[The door opens soundlessly and Rei is let in to Tony's mess. There's a few chairs and a sofa free, but most everyhin else is covered with tools and resources. The door closes just as creepily as it opened and a female voice with an Irish accent says:]
Good afternoon, Rei. The boss is in the lab.
[IE the two bedrooms if the sound of welding says anything. The bathroom door of the two room apartment is firmly shut. There may be some chirping coming from inside. Tony himself is putting together a pipe for his particle accelerator because he needs more than just palladium to power things around here. Which means manufacturing his new element: Badassium. It's a working title
He looks up when Rei comes in.]
That doesn't look like a Christmas ham on your shoulder.
[The sounds within took her initially by surprise, though not for long. Heavy-duty soundproofing would be needed for some of the work that he wanted, so she wasn't that shocked. She had simply not expected it. Turning towards the sound of the voice, she nodded once before going in the direction of those back rooms.
When she saw him, she took the sample from her shoulder and looked for a place to set it.]
It was causing noise near our home. There was one for every house. I suspect they were scouts. The sound eaters may be adapting.
...
What is Christmas? [Not exactly a holiday they bothered to celebrate where she was from, and there was never a winter in Tokyo 3, not anymore.]
Depends. Are you religious? [He sets down his tools and holds out his hands for the bird.] And: it's raining. I could go out and shout in the street and not die. Probably. Let's see this thing.
[The question about her religious beliefs caused her to think about that for a moment. She got a far-off look as she settled into a seat and finally just shook her head.]
I do not suppose that I am. I have not been to a temple with any regularity, and I do not spend much time venerating the kami. I am not even sure who my ancestors are...
And killing angels does not seem very religious by other standards.
[She looked at him for a moment and actually frowned. The way he put it. Oh yes, they had mentioned alternate realities, or at least someone had. She didn't know if she ascribed to that belief exactly, but...]
As some have described matters, that would be correct. Nobody I know has heard of the second impact and global floods leading to war and devastation.
And people keep insisting angels are supposed to be nice.
Definitely not from the same world. In 2015 the only one trying to destroy humanity was, uhm— [A decided pause and then more quietly with some self-judging exasperation:] me. So what do you do in this crazy world of biblical monsters? If I can ask that.
You're not exactly [another pause. Normal? Normal's relative. No, the word is—] helpless.
[She considered answering him for a moment with the usual line. She could hear the old teacher going on and on about water levels rising after the asteroid hit. It was all lies, garbage, and none of it was here.
If this was a Dirac Sea, and she was trapped by an angel, it had been at this for two months now, and that defied her sense of logic.]
The answer is classified. But, at this point I do not know that anything I de-classify will cause problems. [She looked away and closed her eyes.]
I pilot a bio-mechanical construct that fights the angels.
[He is surprisingly less wut about that than he would expect himself to be. Rei's a responsible kid. Good head on her shoulder. It obviously comes from somewhere.]
...Looks like we're closer in our job descriptions than I thought. Parents got you into it? Or did you sign up?
[She looked away for a moment, unsure how to respond exactly. It wasn't as if she knew what she was about to say for certain. But, her memories were only clear so far back, and there were the times in the test tube, helping to create the dummy plug system, the feeling of countless eyes on her, though none were visible. There was the familiarity, the feeling that she was not alone and that 'she' was replaceable. How did you put that in words?]
I am probably a clone. I may have been made for this specific purpose, in case the other pilots failed. A baseline, though I think there were more personal reasons involved.
[There's a long, distinctive pause as he processes that, mind immediately piecing together all that's said and unsaid. The horrors, the inhumanization. He might not know how bad it really is, but he builds AI. He's made a living being. He has an idea.]
Okay. You're not going home. When we do find a way out of here. You can leave with someone else. I know I'm not really the moral police, but I'm drawing a line.
[Her voice had an 'off' quality to it, when she looked back at him. Red eyes locked with Tony's, and for a moment she looked a little different. It wasn't as if her body had changed, but she was one fraction ram-rod straighter. It faded quickly afterwards.]
I believe I understand your outrage, but it is for me to decide. And if I return, it will be to finish what I have helped start. He will probably not get what he wants, though.
[Yeah that's not freaky at all and in a way it reminds him of Wanda. He hadn't been able to protect her either. And it wasn't for lack of trying. She'd defied him in much the same way.
And even with that he didn't have the correct answer on how to deal with this. Instead his own face turns a bit hard.]
