Repeat - EVA 0.00

"I'm well aware of your history, Mr. Scott. One of the more highly regarded designers in the MIT branch, partially responsible for several projects of a certain sensitive nature." It was sometimes ambiguous from the way she spoke, just how much the director was actually aware of certain workings within the bowels of NERV. It reinforced the ideas some of the veteran staff held, that Jacqueline was a UN mole. "You heard what I said to the Children though. Even those who know what they are doing can still stumble." Jacqueline was passively listening in onto the conversation that the Children were starting, couldn't help but smile. In a rather easily misconstrued move she leaned over at an angle beside Gabe, millimeters from a full blown hug or the like, the barest sensation of the fabric of her shirt against his arm. In reality though she was just activating his comm.

"By all means this comm link should remain a free forum of discourse. I mean, we are just waiting around at the moment. An awkward silence may be theoretically professional, but we're not exactly asking you kids to start filing tax returns in this job, now are we?" Jacqueline considered going on for a moment, but decided that was all of their voice that needed to be heard at the moment. Just encouraging them to speak freely. Even if Loke was the only one who currently seemed capable of carrying the conversation. She disengaged the communicator and straightened up.

The test finally ran to it's conclusion with all the data completed, and the Children would feel a shift as the plugs were rolled out of their position within the pseudo-Eva monoliths. A smattering of clapping from the control deck, most of it half-heartedly ironic.

"Well ma'am, 'designer' is a fancy way of saying I pulled long, late hours programming to the head scientists' blueprints while they got most of the credit. In truth they left us in the dark for most of the really classified stuff. But even so, I'm flattered our director has such respect for us code monkeys."

Gabe took another sip of coffee, then shifted slightly in his seat as Lechance leaned over his shoulder to talk to the pilots on the comm. Under other circumstances he might have found himself enjoying the contact in spite of himself, but in this professional setting it was somewhat intrusive to have people leaning in over his workstation. Maybe I could start by designing a universal comm system for this room...

edited 30th Aug '14 5:14:16 AM by CombatC122

Eikichi just rolled his eyes and kept focusing on the test, eager to finish it.

Yuto let out a sigh of relief, it seemed as if the test was over, and he'd be able to head on home. Maybe he could draw for a while. Yeah, that's what he'd do.

Shona stood back, satisfied, as Yuto seemed to calm down, and the pilots chatted amongst themselves. She smiled to herself, pleased that they seemed to be building something of a rapport. Eikichi seemed a bit resistant, but it was early days yet. At that point, the observation room's door hissed open, and Captain Ohara announced himself in english.

"At ease, Captain." Shona returned his salute, her own english still accented Irish despite her years abroad. She added dryly, "It seems you've come down all this way for nothing, we've just finished up here."

"Ah well, I wanted to see you about our security measures anyway. You can brief me on our way up to the command deck." She continued, switching seamlessly to Japanese - it was the standard operating language in the facility, after all, something Ohara should have remembered. Ohara was in charge of the base's security - her old job, back in Berlin. She knew part of being the tactical director was delegating, but she couldn't help place the captain under a bit more scrutiny than usual. The fact that he insisted on wearing his balaclava at all times didn't help matters.

"That is, if we're dismissed, Commander?"

edited 31st Aug '14 5:46:38 AM by gaunt88

Jacqueline giggled. "Don't be surprised, Mr. Scott. I used to be one of the workers in the trenches myself, and I kept the distaste for not putting credit where it's due to this day. I know the feeling of being slighted despite the effort you put in." For a second it seemed like the director had more to say, but it was just a flash in the pan, and within a microsecond the topic was already changed as she pulled away from the comm. "Sorry about that, it seemed a waste of time to have to walk all the way back to my own radio." She offered a sincere smile in apology, even though he was turned away at the moment. "Perhaps a bit too casual of me."

"And yes, Miss MacNamara . You're all dismissed. Pilots, you're free to do as you wish. Within reason, obviously. Everyone else, back to your usual fare."

