.

12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
Players will roll dice for appropriate actions when needed in this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=301496). This is so that the players will not need to post twice to take an action, and then describe its aftermath. It also keeps the posts a little cleaner.

13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
These are extensive, and will be described in their own spoiler tag. In addition, suggestions are welcome.

14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
I am looking for thorough (though not necessarily lengthy) backgrounds that give me a proper sense of who the characters are. Particularly well-written backgrounds will receive a small experience reward.

15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
Roleplaying and combat will be a large part of the game, but there may be some puzzle solving to resolve plot elements. Nothing too difficult.

16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?I have decided to use Borderline 1.19 as the basis for this game, with select references to AdEva v2.5. Mind also the errata for these documents, and those of Dark Heresy itself. Here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wX11RS2zRxTKV6lm16MBMOT6_0nSHcKUCFg7eSHQWRE/edit) is a collection of pertinent resources players may find useful.

FAQ:
Q: What happened to the canon cast? Dead, cast adrift in the bureaucratic shuffle, never born in this strange alternate universe?
A: The second comes closest to what I had in mind. There may well be a Shinji Ikari and a Misato Katsuragi and all the rest, but they will not be interacting with the story in any major way.

Q: Why has the southern hemisphere been evacuated?
A: The near-constant expansion of the Torre del Cielo terrified the majority of the human population. Eventually, the UN mandated immigration into the northern countries. There are still pockets of people scattered about in the south, but they are neither supported nor protected by the UN or any of its members.

Q: Do pilots receive standard issue firearms?
A: Anything on the personal scale will be provided as necessary, or denied as dramatically appropriate.

Q: How is Chile able to support a base, financially?
A: Largely through the U.N., because there is no other substantial presence in Chile other than Nerv.

Q: How many resources were pulled from the other Nerv branches to support the one in Chile?
A: There are no Evas present in any of the other Nerv branches, and the Chile complex is more or less a dedicated Evangelion workshop in and of itself. The other branches are assigned to research, and only given resources to that end.

Q: Where are the Evas made?
A: Presumably the active Evas were built either in Chile itself or shipped from the pilots' home countries.
History:
In the first year of 21st century, mankind discovered an existence close to that which could be called God. Slumbering beneath Antarctica, the being named Adam was subjected to a number of experiments, all in the name of Man's own hubris. Ultimately, Adam would awaken and strike back against its tormentors, self-destructing in the process. The ensuing calamity, known as Second Impact, left the Earth scarred. Between direct casualties and the war that followed, over half of the world's population died, and thousands of plant and animal species were lost forever. The Earth's axis itself was shifted by the explosion - there were no more seasons, and climates underwent drastic change. Down at the South Pole, the ice continent was no more, replaced by a true Dead Sea where not even microbial life could survive.

Of course, the public knew nothing of what had actually transpired. The official lie was that the explosion had been caused by a meteorite traveling at relativistic speed. In truth, the cataclysm had been engineered to forestall a far worse one. The same shadowy organization also possessed knowledge that Adam was the first of its kind, but not the last, and so made preparations for the arrival of its kin.

This is where the scenario deviated from the script. The year 2015 saw not the return of the Angels, but rather a tear in the sky above Antarctica. An aurora more intense than had ever been observed before roared into being over the site of the ill-fated Katsuragi Expedition, visible with the naked eye as far north as Buenos Aires. The light it poured forth was nothing that belonged in this world. In the weeks following, there was still no sign of Angels, but the aurora was far from inactive. Every so often, a lightning bolt would lance down from deep within its writhing lights, only to freeze into solid crystal when it hit the water. By the time that a new branch of Nerv was activated in Chile, there were enough of the resplendent crystal columns arrayed in beautiful panoply that the locals were calling the resulting tower the Torre del Cielo, the Tower of Heaven.

The year is now 2017, two years past the Angels' expected arrival. In this short span, a worldwide northward migration has left only Nerv and its associates operating in the lower southern hemisphere. This has the dubious benefit of removing innocent civilians from the impending crossfire. Meanwhile, the Torre del Cielo has grown to become something of a fortress - initial attempts to break down the walls were met with failure. It continues growing daily, though it has yet to approach the sheer size of the former ice continent. Only the Evangelion superweapons are expected to have the power to break through, though the higher-ups of Project E believe that this feat still remains in the distant future. It has fallen to Nerv Chile to serve as the first line of defense against the encroaching crystal wall, and against anything that might come forth from it.This section will be edited as necessary following pivotal in-game events.

Current Roster:

Operations Director: Survivor Azuma Saito (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bw1NnSKS3kRZQ0dYRUp6ZmhNNG8/edit)
Player: CrimsonKnight
Rank: Captain (0/999)
Status: Alive

First Children: Manufactured Berserker Diego Ayala (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ennIWTIDQQSfKLdINQ0xeMVTFtG1AUwhdlMjzAiMZ9I/edit?pli=1)
Player: Regalus
Rank: Brawler (0/999)
Status: Alive.

Second Children: Neo-Spartan Skirmisher Sana Hosseini (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hw63IcgdkxnRUsT4mzgnj3aFZlj0Dz4Cmo2Mf2X1jdI/edit)
Player: AkaiNeko
Rank: Scout (0/999)
Status: Alive

Third Children: Manufactured Pointman Eve Mackenzie (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O5-puJmQwfQLAyJjGw_Ow954VeUMmX-YqGhLTedOGG8/edit)
Player: Ecksdee
Rank: Blocker (0/999)
Status: Alive
Variant Rules Currently in Play:

This list is subject to change as the game goes on.

From Borderline:

All-Out Attack Rebalance
Condensed Skills
Knife Fighting
Point Buy Character Creation
Terminal Insanity Burn
Variable Called Shots


Others:


Common Language: All characters are assumed to know a common language, or else have an interpreter on hand. Characters that have the option to gain Languages at creation (e.g. Prodigies and Operations Directors) must instead choose Common Lore(s). This also precludes the International asset.

Critical Success/Failure: A roll of 1 or 100 will have additional mechanical repercussions in or against the player's favor, respectively.

Operations Director Initiative: Operations Directors, given their remote position, significant support and ability to observe the action on a wide-scale, do not need to roll Initiative. They may use their Actions as they please during any point in a Round, to react as needed to changes in the battlefield. This does not grant the OD extra Turns or more Actions; they are simply more free in how they choose to use them.

Right Tool for the Job: With the nature of the enemy unknown, Nerv Chile was furnished with additional Letter-Type Equipment. There are no fewer than four sets of B-Type, and one each of A, C, D, and even E. Any further Equipment must be purchased as needed.

Rude Awakening: Whenever an Evangelion successfully Berserks, it is automatically placed next in the turn order.

Shock & Awe: When Angelic Fear/Angelic Shock is triggered, use AdEva 2.5's table and rules for determining results, as Borderline lacks these.

Sound Constitution: Characters, including both pilots and Operations Directors, receive the Sound Constitution talent for free upon rank increases. This does include Rank One. Sound Constitution cannot be purchased again for any other reason, except at Rank Six where additional purchases may be made as normal. This talent is already provided for in each of the career progressions, but, with the focus on E-Scale combat, I did not want the players to have to choose between being a little tougher and something else that is arguably more useful. Basically, players save 50 experience each rank up, though this does not contribute to rank progression.

