mortalcoil | Personal Comm

Don't you ever tell me to shut up! I heard about what you did! Get your ass back on the ship right now!

[her voice makes him wince, and he fiddles with communicator until he can turn the volume down some. she's getting mechanically hushed if she won't do it herself.

then he props the device in front of him so he can use both of his hands to answer.

'I'm busy. Why are you yelling?']

Why the hell do you think? You threw him off the fucking ship, asshole! How dare you! You had no fucking right! [With any luck, she'll get him kicked out of that library. Either way, he has to get back on the ship eventually, and if he tries to avoid her, she's got no problems seeking him out.]

He wasn't hurting anything! We had plans! And you just tossed him out like he was trash!

[he glances to the side, but it might as well be an eyeroll.

'I have a right. My ship. And he was being--'

but instead of finding a word that fits, conveying how it happened through his eyes, he sets his jaw tight and begins to fail in looking entirely neutral on the subject.]

It's not your ship!

[He's the captain. So are two other people. So what? Asuka's beyond incensed. This is the same stupid reasoning Katsuragi had, only at the time, she'd been so full of bitterness she hadn't seen it that way. Her fist clenches on nothing as she keeps on shouting.]

You're just jealous!

[finally, a real expression breaks through. he blinks, lip curling a little in a surprised little sneer.

'Jealous??' he signs in disbelief. 'Of what?']

Of Shinji, stupid! Leave him the fuck alone! Don't touch him!

[he can't help it--his scoff is voiceless, but it's still audible. the idea that she could even think to make that accusation seems to disgust him.

he hadn't wanted to get into an argument. he'd thought himself above it, in this case. but, after that, he can't help but throw signs back at her without much forethought.

'Why are you protecting him? Is he a child?'

if Shinji had wanted to put up a fight, Coil sees no reason why he couldn't have done it himself.]

He's my boyfriend, asshole!

[Would that hurt Coil? She hopes so. God, she hopes so. She doesn't even know if Shinji would agree with her assessment (but she hopes he would, too). That's the kind of awful coward she really is. Months on the ship and...]

I don't have to run who I protect through you!

[and just like that, the wall goes up. it's one of those subtle things that only someone who has spent months learning how to communicate with him is likely to notice, but it's there. his expression freezes over, going back to the apathetic wasteland he shows to the rest of the world, and he glances away.

his jaw works quietly for a minute, barely visible at the edge of the screen.

'This is stupid,' he finally signs, and it's maybe more to himself than for her. the whole thing is stupid.]

No shit it's stupid!

[Did she hurt him? Yeah. She hurt him. Good. Asuka's eye narrows to a slit.] Coward, you won't even come over here! You know you were wrong!

[and calling him a coward after he has already been stung is what does it. something quietly snaps, and there's a fast glimmer of rage visible before he slams the communicator off.

it might be the end of this particular conversation, but he's sure as hell heading back to the ship now.

give him twenty minutes of stewing and travel, and he'll be storming himself aboard to continue this face-to-face, if she's still there.]

Personal Comm | IC Inbox (DF)

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video