Kamina City
Four years after the fall of Teppelin
Of all the ways the world had changed, the one Simon had the hardest time adjusting to was how bright it was all the time.
Back in Jiha, before that day when his whole life had suddenly turned upside-down, it had always been dark. With electricity such a precious commodity, the chief had never authorized building more lights than were absolutely necessary for everyone to get around; squinting through the gloom had been a habit people developed by the time they could walk. The first time he'd seen the sun, awed as he'd been by its beauty, Simon had hardly been able to keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time before they'd started to sting. He'd gotten used to it soon enough, but even then, it had still gotten dark at night, the moon and stars shining just brightly enough to make him feel at home again.
Now, though...people were putting lights in everywhere. They seemed obsessed with it. Even at night, you couldn't walk through the city without feeling like the sun was still out. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually needed his glow-goggles, even though he still wore them all the time.
He wished Kamina could've seen it. It would've made him smile.
With one last, flourishing stroke, Simon set down his pen and added his last bit of paperwork for the evening to the untidy stack in his outbox. Standing up, he allowed himself a luxuriant stretch. "O-kay," he announced, with a satisfied grin. "Think that's everything."
"Already?" Rossiu said drily, not looking up from his own papers. "I still have that whole set of case reports to go over for Legal." With his free hand, he jabbed a thumb at an overstuffed folder sitting on the edge of his desk. "I'm sure it'd go much faster if you--"
"For crying out loud, Rossiu," Simon groaned, "give it a rest, already. We're supposed to be celebrating tonight. Take a load off. Go spend the evening with Kinon--you can't tell me you two don't have plans."
"I told you," Rossiu said, "it's not like that." His face remained an impassive mask, his eyes following the tip of his pen as it blurred across the paper.
Simon chuckled and shook his head. "Sure. Well, anyway, I'm going to enjoy myself tonight, and you should do the same. If I hear from anyone that you're still here in half an hour, I'll tell Kinon you said you want her to have your children."
Rossiu's pen stopped, and he glanced up, a hint of fear in his eyes. "You wouldn't."
Simon just grinned.
With a heavy sigh, Rossiu bent back to his work. "I'll be out of here as soon as this is finished. Don't wait. I'm sure you have plans."
Simon's smile went from evil to proud. "That I do." Switching off his desk lamp, he crossed the office to the door and took his coat off the hook. "Don't work too hard. Later!"
"Goodnight," his vice governor said flatly, absorbed once more in his papers.
Simon was interrupted from staring out at the city through the elevator window by the door opening behind him.
"I still don't get it," said a familiar, rough-sounding voice. "Why can't we just put 'em in gunmen? They won us the war, didn't they?"
"Well, I don't know all the details," a deeper one answered. "I mean, I'm no engineer. But Ron says these grapearls are more reliable, cheaper to make, and easier to use, so--"
"Easier? No way!" Simon turned to see Kittan and Dayakka enter the glass-walled compartment, the former obviously riled up (as usual). "I got a look inside one. Who the hell needs that many controls? Walk, turn, punch, shoot--it ain't that complicated!" Abruptly, the legal affairs minister seemed to catch sight of Simon. "Hey, Simon, settle this for us. Why ain't we just building more gunmen for these kids?"
Dayakka shuffled uncomfortably. "Come on, Kittan, it's supposed to be a holiday. Don't make him worry about--"
Simon smiled and held up a hand, signaling not to worry. "It's fine. Anyway, I'm not an engineer either, but what Ron says is definitely part of it. Remember, we've all had lots of experience with gunmen--of course they're gonna be familiar to us. And the grapearls are a lot cheaper, which is important if we're gonna mass-produce them. Plus, with them being based directly on Gurren Lagann, they're projecting they'll outpace gunmen by quite a bit, once the pilots get the hang of them." His eyes wandered back to the window, to the view of the city lights below, getting closer as the elevator wound its way down the side of the parliament tower. "Rossiu says there's another reason, though. He says the people see Gurren as a symbol--it gives them hope. He thinks if they see basically a whole force of Gurrens protecting them, it'll do a lot to boost morale...make them feel safe."
Dayakka nodded. "Makes sense to me."
Kittan let out a derisive snort. "Whatever. What Ron and Rossiu want, they get. I don't see why people wouldn't feel safe, though. Still got us, ain't they?"
Simon was silent for a moment, images of Rossiu's disapproving face hovering before his eyes. "Yeah. They do."
The silence stretched on. Then, Dayakka cracked a grin. "Well, that's enough about work for tonight. How are you feeling, Simon? All set for your big date?"
