Chasing one's own tail . . .

Mina

"Oh . . . my God!" I whisper softly, horrified.

Still in dragon form, I'd spotted this-this . . . .scene before me before many of the others. God, this pale skinned girl with blue hair and red eyes has come upon some inocent young boy and butchered him!!

We got here too late because Rei Ayanami over there . . .

. . .

Two pairs of red eyes look up at me in shock (good Heavens, Elrondir DID say that this anime of his had a lot of hair and eye colorations not normally found in Nature but THIS) . . .

Two pairs?

Wait! Oh thank you God!

Uh, must be a bit slow from the shock of seeing this . . .travesty having been commited by a child, for God's sake!!

This young man is still moving. He's not dead yet and we can save him . . . if Rei doesn't shoot him first.

"Rei Anyanami!" I shout out in my most authoritive voice I can manage. "That is NOT an Angel and you will HALT immediately and put down that gun INSTANTLY!"

. . .

"Oh dear," I say softly, noting the blank looks. "You don't understand what I'm saying, do you?"

Sigh, one would HOPE that with the wonderful and almost magical universal translators them understanding would be a forgone conclusion. This not being the case can only mean that whatever tongue they speak is NOT close enough to what is on file for an easy time!

Meanwhile, while this is all happening the others on riding upon my back have dismounted and the one "resident expert" has come forward to give aid AFTER one certain thing.

Cannot even think to cast some kind of paralysis or sleep spell upon Rei because an Angel is . . . something of an unknown factor at what can and cannot work.

We were VERY lucky that lightning worked.

If we push our luck with magery, we may find that it causes seizures, and cause the pistol in Rei's hand to go off when she spasms. Or we could just have it do NOTHING, and she might fire it off for spite (killing the prone figure).

Got to be careful here, and thus is why we hope Elrondir can go and successfully. . . pantomimes Rei putting down the pistol to where she can understand.

That and we hope she WILL do it if she understands . . . still not sure about her state of mind... That said, the rather harsh gesturing convey that it is not a request and thankfully this young girl here (with those odd . . . glowing set of wings on her back) nods slowly and slowly places the pistol on the ground. Then she backs away from it as if allergic to it, clearly disgusted with herself.

She then looks back at us, blinking a bit as I turn back into my human seeming (as the other dragons have already done).

. . .

Well, at a hunch I do not believe she shall be hostile towards us in the immediate future (I HOPE).

. . .

I pray.

Elrondir

Figures.

On top of everything else we just HAD to run into a reality where not only do they not speak our language, but the universal translators haven't had any chance to pick up even the basics! Oh, I believe I saw flickers of understanding when Mina called out her name (and probably recognized that tone of command in her voice, even IF she could not understand what the command was) . . . but that's not enough for VERBAL communications

And frell me trying to reach out with my mind for talking mindspeak with an Angel . . . BAD idea.

Thankfully, I was spot on for betting that Rei was bright enough to understand my hand gesturing for her to put down her handgun and step the HELL away from her victim.

A slight hiss of surprise and recognition escape me as I get a much better look at the guy that Rei beat the crap out of, and I've got to say . . I am NOT going to render aid to THIS entity.

Just as Rei here does NOT have the small mouth and large eyes that the anime lend her, I easily recognized who she was despite her more realistic features. Yes, she has the "slanted eyes" of those from the Orient but I recognize her well enough. . . .physically, anyway.

Swear to the Creator, that she is NOT acting too much like how we saw her in the cartoons, though. But I say that in a GOOD way, because . . . it kind of tips the scales in HER favor with us. If her facial features had been harder to read, we'd not have much of a clue that she'd been dismayed and DISGUSTED at apparently what she'd done to the . . .creature at her feet.

Then again, it might be just wishful thinking.

Then again, this all might be a BIG misunderstanding on our part and all of this was just something . . .basically harmless.

Just as I recognize the one laying at my feet.

A small spell. An illusion to convey some simple message: "I know who you ARE."

That and a rather harsh slap to Tabris' face, IF he's as I figure he is anything like the guy I saw in the anime...

We shall see.

Images of all the Angels up to the point of that THING that attacked Rei flash into and out of existence (stock footage of the show as I remember it). Then . . .

Rei

These people . . . appear to know even MORE about Nerv's business than I . . . ever dreamed. Well, actually I . . .had no clue at what these people know and just WHY exactly they'd appeared OUT of the-the. . . .

Thin air? I kind of remember that somewhere while struggling against that Angel . . . but at the time what little I was able to pay attention to anything else . . . I do remember them doing THAT.

. . .

And throwing . . . lightning bolts?!

At any other time I'd be submitting myself to medical examination (or maybe a psyche examine) but . . .these . . .people seem to be VERY much like some of the types I ran into (or PLAYED) while doing online roleplaying with Fred Takahashi . . .

Oh God, what else is going to happen today?! What next, will NERV finally show up (what's KEEPING them) with an Eva and kill ME?

I . . . find that while I . . .

