mk. 06 (text)

[paraclete]

Who: Kaworu Nagisa and whomever else
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: he's in his quarters on the Vanquish.
When: 9/13, which is the anniversary of a horrible catastrophe on his planet!! also his birthday. but mostly the catastrophe thing.

I've gotten a sponsorship box, although I am still not entirely sure what that means. Anyway, it came with the assertion that I should have a wonderful day. But since I hope that you, the reader, will have a wonderful day, and because it would take me a very long time to eat all of this, I'm going to leave it out and let you come and take a cup full, if you'd like to.



It's sitting in the cargo hold of the Vanquish. There are other things there, as well, but you can find this particular box thanks to the glitter on the floor surrounding it. You can take more than a cup, too. I won't be monitoring it. I want to share any bounty I can with any creature I can. A debt is no good.

I do have one request, independent of boxes and cups. If you have the time, and if you feel nostalgic, would you tell me about your planet? It can be anything you want to say. Whatever details are most vivid as the memory of your home. Whatever hallmarks you consider to define your dwelling place. Thanks.

Don't you think it would be nice to go swimming?

Comments

video

[interstices]

You'd eat those plain?

[Asuka's nose wrinkles in disdain.]

[paraclete]

[It's a few moments before he sends any video back to her, mostly because he's gathering himself up, banishing any morose look on his face to deep inside his soggy heart. So, once he does respond, he's able to look quite mellow and pleasant, since that's his specialty.]

They're good?

[Right????]

[interstices]

[Well, that took a second or two. Maybe Kaworu's just unaccustomed to swapping to video for her. She knows what day this is, too.]

You know what? They taste better on frosting.

text;

[robitussin]

when they told you to have a good day did they indicate why they gave you a huge bag of sprinkles

[paraclete]

Well, sprinkles are good. Want some?

[robitussin]

no i want to solve the mystery of sprinkles

text;

[beathach]

Are you eating those plain?

[paraclete]

I have recently been advised against this? Yeah, though.

[beathach]

Add a second advisement, I advise against it too.

They might taste good if you mix it with the vanilla stuff.

action. Shinji → Asuka → Kaworu.

[astrobleme]

[Nine arguments, four staring contests, and one dropped egg later, Kaworu's birthday cake is finally ready for presentation. It wasn't the easiest decision to make a cake for September 13, given the day's complicated history--but Shinji is glad it happened and it's done. He's even glad he enlisted Asuka to help him out, despite how quickly it turned into a partisan squabble. Seriously. From flavors to adornments, every detail made for a separate battle in one long, drawn-out war to produce a cake. Vanilla or chocolate, green or blue, small or large or tiered or not...

Anyway, Shinji remembers how to smile before knocking on the door to Kaworu's room. He's hoping for the best, for once, for how Kaworu will respond to the gift. It's impossible to know if Kaworu will be offended by the cake Asuka is holding, or Asuka's part in creating it, or the idea of celebrating September 13 at all. The cake itself is chocolate on chocolate, extra frosting, with cute blue and green decorations crafted from sugar. Sugar stars, sugar spirals, even more sugar stars...]

Try not to give him a hard time, okay? [he says to Asuka, out of the corner of his mouth.]

[interstices]

About what, being almost thirty? [Part of her is weirdly tempted to stick her tongue out. Their bickering over the past couple hours while fixing the cake was so nostalgic, so much like their stupid fights as kids. She'd missed it. But wanting to relive the days at Katsuragi's apartment really isn't nearly enough reason to make a cake for Kaworu. She knows it. She should still hate him. All the reason to hate Kaworu's standing right next to her and stuck permanently square in her eye. She knows that, too.]

[He's just hard to hate, that's all. Is that all? Well. He makes Shinji happy. Is that enough of a reason? Whatever. Asuka's typical grimace is no more than half-implanted on her face by the time the door's opened, and she lifts the cake up almost ceremoniously right towards Kaworu's face.]

This is for you.