The Children's automated plugs opened onto a hidden catwalk in the rafters above the psuedo-Evas, leading back to the locker rooms. Poorly lit in a kind of ominous way, though of course one got used to it fairly quickly.

"Major MacNamara ." That quiet and stoic voice was Suzume's, her penchant for not being noticed until she was literally next to you strong as ever. The girl's light body language and build just seemed to make her especially easy to overlook when she wasn't speaking. "I'll also join you on that briefing walk, if you don't mind." It probably wouldn't be anything too important, if Captain Ohara wasn't going to be shooed away. Suzume was nothing if not stringent on following LeChance's well established procedures down to the letter.

"Understood, Major."

Ken replied after his salute was acknowledged, now currently speaking in his "native" Japanese.

"And no need to worry. Just the fact that the tests were done without any interruption means that security protocols are doing well."

He heard the Major needing to speak with him later. "I assume you want the good news first before the bad?"

"OH GOD" Eikichi exclaimed. "If I had to stand a couple of we're totes your friends pal from our superior officers I would've puked in the LCL." Eikichi said out loud as he finished the test, stretching visiblely and popping his neck.

"Remember to use one foot at a time on your way to the showers, new guy." He taunted the newcomer.

edited 1st Sep '14 11:43:59 PM by AtomicNut

Yuto rolled his eyes. One moment his fellow pilot was a hardworking stoic, who was bothered by idle chatter, the next he was this.

"Yeah I'll try."

Loke clambered out onto the catwalk, coughing up some LCL, she sighed and looked at the other two, wringing out her hair. "Now, Eki, what did I tell you? The New Kid's Fine!" She said cheerfully, turning to Yuto, in the light, he could see horrific scars that stretched from each side of her mouth, almost to her ears, "How's it going? Don't mind Eki, he can be a bit of a dick." She added, before spitting. "Do you taste blood?" She asked either of the pilots.

edited 1st Sep '14 2:44:28 PM by TroyandHawk

Yuto made a mental note to sketch Loke's scars, whenever he could make time to sit down with his sketchbook. They had a character too them, that he was not used to seeing on the face of somebody only a couple years older. It took him a second to realize she was talking. "O-oh yeah, it's fine. I really don't mind that much. And, yeah I do kinda taste blood."

"You know girls want bad boys, Loke." Eikichi shrugged as he sized her up and down. The combination of a female body curves and a plugsuit was always funny to watch. Made one forget about the whole scar deal of hers. "No, actual blood tastes stronger than this. It makes sense as the LCL is akin to just the liquid part of blood. Speaking of it, I must get some blood sausages. Missing the taste already."

He paused, grabbing Yuto by the shoulder."And just like blood, this crud can congeal and you'll need a strong brush to completely scrub it off if you take too much time in doing so, so I'm taking Casanova here to get a good shower. We'll talk later."

He paused. "Unless you want to shower together?" He raised an eyebrow.

edited 1st Sep '14 11:37:22 PM by AtomicNut

"Girls want bad boys." Loke said mockingly in a sing song voice, noticing him sizing her up...Well there wasn't much to size up. "Trust me, you're not my type." She ran her hands through her hair. "And Ekichi, I probably know more about the taste of blood than you do." She told him. She paused at his offer, shrugging. "The woman's shower is broken so, I'm game I guess." She replied, cracking her knuckles. As soon as Ekichi started blushing, she'd burst into laughter. "Joking!" And with that, she'd walk to the showers.

edited 2nd Sep '14 12:10:48 AM by TroyandHawk

(OOC: For the time being, I don't think you can control another character's reaction.)

