[23:46] <Athena_Laine> It's late afternoon the day after the celebration as Mach gets a knock on the door, Athena letting her hand fall back to her side as she waits for an answer.
[23:51] <Machen_Schneider> "What?" The call back from inside is, as usual (lately), monotone.
[23:54] <Athena_Laine> "It's Athena." She replies
[23:56] <Machen_Schneider_> "And?"
[23:56] <Athena_Laine> Athena opens the door to head inside so she doesn't have to shout through it. "Coming to see how you are." she says once she's inside.
[23:59] <Machen_Schneider> The lock - which would have once let her in just for the sake of it - rejects her with a flat beep. Mach's obviously reverted its permissions.
[00:00] <Athena_Laine> Athena looks down at the lock, sighing as she shakes her head "You're obviously pissed at me, so I wanted to talk."
[00:02] <Machen_Schneider> "... fine." After a moment, Mach comes and opens the door. She's still wearing the tracksuit from earlier, but as she lets Athena in, it's apparent that her house is a lot emptier than it was before - a lot of the furniture is missing, there's no AR screens plastered across the walls, not even music playing. Come to think of it, the statue of Unit K she's had outside since Athena has known...
[00:02] <Machen_Schneider> ...her is missing, too.
[00:03] <Athena_Laine> Athena looks around herself with a raised brow, but decides that missing furniture is a less pushing matter. "I wondered what I can do." she says, getting straight to the point.
[00:06] <Machen_Schneider_> Mach walks back to the counter. Her much-loved coffee maker is missing, too. "If you'd come earlier you could have hauled the heavier stuff."
[00:06] * Machen_Schneider_ is now known as Machen_Schneider
[00:08] <Athena_Laine> "I'm serious, what can I do? I don't mind you being pissed at me, but please leave Lynn, Zero and Max out of it." Athena tells her, taking a step towards Mach while looking conflicted, and thoughtful.
[00:09] <Machen_Schneider> "You gonna leave your boyfriend now that you've found a hugging-sized Angel?" Mach shrugs offhandedly.
[00:09] <Athena_Laine> Athena blinks, looking bewildered "What are you on about?"
[00:10] <Machen_Schneider> "Nothing." another shrug.
[00:11] <Athena_Laine> Athena frowns "It's obviously something..." she retorts quietly, but shakes her head. "Would getting to punch me make you feel better?"
[00:12] <Machen_Schneider> "It probably would if I could."
[00:12] <Athena_Laine> "You could if I say you can."
[00:12] <Machen_Schneider> Mach shakes her head. "Feel better."
[00:13] <Athena_Laine> Athena studies her, looking a bit confused "What are you... You can't feel better?"
[00:13] <Machen_Schneider> "I ditched the vast majority of my emotions, since they were stopping me from fighting." she leans against the counter. "We all made our deals. I killed myself so I could fight, you nearly killed everyone else so that you could pal around with an Angel."
[00:16] <Athena_Laine> Athena stares at her, shocked doesn't begin to describe it. "You killed yourself?" she pushed back her long hair as she looks away. "Mach ... of all the stupid shit I've ever heard or seen anyone do!" she exclaims, but she doesn't look angry, she looks sad. "At least the deal with Arael could of brought peace if he hadn't been corrupted by something. You killing yourself to fight hasn't brought anything good!"
[00:16] <Machen_Schneider> "Well, with three Angel lovers in the plugs, someone sane needs to be out there."
[00:17] <Machen_Schneider> She kicks her heel back against the base of the counter. Her voice hasn't changed in tone or inflection.
[00:18] <Athena_Laine> "Wishing for peace does not make us Angel lovers! It simply meant we tried to be open-minded." Athena shakes her head, turning her back to Mach as she lifts a hand to her face. "Not to mention, in your current state you're far from sane...Just, fuck..." her voice is quiet.
[00:20] <Machen_Schneider> "You could have talked to it outside, instead of bringing it aboard and endangering millions of people. Anyway, you're on to talk about open-mindedness; you are one." Mach shakes her head, sounding bored. "You reek of it. Like a corpse."
[00:22] <Athena_Laine> "I may have the piece of something that used to be an Angel inside of me, but from where I stand you're more of an Angel than I am." Athena answers, her shoulders twitching faintly. "A being void of emotion set on the path of one purpose and one purpose only that it follows fanatically. That is an Angel, that is you right now." she looks down at her own hand, her fingers curling and uncurling.
[00:22] <Athena_Laine> "An option that I once had set before me ... but I refused."
[00:23] <Machen_Schneider> "I didn't have a choice."
[00:24] <Athena_Laine> "You did have a choice!" Athena spins around to face Mach, glaring as her eyes glisten with tears. "Nothing forced you to make the choice that you did! We were doing fine, the crisis with Arael was averted! You didn't have to become void of emotions!"
[00:25] <Machen_Schneider> "And how long until you tried a second time?" Mach pointed out, and moved, sitting up on the edge of the counter. "The only reason we're in this world is to fight. There's no room for someone who won't, or can't. And anything that doesn't directly benefit our fights is a waste of time and a drain on resources."
