Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
Ridiculous ways for Gendo to realize things are not going to plan, part 87
Advice and Trust [NGE]
Ridiculous ways for Gendo to realize things are not going to plan, part 87
Comedy Omake #52 - Rei Learned Italian Somewhere. And The Tarantella.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
In the chill and dim emptiness of his office, Gendo Ikari flicked a momentary glance at the ringing and flashing phone embedded in a recess in his desk. It was the secure line from Section 2. They had standing instructions to only call if it was something important. Anything lesser was routed to Fuyutsuki first. He reached for the phone. "Speak."
He stared at the wall.
"Agent Miyamura, repeat that once more."
Frantic babbling from the phone that ended on a confused note and a plea for instructions.
"I see. Continue to observe. Reinforcement and relief will be dispatched." He hung up, then immediately picked up the inter-office phone and called his second in command.
"Fuyutsuki. Have Section 2 send a new squad to the South City Shopping Mall and relieve Agent Miyamura. The have him reprimanded for being drunk on duty. He is supposed to be watching the First Child to protect her from SEELE, not turning up so drunk he calls me and reports hallucinations like 'The First Child is dancing a Tarantella strip-tease on the fountain in the food court for the Fifth Child and singing Italian love songs to him.' This is ridiculous. The First Child does not even know Italian. I don't want to be interrupted by this sort of nonsense."
He hung up and resumed sifting through the latest intelligence reports on the movement of SEELE's funding to certain members of the Japanese government. Nothing escaped his eye. Everything was proceeding according to the Scenario.
Schpoonman
They call me the Bord of Lays
- Location
- United States
Finding a less toxic way to get into Gendo's head, eh?
Matt R
Giant Robot Pilot
- Location
- North Dakota
Personally I say the best way to get into Gendo's head is with a hatchet. Perhaps an icepick, in a pinch.
octobersanctuary
Self-appointed Master of Ceremonies
- Location
- New Zealand
Darn it Jake...
octobersanctuary
Self-appointed Master of Ceremonies
- Location
- New Zealand
Ok, I hope I've got my mojo back. This took some work, and the last part especially so. That was supposed to be a funnier moment than it turned out, but then Rei's feelings jumped up and grabbed the script. So here's 2600 words of talking to a Fish, and the trouble he brings.
@Sir_Gaea, @Savato93, @James Crimson, @Bluelikeviolets, welcome to the show. Anyone I missed, say so in a comment and I'll add you here.
Art?
Chapter 10.13
Choices and Sacrifices
+++
Rei rolled over and stared through the wall. Major Katsuragi and Inspector Kaji were making their usual warm lightshow just on the other side of the wall. Behind them, on the far side of the apartment, her loves far greater glow throbbed and blazed, still the most glorious and reassuring sight Rei had ever known. Both pairs were gentle enough that being so close did not rub against Rei's AT-Field in any painful way. Not after a week of recovery and help from her friends, at least.
Her friends. Yes, she had to admit, Kaworu's presence and careful shaping of his AT-Field when around her had been a help too. Not quite to the level that being near Shinji and Asuka had been, but a... gentle one. A not unpleasant one. One she... did not mind being around.
She directed her eyes downward. Several floors below his unique, strange Light flickered in it's usual pattern of colors that had no name in Japanese, or any other human tongue. Her eyes narrowed a fraction. It was doing that same spark-flare beat it had done several times a day over the last week, during both the nights and the times Shinji and Asuka had been at school. He was doing the same thing again. Whatever it was, it left his Light stronger and more stable in the aftermath.
Her phone trilled once at her. Rei blinked and rolled over to reach for it. The number to her NERV-issued phone was known to only a handful of people, most of whom were in this building. The remaining people who might call her, especially at this hour of the night, was very small. Peering at the screen, Rei found it wasn't even a call. For the first time, someone had used the SMS text message system to send her a note. A few button presses brought it up.
STILL WORKING ON VOICE, BUT SMS SYSTEM NOT NEARLY AS HARD TO SPOOF. I'VE TURNED OFF THE MAGI LOGGING FOR THEM. YOU CAN TEXT BETWEEN THE PILOT'S PHONES FREELY. AS LONG AS NO ONE SEES YOU TYPE THEM, NO ONE WILL CHECK. I HOPE THIS HELPS FOR NOW. I'LL KEEP TRYING ON THE REST.
