That said, the setting for Kenosis' epilogue is very simple. It's just the main characters visiting the mall, pure and simple. A friend of mine (Qmax3D by screen name) pointed out when he read another story of mine that I'm very fond of denouement, the drawing out of the story after the climax, which seems to be rare in most stories these days (through any medium, movie, book, or other). I just enjoy writing people when they're happy. It's a kind of 'reward' to the characters for letting me torment them for so long.
The opening paragraph is very brief, but by this point, I didn't want to bog down in details and politics, so I just referenced Yachi's implicit help to Cirus in getting him out of trouble for--basically--ending Project 7. Otherwise, the start of the epilogue is simply setting the scene for the reader so I can get right into the pleasant, unimportant chatter of character-interaction.
I thought it fitting that the boys would be rather wearied by Asuka and Misato's exploits, and, as before, I use Misato's view of things to voice my hints to the reader about Rei's thinking and behavior, specifically where Misato assumes Rei is so relaxed because of Cirus' proximity. I wanted to make it clear that, while I have changed Ayanami-sama a great deal with Kenosis, she is still the character everyone knew in the series, and that will be a long time in fading before she's what anyone would consider a 'normal girl' in personality. (Who'd want her to be normal anyway? She's too adorable the way she is.)
Of course, I also show how much Ayanami-sama has changed when she actually agrees to go with Misato and Asuka rather than the guys. Cirus, ever-protective, lingers just a little because it would out of character for him not to at this point. Rei is always on his mind, in the best ways. Asuka's irascible personality was an easy plot-device to keep things rolling for the dynamic I wanted to set up.
Following the guys at first, I couldn't resist focusing on Maya in this last scene. She's nearly as adorable as Ayanami-sama, and I had to have both Kaji and Cirus flirt with her in their respective manners. Kaji's manner always bugged me a little, but it has undeniable charm so long as it's taken in good humor. And, of course, I enjoy torturing my own character as well, having Ritsuko so bluntly point out his connection to Ayanami-sama. Regarding the repitition of 'fine' in Cirus' line, it is, in fact, deliberate. I'm playing on his subtle Irish heritage, even though he was made by SEELE, and giving him a faint measure of accent. This would only work in English, of course, and if the story were ever translated into Japanese, I'd just go for the nearest equivalent of meaning.
Having Asuka suddenly turn into a make-over goddess to turn Rei into 'worthy competition' just flowed off the top of my head as I wrote the scene. I wanted to get Rei into a particular costume inspired by a piece of art I found on the net, in which she's adorably casual and smiling in good humor. This is the source of most of this 'shopping' idea, the simple context for my happy ending to the story. And, of course, Rei's adorably practical manner always amuses me. "But I do not need clothes," is just so classically Rei.
Jumping back to the food-court group, I couldn't resist giving Cirus another blunt injection of my own personality. His thought-comment on their discussion is very like my own mental dialogue when I'm near a conversation I have no personal interest in. People interest me, very little else, which is mostly a contradiction in terms. Of course, Cirus is all but floored by Rei's 'transformation', and I enjoy watching her reactions to this day.
The phone-call is the only introduction to the 'ring' that comes up at the very end, you didn't miss any references. I wanted to do something specifically romantic for the two of them, since there's been a constant tension of 'best friends'/'couple' for Ayanami-sama and Cirus. Cirus, in Rei's presence, had forgotten about it, and is pleasantly surprised when he remembers. Ironically, I only wrote their soft touches of affection in passing, but I think they're one of the best parts of the epilogue. It shows the dynamic of their relationship very clearly. Rather than a good-bye kiss, which is perfectly innocent in and of itself, Cirus just gives her a reassuring touch on the shoulder, and she appreciates his rather exagerrated consideration for her personal space because it's his consideration for her. Now, rather than being concerned by his hesitation, it's part of the charm, because it's a sign of his high regard for her. This is why she smiles and is reassured when he goes off.
His return is marked similarly, his fingers just brushing across her sleeve as a 'hello again'. Ritsuko and Maya's departure is, admittedly, abrupt, but it works well enough, I think, and has happened to me in real life on occasion. And, since it would be a bit much to have Asuka and Shinji as a real couple already, I tie up their plot-arc as a couple by having Shinji volunteer to go with her when they all split up. After everyone pairs off, Cirus and Rei are set up for their big final�. The reader may notice that I completely forgot about Rei's bags of clothes when they head off. I had no idea how to fix the problem when I found it, so it's... still there. Perhaps I could have Misato and Kaji carry them home with them. It's an obvious enough problem to where I may very well fix that at a later time.
Once Cirus and Rei are on their way, things are really warming up to the finish. Having Rei ask if he wants to hold her hand was, again, spur of the moment, but has become one of the best parts of the finish for me. There's something irresistably cute about Rei and Cirus holding hands as they walk. Once they get to the pond, and I've set the scene for the reader, the big moment is building up. My mother actually inspired the specific details of this scene with her suggestions for a symbolic gift from Cirus. She specifically recommended a pendant of some kind, but I got the idea from her overall, so she deserves the mention. The Claddagh ring is an old Irish tradition. Depending on the direction its worn, it means one's heart is 'open' or 'closed' to romance (i.e. in a relationship or not already), but I gave it a special meaning for Cirus and Rei. No, he's not proposing to her, they're still too young for that, but it is a powerful symbol of his affection for her. You can bet she'll still be wearing it in future if (when) they do get married.
One of the sub-points to my writing Kenosis was to show how physical affection is over-done in the modern era. That the story ends with their first and only kiss in the entirety of its length, and that I think it works very well as a good finish, makes that point for me. Further, the nature of the kiss is very subtle, practically childish, but the emotion involved is more powerful than most graphic love scenes in films, to my view. Perhaps the reader disagrees, but that's my view on the matter, so you have 'author's intent' explicit right here.
The last line of the story reveals its true thesis. Kenosis was written to make Rei feel human, to give her a real life. It's very much a beginning, not an end. Cirus, by being her friend and dearest love, helped her find her humanity, and she can stand on her own feet much better than before, she simply wants to stand on her own feet beside Cirus, as he wishes to do with her.
And so that's the last specific commentary. After this I've written an author's note for the story as a whole for any major points I wanted to make. I very appreciate your reading this story if you have (and the commentary if so), and I hope you enjoyed it. I wrote it for my own reasons, but I'm always glad to bring some pleasure into other peoples' lives.
Jaa mata ("bye, bye")