002. text + action.

[astrobleme]

Who: Shinji Ikari and you?!
Broadcast: Fleetwide.
Action: SS Heron.
When: 3/12.

[network.]

[Shinji rewrites this about a dozen times before he finally decides to post it. It reads:]

Hello. My name is Shinji Ikari. I'm a pilot that's stationed on the Heron. I'm sorry if I'm not using the network as it's intended, but I don't know how else to distribute this message. I've been a member of the Fleet for over a month now and I've met quite a lot of people who have treated me well. It's something I wasn't expecting at all. I haven't been in the best frame of mind, but people have gone out of their way to reassure me, offer to help me, or just talk to me. That's something else I wasn't expecting. I don't know why anyone bothers to talk to someone like me.

The point of this message is to say that I'm grateful. I'd like to thank all of those people, and repay them, if at all possible. I don't know some of their names or contact information, though. I do have an easier time of thanking my crew - I'm doing that now - thank you, everyone, for putting up with me. And hello to anyone who's newly assigned. Anyway, I'm on the Heron, like I said, and I have small tokens of my appreciation to give out if people want them. I'll be in the cargo bay all day by the gym equipment. Although it's kind of pathetic, a single conversation is enough to qualify for this. (Talking to people is helping my ratings...)

Kaworu-kun and Asuka, I have things to give you too. I know it's a little early for White Day.

Unrelated question: Is it possible to delete any content that's posted to the network? I'm guessing not, but maybe I missed an option for that.

Thank you for your time.


[action, aboard the Heron.]

[Shinji can be found sitting in the cargo bay, on a stretching mat, nearest to the gym equipment. He's young-looking and more than a little sleepless, wondering if he shouldn't have made that embarrassing post. He's in the middle of nervously, repeatedly digging his fingers into a netted bag of colorful marbles that he won from the arcade on the Starlight. They're beautiful glass marbles, each crafted to resemble a foreign galaxy.

This isn't much of a gift, but he hopes it isn't a stupid one.

He looks up whenever he has a new visitor. Before he says anything, he pauses his music player and takes out at least one of his earbuds.]

Hey.

Comments

text.

[paraclete]

Oh, White Day is soon? I didn't realize.

[...

Um,] What is White Day?

[More importantly, was he supposed to get Shinji something too?!?!!?]

text.

[astrobleme]

[... well, Shinji can't say he's surprised.]

Yeah, it's in a few days. White Day is when the guys who got something on Valentine's Day are supposed to return the favor.

text.

[paraclete]

So, Valentine's Day runs even deeper than I thought. It was kind of you to think of me. Is there anything I can do for you in return?

[He might be missing the point of the occasion.]

[voice]

[actsmagnificent]

Embarrassed yourself, huh?

[ Sorry, Haruka doesn't like texting; she'll keep the video off since this person seems to prefer no visuals, though. But that doesn't change the fact that the voice that just came through Shinji's augment

is his own voice

only lower, and sexier.

Welp. ]

[text]

[astrobleme]

[This better not be the start of some auditory hallucinations. Hesitantly, he writes,]

I didn't make a very good first impression, so...

[voice]

[actsmagnificent]

Nobody does.

[ But the kid seems conscientious, so she should probably ease up on him. Well. She's assuming this is a kid. Seems it. ]

It sounds like you've been sorted into a good crew. Congratulations.

text

[interstices]

[Color Asuka several shades of stunned, reading those two sentences right in the middle of the post. She doesn't even care that Nagisa's name was listed first.]

[White Day. One of those Japanese traditions that she actually hadn't ever decried as stupid in her youth, because she felt like guys deserved to be singled out for chocolate giving. She feels like a stupid schoolgirl all over again. It's so, so pathetic that it isn't even funny--]

You got me something?

text

[astrobleme]

Did you think I wouldn't?

Re: text

[interstices]

[Yes.]

I was afraid you were going to count the cake.