Rei let a tiny smile form. Doctor Akagi had come through. And as much as she wanted to send the first message to Shinji and Asuka, she could tell from their Lights they were... not in a state to be disturbed. And this was supposed to be so she could talk to the Fish anyhow. Fortunately, his number was already programmed into her phone as the Fifth Child. And he was definitely still awake. Rei sat up and started typing on the number pad.
DOCTOR AKAGI HAS SECURED THE SMS MESSAGE SYSTEM FOR OUR USE. WHENEVER THE CALL IS BAD, OR YOU NEED TO TALK, SEND TO ME.
+++
Several floors below, Kaworu jumped as his phone chirped at him. He had been in deep... contemplation, and the interruption was a small shock. He lost his grip on what he was holding and reached for the phone almost in reflex. It took him a moment to figure out the message alert, but he smiled on reading it. He began to type back.
THAT IS VERY GOOD TO HEAR, AYANAMI. I WAS JUST THINKING OF YOU.
Almost immediately he got a reply.
ARE YOU… USING THE BOX? RIGHT NOW?
"Um…" he looked down at his lap. "Yes?" he typed back.
There was a pause.
YOU STUPID FISH! YOU TOLD THEM! I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT! I MAY NEED TO KILL YOU. TOMORROW. IF NOT SOONER!
He looked up. Ayanami's Song was… as angry as her Light. Uh oh. He typed fast.
I PANICKED, I'M SORRY! I THOUGHT YOU WERE… YOU WERE…
He hit send after he spent a full minute trying to finish the sentence. He tried again.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'D DO IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO YOU, AYANAMI. I TOLD THEM BECAUSE YOU TRUST THEM, AND I NEEDED… I DON'T WANT TO FEAR I'LL LISTEN TO THE CALL BECAUSE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO YOU. i DON'T WANT TO BE DEPENDENT ON YOU LIKE THAT, IN A WAY THAT PUTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY OWN FLAW ON YOU.
A moment later he added, I DON'T WANT TO BE A BURDEN.
There was a longer pause.
DO NOT THINK BEING CONSIDERATE AND SWEET LIKE THAT GETS YOU OUT OF ME KILLING YOU IN THE MORNING, TROUT. I AM STILL UPSET YOU TOLD THEM. YOU ARE LUCKY THEY ARE UNDERSTANDING.
He smiled in the dim room, lit only by the single lamp near his futon that let him see what lay in his lap. Despite her words, he could already sense Ayanami's anger ebbing some after his explanation. He typed back. THEY ARE. THEY ARE WONDERFUL. THEY ARE BOTH…SO ALIVE. SO MUCH JOY IN THEM. I SEE WHY THE ME IN OTHER WORLDS COULD LOVE HIM SO EASILY. I AM AMAZED THAT I DO NOT DO THE SAME FOR THE SECOND CHILD NEARLY AS OFTEN. STRANGE.
The response was faster this time. ASUKA WAS MUCH MORE ANGRY AND HARD TO TALK TO BEFORE SHE AND SHINJI FELL IN LOVE. I DISLIKED HER, AND SHE ME. NOW SHE MEANS THE WORLD TO ME, AS DOES HE. PEOPLE CHANGE. LOVE IS… IT CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING.
Kaworu hesitated. DID THEY TELL YOU ANYTHING ELSE?
Long pause. WHAT DID YOU DO, STUPID FISH?
He gulped in both fear and relief. NOTHING!
Not a very long pause. Just the tell-tale prickle on his AT-Field that someone was looking at him. Or more precisely, glaring at him from four stories above. He could practically feel the back of his neck heating up.
KAWORU NAGISA, WHAT DID YOU DO?
He typed very fast. I JUST SHOWED THEM MY PICTURES OF YOU!
The glare from above intensified. YOU. WHAT?
NOT THE BOX PICTURES! THE OTHER ONES!
The glare dropped from 'imminent death' to mere 'targeting laser'. WHAT 'OTHER ONES'?
JUST… PICTURES OF YOU. AT SCHOOL. AT LUNCH. WALKING, STUDYING, SMILING. REGULAR ONES. I ASKED KENSUKE FOR THEM. HE SAID HE WOULDN'T DO… THE OTHER KIND WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.