. . .

Breath and one thing at a time, Rei. Concentrate on one thing at a time and surviving moment to moment and maybe . . .

. . .

Well, let's . . . .just take it one at a time. Else I'm going to LOSE it here!!

Okay. Let's take first the images that . . .this elf (?!) is showing me and this Angel (Tabris by the listing).

Come to trying to hash out just WHY he's bug eyed exactly right now in a moment. God only knows too many questions and feelings are going through you right now . . .

. . .

In order: 1) Adam, 2) Lilith, 3) Sachiel, 4) Shamshel, 5) Ramiel, 6) Gaghiel, 7) Israfel, 8) Sandalphon, 9) Matariel, 10) Sahaqiel, 11) Iruel, 12) Leliel, 13) Bardiel, 14) Zeruel, 15) Arael, 16) Armisael, and 17) Tabris.

. . .

Okay. What . . .I know and have overheard said that the Dead Sea Scrolls that Seele (the shadowy group that actually is supposed to control NERV) has . . . there were only supposed to be sixteen?

. . .

Oh. Right. Makes sense in a twisted way. Commander . . . Gendo Akari (bastard) . . .

He manipulates me.

He manipulates his own son.

He even tries (and succeeds to a certain extent) to deceive (and manipulate) Seele itself to his own ends.

. . .

To be able to join with his wife. I . . .

. . .

It would seem that Seele had a few plans of their own despite Gendo. Using Tabris, perhaps to means of an end?

Sigh, they want Instrumentality for their own means and designs through Tabris I believe.

Gendo wants it on HIS terms through ME. . . from what I saw through Yui's memories.

. . .

I feel . . . used.

. . .

And that . . .is what . . .Fred was trying to say, indirectly? Wasn't it?

Oh, he couldn't just say it. I'd have. . . .called of f the friendship for that. That and reported him to Gendo and Nerv and . . .

So that's why all the "free the slaves" roleplaying sessions. I . . . just wasn't ready.

Okay, right. I-I'll . . . live my own life and not as some damn puppet on a string! I will NOT . . .

But what will that do to mankind in the long run? I know that it's in decline (declining birthrates). Dead end. . . so the justification for . . . what they're trying to do through . . .me or Tabris.

But if they somehow . . .

What would Instrumentality attempted do if you go and throw demihumans (or whatever these elves and such are) into the mix?

I do NOT think . . .we'd better try. . . until we factor them in IF they are a factor.

And IF they would want it . . .though . . .

UH! I'm chasing my own tail here.

No, I'm not going to change my mind here. No. If I am going to share my mind and soul like that . . . let it be with only the one (or ONES) I chose (and not chosen by others).

. . .

Okay, that is . . . some kind of step but . . .in what direction I'll be at a loss to figure out right now.

Table that for now...

Why are they showing this?

. . .

Hm, by the look of it it's more to taunt Tabris (who's still on the ground, not bleeding now . . . not that I) . . .

Well . . . he's an Angel and dead set on ending Humanity with Third Impact. That . . .well, I do NOT like what I did (bloody . . . blood).

I did my . . . I did my job, anyway. Ju-just next time I do NOT want to do it in such a manner. . .

Yeah! Okay. Okay I can . . . accept that. Just . . .oh man . . .

Please do not ever let me go off like that again, God?

. . .

Okay, it's to rub it into Tabris' face that they know exactly what he is . . . and it does NOT look good the chances of him walking away from this alive if I don't miss my guess. He's not regenerating fast enough for that (getting away), I'll guess

What are my odds?

. . .

Huh? They're . . .I don't . . . sense hostility directed at me but Tabris?

Are my new senses (Angellic) right here?

Why?

. . .

I DO hope that they somehow start being able to be understood by me here soon because this is . . .

I want to know what's going on with them. That's not too much to ask.

Thump.

Glancing slightly towards the direction of that . . .

Okay, I'll say it. Sigourney Weaver for some reason has risen from the dead after dieing in the aftermath of Second Impact. Took up a medieval costume and was listening to radio chatter between various military units (who sound frantic from what little I can overhear).

That's so ridiculous that it isn't even FUNNY! What next? Acid blooded xeno-morphs?

. . .

Okay, just when did this start? Me being so . . . gallows humored and snippy?

Fred, you gave me a LOT of things I thank you for, but . . .right now your gifts . . . really aren't making me feel too good. Lord knows how wound up it and combative it made Asuka (pilot of Eva 02), and she's a fellow ally.

What if I go and spout off to these strangers?

. . .

Well, that said (mentally) . . .

For whatever reason, she seems to finally grown tired of listening in on other people's discussion and . . .

"Okay, the language lock finally works," she says to the others of her group (but in a tongue I can understand!).

She then mutters something about damn it having taken long enough for the universal translator to figure OUT this worlds form of Japanese and turns to me.

1. "I'll talk with you while . . . Sigin talks with Tabris," she begins. "My name's Inquirer and . . .we've got a few things to discuss. . ."

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