Reflected in the glass of the elevator, Simon saw Kittan raise a curious eyebrow. It was all he could do not to facepalm. "Dayakka," he said through clenched teeth, "remember what I said about discretion?"
The agriculture minister glanced curiously at Kittan, and his eyes widened in horror. "Oh, crap! S-sorry, I--"
With lightning speed, Kittan leapt on Simon and threw an arm around his shoulders, leaning in uncomfortably close and grinning like a devil. "Simon, you dog! Planning a special night with Nia and not coming to your old buddy Kittan for advice? I'm hurt, man!" He laughed raucously.
Simon did his best to make himself small, his face burning. "W-well, Dayakka's actually married, so I thought he'd know--"
"Yeah, yeah," Kittan crowed, releasing Simon abruptly and practically throwing him back. "Never mind, buddy, Kittan's here for ya now!" Dayakka remained silent in the background, looking intensely uncomfortable.
A conspiratorial gleam filled Kittan's eyes as he leaned in again. "So, tell me," he said. "You and Nia...you two, well, y'know..." He winked and made a 'giddyup' noise, elbowing Simon in the ribs. "Huh? Come on, gimme the dirt!"
Simon recoiled, his face somehow managing to burn even hotter. "Come on, man! We...it's...I don't..." He forced himself to stop babbling, grabbing hold of his thoughts and his tongue. "We're taking it slow, okay? I mean, I don't even know if she's into...that."
Kittan groaned exaggeratedly, rolling his eyes to the elevator ceiling and giving Dayakka a can-you-believe-this-guy look. "Simon, don't be dense. Of course she is. I mean, you seen how she looks at you? Trust me," he grinned, "I've had enough ladies give me those looks to know what they mean."
That caught Simon a little off guard. "Wait...seriously?" His mind flashed back to the conversation with Rossiu upstairs. Could it be that he was just as oblivious? He shook his head. "No, look...Nia isn't like most people. I mean, remember where she's from? What she was like when we first found her? She still doesn't know all kinds of stuff about how people live. I mean, what if she doesn't even know what sex is? Can you really imagine Lord Genome teaching her that stuff?"
"I really wouldn't worry about that, Simon," Dayakka finally spoke up. "I mean, I'm not one to eavesdrop, but I can't help but overhear some of the stuff she talks about with Kiyoh and Kiyal. I find it hard to imagine they haven't taught her everything there is to know, if she didn't know it already."
Kittan's face clouded, and he rounded on Dayakka. "You tryin' to say something about my sisters?"
Dayakka threw up his hands defensively, stepping back. "N-no! That's not what I meant at all! Just--"
As his old teammates fell to bickering behind him, Simon chuckled at their antics, once more staring out at the city. Before long, the elevator finished its long journey, and the three men stepped out onto the ground floor of the tower. Before he could get away, Kittan leapt on him once more, leaning in to talk in his ear. "Good luck tonight, buddy," he said with another grin. "If things go well, you better tell me all about it later!" Cackling, he shoved Simon away again, heading for the doors with a spring in his step. Dayakka paused long enough to give Simon a sympathetic look and a thumbs-up before following.
Standing by the elevator door, Simon fished his phone out of his coat pocket and flipped it open, pulling up his calendar. It was, perhaps, too empty for the governor of humanity's only existing city--he'd always leaned on Rossiu to make sure he kept his appointments. One event, however, was clearly marked for that night. Nia. Park on 14th. 18:30.
He'd memorized the time and place, of course. But he found it reassuring to check it again.
Smiling once more, Simon straightened up and headed out the front doors of the tower. The street outside was awash with light, music, cheerful voices, and people rushing about excitedly. Tonight was a special night: the eve of Liberation Day, the anniversary of the defeat of the Spiral King and humanity's return to the surface. Tomorrow, everyone would have the day off work by law; tonight, everyone was taking the opportunity to party. Street vendors lined the sidewalks; banners and streamers hung from the buildings. So great was the excitement that Simon barely drew any attention as he set off, the most being a small boy whose eyes went wide at the sight of him, but who failed to get his mother to look before he was gone.
Simon's smile broadened as he left the city center and the heart of the celebration behind, heading down smaller residential streets where most of the light and sound came from indoors. As he entered the park, even that faded away, leaving only the gentle glow of a few lamps that lined the footpath. Simon breathed deep of the evening air. Tonight, he planned to give all his attention to the most amazing thing in his life.
He only had to squint a little to see through the evening dark, searching for the reflection off a curtain of silvery hair.
