>>3650915

>Updates: https://twitter.com/MolochQM
>Previous threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=NERV%20Second%20Daughter

It's strange to imagine “the most dangerous girl in the world” going to school like any other teenager, but what else are you supposed to do? There's a note waiting for you arrive, asking you to stop by the baseball area at lunch.

So that's what you do. Clay is waiting, alone, when you arrive. The high fence surrounding the area has been decorated with crude cardboard targets, while the young man glares up at them in concentration. When you call out a greeting, he turns and gives you a scowl. “Oh,” he grunts, “At least YOU showed up.”

“Hey!” you protest, “What's that supposed to mean?”

“It's supposed to mean that like, we've got an attendance problem. I've been trying to organise something for the school festival and...” he pauses, squinting at your look of confusion, “You... didn't know about the school festival, did you?” Apparently not. Then again, summer break can't be that far off. Your sense of timing is all out of order, probably because of how little you've been at school. Oblivious to your thoughts, Clay turns away and gestures up to the crude targets. “The teachers want us to put on some displays. I thought something like this – accuracy and precision, you know? - might be pretty cool,” he continues, “But the others are ghosting me. They don't want to put in the work.”

“They quit the club?” you guess, looking around the deserted area. Clay glances around, snorting with humourless laughter.

“Be easier if they had. Then, at least, I'd know where I stood. Nah, they're all “oh sure we'll help” but when it comes to doing shit, they're full of excuses,” he shrugs angrily, “I need at least two people – one to make the hits, and another to... present it, I guess? Like a game show host, but less lame. Sounds easy, I know, but you try saying that when you're trying to act cool in front of like, half the school.”

That DOES sound pretty terrible. “So this festival...” you ask slowly, “What else is going on?”

“Well, uh, the culture club is doing tours of this shrine thing they found. I guess it must be pretty new, since everything here is, but it looks old. You know that Kaori girl? I've seen you hang with her a couple of times. Well, they drafted her in to help, but she doesn't seem happy about it,” Clay laughs, “You think it's like a, what do you call it, a cultural appropriation thing or what?”

More like it's a “Kaori hates fun” kind of thing. You've never been involved in a school festival, though, so...

>You can't afford to be distracted by the festival. It's a waste of your time
>Looks like the baseball club really needs you to step up to the plate!
>Sounds like Kaori needs some help. Maybe the culture club is looking for volunteers...
>Other

>>3650917
>Looks like the baseball club really needs you to step up to the plate!

>>3650917
>You can't afford to be distracted by the festival. It's a waste of your time.
It may be worth it, but Holly should at least make clear that her schedule is the problem here as she needs to be able to drop things as needed to meet it and is unlikely to be able to change that in response to the needs here.

Also Speculation from the last thread
>>3637278
>>3638733
>>3647402

>>3650917
>Looks like the baseball club really needs you to step up to the plate!

Literally?

Also ask Fletcher if there are videos of our rampage

>>3650917
>Looks like the baseball club really needs you to step up to the plate!

>>3650917
>>Sounds like Kaori needs some help. Maybe the culture club is looking for volunteers...

As you're imagining what a school festival might be like – you picture lots of snacks and lame amusements – Clay wanders over to the cardboard targets and studies them, dragging one of them slightly aside before changing his mind and returning it to its original position. “You know, the teachers are already telling me to give this show up,” he remarks, his tone deceptively casual, “It's never going to work. I can join in with one of the other groups, maybe another sports team, and help them out. I guess they've got a point, but-”

“Looks like you're in a tight spot,” you joke, marching across the dusty field, “You really need someone to step up to the plate, huh?”

Clay turns slowly, a pained expression on his face. “Sure,” he replies dryly, “I need someone to take a swing at it. Even better if they can knock it out the park.”

“But they'll need to work hard,” you agree, “Because it's three strikes and they're out.”

“And we've got targets to hit,” he concludes, “Look, as much as I love puns, I'm really scraping the barrel here. Are you actually, seriously volunteering to help? I mean like, committing to help at all costs, on pain of death or ritual humiliation?”

You pause, the amusement falling away from your face. Clay seems to realise what you're about to say even before you say it, turning back to his half-hearted targets. Without his eyes on you, it's easier to speak. “I... wish I could promise you that. I want to help out, and I'm gonna try damn hard to stick to that, but I've got... other commitments. Sometimes, I just need to be somewhere else,” another pause here, as you wait for his reaction, “If it wasn't important, I wouldn't-”

“Hey, don't worry about it,” Clay assures you, turning back and flashing you a charming smile. Well, he probably intended for it to be charming. It's not NOT charming, but... he just can't quite pull it off. “At least you're letting me know,” he continues, “The others, they just say one thing and do the other. It's like I said before, I wish I knew where I was with them. You might have other commitments, but they've got commitment issues. Very important difference.”

Nodding slowly, relieved by his casual acceptance, you move over to help him take down the targets. “So do you know what they're doing instead?” you ask, “I mean, are they cheating on you with some other club?”

“Well, uh, there's kind of a scam on at the moment. If we're working on a festival activity, we get some classes off. You know, extra time to work on it. A bunch of the guys are claiming the time off, but they don't plan to host an activity. They've got some excuse about a last minute disaster, and none of the teachers are gonna care enough to call them out, so...” Clay shrugs, “They just couldn't resist the chance to cut class. Guess I can't blame them too much there. These days, who wants to spend all their time in school?”

[1/2]

>>3650915
>nine years
The doctor wins this round

>>3651024

There's a weight to Clay's words that you don't like. These days, he says. These days, who wants to spend what might be their last moments in school? That's what he really means. “Gotta take these down now, just in case it rains later,” Clay mutters to himself as he fumbles with one of the plastic ties holding the target in place against the chain fence, “I'm like, halfway through painting some thin sheet metal ones. Not too heavy, but they'll ding real good if you hit them hard enough. Like bells, almost, but not so-”

“Clay,” you interrupt, “Are you like... worried? About everything, I mean, about... the way the world is going.”

Pausing for a moment, Clay bends down to slide his first target into a large plastic bag. “I dunno. I guess,” he admits, “It's weird. People just don't talk about it, y'know? A city block vanished, the hills exploded, and people don't talk about it. Maybe I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but that seems like a pretty bad thing. If people aren't talking, they're letting it out in other ways. It... I mean like, their stresses and fears. That kinda stuff. It's like the baseball guys, people are just getting apathetic about everything. That, or they get mean.”

Maybe it's just that you hardly ever do this, mix with people outside of the whole NERV system, but you're not really sure what Clay means. You've been so wrapped up in being the most dangerous girl in the world that you've hardly thought about what “normal” people might think of the Lilim attacks.

“But maybe the festival should help cheer everyone up,” Clay concludes with a shrug, “I guess that's why I'm putting so much effort in. There's not much else that a guy like me can do. If putting on a good show helps to make things seem a little better, even just for one day... hell yeah, I'm gonna do it. Are you in? I've got the next class off, so we can put in some batting practice. Don't know why I put those targets away, though, just gonna have to hang them back up again...”

“Yeah, I'll...” you begin as you take out your phone, only to pause as you glance at the screen. You only meant to check the time, but there's a message from Monroe waiting for you. Sent not so long ago, just at the start of your lunch break.

“No need for alarm, but Karina had another seizure,” the message reads, “We'll discuss it tonight. She's okay – walking and talking.”

Another seizure. That means another Lilim on the horizon, and Karina... Monroe says she's okay, but that might be overly optimistic. This IS Monroe, after all.

“Holly?” Clay prompts, noticing the phone in your hand, “Is that... bad news?”

>Pretty bad, yeah. I need to go. Like, right now
>No, it's nothing urgent. Let's get some practice in
>Other

>>3651121
>No, it's nothing urgent. Just got somewhere to be tonight. Let's get some practice in
>Give Karina a call when we have some spare time. Check in, see if she is okay, and chat for a little.

>>3651121
>No, it's nothing urgent. Let's get some practice in
We should see if we can get his contact details if we don't already have them as we may not be able to let him about our changes to the schedule at school or if he wants to talk about anything.

>>3650915
So i clearly missed the last bit of the thread before. I take it we finally voted to let Holly unleash the Beast and go Hyper-ADM?

>>3651121
>a little bad, but maybe some baseball will put me in a better mood to deal with it
>No, it's nothing urgent. Let's get some practice in

>>3651149
Yeah. Fletch wanted us to fake a Berserk to destroy the base. We decided to do the real thing.

>>3651149
Yes, letting Unit 02 awaken also lower our maximum Ego to 90 from 100

It also gave our Ego a boost of 20 points though

>>3651121
>No, it's nothing urgent. Let's get some practice in

RIP Karina

“It's a little bad, I guess, but nothing urgent. I mean, nothing I can do anything about now,” you tell him with a shrug. It takes some effort, that shrug, but you manage it somehow. This time, you'll just have to trust that Monroe is telling the truth about Karina. It's not easy, having learned a little more about her “condition”, but you can't spend your entire life worrying about the girl. You've got your own stuff going on, like boys and baseball. “I bet some baseball would cheer me right up, though,” you add with a grin, “And hey, what's your number? You know, just in case I need to call you later.”

“Oh, so you're asking for my number now?” Clay jokes, “Man, I was always told that the dude should make the first move. You're making me look bad!”

“Don't flatter yourself, buddy, it's just because I had my phone out already,” you warn him, adopting a prim and proper tone, “So... c'mon, hit me up!”

Laughing to himself, Clay retrieves his own phone from his bag and laboriously scrolls through it until he finds his number. “Don't laugh,” he grumbles, “I can never remember these long numbers. I tried to give this girl my number once, but I got the digits switched about. Never heard from her again. At least... I think I got the numbers switched around. I don't like the alternative. Whatever – I need to work on my swing, can you pitch?”

Tugging on the frayed baseball mitt, you get ready to throw the ball his way. With a solid crack and a crash, Clay strikes the ball and sends it flying into the chain fence. “Nice. That's actually where I was aiming for. Close enough, at least!” he laughs, only to sober up after a moment, “Is it a hospital thing?”

“What?” you blurt out, the question taking you off-guard.

“Your other commitment. Is it a hospital thing?” Clay repeats, “You just... I dunno, you've got this tough edge to you, like you're used to getting hurt. Makes me think of this guy I went to school with, he was always in and out of hospital. Some lung problem, I think, he was always coughing up great wads of... uh, too much information?”

“Way too much,” you agree, still floundering for a way to answer his question. A hospital thing? That's not entirely wrong – after all, you did just spend three days in the infirmary – and you're really not supposed to talk about NERV stuff with outsiders, so maybe that would be enough to end the conversation. Then again, constantly lying and dodging the truth...

>It's a hospital thing, yeah. It's not easy for me to talk about
>Don't get carried away. It's just this job I've got
>You need to keep this a secret, but I'm with NERV. That's my “commitment”
>Just butt out, okay? Just drop it
>Other

>>3651262
>Don't get carried away. It's just this job I've got.
We can't give the game away, if we do bad things are going to happen.

>>3651262
>Don't get carried away. It's just this job I've got

A job saving the world!

>>3651262
>>Don't get carried away. It's just this job I've got

>>3651262
>>>Don't get carried away. It's just this job I've got

>>3650915
Also i really do wonder exactly how much the Chinese had to have fucked up the Technomagic to birth a halfbred horror like Titan. Powers beyond comprehension and whatnot

You're keeping this secret for a reason. If he did learn about your involvement with NERV, he might do something foolish. He might try and get involved himself, and then if something bad happened to him... no, there's a good reason why you're not supposed to drag civilians into your business. The question, then, how to answer his awkward questions. “If you've got some weird fetish for sickly girls, I'm gonna have to disappoint you,” you tell Clay, shaking your head, “It's just this job I've got, so don't go getting carried away.”

“A job, huh?” he muses, “And... a fetish for sickly girls? You've got a pretty dirty mind, Reynolds. Something you want to confess?” This, you just answer with a chuckle, pulling your arm back and throwing the ball. Another crack, another crash, then you're walking back to the chain fence to pick the ball back up again. Bending down to grab it, you feel Clay's eyes on you and hurriedly straighten up. Giving you his most innocent look as you turn to glare at him, Clay shrugs. “So what is it?” he adds, “This job of yours?”

Shit. You didn't think this far ahead. “It's a restaurant. Serving customers for a shitty wage,” you blurt out, “And like, whenever someone doesn't show up for their shift I've got to drop everything and fill in. I can't even quit either.”

“Because you're committed,” Clay suggests.

“Right,” you agree, “Because I'm committed.”

“Committed to a madhouse, maybe,” he grunts, “There's no way I'd let my boss push me around like that. Are you even old enough to hold down a job like that?”

You just shrug. It's a very “it's complicated” shrug, and Clay seems content to leave it at that.

-

Lunch break comes and goes, but you just keep on practising. Occasionally calling out directions like “high right” or “as low as possible”, you pitch the ball to Clay and watch as he fires it off in an approximation of your orders. A teacher stops by at one point, checking to see if you're working on the act, and they seem vaguely surprised to see that you are. You shudder to imagine what else they thought you'd be doing. Of course, you don't have the entire afternoon off, and soon you have to head back to class.

“Hey...” Clay begins, tapping you on the arm with the well-used baseball bat, “Thanks for showing up today. I was getting kinda down about this whole thing. Even if something DOES go horribly wrong, I feel like... I feel like we made a good shot at it, you know? I thought about giving up, but I stuck with it. If you hadn't shown up today, I might have bailed like all the others. So... I owe you one, Reynolds.”

“I'll hold you to that,” you assure him. Clay just laughs, his voice free and clear.

>Ego increased by 5
>Current Ego: 90/90

[1/2]

>>3651487

At the end of the school day, you decide to take the long way back to HQ – partly to do some shopping, and partly just to be around people. Normal people. You want to watch and listen, to get a feel for their mood and the word on the street. It's easy to lose touch with that, and Clay's comments only reminded you of that. He spoke of an apathy, and you can see that now. It's the way that some people just amble about in no particular direction, drifting through random shops in a haze of vague concern. Looking for something they can't find or can't remember wanting.

“Hey!” you want to cry out, “Hey, the world is still turning! You've all got jobs and families and lives, don't forget about those!”

But, of course, you say nothing. The last thing you need right now is to look like a ranting lunatic in the middle of the street. It's mostly the older people who look lost, you realise after a while more, the people old enough to remember Second Impact. Surviving that, when so many others didn't, that should have given them a new appreciation for life... right? Instead, they just seem to be waiting for death to catch up with them. All because of what SEELE did – according to Konstantin, at least.

Hardly an unbiased source, and yet... he seemed sincere. More sincere than most people you've spoken with lately, at least. Not an especially high bar to clear.

“Holly?” a soft voice calls out, rousing you from your thoughts. Hester stands a carefully measured pace away, gazing at you with gentle concern. Even without her maid uniform, she looks immaculately dressed and groomed, impeccably formal in a white blouse and slender skirt. “My, you were miles away!” she continues, covering her mouth with one hand as she giggles quietly, “I thought it best to say something before you swallowed a fly.”

“Yeah, uh, I guess I was just lost in thought,” you mumble, looking down at the floor. People flow around you, and the flat lights of a store blaze down from above. A pharmacy, you recall, you ended up wandering in here to buy... something. Now you're the one roaming about with a vague expression on your face. How quickly the tide turns. Blinking again, you notice the basket hanging from the crook of Hester's arm. Inside are a few sundries... and a bottle of blue hair dye. The maid glances down, following your gaze, and then an awkward silence descends over the pair of you.

“Ah...” Hester pauses, “Don't mention anything to Miss Rainer. Please. She has enough on her mind already, and it would make her feel... self-conscious.”

“Aww... I can't tease her about it? Just a little?” you complain, “It would be so much fun, and... well, whatever. What's bothering her, anyway?”

Sighing, biting her lip, Hester hesitates again before nodding for you to follow her.

[2/3]

>>3651560

The quiet clink of cups and saucers dances around the far edge of your senses, with the scents of hot tea and strong coffee hitting you head on. Hester certainly has a knack for picking good places to stop, with this cafe – chosen apparently at random – offering both comfort and discretion. Sinking into the plush leather booth, you allow the outside world to drift away as you concentrate on Hester's words.

“If I said that Miss Rainer had been irritable lately, you would assume that everything was normal,” she begins, “No, don't deny it. I understand how she can be. How she can appear. I know her better, though – I know when Miss Rainer is playing, and when she really is upset. This, I fear, is the latter. I wonder – has she mentioned anything to you?”

“She hasn't had the chance. I've been out cold these past few days,” you point out. Inwardly, you wonder about what could have happened – something to do with Operation Sleeping Giant, perhaps. “Anyway,” you continue, “If you don't know what's bothering her, I can't imagine anyone else knowing. Like you said, you know her better than anyone.”

“Yes, I did say that...” Hester stirs her tea thoughtfully, “But now I'm wondering if that's really true. We've grown apart lately. It's not hard to guess why. I'm not a pilot, and I never will be. I can't understand what Miss Rainer, or any of you, might be going through. It's only natural that you would stick together, even to the point of shutting out all others. Ah, does that... make sense?”

You nod reluctantly. “I guess I'm the same,” you admit, “It seems like I hardly ever talk to Claire these days. We used to be inseparable, but now I see her so rarely...”