[paraclete]

[Kaworu's been able to sense Shinji's soul approaching for some time now, and, considering what today means, he isn't really sure what to expect. As ever, he's longing to see Shinji and spend time with him; but the reminder of this particular anniversary also makes Kaworu feel especially reclusive, more out of shame than anything. He's caught between counting the seconds to Shinji's arrival, and hoping for any possible postponement.

Of course, the presence accompanying Shinji is a puzzle... and Kaworu figures it's more likely to be Asuka than to be anyone else, but he's got no Earthly idea why she'd be coming too. It's not that he hates it—well, he almost does, because it's another opportunity for her to see him in a pathetic state. But, in general, he doesn't hate when she's around. There's a comfort in how she talks to him. It doesn't occur to him that that may be strange.

He puts on a pleasant face before he opens his door. He keeps his pleasant face while he looks at his guests and then at what they offer. It's taking a moment for him to process that. Asuka lifts it up, lifts up a cake, and Kaworu's pleasant face goes static. He looks at the cake, and at Shinji, and at Asuka, and then repeats that process. He isn't stupid. He knows what it means.]

Oh, hel—

[His static, pleasant face is melting into something less static, less pleasant. He brings his hand to his mouth and clears his throat.]

Oh, hello, [he tries again. It comes out with a little wobble, slightly damp. He feels slightly damp right now, in his heart, in his eyes...

He stares at the cake. While he stares at the cake, he says, with some alarm,] Hello.

text;

[forcesensitive]

[Normally he would have to ask what those even are, but living on a ship with Pinkie Pie has taught him a few things about desserts and decorating them.]

looks like you need some icing to put those on

[paraclete]

So I've been hearing! I have had several people discourage me from eating them by the handful. Bodies are so delicate. I suppose there's something to be said for not risking too much.

They're pretty good, though.

[forcesensitive]

really do they have much of a flavor i thought they were mostly for texture

action. (later on in the day.)

[astrobleme]

[So.

It's weird.

That's the undeniable part of this, Shinji thinks. It was weird when he asked about it the first time and it's still weird now, sitting beside Kaworu, their heads tilted together fondly. He first noticed Kaworu's interest in--uhm, makeup--it's weird--when he spotted a small palette of eyeshadow sitting out in the open, in Kaworu's room. Shinji tentatively asked about it. Kaworu more or less said he admired anything that could make someone look beautiful. That made some sense, given Kaworu's idea of aesthetics, but it's just plain weird.]

I got you something else, [Shinji says softly.

So it's weird when he reaches for his shoulder bag, the one that held the plates and utensils and napkins, and he pulls out the silver-wrapped birthday gift. The wrapping paper is shiny in the way of stainless steel. He would have picked up a birthday card, but he has no freaking idea how to write down how he feels. After appealing to Asuka for help, Shinji managed to pick out something more comprehensive for Kaworu. He doesn't know if the all-in-one cosmetics kit is worthwhile or not. And doesn't know if he should encourage this when Kaworu is a boy, but...

They're Angels. Maybe human standards shouldn't apply to them at all. It's hard to grapple with the reality of that, really...

Shinji kisses Kaworu's cheek for good measure.]

[paraclete]

[He had already known that Shinji is kind. He had known, too, that Asuka is kind to him in a certain way. They're both good people, and Kaworu is aware of that. They've treated him better than he would have expected from anyone else. And yet...

And yet Kaworu is still stunned by today's events: a celebration of life, even when that life heralded an unprecedented number of deaths. They were so nice to him. Despite knowing firsthand what Second Impact did to their Earth, Shinji and Asuka were so nice to him, and just thinking about their goodness makes Kaworu want to cry. He's already done an embarrassing amount of eye-scrubbing today, though, so he'll try to compress himself. It's not easy, though, when Shinji continues to show that kindness, when he continues to treat Kaworu better than anyone should. Shinji kisses his cheek, and Kaworu shuts his eyes and sighs through a smile, shoulders slackening. Shinji's touch has always made Kaworu feel superheated, often to the point of melting, and he's too emotionally exhausted to compose himself through it.

