Fanfic / Apples In A Bunch

Warning: All spoilers for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim will be left unmarked.

After the end of one world, 15 young adults are trying to make a new one. All kinds of challenges arise, some logistical, and some emotional: food needs to be grown and harvested, machines need to be fixed, and the only human beings on the planet need to learn to work together. Some already know each other. Some never had the chance to meet before. And some... well, it's complicated.

In other words: Yuki Takamiya has awkward talks about her feelings.

Apples in A Bunch is a fanfic by "TheOther1" based on 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. The story features Yuki Takamiya who, months into working to restart humanity alongside her fellow compatibles, has still has troubles opening up to her new companions. With some (unwanted) help from Shu Amiguchi, she works to ease tensions with their new acquaintance Tamao Kurabe, for whom Yuki has complicated feelings about after her experience with the robotic Tamao from the simulation.

Tropes

• Actually Pretty Funny: Tamao unwittingly gets a very hard laugh out of Yuki when the former thinks that the latter is mad at Shu for rendezvousing with girls besides Yuki. Yuki can barely contain herself.
  Yuki started to say something, but only a little laugh came out. Then Yuki thought about it more. And she laughed even harder, and she fell into a squat trying to contain herself.
  "Takamiya-san?" Tamao asked with concern. "Are you alright?"
• Anchored Ship: As of the time in-universe, Yuki and Shu aren't an item - despite the apparent assumptions from everyone else. He admits to her though that he does still have feelings for her, and simply didn't want to pressure her into needing to reciprocate. The fic leaves their relationship open-ended with the implication that they will get together for real eventually like in canon. 
  "Not that my feelings have changed," he was quick to clarify, "it's just... I don't know. I didn't want you to feel any pressure. And right now, I think it’s more important that we’re friends. Do you... agree with that?"
  Yuki thought for a moment. Shu held his breath. Would she feel betrayed? Had he read the situation wrong somehow?
  "Yeah. I'd say so."
  "Great," he said, able to breathe easy again. "And hey, maybe, once things are a little more settled, we could... reevaluate. See how we feel then."
  "Maybe," she said coolly. "I’m surprised, Shu. That’s actually pretty mature of you."
• Call-Back:
  • Tamao is a fan of Sherlock Holmes, which was implied by 426/Aiba who enjoyed comparing herself and Yuki to Watson and Holmes.
  • Shu's messaging username is stated to have been "Tetsuya Ida" when they all started using the comms devices. And Tamao notes that what she heard about Ida wasn't pleasant.
• The Cameo: Every other Compatible that's not the main trio is mostly described outside of any given scene such as Natsuno briefly speaking to Yuki from outside a room or Renya appearing only via a message thread.
• Character Development:
  • Shu's lecherous tendencies from the game have largely mellowed out since awakening from the simulation, allowing him to better connect to Yuki on a personal level and not asking her out repeatedly like he used to.
  • By the end of the story, Yuki's begun to lower her walls and start opening up to Tamao who gladly accepts her as a friend.
• A Day in the Limelight: The story's POV rotates between Yuki, Shu and Tamao. All the other Compatibles mostly appear via cameos.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Yuki starts off still quite closed off, not unlike how she is at the start of the game, but gradually mellows out and takes to opening up to others. The fact that she and Shu are friends by the start of the story is already quite remarkable compared to how they were when they first met.
  Shu: "And believe me, I know you take a while to warm up to people. But... it’s been months since we woke up for real, you know? And I just wonder if you’ve made connections with the others. (...) And before you say it, I know you have Natsuno. And I’m really glad that I’m your friend, too.””
  Yuki: "But?"
  Shu: "But Natsuno has other friends. And so do I. And I know that back in Sector 4, you had your gang. But they’re—”
  Yuki: “Not real.”
  Shu: "Not here. Here, there’s just the fifteen of us. And I think it’s going to get pretty lonely if you only open your door for two out of fifteen."
