exsilium | 1 [video]

[Bloop. The video turns on to show a shiny new face, a teenage boy who's apparently not completely sure he's doing this thing right. After a moment of scrutinizing the camera he apparently realizes it is in fact recording, and starts talking, the busy market place bustling in the background.]

Uh, hi. I'm Toji. I just got here.

[Yeah, okay. Even he can tell that was basically the lamest intro ever. He grits his teeth a bit and decides to just lay everything down.]

Okay. I'm not gonna pretend I understood halfa what they just told me, but they said they bring a lot of people here, right? From different times and worlds and all that. So that means maybe it's a long shot, but there could be someone here I know.

[Hold on. Someone might misinterpret that. Touji decides to clarify a little, looking just the tiniest bit flustered.]

Not that I need anyone here holdin my hand or nothin, I'm just sayin it'd be nice to see a familiar face.

[A few more moments of deliberation, and Touji changes his mind entirely.]

You know what, forget I asked. Can someone tell me where the best place to get some clothes in this market is? Ones that don't make me look homeless. Wearin this plugsuit everywhere is gettin embarrassing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Thanks. I don't know you put up with these things, I feel some some sort of goofy futuristic gymnast or somethin.

They aren't that bad. You get used to them after a while...

[Oh. Speaking of getting used to...]

This might sound strange, but... what were you doing before you came here, Toji?

Hey, you too? I was just startin' up in the Eva.

[He gives Shinji a stern look through the camera.]

Listen, I know Soryu ain't tellin' me something, and if you know what it is I expect you to be tellin' me.

[He's glad that he's not using video because the answer would probably be written all over his face. How's he supposed to answer that? He keeps his voice carefully neutral.]

You're behind me. In time, I mean. When I came here, you've... already piloted.

[There's a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Toji's not stupid, he sees what all this is adding up to. He's trying to remember just what happened in the entry plug, but he's coming up with nothing.]

So I piloted. Then what?

[He's not answering that right now. Instead, he's going to try to steer the conversation to a different direction.]

It must be cold in the plugsuit. You should buy yourself some clothes, first.

Ikari. Tell me what happened.

[He needs to hear it.]

I don't know what to tell you.

[That's partially true. He sounds a little irritated, but he can't help himself. He really doesn't want to open this can of worms right now--he just wants to focus on Toji being here, standing there. If he starts to think about it it's going to ruin everything.]

Fine.

[He didn't need Ikari to tell him. If he wasn't going to man up and tell him, Toji wasn't going to force him. Not this time.]

[Toji's probably angry at him, isn't he? Shinji rubs the back of his neck, trying to think up of something to say.]

... where's your apartment?

[He's a bit irritated, but not really angry. The dominant emotion here is 'fear', if we were to be completely honest.]

1205. They're all in that one building, right?

Mm. [He's a little disappointed. They aren't as close as he hoped they would be.] I'm in 208...

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