05: † text

[salvagedsoul]

Hello, everyone.

I have been in United Earth territory since June. I was released last week. Although I have been inspected and declared safe by the Initiative, I feel that it is my obligation to notify you all of what happened.

I am very eager to see some of you again. I am staying in my assigned housing at 502 while I continue to recover. Please come by at your convenience.


((feel free to use this post for both network conversations and action!))

Comments

[salvagedsoul]

[He says nothing. Sayaka is the type who needs what he can offer - she isn't someone he ought to dump anything too complicated on. Like his own story. For people like her, and Shinji, and Asuka, he can do more as a selfless friend. In that way, he's failed them all by getting himself into this mess. He's tired. He does need rest. But now, she's here, so...]

Have you been out to the piano at all? [the truth is that he already knows it was destroyed in the most recent bombing. he asks for the sake of small talk. Kaworu would like her to stay for a while.]

[fortissimos]

I... um.

[ Well, that wasn't a very convincing start. Her initial instinct is to try and make something up, but there's no point hiding the truth — she has no idea that he already knows, but he'd find out soon enough anyway. One hand curls into the sheets. ]

N, no, it... it got destroyed. There were more bombs, and— I know some landed out there.

[salvagedsoul]

I see.

[There's no sadness on his face. There probably wouldn't have been even if he hadn't known the answer. To an onlooker, Sayaka is more upset about it than he is.

But he sighs and turns his head to look out the window.]

Don't feel bad. I'd prefer to never play again than to never again see the faces of you and the others.

[fortissimos]

Don't just accept it like that!

[ Sure, seeing friends again is more important than an instrument. But it's frustrating that he looks so calm about it, without even a trace of anger or sadness. ]

It made you happy, right? You... [ played it so well, and now it's gone. Finding one was hard enough — finding another seems almost impossible. ] ... It's not fair.

[salvagedsoul]

[Kaworu stares at her silently, thinking. Maybe she's right. He doesn't know what he'll do with his time, now. And he will need something. Something to distract him from the past six weeks of fear and isolation.

Earlier, Billy had brought him what remained of Kaworu's collection of sheet music. His eyes glance over to the drawer he'd stored them in.]

Circumstances and happenstance is often harsh. It has a balance of good as well, but not always distributed among the same people.

[sighing, he lays back and looks up at the ceiling. he never did get to play for Sayaka again.]

I wonder if, maybe, there is another somewhere.

[fortissimos]

[ That's the worst part. Bad things happen to good people, and there's nothing she — or anyone else — can do about it. ]

... I don't know. But I'll look.

[ Talking won't solve anything, though. Chances are, she's just getting in the way of him resting; other people will come by, so he won't lack company, and all she's done so far is bring bad news.

She takes something out of her jacket pocket, then stands, making her way to the door. ]

Take it easy, okay? I'll let you know what I find. [ She leaves before he can reply, but her MP3 player stays on his bed. Unpleasant memories aside, she can at least give him some kind of distraction if he needs it. ]

[salvagedsoul]

Sayaka...!

[-- but then the door is closed, and his room is quiet again. Kaworu stares at the space Sayaka was just sitting in.

It looks like she left him a music player. Does she think that will help him feel better? The fact that she left it helps him more than the item itself ever would.

A token. Of her frustration... Her desire to act, but also - a signal of her inability to express herself.

The least he could do is use it.]