Synch Lock: Effects that boost a Pilot's Synch Category above their default level do not stack. Ergo, Dive Suit and Prototype Evangelions only increase you by one Category total.

Two-Ton Paperweight: Attacking E-Scale inanimate objects like buildings is an Easy (+30) WS or BS Test.

Well-Prepared: Pilots also receive one free BUP, one free SUP, and one free WUP at character creation to be spent or saved as desired. Operations Directors instead receive 200 extra experience, the equivalent of the above, that can be spent at character creation or saved at character creation as desired, but does not count toward rank progression. This represents Nerv's two extra years of preparation.


Known NPCs:

Dr. Eli Cazada tries his best to be a father for the pilots. He truly does care for them, but he will not hesitate to prioritize the big picture over their individual needs. Dr. Cazada will not suffer to be addressed as such except in paperwork and by his superiors, which in practice includes few others besides the Commander and Vice Commander of Nerv-Chile. To everyone else, he is simply Eli. He is a large man, stacked with muscle, with a laugh that can be easily identified and heard from across the room. His chipper attitude is grating to some, and endearing to others.
Dry, intimidating, unforgiving. These words and a few others are the first that come to mind when Nerv employees are asked about their Vice Commander. Some are more expletive than others, but these are never more than whispered, and even then only in the most secure and private settings. Lonell's 6'4" height is emphasized all the more by his thin frame and long limbs. He moves with an air of power and perfect control, and those that would try to read him see only what he allows them to.
Commander Sheridan is to her second-in-command as fire is to ice. She insists on remaining visible to her subordinates and makes an effort to be sociable around them. This sometimes comes off as airheadedness, but her whimsical demeanor belies a mind as cool and calculating as that of the Vice Commander. There is a reason she is the most powerful person in Nerv-Chile, after all.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/Crimson_Knight06/Forum%20Images/Lee.jpg
Age: 34
Nationality: South Korean
Description: Career military officer, a 15 year veteran with the UN Intervention forces flying both helicopters and VTOL airplanes. After a crash landing while dealing with insurgents in Africa, the loss of his eye led to his permanent grounding, much to his displeasure. He since accepted an offer to work directly for NERV for the past year. He serves as Azuma's liaison between NERV's command staff and the UN Conventional forces assigned to NERV Chile, and, in battle, directs the UN force movements and attacks based on Azuma's orders.

His personality leaves much to be desired, as he is both abrasive and dismissive of the NERV staff and especially the EVA pilots. It infuriates him to no end that they must trust the most advanced weapons in human history to a handful of unstable teenagers, and his belligerence has led to a standing order prohibiting him from directly interacting with the pilots or the Science staff. Azuma, unfortunately, can't simply get rid of him, as his military service history makes him trusted and respected by the UN forces, who unquestionably follow his orders when they would likely question them if they were to come from a civilian like Azuma. Consequently, he remains on staff as a necessary evil, even if no one seems to like him very much.
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Age: 41
Nationality: German
Description: A brilliant scientist, Dr. Cazada's number 2 on the Science staff, and a member of Project E since almost the beginning. In battle, he serves as the primary tactical analyst, working with the MAGI supercomputers to find a weak spot in the Angel and a strategy to exploit it. While his perpetually serious nature seems somewhat at odds with his superior, the two are actually good friends, and he seems to get along fairly well with most of the staff in fact. To the children, however, he comes across as grim, cold, and uncaring.

Unlike Jun, his antipathy is due to his own feelings of guilt. He was horrified and disgusted when he learned how the EVAs had to be used and that they would have to force children to pilot them into battle. He took what he considers the coward's way out by emotionally isolating himself, unwilling to let himself become attached to children he was responsible for sending into the meat grinder of war. Azuma and Katya have been trying to work on getting him to open up more, but so far have had little luck.
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Age: 25
Nationality: American (Russian by birth)
Description: Undisputably the heart of the NERV support staff, Katya serves as the primary support for the pilots themselves during battles, monitoring their health and mental states and doing what she can to keep them from having a mental breakdown. She met Azuma years ago as a girl during one of his first UN missions, getting a refugee freighter fleeing the new Communist government in Russia the fuel it needed to finish its trans-Atlantic voyage to America. Impressed with how the ten year old, an orphan looking after her two younger siblings, had managed to purify the ship's water supply and prevent any disease outbreaks despite months of cramped living conditions with only an old medical textbook as a guide, he used his growing connections to sponsor her once she arrived in America, that she might have a chance to receive a proper education and that she and her siblings would be properly cared for.

A year ago, Azuma arrived at NERV Chile to assume the position of Operations Director and was delighted to find her fresh out of college and selected as the facility's primary psychologist for the EVA pilots. It was believed that having someone as relatively young as she was would make it easier for her to empathize with the pilots and vice versa, and with her open, warm, and caring nature, she's a good pick for the position. She's also popular with the rest of the staff, and even Jun seems to tolerate her presence better than he does most anyone else of the Support staff. She's very close friends with Azuma, so much so that in the last couple of months, a rumor has begun to circulate that the two are more than just friends. If true, they've certainly been extremely discrete about it, as no one has been able to confirm it with any kind of evidence whatsoever.

[PalusAbel]

With the aid of the U.N., the entirety of Cape Horn and its surrounding islands was converted into a sprawling city in a span of only two years. Only the U.N. itself knows how much of the world's resources were funneled into this project, and what means were used to complete the construction so quickly. Conspiracy theorists speculate that many of the buildings were prefabricated and simply shipped to their final destination.

Regardless of how it was done, the once separate landmasses are now connected by an elaborate series of armored bulkheads, run through by countless subways and other means of transport. Enough infrastructure is in place for Nerv-Chile to function without major issue, but there is plenty of room for improvement. Under the direction of Operations Director Azuma Saito, four batteries of turrets have been installed along the city perimeter, waiting to intercept an enemy two years late in its arrival.

The three chosen pilots have all been summoned to this fortress of an island to do what only they can do; control the forty-meter tall superweapons known as the Evangelions against the prophesied Angels, beings from another world whose only goal is to destroy mankind. It was thought that they would be needed two years ago, but the prediction proved to be false, tearing apart many otherwise well-laid plans. To their credit, or at least to that of their handlers, the pilots have not spent the two years idle. They are as ready as they will ever be, considering the rapid increase of activity from the Torre del Cielo.

Today the pilots are scheduled to meet the Commander of Nerv-Chile in one hour's time. Presently, they are standing by in a waiting room of sorts while the Commander attends a conference. They have been given basic dossiers describing the other pilots, but this is the first time they have ever met face to face. If there was a time to introduce themselves, this would be it. After all, there was no telling how long any of them might survive.

PUBLIC INFORMATION:
Operations Director: You aren't exactly in play yet. You can still post, if you like. Have Azuma overseeing construction or filing paperwork or doing whatever else suits him. He'll be summoned to the pilots' meeting to introduce himself once they're all done with one another. You can assume that the pilots' conversation is recorded for later review (without their knowledge, of course), so Azuma will know anything that is said.

