Mike Tigas

“Your job’s secure,” Ben said, as he was walking me to the Fugue’s back door. “So you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Thanks,” I told him. “You know, I love this place and I really love helping out.”

“You fit in pretty well here.”

“Yeah, I really feel like I do.”

After pausing to unlock the door, he told me, “Well, you’re home now.”

This, from the man whose conversation once intimidated me because of his concise mannerism–what Alec would describe as his tendency to avoid smalltalk unless you were “in” and then answer you in as few syllables as possible. It was a trait I’d mistook for “cold” or “abrasive.”

Taken aback, the only thing I could think of saying was, “I guess I am, aren’t I?”

In hindsight, it seemed like an ironic echo to Alec’s favorite Evangelion quote, a quote that he’d frequently recount as he began his work at the Fugue:

“I’m home.”

“Welcome home, Shinji.”