closed to softreset;

[iine]

[ Here we are with an armful of food that's from a vending machine far on the other side of the hub, one he left to explore when Homura had decided to begin another loop, along with a set of pamphlets describing places he's never heard of. The angel sets it beside an already-spread blanket closer to one of the windows, other blankets folded to resemble makeshift pillows. The setup is all very simple and sort of a strained attempt at something like comfort, but he wants to surprise her.

Kaworu takes care to organize the snacks with ones he knows she picks over others, to brew her favorite blend of tea. He's already offed the lights aside from a select few for a dim glow, and despite its odd location and the fact it's still sort of empty, he thinks it feels a bit cozy this way.

Now all that's left to do is wait. ]

Comments

[softreset]

[ she recognizes the dim-twilight glow and the grounded airplanes that disappear off the runway, and falls to her knees, unable to support herself with jelly. once again, she had been so-so close. it should have been fine, if not for that little slip up in the end that she couldn't even control.

stupid, stupid.

and the tears are coming now, even as she tries to wipe at them with wet sleeves. this is ridiculous, she'll just have to try again. she glances upwards through wet eyes in an attempt to search for kaworu. has he left for another timeline?

she would go search for him, if she could only pick herself up. ]

[iine]

[ it's so still and quiet in the terminal at all hours that the faintest noise sounds like a chorus if he's listening enough, but even when he can't hear her arrival this time, he can feel it.

wordlessly, he pulls away from the small camp he's set up and finds his way to the gate where he knows she is. what he both does and doesn't expect is the way she's crumpled in on herself in a way he knows he's done many times, so kneels beside her, placing his pale hands over her own with a practiced gentleness. ]

.. I'm sorry.

[softreset]

[ she knows she looks like a mess, teary-eyed and drowned in grief over messing up the timeline, but kaworu is there, and kaworu probably doesn't care. she's seen him like this before, but it must be the first time he's seen her stoic facade crumble away. ]

I was almost...

[ almost what? almost there? every timeline borders on success, but something always comes up. something always screws her over.

she's grateful that he's always here when she returns. homura graciously accepts kaworu's hands over her own. she dabs at her eyes one last time, before nodding towards him. the stony expression seems to be returning. ]

Thank you.

[iine]

I know.

[ and he does know. almost, almost, almost there, each and every single time in every way imaginable. he tries to give her a reassuring smile, squeezing her hands softly in the process. pick up the pieces, rebuild and restart. that's how it goes.

as her expression begins to solidify, Kaworu rises to his feet and extends a hand to her, a calm demeanor winning over his features. ]

You don't need to say thank you, but you are welcome. [ he gives a soft, airy laugh. ] I do have something to show you, though..

[softreset]

[ she accepts his hand without pause, only looking at it from the corners of her eyes. it is white, pale, and fragile, much like kaworu himself. she has long guessed at his true origins. he isn't human, and yet possesses better control of his emotions than she has herself. she glances at his hand again, gentle and calm. she thinks:

does he hold his shinji the same way?

there is not else to see in this terminal where the waiting rooms look exactly the same, as far as she's explored it, but she will follow him all the same. his little gestures are more than appreciated.

she nods, and follows after. ]

[iine]

This way.

[ he isn't surprised or offended by her lack of words; Kaworu knows she saves them for when they're needed and that they don't always need them to communicate, especially after a loop has failed once again.

with a foreign level of grace, he guides Homura through the bleak walls of the terminal to their regularly occupied space and over to where his preparations lay. looking at it now, he does think it's a weak effort, but the only kind he can manage to attempt to raise her worn spirits. ]

Welcome back, Homura-san.

[softreset]

I'm back, Kaworu.

[ homura gives the area a sweeping glance. it's the area of the terminal they hung out the most together. she could find her way here with her eyes closed. this was the place.. ah, didn't kaworu arrive here the first time? his attempts at making it more homely earns him a smile from the frigid raven. he tried, and with the limited resources here, it is enough.

the scent of tea drifts to her nose, and she turns on her heel to face the slightly taller boy. he's so kind to her, so pure, and even after all these loops, he manages to hold on to something, to her?

in this empty terminal, who do they have but each other and that girl who was here once, and then was never seen again?

her stomach gurgles. ]

[iine]

[ he can never say welcome home, because no matter how much time he spends here or how much he has come to care for Homura in a way that's foreign to him ( family? ) there is always a chilled casket or a test tube or a small bed he will wake up in and a boy who will be waiting for him, and that's home.

Kaworu offers her another warm smile that's followed by a short laugh as she turns to face him, nodding in the direction of the packaged goods. he finds it odd that their rations are on a seemingly endless supply, or that it offers food from both their worlds that the other might not have. still, there are more important things to keep him up at night, and so the matter goes unresolved. ]

You should rest, and eat something. That's what occurs in a celebration, though I'm not familiar with all the details.

[softreset]

[ he calls it a celebration, it's probably enough cause for her to return, but the magical girl knows that seeing Kaworu again is always bittersweet. she's not sure how this warrants as a celebration, but she says nothing. maybe it's kaworu's way of cheering her up, and it's working, even with the grin that's long faded from her face and transformed into a stoic mask.

she gives a cursory glance over the bagged goods and tea before gracefully seating down and picking up a seran-wrapped sandwich. it's never tasted good, but she's hungry and there's no time to be picky about her food. at least she still has her tea hidden in the depths of her shield. she nods at kaworu before taking bites of her sandwich.

she wipes her mouth. ]

How long has it been?

[ it's a purposely open-ended question. How long has it been since she's been gone, or since he's been on his last loop?

she wants to repay him somehow for his patience with her and his company, even though there's not much she can do. ]