“Ah,” Hester murmurs, “But might that be a good thing? It sounds like you're making progress, and-”

“A good thing?” you yelp, the sudden outburst causing the background hum of conversations to falter for a split second. “She's my best friend, but I'm just totally neglecting her,” you hiss, lowering your voice, “How is that supposed to be a good thing? How is that supposed to be progress?”

Hester hesitates, a new understanding crossing her face as she nods stiffly. “I understand. I misspoke,” she assures you, “I merely meant to say that meeting new people, new friends, is a good thing. Of course, one mustn't neglect their older friends as a result.”

Sighing again, Hester looks down into her teacup and gives it another thoughtful stir. Leaving the ball in your court, you realise, allowing you to make the next move. Maybe it's just her formal manner, but this whole conversation seems like an intricate dance – one that you don't know the steps to.

>Look, I gotta head back to base. People to see, things to do
>I want to get... closer to Claudia. Any advice you can give me?
>No, go back. What did you really mean about Claire?
>We need to talk... (Write in)
>Other

>>3651650
>>No, go back. What did you really mean about Claire?
NANI

>>3651650
>No, go back. What did you really mean about Claire?
On the topic of Claudia she is struggling to deal with the fact that she may not be the best of the pilots, this is compounded by her lack of experience of dealing with those she would consider her peers.
After all, why else would Holly be going to a pharmacy, if it wasn't bleed over from Claire as we know that she likes to steal things.

>>3651650
>No, go back. What did you really mean about Claire?

>>3651650
>No, go back. What did you really mean about Claire?

Who would ever want to get closer to Claudia?

>>3651693
For all intents and purposes, we are pretty close to her. Closer than all the other pilots to her I think anyways.

>>3651693
>Who would ever want to get closer to Claudia?
Why wouldn't we? Claudia is great. Favorite character by far.

>>3651704
Because she is kind of a bitch, even when you're nice to her.

>>3651704
>Favorite character by far.

See a doctor

>>3651709
Well yeh but she's by far our closest friend on base outside Claire.

>>3651723
I'd argue Kaori is the 2nd closest after Claire tbqh

>>3651734
Eh i could see that. Although i suppose it's up to interpreting our scenes with the both of em. Kaori is also an obvious contender.
I wonder if the new Chink pilot is gonna be unlockable or if they are just insane from Titan going Rawr

>>3651749
But anon we already have a pilot for Unit 05.
We don't need her and she probably hates us.

>>3651761
You really shouldn't say no to more manpower (and more passive copilot abilities to choose from) at the end of the world.

Also I wouldn't write people off so fast. Somehow Juliet became a team player and useful member.

>>3651773
We didn't pull Juliet out of the chest of an incomplete, failed and infected science project.
We know that she at very least has mental contamination and unless she has something else going on, there are no available combat ready units for her to use and there are no plans to restore Unit 05 to a state of combat readiness either.

“Hester,” you begin, testing your footwork, “What you said about Claire-”

“I really shouldn't have said anything. It was terribly uncouth of me,” the maid interrupts, her expression tightening slightly as she tenses up, “I should know better, but I'm rather exhausted and that must have loosened my tongue. I do apologise, but-”

Before you realise it, your hand lashes out and closes around Hester's wrist. “So loosen it a little more,” you urge her, tightening your grip for the slightest of moments before letting go, “Go back. What did you really mean about Claire?” Even before these words have finished echoing around you, you feel a flush of guilt. You really didn't need to come on so hard, but... no point in regretting things now.

Hester takes a deep breath, composing her thoughts before she speaks. “I won't pretend to understand the exact situation that you... that you and Claire are in, so you must forgive me if I'm mistaken,” she begins cautiously, choosing each word with immaculate care, “But the relationship you two have... I wonder if, perhaps, it might not be entirely healthy? What I mean to say is, are you certain that your friendship is sincere?”

Somehow, you manage to keep your temper in check. “As opposed to...” you shrug, “What, exactly?”

“A relationship founded on mutual dependency,” Hester suggests, “She gives you something that you need, that you think you need, and she benefits in return. Say... and I'm just suggesting an example here, but say that you go to school together. This school is not a pleasant one, and the other students are unkind. Claire latches onto you, for the protection that you offer, and she returns the favour with lavish compliments. Her life becomes safer, easier, and you have a loyal follower to massage your ego... but it's not real. You could grow dependent on each other, unable or unwilling to mix with anyone on the outside.”

“But as I said,” she adds as a passing thought, “That was just an example.”

You stare at Hester for a long moment. “It's not like that,” you tell her eventually, “I don't know how you got that idea, but you're wrong about her. About us.”

“I hope that I am,” she agrees, “But Holly, I would urge to do one thing. Look at your relationship with her. Be objective and unbiased, as much as you can, then take a good long look at it. If anything, anything at all, seems... off, don't dismiss it. In the long term, a relationship like that can only hurt you. I mean this sincerely, Holly, when I say that I don't want to see you getting hurt.”

Opening your mouth to snap off some harsh reply, you slowly close it again. What are you supposed to say in a situation like this? What are you supposed to THINK?

“Maybe,” someone whispers, “She's right.”

[1/2]

>>3651794

The conversation, awkward after this unlovely subject, falters and you both decide to head back to HQ – separately. Hester has some other shopping, or perhaps that's just a convenient excuse, and you want to check in on Karina. That'll be a good distraction, something to keep your mind off things. As you wander back towards HQ, though, you keep going back to Hester's warning. It can't be true. When your temper drove everyone else away, Claire stuck by you... but what did she get out of it? Even if there was no malice involve, you were still just two lonely souls clinging to each other for comfort. Hardly a healthy friendship.

Sighing heavily, you thrust your hands into your pockets only to find something unexpected there. Pulling the small glass bottle out, you stare down in dull surprise. A little bottle of cheap perfume, nothing remarkable at all... except you walked out without paying for it.

-

“Congratulations!” Claudia announces, clapping happily as she stares at you.

“Congratulations,” Kaori repeats, her applause no less enthusiastic.

“Con... congratulations?” Juliet mumbles, looking vaguely pained as she tries to clap along with the others, “Is that it? Can we stop now?”

“Okay, that's a wrap. Good show everyone, good practice. I think you're about ready for the real thing,” Claudia laughs, taking one look at your bemused expression and laughing even harder. “Oh dear, oh dear me. Holly, sit down before you have a heart attack. We're waiting for Yulia to get back. You won't have heard, will you? She went to speak with some gentlemen from the UN about a little science project, and apparently it went well. So, we're going to congratulate her,” the heiress explains, still smirking to herself, “Is it too much?”

“It's pretty fucking weird,” you reply, although you can feel yourself smiling. Then you replay Claudia's words in your head and pause. Yulia. Speaking with the UN. Science project. That doesn't sound good.

“Hurry, pull up a chair and play along!” Claudia hisses, flapping her hands at you before you can say anything else, “Yulia's due back any minute now. Hurry!”

>This is going to be so great, I can't wait to see Yulia's face!
>Do what you want, but leave me out of this
>Stop it, Claudia. I don't think Yulia would like this
>Other

>>3651886
>Do what you want, but leave me out of this
Make sure you guys figure out whether or not it was successful before you do something stupid.

>>3651886
>Other
"Remember when we were doing Kaori's surprise party and how much she was against extravagant surprises? You might want to tone it back a little and also figure out the details if *she* thinks it went well you know?"

>>3651886
>>This is going to be so great, I can't wait to see Yulia's face!
OP you sly dog.
Nice reference.

>>3651886
>This is going to be so great, I can't wait to see Yulia's face!

What was the science project about anyway?

>>3651886
>This is going to be so great, I can't wait to see Yulia's face!
Man, I hope yulia didn't diddle to Holly while she was knocked out after awakening

>>3651886
>>This is going to be so great, I can't wait to see Yulia's face!

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” you ask her carefully, “I mean, are you really, really sure?”

“Of course I'm sure!” Claudia protests, “Why wouldn't I be sure?”

“Well, I remember Kaori's party. I also recall that she was no fan of extravagant surprises. Are you sure that Yulia is going to appreciate this little joke? And are you sure that the others want to be involved?” you point out, gesturing vaguely across at Kaori. She yawns, trying and failing to hide her fatigue. Juliet is already leaving to find something else to do, with Claudia's absurd plan unravelling more and more with every passing second. The heiress glances around at the disarray, and you see an edge of anger creeping into her eyes. This, you realise, is what Hester had been talking about. Not just the usual bitchy humour that you've come to expect from Claudia, but something closer to hysteria.

“Look, hey, did she mention what the science project was about?” you ask quickly, hoping to lighten the mood, “I was too busy being in a coma to hear about it.”

The anger sinks beneath the surface, and Claudia's eyes light up. “I think it was something adorably naïve, like planning some way to protect normal people from Lilim. I dare say that Yulia herself would be able to give you the full story. She's more into this whole “improving the world” thing,” she insists, “Now, back to the important matters. Are you going to help me herd these cats back into place or do I have to do everything myself?”

“Okay, okay, I'm working on it,” you grumble, smiling faintly to yourself despite the complaints, “This is gonna be pretty great, though. I can't wait to see the look on her face!”

[1/2]

>>3652048

It takes some hasty preparations, but soon you manage to get everyone back in their positions. Sitting in a tight semi-circle, gathered around the dorm door, you wait for Yulia to make her entrance. When she does, though, you're the ones who end up surprised by the sight of her. Dressed in a man's suit and tie, with her long hair pinned up, Yulia looks like a completely different person. All you can do is stare in amazement – and not a little bit of confusion – until Claudia explodes into a spasm of applause.

“Congratulations!” you yelp, the others joining in soon after. Yulia takes a single faltering step backwards before she realises what's going on and laughs. Still laughing. she bows her head and holds up her hands in a pleading gesture for peace.

“Please, please, no more,” she pants, still laughing, “Enough! I am... thank you, thank you, but I do not deserve... ah...”

“Okay, show's over for real this time,” Claudia decides, abruptly rising from her seat and stalking away. Kaori leaves as well, giving you an apologetic sigh as she slips off. Juliet lingers for a moment more, unsure of what to do, and then she decides on leaving as well. Heedless to their exit, and grunting with relief, Yulia collapses down into the seat beside you.

“These shoes are too small, I think,” she complains quietly to herself, and up close you can see how pale, how tired she looks. The dark suit only seems to make her pallor worse, and you can't help but think of funeral garb. “Holly?” Yulia asks, glancing up and meeting your eyes, “You're staring.”

You are? Well...

>Just admiring the suit. Makes you look very handsome
>Working with the UN was a bad idea. They're not our friends, you know
>Welcome back. How did your science project go?
>Sorry about that. Claudia's idea, not mine
>Other

>>3652054
>Welcome back. How did your science project go.
This is a bad idea, if what Claudia said is true as it would allow soldiers to fight in the presence of strong AT fields. I Wonder what could possibly generate a strong At field that isn't a Lilium also there was an interlude that mentions wanting Yulia to help them work on this.

>>3652054
>Just admiring the suit. Makes you look very handsome
>Welcome back. How did your science project go?

>>3652054
>How'd everything go? Gimme deeets.

>>3652054
>Welcome back. How did your science project go?

>>3652077
Found it, from Thread #5 post >>3507399
Kuznetsova, Y: I would so dearly love to know what goes on inside Kuznetsova's head. She has an intuitive understanding of the AT Field that would prove invaluable to our researchers, but not even Kuznetsova herself can explain it.
In particular, our metrics suggest that she has an unnatural resilience to intrusion attempts. In future, I suggest that she is encouraged to work in closer contact with the research team. If we can reproduce this resilience, it would be a useful tool.

Is it any wonder that you're staring, when she's dressed up like a Japanese salaryman? Shaking your head, trying to clear that unflattering thought, you focus on the task at hand. “Uh, welcome back,” you tell her, “I was just wondering how the science project went, that's why I was staring. That... was why you were away, right? Claudia said, but you know what she can be like...”

“Ah. Yes,” Yulia nods slowly, “The project went well, I think, although it is too early to have results. It was always going to be a process, not an immediate breakthrough. I was sharing ideas about protecting humans from potent AT Fields. It is...” She pauses here, her words trailing off as she finds a way to explain. “It was your Chinese mission that made me think of it. I heard that Fletcher and his soldiers were in danger because of this AT Field. Perhaps, I thought, there is something I can do,” she blushes a little, faint red darkening her chalk coloured cheeks, “Perhaps there is something I can do for him.”

You wait for a few seconds, about as long is polite, before prompting her. “And is there?” you ask.

“I do not know. Perhaps. A device could be made, but it would not be suitable for mass production... if it works at all. The UN employs many scientists, with many theories. I learned everything that I could, but there are still gaps. Still, there is optimism,” again she pauses, rubbing one arm in discomfort, “I only wish they had not needed to take so much blood. I have been feeling faint since this morning.”

Blood? The more you hear about this, the less you like it. “Why would they need your blood?” you ask carefully, “Were they studying it? I mean, of course they were, unless they were vampires or something. They weren't vampires, were they?”

Yulia gives you a look of utter confusion before slowly shaking her head. “It was for a study, yes,” she confirms, “It is... hard for me to explain, yes? But, there is a thought that my blood, my genetic code, may offer clues towards some protection against harmful AT Fields. Perhaps I am a fool, but I am an optimistic one. This may help all mankind one day. That, I think, is more important than whatever squabbles we have.”

And there you were, thinking Claudia was just being mean when she talked about how naïve Yulia was being. It's certainly a laudable goal that Yulia has... it's just a shame that it might come round to bite you on the ass one day.

>Going to pause things here for today, but I should be able to continue tomorrow as normal. Might be able to run a few extra days next week, but I'm not 100% sure yet
>Regardless, thank you for your contributions today!

>>3652157
Thanks for the run.

Would you be willing to tell us what Unit Reed piloted or are we going to have to ask Coraline?

>>3652157
Thanks for running!

When the UN cuts off our funding will we need to resort to selling Claudia's bathwater online?

>>3652214
Well, that might be a bad idea - if the water is anything like her personality, it would definitely be poisonous!
>>3652184
No great mystery here, so I can tell. Reed was assigned to ADM Unit 11, which has since been returned to Temple. All very neat and tidy

>>3652157
dear god, that's several cans of OH NO

So right now we have:
>mass cloned Juliets that disable defensive AT fields
>Yulia-infused Juliets that resist offensive AT fields
>All controlled by Karina clones

.....yaaaaaay.....

>>3654056
In addition, Consider the fact that the clones can pilot any of the unused Units and be dropped anywhere in pairs by a Colossus class drop ship anywhere on earth if needed it also has the ability to both carry and recharge a single spare battery, will have a more stable version of Juliet's Memory Engrams therefore having no easy way of getting them to refuse their orders orders and being under the command of the UN.

File: ClaireS.png (301 KB, 900x700)

301 KB PNG

Sleep is slow to come that night. It shouldn't be all that surprising – you were, after all, asleep for three whole days before this. Even so, it wouldn't be this hard if it wasn't for the perfume bottle sitting on your desk. Such a little thing, cheap pink-tinted glass filled with a watery floral perfume. It doesn't even smell of any particular thing, just a vague flowery odour. It's the sort of thing that you wouldn't think twice about, if not for the fact that it was in your pocket.

“They never bother to security tag that cheap stuff,” Claire points out, “It's basically the honour system. They just trust that you'll pay for it.”

“You're not helping,” you warn, without looking around at her.

“Oh, fine. You probably just stuck it in your pocket without thinking about it. I mean, you said that your mind was totally somewhere else, right?” Claire continues, “Soooooo, you probably just wandered through the shop, totally on autopilot, and you ended up grabbing it. It's not much, but it's a fine start to your career as a thief. Or... wait, you're not about to start feeling all guilty, are you? You gonna march up to the drugstore and confess your sins, demand that they turn you in to the police?”

Was a serious conversation too much to hope for? Apparently so. A knock on the door puts an end to the subject, and you open it to find Kaori staring out at you. “I thought you might be awake. I heard you talking,” she begins, “This might be an odd question, but do you know anything about Shintoism?”

“Shin-what?” you reply, “Wait, is this about that temple stuff for the culture club? I thought you'd be the expert here.”

“Because I'm half Japanese, you mean? I've never even stepped inside a Shinto temple before!” Kaori protests, the exasperated tone in her voice suggesting that this is a conversation she's had many times already. “I've tried telling the culture club that, but they won't listen. Now, I'm trying to learn as much as I can. They're expecting me to host a tour, so I can't be unprepared,” she continues, “I know that I should just refuse them, but... this is going to sound stupid, but I feel like I have a duty to do it. A duty to the school. If I quit now, I'll be leaving them in a tight spot.”

Not so different to you and Clay, then. “Well, maybe it'll work out,” you suggest, “How bad could it be?”

“You haven't seen the costume they're expecting me to wear,” Kaori grumbles, “These stupid sleeves it has... I don't see why I can't just wear my normal uniform. Is it really so important that my armpits are exposed?”

“Well...” you begin, only for Kaori to hurriedly shake her head.

“On second thoughts, don't answer that,” she interrupts, “There are some things that I'm happier not knowing. Anyway, I just thought I'd ask. Good night.”

“Night,” you mutter, closing the door and looking around. Claire is gone, retreated back into her own room.

[1/2]

>>3654642

Morning. Breakfast. A visit from Monroe. She has dark circles under her eyes that rival your own, but her voice is light. “I'm sorry for missing you all last night, but I was called into an unscheduled meeting. I keep reminding people that we have a group calendar, but nobody pays any attention to it!” she laments, lightly smacking her forehead in a pantomime expression of frustration, “Anyway, I wanted to bring you Karina's latest intel. We're already working on it, but I wanted to keep you guys in the loop.”

