But she did have to wonder if it was just a little possible for them to make a school that did not look like it had been transported directly from Japan. Hell, the place looked rather like it could have fit in anywhere in on the Earth around the time when she was born. There was the simple block concrete construction, with large windows, and the sports fields nearby, all of which rather looked like they were part of some prefabricated mould dropped right into place for immediate usage.
'Would it have killed them to make something a bit more stylish?' she thought to herself as she leaned on the window sill.
Hikari leaned over and frowned at her friend. "Is something the matter?"
"Nothing really," the redhead sighed. "I'm just... nothing."
"Huh?"
"Don't worry about it. I'm just wandering off mentally."
"Oh, I understand."
"It's not like you should have to worry about her anyway? She's always been a bit grumpy anyway," Toji drawled, his smirk wide and clear.
Asuka kicked him in the shin for that comment.
"HEY!"
"You shouldn't bother her like that," the class representative admonished him.
"But she was the one who kicked me!"
"You were the one who started it."
"Come on, Hikari...."
"Oh, wow. A lovers' spat," murmured Kensuke.
Both Hikari and Toji just glared at the boy in the glasses.
Rolling her eyes, Asuka looked out the window and noticed that not everything was the same as what it had been like in Tokyo-3. Why, just the sight of the girls working with the powered exo-skeletons was enough to disprove the assumption that everything was the same. Some of the girls were piloting the basic machinery, and others were working to fix the advanced technology, but none of them were being called out on it. In fact, this was so worked on that it was safe enough to be basic educational equipment, since so many students were taking vocational classes to be mech drivers and mechanics.
Then again, there were students in a nearby lab working on alchemical mixtures, and some of those racing around the track had muzzles. Seeing that sort of thing reminded her of the fact that there was only a sense of the familiar, as what had once been mysterious and fantastic was now common place. Just knowing that there were girls who could cut light posts with bokuto training in one of the school dojos was enough to remind her that this was not the world that she'd been born on.
Of course, there was one person who didn't seem to be staying the same either. "Why so quiet, Shinji? Don't you want to put in your own two yen?"
"Why should I?" the thin boy asked back, shrugging slightly. "It's not like I'd be doing anything helpful."
"Perhaps to be actually doing something?"
"I am doing something. I'm reading."
"Great, that's doing a lot," Asuka grumbled, reaching over to pull his book from his hands.
"Hey! I was studying that!"
"We're on a break, stupid. Even I'm not about to take it that far."
"But wasn't it you who said that we should take it seriously here."
"Yeah, but you're depressing, keeping to yourself like this."
"Well, sorry for not being the life of the party," Shinji snapped, grabbing his book back.
The redhead almost barked back at him, but stopped as she realized that it wouldn't do that much good. For all that he was wanted now, like the requests from the music and mech clubs to join them, he was apparently not paying attention. If anything, he was more grouchy than ever, which rather annoyed her. She had to do something, but it wasn't like she knew what would be the right way to approach him. Concern was one thing, but she knew that making the wrong move could make things even worse, and none of the other teens with them knew what it was like to go through what they had.
But there was one person who did know what it was like to be an EVA pilot, and who was perfectly aware of what it was like to be used by those in charge. They hadn't exactly gotten along, but that didn't mean that they were unable to rely on each other. Besides, they both shared concerns over the boy who'd been assigned to pilot Unit-01. Not that she was worried over the idiot, or something silly like having any sort of romantic intentions towards him. It was just that she was annoyed by his distant attitude as of late.
Getting him out of that wasn't a certainty, but at least she had the start of a plan to work on it.
Going around in secured elevators was something that Togusa was used to, as he'd worked as a cop long before he'd come to the original Section Nine. It was that ability to keep himself under control, along with his investigative skill, that had helped him get that promotion, and he had never felt panicked enough to lose his discipline. Keeping his head was good, especially since doing so figuratively made it so much easier to do literally.
But then he hadn't exactly been off on a harsh mission, so it wasn't a problem to stay relaxed as he reached the floor that was one of those that made up Section Nine's headquarters.
He did stop and blink as he saw several new faces wearing the uniforms that were part of Section Nine's operational dress. The pretty blonde woman and the bulky cyborg next to her were more familiar by their files than anything else, but he could understand why Deunan Knute and her partner were there. The presence of the other blonde was strange though... at least until one saw the fangs that glinted when she talked to the major. And he had to blink when he saw the third woman in his vicinity.
"What? Do you have some sort of a problem?" asked the dark skinned woman as she arched a silver brow.
Shaking his head, Togusa tried to wave off any offense that she might have felt. "No, having a pretty lady around isn't any trouble."
"Really. I thought that some humans might be put off by having a dark elf among them."
"And I'd think that you elf types might be bothered by having to use high technology."
"I see," she murmured, giving off a small laugh. "But so far, I think that I can handle the... advancements that have been made to my sword."
"That's good. I'd hate for you dislike working here."
"Perhaps, but then, perhaps you're trying to charm me. In the romantic sense."
"And if I was?"
"I gave my heart to a man a long time ago. A human man, and I would not break faith with him."
"Good to hear. I hope that things go well for you in that," he told her, making a show of laughing nervously.
"Oh? And why is that?"
"I'm married. And other than the fact that I love her completely... she'd kill me if I flirted with another woman."
This time, the elf woman gave a throaty laugh as she smiled at him. "I like you."
"I'm glad. I'm Togusa."
"I am Pirotess," she told him, bowing her head slightly, while:
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(Posted Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:22)
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