And what did you start Rei? This isn't your typical crap luck of the draw. Do you even know what happened to the person you were cloned from?
I suspect that they are dead, or beyond where anyone can communicate with them.
[It was hard to say that she had reason to suspect she was the cloned remnants of Gendo's dead wife, whose soul was now fused with Shinji's "Unit 1" and playing mama protector to him. Though that definitely would explain why Unit 1 went berserk every time she tried to connect with it.
She'd be pissed off too if some cloned half-angel abomination wearing her body tried to sit inside of her head and pilot her body.]
I am not sure 'what' he started, other than that it affects all humanity, and he wishes to guide it. But, like all the others, he is flawed. It is not for him to control.
You know that's the first time I think I've heard you say an opinion and not a fact.
[It's terse, but it's an admittance. He drops his arms, but he's still tense. Tony was —is— extremely possessive. Ever since his parents passed. Even more so since he lost his father's butler, Jarvis, the man who had essentially raised him. Overprotective doesn't begin to describe it.]
I am not sure, and I am not sure I would say "obligated." If I am a clone, he has the material to rebuild me, with the memories I had to a point. It would be me, and it would still be the me needed. The result will be the same.
Maybe ... 'called' is a better word for it. I will not be complete until it is finished. [She shrugged again. yes, she liked this gesture. In fact, she was certain that she liked the gesture. She needed to thank the person who taught her it.]
But I am not certain yet. I just know that I will decide. ... [She paused a moment and looked back at him.] I do have opinions though. I just do not bother when it is not my business usually. But, I am supposed to care, yes?
[He's never told her to be more personable. He gets what she's saying though. And he wishes he could punch something. Is it strange the thought of someone regarding Rei as an object and her allowing it makes him so angry?
Well, breathe. But that's about it. I'm guessing that's not your normal.
[His hands start moving of their own volition, tapping at air. A scan runs over the bird Rei's carrying. It's not that this needs to be taken care of now. It's that he can't stay still. Feel helpless.]
Consider it a vacation. You do have hobbies at least, don't you?
[Tony, seriously, does this girl look like she has hobbies?]
I knit.
[Rei, performing the assigned job that you got when you walked in the door does not count as having a hobby, no matter how many people did it for fun.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2018-03-20 06:35 pm (UTC)Good afternoon, Rei. The boss is in the lab.
[IE the two bedrooms if the sound of welding says anything. The bathroom door of the two room apartment is firmly shut. There may be some chirping coming from inside. Tony himself is putting together a pipe for his particle accelerator because he needs more than just palladium to power things around here. Which means manufacturing his new element: Badassium. It's a working title
He looks up when Rei comes in.]
That doesn't look like a Christmas ham on your shoulder.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-21 03:44 am (UTC)When she saw him, she took the sample from her shoulder and looked for a place to set it.]
It was causing noise near our home. There was one for every house. I suspect they were scouts. The sound eaters may be adapting.
...
What is Christmas? [Not exactly a holiday they bothered to celebrate where she was from, and there was never a winter in Tokyo 3, not anymore.]
One day the calendar will stop moving without me jfc
Date: 2018-03-26 11:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-27 12:42 am (UTC)[The question about her religious beliefs caused her to think about that for a moment. She got a far-off look as she settled into a seat and finally just shook her head.]
I do not suppose that I am. I have not been to a temple with any regularity, and I do not spend much time venerating the kami. I am not even sure who my ancestors are...
And killing angels does not seem very religious by other standards.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-27 12:47 am (UTC)I've been thinking this for some time, but that kind of clinches it. You come from one of those apocalyptic future type worlds, don't you?
[NO. TACT. AT ALL. Meanwhile text will scroll across Rei's device from F.R.I.D.A.Y.: Would you like something to drink, Rei?]
no subject
Date: 2018-03-27 12:54 am (UTC)[She looked at him for a moment and actually frowned. The way he put it. Oh yes, they had mentioned alternate realities, or at least someone had. She didn't know if she ascribed to that belief exactly, but...]
As some have described matters, that would be correct. Nobody I know has heard of the second impact and global floods leading to war and devastation.