Eikichi just raised an eyebrow at Loke's reply. "Bait and switch bullshit." He bursted out laughing too. "There's no way someone like you would have agreed.!"

edited 2nd Sep '14 12:19:14 AM by AtomicNut

"Someone like me?" Loke asked, eyebrow raised. "What does that mean?" She loved trying to back Ekichi into a corner.

edited 2nd Sep '14 12:19:13 AM by TroyandHawk

"Oh you know the kind of assertive girl who loves to mess up with people." Eikichi added. "The kind of girl who wants to prove she's beneath all of this." Eikichi. "But you're just trying to outgame me, so that kinda falls apart, doesn't it?." He sighed.

The girl who was trying to prove she was beneath all this was confused. "I have no idea what you just said." She said honestly.

Eikichi made a gun with his hands and let a small wink. Shot down. He then excused himself to the showers.

Loke walked to the showers, singing quietly to herself, leaving Yuto alone.

Yuto stared blankly. He had no idea what had just happened, but it definitely made him feel awkward. He quickly shook his head, and made his way to the showers.

Shona blinked in surprise at the quiet voice at her elbow, turning to see that Susame had materialised beside her since she last looked. One of these days I'm going to take a swing at her on instinct...

"Not at all, doctor." She replied, gesturing towards the door as she led the way. Eventually the trio found themselves on one of the facility's many travellators, with Shona turning to look at her subordinate and her fellow section head.

"I'll take the news in whatever order you see fit, Captain." She said, smiling slightly as she casually crossed her arms.

Travellator

Suzume stoically stood in one place, not leaning against the railing, hands clasped together neatly in front of her. Even her method of using an escalator was supremely unoffensive. "Right, my report. The Magi have done a slight resource allotment shift, and surprise you as it may this time it actually favors your department over my own. Seems the Magi anticipate a shift that will see us needing more combat and repair personnel soon." She left off at that, broke eye contact the moment she was done speaking in favor of something absolutely fascinating in the distance, but the implications were clear enough. "They also recommend that you shift manpower away from the project your division has dredging space out for a new gun-lock in the Arakawa. I'm not sure why that is, maybe the Magi see it as a waste of time." She had this ability to rapidly shift her focus at the drop of a hat, her eyes could immediately find and regard another's as she was speaking to them, as was only polite. And then immediately look away the moment she was done.

"And don't let me stop you, Captain. Though I may be from a different department I am a friendly face."

Lockers/Women's Showers

Wherever Loke's phone is, it pings once and then falls silent. A text message. It was from a certain Sanae Izumi, a third year in her school, and it had this not-so-simple report:

Today was totes hilarious, a bunch of guys in class tried to prank Miss Asano but she turned it around on them so hard. Wish you could have been here. Did the test go well? The usual boring stuff?

edited 3rd Sep '14 1:10:21 AM by Bassetete

"Right. I should get started."

Ken took a few seconds to gather up his thoughts before he told the Major.

"Okay. I got some good and bad news from the last meeting held with representatives from the UN military and the Security Council. Good news is that the SC has agreed unconditionally to increase our security budget to help in maintaining the salaries of the staff and our equipment and maintenance of the Geofront from the car lifts to the weapons positioned around Tokyo-3 for Evangelion support."

He sighed.

"The bad news is that the UN wants to send in a representative to oversee a combat test for the Evangelions really soon before they can agree to release the money. They're not taking no for an answer. And one of the appointed reps happens to be one of the officers responsibilities for making me the scapegoat for the failed mission in Singapore."

The masked officer added.

"I'm getting some more new recruits joining in Tac Ops soon. I just need a bit more time to weed out those who have questionable conduct."

Gabe took one last long swig from his coffee cup, finishing the drink, then jotted down several more marks on the testing paperwork, finally signing it at the bottom with his full name in English script lettering. He then stood up, walked over to where Director Lechance was standing, and handed the sheet to her. "For your records. That would seem to be all I have left for today, unless you had anything else for me."

Loke towled off, as she looked at the text, Sanae. Along with the usual whirlwind of emotions, she sat down, and texted back. What happened? test went well. She cracked her toes and started to get dressed, it seemed like her class devolved into Anarchy whenever she wasn't there.