“Appreciated,” Claudia remarks dryly as Monroe takes out a small recorder and clicks play. The sounds of strained breathing gasp out, and you wince automatically.

“Oh... so cold, so hungry, but such a lovely voice!” Karina's recorded voice whimpers, static causing the words to fuzz and blend in with each other, “Flying, no, swimming through the air... but where are you going? Ah... 53... 5... North. 8... 48... East. Why are you... telling me this?”

But the recording ends there, the recorder clicking off. “Those numbers were map coordinates. Bremen, Germany,” Monroe explains, “Nice little place. We've got people there already, setting up power supplies in case we need to launch an operation.”

“Right, but why DID it tell Karina that?” you ask, “Is it giving us a challenge? Like, “come and find me” or something like that?”

“We're... still debating that,” Monroe admits. Her expression tells you exactly how optimistic she is about the chance of finding a solution. Can human beings ever really understand something as alien as a Lilim? “But we can discuss that later tonight. Don't forget that we've got a meeting in the evening!” she adds, “I hope nobody made any plans!” This is met with a few muttered grumbles, but no objections. As the group starts to file away for school, Monroe meets your eyes and nods for you to wait.

Great.

“Holly,” she begins, once you're alone together, “How do you feel?”

“Not as tired as you,” you joke, although the attempt at humour is strained. You know exactly what this is about.

“Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that Operation Sleeping Giant was a success, but...” Monroe pauses, gauging your mood, “But I'm not happy about that berserk incident at the end. I've told you before, haven't I? Accidents like that are too risky, they should be avoided at all costs.”

You meet her eyes, expecting to see disappointment or anger, but what you see instead is simple concern.

>I'm sorry, I lost control. It won't happen again
>I don't know what you're worried about. It felt good to lose control
>We need to know what we're dealing with, commander. We needed to study this
>I... (Write in)
>Other

>>3654645
>>We need to know what we're dealing with, commander. We needed to study this
"Better to do it there around stuff I should be breaking instead of around here. Has Bergmann learned anything?"

>>3654645
>We need to know what we're dealing with, commander. We needed to study this.
There was additional infected materiel left over in the back of one the labs, and Unit 02 didn't like that very much everything else was kind of incidental.

>>3654645
>We need to know what we're dealing with, commander. We needed to study this.
>It....it wasn't scary. I wasn't afraid to do it. Is that bad?

>>3654642
>Is it really so important that my armpits are exposed?
Yes. Yes it is.

>>3654645
>We need to know what we're dealing with, commander. We needed to study this

>>3654645
>"Sorry boss, won't happen again. Hell of a rush though. "

“We need to know what we're dealing with here, commander. I mean, no offence, but we're the ones inside those things when they go berserk – I needed to know exactly what can happen,” you insist, “If we have a chance to study it, we can try to understand it. If we understand it, we can try to figure out a way of preventing it from happening at a bad moment... like when we're in the middle of a city. A city we DON'T want razed. Was Bergmann able to get any data on it?”

Monroe looks away, her brow furrowing with frustration. “She did get some data. She just doesn't think there's anything that can be done about it. Preventative measures at best, and nothing we haven't been trying already. Deploy as few ADM Units as possible, ensure the pilots are in good mental condition, keep the ADM Units powered. That's the best we can do,” she explains, “We've been doing good until now, which is why I'm so... concerned.”

“But... it wasn't scary or anything like that,” you argue, “I wasn't afraid of it. In fact, it helped – there was a sample of Lilim material buried in the base, and Unit 02 dug it out. Destroyed it. If it hadn't been for that, it could have survived. Fallen into the wrong hands. It... is that really so bad?”

Opening her mouth to say something, Monroe changes her mind and instead shakes her head. “You mustn't get in over your head,” she cautions, “We're treading on thin ice now. I've already had one lecture from the UN. I assured them that you weren't... unstable, but I don't think they were convinced. If Matheson was still here, I'm pretty sure you'd be explaining this to her instead of me. Count yourself lucky that she's a busy woman.”

“Then I definitely won't let it happen again,” you mutter sullenly, scowling at the suggestion and turning away. You'll be late if you hang around here for too long.

Before you can leave for school, though, Monroe touches your arm and you glance back. “Good work,” she murmurs, “Finding that Lilim material, I mean. We need to keep that stuff contained, now more than ever. You'll understand why tonight.”

Tonight.

-

The day passes in a haze, alternating between boredom and confusion. Hardly paying attention to class, you sneak glances down at your phone as you research Bremen, the city Monroe mentioned. First Berlin and now Bremen – either the Lilim really hate the letter “B”, or there's something in Germany that they want. The city itself doesn't seem suspicious – just an old city, not too far from the coast with a long river leading into it. The articles you skim have vague mentions of the damage suffered during Second Impact, but nothing that grabs your attention. Of course, the important stuff wouldn't be left on a public website for anyone to find.

[1/2]

>>3654751

More baseball practice at lunch. This time, you're batting for the targets... without much success. There's a deceptive amount of subtlety involved in hitting the ball in precisely the right direction, and you're more about the raw strength. That's all baseball has ever really been to you – an excuse to hit something that won't call the police about it. Still, hitting balls at a chain fence is far from the worst way to spend your lunch hour.

As you're packing up, your phone buzzes. Fletcher. “Hey chief, what's the bad news this time?” you ask, flashing Clay an apologetic smile and retreating to a quiet corner.

“No major emergencies. I just wanted to give you a warning before tonight,” Fletcher explains quickly, “Our guest is no longer present. Don't mention anything about her to the others. I'm going to brief them all tonight. For the immediate future, avoid any and all contact with her. Orders from above.”

A silence. Cutting Coraline out of your life is the safest way to treat her, but why does your heart sink at the idea? “I don't think that's such a good idea, chief,” you argue half-heartedly, “She'll know that I'm avoiding her.”

“Orders from above,” Fletcher repeats, weariness in his voice, “They don't want you talking to her. They don't even want you thinking about her. She's an unperson now, as far as they're concerned.”

“She might try and find me online. Something she said... I can explain later, but I think she might be our old friend,” you add, thinking back to Phantom, “Or she used their name, at least. So if I hear from them...”

“Same idea. Ignore them. In fact, I want you to delete that program. Cut them off completely,” Fletcher pauses, “Is that understood?”

“Understood,” you reply sullenly, glancing back across at Clay. Oblivious to all that's going on in the world around him, he stands in place and practises his swing. Life must seem so easy for a guy like him. The sudden silence in your ear reminds you that Fletcher has hung up, and you slowly drop your phone into your pocket. Returning to your bag, you take your tablet out and stare down at the Labyrinth icon. If your theory is correct, this might be your only way of contacting Coraline again. One last thread connecting the two of you, and Fletcher wants to sever it.

>Orders are orders, and she's an enemy now. You need to delete the program
>You can't cut her off like this. She might still be a useful informant
>Other

>Having some internet troubles today, so there might be some disruptions/disturbances. Hopefully not, but we'll see

>>3654791
>Orders are orders, and she's an enemy now. You need to delete the program

>>3654791
>Orders are orders, and she's an enemy now. You need to delete the program.

If we run into her again we can always claim that Fletcher forced us to delete it.

Or if we rely need to contact her about it we could re download Labyrinth and figure out from Wilson's stuff what Phantom's contact details were as he somehow managed to do it within 10 minutes inside a secure area.

>>3654791
>Other
Delete the icon, but not the program. If found out, claim we didn't know that's not how you delete programs.

>>3654831
I guess that depends on whether or not the Tablet runs on an iOS or Android based system.

We may also want to use our phone take photo's for recording purposes of the messages sent between us as a record of what was said, just so we have them.

>>3654791
>You can't cut her off like this. She might have useful info.

>>3654791
>You can't cut her off like this. She might still be a useful informant

Swallowing hard, you drag the icon across the screen and dump it in the trash. Then, before you can empty the trash and delete the program forever, you lose your nerve. Glancing furtively about, as if Fletcher might be looking over your shoulder, you check to see if the program itself is still lurking in the depths of your tablet. It is, hiding away like a dirty secret, and you let out a shrill laugh of relief. Cutting Coraline off like this... it's a bad idea, she might still be a useful informant. Knowing what's going on inside NIHIL might be of some use. At least, that's what you tell yourself.

“Uh...” Clay begins, and you realise that he's looking cautiously at you, “Bad news?”

“Sort of,” you admit, fumbling for a lie, “This friend of mine. She's moving away and... and I guess we might never see each other again. She's being sent to this super strict boarding school, so we might not even be able to call each other. It's not like she was my best friend or anything, but...” Finishing this thought with a shrug, you let Clay draw his own conclusions. That's often safer than pushing your luck. Let someone else come up with a lie they already believe in, then agree with whatever they say.

Well, maybe not anything they say. There are limits.

“No phones allowed, huh?” Clay muses, his eyes narrowing with horror, “Sounds more like prison than a boarding school. You sure she didn't murder someone or something?”

He's joking, of course, but you just can't manage a laugh. A shaky smile is the best you can do. “I don't know,” you tell him, “With her, I really don't know any more.”

Awkward silence. “Well, uh, nice tablet,” Clay offers after a hesitant pause, “That a Nippon Electronics thing?” Looking down, you nod. Truth be told, you don't know all that much about it from a technical standpoint. “Gotta say, I always preferred Cyborg as an operating system,” the boy continues, “It's more open, you know? You can program stuff yourself, although that's like a foreign language to me. I'd sooner learn, I dunno, Chinese or something. Whatever, you wanna take another turn on the bat?”

“Absolutely,” you reply, giving him a determined nod, “I really need to hit something right now.”

-

As you go through the rest of the afternoon, you start feeling vague guilt about your minor deception. Fletcher has shown you a lot of trust, but now you're going against his orders. But then, they're not really HIS orders – they have to come from higher up the chain, from head office. They're not trying to do what's best for you or NERV, they just want to keep you from being... tainted. Ideologically contaminated. You can just imagine one of those creepy statues using a phrase like that.

So fuck them, you tell yourself, you won't just blindly do whatever they tell you. You have a mind of your own, and you're damn well going to use it.

[1/2]

>>3654889

When you return to HQ at the end of the day, you head straight into the meeting room. Karina is already there, leaning heavily on her cane, while Fletcher hurriedly shifts stacks of papers about. His shoulders are bunched with frustration, and you feel a vague sense of dread when he gestures for you to approach. A further demand, to see your tablet, only doubles down on that fear. Yet, when you show him the tablet screen – with no Labyrinth icon in sight – he turns away with a satisfied nod. For such a careful guy, it seems like an unforgivable lapse in security.

Deliberately so, in fact. Plausible deniability? It's hard to figure him out sometimes, and you don't get the chance to ask before the others start filing in. Bergmann follows them, looking disgustingly pleased with herself.

“Are you all ready to begin? I'd like to present a summary of our findings from Operation Sleeping Giant,” Fletcher announces simply, “First of all, the pilot of Titan. We're calling her “Huang” for the time being, but we're not sure if that's her real name. She's been unconscious since we recovered her, and her condition is... uncertain. We don't think she's in any danger, but it's hard to understand her condition. Simply put, she was injected with Lilim material. Doctor Bergmann can explain this better than I can.”

“Oh, don't put yourself down. You're doing a fantastic job,” Bergmann purrs, “But yes, Mister Fletcher is indeed correct. Huang was injected with Lilim material – which breaks just about every ethical law in the book, but... it's China. Thanks to your timely intervention of that fleeing truck, we were even able to obtain their research material on Lilim biomass experimentation. It's fascinating, getting a glimpse at a previously untouched field of study.”

“Hope there wasn't anything fragile in the truck,” you remark with a nervous laugh, “Uh, what happened to the pilot.”

“Dead,” Claudia announces simply, shrugging to herself, “He-”

“He shot himself rather than face capture,” Fletcher explains, “It wasn't your fault, Reynolds. Don't let it bother you.”

Bergmann clears her throat, and all eyes turn back to her. “Are you finished?” she asks politely, “The research, then. Lilim biomass seems to have incredibly potent, albeit unstable, influences on the human body. It seems to amplify compatibility, allowing even a mediocre candidate to pilot an ADM Unit. Any ADM Unit, actually – the key thing about Lilim biomass is how mutable it is.”

“Wait...” Kaori mutters, “You're not suggesting that-”

“God no!” Bergmann cries, her eye widening with horror, “No, even in the most serious of circumstances, I wouldn't use Lilim material. Relying on something so unstable would be like cutting our own throats. Do you really think I would stoop to such depths?”

Nobody dares answers that, and Bergmann's brow dips in a petulant frown.

[2/3]

>>3654889
Holly is really attached to Coraline, huh?

does anyone else now find it concerning that Juliet is also able to Pilot any of the Units.

>>3654979
Keeps getting better and better.

>>3654961

“But that brings us to my next point, about how Titan was built. We were expecting to find pieces salvaged from Unit 05, but we were mistaken. The parts we recovered were newly built. Unit 05's remains were just used as a template,” Fletcher announces, “We were unable to recover Unit 05's remains. I suspect that when the site's original owners left, they took Unit 05's remains with them.”

“The site was set up by an outside organisation, with help from the Chinese government. Our understanding is that the facility was placed under full Chinese ownership once the original organisation was finished with it,” Monroe adds, “I shouldn't need to remind you, people, but this is all top secret. I don't want anyone starting an international incident with idle chatter outside this base.”

You consider this. The base was only discovered after a surveillance blackout over the area. That blackout must have been coordinated to hide the transition, to allow the original owners to escape undetected. When the satellites came back online, the site was discovered and you moved to destroy it. To destroy the evidence of what happened there, as Coraline was perhaps hoping. They had it all worked out from the start, didn't they?

“Then there's the matter of the prisoners,” Fletcher continues, his mouth twisting in a hard grimace, “I think you all deserve to know what we're up against, so-”

“Fletcher, no!” Monroe protests, “That's too far! That's not... relevant.”

An ill silence falls across the entire group. Bergmann continues to scowl, while Fletcher gazes impassively at the commander. She looks flushed, sick to her stomach by what she knows. By what you already suspect. Do you really want to hear it said aloud, though?

>Commander Monroe's right. We're getting distracted here
>Just tell us, Fletcher. Give it to us straight
>The prisoners... they were turned into biomass, weren't they?
>I've got more important questions... (Write in)
>Other

>>3655017
>Other
Stay silent, it's their decision if they want to tell the others We already know how Kaori reacted when we told her of our theory. , we can confirm it with Fletcher later.

>>3655017
>Were they biomassed? Do we biomass death row criminals?

>>3655017
>Just tell us, Fletcher. Give it to us straight

>>3655017
>I've got more important questions...
Does anybody else think that the previous owners were the UN? Because they were the UN. They played us like a damn fiddle.

>>3655048
NIHIL could have been the organization as well. Makes sense why Caroline would want it destroyed.

>>3655037
It's not likely that the NERV and the UN will convert people into biomass, that seems more like a last ditch thing to get the it where they don't have access to the more conventional sources as they have control over the 'Tree of Life' that's at Temple.
>>3655048
Unit 05 was probably passed of to NHIL by one of their agents

>>3655017
>Just tell us, Fletcher. Give it to us straight

You hold your tongue for a long moment, waiting to see if anyone is going to offer an answer. Fletcher says nothing, Bergmann says nothing – although she clearly wants to say something – and Monroe keeps trying to say something. Some distraction, perhaps, although it never quite reaches her lips. Eventually, faced with the wall of silence, you feel the need to say something. Anything.

“Give it to us straight, Fletcher. What happened to them?” you ask, relieved to hear how firm your voice is, “They were turned into biomass, weren't they?”

Chaos follow this. Kaori almost leaps to her feet, only to stop herself halfway through. Yulia flinches as if struck, while Karina gasps in confusion. As much as Claudia tries to appear impassive, her face is drawn tight with the effort. Juliet is the only one who really has no reaction, her eyes no less blank than normal. Slowly, Fletcher nods a confirmation. “They were. But I want you to listen very carefully,” he warns, “Commander Monroe doesn't want you to know this because she's afraid that it might stop you from piloting the ADM Units. I want to assure you of something – we do NOT use biomass that was created in this way. Doctor Bergmann. Can you explain further?”

“Well, we don't use human biomass because of how horrifically inefficient it is. Imagine squeezing an entire orange and getting just a single drop of juice out of it. No, rendering humans into biomass is unsustainable on a larger scale. I imagine the Chinese were only doing it because they had no other option. They couldn't just order a few canisters from Temple, after all,” the doctor explains, a faint note of relish in her voice, “No, we have no use for human sacrifices here.”

That hardly seems to lighten the mood. Kaori slumps back a little, and Yulia closes her eyes in vague relief, but the reaction is muted. For what it's worth, you believe them – on a logistical level, if nothing else. “So... do we know who was doing this?” you ask after a long pause, “Who were these original owners? The UN?”

“No. Although the UN were rather keen to get their hands on the site, so perhaps they saw themselves as the next owners,” Fletcher announces, taking a deep breath before launching into the next part of his speech. “The original owners were a terrorist organisation by the name of NIHIL. Formed during the chaos that followed Second Impact, NIHIL was created from rogue UN personnel and other ideological groups. Their goals remain unclear, but they seem to embrace Lilim science in a far closer manner – as can be seen by their experiments in China.”

