Meet 29 Year Old Date Kurono, School Counselor of Tokyo-3's Municipal First Junior High School Academy and hired private therapist of NERV's pilots. While his job is considered non-essential, his mission is to indirectly aid in the fight against the apocalyptic angels aiming to destroy this world by helping them mature and hearing out their issues, the same way he do in school, only with a few extra steps.By controlling Date, you will help him uncover the truth about NERV, his patients, himself, and perhaps the fate of the world, provided he can survive...How To Play:>Important decisions and dialogue options will prompt a Dice Check after voting period is finished, be it either to persuade people with your arguments, get through them emotionally, or absorb emotional damage. This is a social game, so doing the right conversations matters a lot more than getting into fights.>The dice rolls are a best of 3 of a 1d100 die, the DC will be hidden, but it will be determined by the way you word your things accounted by the stress treshold you currently have, which will raise and lower throughout the story depending on what is currently going on. While stress is unavoidable, try to treat Date well, and the dice will treat you accordingly.>Consider the writing prompts as Date's subconscious. While write-Ins are allowed and encouraged, take his character into consideration as to not write anything too absurd.>Try not to get fired and/or killed.
>>6429236Thread Archive: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Great%20Therapist%20Evangelion
"How's it going, Champ?"A familiar voice startles you as you see yourself sitting down at a dining table, your burly beast of a father is chowing down on a fine piece of wagyu stake while you hold a spoonful of peas in your plate.Resting your hand on your chin, you realize your facial hair is gone. Not only that, but your height was slightly reduced, as if you were taken back to before the Second Impact ever happened. Just to make sure, you take a glace under the table to check on your father's leg, realizing Daigo still has his limbs intact.You've had this dream several times before. It's like time never moves forward when you drift asleep..."Is something wrong, sport? Y'know you can talk to me, right? I'm not all muscle, I got a pair of ears, as well! Is it about your new friends?" Daigo asks as he munches through his plate, the only thing keeping the dining room from being in total silence.Seeing him eat like that always made you feel full, no wonder you were never a big eater, no point in keeping up with a professional boxer.Regardless of this being a dream or not, you don't have many chances to feel safe and free of judgement, even when you're by yourself. Given how good of a motivator he was, is there really any harm in catching him up to speed?>I got a new job, it's not easy.>I'm trying to get in shape like you.>I'm thinking of starting some driving lessons.>I miss you.>Nothing, Dad...
>>6429250>I'm trying to get in shape like you.Let's enjoy our peace... Mom's ghost would be the better one to ask about work, anyway.Welcome back, QM!
>>6429266I should be saying that, but I'm also glad to be back! These next few scenes appear to be promising!
Welcome back!>>6429236>his mission is to indirectly aid in the fight against the apocalyptic angels aiming to destroy this world by helping them mature and hearing out their issuesheh.>>6429250>I'm trying to get in shape like you.Driving lessons is tempting though.
>>6429250>I'm trying to get in shape like you.:')
>>6429250>I'm trying to get in shape like you.Round 2 electric boogaloo
>>6429266>>6429340>>6429342>>6429474"I'm uh... Trying to get in shape, just like you!" You smile at daddy dearest, blushing to even compare your physique to his when he's twice your weight, even when you grow up."Well then, let's see those guns!" He flexes his bicep, which is almost the size of your head, prompting you to do the same. Your kiddie arm isn't impressive in the slightest, you knew Daigo would be the last person to judge you."Hey, no shame in going for a more athletic build! I knew a few featherweights that could knock down a horse if they threw a mean right hook at them. You've been following my training?""Yeah... Trying to, at least..." You reply. "The dieting is the hard part, I don't think I can eat as much as you...""Well, let me help you out then!" The boxer slices what's left of his steak in half and drops it down on your plate, crushing the peas that were still on it."Th-Thanks, Dad..." You eat his half of the steak, it tastes delicious. You forgot how much of a good cook he was. "Don't think I'll ever fit your size, though.""Who said you had to? Life's all about conditioning, champ! You don't need to be the same as me! That's like wanting a triangle to fit into a square hole, ya feel? I want you to be yourself, not to compare with mom and dad all the time!"Well, how one compares himself to one's parents is sort of what you ended up studying in college, so he might be a little late to yell you that..."Conditioning? Not fate, opportunities, connections...?""Some of that stuff is important too, but conditioning is what you can actually grasp in your hands, son! Every day is a building block you place under yourself, and it's up to you to figure out where it leads. You think I built all this muscle in a day? No siree. The moment I stop working out, I'll be as light as a twig, and there goes my belt.""...That's not how muscle memory works... You can still be strong if you don't work as hard, or even if you stop for a bit and then get back to it.""And that's what conditioning is all about, Date!" He gives you a thumbs up. "As a parent, I know it's best not to meddle in your business. You already know what you want deep down, I don't gotta say if I support it or not, I just gotta show you that it's possible, and that you'll get there eventually if you don't give up!"Man, he's so supportive, you can't help but chuckle. Is that where you got your speech talents from?"Good... I wonder if mom thinks the same...""Of course she does! Just cause your mom's a tough nut to crack, doesn't mean--""I'm home." You hear your mom opening the door to your house, entering the dining room with her lab coat soaked in blood, her usual neutral expression staring deeply into your soul.A quick glance back at your dead shows him going limp on his chair as several cuts open up over his body, blood pouring out of him and gushing into the table.Ayane silently approaches, her red hand reaching out towards your face.
