[voice]

[childrenoflilim]

[shinji breathes into the microphone, static erupting through the speakers in short bursts.  he sounds as if he's been pushed past the verge of tears and onto the brink of absolute panic, but he has to do this.  he has to.]

Kaworu-kun...he's gone.  It was strange that he was gone so early this morning, but I didn't think about it.  Now it's been hours and he's not back.  I called his job and his phone.  They haven't seen him and he won't answer.  All his things are here.  Even his violin is here.  He'd never leave without it.  I can't find him.  He disappeared.  Kaworu left.

[an audible gulp, a shaky sigh.] And I can't find him at all.  Tell me you've heard from him.

Please.

Comments

[jailbirds]

No, I— [ something starts creeping into her voice, sharp and angry. ] What do you mean, he's gone? How the hell could he just disappear?

[childrenoflilim]

[quietly,] I wish I knew.

[jailbirds]

[ there's the slam of her hands hitting the table, her metal chair clattering to the floor - ] SO WHY HAVEN'T YOU FOUND OUT YET?!

1/2

[childrenoflilim]

[with no warning, shinji roars,] I'M TRYING, DON'--!

2/2

[childrenoflilim]

[and just as quickly as the storm raged, it's gone. he sighs,] I'm trying.

[jailbirds]

[ she exhales heavily, all her breath leaving her at once, like she's been punched in the gut. the shock of shinji yelling at her like that, in unrestrained fury, causes her to go silent, and she remains frozen in place. she tries to think of the last time he reacted that way to her, and— that was about kaworu too, wasn't it? haha. how stupid. this is what happens to people when they care about someone, huh.

... it's not shinji's fault. she probably shouldn't have yelled. the guy won't even stay angry at her - and as much as she wants a target to blame, there isn't one right now.

when the last remnants of her burst of panicked anger drain away, she picks her chair up from the floor, sets it upright and sits down. ]

... When you try to call him, is it bouncing back, or is he just not picking up?

[childrenoflilim]

[minatsuki is absolutely right in believing shinji won't stay angry. to be honest, he was never angry at her to begin with; it's the insinuation that shinji isn't just as scared and panicked, that he doesn't care what's happened and is idly sitting by. kaworu, more than anyone, is the reason he is alive today. why he continues to stand despite all that's been thrown his way. he would never...could never.... but also understands that he's had the same effect on minatsuki. his easy words and open manner imprinted the want to become better people on them both.

it hits him then that finding kaworu will do more than ease whatever personal distress he's feeling. people--all kinds ranging from legends of time to masters of time to ordinary humans--they wanted him back, too.

they had to find him.]

Not picking up. [his voice is briefly muffled, caused by rubbing his hands over his face.] All it does is go straight to his voice mail.

[jailbirds]

Then, him disappearing probably isn't because of the community kicking him out.

[ she can't yet say whether that's a relief or not. on one hand, it would be unbelievably cruel to lose him just because the community chose to be rid of him - but, on the other hand, it means the whole situation is still a mystery. for all they know, he could be caught up in something bad right now. ]

[childrenoflilim]

[what could be worse than ending up dead for no reason?

oocly, we'll find out soon, but ic-wise, shinji can't even imagine.]

I hope that's the case.

[jailbirds]

When he turns up again, I'm going to punch him. I'm just warning you so that you don't start whining when it happens.

[ she doesn't know whether she actually will or not. it's rare for her to lash out that badly at kaworu, and whenever she tries, he usually diffuses her anger. but she remembers shinji's reaction in the past to her verbal abuse of kaworu, and she doesn't particularly want to set off his rage like that again. she doesn't want him to get the wrong idea. ]

[childrenoflilim]

[his mood might be shit, but even in the depths of his despair, he can tell minatsuki doesn't mean she'll flat out deck the guy. he doesn't mean to be protective of kaworu; it's more of a side effect of the latter being the first person to ever openly say shinji belonged somewhere. (by his side.) minatsuki showed how she cared in a different way. where he shyly offered up kind words, she hurled insults--teasing, really. human hearts opened up to others in ways unfathomable to another. yet the result was the same. bonds that could not be broken.]

...don't hit him too hard.

[jailbirds]

That depends on what the idiot has to say for himself. The worse his explanation is, the harder I'll hit him.

[childrenoflilim]

At least don't leave a bruise.

[jailbirds]

I'm just going to hit him. It's not my fault if he's a delicate pansy and he bruises too easily.