“Also, they want to destroy us,” Monroe adds, “That's something I should mention.”

Do they, though? Do they really?

[1/2]

>>3655121

“I was able to recover a high ranking Chinese officer from Temple, and I'm hoping that he'll have information on NIHIL. So far, though, he's not been talkative,” Fletcher declares, passing around a large photograph of the Chinese commander you saw in site A-11. A closed, impassive face marred by a large bruise, his uniform devoid of any identification. “I'm a patient man, though,” Fletcher adds, taking back the photograph and gazing thoughtfully at it, “I'm willing to take as long as it takes.”

That's not creepy at all. As Fletcher lapses into silence, Karina raps her cane against the floor and heaves herself to her feet. “Ah, then I think I'm next,” she announces, “You've all heard what I... said, is that right? I wanted to explain myself a little better. When I had my... attack, I remember a little about it. I passed out, and everything went black, but then I saw a light in the blackness. It was singing so sweetly, and I couldn't help but follow it. It was moving so fast, though, and I'm... ah, well, I'm not so quick on my feet!”

She laughs nervously, awkwardly, and a few people try to laugh along with her. “The light raced away, out of sight, and then I felt something. Cold water, swirling around my feet,” Karina concludes, “I looked down, saw how deep and dark the water really was, and then I woke up. Ah, that's... that's it.”

These words hang in the air for a while more, even as Karina scrapes and scuffs her way back down into her seat. Juliet frowns as if in thought, but says nothing. “We have those coordinates, at least,” Kaori points out, “Do we know if Bremen has any special significance?”

“None that we've been able to uncover so far. It's a pretty unremarkable place, all things considered – not a huge population, not especially isolated, no NERV facilities...” Monroe shrugs, “It's so confusing. There has to be something we've missed.”

This Lilim can think. More than just that, it can understand human concepts like coordinates and maps. You can only hope that this is an anomaly, rather than the new normal.

“We've designated this threat as the Lilim Nebiros, and we're monitoring for any signs of it,” Monroe states, “At this stage, there isn't much else we can do. Until we bring you onto active duty, just keep doing what you're doing. It's important to live a normal life, y'know?”

At this point, what even IS normal? You're left wondering that as the others get up and start to wander away, heading off in their own directions. Even Monroe and Bergmann leave, with Fletcher remaining behind to tidy up his untouched notes. You should head back to the dorm, or...

>Head back to the dorm for now
>Stay behind and help Fletcher with his tidying
>Find one of the other pilots... (Who?)
>Other

>>3655212
>>Stay behind and help Fletcher with his tidying

>>3655212
>Stay behind and help Fletcher with his tidying
We should see if we can get him to share more about the situation with Coraline.

>>3655212
>Find one of the other pilots... (Who?)

Kaori. She has a dress with bare armpits, you say?

What if it gave us bullshit coordinates and it's gonna show up on the other side of the planet?

>>3655212
>Stay behind and help Fletcher with his tidying

Ask him what does he think NIHIL believe in. They aren't a suicide cult from the looks of it, so they think their goal is noble. Is it 'who watches the watchmen' kind of thing or maybe something else?

>>3655212
We should hang out with Claire sometime too. Proper hangout. What Hester said is still probably bothering Holly.

>>3655276
What tends to happen when we are talking to Claire, is that someone or something interrupts our time together, she disappears and we don't see her for a while.

>>3655212
>Find one of the other pilots
Make sure that Kaori's cosplay is perfect.

Shaking off your lethargy, you hurry across to help Fletcher with the tidying. Glancing down at the notes, you see great screeds of tiny text – nothing that you can understand without a good long look, and Fletcher isn't going to give you that chance. With a firm but grateful nod, he takes the papers from your hands before you can hold them for more than a few seconds, tucking them away into the appropriate folder. “So...” you begin, “We gonna talk or what?”

“Talk, then,” Fletcher replies, “That's why you're here, right?”

“Hey, I'm just a super helpful person!” you protest, “And... I guess I was wondering a few things. Like, where are we at with the Coraline situation?”

“She's gone back to her usual post. I have some... contacts within the UN. Not quite friends, but they'll do. I've asked them to keep an eye on her, to see if she does anything strange. She's going to figure something out sooner or later, but that's inevitable. Head office is taking this too seriously, if you ask me,” he explains, voice low, “Until anything changes, my advice – my orders – remains the same. No contact, even if she tries. If you're walking to school and she pulls up beside you, make an excuse.”

“Stranger danger,” you mutter to yourself, “And what about NIHIL? Do we really not know their motives?”

Fletcher shuffles papers for a moment. “That's a complicated question,” he admits, “I've spoken with head office about this. I had to. They know Konstantin, 05, more than anyone else. Not a high bar to clear, but better than nothing. They're working on old information, but they ruled a few things out – he's not the “destroy the world” type, nor the type who wants to rule it. Personal enrichment is out of the question too – he doesn't need money. They believe his goal must be something more... esoteric.”

“Great,” you sigh, “That's real easy to figure out. Whatever it is, he thinks he's doing the right thing. Lunatics usually do, I guess.”

“I wouldn't say he's mad. Deluded, perhaps, but not mad,” the mercenary frowns in thought, “Their words, not mine. I'm not quite sure what the difference is. What I'm trying to say is, Konstantin is likely to do anything if he can rationalise it away. I can say one thing about his goal – whatever it is, he needs an ADM for it. An ADM, or something close to it. That's what they were building in China, recreating Unit 05.”

“Okay, so they needed an ADM. What can you do with an ADM?” you wonder aloud, “Other than destroying absolutely everything that stands in your way, I mean.”

Fletcher just shrugs. A very “I'm just a soldier” kind of shrug. Save the philosophical questions for someone else, he seems to be telling you.

“I'll think on it,” you decide, “Let you know if I get any bright ideas.”

“Do so,” he agrees, tucking his papers under one arm and gesturing to the door, “After you.”

[1/2]

>>3655318

Back at the dorm, you hesitate at Kaori's door before knocking loudly. There is a long pause, complete with some muffled crashes, and then Kaori mutters a greeting. Already curious about what waits within, you step inside and come face to face with a flushed Kaori. She wears a thick dressing gown, the garment tightly wound around her body. “Uh...” you begin, “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“You... no. No, I suppose not,” Kaori sighs, “I was making sure my costume fits. You know, for the culture club.”

“Ah,” you murmur, “The armpits costume!”

“Don't call it that!” she groans, “You make it sound so... dirty. Just make yourself useful and tell me if it fits okay, will you? And if you laugh, I'm throwing you out of this room.” Having given you this very serious warning, she fumbles with the cord of her dressing gown and loosens it, slipping out of the robe. To your credit, you don't laugh. You smirk a little, but that's it. With a long red skirt and a crisp white blouse, the costume could mostly pass for a normal outfit if not for the flowing sleeves, separate from the rest of her blouse and tied at her upper arms with lengths red ribbon.

“Not exactly... practical, is it?” Kaori complains, fanning out her skirt, “It's a shrine maiden's outfit, apparently. I didn't even know shrines HAD maidens. I thought they had... monks or something, I don't know!”

As Kaori rattles off her hurried explanation, you study her again. The blouse fits well, far closer to her body than the usual loose shirts she wears, while the skirt pulls in tight at her hips. Even the sleeves flow well, despite her concern. As you study her an idea occurs, and you snap your fingers. “Karina,” you declare, “You need her advice. She's all about this Japanese stuff. If anyone knows about this stuff, it'll be her.”

“That's true. She does have a picture of a shrine on her wall,” Kaori recalls, “It has one of those big red gates. That's a shrine thing, I remember reading about it. Good call, I'll talk to her about it... I just hope I can get her to stop talking about it before I die of old age.” Laughing to herself, she reaches down and grabs her dressing gown off the floor. Before she can put it on, though, she hesitates. “Hey...” Kaori murmurs, her face visible only in the mirror opposite you, “You never gave me an answer. How does it look?”

>It fits well. Shouldn't need any modifications or anything
>You look great. I mean, really great
>You're right about one thing, it's certainly not practical
>It looks... (Write in)
>Other

>>3655372
>You look great! I can see why they're forcing you to wear this.

>>3655372
Supporting
>>3655403


Whenever we next get around to talking to Fletcher we still have some outstanding questions we still need answers for, in order of importance:
1. Did he find anything on the Circle Eleven Trials when he went though Bergmann's Archives while she was away because Matheson was here? of course he won't tell us if he found anything something we shouldn't know
2. Does he want us to transfer the memory of the Vision we had of Wilson's Death alongside the memory of the meeting from our perspective to him if we can? It would also serve as a good test to see if we can do so, though we may want to warn him that we may see some things of his that he may want to keep secret.
3. What was the contents of the file that Wilson had with him That the Killer took with them as confirmed by the Vision , and where did he get it from and that him puling files was one of the conditions that would have had Fletcher's team take him into custody
4. What were Wilson's movements between 9AM up to the time of his death on the day he died? This is important because we only set up the meeting with Phantom at around 9AM on the day that he died

>>3655372
Backing >>3655403

“You look great!” you assure Kaori, “I can really see why they're forcing you to wear that!”

Groaning, Kaori drops her dressing gown and sits heavily down on her bed. “You always make it sound so... dubious,” she complains, although you catch a hint of a smile on her face before she covers it with her hands, “I never imagined that I'd wear something like this, though. Something so... I don't know.”

“Something so impractical?” you suggest.

“Right. Impractical. Let's go with that,” Kaori agrees, nodding slowly, “But maybe it's fine to be impractical every so often. Do you know who asked me to wear this?” She waits for a moment, waiting to see what your answer is going to be. You just shrug. “Neither do I. That is, I don't know her name. This girl I've barely ever seen, let alone talked to, came up to me and told me that she had a job I'd be perfect for. Since then, things have just been rolling on so fast that I can barely keep track of where I am,” she continues, gesturing vaguely, “And... I'm actually fine with this. This reminds me of before all this. Before NERV.”

That sounds like a very important calendar date. Name: Holly Reynolds. Born: 15 BN. Gross.

“I think that's why I'm going along with all this. It's ridiculous, but it lets me pretend that there's a world outside of all this,” she sighs, “A world outside of... human experimentation and international conspiracies.”

“There IS a world outside of all that,” you point out.

“I know,” Kaori agrees with a sad smile, “We just don't live in it.”

-

Karina was all too pleased to help. A little TOO pleased, actually. Refusing your offer of help, she limps about her room in search of some books, eventually digging out an armful of them that leaves her trembling and gasping for breath. Cam watches like a hawk, ready to step in at the first sign of trouble, but otherwise lets Karina struggle. There's something calculated about the way she watches the sickly girl, you realise, a new willingness to let Karina... be normal. As normal as she can be, at least.

As the two Ks pour over illustrated encyclopedias, you let your mind wander. You really need to check in with Fletcher again, to ask about his search through the UN files. Circle Eleven has to be in there somewhere, buried deep alongside all the other sins and filthy secrets. Make an assumption, then, a few hypotheticals. Assume he does find something, or has found something already. Further assume that he's hiding that knowledge from you. What would that mean? Simple answer – Circle Eleven is something that would mean very bad things for NERV.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

[1/2]

>>3655483

Kaori and Karina were still deep in their research when you left them, slipping out with a nod to Cam and heading back to the dorm. It's quiet, with the television playing at just above a whisper even though nobody is about to listen to it. The breath catches in your throat and a shiver runs down your spine as you stand in the doorway, feeling as if you've strayed into some other world rather than the familiar living space. Deriding yourself for a fool, you hurry into the kitchen and grab a can of soda from the refrigerator. It sounds like a bomb going off when you pop it open, and you can barely taste the sugary concoction. This isn't right, this is-

“Oh hey, grab me one of those,” Claire calls out, and you nearly drop the can in fright. Jolting around, you scan the room for any trace of her. A few seconds pass, then her head pops up from the sofa. “I can't believe you didn't see me when you came in,” she complains, “Walked right past me. Talk about the cold shoulder! I guess you really needed that drink, huh?”

“I need a drink of the hard stuff,” you counter, laughing with relief, “But this is good enough, I guess.” Grabbing a spare can, you cross over and sit down beside Claire. The news rolls on and on, meaningless shit from the other side of the world. “You know, Hester thinks we have an unhealthy relationship,” you remark, “She thinks it's a dependency, not a real friendship.”

“Well, I guess she'd be the expert there. I mean, she's literally paid to be Claudia's friend,” Claire points out, “Like, not even kidding here. Their whole thing is like, super unbalanced. It's an actual, no joke master and servant relationship. If she thinks that's normal, is it any wonder that she's got a skewed view of things?” Laughing and shaking her head, Claire slaps you lightly on the arm. “You know what your problem is? You worry about too much. Sometimes, you just gotta lie back and let life happen. Like me!” she adds, “I don't worry about the shit I can't change. Of course, I can't pilot a giant biomechanical fighting machine, soooooo... not exactly a fair comparison.”

“Yeah, there are a few key differences,” you admit, “Like, I'm way cooler than you.”

“Oh, that is so much bullshit!” Claire yells, grabbing a cushion from the sofa and throwing it at you. You duck, and it sails straight over your head. Laughing aloud, you jump up and run to the discarded cushion, seizing it and drawing back your arm for a mighty throw. That's when a door creaks, and you freeze.

“Why...” Juliet begins, her voice flat, “Why are you holding a cushion like that?”

It's called “fun”. She wouldn't understand.

>Going to pause things here, but I'm aiming to continue this tomorrow at the same usual time
>Thank you for your patience today!

>>3655554
Thanks for the run.

What would Wilson think of how things are going for NERV.

>>3655554
Thanks for running!

I vote we throw the cushion at Juliet. Teach her the joy of pillow fights. Make her understand.

>>3655554
Thanks for running!

Why is it when sometimes Claire is about to appear it feels like we have gone into a different dimension?

>>3655623
She has an instinctive sense for when we're mentally unsettled, and instantly appears to reassure us. Truly the greatest friend we could have.

>>3655565
Mixed, I suppose. On one hand, we're growing further apart from the UN and their tricks. On the other hand, that presents all kinds of dangers. So, I think Wilson would go with his default reaction and worry about things.

>>3655623
Maybe the dimension is the same, but we're the one that's different?
Nah, I wouldn't worry about. Everything is under control.

>>3655623
My guess is that Holly's reduced max ego is leaving gaps in her ability to function as a thinking being for the full day.

And Claire fills in the gaps.

The demon Naberius (also Naberus, Nebiros and Cerberus, Cerbere) was first mentioned by Johann Weyer in 1583.[15] He is supposedly the most valiant Marquis of Hell, and has nineteen legions of demons under his command. He makes men cunning in all arts, but especially in rhetoric, speaking with a hoarse voice. He also restores lost dignities and honors, although to Johann Weyer he procures the loss of them. Naberius appears as a three-headed dog or a raven. He has a raucous voice but presents himself as eloquent and amiable. He teaches the art of gracious living. He is depicted as a crow or a black crane. Concerning his name, it is unclear if there is an association with the Greek Cerberus.

File: JulietM.png (369 KB, 900x700)

369 KB PNG

Juliet, you consider, probably wouldn't appreciate a cushion being thrown at her face. She's weird like that. Lowering your arm, you instead toss the pillow back to the sofa and gesture to Juliet. “We were just... ah, it would take too long to explain. Let's go with watching TV, okay? We were just watching TV,” you tell her, “Wanna join us?”

As Juliet considers this, Claire hops up and scurries over to you, leaning close to whisper in your ear. “Sorry man, but I'm out of here. She creeps me out,” she whispers, glancing across to Juliet, “It's the way she just stares, y'know? Shit's not normal.”

Hissing for her to keep her voice down, you glance around just as Juliet nods. “Television. Sure,” the blank-eyed girl decides, “You're watching the news? I thought you might watch something... else.” What that might be, she leaves unsaid and unknown. Instead, she just sits down on the sofa and stares towards the near-silent screen. “I've been thinking,” she announces suddenly, a slight frown settling on her face, “Nebiros. Our new target. I think there's a connection between Nebiros and the disappearances in Scandinavia.”

These words hang in the air for a moment. “Huh,” you murmur, “You know about that stuff?”

“I listen. I do my own research,” Juliet points out, “What Karina said, about water and a voice that drew her in. It made me think about the disappearances. I imagined people walking into the sea, guided by something outside of themselves. I don't normally get... hunches like this, but this was so strong that I can't just write it off.” The frown never lifts from her face as she says this, as if she still doubts her own words. “Will you tell the commander about my theory?” she asks, “Or, tell whoever would be appropriate.”

“Fletcher, I guess. Or Bergmann. I dunno,” you suggest with a shrug, “You could tell them yourself. Pick one, and tell them. You're allowed, you know.”

“I am?” she asks, glancing around in muted surprise, “I... suppose I am. It's odd. At the UN, I was just told to follow orders. My own thoughts on the matter were considered irrelevant. It made sense at the time – they were professionals, I was the civilian. It was only natural that their experience meant more than mine.”

“Yeah, well, we're a bit more diplomatic here,” you point out, unsure whether to sigh or laugh, “A bit. If we get ordered to jump, we still gotta ask “how high?”, but that's more like the exception. Monroe gives us a fair bit of freedom. I mean, I can still tell them your theory if you really want, but I'll take all the credit for it if there's something to it. Just, you know, giving you fair warning.”