Four years after the fall of Teppelin
Of all the ways the world had changed, the one Simon had the hardest time adjusting to was how bright it was all the time.
Back in Jiha, before that day when his whole life had suddenly turned upside-down, it had always been dark. With electricity such a precious commodity, the chief had never authorized building more lights than were absolutely necessary for everyone to get around; squinting through the gloom had been a habit people developed by the time they could walk. The first time he'd seen the sun, awed as he'd been by its beauty, Simon had hardly been able to keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time before they'd started to sting. He'd gotten used to it soon enough, but even then, it had still gotten dark at night, the moon and stars shining just brightly enough to make him feel at home again.
Now, though...people were putting lights in everywhere. They seemed obsessed with it. Even at night, you couldn't walk through the city without feeling like the sun was still out. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually needed his glow-goggles, even though he still wore them all the time.
He wished Kamina could've seen it. It would've made him smile.
With one last, flourishing stroke, Simon set down his pen and added his last bit of paperwork for the evening to the untidy stack in his outbox. Standing up, he allowed himself a luxuriant stretch. "O-kay," he announced, with a satisfied grin. "Think that's everything."
"Already?" Rossiu said drily, not looking up from his own papers. "I still have that whole set of case reports to go over for Legal." With his free hand, he jabbed a thumb at an overstuffed folder sitting on the edge of his desk. "I'm sure it'd go much faster if you--"
"For crying out loud, Rossiu," Simon groaned, "give it a rest, already. We're supposed to be celebrating tonight. Take a load off. Go spend the evening with Kinon--you can't tell me you two don't have plans."
"I told you," Rossiu said, "it's not like that." His face remained an impassive mask, his eyes following the tip of his pen as it blurred across the paper.
Simon chuckled and shook his head. "Sure. Well, anyway, I'm going to enjoy myself tonight, and you should do the same. If I hear from anyone that you're still here in half an hour, I'll tell Kinon you said you want her to have your children."
Rossiu's pen stopped, and he glanced up, a hint of fear in his eyes. "You wouldn't."
Simon just grinned.
With a heavy sigh, Rossiu bent back to his work. "I'll be out of here as soon as this is finished. Don't wait. I'm sure you have plans."
Simon's smile went from evil to proud. "That I do." Switching off his desk lamp, he crossed the office to the door and took his coat off the hook. "Don't work too hard. Later!"
"Goodnight," his vice governor said flatly, absorbed once more in his papers.
***
Simon was interrupted from staring out at the city through the elevator window by the door opening behind him.
"I still don't get it," said a familiar, rough-sounding voice. "Why can't we just put 'em in gunmen? They won us the war, didn't they?"
"Well, I don't know all the details," a deeper one answered. "I mean, I'm no engineer. But Ron says these grapearls are more reliable, cheaper to make, and easier to use, so--"
"Easier? No way!" Simon turned to see Kittan and Dayakka enter the glass-walled compartment, the former obviously riled up (as usual). "I got a look inside one. Who the hell needs that many controls? Walk, turn, punch, shoot--it ain't that complicated!" Abruptly, the legal affairs minister seemed to catch sight of Simon. "Hey, Simon, settle this for us. Why ain't we just building more gunmen for these kids?"
Dayakka shuffled uncomfortably. "Come on, Kittan, it's supposed to be a holiday. Don't make him worry about--"
Simon smiled and held up a hand, signaling not to worry. "It's fine. Anyway, I'm not an engineer either, but what Ron says is definitely part of it. Remember, we've all had lots of experience with gunmen--of course they're gonna be familiar to us. And the grapearls are a lot cheaper, which is important if we're gonna mass-produce them. Plus, with them being based directly on Gurren Lagann, they're projecting they'll outpace gunmen by quite a bit, once the pilots get the hang of them." His eyes wandered back to the window, to the view of the city lights below, getting closer as the elevator wound its way down the side of the parliament tower. "Rossiu says there's another reason, though. He says the people see Gurren as a symbol--it gives them hope. He thinks if they see basically a whole force of Gurrens protecting them, it'll do a lot to boost morale...make them feel safe."
Dayakka nodded. "Makes sense to me."
Kittan let out a derisive snort. "Whatever. What Ron and Rossiu want, they get. I don't see why people wouldn't feel safe, though. Still got us, ain't they?"
Simon was silent for a moment, images of Rossiu's disapproving face hovering before his eyes. "Yeah. They do."
The silence stretched on. Then, Dayakka cracked a grin. "Well, that's enough about work for tonight. How are you feeling, Simon? All set for your big date?"