All Pilots:

The pilots know that they are to fight Angels, but Nerv has been unable to describe in any satisfactory detail what an Angel actually is. As such, pilots may either just accept that they do no know, or come up with some idea on their own. However the pilot chooses to act, players should consider what would best suit their characters.
All of the pilots have synchronized with their Evangelions before, but have no reason to believe it is anything more than a giant bio-mechanical superweapon. That is, they have never seen one Berserk or otherwise show any sign that they are sentient in their own right. Pretend that they all watched Pacific Rim and are comparing their lives to that movie, if you like.
Considering the above, the pilots may withhold information about/describe briefly/brag about their Evangelions as their temperament prescribes.


Dossiers:
This section describes what the pilots are allowed to know about one another. No one knows, for example, that Diego is not an ordinary human, other than Diego himself.

Diego:

Diego was left orphan primarily due to the after effects of second impact. His mother dying due to illness and lack of access to proper medical impact post-impact; while his father died during the impact wars, leaving Diego orphan.
Originally living in an orphanage, Diego has since bounced around a great number of foster homes before being found by NERV agents.
He is boisterous and somewhat impulsive, though usually rather amiable and harmless. That said he does have a hot temper which he does his best to keep in check; avoid testing that control when possible.
While highly extroverted and inquisitive of others, he's slow to form deep attachments with others and his trust is hard earned.
Is an athlete of some note with a fondness of various sports, though has yet to fully dedicate himself to one in specific; though many have high hopes in him should he choose to do so.
Has an excellent constitution and a cast iron stomach, do not trust him to personally verify whether or not foodstuff has just begun to spoil; your bowels will likely not appreciate the results.
He has been under NERVs care for the last four to five years; roughly a year of which was spent recovering in the wake of a grievous injury.
After his recovery has shown a marked improvement in his dedication to his duty, and has stepped up his physical and mental conditioning. Though not a formal soldier he has demonstrated notable talent in CQC. That said his style tends to often switch between precision strikes to disable the opponent, or overwhelming them via brutal assaults making him a difficult openent to read during standard conditions.
He was originally considered for induction into the Neo-Spartan program, but the motion was deemed unfeasible, given the late age of his discovery and the time required to fully recover from his injury.
While he expresses a childish demeanor the majority of the time, he has demonstrated discipline, honesty, and respect for his superiors worthy of his position when called; as well as proving himself quite capable and efficient at following orders.
Is well known for easily mixing, missing or outright misreading subtext; when speaking with him avoid the use of complex subtext as he is likely to miss the entire point. Communication should be kept as clear as possible to avoid any misgivings between either party.

Sana:
Raised in the UN military
Experienced soldier
Good shot
Good with languages
Not so good with people
Eve:

Eve Mackenzie is the only child of NERV scientists Kramer and June Mackenzie, born June 11th, 2013.
Grew up under the watchful yet admittedly at times distracted eyes of her parents. Spent time in the labs being an inquisitive young girl who showed an interest in technology.
All around cordial, outgoing, and easy to approach, which makes her popular with peers. Especially boys.
Frequently "geeks out" over the latest tech, and expresses plans to build a functioning robot someday.
Has developed a fanatical dedication to NERV. While her parents have been employees of the organization for some time, it's still quite jarring for those who know her to witness such blind dedication...
Shares a joint leadership position in the Technology Club. It consists of only three members at the moment. Recruitment drives are held frequently with mixed results.

[Regalus]

Diego swayed slightly from side to side within the deathly silently room; only the sound of occasionally flipped pages and the dull hum of the ventilation system stood to oppose it. His dossiers had long since been placed aside, and the boy had been eagerly waiting the chance to speak with his fellows; after all this was their first meeting. The saviors of humanity gathering at long last! Yet, the all too familiar awkwardness and tension of a meeting between strangers hampered what he felt should have been a momentous occasion.

He in futility hoped that perhaps one of them might extend their hand in friendship first; if only to know how best to speak with them, as the dossiers while certainly thorough lacked bits of all too vital information. To him at least. Then again, he an NERVs analysts had rarely seen eye to in the past...

Frowning internally at his own growing frustration over the matter, Diego decided to place his best foot forward; preferring brash action a compelled one. "SO!" he began with a toothy grin, and a thunderous clap of his hands, the unison shattering the veil of silence that had been dominating the lobby. "Let's do this right shall we?" he stated more than asked all too mirthfully, leaning slightly forward on his chair towards the other pilots and resting his cupped hands on his lap.

"Da name's Diego Ayala, and it's a pleasure to finally meet both of you. I swear I was starting to think none of us would meet before college!" he jested amiably, "Any way, how are you two? Hope your flights over here weren't too bad; what with flying half way around the world and all," he inquired with a friendly grin as he gazed at his fellow pilots merry anticipation.

[AkaiNeko]

Sana waited uncomfortably in the small room with the two children that were apparently her fellow pilots. She was used to tension, naturally, but she hated having only the vaguest, most ominous clue as to what she was in for, and she hated dealing with strangers. Which of course meant that the most logical course of action right now would probably be to speak with the other pilots, so as to advance the process of changing their classifications from "strangers" to "people I am halfway comfortable with". The problem was that that would involve, well, speaking with them, which was not something she wanted to do. But that would only drag out this annoying awkward silence and GAH. WHY DID THIS HAVE TO BE SO HARD. She began to wonder if perhaps she should just bite the bullet and-

Diego's rather loud attempt at an ice-breaker almost sent the poor girl through the roof, wrapped up in her internal debate as she was. Barely mastering her reactions before embarrassing herself terribly, she looked somewhat uncertainly at the young boy's hand before taking it and giving a firm shake, just as Katharina had been telling her for years. "Sana Hosseini, UN military. It's good to meet you, Diego." She turned to the other girl in the room and nodded. "And you as well. Apparently we'll be fighting "Angels" together." She paused a moment. "Whatever that actually means."

[CrimsonKnight]

Willpower Test (Depressive)
[roll0]
Duration (If Failed)
[roll1]
EDIT: So that's a duration of 5 hours then. That's a good start. :smallsigh:

Azuma was asleep on his quarters' couch when the call in. The delays during his physical inspection of the early warning systems had dragged on so late yesterday that it was nearly dawn before he finally had managed to call it a night. He'd been so tired that he'd barely managed to slide his coat off, not even bothering to undo his tie, before he'd passed out. Now the shrill sound of his phone ringing was dredging him from his sleep, and a quick glance at the wall clock through gummy eyes confirmed he'd probably gotten only a few hours of sleep. Grumbling under his breath, he rooted around inside his crumped up coat where it lay across a chair before finding the pocket where his cellphone was still buzzing away. Falling back onto the couch, he hit Talk and fought the urge to tear the head off of whoever it was.

"Saito."