>>6429494You wake up in your bed, your heart racing as you quickly reassure yourself that it was just a nightmare... That's always how the nightmare ends, anyway. You never find it in you to say or do anything but cower in fear from her, the good moments always being ruined by what comes next...Usually, you don't get these sort of dreams unless you are really stressed out, which might be a regular occurrence now that the angels will keep coming, but something tells you the tape you didn't check on the previous day probably has something to do with it...Now that you're sober and somehow without a hangover, you retrace your steps from yesterday's party to make sure the blackmail letter from K. was real.Same letter, same tape, same black marker saying "The Ayane Kurono Tapes: Vol 1". You don't have the same fear that struck you when you first touched it. Whatever content is inside this thing, it clearly has no match for your fertile imagination, if your dreams are anything to go by.Sitting on it for a bit was the right choice, but you do wonder when you'll have to rip that band aid off. Whoever sent this to you will assume you're watching and keeping yourself updated with what he sends, but since it involves something as personal as your mother's case against Gendo, is it really something you want to juggle at all when you're working at his company, and counseling his son, no less?Currently, you are fine. Or at least, you think you are. There will be a time when you will be worse, so it's best to deal with problems as they go along, no?Queen Kamehameha gives you a look that says you are just deluding yourself into self harming, but what does she know? She's just a turtle...>Stress Level: 17/100>Watch the tape, better now than later.>Why not wait until the next one comes along? You'll have more context then.
>>6429503>Watch the tape, better now than later. Smoke also.
>>6429503>is it really something you want to juggle at all when you're working at his company, and counseling his son, no less?Wow there now Date. Sins of the father, right? >>Watch the tape, better now than later.We are in a much better headspace than we were last night.I suspect we're not going to like it, but the curiosity will eat at us if we don't at least try it. And if it's too awful, we can always stop the tape and not watch any others.
>>6429505>>6429535Screw it, time to see what Mom did with the old VCR...The tape gets rejected quite a few times, which makes you worry about the quality of the film being degraded, but just before you called it quits, you got it to run just fine.You make sure to pause, take a breather, stretch and feed your pet turtle before sitting down on the couch with a cup of coffee by your side. Let's just hope this doesn't ruin the rest of your day...week...month...life.A title card appears that reads "The Ayane Kurono Tapes: Vol 1", much like how the tape described it. The date on it reads September 20th, 2000, just a week after The Second Impact. Your mother quickly walks into frame after setting up her camera, alone in her old bedroom as she takes a few steps back, making sure the tripod was stable enough for her to sit on her bed without worry."Hello, Date-kun."Despite it just being a home made tape, there was some amount of effort in keeping the place well lit and framed that gave an artistic quality to her camera work, almost as if she was testing out a hobby, given how she made an effort to put make up on and fix her usually unkept hair into a ponytail, whatever she had to say appeared to be performatively serious."I hate journaling." She starts off with a sigh. "Always feel like I am writing a suicide note, talking posthumously about my feelings, begging for someone to find out and read them, about as much as I want to keep it secret in a drawer somewhere... Maybe a video format is better suited for these sorts of things... Makes me feel like we're actually talking to each other, not like we could usually have this talk anyway..."She slouches backwards, searching for her signature pink vanilla flavored Black Devils, before realizing the windows were shut."Damn it, the sheets smell too nice for me to ruin them. Never mind..." She readjusts herself, clearly flustered on what she was about to say."I've been meaning to have this talk with you for a while. About pushing you in the right direction. I don't know when you'll be getting these tapes... Hopefully I'll find it in me to give them to you when you graduate... It's funny... I really wished you got into sports like your dad sometimes... As soon as I saw you getting interested in psych stuff, I felt a big sense of comradery between us, like we finally had something to bond over... But I also knew that my connections would take interest in you... The good and the bad..."Figures. It's only natural than being her son, she would think about throwing your name around the company for her super secret project, but you already knew that part."But before I tell you about Project E, Gehirn and all the other stuff... I think I owe you an apology. An explanation, as well... For the way I've treated you for the longest time. It's only fair to clear the air between us before that so the following messages get through clearer."
