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Looks like Kohran's medicine knocked out Ogami just long enough for everyone in the theater to perpetrate some kind of unspeakable horror upon the poor man's slumbering body.



[Ogami]

(There's someone... by my... side...)



It's Maria.

[Ogami]

(Ah... there's a hand on my head....)
(It's a cold hand.... but... it feels comfortable...)
(.............)



... it was Maria.

[Ogami]

(That.... cold hand.... I wonder who... it... was...)

No, dude, seriously, there are only so many platinum blonde Russian women in the theater.



It's--



WAIT, YOU'RE NOT MARIA

Or... anyone who I'm trying to get to be my top pilot, come to think of it.

[Ogami]

Iris, huh... yup, I'm mostly feeling better now.



[Iris]

Oniichan... I was worried that you wouldn't ever wake up again...

----
[Ogami]

Awww, isn't that sweet?

[Iris]

Because the forbidden fifth rite of Ashnak the Devourer requires that the target sacrifice be fully awake as he feels his spirit being eviscerated by the Masticator of Heavenly Agony, otherwise the interior spirit will not properly bind to my omnipotent will.

[Ogami]

Hahaha, look at you! You've already starting to learn how to use grown-up words. I'm going to need to find a dictionary if I want to understand a goddamn word coming out of your mouth what you're trying to say.

[Iris]

... are you not listening to a thing that Iris has been telling you?!

[Ogami]

BEHOLD, for this is the power of an unhealthy denial of the grim facts of reality. Granted, I'm going to need a stiff drink when this is all over, but.
----



... alright, you know what? I'm SICK of constantly getting these Iris scenes. I could've had an elucidating, character-development-revealing scene with Sumire! Or Maria! Or, heck, Kohran! But I keep getting Iris.

By golly, it might be my destiny to become Iris's mind-crushed love slave, but I am at least choosing my top pilot! WITH THESE OWN TWO HANDS.

[Ogami]

It was a good vacation. I mean, I got to sleep the entire time.

And it all starts by being a gigantic dick to Iris.



[Iris]

Oniichan... you IDIOT!!

[Ogami]

I-Iris?!



[Iris]

To say something like THAT.... that's so mean! Oniichan, I HATE you!!

----
[Iris]

I HATE YOU!!



[Iris]

I HATE YOU SO.... MUCH...!!
----

Y'know... on hindsight, maybe I could've planned this out a little better.



[Ogami]

....... I suppose everyone was fairly worried about me.
.............









(SOME TIME LATER)







[Ogami]

Ngh..... nnn....



[Ogami]

Ah, Maria.... what's wrong?



----
[Ogami]

Passing by?

[Maria]

Yes.

[Ogami]

... through my room, which only has one entrance and exi-

[Maria]

I AM JUST CHECKING TO SEE THAT YOU'RE ALRIGHT.

[Ogami]

Well, okay, why didn't you say that in the first--

[Maria]

I AM NOT SNEAKING IN HERE TO INSTALL HIDDEN CAMERAS SO THAT I MAY KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE ON WHATEVER IT IS YOU MAY BE DOING AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, NOR AM I ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TIDY PROFIT OFF OF SELLING THE VIDEOS TO SAKURA.

[Ogami]

....... not you too, man.

[Maria]

Okay, fine, so I have this bet going with Ayame as to which of the pilots in this theater will eventually be the death of you.

[Ogami]

Oh, okay, that's better- wait, but you're going to be selling these pictures to SAKURA.

[Maria]

... let's just say that I've got a shitload of money riding on your getting surprise-sex'd by Sakura, and leave it at that.
----

[Ogami]

I see... thanks.



[Ogami]

I'm sorry... that I'd let something like this happen to me, as the Captain...



... ruh-roh, Raggy.

[Maria]

Why... did you run out like that...

[Ogami]

... eh?

[Maria]

At that time, why... why did you run out like that! That's what I asking!

[Ogami]

That's because... that child was...

[Maria]

... Ensign. Allow me to say just this one thing!!
Your injuries during this last battle... they are entirely your own fault!
To let yourself be taken off-guard by just one civilian, and to let the enemy escape...
Which could result in the endangerment of even MORE civilians' lives... do you not understand that?

----
[Ogami]

Oh, you silly Maria, that's MORE than one thing--

[Maria]

THAT IS BESIDES THE POINT, ENSIGN.
----


----

----


[Ogami]

That's....