“Ah,” Juliet pauses, thinking for a moment, “Then perhaps we should tell them together.”

[1/2]

>>3657800

“A connection with the disappearances, huh?” Fletcher murmurs, opening a desk drawer and taking out a heavily annotated map. As he peers down at it, you glance aside at Juliet. She doesn't look nervous at all, her posture stiff as she stands in place and waits for Fletcher to continue. Monroe was out, her office locked up tight, and checking on Bergmann would require a trip down to the basement which seemed like way too much effort right now. Fletcher was in, and not busy, so he was the best option.

“The location fits,” he decides eventually, “Bremen isn't that far from the shore, and there's even a river leading right up to it. If this Lilim is more comfortable in the water...”

“But that still doesn't explain why it told us where it was headed,” you point out, “Unless like, it's trying to lure us to somewhere totally irrelevant. It actually rolls up in, I dunno, Canada.”

“Not even the Lilim would bother with Canada,” Fletcher remarks. Accepting his point with a nod and a smirk, you take another look at Juliet. She just looks confused, as if she doesn't even recognise the word “Canada”. It almost seems like she's lost interest in this entire thing now that she's passed along her theory. Her duty is done, and that's the end of it. “Thank you for passing this along, Juliet,” the mercenary adds, “If you ever have any more hunches like this, don't hesitate to bring them to me or any of the other officers here.”

“Yes,” Juliet assures him, nodding once. That's all she does – one single nod, then it's back to playing statue.

Sighing, Fletcher gestures towards the door. “You're dismissed. Go and get some sleep,” he orders, “We might need you on active duty, so stay rested.” Nodding again, Juliet pivots around and marches out. You linger behind, waiting until the door has closed behind her before allowing yourself to relax a little more. “She reminds me of a kid I knew once. Young man, too old to be doing my kind of work. He kept saluting, even when we told him to knock it off,” the mercenary muses, “Too damn formal for his own good. Never mind that, though. Something else I can help you with, Reynolds?”

“Just chasing up that Circle Eleven search,” you venture, painfully aware of what's coming, “Any progress?”

“The organisation for Sleeping Giant took up a lot of my time, and this isn't something I'd trust with anyone else. Confidential data,” Fletcher begins, “So I'm still behind on a lot of things, including-”

Of course. Of course he'd say that. It's like you could hear the words long before they were spoken aloud.

>It's fine, chief. Take as long as you need
>If you've found something, I need to know. I have a right to know
>Cut the bullshit, Fletcher, I know you're hiding something from me!
>Never mind, there was something else... (Write in)
>Other

>>3657802
>It's fine, chief. Take as long as you need
It has been some time but I feel it's still a bit early to be throwing accusations around, although if he is busy he could always let us look for him.

>>3657802
>If you've found something, I need to know. I have a right to know

We never even got to see our file!

>>3657802
>If you've found something, I need to know.
>I don't need to know right the fuck now, but I'm starting to feel like I need to know before it's too late. Before.....I dunno, just before.

Swallowing hard, you look down at your lap and your hands clenched there. You know what Fletcher would want you to do. Don't make waves. Don't try to understand, just follow orders. It's hard to even get angry about it – by this point, you trust him enough to realise that he must have a reason for whatever he does. If he's keeping something from you, it's not pointless cruelty that motivates him. It must be that old family favourite, the greater good.

“Take as long as you need. Search as thoroughly as you can,” you tell him quietly, “But... if you do find something, I need to know. I have a right to know.”

“Do you, though?” Fletcher asks, his voice politely curious. You look up in surprise, but his expression is mild. “Consider my position, Holly. Say I do find something buried deep in the research archives, but it's something that could cause irreparable damage if revealed. I have a responsibility to protect you pilots, but I have a duty to protect all of mankind. That means that sometimes, I have to make compromises,” he explains, “And I understand how you feel. It's not pleasant to have secrets kept from you. But there may come a time when it's necessary.”

Necessary for who, though? For the good of all mankind, as they keep saying, or for their own grasp on power?

“I need to know,” you repeat stubbornly, “Maybe not now, maybe not right this moment, but I have this feeling... I have this feeling that I need to know before it's too late.”

“That's why I'm being careful. If I do find something, I want the full story. A half-truth can be more dangerous than a lie,” the mercenary states. He pauses, then, and takes a glass out of his drawer. A bottle follows, and he pours a tiny amount of liquor. “But you know, you've only got yourself to blame for keeping me so busy,” he points out, the faintest hint of a smile forming on his lips, “That lead on Konstantin turned out to be more interesting than I thought. My team searched the house, but there wasn't much to find... or so it seemed.”

Even knowing that he's changing the subject, you nod for him to continue.

“We were hoping to find a lead. Of course, they were careful – they didn't leave anything behind. We did find a spot of dried blood, though,” Fletcher continues. Thinking back, you recall Konstantin coughing, Coraline moving in to wipe blood from his mouth. “That blood gave us a positive ID, and some old records. More leads to follow – properties he owns, mostly,” he explains, taking a sip of his drink, “Head office are taking over that side of things. What happens next, that's their call.”

“So what about us?” you ask, “What happens next with us?”

“Well. I'm going to finish this drink,” Fletcher concludes, “And you're going to go to bed. It's getting late, you know.”

It's more subtle than what he said to Juliet, but you're still being dismissed.

[1/2]

>>3657847
>Don't make waves. Don't try to understand, just follow orders.
Your legs are ok, Moloch.

>>3657847

You think of Konstantin as you lie in bed, staring up at the blank ceiling. It's hard to imagine ever being that old. The things he must have seen, the changes he must have lived through. Even just living through Second Impact is such a strange concept to you, and that was just twenty years ago. Fletcher, Monroe, Bergmann, even Matheson and her ilk... they've all passed through that calamity, and it must have changed them. How would it have changed you, if you'd been there?

With the slippery looseness of a half-sleep, your thoughts turn to Coraline. You're starting to get an idea of why you feel such a connection with her. It's not as simple as a friendship – she can be clingy, overly familiar and that's not even getting into the whole “terrorist spy” thing – but you're undeniably similar. You're both trapped within the guts of this machine, caught up in schemes far larger than any one person. Coraline endured her tortuous training and the loss of her best friend, while you're caught in the middle of... whatever this is.

But that brings you back to the same old question. Is there any real empathy there, or is she just trying to manipulate you? Mercifully, sleep takes you before you can obsess over an answer to that. Just as well, or you'd be fretting all night.

-

Over the breakfast table the next morning, you meet Juliet's eye. She gives you a measured nod of gratitude, and that's the end of it. Nothing more needs to be said about it. Even this small display of gratitude is more than you had been expecting from her. Looking aside, you notice how gloomy Vic looks. Of course, he's not always the most cheerful or lively sort, but this morning seems an especially grim one for him. When he realises that you're looking his way, staring really, he shakes his head. “I was hoping to hear from Nate before now,” he explains, “But she hasn't called.”

“Maybe she has terrible reception up in Temple,” you suggest, “Or they could have taken her phone. Security checks, you know? Or maybe she's going to surprise you with a proper letter, and the mail is just super slow. Either way, you gotta cheer up – we've got the morning off, are you really going to spend it sulking?”

“I know, I know,” he sighs, waving away your concern, “I'm just getting myself worked up. I knew this would happen. I don't suppose you've heard anything from her, have you? Or from the commander. I... we never really speak directly, you see. I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to talk business with her.”

He's really determined to spend this entire day worrying, isn't he? Maybe you should just tell him that you've heard from Nate, if it'll put his mind at ease...

>Offer to speak with Monroe about this. She'll talk to you, at least
>Bring him to Monroe and discuss things together
>Lie, and tell him that you've heard from Nate. She's fine, everything's fine
>Other

>>3657921
>Bring him to Monroe and discuss things together

>>3657921
>Bring him to Monroe and discuss things together

We kinda wanna hear from Nate too

>>3657921
>Bring him to Monroe and discuss things together.
If we need to talk about more sensitive things with the commander, we can always send him away.

Now that we have reminded Fletcher about some of the more important things that we think he should be working on finding out, we should see what we can do to motivate Monroe to do a little digging of her own.
We should also tell either Fletcher, Monroe or both that based of what we were told about the pilot of the Titan, we find it a little concerning that Bergmann mentioned that Juliet may also able to Pilot all of the Units and she may just be sitting on this information for 'reasons'.
We should also ask Monroe if she has found anything new on the database that we 'borrowed' from UN although she probably doesn't know that we know about it or about how we got to know, as Fletcher is probably sitting on the info for good reason of course and I'm not sure whether or not we should tell her yet relating to Blue Eye and Metatron, as they did seize Unit's 05 & 06 from the Garden where they were working on said projects so they may have more information on what was done.


Looking back at the Conversation we had with Hester about Claire:
I wonder if Hester would have been provided a copy of our file or briefed on 'Claire'.
As the example she gave during our conversation felt a little too well informed to be only based of her observations of our interactions.
So either everyone at NERV that could interact with Holly was shown her file or Claudia talked to her about it, which she probably shouldn't be doing. Because if she would share this there may be more that she shouldn't be sharing that she has.

>>3657921
>>Offer to speak with Monroe about this. She'll talk to you, at least
Lying will only have him ask us what she's told us, digging us further into a hole.

“We could go and speak with her together, if you want,” you offer, “I mean, unless you had something else planned?”

Vic blinks, taken aback by the suggestion. “You'd do that?” he asks, “Well, I suppose it's not that big of a favour. You seem to get along fairly well with the commander, and you don't seem to have any plans either. So, very well then, I formally accept your invitation.” Nodding to himself, and allowing himself a small smile, Vic turns his attention back to his breakfast. He eats quicker now, his entire manner changing now that he has a goal in mind.

You'll have to ask Monroe again later, you think to yourself as you eat, to see what she says when he isn't around.

-

Monroe still isn't in when you arrive at her office, although a handwritten note has been pinned to the door - “back in fifteen minutes”, the paper reads. Of course, with no idea of when that note was written, that could mean anything. Accepting the prospect of a long wait with a shrug, you lead Vic to the small alcove further down, firing a few loose coins into the vending machine and passing him a can of soda.

“You know, I'm always surprised at how casual things are here,” Vic remarks as he sits, “Things were stricter at my old school.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. It was worse when we had the UN crew lording over us, but even then...” you shrug, “I guess they're trying not to stress us out too much. When we're not fighting, we're supposed to be leading normal, healthy lives. It, uh, it doesn't quite work that well in practice, but it's better than nothing.”

“I can imagine,” he agrees with a low chuckle. Before he can say anything more, a shadow falls over you both.

“Well well, look what we have here!” Monroe announces, “If you two wanted to go on a date, there are far nicer places to go than this!”

Both blushing, both talking over each other in an attempt at protest, you and Vic flounder as Monroe laughs longer and louder with each passing second. Eventually, you clench your fists so hard that your knuckles crack, and that manages to settle your nerves. “We're here to ask about Nate,” you announce, “Did she like, arrive safely? Is she getting settled in?”

“Step into my office, kids, and we'll talk it over. Not that there's much to talk about,” Monroe tells you, tucking her load of files under one arm and leading the way. Swiping her ID through the door lock, she rips the note off her door and steps inside. Casually dumping the files on an empty chair, Monroe leans against her desk and smiles. “Nate has arrived in Temple, yes. I was given word of it yesterday and I really meant to tell you, but we've had so much else going on... I should thank you, really, for reminding me,” she explains, “Now, the bad news. With everything that's happened, they've brought in a lot of new security measures so...”

A shrug, calculated helplessness.

[1/2]

>>3657990

“So what you're saying is, I shouldn't expect timely updates from her,” Vic guesses slowly, sighing as Monroe nods, “Well, I suppose I had been assuming that would be the case. She'll probably be so busy causing trouble that she'll forget about writing or calling, then she'll spend all day feeling like a terrible person. That's just the way she is sometimes.” Laughing mournfully to himself, Vic nods thoughtfully. “Thank you for letting me know, though, and thank you, Holly, for escorting me,” he adds, “But, do you mind if I ask a little more? I've just been wondering... well, about Temple in general, the sort of things Nate will be doing there.”

“Hmm, again, there isn't much I can tell you. Not because of any silly security reasons, but because I don't know either. I'm really just a regional commander, so anything outside Avalon...” Monroe offers an apologetic smile, “But I have friends over there, so I might be able to squeeze a few updates out of them. When I hear anything, I'll come find you. Or you can come find me, if there's anything you want to ask. My door is open.”

“It wasn't open this morning,” you point out. Monroe just laughs, waving away your comment.

-

“So,” you murmur, once Vic has repeated his thanks and left, “Have you really heard from Nate?”

“I have. Did you think I would lie to him?” Monroe asks, looking hurt by the suggestion, “I was given confirmation when she arrived. Everything went off without a hitch. What happens next, though, that's in their hands.”

Feeling vaguely at a loss – knowing that you should feel relived, but oddly feeling nothing at all – you slump lower in your chair and sigh. “I guess I'm just jumping at shadows,” you admit, more to yourself than Monroe, “I'm worrying about like... basically everything. Like Juliet. I mean, she can pilot any kind of ADM, can't she? Does that mean that she's got Lilim material in her too?”

“She's never appeared on our systems as Lilim, but Huang did,” Monroe points out, “I don't... quite understand how Juliet can do what she does, but she's not Lilim. There's still so much that we don't understand about pilots, about the AT Field, about all of this... perhaps Juliet is just a mystery we're still trying to unravel.”

Maybe. Maybe not. “Is there anything in the UN files about her?” you press, “Or about any of the other stuff? BLUE EYE? Metatron?”

“Metatron... I've been chasing a lead on that, actually. If it IS a lead, at least. It could be nothing,” Monroe pauses here, rising from her chair and gesturing for you to wait. Slipping out of the office, she returns a few moments later with a can of coffee from the vending machine. Popping the top, she drinks deeply before sighing with relief. “So, where were we?” she muses, “Metatron... As a project, it's dead. I'm curious about what it gave birth to.”

[2/3]

>>3657802
>Not even the Lilim would bother with Canada
Throwing shade at Cegremo, are you?

>>3658067

“As a project, Metatron was doomed for failure. The general idea was to have multiple ADM Units under the control of a single pilot. More like a central mind than a pilot, but still. There were a couple of flaws with this. First, pilots being unable to synch with different variant of ADM. Second, the strength of will required to control multiple ADM Units at once was massive. Finally, trusting that many ADM Units to a single person... that was unacceptable,” Monroe explains, “So the project was closed. Kept as a kind of curiosity. I was going over the records recently, the version Fletcher retrieved, and I noticed something odd.”

“Odd,” you repeat. As if the rest of the project was so normal.

“Someone else downloaded the entire set of Metatron project files to a private server. I took the records to this guy I know, asked him to see if he could figure out who was behind it. The data wasn't stolen or anything, he told me that there were no indications of hacking or forced intrusion, but we couldn't pin down much else. Just a fragment of the server ID – S.04.”

SEELE 04? But SEELE should already have access to the project files, so why would they need to take a private copy? To run experiments of their own, perhaps, without anyone else being able to study what they were doing. This, the project that Metaton gave “birth” to, is the real problem now.

“I hate getting other people involved, but I didn't know who else to turn to,” Monroe sighs, toying with her can of coffee, “He's a good guy, this friend of mine. Real reliable, and he's a miracle worker with computers. If something bad happened to him because of me, I don't think I could forgive myself.”

“Except she could. She could rationalise it away easily enough – if he wasn't willing to help, he wouldn't have done it. Really, what it comes down to is this. She wanted that data, and she doesn't mind throwing someone under the bus if that's what it takes,” a mocking voice jeers, “But because she makes herself feel guilty about it, she thinks that makes it okay. Guilt is such a precious gift, isn't it?”

“Holly?” Monroe asks, her expression softening into a mask of concern, “What's wrong?”

>I'm fine. Just worried about that friend of yours
>I just... did you hear that? That awful voice?
>Is it really okay, though? Putting someone else in danger like that?
>It's... (Write in)
>Other

>>3658092
I would NEVER

>>3658182
>I just... did you hear that? That awful voice?
Hasn't this happened before when we were reflecting Monroe's actions.

>>3658182
>I'm fine. Just worried about that friend of yours
>Other
"Juliet and Huang seem to prove it's possible for sync with different ADMs and who knows if enough Lilim contamination would have allowed Huang to control more than one."

Fucking ghost

>>3658182

>I just... did you hear that? That awful voice?

>>3658189
We've heard it in other situations. Ever since we got burned astral projecting I think.

>>3658182
>>>I'm fine. Just worried about that friend of yours

>>3658182
>>I'm fine. Just worried about that friend of yours

>>3658182
>I just... did you hear that? That awful voice?

You know, it is getting increasingly hard to know whether it's
a) Holly's own cynicism (which is still a valid opinion to consider!)
b) non-materialized Claire voice (she can be pretty cynical about things, too)
c) some other outside interference

Good thing Holly's out of ADM, or we could've added that to the pile.

“I'm... I'm fine,” you manage, fighting the urge to look over your shoulder, “Just worried about that friend of yours.”

“I am too,” Monroe sighs, “You know, I wish I could do something nice for him to make up for all the favours he keeps doing. I offered to take him out for a nice dinner – just a little treat, you know? - but he told me that he wasn't looking to date at the moment. Can you believe that?”