>>6430100"...Feels weird to tell you this, but I... Never really saw myself becoming a mother, not at the age when it happened, at least. I felt like I wasn't ready. I don't think it really dawns on people the importance of raising another human life until you're really there. Sure, I could study, read some books on it, hear what other mothers say about pregnancy, but that doesn't really explain the qualia, does it? The experience is something you can only feel yourself. I was afraid I could only be one or the other: The family woman, or the world renowned scientist... Until I told your father, that is..."Despite them being so close, you don't think you ever asked her how they met, or how the decision came to actually have your or not... Such subjects felt really taboo around the house, so getting to hear it straight from her mouth proved to be interesting."We didn't have a penny to our name, despite living in the big city. I thought your dad would hate me if he found out about you... But little did I know, he already had a secret ready to tell me that day: He won his first amateur boxing tournament, and with the money to start a professional career... He decided to buy a wedding ring! Not only that, he told me he was so sure that his kid would be a boy, he said that he would give up boxing and become a sumo wrestler if he was wrong on his gut feeling! And frankly... we both know he would be good at either of those."She chuckled, a rare sight, given how she never laughed when you were around. It's hard not to start laughing yourself, given how contagious her happiness is."He's insane. But maybe that's what makes me love him so much... It's like the pressure only motivated him further to reach higher peaks... Makes me wish I was like him... Nothing really brings him down, does it? First time I met him at school, he saw the local delinquents picking on me and just decided to throw hands. Somehow, he won a 3 on 1, one of the guys even had a bat on him and he just punched straight through his blows! Told him he should fight people for a living, and that's how we made it here..."Ayane suddenly pauses, her smile turning rapidly into her usual flat, tired expression. Dagger Daigo's retirement was still recent given the loss of his leg, it didn't take a genius to figure out she was imagining if he would recover from losing his passionate career."Anyway, I need to stop rambling... You might not remember this, but there was a trip to Okinawa we did when you were 4. Your father wanted to try surfing with a few of his friends, I just wanted a break for work... By then, I thought I was used to the whole 'Responsible mother taking care of a child' thing... But it only took one small moment of me being absent minded to find out how wrong I was."
>>6430130...Weird. You don't remember the trip to Okinawa being all that eventful. Your mother lied on a beach towel under an umbrella while you stood by her building a few sand castles while dad failed to ride a wave. Something important must have happened either to you or to her in which she gives a lot more weight than you ever did, something that's breaking her up inside if she's stuttering so hard to just reminisce on it.Whatever it is, you are quick to remind yourself that whatever your mother has to say, it is stuck in a time capsule controlled by your remote. Given how big of a gamechanger this is, it could either explain why she was so avoidant, or just decide if she is worth your hatred, rather than forgiveness.>Stop the tape.>Let it run.
>>6430136>Let it run
>>6430136>>Let it run.So far so good. Sometimes you have to burn yourself on the stove before you stop tempting fate.Considering the set up, I suspect little Date-san decided to try his hand at swimming. Or maybe something more oddball, like a literal kidnapping?
>>6430136>Let it run.
>>6429494Holy shit, that's heartwarmi->>6429503Holy shit, that's terrifying.>>6430136Aaand back to heartwarming. God damn, Mom.>Let it run.I bet that heartwarming feeling doesn't last... Did we nearly die somehow?