"Good morning, sleepy head. My my, somebody sounds a little grouchy this morning. "

There were only three people at NERV Chile who could call him by his first name and get away with it, and the Commander and Vice-Commander did not, as a rule, dial his personal line. He rubbed at his forehead ruefully, glad to hear the voice even if it had awakened him from some much desired sleep. "Good morning, Katya. Or I assume it is still morning, given that I do not feel very rested."

The Russian-born doctor laughed on the other end of the phone line, then made a few sympathetic noises. "Ah, sorry to wake you sir. I know you were up very, very late. But I thought you'd want to know: they're here."

Azuma sat upright so suddenly his knees thumped into the coffee table, but he was too busy talking to notice. "They're here? Already? I thought they weren't arriving until this afternoon."

He could almost visualize her shrug of ignorance on the subject. "I guess it changed, sir. I just escorted them to the Commander's office. I thought I'd give you a chance to clean yourself up before she inevitably calls you down as well."

"Ah... thank you. Sometimes I wonder if it's just the children you are supposed to be looking after."

"Now now Azuma, be careful, flattery will get you everywhere with me. *laughs* One more question: do you want my initial impressions of them now?"

Azuma considered it for a moment, before deciding against. Better to form his own opinions of them first before being influenced by another's. "No, thank you. Later, once they're settled in. Now, if you'll excuse me...

She laughed again. "Not decent yet, are we? I'll see you later then. Dasvidaniya."

The line clicked dead, and Azuma dropped the phone on the table before rubbing his head one more time, then stood and headed for the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he went. There wasn't enough time for a proper shower, so he settled for dousing his face with water from the sink a few times. He looked at himself in the mirror, water dripping from his face.

Today should be an auspicious day... hmph. Or it could be another worthless one. It depends on these pilots, of course. On these children.

[Ecksdee]

Being stuffed into a room and told to wait wouldn't have normally sat well with Eve. Thankfully, the fact that her fellow pilots, both of whom she would be meeting for the first time, were present lessened the sting of the near solitary confinement. She'd taken a peek at their dossiers, though hadn't read into them much. She much preferred the old fashioned method of getting to know others by chatting their heads off. Indeed she was all smiles, hands clasped behind her back as she rocked back and forth on the heels of her shoes. One could practically see the energy radiating off of her.

The only male pilot out of the three of them took it upon himself to start the introductions off. Eve giggled, unclasping one of her hands to throw out a peace sign. "Groovy! I'm Eve Mackenzie! It's so nice to be here with you, Diego and Sana!" They were so going to be the best of friends. "These Angels won't stand a chance against our awesome teamwork! NERV obviously knew what they were doing when they selected us for the program!"

[Regalus]

Diego felt his heart sink into an icy pit in the wake of witnessing Sana nearly jumping out of her skin, his training ensuring that his face betrayed nothing to his fellow pilots; though thankfully the feeling was short lived, the girl having recovered and reciprocated his greeting well before the boy had a chance to mentally berate himself. It is then most noteworthy that he was taken back by Eve's own lively greeting; a flash of surprise and disbelief momentarily flashing through his eyes at the realization that someone still used the term groovy in actual conversation, before his smile widened slightly in joy.

"Hmm!" the boy beamed, grunting in agreement with Eve as he soaked up her own exuberance and sharing her smile; the boy was positively elated by this turn out, having managed to get even Sana to reciprocate his greeting. Even if the girls greeting had been perhaps a bit too formal for his liking, but it was certainly a start!

"We should probably save the praise for after we've trained together though," he replied with a rather pleased smile, "We can all probably stay out of each others way, but real teamwork's earned. Though I have a feeling it'll be cake for us. I'm pretty sure we're gonna be able to kick all kinds of kaiju ass once we find our rhythm," he commented happily, content with his initial take on his fellow pilots.

"So I gotta ask? What do you folks do when you aren't getting ready to save the world?"

[AkaiNeko]

As Sana saw Eve and Diego meet for the first time, her her face tightened and her eyes went wide. She realized quite suddenly the unspeakable, unthinkable, atrocious, inhumane thing that had been done to her, for no good reason that she could think of, by a faceless, shadowy someone (or possibly something) that may well not exist as anything other than a figment of happenstance, a shape in the darkened fog of life, laughing at her terrible misfortune from its shadowy nether-realm. For just a moment she could feel all reality pressing down upon her, feel the rocks and planets drifting and the stars burning and the galaxies dancing and the filaments wavering like candle flames against the blackness, and she stared as hard as she could into that void - and beyond, just beyond, she could see it, the one who had done this to her, and she screamed out through the void of her mind with all she had for what had become of her.

She had been thrown onto a team made up of talkative people.

Then she blinked and took a deep breath and dealt with it for now. She realized Diego had asked a question directed partially at her. Hm. An annoyingly vague question at that, though if she wasn't pedantic about it he was probably just asking about free time. She shrugged. "Um, I read or study, mostly, or hang out with others in my unit. Or listen to music. And if we're not in an active war zone I like to explore the area." She blinked again. That sounded really awkward, dammit. Oh well. What was said was said. "You?"

[Ecksdee]

Judging by Diego's reaction he was going to be fun to be around. Eve was relieved! Sana, though, seemed a bit more reserved? It was still quite early. Though it wouldn't be the first time she'd run into someone like that. Those types usually came around to her eventually. Even if there was some annoyance that never truly went away. Oh well!

That's the spirit to have! Sorry if I jumped the gun a bit. I'm just... ready, you know?" Ever since finding out she was compatible with an Eva... her Eva... Eve had been itching to get out onto the battle field and prove her worth. NERV wouldn't be sorry they'd picked her!

"Reading and music are things I try to involve in my free time too!" Eve nodded along. "I also like to sing... Though I'm admittedly not the best at it. Maybe I can take lessons?"

[Regalus]

Diego avoided grimacing as he caught Sana's reaction, suddenly recalling a line from her dossier which was starting to seem far more spot on then he may have given it credit for. The boy felt torn, knowing far too well what he should do in turn yet knowing it was the furthest thing he wanted to do. He was enjoying himself for once, and Eve did seem like so much fun, and it irked part of him that he even had to consider this course of action at all; yet he also knew far too well it was for the best. He could see himself getting lost in the moment with Eve far too easily, and that was far too risky. The three of them were still strangers after all.

Besides, Sana did seem to be trying her best.

He gave the idea a moments thought, and decided against it for now; not quite trusting himself to pull it off without aggravating the matter.

"Yeah, I do," he replied courtly as if his grin softened into an amiable smile; the girls feelings resonating far more then he'd like to let on.

"I watch tv back home, and musics fine too; though I like more... hands on fun ya know? I'm partial to soccer and B-ball myself; though I mostly just like hanging out and having fun with some good friends," he offered up to the pair, briefly mauling over something before lifting a hand and scratching the back of his scalp nervously; the boy wrestling with himself for a moment before finally giving in.

"And I like art a bit; ya could say I'm a bit of an artist, when I'm in the mood," he admitted clumsily after the short pause, eyeing the pair carefully.

[PalusAbel]

"For the health and safety of everyone here, Diego, refrain from being in 'the mood,'" A short woman, just over five feet tall, calls from the doorway. Her straight black hair is cropped just before it reaches her shoulders, hanging as a single undisturbed curtain sweeping from her temple to the back of her neck and the rest of the way around. "The way I hear it, your art is why the Angels are two years late."