And people keep insisting angels are supposed to be nice.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-27 01:14 am (UTC)[He guesses???? But okay, serious talk:]
What's the date where you're from? You are from Earth, correct?
no subject
Date: 2018-03-27 02:53 am (UTC)[One second... yes, she remembered]
2015.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 08:38 pm (UTC)You're not exactly [another pause. Normal? Normal's relative. No, the word is—] helpless.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 09:24 pm (UTC)If this was a Dirac Sea, and she was trapped by an angel, it had been at this for two months now, and that defied her sense of logic.]
The answer is classified. But, at this point I do not know that anything I de-classify will cause problems. [She looked away and closed her eyes.]
I pilot a bio-mechanical construct that fights the angels.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 09:28 pm (UTC)...Looks like we're closer in our job descriptions than I thought. Parents got you into it? Or did you sign up?
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 09:34 pm (UTC)[She looked away for a moment, unsure how to respond exactly. It wasn't as if she knew what she was about to say for certain. But, her memories were only clear so far back, and there were the times in the test tube, helping to create the dummy plug system, the feeling of countless eyes on her, though none were visible. There was the familiarity, the feeling that she was not alone and that 'she' was replaceable. How did you put that in words?]
I am probably a clone. I may have been made for this specific purpose, in case the other pilots failed. A baseline, though I think there were more personal reasons involved.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 09:38 pm (UTC)Okay. You're not going home. When we do find a way out of here. You can leave with someone else. I know I'm not really the moral police, but I'm drawing a line.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 09:44 pm (UTC)[Her voice had an 'off' quality to it, when she looked back at him. Red eyes locked with Tony's, and for a moment she looked a little different. It wasn't as if her body had changed, but she was one fraction ram-rod straighter. It faded quickly afterwards.]
I believe I understand your outrage, but it is for me to decide. And if I return, it will be to finish what I have helped start. He will probably not get what he wants, though.
I am not who he wanted me to be.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 09:53 pm (UTC)And even with that he didn't have the correct answer on how to deal with this. Instead his own face turns a bit hard.]
And what did you start Rei? This isn't your typical crap luck of the draw. Do you even know what happened to the person you were cloned from?
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 09:58 pm (UTC)[It was hard to say that she had reason to suspect she was the cloned remnants of Gendo's dead wife, whose soul was now fused with Shinji's "Unit 1" and playing mama protector to him. Though that definitely would explain why Unit 1 went berserk every time she tried to connect with it.
She'd be pissed off too if some cloned half-angel abomination wearing her body tried to sit inside of her head and pilot her body.]
I am not sure 'what' he started, other than that it affects all humanity, and he wishes to guide it. But, like all the others, he is flawed. It is not for him to control.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 10:13 pm (UTC)You know that's the first time I think I've heard you say an opinion and not a fact.
[It's terse, but it's an admittance. He drops his arms, but he's still tense. Tony was —is— extremely possessive. Ever since his parents passed. Even more so since he lost his father's butler, Jarvis, the man who had essentially raised him. Overprotective doesn't begin to describe it.]
What makes you feel obligated to go back?
no subject
Date: 2018-03-31 10:20 pm (UTC)Maybe ... 'called' is a better word for it. I will not be complete until it is finished. [She shrugged again. yes, she liked this gesture. In fact, she was certain that she liked the gesture. She needed to thank the person who taught her it.]
But I am not certain yet. I just know that I will decide. ... [She paused a moment and looked back at him.] I do have opinions though. I just do not bother when it is not my business usually. But, I am supposed to care, yes?
Caring means you have an opinion.
no subject
Date: 2018-04-01 03:23 am (UTC)[He's never told her to be more personable. He gets what she's saying though. And he wishes he could punch something. Is it strange the thought of someone regarding Rei as an object and her allowing it makes him so angry?
Well. He's only human.]
Just don't get yourself killed.
no subject
Date: 2018-04-01 10:56 pm (UTC)[Said the girl who had gone kamikaze while using what was basically a nuclear weapon as a football in her last memories of home.]
But... I suppose it is at least a little true. I am not required to do anything here, am I?
no subject
Date: 2018-04-03 07:40 pm (UTC)[His hands start moving of their own volition, tapping at air. A scan runs over the bird Rei's carrying. It's not that this needs to be taken care of now. It's that he can't stay still. Feel helpless.]
Consider it a vacation. You do have hobbies at least, don't you?
no subject
Date: 2018-04-04 01:00 pm (UTC)[Tony, seriously, does this girl look like she has hobbies?]
I knit.
[Rei, performing the assigned job that you got when you walked in the door does not count as having a hobby, no matter how many people did it for fun.]