Aline And Sera

[15:53] * Aline …soon moved on. First things first, she realized maybe, was to touch base. Sera was a part of this, so Aline headed for him. The sensation of a beeping trill that yet was unmistakably a request for communications from unmistakably her, registered to Sera.
[15:58] * Sept turned around, and there she was. Sera was still wearing his armor from the battle, chipped and stained with blood.-
[15:58] <Sept> "Oh, it's you. Hey."
[16:03] * Aline …was wearing a simple black dress, by contrast. "Hi. …Figured I'd kind of… touch base? Like. Figure out what's going on…" Beat. "Especially because… uh. If I can find /you specifically/ then you uh. Must not be one with Exie."
[16:06] <Sept> "Yeah, I asked him about that," Sera said, looking mildly annoyed. "I find it a bit suspicious, but he just handwaved it away. If it's a trap, I'm gonna walk right into it."
[16:12] * Aline blinked. "…Okay, let me get this straight. …You're treating the culmination of your soul, somehow being distinct from you-as-you-are… as a trap?" Beat. "For all you know it could be a very plausible side-effect of the 'being split into bits' thing"
[16:18] <Sept> "I just said I'm gonna walk into it, didn't I? Me being here means the Exarch has an extra vote, and he said I'll be able to have a soul of my own from now on, so it doesn't even end here.."
[16:24] <Aline> "…What d…" Aline was confused. "Honestly I don't get it."
[16:34] <Sept> "Okay, let me boil this down. This is the single most important moment in human history, and I made it happen. Now, even though I'm ostensibly the one in control of the gestalt consciousness, my experience of myself is only as this separate entity. So I don't even know if there's a part of me left in the Exarch right now."-
[16:35] <Sept> "But I do have faith in the system that we built this moment on. So I'm going to trust it. But I'm going to inspect the hell out of this gift horse's mouth."
[16:41] * Aline slowly nodded. "…If you feel worried about the part-of-you thing, you could try to see if he can't like… …do a temporary 'synchronization'? Like pull whatever is making you more /distinct/ in, but not fully, then allow you to push out? If only to just confirm that." A pause. "…I mean you have every reason to have hella identity issues. But think about this at least: …You're what became of Elisha's… …uh.
[16:41] * Aline Self-deterimination/will-to-live drive? And you ate 01 which is also a… more… uhm. Normally… normal-ish… Er. I need a refresher on drive theory but POINT IS you are most firmly the 'unique sense of identity and will to live that shouts 'I' at the heart of the world' part of a soul. Isn't it sorota natural?"
[16:45] <Sept> "Yeah," Sera said reluctantly. "That's a reasonable way to look at it. I like to think I've matured into the other aspects well enough, but that's always going to be at my core, I think."
[16:52] <Aline> "Joan had an imbalance without being pried into each drive alone, so it's sorta natural - and if you do become your own soul, it'll be your nature for good anyway. …In the end it's just Being Sera." But Aline thought a bit longer. "…I also wonder what you think about the whole choice-of-humanity thing. …I can't assume where you'd lay on it. Though you could probably safely assume where I do…" Embarrased shifty eyes, there.
[16:59] <Sept> "I… can't imagine boring old humanity would be enough for you, would it?"
[17:04] <Aline> "…I mean, if I had to choose… and I can…" Aline said with a shrug. "Though 'enough for me' is kinda…" She waved her hand around. "It's just. …It does do more than just be cool. Makes it harder to have people just be fucked over because /reasons/. Less 'I happen to live somewhere in Africa instead of Europe, guess it's time to starve to death'. Less 'Oh look, a tsunami. Guess I'm dead.' I mean Gendo said all that but…"
[17:04] <Aline> Aline frowned. "It's kinda a real thing? Besides. I feel like it's… …somehow appropriate for an accidental race from a world two seeds landed on, to end up being a little between both." -
[17:05] <Aline> "Oh and hell, I even floated just slapping Raffy's plan on top of Elisha's - which yes defeats its purpose - just for shits and giggles."
[17:08] * Sept laughed. "That would be polite towards Azariah, I think."-
[17:10] <Sept> "I get that, though. And I think I'd be happy with either one, but it'd be a shame if I stuck with Elisha's plan out of a simple sense of loyalty, considering I've finally been given a choice like this."