"This is hardly the time for jokes, Sheridan." A man in a knee-length coat steps out from behind her. "Pilots, this is your Commander. I am Lonell, her second-in-command. She insisted on coming down to retrieve you herself." His speech is clipped yet powerful, just like his movements.

[Regalus]

"I,I, I didn't... I wasn't talking about that!" blanched Diego in a mixture of surprise, burning shame, and indignation at the woman's unforeseen interjection; though the young man couldn't deny a hint of pride due to the latter portion of her jest. Though upon realizing who was addressing them Diego's eyes widening like saucers momentarily before he swiftly bolted upright and straightened his posture in one fluid motion.

"Sir! Mam!" be exclaimed, saluting the pair of newly arrived COs with the respect their hard earned positions deserved.

[AkaiNeko]

Sana immediately snapped to attention. "Sir!"

Finally. THIS was something she could handle.

[PalusAbel]

"Easy, kids. You don't need to do all that around me. Around Lonell, eh, he's more of a traditionalist." The Commander beamed.

"It is more that you fail to observe custom. But no matter. We will be moving to Commander Sheridan's office to continue this discussion. Come now." The Vice Commander leads the way, but the Commander hangs back to walk alongside the pilots.

Her office is mostly neat, but small messes here and there affirm that the space belongs to a person, rather than an automaton. Lonell is about to take his customary position at the right of Sheridan's desk, but she waves him away. "I can keep the pilots busy for a bit. You retrieve Azuma from his quarters. I daresay he'll still be sleeping." The Vice Commander nodded his compliance stiffly and silently before heading out to do as he was told. Sheridan watches him go, then turns back to the pilots. "I'd like to wait for Azuma before I get into the briefing. If you all have any general questions you'd like to ask?"

[Regalus]

Diego breathes heavily as he relaxes his stance, before following the pair to their commander's office; the young boy unsure what to make of the commander. On the one hand her demeanor was more than welcomed, yet it also meant he'd have to be all the more careful because of it.

Upon entering their CO's office, the pilots idly scans the room for anything of note before centering his gaze on the commander, "Well, I got one. Why are we all meeting each other now?" he inquired furrowing his brows slightly, trying to dull the edge he knew would be in his voice, "I've been in the program most of my life now, and it sort of bugs me that if the Angels had come two years ago I would've been stuck in Tokyo-3 with no clue I even had backup!" he began unable to keep his voice from raising slightly from pent up indignation.

"I mean sure, I know some of the other models had a few kinks to work out due to variations from the Prototype Model; but I mean, shouldn't we have all at least gotten a chance to email each other, or talk shop before now? I mean, were we really originally expected to gel as a team during a live invasion before now?!" he elaborated, his voice a mixture of restrained outrage and disbelief as he stared at the commander questioningly; the fact he hadn't yelled, nor approached the desk further as he spoke was testament to how much the boy had improved in the last few years.

This whole affair bothering Diego greatly ever since he was told about this meeting. Of course he'd known that there had been other Eva in production, there still were as far he knew; yet the shock of knowing that he wasn't alone on the front-lines, that there were others he could count on for more than support on the sidelines, had taken days to settle down.There had been nights hadn't even been able to sleep right, nights where the true magnitude of his purpose had come crashing down upon him like a flood; only to be told scant few weeks ago, that not only had other Children been found, but that they prepped for combat as well.

As it was, Diego had no qualms with his fellow pilots. Eve felt like a kindred spirit of sorts, and he had little doubt that two would get along swimmingly. Sana on the other hand was a more delicate task, he knew from experience he had to be careful with her for some time; lest he repeat the mistakes of the past and alienate her some how, yet he was sure in time the two might be friends. However, that was pure luck and he knew it well.

The risks brought forth from forcing strangers with incompatible personas to work together under-fire was not one to be taken lightly. For now it seemed as if they had dodged a crippling bullet, yet the would-be pilot could not seem to let go of the fact that such a risk had been taken to begin with. He truly hoped the commander's words would satisfy him.

[PalusAbel]

"We expected the Angels to appear two years ago, but even then we didn't know where. We kept the pilots and their Evangelions separate in order to have better coverage. It was a difficult decision for us as well. When the Angels failed to appear, we concluded that maintaining facilities in multiple countries just wasn't feasible."

The Commander shuffles some papers around on her desk. "That doesn't fully answer your question about why you were never even allowed to contact the other pilots, though. Truth be told, the higher ups didn't want you to develop strong emotional ties before you had to fight. They were afraid that such bonds might become a liability in the heat of the moment. Apparently the lack of cooperation from keeping you strangers to one another was an acceptable risk compared to that."

Her next words are much quieter. "I was the one who overturned that decision. Otherwise, you three would still be living in separate rooms, never knowing that you weren't alone. I'm sorry it took two years."

[Regalus]

No admonishment, no narrowing of the eyes, no sudden tension in her muscles, and an utter lack of annoyance or agitation in her voice. Diego had not been expecting that, he had expected the sincerity of her apology even less. The combined surprise was more than enough to snuff out the boy's ire like a candle caught in a sudden breeze.

For a moment the lad looked at his commander nonplussed before his features slowly relaxed, his gaze softening as he met the commander's own, "I... Thank you commander," he uttered softly, even lost within the sea of his own emotions as he was gratitude in his voice was undeniable, "Better late then never right?" he added with a subdued smile.

[AkaiNeko]

Sana watched the exchange silently. She didn't so much have questions as a mostly empty book that needed filling; she didn't have anywhere to start, had no good points of reference. There was no good reason for her to start in on the process of learning whatever all the information she lacked now, in these few minutes before the real meeting started.

Of course she also lacked the identity-crisis or whatever it was that Diego seemed to be going through - she had been a backup pilot from the start, had known for years that if she was called on, it would be as a replacement. Ergo, there had to be at least one other pilot, that mythical entity with a higher Synch Ratio than hers, who was apparently indisposed....somehow. That actually bothered her quite a bit - which itself bothered her quite a bit. It was just some soldier; death or injury happened all the time. On a baseline, it was nothing to get too worked up about unless you knew them personally. But looking at Diego and Eve....they were just kids. She, the soldier, was the second-stringer, meaning that whoever's place she was taking was probably more like these two than her. Soldiers protected kids. That was how it worked. Maybe this whole weird situation was getting her worked up, but she really felt a strange concern for that phantom-Child.

....which was still something to worry about later. Where in hell was that commander, anyways?

[PalusAbel]

The Vice Commander did not waste time knocking at the door, instead simply unlocking it and walking in. "Saito. The pilots are meeting with the Commander presently. Your presence is requested." Lonell observes Azuma coolly, showing no signs of leaving. "I trust that you will make yourself presentable."