You're speechless for a moment before a blurt of mad laughter escapes you. Monroe pouts at your reaction before laughing herself, and that just makes you laugh all the harder. There's an undeniable edge of hysteria, of desperation in that laugh, but you don't care. It shuts out anything else, and that's all that matters. Eventually, you feel a vague pressure lift from your temples and you start to claw your way back towards self-control. “Maybe he doesn't like eating out,” you suggest, trying not to break out in another bout of giggles, “Some people are like that, y'know?”

“Hmm, maybe,” the commander muses, “Victor strikes me as that type, don't you think?”

Coughing awkwardly, you fumble for a way to change the subject. “But seriously, Juliet and Huang must have something in common,” you remark, “They can both pilot multiple kinds of ADM. That proves that it's possible. With enough Lilim juice, maybe Huang could even control more than one at once. So that's another thing.”

“Okay, first of all. Never use the term “Lilim juice” again,” Monroe orders, pulling a disgusted face, “And second of all... actually, I'm not sure what else to say. I can't rule out a connection between site A-11 and the Metatron Project, but we didn't find any evidence linking the two.”

“Shame that driver died,” you mutter, “He might have known something important. Why'd he have to go and shoot himself, huh?” Monroe splutters, this comment coming as she was halfway through a sip of her coffee. As she coughs and chokes, you lean forwards and sigh. “Then again, I guess he was afraid of what we'd do to him. That research he was involved in...” you mutter to yourself, “Shit, I wouldn't want to have to try and explain that to a judge.”

“Why bother explaining yourself to those who could never understand? He had power over those people, that was all the excuse he needed. They were useless, purposeless people. Worthless as human beings, invaluable as even a droplet of the pure matter,” the hateful voice leers, “And really, nobody was going to miss them.”

“Shut up,” you mumble, “I'm not listening.” Glancing up, you see Monroe staring quizzically at you again. “I thought I heard something,” you hastily explain, “Uh... I was probably wrong.”

“Go and see Doctor Bergmann,” Monroe instructs.

“But-” you begin to protest, but Monroe cuts you off with a gesture.

“She wanted to speak with you,” she explains, “That's all.”

It's never JUST that.

[1/2]

>>3658292

“So, Holly,” Doctor Bergmann begins, “What did you think of Titan?”

“It felt kinda like beating up a cripple. Or a puppy. Or a crippled puppy,” you remark, “I guess it was just a prototype, or a work in progress, or whatever you want to call it, but... it wasn't really a match for a proper ADM Unit, was it?”

“Men have tried to build their own gods, and they have been found wanting,” the doctor muses, leaning back in her chair and tenting her hands, “The only true path to defeating the Lilim lies with the ADM Units, but the true path to salvation lies beyond them. You saw how close Fletcher's team came to destruction. Men, with their frail and sickly spirits, cannot survive in a world like this. Even now, the UN is pursuing a device that will embolden their soldiers. Yulia has been assisting them, that naïve child.”

You don't like that cynical, mocking tone she has. It reminds you a little too much of that other, unseen voice. “She wants to help people,” you argue, “I mean sure, working so closely with the UN is kinda bad, but her heart is in the right place.”

“Oh, I'm not disputing that,” Bergmann remarks with a dismissive wave of her hand, “But her methods leave something to be desired. Another mechanism, another machine, is just a stopgap measure. So long as we rely on toys like that, we will never evolve. But that's neither here nor there. I wanted to ask about the... incident.”

“The incident,” you repeat. Better to play dumb in a situation like this. You've got a pretty good idea what she's talking about, but you don't want to say it aloud.

“Operation Sleeping Giant. You lost control over your ADM Unit... or did you surrender control?” she asks, a grin twisting her lips, “No, don't answer that. I'm not trying to interrogate you. I just want to know what it was like. I've seen the footage, seen what happened, but I don't know what it was like on the inside. I want to know... everything.”

Despite yourself, you shiver. This just feels so... so wrong. Too intimate to share with a woman like her.

>I don't remember much. I blacked out pretty much straight away
>It was like... (Write in)
>I'll answer your questions if you answer mine... (Write in)
>Other

>>3658369
>I don't remember much. I blacked out pretty much straight away
Apparently the Circle Eleven Trials were only routine medial test.

I think it's appropriate to stonewall her on this at least until we get some answers.

>>3658378
>>3658369
I'll go with this. Use the leverage we have to maybe get some answers

>>3658369
>Fuck you. What have you ever done for me, other than take parts of me to put in Nate? You messed that up by the way, some of her got in me as well.

>>3658369
>It was like having your head split apart by a bat, like the last breath escaping into the coldest waters of a swamp, like the concrete constricting your chest and crushing you, like the fire burning your skin to a crisp... Tearing the mind asunder... Probably. I think it would feel like that if I could remember it.

Fish for reaction. Can we be sneaky at least for once?

>>3658369
>>3658378
I like the idea of using this leverage, but would we trust what she told us without proof? We could also ask for our unaltered file again. I'm sure nothing bad will happen a second time.

That's right. You can't let a little philosophical babble lull you into lowering your guard. There are some secrets that shouldn't be given away quite so lightly, especially to Bergmann of all people. “I don't remember much,” you lie, shaking your head slowly, “I blacked out pretty much straight away. Not sure what else I can tell you... doc.”

“Really? You can't tell me a thing?” Bergmann remarks. Her tone is light, but you see a brief flash of frustration in her single eye. Not a professional frustration, although you're not sure if you could really describe what that looks like, but anger on a more personal level. Seeing that, you feel your hackles rise. How come you're not allowed to keep secrets every now and then? How come everyone else gets to lie and cheat, but you're the shitty one when you hold your tongue?

“Hey, fuck you!” you hiss, “Why should I spill my guts to you? What have you done for me lately? For any of us? All you've done is mess around with Nate's head, and you didn't even do that right – you didn't make her any stronger, you just gave her an anger management problem!”

Bergmann clicks her tongue in irritation. “You're acting like a spoiled brat, Holly. What have I done for you lately? I assisted Yulia with her projects, for one thing. I gave you the use of my own cabin, just so you could get away from this place. I've done everything I can to shield you from the UN. That isn't enough, is it?” she glares at you, her lips twisting into a grimace, “And Nate... I've done everything I can for her. I can only do so much with such... base materials.”

As you both lapse into a furious silence, the only sounds are the hum and whirr of computers. After a long pause, Bergmann turns away with a quiet scoff. Dismissing you, but you don't leave. “I'm sure the berserk incident was an amazing thing, if only I could remember it,” you murmur, “A truly wondrous experience, the kind of thing that a woman like YOU would never be able to experience. It's just too bad that I can't remember anything. If only there was something to job my memory...”

With her eye still fixed on the computer screen, Bergmann lets out a low, dirty laugh. “That's it, is it?” she muses, “And what do you think would jog that memory of yours?”

“Well, spending time in the infirmary like that, it reminded me of those Circle Eleven trials,” you venture, “But they were just normal blood tests and medical screenings, weren't they? You tell me a little more about them, and I'll see what I can... remember.”

Bergmann looks around again, an almost contemptuous amusement on her face. “That's not something I can just talk about, and you know it,” she points out, “For one thing, those are classified. Compared with those, this entire place is front page news. For another... I don't care to remember them. I have few fond memories of those experiments.”

[1/2]

>>3658474
Assuming Fletcher finds anything even if he doesn't tell us he found, he can still confirm the accuracy of what Bergmann tells us if she says anything.

And if she gets caught out lying to us that raises some massive red flags about what she has been doing, considering that basically everything we manged to get from the Sleeping Giant came from Holly intervening in things she could always scale back her attempts to procure useful information for Bergmann's use if we need to.

>>3658393
She's got a point

>>3658516
Theoretically yes, but as hes head of security we'd be tattling on our source, and for something this sensitive he could always refuse to comment.

>>3658531
We've got a point too. Us pilots have given her a lot more than she's given us (in data if nothing else), and she still looks down her nose at us.

>>3658507

“Look, I just want to know,” you snap, “Just... just cut the shit and show me my file if you don't want to talk about it. I'm perfectly fucking capable of reading. I'm just sick and tired of this, of all of this. Do you realise how much trouble you people would be in if I decided to just... not do this? I could go on strike, see how you handle things without me. You'd be the one to blame for all that. I don't care how many strings you can pull, you wouldn't be worth shit around here if I-”

“Holly,” Bergmann interrupts, “Are you done?”

Anger boils in the pit of your stomach, but you manage to nod. With deliberate slowness, Bergmann reaches over to her phone and dials a number. “Fletcher? Yes, she's here with me. I don't think we can hide it from her any longer. She needs to see it,” a pause, “Look, we both know that they have her file too. So long as they have it, they've got leverage on us. If we show her now, we defuse this bomb before they can set it off in our faces.” Ending the call after listening for a few seconds, she turns and gives you a bland smile. “Just wait a moment, please,” the doctor urges, “Fletcher wants to be here for this.”

“Well... good,” you stammer, taken entirely off-guard, “That's good.”

“You say that NOW, but...” Bergmann mutters, shaking her head as she looks back to her computer.

-

Fletcher is taking longer than you expected. Bergmann stubbornly ignores you as she waits, idly twiddling a pencil as she stares into space. This might be the first time you've seen her acting nervously, and you... don't know how to feel about that. Some part of you relishes it, but it also makes you worry. What could be in this file, if it makes her so upset? As you consider this, you pace the room. As you pace the room, you hear a low hiss from the corner.

“Hey!” Claire hisses, “Get over here!” Confusion swirls through you. Claire shouldn't be able to come down here, into Bergmann's lab. Hurrying over, you open your mouth to demand an explanation, but she just cuts you off. “We need to leave. Now. I came to get you out of here,” she whispers, her eyes wide with panic, “Forget this file, forget all of this crap. We need to fucking GO and not look back.”

“What?” you stammer, “What are you... I'm so close!”

“So close to a whole heap of bad fucking news!” Claire snaps, “Do you feel like you're about to win anything? Like you're about to have a moment of fucking triumph?”

Quite the opposite, in fact. A leaden pall seems to hang over you, a sword suspended by a single hair. Every instinct in your body is telling you to grab Claire's hand and just run – to flee from the base, the file, from all of this. If you stay here... disaster. Certain disaster.

But you're so close!

>You can't stay here. This is going to destroy you
>You need to stay and hear this. You're so close to the truth!
>Other

>>3658576
>You need to stay and hear this. You're so close to the truth!

>>3658576
>You need to stay and hear this. You're so close to the truth!
Claudia is probably going to be leading the next assignment cause we are about to be broken

>>3658576
>You need to stay and hear this. You're so close to the truth!

Mystery box option! Probably reduces ego to 50 or something, but hey, can't run away.

>>3658576
>You need to stay and hear this. You're so close to the truth!
What are they going to tell me about, that you don't want me to know. After all, whatever sins they are about to confess too, they have already committed, so it's not like this is going to change anything. Anyway even if we did run apparently someone else has this file and is going to try and use it against us at some point anyway.

>>3658576
>I don't think we can hide it from her any longer. She needs to see it,”
Holy crap. This is all it took? I thought for sure we'd have to jump through a bunch of hoops, only to be denied again. We should have forced their hand ages ago.


>>You need to stay and hear this. You're so close to the truth!
Yeah, uh, I don't think we're going to be in any shape to tell about our experiences with berserking for a while. This is going to do bad things to our ego. I wonder if Claire will try to fight us more directly when we refuse.

>>3658576
>You can't stay here. This is going to destroy you.

Time for the runaway episode.

>>3658601
>someone else has this file and is going to try and use it against us at some point anyway.
That'll be the UN, and likely NIHIL. She's stating she's worried they'll try to use our file as leverage on us (similar to how Wilson was using it to us against NERV), and by giving it to us now it'll no longer work.

>>3658576
>>You need to stay and hear this. You're so close to the truth!

>>3658620
All this really proves is that Wilson's death was unnecessary Ultimately all we got from it was a confession from Kaori and the name of the program as the hunt for file / information on Circle Eleven thing was started because the Liilum were starting to provide us with Faustian deals for the information, and so we could circumnavigate the need to enter one of the deals by finding out from other sources.

>>3658602
>This is all it took?
Now I'm thinking Bergmann is just really mad and has had enough. Also note that poor Monroe is out of the loop, as usual.

Your heart hammers within your chest, so hard that it feels like your ribs are about to break. Your body wants to run, yet your feet feel bolted to the floor. “I can't...” you whisper, clutching your head, “I can't... I mustn't run away from this. I need to hear it. I need to-”

“It. Will. Kill. You!” Claire cries, grabbing you by the shoulders, “It's going to kill both of us!”

“How do you know?” you scream, throwing up your hands and thrashing at her, “How do you know this? What do you know... what do you think they're going to say? Tell me, please! Help me! Just please, why can't you-”

“Holly!” Fletcher barks, his hands closing around your wrists as he keeps you from struggling. Twisting out of his tight grip, you spin around and almost strike him before the strength flees your arm. Slumping against him, you feel a powerful tremor run through your body. Barely aware that he's doing it, you allow Fletcher to guide you back down into a seat. He looks down at you with a mingled expression of pity and regret, disgust and guilt. “I tried to stop this,” he tells no-one in particular, “I knew that it would be... ugly.”

“We were fools to think that we could keep it a secret forever,” Bergmann points out, “There was only so much we could do to delay it. If she doesn't hear it from us, she'll hear it from them.” Approaching your seat, she crouches down and looks you in the eye. “We meant well, Holly. We had the best of intentions,” she continues, “All we wanted to do was make you strong.”

Slowly, mutely, you shake your head. A silent refusal of... what, exactly?

“Circle Eleven. The number, eleven, chosen for the number of intact ADM Units. Unit 05, maimed and despoiled, was considered a bad omen. Eleven children, each one with... some degree of potential. You were to be linked, that you might learn from each other and better yourselves. You were one of those children. Claire Sutton was another,” Bergmann continues, her voice low and steady, “We knew you were close. We though-”

“Ingrid. Stop,” Fletcher warns, his hand brushing against your neck, “She's not well. We need to take her to the infirmary before this gets any worse.”

“No...” you mumble, their voices growing thin and distant, “Need to... hear this. Too close now. Can't turn back. We-”

-

“We can't stop once we begin, so make sure you've all gone to the bathroom,” the tall, scary doctor warns. You've never seen a doctor with an eye-patch before. She was probably a pirate once, on a proper pirate ship. Probably not, but the idea makes you grin regardless of how silly it is.

“Awwww, man, I'm gonna need to pee no matter what,” Claire complains, “It's like a long drive. Doesn't matter how many times I go, I always need later on!”

“Totally gross,” you tease, nudging her with your elbow, “Dork.”

“Nerd,” she shoots back, punching you lightly on the arm. Not so lightly, actually.

[1/2]

>>3658690
We could always go tell her about it after all we find out.

This could still be a ploy to get Holly to spill the beans though.

>>3658676
>All this really proves is that Wilson's death was unnecessary
That was a long ways back, and we never did figure out who did it, or why. IIRC, the interest in the file stemmed from the early theories about Claire's nonexistence and the flashes we'd seen the the chairs. The Lilium's deals didn't start until our visit to the Garden I think.

>>3658698
Oh hey, before this gets posted, my pet theory was that it is Claire's body and Holly is the body snatcher.

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45 KB GIF

>>3658698
>“We meant well, Holly. We had the best of intentions,”
What is it they say about good intentions and where they lead? That could be the slogan of this entire universe.

>>3658698
I am SO ready to lose 50 ego from this!

>>3658728
>Implying it's not going to split our ego cap by eleven

>>3658714
Could explain Holly's mother's hate and psychosis.

Not my daughter indeed.

>>3658698

The other kids laugh and joke as you enter the gym. You play sports here all the time – hockey is the best, because you get to whack people with a big wooden stick – but now it feels different. Totally spooky, with these wooden chairs set up in a circle. Leather straps adorn the arms, and you shudder a little at the sight of them. Like torture devices, you think, or the electric chair. Did they pick these up from a supervillain's garage sale or what?

“Quiet down now, please!” one of the other, non-pirate doctors calls out, “We just need an hour of your time. You can sit still for an hour, can't you?”

“Don't bet on it,” Claire whispers, and you let out a low laugh at the silly expression on her face. “Hey!” she adds, a sudden protest in her voice, “What's with these straps?” She sits down despite this, moving stiffly as if unsure of her own movements. You slump down beside her, reaching out and touching her on the arm.

“Don't worry,” you tell her, “Don't worry, Claire. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. I mean, it's not like we've got a choice...”

As you feel one of the nurses tightening the straps around your wrist, you spot the pirate again. She strides over, followed by a second... you guess it's a doctor? You can't seem to focus on their face, no matter how hard you try. It's always blurry, like your eyes are filled with tears. “Sit down now, children,” the doctor declares, the simple authority in her voice causing the few stragglers to yelp and hurriedly sit, “And remember, you're doing important work today. Work that only you can do. Your parents, your peers, and even your children will thank you for what you do today. It's still a long road until paradise, but we walk it willingly...”

You remember this. They taught you what to say here. “For our reward will be eternal,” you call out with the rest. Claire giggles a little as she recites the words, but it's a nervous laugh. You can't even manage that much – your mouth grows dry, the sour taste of iron filling it. Out of the corner of your eye, you spot the doctors retreating into another room... all except the faceless one. They stride into the centre of the circle, their white coat seeming to catch fire and burn away in an instant. Then the doctor is gone, and a vaguely human ball of burning white light is all that remains.