He opens his eyes again to get a good look at the gift. And: ] It's beautiful! [Probably a predictable reaction, given Kaworu's general outlook. He takes the box into his hands with tender caution, and peers at its wrapping. His smile flourishes.] I can see your reflection in it, [he says, almost cooing. Shinji's face is a textured blur on the face of the chrome wrapping.] This is wonderful. Thank you so much.

[It probably seems, for a moment, like Kaworu thinks that a shiny box is his gift. He's not quite so clueless, though. Kaworu sets the box down in front of himself, and leans with his shoulder gently against Shinji's. It's a way of trying to steady himself, since his nerves are buzzing, alight with joy and guilt both.] I hate to ruin it... [But he knows the point of the paper is to be torn off, so he starts to tear it away from the box. As with everything that's gone on since Shinji and Asuka came to see him, Kaworu has no idea what to expect. White Day was one thing—his watch is snugly on his wrist even now—but a birthday present is unimaginable territory.

Once he finally sees the actual gift, though, the joy overcomes the guilt. The box's translucent face reveals what feels like a world of color. Kaworu's eyes are wide and bright, glimmering with a starry delight. His smile is wide, too, with a pianist's passion.]

Shinji-kun! [He can hardly tear his eyes away from the palettes, but it's worth it to look at Shinji's face (which is still the most beautiful thing ever).] There's so much!

[astrobleme]

[There's no greater gift. Seriously, there's nothing that can compete with the smile on Kaworu's face or the exuberance in his voice. His eyes could outshine the brightest star in the vastness of space. He has every hallmark of happiness, and that's before he's ready to unwrap the gift and find out what it is.] You don't have to thank me, [Shinji replies, sounding a bit feeble himself. One good day won't absolve him of the many bad ones he's responsible for, but he's still trying to do the right thing for Kaworu.] Just, uh, if you don't like it, we can take it back and try to find something else.

[But it's obvious from Kaworu's reaction--open, honest, near-to-glowing, the most buoyant Shinji has ever seen him--that liking it or not liking it shouldn't be a question. Shinji feels like he's going to start crying, mostly from relief, some of it from the intensity of being in love. At this point, Shinji would conquer an entire planet--two planets--a solar system--if it meant making Kaworu happy. That's probably kind of maybe insane, but he doesn't care anymore. Kaworu deserves nothing less than the best of everything.]

Oh, yeah, it... [Shinji reaches over to tap the stylish window display of the kit.] It has... let's see, it has eyeshadow, blush, nail polish... and other things, I don't remember exactly. I asked to clerk for something more--comprehensive? And Asuka, she gave me some advice, too, so... [So it's technically another gift from Asuka, even though Shinji wants to claim Kaworu's happiness for himself. He ducks his head a little, smiling about the good reception, yet embarrassed by his own feckless greed. His face is reddening all the way to the tips of his ears.] So I hope you like it, Kaworu-kun.

[scanninggaydis]

So, are the sponsor drops ever actually useful? I'm just wondering.

[paraclete]

This is my first one... It's edible, at least.

[...]

But apparently in small quantities?

[scanninggaydis]

Well, they're pure sugar. So yeah.

Also, I think they'd probably start tasting awful if you ate too much in one sitting.

text;

[frigidaire]

swimming sounds fun.
i just want food from home, and my own bed.
not really a good story but earth is pretty run of the mill.
anyway, are you sure anyone can have some of those sprinkles?
i mean ill take some but i dont even know you

[paraclete]

I think it sounds fun, too. And, even if this is strange,

I am not entirely sure what a plain Earth is like

So if you want to talk about it, I'd like to hear.

Also, my name is Kaworu Nagisa, it's nice to meet you. Now you know me a little more, so, by all means, you can take as much of them as you want.

:)

[survivra]

What in the name of the Middluns even is that?

[paraclete]

I am not sure what the Middluns is/are,

But that is a large box containing a large bag full of colorful candy sprinkles. They're for eating.

[...]

In small quantities, as I've learned. And not alone.