[CrimsonKnight]

Azuma had spent the time waiting brewing himself a pot of coffee. While he much preferred a cup of tea over the barbaric taste of coffee, in this case a need for caffeine to beat back his mental cobwebs of fatigue overruled any such aesthetic concerns. He was halfway through his second cup and enjoying his first cigarette of the morning when the knock sounded on his door. Azuma walked over to answer it, knowing before he opened the door that, from the clipped, precise triple knock, it could only be the prissy Vice Commander Lonell. Azuma gave his superior what in less formal situations would have been a perfectly serviceable smile but, here, in front of the proper military officer, seemed rather sloppy.

"Good Morning, Vice Commander. As always, it is a pleasure to see you. Ah, I will be along shortly, just finishing my, hmm... morning routine."

Azuma calmly strolled over to the table, finishing his cup without rushing and seeming not to notice the glare being directed his way by Lonell. He cordially detested the professional military officer for being overbearing, anal retentive, and an all around distracting presence that reminded Azuma uncannily of his own long dead cold and calculating father. No wonder Major Lee seemed to get along so well with him: they seemed to be in a contest to see who could insert the biggest stick up their ass without flinching.

Judging he'd kept him waiting long enough, Azuma grabbed his longcoat and slipped it on, knowing as he did so that between his wrinkled shirt (from yesterday's labors and then falling asleep in it), his tie that was knotted a good inch beneath the collar (due to Azuma somehow managing to get it so thoroughly knotted that he couldn't untangle it now), his mud-stained shoes, his ash-stained coat, and his day old stubble, he was a far, far cry from Lonell's orderly appearance. Yet, he didn't care so much. He wasn't here to win the shiniest shoe or cleanest shave contest. He was here to throw three children straight into the jaws of hell, to send countless nameless men to die against an almost godlike, unfathomable, and terrifying foe, and to make the hard decisions when they came up. And he would have to do all of things again, and again, and again, until the Angels were truly no longer a threat. His appearance was a very, very minor concern at best.

Lighting a fresh cigarette, he deigned to let the Vice Commander lead the way to Commander Sheridan's office, knowing it would offend his precious military decorum even more if a subordinate like Azuma were to walk ahead of him. Azuma actually liked the Commander a good deal better than her XO. She could be a little too... lacking in presence for one in such a position, seemingly too eager to please and make friendly chatter. Yet Azuma knew she wasn't nearly as much of an airhead as she let on, and she somehow managed to keep Lonell's more dogmatic tendencies in check. Still, he suspected there had to be more to her than that.

He let Lonell enter the room first and gave him a few seconds to draw the children's attention, then quietly followed him just inside the door without drawing any attention to himself, where he continued to puff away on his Marlboro even as he coolly eyed his new charges, waiting to see which one would be the first to notice the quiet Japanese man who had suddenly appeared behind them without warning or notice.

[Ecksdee]

Eve saluted faster than she could even begin to think to stop herself. It just seemed like the right thing to do -- even if they were told it wasn't necessary. Making a face she relaxed, then followed after the commander and her second-in-command along with Diego and Sana.

Once they were assembled in the office, it was apparently question and answer time. Diego took advantage of it, while Eve opted to just passively listen. She really had no questions. Everything seemed clear! Why would she pester the higher-ups needlessly? That would be very becoming of an official Eva pilot! Though... he /did/ bring up a good point. She would've liked to meet him and Sana much earlier than now...

Of course, the commander has an answer for that. And a good one too! Eve is satisfied! Yay! "Yes. Better late than never is correct. Now we're all here so let's just make up for lost time, huh?" Oh the ideas she had. Did they like parties? She sure hoped they liked parties! They needed to have one as soon as possible to celebrate the official formation of their team!

While she was busy planning out the details, apparently someone else had slipped into the room behind them. When she turned around, it wasn't because she had sensed Saito's entry. A little habit of hers when she got excited was to turn away from whoever might be in front of her, clench her fists, and let out a muffled squeal. However, with Saito present she didn't get that far. Blinking, she studied him for a few moments in silence...

[PalusAbel]

Commander Sheridan smiles at Eve's enthusiasm, then turns her eyes toward Lonell, who had just walked in. The Vice Commander cleared his throat. "Captain Azuma Saito. These are your charges; Ayala, Hosseini, Mackenzie." He gestured to each in turn. "Commander Sheridan asks that you address them before the briefing."

"Indeed. Kids, this is Captain Saito. He's your Operations Director. That is, he's going to be your main contact on the other side of the comm when you're in the field. When he gives you an order, you follow it. That's just the way it works." The Commander ran her hand through her hair. "Go ahead and introduce yourself, Saito. Then we'll move on with the briefing.

[CrimsonKnight]

Azuma nodded and approached the Commander's side of the room, turning and resting on a corner of her massive desk as he faced the three children.

Good morning, pilots. I am Azuma Saito, the Operations Director for NERV-Chile and for Project Evangelion. You may call me Director, or Mr. Saito, or even Azuma if you like. You may also address me by my military rank of Colonel, if that is your preference, but by no means consider it mandatory.

My job, apart from a lot of administrative duties you need not worry about since they will rarely affect you directly, is commander for all NERV military forces, both the conventional UN military forces and the, ah... more unconventional force that is you three pilots and your Evangelions. If, or rather when, an Angel attack or other battle situation occurs, my primary objectives are to see the enemy threat neutralized, this base and all of its infrastructure and personnel kept intact, and to keep all three of you and your EVAs safeguarded, by any and all means necessary."

He gave a polite small.

"Not in that order, mind you. My most important duty is to command, guide, and protect you in the trials to come. I will do everything in my power to assist and safeguard you, but in return, I must ask that you do indeed follow my orders. You will be fighting in giant war machines against enemies we can scarcely begin to fathom. My position leaves me with access to a great deal of information, expertise, and experience on the best course of action in such situations, so do not think I make any such orders lightly or frivolously. I will keep you alive and well, and in return you will have to trust that I know what I am doing."

He took out a fresh cigarette and lit it up.

"So, any questions before we proceed? If not, you are scheduled to engage in a practice simulation battle to familiarize yourself with your EVAs and especially the AT field systems which none of you have used before, as well as to demonstrate to each other your basic combat abilities. After that, I'll introduce you to the support staff you'll be interacting with frequently, and then we'll get your living arrangements squared away."

[AkaiNeko]

Sana nodded slightly, more to herself than anything, as Operations Director Azuma Saito introduced himself. The man looked scruffy and rather unprofessional, but that was fine - he had an air about him like he knew what he was doing, and his words were sensible and down to Earth. And, at least given her limited experience with the mysterious organization, a slightly "irregular" feel was more fitting anyways for NERV. In her own humble opinion, of course.

That said. Apparently they were about to actually pilot the Evangelions - not only for the first time for her, the backup pilot, but for the other two regular pilots as well. A momentous occasion indeed. And everyone was finally here; no need to worry about interruptions, potential emergency situations aside. If there was ever a time to get at least one of her many questions asked, now was that time. He had asked, after all.