ACTION

[sandhate]

[ Anakin was just leaving after briefly (two hours tops, that's brief for him) visiting Padme in her office on Heron. He usually beelines there and back, avoiding and missing most of the Heron crew.

This time he wanted to check out Heron's shuttles before he left. He had intended to have a quick look inside and compare the schematics of each ships' shuttle. But instead he finds himself feeling a bit awkward interrupting this kid's moment of... whatever is going on here. ]

Oh. Hi.

[ He spots the glass marbles. ]

Those are nice.

[astrobleme]

[Shinji doesn't have a problem with touching inanimate objects. He prefers to fiddle with something, like the marbles, just to bleed off some nervous energy. He's feeling very nervous as he waits around.

With a forced smile, he says,] Hi. [... oh, he already said a greeting. Damn it. He's screwing this up from the get-go.] These are... they're marbles, but they're really cool. Some of them glow in the dark. I don't recognize any of these galaxies, though, sadly.

[He has no idea if this person is someone new, or someone looking for a gift. It doesn't matter.]

Would you like one?

action

[percolates]

[That was quite the message. It says a lot about Shinji, some of which Ciri's guessed, but it makes her all the more determined to come say hello. She's not interested in gifts. After all, she has Buku.]

Hello, Shinji.

[She waves before approaching.]

[astrobleme]

[Shinji's first draft of the message had been equivalent to shit talking himself into oblivion. It took several pruning attempts to end up with something that didn't sound like, I hate myself and deserve to die. It's still kind of messy.]

Ciri-san. I should have come to your ship, probably, but... since you're here... [Clack clack. He rolls some marbles around, smiling faintly.] How is everything?

text

[resnipstance]

Hey, if talking to people is all you need to do to bump your ratings, you can talk to me all you want! I like talking. And it miiiight've been said before that I'm a chatterbox.

text

[astrobleme]

That's nice of you to offer. Thank you.

I just don't want any one person to get sick of me.

[dirth]

I have yet to find any means of removing things written from the devices, though I am sure someone will certainly try. Should that change I would be glad to let you know.

[astrobleme]

Thank you. It might go against Atroma's rules, though. If they have any rules.

text;

[birdsbirdsbirds]

The people here really are very kind, aren't they? I've been brought into situations like the Drift Fleet several times in the past, but I've never met a group so willing to help complete strangers before.

[he has never talked to this kid before in his life, but he's still admitting to this as if it was... normal. or familiar, at the very least.]

It's pretty nice, even if it's confusing, too.

text;

[astrobleme]

You've been on other reality TV shows?

[What is this, an epidemic? Just who the hell is watching this crap? Shinji both does and doesn't want to meet their audience...]

text.

[seasidelove]

to answer your question
i don't think there is i'm sorry :(
but everyone here is really nice
the situation isn't really the best...
but the people make it better
a lot better

text.

[astrobleme]

I had a feeling that would be the answer. It's fine.

If I could change one thing about this situation, I'd want to know more about our audience.

[The secrecy is killing him.]

late whoops.

[t65]

you don't have to thank me for anything! I'm just glad I have your name. how have you been Shinji?

right on time imo

[astrobleme]

I want to thank you anyway. What you said before really helped me out. I decided to volunteer at that community garden on the Iksaulit. It's not a huge deal, but I'm doing something instead of nothing...

action

[tobeajedi]

[Vima is on her way to the cargo bay for her usual exercizin', but Shinji's presence puts that on hold for a moment. He doesn't seem too comfortable right now, although, she's not sure if he ever does. Particularly judging by that network post.

The marbles are interesting, too.]

Hey there. Those are pretty neat.

[astrobleme]

[Shinji is rarely comfortable, it's true, but he has ways of coping with that. Listening to music is one such method. He can zone out the whole world...

But he's trying to smile, taking out the second earbud.]

Yeah, I like them. Some of them glow in the dark, and I noticed this one sparkles when you touch it. [He holds up a glimmering marble. Then he asks,] Do you want one? Oh, and do you need me to move? [Just in case she's down here for the gym equipment and he's getting in the way.]