Screaming now, as you thrash at your bonds. You couldn't manage a laugh, before, but you can manage a scream now. As you struggle back and forth, the white figure spreads their arms in an expansive gesture. Out of the corner of your eye, an impossible sight. One of the other children, a boy, is disintegrating. He melts in an instant, dissolving into an orangey liquid that pools around your feet. Another follows, collapsing just like the first. This... this can't be happening.

This can't be happening!

[2/3]

>>3658762
Tang'd

>>3658762

“Holly, help me!” Claire screams, pleading for you. Tearing your eyes away from the others, you turn to see her writhing against her bonds. Already, streams of that orange liquid are pouring from her eyes, from her skin. With a tremendous burst of strength, she rips her arm up. You see it part, see it flow around the leather strap before reshaping in a fleeting, transient form. Reaching out, she desperately grabs for your wrist and holds tight.

“Please!” she whispers, staring straight into your eyes before-

Before she loses cohesion like all the others, her flesh collapsing into liquid and splashing out over your skin. Sickeningly warm, it soaks into your own unstable flesh and burns a path through your veins. Unfamiliar images assault you, memories that you have no memory of experiencing, and you feel a sudden presence crowding in on you. All light dies as the blazing figure vanishes in an instant, plunging the gym into blackness. When the lights – the real lights, the yellowing glow of electricity – click back on, an eyepatch stares down at you.

“Damn it!” a muffled voice curses, “The experiment was a complete failure!”

“No,” the one-eyed doctor murmurs, “No, it wasn't.”

-

Someone keeps screaming. Can't they just shut up? You're trying to get some sleep here. You were having the strangest dream too, a nightmare really, until some noisy asshole woke you up with their-

Wait.

Wait, that's you.

>Current Ego: ??/90

Wrenching your eyes open, you realise a few things. First of all, you're lying flat on the ground. Second of all, Fletcher is trying very hard to keep you from snapping your own neck with a convulsion. As your body goes limp, he slowly pulls back. Now his eyes are cautious, unsure about what you're going to do next. That makes two of you, then. You're not sure what just happened, let alone what's GOING to happen. One thing IS clear, though...

“Where's Claire?” you whisper, “I want to see her.”

“Oh God,” Bergmann groans, turning away in disgust. Fletcher winces, flinching as if struck. Grimacing, he takes a long moment before speaking up.

“Claire isn't here,” he tells you gently, “She never WAS here. I think you know that. Deep down, I think you've known that for a long time.”

That...

>That's a lie. She's waiting for you up in the dorm, just like always
>That's... (Write in)
>Other

>>3658807
>That's a lie. She's waiting for you up in the dorm, just like always.
If we need to convince him we can always just show him.

>>3658807
>>Other
I think she is here with us, just not the way Holly has been rationalizing it.

>>3658807
>>That's... (Write in)
>That's a lie. She's here with me. She never left. I just... don't know how to get ahold of her.


The hell did they do to those kids? Dump them into a fully powered AT field?

>>3658807
>Other
She has to still be here, we've spent so much time together!
Time to call forth your tang powers and manifest Claire for everyone to see, Holly!

>>3658807

>That's... not completely true.
"Nate has seen her, interacted with her. Since you motherfuckers have been literally experimenting with human souls, hers must be at least partially in me. Otherwise it would all be for naught you sick zealots. No paradise for you."

>>3658827
Something else to note was that Juliet couldn't see the fact of the Nurse she was talking to.


Once we are out of immediate danger we may want to find out what the names of the Children involved were.

>>3658807
>So everyone has just been playing along? Lying to my face?

God I hate Bergmann. Did they turn Claire into LCL?

>>3658848
>Before she loses cohesion like all the others
I assume that Holly was the only one who survived. So they tanged 10 kids at once.

Claire... wasn't here? But she's BEEN here, you've spoken with her. Watched TV with her, goofed about with her, shared drinks together. How many times have you sat up late at night, whispering to each other as you set the world to rights? If this is some act of revenge, some cruel lesson meant to teach you against sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, then Fletcher is capable of being far more spiteful than you ever guessed.

“You're lying,” you insist, slowly sitting up and looking around the lab, “She's waiting for me now, up in the dorm. She's always there. We can... we can go see her, right now even!”

“It's no use,” Bergmann mutters, “She's rejecting reality. Nothing you can say will make any difference to her now – she'll just rationalise it away any way she can.”

“Stop talking like I'm crazy!” you yell, hating the shrill note in your voice, “It's... Nate! Nate saw her, talked with her. Ask Nate, Claire really is here!” Even as these words fall from your lips, you start to doubt them. Nate only ever saw Claire after you were... connected. Trembling, you rub your arm – the arm you saw Claire desperately touch, before she... before THAT happened to her. “You're lying. She IS here,” you whisper, hugging yourself as if chilled, “I'll find her. We'll find her, then you'll see.”

“Then we'll start with the dorm,” Fletcher agrees, his voice low.

-

Nobody speaks as you enter the dorm, heading straight for Claire's room. The others sit at the table, frozen in place with a meal spread out untouched before them. Ignoring them, you throw open the door and stare at... the empty room, untouched save for a few boxes of clothes. Your clothes. The air is stale and dead, as if the room has been left empty for a very long time. “She's just down in the cafeteria, that must be it,” you cry, stumbling out and giving the others a pleading look, “Claire went out, right? Right? She... she must have...”

No answer. Nobody dares meet your eyes. Even Claudia can't bring herself to make a cruel joke, her lips twisting in a grimace as she looks away. That, more than anything else, cuts through the defences you've wrapped around your heart. “Did you all...” you rasp, “Have you all known? You've all been lying to my face, all this time?”

“We were told... ordered...” Kaori manages, “In the interests of maintaining pilot stability, NERV is given leave to accommodate a certain degree of... eccentricity. We weren't supposed to question it. So long as it wasn't causing any danger, we weren't supposed to-”

“You seemed HAPPY,” Claudia interrupts, stressing that one word, “When you were “with her”, you seemed so happy.”

Well... you're not fucking happy now, are you?

[1/2]

>>3658831
a bit meta but I still want this

>>3658901
Well Holly must start connecting the dots at some point. She saw the nightmare, after all. But you're right, a bit meta.

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34 KB JPG

>>3658899
It hurts. It's a necessary pain, but it hurts.
pic related is holly right now.

>>3658698
>The number, eleven, chosen for the number of intact ADM Units
>each one with... some degree of potential.
>You were one of those children. Claire Sutton was another
So if we were a possible for 02, which ADM was Claire a possible for?

>>3658899

Sitting alone in your room, feeling about as low as you've ever been, you realise something. This is normally when Claire would find you, with some dumb joke or stupid comment to lift your spirits. She's always been your safety net, the line leading you back to familiar waters, the voice in your ear telling you what you wanted to hear. The more you think about it, the more irregularities you can recall. Questions that went unanswered, strange looks that you could never explain, appearances and disappearances that made no sense...

The door rattles slightly. Looking up, you see Bergmann standing at the far end of your room. Not close enough for you to hit out, to hurt her. Smart woman. “We needed soldiers. We were desperate,” she begins simply, “I won't make any excuses. I know that I've committed sins, and you might never believe this, but I've already been punished for my crimes. I can't change what happened, to me or to you, but I can work towards a greater future. One day, all of this will be worth it. We'll build our own paradise.”

“You bastards,” you whisper, “You were experimenting with human souls... and now you're talking about paradise? You'll never see it, you don't deserve to see it. Claire is... she's inside me now, isn't she? Whatever is left of her, I have within me. You people tore apart everything else. You ripped it apart, because...”

Bergmann doesn't bother to hear it. Backing out of your room, she silently closes the door behind her. As much as you want to follow, to chase after her, you just don't have the energy. Slumping back, you stare up at the ceiling. “Why me?” you whisper, “Why did I survive? Why did the others...”

“Because you held something within you that they did not,” a voice murmurs, “Even then, even from the very start, you've had something they lacked. Something you could hold onto, something that bound you to this world.”

“What?” you murmur, “What did I-”

Slowly, the image of a farmhouse and a loveless family forms in your mind. “Hate,” the voice leers, “You had hate.”

>Running a bit long today, so I'm going to pause things here. I've got a few days off, so I'm going to try and continue this tomorrow or Tuesday
>Regardless, thank you for your contributions today!

>>3658954
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK2OdQHVMjc

>>3658954
Thanks for the Run.

Is it even possible for Holly get the Happiness she deserves after this is all over?

>>3658954
Thanks for running!

Are we entering punished Holly arc?

>>3658954
>We needed soldiers
So you risked 11 incredibly rare compatible children, in the hopes of making them stronger? NERV can't find enough pilots as it is. You had a full set, and you gambled them all and lost. Fool.

>You'll never see it, you don't deserve to see it.
Truer words were never spoken. Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. Soul for a soul.

>“You had hate.”
I wonder if we got a little of some of the other children on us. Or maybe their LCL-ified bodies ran together and created the entity.

I wonder if we suppressed the memories ourselves or if it was artificially induced.

Thanks for running!

>>3658954
Thanks for running!

That thing in the middle of the circle of chairs posing as a doctor wasn't human was it?

>>3658954
Huh, so Holly's family problems existed before the Circle Eleven trials, I assumed it was the other way around for some reason.
Thanks for running, Moloch!

>>3658954
This has been incredibly satisfying, thank you

>>3658980
they were potentials, not compatibles.
the Evas/ADMs feed on daddy/mommy issues. they lost absolutely nothing.

>>3658973
Anything is possible. All you have to do is destroy this sinful world and build a paradise from the ashes!
>>3658975
You wouldn't be suggesting that things are about to get worse, would you?
>>3658983
Oh no. Not even close
>>3658948
The children were a mixed group, but Claire was also a type 02 possibility. Maybe that's why Holly and Claire were able to form such a close bond?

>>3659026
Is Punch Things Really Hard actually Claire's thing, or were they both like that?

Because flashback Claire acted a lot more like Holly at the start of the quest, while quest Claire was more like flashback Holly.

Holly was Cloud Strife all along

Were ADMs meant to have a second crew member? I am getting some Flight of the Intruder and Top Gun vibes here with the dead buddy.

>>3660495
Only Unit 13 has a copilot

File: HollyR.png (375 KB, 900x700)

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The tides crash and wash around you, unsettled and turbulent. This is a dangerous place to linger, but you don't care. If that monster decides to show itself, you'll burn it as badly as it burns you. Maybe that'll be enough to scare it away. Maybe it'll reduce your mind to ashes. Whatever. So be it. Right now, that's a possibility that you're willing to accept. Retreating back into your body will be no less painful, so why bother?

Here, drifting on the ebb and flow of human consciousness, you at least have the comfort of distance, detachment. You understand this place a little better now, a new understanding soaking into your soul. This place is like the background hum of countless billion minds, a layer of existence formed from countless billions of lives. A strange place to be, with many strange sights to see.

In a room not so far from where your physical body sleeps, Juliet dreams. She sits at a table in a sparse apartment, with a figure sitting either side of her. Faceless, crudely formed like department store mannequins, the figures sit bolt upright and make no movements. Untouched plates of food sit before them, while Juliet prods listlessly at her food.

“I like this new school,” she blurts out, “But all the other students know English too well. I've been trying to practice my German, but nobody speaks it with me!”

No answer. From either of them.

“Hey mom, hey dad, say something...” the dream-Juliet whimpers, “I want to remember you, just for a little while.”

No answer. From either of them.

Losing interest, you turn your spectral eyes back to your own body. You seem to sweat more than normal when you're doing this, you notice, what an unflattering detail to realise. Down there in your body, is there some fragment of Claire looking after things while you're gone? Making sure that your body doesn't break down like anyone else would? You never asked to be abnormal, but... it's not so bad, considering. There are some perks.

A quick pan across the rest of the dorm. Kaori is cleaning her model guns with a barely concealed desperation, pretending that everything is fine. Yulia sits perfectly still, staring into space as she thinks. She's trying to think of a way to FIX this, you realise, as if you were one of her broken clockwork toys. Claudia and Hester play pool, although few points are scored – they're just hitting the balls about, the hard clack and rattle giving them an excuse to avoid talking.

Further outside, then. Monroe's office, where she is arguing with Fletcher and Bergmann. Bitterly chastising them for how they all handled this, although it's obvious that she really blames herself. She's supposed to be the commander here, she has responsibility for whatever happens.

And she's doing such a good job, isn't she?

[1/2]

>>3660823

The monster never shows itself. With something akin to disappointment, you plunge back down into your body and take a long, slow moment to acclimatise. You thought it might feel different, somehow, like it's not totally your own body, but... this is it. This is just the way things are. Rolling over onto your side, you see a thin paper folder placed on the bedside table. Your file. Picking it up, you let the thin pages fan past with barely a look. All that trouble, for this.

With a sudden violence, you thrust the file into your bag and pull on a jacket. Nobody stops you as you march from the dorm and head for the main elevators, the guards not even seeming to notice you as you make your way to the surface. Stepping out into the city, cool night air washes over you. With no direction in mind, you just start walking. “Hey Claire,” you whisper to yourself, “Tell me I'm making a huge fucking mistake here, okay? Hell, just tell me anything!”

No answer, of course.

-

It takes you a while to be certain, but... you're not being followed. The usual NERV security team, discrete but not invisible, is totally absent. Either they just don't know that you're out here, an odd idea, or Fletcher has put them on a leash. Maybe he thinks that an armed escort is just going to make the problem worse, as if NOT having a bunch of soldiers tailing you is going to make everything better.

Entering a cafe, you slip unnoticed into a booth and take out your phone, placing it on the table before you. No missed calls, no new messages. A slow panic begins to seep into you. There's something very wrong here – like you're invisible, like you're not really here. Maybe you ARE here, but none of this is real. The problem is with everyone else, everything else. Desperately seeking reassurance, you reach forwards and rap your knuckles against the table. It feels solid, and the sound echoes out. So, you've not gone bodiless without realising it. That's... something.

“What the hell am I doing here?” you mutter, slumping forwards across the table. Shoving one arm out, you push an empty glass off the edge of the table. It hits the ground like a bomb going off, spraying out shards of broken glass. Even then, nobody seems to notice you. Scowling, you look back to your phone as you try to figure out what happens next. Can you really just go back to NERV as if nothing happened?

Where else CAN you go?

>That doesn't matter. Just pick a direction and keep walking
>It's no use. You have to go back to NERV
>Call up Coraline. Maybe it's time to hear her team out
>Call one of the other pilots over... (Who?)
>Other

>>3660826
>Call one of the other pilots over... (Who?)
She was the other one that went with us into the garden, so there may be something equally devastating to do with what was shown to her.

>>3660826
>Call one of the other pilots over... (Who?)
Yulia

>>3660834
>>3660826
this was a vote for Yullia.

>>3660826
>Pick a direction and keep walking.

Take some time to explore the city.

>>3660823
I know that the setting doesn't allow for this, but can't Holly call Monroe, ask her to provide a therapist who didn't have a hand in experimenting with souls and just keep them on the premises for a few months with fair compensation for communications block? Shit's not healthy!
Otherwise just call Yulia then, at least talking to someone is better than talking to no one.

>>3660863
The only person that could possibly have both the clearance and certification to engage Holly on this topic is Matheson, and I don't think that the outcome of them speaking with one another again is going to be very productive.

>>3660884
Clearly Matheson needs to be involved, sure. But I was talking about bringing just a qualified person (or 3, or 5) to be a proxy. Matheson is probably not interested in Holly's mommy/daddy/friend-dying issues, she probably has some more abstract thoughts about how to screw Bergmann over a bit more and that proxy will give her some info. With some luck most of that info will not be useful. Said proxy will not leave premises or have a phone for probably a few months or even a year, but they will be compensated fairly for that.

The problem is, of course, that Holly will not trust the person if they come from NERV, it must be her own initiative in the first place and for that she must recognize the state she's in and that would be probably asking too much.

Slowly tapping your finger against the side of your head, you stare at the phone as if willing it to ring. When it remains silent, you reach out and start to scroll through your contacts. When you reach Claire's name, you stop. Dialling the number, you listen as the phone plays an indistinct tone. Number not in service. Of course – what else had you been expecting? With a mouthed curse, you draw back your hand to throw the phone across the room... and slowly stop yourself. Going back into your list of contacts, you scroll just a little bit lower. Yulia.

Why is it that her name jumps out at you? Because she was with you, there in the Garden? Perhaps. It's as good a reason as any. With no expectation of getting an answer, you call her number. The phone rings for a long time, so long that you're about to give up and end the call, but then you hear a click, a pause, a muffled murmur from far away. Then: “Hello?” Yulia begins, her voice cautious, “That is you, Holly?”

“What does it say on the screen?” you ask through gritted teeth.

“It says “Reynolds”,” Yulia answers promptly.

“Then it's probably me, yes,” you tell her, “I want to see you. To... talk to you.”

Silence. You can practically imagine Yulia considering this, weighing up the risks involved. “Yes,” she decides eventually, “Where are you now?”

-

It takes a while for Yulia to arrive, to find the cafe. Little wonder, considering how vague your directions were. You barely recall arriving here yourself. She enters the dingy shop with a stiff back and sharp, alert eyes. She's not trying to be cheerful and pretend like everything is okay, which you can appreciate. If you had to endure a dose of saccharine sweetness right now, you might just throw up. “There is broken glass,” Yulia points out as she slides into the booth, “Down there. On the floor.”