Sana was not religious. She was no atheist, either; she simply had no particular beliefs about that sort of thing. She had other things to worry about. That did not, of course, mean that she didn't know what the word "Angel" meant. But she rather doubted, for what she really, really hoped were obvious reasons, that her understanding of said word was relevant here. She knew what the Evangelions were, at least basically, and had for years: Giant Robots. And she was not so sheltered from normalcy that she ddn't know a little bit about that. Her guess was that "Angel" was an ironically-chosen code name for....whatever they were meant to fight. Which probably meant either some sort of giant monster or another variety of giant robot. All of this she had figured out years ago. Now was her chance at clearing the matter up a bit. Still at attention from force of habit, she spoke up. "Director. What, exactly, is an Angel?"

[CrimsonKnight]

Azuma nodded. He'd been expecting the question, though he doubted his answer would satisfy their curiosity. He began to pace back and forth as he spoke, puffing away on his cigarette in between sentences and tapping the ash off in the ashtray the Commander had long since added to her desk clutter as a courtesy to Azuma.

"Good question. It is difficult to answer. It would be easiest to start with the First Angel: Adam. An organism of unknown origin, it was discovered in Antarctica shortly after the Millennium. The Katsuragi Expedition had just begun to study it when it... reacted. Violently. You are quite familiar with the results: Second Impact. It was no meteor impact, but the angry response of a being closer to being a God than we could ever hope to.

NERV and the UN classified the incident, primarily out of a desire to minimize panic and disorder much like that which initially followed Second Impact. For you see, Adam was but the first. We have information that more are coming. I cannot explain how; the intelligence source is Need To Know and extremely restricted."

It irritated Azuma to frustration that he himself was not privy to such knowledge either. As far as he could tell, the only personnel who did know were the Commander, Vice Commander, and possibly Dr. Cazada. He redirected the conversation before any of them would have a chance to question it.

"As to the nature of these Angels, we still know very little. We scarcely had time to examine Adam before Second Impact, and afterwards there was nothing left to examine. The only thing we know for certain is that they possess an AT Field, and because of that, none of our normal tools of war can harm them."

He used what was left of his current cigarette to light a fresh one before crushing the butt in the ashtray.

"I am sure you are quite curious as to what this AT Field is. The Absolute Territory Field is an energy field so named because its very nature represents the boundary of human understanding. They are capable of producing simply stupendous outputs of energy, and, theoretically, breaking the laws of physics and reshaping the universe like a sculptor with clay. And, they are effectively impervious to all existing conventional weapons in existence, from bombs and missiles all the way up to nuclear weapons. The only way to truly breach an AT Field is with another AT Field, and only two things possess such an impossible thing. The Angels... and the Evangelions. This is why you are here, this is why you must fight humanity's battles. Only the EVAs can defeat the Angels when they come, and only children such as you can pilot them. Adults cannot Sychronize, it is... beyond us."

He gave a chuckle.

"Sorry if that does not fully answer your question, but the truth is we are dealing with many unknowns. We are like a ship sailing through uncharted waters. All we can do is try our best to avoid any storms or reefs that would try and sink us. So... any other questions?"

[Regalus]

"Sooo we pissed of an alien by ruining his nap, and now all his friends want to beat us up?" he summed up scratching his scalp slightly as he tried to process the information he'd been given, "WHelp, I've read about worse reasons to start a war over," he admitted after a moment with a heavy sigh. The boy glad to finally have a reason behind why he was born, and content with the fact that it at least sounded like humans hadn't been hostile first; on the other hand part of him had been holding out for some deeper meaning to the coming war. Though in the end he was thankful, at the very least he'd leave knowing more.

That said, that new toy they called an AT-Field sounded delicious.

"Any way, I assume we'll get a run down of the facilities; along with any strategic points or vital areas we should know about after the sims over and done with; so I'd say I'm good for now," he quipped happily, more than a little eager to try out this AT-FIeld thing they were talking about

[AkaiNeko]

Sana stared blankly for a minute or so after the Operations Director finished his explanation. Ha. "Explanation". Haha. Once her her brain had properly rebooted after the Massive Information Overload, she had to clamp down hard and fast on the reflexive urge to answer the query after further questions with "Yes, sir. Why is your speech so flowery when you discuss these things?" It would hardly have been appropriate to question the man's mode of speech, given he was HOW IN HELL DID HE EXPECT THAT LOAD OF CRAP TO CLARIFY F***ING ANYTHING? SHE HAD ASKED WHAT AN ANGEL WAS. THAT WAS GODDAMNED IT. But HEY, Second Impact? We lied, HAHA! It was ALIENS, or CTHULU or something! Now here, have a giant robot that SOME KID DIED TO GIVE YOU and go PUNCH REALITY! YOU ONLY HAVE THE FATE OF THE WORLD ON YOUR SHOULDERS HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

While this all ran through her mind, Sana accepted, for now, Diego's simplification of Angels as angered/awakened alien beings and went over her usual techniques for controlling herself while actually saying, "Yes, sir, just, um, a more personal concern. The Evangelions....do they have weapons?" Sana was a practical person, after all, and knew damn well that, while she could perform fairly well under most circumstances, there was one area in particular where she really shined. And she would feel a lot better about all this if she was at least able to take advantage of that.

[CrimsonKnight]

Azuma had a slightly pained look on his face as he responded, as if his answer was bothering him in some way.

"Yes, your Evangelions are armed, based on your known existing combat skills and aptitudes. Make no mistake, though: the Evangelions themselves ARE weapons. It, and I am in no way questioning your capabilities by saying so, offends my moral sense that we must ask children like you to wield them, but we have no choice in the matter. For a number of reasons, or theories, anyway, that the Science staff angrily argue amongst themselves about... at exhausting length and in obsessive detail, adults cannot form the mental connection with the Evangelions known as Syncronization necessary to operate them. Children, from adolescents on the verge of adulthood like yourselves and on down younger, can. "

He turned and crushed the cigarette butt into the ashtray, then nodded his head towards the door. "I believe that should answer all of your questions for now, and I will take Diego's enthusiasm as a sign it is time for a little hands-on training. Shall we begin the simulation, Commander?"

[PalusAbel]

"If there are no objections, I wouldn't mind doing so. Dr. Cazada's on standby with the simulation bodies. I can send you down to him anytime. Word of warning, though, call him by his first name, Eli. The Vice Commander and I get to call him Doctor because we're his bosses." She smiles and laughs. "Let's get going, then. Azuma, you and Lonell can just wait for me on the bridge. I'll join you there shortly."

Commander Sheridan walks the pilots to the simulation room. Through the viewing window, the three simulation bodies can be seen. They have the general look of Evangelions, but they have no limbs, nor armor. Dr. Cazada waves at the pilots as they enter. "Hey, kids! The simulation's ready to go once you're suited up and plugged in. There are changing rooms in the back. Don't dally too much, now," he says with a grin.

[Regalus]

Diego eyed Sana curious as she spoke; blinking slightly as he caught a glimpse behind that blank stare. The boy was normally poor at noticing such things, but this, this he knew. He recognized that deliberately absent gaze, having performed it himself more times that he cared to remember. t was a specific gesture and posture which loosely translated into 'Oh God, why is this happening to me?' usually followed by an awkward laugh and forced smile meaning 'Please stop before I hurt something'. To say he was surprised that the girl was able to speak so calmly right after would be an understatement. Well, she is a soldier... he reminded himself, committing the event to memory for future reference.