>>6430138>>6430142>>6430182>>6430191>>6430198The remote stays still at the couch's armrest. This hasn't been a tough listen so far, you're ready to listen to whatever Ayane has to say. Perhaps you've never been this ready as you are now, best not to let that determination waver."I... drifted off to sleep. Pulled an all-nighter that day at the job, so I thought I could take a nap while nothing was happening. But before that could happen, Daigo showed up with you and told me what happened... He left you with his friend Ichiro, so I knew it was important if he had to speak in private..."Her eyes drift away from the camera, her lips quivering as she holds back tears from remembering the event."A man was behind you... Some uninvited creep was rubbing your back and asking you questions... Your dad was quick to tell him off... But you were too young to understand what was going on..."Truly so... It was such a non-issue for you that you pretty much wiped it out from your important, founding memories, only coming back when Ayane reminded you what you said to her:"You looked so innocent, smiling to me as you said... 'Why do you look so worried, mom? I'm ok! Nothing happened!' Well, I couldn't really break it to you, could I? I couldn't tell you about anything..."Your mind wanders back to that day in 1989, or at least, what you could remember of it as those words finally triggered your memories. There was an older man that showed up while you were building sand castles..."Hey there, kiddo! What are you doing?" He sat behind you, in a way that didn't let you fully see his actions unless you nearly twisted your neck for it."Sand castles! Wanna help me, mister?" You innocently replied, assuming every human was just a potential playmate."Are your parents around here?" He asked, ignoring your question as you looked around for directions."Mom's over there by the sand hill! But I don't think she sees me..." You pointed upwards towards her general direction, only seeing her feet moving. "Dad's out there in the water, I think."You were too focused on your sand castle to even take notice of the man as he silently stared at you."Why are you behind me?""Did you forget to put your sunscreen on, kid? Your back's gonna burn!" He suddenly pressed his palms at your shoulder blades, the familiar cold, white substance oiling up your skin."H-Hey! That tickles!" You froze up as you wondered where he pulled the bottle of sunscreen from."Hot day, isn't it...?" He whispered. "How about you come with me for a bit? I can buy you some ice cream or something.""Right now? I'll ask my mom about it--""You don't have to!" He cuts you off before standing up. "You just gotta come with me over there and--" He turned around to show you where he wanted to go, but his vision was blocked by the wet, 150 pounds of pure muscle mass that was your father, though he didn't let it show to it's full extent, there was clear anger in his eyes as he sensed some stranger danger.
>>6430242"Something I can help you with, sir?" Daigo forced a smile, the arm that was holding his surfboard nearly crushing the damn thing under his pit as he kept his emotions in check."D-Dagger Daigo? Is that really you?" The man suddenly changed his whole demeanor, taking a few steps away from you as he bowed to your father. "I am a big fan of yours! I didn't know you were here--""That's my son you were talking to." Daigo cut him off, not wanting to hear any of it."Hi, Dad!" You waved at your father, finally turning around as someone worth your attention appeared. The boxer merely did a half-second smile before staring back at the stranger."O-Oh, really!? I could tell! He really looks just like you, haha! I was just curious in knowing about the son of such a legendary--""Sure you were." Daigo took a step forward, his stare and body language being very similar to what he usually showed off in the ring, only it was to a regular beach goer. Neither of them dared raise a word to each other, but in retrospect, father was giving the guy the best death glare he could give with his pair of eyes."Beat it." he said with a voice that would make even his strongest opponents think twice about throwing a punch his way, prompting the stranger to walk away as he dropped the sunscreen on the floor.Seeing your whitened back, Daigo suddenly grows tense, checking the bottle's liquid and sniffing both it and your back, before finally relaxing."Oh, thank god...""What's wrong, Dad?" You finally stand up, seeing him panting over seemingly nothing."Date... That man... Was dangerous." He tried explaining in the most PG way he could."Was he? I couldn't tell... Am I in trouble...?" You frowned, thinking you did something bad."What? No, of course not! I'm glad you're ok... It's just... You gotta stay close to your mom when I'm not here!" He crouched over, placing a hand on your shoulder.Although vague, you trusted Daigo's judgement. If that man was bad, then so be it."Why don't you go talk to Ichiro-San? I gotta look out for your mother..." He tapped in his friends direction as he headed off towards her umbrella.After a few minutes passed, your mother ran up to you in her fair one piece and round sunglasses, worried sick as she crouched to look at you eye to eye."Date-kun! What happened?! Was what Dad told me true?""Yeah, a bad guy came along, but don't worry, Mom! I was safe! I even kicked sand at him when he--" You tried to make up a story to sound smart or strong, but one look at her teary eyes as she dropped her sunglasses made you stay silent. You don't remember her ever crying in front of you, not even when Tokyo was nuked."Why do you look so sad, mom? Nothing happened."She only responded with a tight hug and some sniffles. While it was only a slightly awkward moment for you, the implications of losing you for a stranger are now as an adult, completely understandable.