[00:26] <Athena_Laine> "The only reason I gave Arael a chance was because of Eve, it wouldn't of happened a second time, and you're an idiot for making such a drastic decision based on assumptions, Mach! Why the fuck would you do that to yourself?!" Athena shouts, tears starting to creep down her cheeks. "Goddamnit!" she runs a hand through her hair.
[00:29] <Machen_Schneider> "You were influenced by an Angel once. There's no guarantee it won't happen again. Further, the others agreed with you, and chose to lie to me about it." she rests her hands on the edge of the counter, curling her fingers around the lip. "Why are you upset? Everyone loves you for it."
[00:30] <Athena_Laine> "I was never influenced by an Angel, and no one lied to you. I'll admit we thought it was better not to tell you after how you reacted at Jupiter, but we never lied to you. If you'd asked we would of told you the truth!" Athena insists fiercely "And no one loves me for what happened!"
[00:32] <Machen_Schneider> "A lie of omission is still a lie." she crosses her ankles. "You can't be trusted. But hey, everyone loves their new golden girl. She may have let an Angel onboard and it may have nearly got into the city and wreaked havoc on an undefended civilian populace, but she said sorry so we gave her a pat on the head."
[00:38] <Athena_Laine> "As far as I see you are the one who can't be trusted. You've threatened to kill me, Zero, Lynn and Max. Right now you're looking more like a risk and liability to this whole operation more than anything else." Athena tells her bluntly. "And I'm not a golden girl, and everyone don't love me. Why is it that you're sounding so jealous, Mach?"
[00:43] <Machen_Schneider> "It's not jealousy, but disappointment. It also makes me wonder when Johan acquired brain damage."
[00:47] <Athena_Laine> "He never did, he, just like the rest of us, saw something which could mean an early end to the war, one that meant less bloodshed and we tried to make it work." Athena replies plainly, lifting a hand to her face to wipe away her tears. "I wanted to ask to be taken off as a pilot, but with you gone there wasn't any possibility to, someone had to protect Zero and Lynn, they couldn't do it on their own."
[00:47] <Athena_Laine> She gestures to Mach "But if you want to see me punished then I'm giving you the chance to do so right now. What do you want to see happen to me?"
[00:48] <Machen_Schneider> "If it were up to me, I'd see you thrown into the sun, along with your EVA, that abomination of a ship, and all of its crew." Mach told her, sounding bored. "But it's not up to me."
[00:48] <Athena_Laine> "Seeing as that isn't an option, what do you want to see happen instead?"
[00:50] <Machen_Schneider> "It doesn't matter. I've already told you what will happen if you betray us again."
[00:50] <Athena_Laine> "It does matter, Mach!" Athena insists
[00:52] <Machen_Schneider> "You're naive." Mach doesn't quite sigh, but it looks like she wants to. As it is, her voice doesn't change even a little bit. The house is very cold. "But at least I've been honest with you, instead of hiding things."
[00:55] <Athena_Laine> Athena shakes her head, looking away for a moment "If that's the way you want it, Mach." she concludes, but her eyes look dangerous as she settles her gaze on the other pilot again. "But I warn you now... Attack me if you want, I can handle it, but if you ever lay a finger on Lynn, Zero, Max or Johan, I will not hold back. Understood?"
[00:58] <Machen_Schneider> "It's cute that you think you could beat me. But you can't." she slides down from the bench, completely unconcerned. "I warned Max off from attacking me because there's no telling what would have happened if he went to battle stations. As for the rest, if they don't betray us again, then I'll have no reason to attack them. Understood?" she parrots back, but there's no hint of joy at turning...
[00:58] <Machen_Schneider> ...the question back on her aggressor.
[00:59] <Athena_Laine> "I could beat you Mach, because as you've just proven to me you're weak..." Athena sounds almost disgusted when she says that, moving towards the door, as her hand lays on the handle she pauses to add. "And I may be a liar, Mach, but betrayel lies with you."
[01:02] <Machen_Schneider> "That's right. I let the Angel in where it went berserk. I lied to someone who loved me about it. I lied about having an Angel living in my head for months." It should be sarcasm, but her tone is just flat and empty.
[01:03] <Athena_Laine> Athena freezes "...Who did I lie to about it that loved me?" she asks, slowly.
[01:06] * Machen_Schneider_ is now known as Machen_Schneider
[01:08] <Machen_Schneider> "Me. Don't worry, I don't even remember what it felt like."
[01:09] <Athena_Laine> Athena remains in the same place for a moment longer "Then you had a funny way of showing it, Mach." she concludes, her voice stiff before she opens the door and leaves.
[01:09] <Machen_Schneider> Mach doesn't bother following her; she just shuts the door, which clicks as it locks.
[01:11] <Athena_Laine> Athena walks down the stairs from the apartment and heads for home; She had plenty of things to think about.