Reflected in the glass of the elevator, Simon saw Kittan raise a curious eyebrow. It was all he could do not to facepalm. "Dayakka," he said through clenched teeth, "remember what I said about discretion?"
The agriculture minister glanced curiously at Kittan, and his eyes widened in horror. "Oh, crap! S-sorry, I--"
With lightning speed, Kittan leapt on Simon and threw an arm around his shoulders, leaning in uncomfortably close and grinning like a devil. "Simon, you dog! Planning a special night with Nia and not coming to your old buddy Kittan for advice? I'm hurt, man!" He laughed raucously.
Simon did his best to make himself small, his face burning. "W-well, Dayakka's actually married, so I thought he'd know--"
"Yeah, yeah," Kittan crowed, releasing Simon abruptly and practically throwing him back. "Never mind, buddy, Kittan's here for ya now!" Dayakka remained silent in the background, looking intensely uncomfortable.
A conspiratorial gleam filled Kittan's eyes as he leaned in again. "So, tell me," he said. "You and Nia...you two, well, y'know..." He winked and made a 'giddyup' noise, elbowing Simon in the ribs. "Huh? Come on, gimme the dirt!"
Simon recoiled, his face somehow managing to burn even hotter. "Come on, man! We...it's...I don't..." He forced himself to stop babbling, grabbing hold of his thoughts and his tongue. "We're taking it slow, okay? I mean, I don't even know if she's into...that."
Kittan groaned exaggeratedly, rolling his eyes to the elevator ceiling and giving Dayakka a can-you-believe-this-guy look. "Simon, don't be dense. Of course she is. I mean, you seen how she looks at you? Trust me," he grinned, "I've had enough ladies give me those looks to know what they mean."
That caught Simon a little off guard. "Wait...seriously?" His mind flashed back to the conversation with Rossiu upstairs. Could it be that he was just as oblivious? He shook his head. "No, look...Nia isn't like most people. I mean, remember where she's from? What she was like when we first found her? She still doesn't know all kinds of stuff about how people live. I mean, what if she doesn't even know what sex is? Can you really imagine Lord Genome teaching her that stuff?"
"I really wouldn't worry about that, Simon," Dayakka finally spoke up. "I mean, I'm not one to eavesdrop, but I can't help but overhear some of the stuff she talks about with Kiyoh and Kiyal. I find it hard to imagine they haven't taught her everything there is to know, if she didn't know it already."
Kittan's face clouded, and he rounded on Dayakka. "You tryin' to say something about my sisters?"
Dayakka threw up his hands defensively, stepping back. "N-no! That's not what I meant at all! Just--"
As his old teammates fell to bickering behind him, Simon chuckled at their antics, once more staring out at the city. Before long, the elevator finished its long journey, and the three men stepped out onto the ground floor of the tower. Before he could get away, Kittan leapt on him once more, leaning in to talk in his ear. "Good luck tonight, buddy," he said with another grin. "If things go well, you better tell me all about it later!" Cackling, he shoved Simon away again, heading for the doors with a spring in his step. Dayakka paused long enough to give Simon a sympathetic look and a thumbs-up before following.
Standing by the elevator door, Simon fished his phone out of his coat pocket and flipped it open, pulling up his calendar. It was, perhaps, too empty for the governor of humanity's only existing city--he'd always leaned on Rossiu to make sure he kept his appointments. One event, however, was clearly marked for that night. Nia. Park on 14th. 18:30.
He'd memorized the time and place, of course. But he found it reassuring to check it again.
Smiling once more, Simon straightened up and headed out the front doors of the tower. The street outside was awash with light, music, cheerful voices, and people rushing about excitedly. Tonight was a special night: the eve of Liberation Day, the anniversary of the defeat of the Spiral King and humanity's return to the surface. Tomorrow, everyone would have the day off work by law; tonight, everyone was taking the opportunity to party. Street vendors lined the sidewalks; banners and streamers hung from the buildings. So great was the excitement that Simon barely drew any attention as he set off, the most being a small boy whose eyes went wide at the sight of him, but who failed to get his mother to look before he was gone.
Simon's smile broadened as he left the city center and the heart of the celebration behind, heading down smaller residential streets where most of the light and sound came from indoors. As he entered the park, even that faded away, leaving only the gentle glow of a few lamps that lined the footpath. Simon breathed deep of the evening air. Tonight, he planned to give all his attention to the most amazing thing in his life.
He only had to squint a little to see through the evening dark, searching for the reflection off a curtain of silvery hair.