>>6430245"The thought of what a man could do to a kid like you disgusted me." Your mother says through the TV screen as you unpause the tape. "Especially when... There wasn't anyone around to stop it when that happened to me."Ayane places a hand on her face, this now being the second time you ever see her cry in over a lifetime."I know how something like that can kill you from the inside... It clams you up... Makes you hate normal things like touching, or the opposite sex... Like can't trust anyone... Like you're not even human anymore... Hell, if it weren't for your father, I doubt I could even trust a man at all! So just to think that if it weren't for him... I would have let this happen to my son... It made me feel... Like I wasn't even fit to be in the same house as you two..." She sobbed, failing to finish her sentences."It would be so much easier if you took more to your father, so I tried to just focus on my job... Work on funding your and his career while I could... But Daigo always told me I was your favorite, that he didn't have a lot of interests in common with you, but I didn't want you to be like me... I don't want anyone to deal with what I've been hiding so far... But when I saw you reading my studies... I realized I was capable of being the violent person I wanted to keep you away from... And I felt even worse."She takes another pause to stop crying, nearly making you tear up along with her."It took me a long time to realize, but there was another man I've learned to love in my life... One that if I can really trust, he could help me change the future... And I've been a fool to keep him out of my life until I needed him most." She cleans up her dirty makeup, forcing a warmer smile as she finally calmed down."But before I could assure you that you were safe with me... I needed to make sure I was safe with you as well. I know I haven't been around much... But I'm still alive now, and though I wish it didn't have to resort to this situation for us to turn our relationship around... I want you to know I am here for you. Even if I don't say it to your face, I want you to know that I've always cared... Maybe before I could admit it to myself.""I'm proud of you, Date-kun. I love you too, son."She stares longingly at the camera for a few more seconds before the tape ends... That... Was a lot to take in. You didn't hear that from Mom often. Hell, you were lucky to even hear her at all, so seeing her in this more emotional, perhaps even hysterical side that she kept to herself was something that... really broke your previous perception of her.It's hard to even consider this woman the same person you knew before and after the incident... What changed since then?This tape from K really feels like a belated, or perhaps, foreshadowed apology before she could do what she did... But did that sway you either for or against her, anyway?
>>6430255>You still love your mother, which is why you could never fully condemn her actions.>Ayane was a tortured soul, it's hard to not feel sympathy for her, in spite of it all.>You were never angry at her for that. You were angry at her for ruining your family. That's still no excuse to killing dad and then herself.>You don't know who your mother even is at this point. Perhaps waiting for the other tapes might help you see the bigger picture.>Write-in.
>>6430256>Ayane was a tortured soul, it's hard to not feel sympathy for her, in spite of it all.If Date had been born a bit later, he might've ended up an EVA pilot. Now just got to figure out if Daigo had any major damage of was just the best.I thought we were past the point of Date thinking that his mom killed Dad and herself. Especially after recalling the whole being sleeper-hold when trying to cut his jugular.
>>6430256>You don't know who your mother even is at this point. Perhaps waiting for the other tapes might help you see the bigger picture.
>>6430256>>You were never angry at her for that. You were angry at her for ruining your family. That's still no excuse to killing dad and then herself.
>>6430256>Ayane was a tortured soul, it's hard to not feel sympathy for her, in spite of it all.We continued to follow in Mom's footsteps to help others avoid her fate, no?
>>6430259>Date being an Eva pilot along with Misato and RitsukoDamn, why didn't I think of that? Now I dunno if Kaji would be their Toji or their Kaworu.>Now just got to figure out if Daigo had any major damage of was just the best.He's the best.>I thought we were past the point of Date thinking that his mom killed Dad and herself.I mean, he remembers someone choked him out, but that's it. Up to you if you wanna shift blame to an unknown assailant, or if Ayane is still guilty until further notice.