[17:19] <Aline> "Yeah. …And hey, this is about what /works best/, not what saves face." Aline said with a distant smile. "…Saving face is for when there's great danger in not doing so. …This place is practically the opposite of danger." But she moved to put a hand on his shoulder. "…Just please what you will, without forgetting yourself. I mean we just SAID 'being yourself' is the core of your being, right?"
[17:21] * Sept fidgeted, looking down for a moment before facing her again.-
[17:22] <Sept> "Yeah. I know everyone can make the right choice together. The best choice, even."
[17:23] * Aline nodded. "And everyone can talk it over. And if I have to, I'll encourage people to ask around. …I mean. Hell, I just got off of offering pointers to Lilith on how to pick a healthier cadre of souls."
[17:30] <Sept> "Jesus christ. That's something to put on your resume, huh."
[17:36] * Aline giggled. "Sera, most of us have resumes that read like that for pages."
[17:39] <Sept> "W-well. Yeah. But 'casual advice to a god' is still pretty good."
[17:43] <Aline> "I kept forgetting, but apparently she's also my sister?"
[17:49] <Sept> "Oh, you mean FAR-wise?"
[17:50] <Aline> "Well, yeah. That's the only way that makes physical sense."
[17:52] <Sept> "Right, of course. I guess that would've made it a bit easier to talk to her?"
[17:53] <Aline> "A little, yeah. …It also had to be done, because Exie did point out I /could/ just ask."
[17:57] <Sept> "Weird," Sera concluded.
[18:06] <Aline> "Isn't it! …But yeah. And you probably have a list of people to talk to, right? I've been working one up myself…"
[18:11] <Sept> "Not really! I've made my peace with everyone well enough. I'll still catch up with a few of them, but." Sera shrugged, smiling a little.
[18:13] * Aline nodded firmly. "Anything you wanna ask me, before everything becomes all…" She wiggled her arms. "Time-like and real again."
[18:17] <Sept> "Oh. Yes. What are you doing next? I think I can guess what Yanmei will be up to…"
[18:25] <Aline> "I. …Hm. Maybe Metatron, actually? Or I could hit up Elena… or or maybe like… Someone else first? …Hmm…"
[18:27] <Sept> "And after we start having time again? Are you gonna stay with the Federation?"
[18:33] <Aline> "Yep. Staying on Earth with humanity as who I am." Aline said, maybe slightly red-faced for missing what Sera meant initially. "…I wanted to get into space exploration, and formal science, and that sort of thing all along. Now I hypothetically really can. …I mean. Think of how many fields of science I have practical applied experience taken with the scientific method in mind? That maybe no other human does? And I figure
[18:33] <Aline> Shinji'll stay there too."
[18:37] <Sept> "That sounds like fun. I'm taking some time off, first of all. See how things work out and leave the bigger plans for later."
[18:41] <Aline> "I know you have that bakery thing…" Aline said, poking a finger on her chin. "I wonder if you'll spend at least sometime, I dunno, as a mysterious motorcycling ronin wandering Europe, living out of your … motorcycle… cargo bag… thing."
[18:44] <Sept> "Not impossible. If there's stupid to be fought or something?"
[18:45] * Aline giggled again. "I sorta meant more the lordlessness than the fighting. Like. See the world! Live without burdens."
[18:53] <Sept> "Mm. I hope I can do that. It might be a lot of work getting used to it, but I'll try."
[19:06] <Aline> "…Yeah. Something, just. Do whatever you do with freedom." Beat. "…Except like, killing people. Please don't doo that."
[19:09] <Sept> "I'll- stick to a strict minimum of killing, okay?"
[19:12] <Aline> "Well yeah, this is just a failsafe advice bit!"
[19:17] <Sept> "Good, good. We have a mutual understanding. Then, if that's everything…"
[19:21] * Aline smiled. "Think it is, yeah. Good luck with whoever you poke in on, and see you on the other side."
[19:22] <Sept> "You too," Sera nodded and turned away.
[19:23] <Aline> …there was a distant sound like a 'beeooop' of a comm device being turned off.