[Maria]

If the Captain dies in order to save a single civilian...
What will happen to the Imperial Capital?! Exactly WHO will fight against the Hive of Darkness?!

----
[Ogami]

... I was kind of figuring that you guys'd be able to take care of something like that.

[Maria]

Yes, but YOU are everyone's boy toy, and the focal point for everyone's horrible sadistically anti-social tendencies! If you weren't here, we'd be killing each other within exactly two days and a half!

[Ogami]

Good god, man, how did you people ever survive without me?

[Maria]

Just... just don't ever ask the Manager about the fifty-nine former would-be Captains of the Imperial Assault Force.
----

[Ogami]

That's....



[Ogami]

........

----
[Ogami]

I was thinking that I didn't want that child to die.

[Maria]

Well, okay, but--

[Ogami]

BECAUSE I WANTED TO KILL HIM WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS FOR BEING SUCH A FUCKING MORON.

[Maria]

...

[Ogami]

I mean, did you SEE him?! He jumped out into the middle of a fucking ROBOT BATTLE! He was just ASKING to get turned into a puddle of blood, viscera, and spare body parts, and I didn't want some stupid DEMON to get the honor of removing him from the gene pool before I ever could--



[Ogami]

GYAAAAAAAA--





----



[Maria]

It would be... the same as that time.

[Ogami]

... Maria?


----





















----
[Ogami]

.... Maria, what--

[Maria]

Look, I'm only going to get ONE CHANCE to speak my mind to you like this, so shut up and let me savor the moment, alright? I want to get this JUST RIGHT.
----







[Ogami]

...... !


----



----
[Ogami]

... she JUST NOW figured that out...?
----


[Ogami]

Was I....
... mistaken...?



HOT BLOODED STUBBORNNESS, GOOOOOOOOOO--

[Ogami]

No, that's not the case at all! At that time, if I'd just abandoned the child...
I would regret it.... for the rest of my life.

For various reasons, as stated above.

[Ogami]

In any case, I should... go try and talk with Maria one more time.



Good god, I certainly HOPE that they hadn't kept poor Ogami in his ticket-clipping clothes all throughout his recovery period. Or at least while he was confined to his bed.



Granted, I'm pretty sure that Yoneda gave him a pajamas edition of his work uniform. He seems sadistic enough to do something like THAT.



[Kanna]

What in the world is wrong with you? Maria, this isn't like you at all.

[Maria]

.......

[Kanna]

In that kinda situation, wouldn't it only be natural to save that child? Why are you so angry?

[Maria]

It has nothing to do with you.

, etc.

[Kanna]

Just what.... what exactly is that supposed to mean!
Even though we've known each other for this long.... what're you trying to accomplish by hiding things from me?!
Do you not trust me enough?!

[Maria]

That's not the problem at all.

[Kanna]

You're always like that, Maria. No matter what... you never try to rely on others!
If you don't just talk to me... I'm gonna tear this room apart!

...

And this is why Kanna makes such a lousy negotiator.

[Maria]

... I'm sorry, Kanna. It's really nothing...

[Kanna]

......

[Maria]

... even though it's been so long since we've last met.... I'm sorry.

[Kanna]

I hate you when you're like this.

[Maria]

......

[Kanna]

If you don't hurry up an' start feelin' better soon, I'm never gonna speak to you again for the rest of your life, okay?

There's really something to be said for being as blunt as a steamroller to the head. None of this pussy-footing around with politeness and niceties and veiled meanings: Kanna gives it to you like it is, ESPECIALLY when "like it is" involves wielding words like a sledgehammer.

[Maria]

Kanna.....


----


Naturally, there's only one right answer here because I'm fairly certain that we do not want Kanna to catch Ogami eavesdropping while she's in the mood to tear something apart with her bare hands.

[Ogami]

Ch'... I've got to hurry up and hide!



B-BUTTON DASH



B-BUTTON DASH



[Ogami]

Urgh... aw, no... my head's...


----


----
[Ogami]

... what the hell DID Kohran put into that medici-

[Ogami]

[i]HnnnnGgggOOOOoooohhhhGooooDDDDdd IiiiIIIi'MmmmMMMmmm crrRRrraaAAaassSSshhHHhhhInnngggg SO BAAAD--

----



NEXT TIME (ETA- THE RELATIVELY NEAR FUTURE, AS MEASURED IN UNITS OF TIME ROUGHLY ANALOGOUS TO MUCH LESS THAN A HANDFUL OF DAYS): ... shall keep Ogami from those goddamn nightly rounds.


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