“Yeah, watch out for that,” you mutter, “The service in this place is atrocious.”

“Yes,” Yulia agrees. With her eyes fixed on the scratched laminate table, she thinks for a long moment. “I thought about not coming here,” she admits after a pause, “I thought it might be... dangerous to come. I thought YOU might be dangerous. But, in the end, I decided to take that chance. Now. You wanted to talk.”

“What did you know?” you ask bluntly, reaching across to grab Yulia's wrist. At the last moment, you turn what was going to be a vice-like grip into a loose touch.

“I was told that you... spoke to yourself,” she offers, her voice faltering a little, “That you had a friend. A friend only you could see and hear. It was a coping measure, we were told. They asked us to be... understanding. I thought it strange, of course, but it was an order. Anything more than that, I do not know. I still do not understand this all.”

Can't blame her there.

[1/2]

>>3660900
Quick question - I always thought the Claire injection was what made Hollys mom stop recognizing her, but the end of last thread seems to contradict that. Did Hollys mom go nuts before or after Claire got gooed? Or are the memories too hazy?

>>3660914
She was nuts when still pregnant.

>>3660914
>For the sake of confirmation, Holly's mother began having problems shortly after giving birth. The Circle Eleven trials came later, after Holly left for boarding school.

>>3660826
>It hits the ground like a bomb going off, spraying out shards of broken glass. Even then, nobody seems to notice you.
We're physically here, but no one notices us. Maybe something to do with our distress making our personal AT field act weird?

>>3660900
>I thought it strange, of course, but it was an order. Anything more than that, I do not know. I still do not understand this all.”
I'm tempted to give her a super short version of what they did to us.

It's a shame Nate is away for a while, it would have been interesting to get her take on this.

>>3660930
Why not just ask if she wants us to show her everything that they did. I mean she definitely saw something when we were figuring out how to get close to Malthus.

After all we have seen some of what she has going on, and being able to share it with someone else is probably going to make it easier

>>3660928
Ok thank you

>>3660928
Iirc there was a flashback scene at some point where Holly was in a crib and her mom's expression changed into disgust or something.

>>3660900

It's not something you really mean to do, or even something you consciously choose to do, but you slowly find yourself explaining everything to Yulia – the Circle Eleven trials, Claire, everything. She listens with wide, horrified eyes, and you realise that she's seeing the same things you've seen inside her own head as your fevered thoughts flow over her. Let it happen, you decide with a surprising vindictiveness, let her believe what words can only suggest at.

“I saw some of it in the Garden. The Lilim showed it to me,” you conclude, “Was it trying to help me? Trying to find a weakness it could use against me?”

“I cannot say,” Yulia concedes, “Perhaps it wanted to understand you.”

“I don't understand myself!” you protest, “I don't... I don't know what to do! I don't know who I can talk to. None of this would make any sense to someone on the outside, and I don't know if I can trust anyone on the inside. What am I supposed to do, ask Monroe to send me to a doctor? A therapist?” Yulia gives no answer to this, and you slump a little lower in the booth. “Even if I could see a doctor, someone who wasn't part of this... this machine, what would I even tell them?” you murmur to yourself, “I don't know how to... do this.”

Yulia awkwardly pats your hand in lieu of saying anything, her expression betraying a deep unease. She doesn't know how to solve this any more than you do, but she still feels the need to act. It's an impossible situation to be in – is it better to offer trite and senseless advice, or to maintain a pitiless silence?

“I think...” she begins at last, reaching some conclusion, “I think there is nothing TO do. Nothing can change what has happened. Nothing about our duty has changed. No matter what has happened to you, to us, we must continue the mission. This is bigger than any one person, yes?”

“You just...” you stammer, looking at her in confusion, “You're saying I should just shut up and get back to work?”

“That is not... exactly how I would put it,” Yulia grumbles, leaning back and slowly rubbing her wrist, “But you are strong, perhaps because of what they did to you. I would put that strength to good use, if I was the one in your position. If some good can come from this...”

But she can't look you in the eye when she says this. She just can't.

>Those bastards don't deserve my help. Not after what they did to me
>Maybe you've got a point. I don't know if I can do this, though
>Do you even WANT me to come back? You can barely look at me
>I think... (Write in)
>Other

>>3660964
>Maybe you've got a point. I don't know if I can do this, though
>Other
"I want to find this thing that did what it did to the other kids and Claire. And kill it."

>>3660964
>Are they worth it, though?
>Bergmann's making her own plans to counteract whatever the UN or NIHIL wants to do to change the world, but she was also a-okay with sticking some of me in Nate. I'm still wondering if a piece of Claire got in HER, too!
>Call Dad
challenging optional super boss

>>3660964
>I think... (Write in)
I think that i may as well stay here and see what the others do, at least for a while or until i come to another decision, anyway if they absolutely need Unit 02 for something, before I feel ready they may want to call in Fisher because i don't exactly see myself help those who did this too me.

>>3660976
>>3660964
Yes, a plan of action I can get behind.

>>3660964
>>Do you even WANT me to come back? You can barely look at me
>Maybe you've got a point. I don't know if I can do this, though

>>3660976
There's an appeal there, but it was only acting on Bergmann's orders. She was the one in charge. If anyone is responsible, it's her.

>>3661003
imo she's already been punished by starting a family after that mess and then having them get taken away from her.

This thing pulled the trigger and we are not aware of it's agency in the plan. For all we know it could be the one giving orders.

>>3661012
We don't know if they are dead though, as far as we know they only went missing and without a better understanding of the phenomenon responsible we can't make a call either way.

>>3661012
>then having them get taken away from her.
She just walked away one day. They weren't taken from her, she left them with no warning or goodbye.

Do you blame a gun for killing someone, or it's wielder? Do you tell a shovel good job for digging a hole? In this capacity, it was only fulfilling a role.

>>3660964
>Do you even want me back? You can't even look at me!

>>3660964
>I know there will be a trial one day. And I will need the rest of the humanity to witness it. And you will help me to get there, for the greater good. We will wait. We will fight. In the end, we will decide, whether it was worth it.

Wait for the developments, refuse souls assimilation, be extra blood thristy for all seele members and their accomplices.

>>3661030
>She just walked away one day. They weren't taken from her, she left them with no warning or goodbye.

They still got vanished though and are still her family mate.

>In this capacity, it was only fulfilling a role
We don't know that though. Like we have minimal information of responsibility and blame and all that shit. You're assuming this thing's role was just a tool when it seemed to have commanded in the flashback.

Look I'm just trying to find some kind of channel for Holly's anger and I absolutely agree Bergmann is at fault as well. I just don't see the point in going after her when she already got hers quite a bit. Unless you wanted to just kill her but that might doom the world and the rest of the pilots, not to mention the ramifications of Holly killing another human.

>>3661054
Did she get hers? She said she was punished for what she did, but we only have her word for that. I don't trust her not to lie or exaggerate for her own benefit.

>>3661065
Does your child getting disappeared mean nothing to you guys?

“Maybe you've got a point,” you murmur, although you're not even sure if you can believe your own words, “I don't know if I can do this, though. I don't know if... are they even worth it?”

“Forget about them,” Yulia tells you, her voice growing firmer as she nods towards the cafe window. Outside, you see the passing silhouettes of civilians enjoying the warm summer night. “Think about them instead,” she adds, watching a young couple share a giggle as they pass close to the window, “If you were to leave, to abandon this fight before it is over, what would become of them? No. Think of all the people you can still save.”

The people you can save. The people who might never know your name, or appreciate the things you've done for them. The people who will just go back to feasting and fucking and waging war on each other. “I think I'm going to stick around, but... it's not going to be for them,” you murmur, “I'm going to find the thing that did this to me, to Claire, and then I'm going to kill it. I won't stop until that's done. For everything else... well, maybe Monroe should think about calling up her spare pilot.”

Maybe it's the coldness of your voice, but Yulia pales. She tries to say something, fails, lapses back into silence. “All that talk about saving lives, and you can't even look at me,” you whisper to her, “Do you even WANT me to come back, or is this just part of your mission?”

“You are... making this difficult for me,” Yulia stammers, “Nothing has changed, nothing should have changed. You are the same girl that I met in the Garden. But... I worry. There is a violence in your heart, Holly. I would not want to see it turned against the wrong side.”

Pushing back from her, you feel your lips drawing back in a tight grimace as you rise and stalk out of the cafe. “Hey!” someone calls as you're leaving, “Who left all this broken glass here?”

-

Yulia, wisely, doesn't follow her. You start regretting your words almost immediately, but stubborn pride prevents you from turning back. She's not wrong – there's a violence within you, an anger, and you're too tired to focus it on the right targets. The mood you're in, everyone and everything looks like a target. For all Yulia's talk of sides, it's getting hard to tell the difference between them. Bergmann has ruined lives, the Lilim have ruined lives, so is one worse than the other?

A nice little question to occupy your thoughts as you walk, wandering the streets in search of distraction. Thinking back to those painful memories, you try to figure out what that faceless thing really was. Not a doctor, obviously, perhaps not even a human being. A Lilim? But... a Lilim, working with NERV scientists?

[1/2]

>Next post might be delayed a little. I'll try and get it up as soon as possible

>>3661065
She also had the gall to lie directly to the pilots face's by stating that she doesn't have a use for Human sacrifices where Holly's ability to pilot are a direct result of it.
It's almost poetic how none of them believed her.

>>3661054
>They still got vanished though
Forgot about that. That's a good point, but I dunno how much it effected her.

>You're assuming this thing's role was just a tool when it seemed to have commanded in the flashback.
You're not wrong. I was jumping too far ahead. I strongly suspect Bergmann was the orchestrator, but it's not certain.

>Look I'm just trying to find some kind of channel for Holly's anger and I absolutely agree Bergmann is at fault as well. I just don't see the point in going after her
To be clear, "it's her fault" and "let's go make her regret it" are two separate thoughts. While I do think we should make her regret it at some point, the truth is we need her to get us through the Lilium invasion. Maybe after, we can give her her just desserts.

I figure Holly thought process might go something like: Bergmann needs to pay -> we still need her -> that alien thing did the whatever that actually caused the melting -> let's go get it instead for now.

What happened was a terrible accident, but if they had gone through proper channels, informed the children and parents of the risks, gotten permission from the parents to go ahead, and not swept it under the rug when it went bad I could forgive her. Accidents do happen, especially with such unknown tech. But with all the cloak and dagger she made herself guilty of the murder of ten children.


>>3661074
She abandoned them long before her husband and child disappeared. It wasn't a positive experience, but I doubt it had nearly the impact it wold for most people.

>>3661074
Do you think she should get a pass for killing kids just because she lost her own? Even though she killed those kids before losing her own? Even though she abandoned her own kid voluntarily?

>>3661100
>Do you think she should get a pass for killing kids just because she lost her own?
Enough that she was depressed enough to stay locked up in her apartment AWOL when a Lilim attack was happening after she heard the news.

>>3661101
>Do you think she should get a pass for killing kids just because she lost her own?

I didn't say that dummy. Please follow the chain of posts. I said she got hers a bit already from implied death of her family. I didn't say she's absolved of all sins or forgiven. What I am saying though is that going after her in some revenge scheme is counter productive and a waste of time. This is all I'm saying. I'm not on her side or anything. Just take off the vindictive goggles for 5 seconds and then read.

>>3661115
>What I am saying though is that going after her in some revenge scheme is counter productive and a waste of time.
Optimally, you're right. But Holly is a major hothead at the best of times mechanically enforced, thank goodness, and she's been given an easily justifiable target for her rage.


>>3661078
Speaking of Moloch, I just wanted to say I really like having Ego tied to our personality like this. It forces us to play the character, instead of just choosing the "best" option regardless of the MC's personality as seems to happen to most quests over time.

>>3661115
I feel that based on what happened that she was more upset by the realization that her decision is now set in stone, and the finality of her choice and not being able to go back to them after this is over and lead them into the new world that she has created, combined with her realizing that she probably would have done a whole bunch of things differently if she could.

Although we don't know if it is actually over, as we still don't have a body and there is a possibly that they may have moved elsewhere after Bergmann left.

>>3661115
Is it counterproductive? What if getting revenge restores Ego? What if it restores max Ego?

>Okay, state of the union time. My computer is on its last legs at the moment, and it could die at basically any time. I'm looking into sourcing a replacement, and I should be able to get one tomorrow, but things are looking a little uncertain tonight. I'm going to try and squeeze a few more posts out, but delays are likely.
>I'm sorry about this, but I'll try to make the most of the time I have left

>>3661141
It is counterproductive as long as Lilim are a thing, because she is the most accessible source of knowledge.
After that either Holly finds it in herself to not be the judge or she finds validation in the narrative that justice has been delivered.

>>3661179
Sure hope you have backups (if it's a disk issue), those may be more important than us.

>>3661179
You have my hopes and prayers. Sending positive energy your way.

>>3661188
Everyone is replaceable, including her.

>>3661078

You walk for a long while, taking turns at random as you venture into a part of the city you've never really seen before. A bad part of the city, a tumour clinging to the polite, well-groomed districts. It's not so bad, though. It's got personality, even if that personality is almost as ugly as Claudia's. Ignoring the myriad eyes peering out at you from unlit windows and alleyways, you march deeper through the streets. When you get tired of walking, you sit down on a low concrete pillar – build, you guess, to stop a car veering off the road and into shopping avenue – and take out your phone. Scrolling down, you look at your home number.

“What the hell,” you mutter, “It's not like I can feel any worse.”

You listen as the phone rings and rings, almost dropping it when you hear his voice. “Holly?” the man begins, “Why are you calling me?”

Of all the ways he could have started the conversation, he went with THAT. Fighting back a groan, you press the phone tighter against the side of your head. “I didn't know who else to call,” you tell him, which is perfectly true, “I wanted...” Pausing here, you wait for him to interrupt you with some curt remark or comment. Instead, he remains silent. “I wanted to talk to someone,” you continue, “About... I don't know where to start. Guess I should have thought about that before picking up the phone but... I'm kind of a mess right now.”

Another silence, longer this time. “I'm here,” he says at last, “Take as long as you need.”

“I just... learned that this girl I knew, this friend I had... she's dead,” you manage, the words stiffly slipping from your tongue, “It happened a long time ago, but I just found out about it. I feel like... like I should have done something about it. There was nothing I could do, but... still.”

He waits, and he thinks. “I know what it's like to lose someone you care deeply about,” he replies at last, his voice solemn, “People will tell you how to feel, what to think. You're going to hate them for it. The only person who can really understand how you feel is yourself.” Another pause, longer this time. “But that doesn't mean you should push them away,” he adds, “What matters is that they're trying to help you. You're not alone.”

It's something you never thought possible, but his words wash over you like a cooling breeze. For perhaps the first time since you learned the truth, you feel... stable. You feel like you know who you are again.

>Current Ego: 45/90

“That's adorable,” a voice murmurs suddenly, the words seeming to come from right behind you, “Do you think he read that in a self-help book?”

[2/3]

>>3661232
Is this some sort of Dark Claire? Can we have the regular one back instead?

>>3661232

Gasping, you pull the phone away from your ear and glance feverishly about for the source of that poisonous, treasonous voice. You see nothing, at first, and then you see – at last – the eyes peering out from the darkness. The air twists around you, some monstrous force contorting the mood of the scene, and a wave of primal hunger washes over you. It's an atavism, that feeling, the base and savage sensation of “I WANT”.

Ragged figures emerge from their homes and alleyways, gang patches and sinister leers betraying their true nature. Yet, their eyes are wide and inhuman, lit from within by a terrible intensity.

“What are...” you whisper, “What are you doing to them?”

“I've never made anyone do anything they didn't already want to do,” the voice murmurs back, “I just take what is already there and... bring it to the surface. What is a man if he is not honest with himself?”

“Heeeeey, stranger,” the tallest of the thugs calls out, his voice sing-song, “Nice phone. Mind if I take a lil' look at it? I need to make a call, see, but I'm fresh outta charge.”

“You'll get it back,” a lean, shrewish girl giggles, “...Eventually.”

Four of them in total – no, five, with another one sneaking up from behind you. They all look pretty mean, but you know bluster when you see it. These thugs are used to scaring people into getting what they want, relying on numbers and intimidation. Even so, five on one... you wouldn't fancy those odds even on a good day. Break and run, push past that lone thug lurking behind you, hope they don't chase you into a dead end. That could work... but this is their turf. They'll know all the twists and turns.

Damn it. Of all the times you have gone out without an escort...

>Just do what they want. It's just a phone
>You'll take them all on. You're not afraid to fight
>Time to run, and to keep running until you see HQ
>There's something else... (Write in)
>Other

>>3661265
>You'll take them all on. You're not afraid to fight
This is a stupid idea, but it's probably still the best option.

>>3661265
>Run and keep running

Even if it's their turf we just need to find witnesses/other people/police.

>>3661265
>>You'll take them all on. You're not afraid to fight

>>3661271
Very stupid, but in character. And hey, if we win it should be a good boost of Ego.

>>3661265
>You'll take them all on. You're not afraid to fight
Holly needs that Ego, and copious violence against unimportant thugs is a great way to get it.

>>3661265
>You'll take them all on. You're not afraid to fight.
The phone has very important information on it, we need to keep it safe.

At this point would it be unreasonable for Holly to start carrying a knife.