Though it's made a big deal of, Cirus' spy-life rarely comes into play in Kenosis, which is why I was happy to have these scene with the phone-call from his 'operator'. It also ups the tension considerably. If he does act to protect Rei, he really is on his own, even against SEELE. This also gives a bit of characterization for his 'operator', who will, in fact, pop up again later.

Asuka would obviously want to cover for her 'indiscretion' the night before, so I found her coming to warn Shinji not to get any ideas very appropriate for her. That she's a bit more reserved rather than flaming and raging shows the changes I'm implying beneath the surface. And, of course, having Misato actually 'cook' something was too adorable to pass up once I had the idea. I visualize it was pretty average tasting oatmeal. Not bad, but so bland you'd probably want to add sugar.

The brief interaction between Ritsuko, Misato, and Cirus does little for the plot, but I love the dynamic it sets up. Not only does it show Cirus as simply part of the cast with Ritsuko and he both reacting to Misato's cooking, but Misato is in precious 'twitchy, aggravation' mode. And, I'm using the 'address the plot-hole' method again, since readers may be asking 'why didn't the Angel just zap itself down into Terminal Dogma.' We don't know. *laughs*

The brief scene following with Maya reporting to the Commanders is simply to establish that Ikari himself is willing to hold off on Project 7 for the time being due to drastically lowered defenses in the city.

Another simple character fluff scene between Kaji and Misato follows, out on site for the destruction. Kaji's commentary about 'more than seventeen' is just a mildly veiled stab at the core plot of the anime. If it's not obvious by now, all the 'dogma' of Evangelion has been totally shattered into oblivion and replaced with a more realistic 'aliens' type idea. I just leave it mysterious enough to keep the mood of the anime going enough to make the shift more believable. The scene also brings up that Cirus doesn't go to school.

If the introduction of Toji and Kensuke seems a bit abrupt, it is. I abruptly realized they could be back in the story, since the city has been, for the most part, brought back to normal. The brief scene with Misato is little more than establishing that fact and giving her some characterization time.

And, of course, the actual re-introduction of the two friends is nothing more than that with character fluff, almost bringing the dynamic right back to what it was (aside from Toji being in a wheel-chair.) Ending with Asuka's horror at their return seemed appropriate for the scene.

I do so love it when characters talk about other characters that aren't present. Having Shinji explain Cirus and Rei's recent activities to his friends was, perhaps, ad-libbed, but was inevitable considering my style. Perhaps having Hikari back without explanation is a stretch, but I found her adorable for her dynamic with Toji, and wanted her back for both their sakes. That Shinji would have missed the whole thing simply seemed a given to me. Once Rei and Asuka settle into class with everyone, the interaction between she and Toji, who seemed the only other person to really interact with her anyway, was very interesting to write. It shows that Rei is still very much her usual self in most superficial ways, but is becoming a bit softer around the edges overall thanks to the deeper changes she's going through. And so sends this part of the longest chapter.