At the mention of the good doctor the boy's attention is torn away from his fellow Child; a sparkling gleam lighting in the boy's eyes, the corners of his mouth turn upwards slightly with barely contained glee. As the group worked its way through the facility towards the simulation the boy all boy hummed a light and happy tune in anticipation of both the simulation and his coming reunion.

Upon setting eyes on the good doctor Diego's pleased grin blossomed into a toothy smile, having barely enough restraint to wait for the others to clear a path to the man before launching into his own greeting; proper militery decor be damned, it'd been over a week. "Eli!" the First Child beamed with child-like glee as he all but glomped the mountain of the man before him, hugging the-man-who-might-be-called-his-father-tightly.

[PalusAbel]

"Diego, my boy!" Eli scoops the First Child up into his arms. With six inches and over a hundred pounds on the young boy, the doctor is easily able to sweep Diego off his feet. "Didn't fancy you'd be seeing me again so soon, eh?" He looks over at Sana and Eve. "Might you be willing to join your friend here?" he asks jovially as he shakes Diego up and down. "I'm plenty strong enough to hold all three of you, and probably Azuma, too."

[Regalus]

The first Child giggled cheerfully as he was swept up into the man's arm; giving a happy grunt in agreement as he soaked up the man's warmth. "Yeah! I was worried that with everythin' still being setup it'd be forever before I saw ya again," he admits looking up at the man with a cheerful smile before devolving into another short giggle fit as he's shook around in a way that may not have been considered 'proper' for a boy his age.

[Ecksdee]

Eve was so eager she felt like she going to burst out of her own skin at any moment. Though it was important to get the introduction of their Operations Director out of the way and other pertinent stuff, she couldn't help but cheer inside when they were instructed to head on down for the simulation. Yes yes yes! It was time! Finally! Heee~

Once inside the simulation room, Eve's eyes were first drawn to the aforementioned simulation bodies. After that, her attention was then forced onto the mountain of a man that Diego immediately threw himself upon for a hug. Oh? Were they that familiar with one another? Eva beamed up at the good doctor, finding his jovial demeanor quite infectious. And... ooo! He offered to share the hug he was giving the first Child! Eve liked hugs!

With a squeak she jumped up to join in, giggling like a maniacal child.

[AkaiNeko]

Sana stared for a moment at the display of affection. Then she smiled a bit. The doctor - Eli - was an oddly familiar figure, the big friendly father-figure, and it was kinda sweet to see. She certainly wasn't going to get in the way. She continues following behind.

[PalusAbel]

"Up we go!" Eli scoops up Eve in his other arm. "And now around and around, haha!" With both children secured, he begins to spin in place. slowly picking up speed. Commander Sheridan smites herself in the forehead, though her smile has never left her face. "You see what I have to deal with, Sana? My second-in-command is the most serious guy in the world, and my doctor is the opposite. That's enough now, Dr. Cazada. We have a simulation to run." Dr. Cazada returns Diego and Eve to the ground. "You heard the boss. If the sim results end up tanking, I'll take responsibility. Now go get 'em!" He urges everyone on to the changing rooms.

[Regalus]

Diego nods happily once the final fit of giggles had died down, "See you guys in a bit!" he calls out with a wave as he rushes over to the locker rooms to get ready as soon as possible. This was it after all. His first chance to really show everyone everything he'd learned thus far, and show'em what he was made of.

The boy slipped into his armored plugsuit with casual ease as he hummed an all too happy tune, still riding the waves of his earlier glee which served to dull the mix of excitement and trepidation from the coming test bubbling up in his gut. With the familiar weight of his second skin reassuring him, the boy confidently strode out of the locker room garbed in vermilian and saphire; new his visage easily evoked that of his paired Titan, a fact the boy was quite pleased with.

For a moment Diego scanned the area for the girls, hoping to catch a glimpse of their plugsuits and compare. He knew his was a more he knew his was an early model of the plugsuits; the ceramic plating upon his suit having been designed to address concerns born from the prototypes lighter frame. As such he was understandably curious about the refined models his comrades made use of. Though he knew it was likely best to wait until after the simulation to compare notes; they'd dallied enough as it was.

So with a slight skip in his step the lad made his way to his corresponding simulation body, and eagerly hopped into the plug. "First Child ready," he called automatically upon taking his seat.

[CrimsonKnight]

Azuma stepped off the elevator with a bemused smirk on his face for no apparent reason as he walked onto the Bridge, NERV's central command center. The pit below held dozens of stations for monitoring and controlling everything from sensors to communications to the automated systems for moving materials throughout NERV to the fixed defenses themselves. The upper platform, however, was the Command Area, where Azuma, his three subordinates, and the three heads of NERV controlled everyone during crisis situations. He noticed that everyone was present with the exception of Dr. Cazada, who he presumed to be down assisting the pilots for their first time in the simulation plugs. He glanced at the Commander and Vice Commander perched in their raised platform higher even than his own lofty position before running his eyes along the control stations he directly controlled and the three people who ran them.

He was a little surprised to see Major Lee here at all, truth be told. The sim wouldn't have any Conventional Forces for him to control and talk with, and indeed the Korean soldier's monitors all appeared to be in standby mode with screensavers running even as he had his feet carelessly propped up on the desk while picking at his nails with a pocketknife. Azuma had a sneaking suspicion that he was present purely out of a perverse desire to see something go wrong with the simulation and provide him with ammo for his ongoing efforts to belittle the Science Team.

He walked by without a word and approached Heinrich. The scientist was entering and cross-checking data being relayed from one of his own junior subordinates down below, presumably something to do with prepping the simulation data. He noticed Azuma watching him patiently and gave a polite smile and thumbs-up as a sign that there was no problems without interrupting his conversation.

Azuma nodded back and headed for the last station on the right, where Katya was checking out what looked like biological data of some sorts. "Ready for the simulation, Katya"?

She turned and flashed him a warm-looking smile that made Heinrich's look almost pitiful by comparison. "Yes sir. I'm receiving biofeedback from all three pilots' plugsuits, all of them are green and good to go for Synchronization once their plugs are inserted."

"Excellent. So... any bets as to which of the three you think will win?"

Katya gave him her best glare of mock outrage."Col. Saito, how dare you insinuate I would ever do anything so crass as to bet on the outcome of this battle? The bottle of wine that Heinrich and I have not yet determined ownership of has no relation whatsoever to Eve schooling both of them. Though I will be mildly tiffed if Diego wins and Heinrich somehow gains possession of it."

Azuma chuckled. "Then I suppose there would be no issue with me providing Sana moral support then, is there? It had better be a good Cabernet or Bordeaux, none of that Merlot crap the Americans pretend is palatable."

Leaving Katya to her devices, Azuma strolled over and poured himself a cup of coffee from the carafe that always managed to be full despite Azuma almost never seeing anyone actually refilling it. Perhaps the stewards were ninjas, he surmised, though he couldn't blame their efficiency, not if they wanted to avoid the wrath of the Vice Commander. He took a sip before sitting down at his own chair, lighting a fresh cigarette as he waited for the pilots to finish preparing.