• Fan Sequel: The story takes place an unspecified number of months after the Final Battle, when all the Compatibles have begun settling into RS13-Alpha.
• Fish out of Temporal Water: Because she never visited anywhere outside Sector 5, Tamao is still getting adjusted to the futuristic tech of the outside world. Even the literature from after the 1940s doesn't quite sit with her yet due to the differences in lingo and references.
  The culture shock had taken a little getting used to for many of them, but Tamao may have gotten it worst of all. During her time in the simulated earth, she had never left Sector 5, the 1940s. She never got the chance to pilot a sentinel, or even really see one up-close. The most experience she’d had with the technology of the future was when the deimos attacked Ashitaba, burning everything she’d ever known to the ground. Then later, she woke up inside an unfamiliar pod, very confused. The others had tried to fill her in, but it was information overload.
• Friendship Moment: Chapter 6 sees Yuki and Tamao finally forming a bond with each other after Yuki gets all of her baggage about Aiba off her chest.
  "Do you think we can be friends?" Tamao asked. She closed her eyes and smiled cheekily. "I promise to not be an evil robot."
  Yuki laughed.
  "Yeah, sure," she said, taking Tamao's hand and shaking it once
• Internal Reveal: Yuki discloses everything about what happened to her with 426/"Erika Aiba" to Tamao, who looks just like the robot that 426 possessed. As it's all described from Tamao's POV, it highlights just how bizarre and terrifying what Yuki experienced must have been.
• "It" Is Dehumanizing: Yuki eventually stops referring to the Tamao android with human pronouns, calling it "that thing" at one point.
• Just Friends: Yuki claims that she and Shu are just "good friends". Though the more she explains the situation to Tamao, the less certain she sounds about whether she reciprocates his feelings or not.
• Late-Arrival Spoiler: Most of the characters' interactions and motivations will only make sense to those who've played through 13 Sentinels, particularly the relationship between Yuki and Tamao/Erika Aiba.
• Mistaken for Romance: As Tamao puts it, most of the Compatibles assumed Yuki and Shu were dating due to the time they've been spending together, which Yuki clarifies is just the two simply hanging out and nothing more and that Shu isn't her boyfriend.
  Yuki: "You thought he was."
  Tamao: "Everyone thinks he is! He spends every other night in your room!"
  Yuki: "Nah, he goes back to his when it's time for bed. Must be after most people are asleep."
  Tamao thought about this for a moment, then started to giggle at her own misconception.
  Tamao: "Oh dear! I'm afraid I misjudged the situation, Takamiya-san! Oh, not that anyone was judging you! It would be perfectly fine if—"
  Yuki: "Would you stop apologizing and drink your damn juice?"
• Nightmare Sequence: The very first chapter is revealed to be Yuki having a nightmare featuring a mix of call backs to the game and her general anxieties brought to life.
• Shipper on Deck: Tamao finds herself getting invested in learning about Yuki and Shu, and the hints of feelings the two might share. Eventually she starts encouraging Yuki to talk to Shu.
  "If you want to be more than his friend, or if you don't," she continued, "or even if you just want to ask him how he feels, you should speak up!" Tamao leaned in closer, and squeezed Yuki's hands. "At this moment, there are only 15 of us on this entire planet. There's no good reason there should be anything unspoken between you, as comrades, or friends, or anything more!"
• Threesome Subtext: While Yuki and Shu's relationship gets a lot of focus, it's also lightly implied that Tamao is slowly building something between the three of them. She and Yuki become notably close after their heart-to-heart in Chapter 6, even being comfortable being in close-quarters which is remarkable progress for someone closed off like Yuki.
  “If it’s an option, I certainly wouldn’t mind working with you ladies again!” He gave a playful little wink. Yuki rolled her eyes, but Tamao’s enthusiasm outshined the scoffing.
  “Of course! I’ve had a wonderful time!” She pulled Shu into a hug, which caught him off-gaurd.
  “Hey, hey! We’re all sweaty!”
  “Oh, I don’t care! Come on, Yuki-chan,” she beckoned, opening an arm for her.
  “Ugh,” she laughed, but then Tamao and Shu grabbed her arms. She was getting a hug whether she liked it or not. Luckily for all of them... she actually did like it, despite her aloof attitude.