irismessaging | (no subject)

[The first shot of Fuuka that Iris transmits is of her in a posture that her friends from home might recognize; eyes closed, head down, with her hand curled around the necklace she'd been given when she arrived, she looks pretty much exactly as she does when she's concentrating within the protective confines of Juno-- except for the jeans and orange shirt (which is doing wonders for her coloration). But it doesn't last long; she opens her eyes and while there's clarity there, there's also a certain anxiety. There's a lot she's confused about-- not the least of which is what this place itself is, even though there's been some explanation to her already. To have been plucked from her home and planted here in New York is a major adjustment, and she's a little off-kilter because of it.

But she's putting on a brave face here, sitting on her bedroll in a corner of Cabin 11. It's not home-- it's not comfortable like the Iwatodai dorms were, or even tolerable like her parents'-- no, they weren't her parents, were they? They'd never been her real parents. Really, that was something of a relief-- but also a mixed feeling of sadness and hurt. She'd never been enough for them.

But that didn't matter anymore. She'd just have to make herself enough for the true parent she had.]

I... I should say hello, I think. My name is Fuuka Yamagishi, and I'll be in your care-- well, we'll all be in one another's care-- [She flushes, a little awkwardly. When she resumes, her voice is small again.] Anyway, I'm... glad to be here. In a way. And I'll do my best to be of help, so...

[She drops her head again, bowing a bit formally.]

It's a pleasure. Please take good care of me.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She has a little more to say, but he's cut the connection, so she let go of that strange pendant and stood up. Picking her way through the cabin, she settled in on the front steps, waiting patiently.]

[He makes his way there within a few minutes, having been to Cabin 11 numerous times since his initial arrival. He lifts a hand to wave it in the girl’s direction.]

Hey, Fuuka.

[Akihiko walks up to her with a casual swagger, looking cool and calm like nothing is out of the ordinary. He takes a seat next to her on the steps.]

This is probably all still a shock to you, huh?

[She nods. She's a little bit overwhelmed, true, even if her friends' appearances have calmed her down a little bit. But she's very aware that looking too scared will only burden the people around her, and even if she's not as strong as the others physically, that makes it even more important for her to maintain her own calm. She uses his cool demeanor as a template for her own.]

There's just... so much going on. So many changes. I don't really know what to do about it, though, so I suppose there's nothing to do but see what happens. [She smiles, a little tremulously.] But I'm not really scared. There's no need to worry, because we're all together... right?

[He nods in agreement, but wants to try his best to reassure the junior. He has always had a particular soft spot for Fuuka, derived from a need to protect her.] Is there anything you wanna know? I mean, I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve picked up a few things here and there.

[He turns to Fuuka and gives her an encouraging smile.] Exactly! We’ll get through this too, just like every Shadow mission, and… all the other stuff we’ve dealt with before.

[Akihiko’s features shift to a more serious demeanor as he lets out a soft sigh just then.]

I mean, hell… we’ve been through worse. [Shinji’s death is still very fresh in his mind. Akihiko doubts that will be the end of it, either. They still have Strega, and one more Shadow, to deal with, before they can eliminate the Dark Hour and Tartarus.] Overcoming this challenge will make us stronger… like all the ones before it.