Another long pause. GOOD.
He hesitated for a long time over the next message. But… he could not lie to her. Especially not about this. I ALSO TOLD THEM… I LIKE YOU. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
Several minutes of silence. The glare disappeared.
GO TO SLEEP, RAINBOW TROUT. I'LL MOST LIKELY KILL YOU IN THE MORNING.
He let out a breath. With only slightly shaking hands he typed back, AS YOU WISH.
He put his phone down and went right back to what he'd been doing before the first message arrived, The Box open at the side of his futon. His hand stopped shaking.
In the light from the one lamp, Rei Ayanami smiled shyly up at him from the picture in his lap. The others were all safely tucked away in the box. Kaworu smiled back. It was a while before he closed The Box, put the picture under his pillow, and turned off the lamp.
+++
Four stories up, Rei glared at her phone one last time, and then at the glow far below her. "Stupid fish," she muttered. She put her phone away and laid back down to sleep.
+++
The walk to school in the morning was sunny and warm, a normal December day for Tokyo-3. The group of Pilots had left their apartment building in plenty of time to make it to school at a leisurely pace. Once they started out, however, one of their quartet dropped back very quickly.
Asuka threw another look back over her shoulder. Kaworu was still hanging a good twenty meters behind them. He smiled when Asuka made eye contact, though.
Asuka turned back to her friend. "Rei?"
"Yes."
"Why is the Rainbow Trout staying back like he's afraid you might explode?"
"Because I might kill him."
Shinji looked back at Kaworu, then back at Rei. "Er… because of...um… that Box?"
"Yes."
Asuka snorted. Shinji somewhat awkwardly patted Rei on the shoulder as they all kept walking. "Don't be too mad at him, Rei. He… didn't mean to embarrass you. He was really worried about you yesterday. He… ah… spent most of the ride down to the Geofront holding your hand and trying not to panic."
Rei frowned slightly and looked back at the grey-haired boy. "He's still a stupid fish. I told him not to tell anyone about that Box. It is… embarrassing."
Asuka cleared her throat and looked away. "I… um, it's ok, Rei. We… we appreciate that… you were really going to give Shinji and I a bunch of pictures of you er…" She waved her hands vaguely. "Er… posing?" she finished awkwardly.
Rei nodded, pinking some herself. "Yes. I wanted to show you both… that I would… not mind. If you looked at me. With… love."
"Boy, am I glad Hikari isn't walking to school with us today," Shinji said in a slightly strangled voice. "Um… thank you, Rei. I… gods, I'm the luckiest guy in the world."
Asuka made a questioning noise. Shinji rubbed the back of his head. "I… I don't believe my luck. The two most beautiful girls I've ever met both love me, I get to love them back, and trust me to… I don't know, everything: watch your backs in battle, live with them, share secrets we wouldn't tell anyone else, s-stay with you at night…"
Asuka shot a look at Rei. Rei nodded. "I would. But never… intrude."
"And…" Shinji looked nervously around. "Um… all that other stuff. Our… family matters."
"Yeah… and I could say all the exact same things," Asuka said. "Which makes it… Rei, it's unbelievably sweet that you gave that Box to the Rainbow Trout, knowing what's in it and how hard it must have been for you. He… it really helps him with the…?" She made circles in the air, pointing at her temple.
Rei nodded again. "It… keeps his mind on other things. I… have an effect on him."
Asuka laughed. "I'll say! He…" Asuka's smile shifted to a serious look. "Rei… he likes you. A lot."
Rei stared straight ahead. "I know. He told me last night. And… other times."
"Last night?" Shinji asked.
"Doctor Akagi has deactivated the MAGI monitoring of the text message function on our mobile phones. We can now communicate freely with them, so long as no one sees us use them so and wonder why there are no logs if they check. I used mine last night to… make sure the Fifth Child was aware of this, and to inform him to message me if the Call was ever bad while he was alone." Rei's lips pressed into a frown. "He proved to be… looking at the Box at the time. He did apologize for telling you both about it, but I am still somewhat angry with him."
Rei scowled. "Stupid fish! I told him not to! He doesn't listen! He's such an idiot! A brainless, hormone-addled panicky twit! I'm going to stuff those pictures up his nose when we get home from school! That idiot! Why do I even let him come near me?!"
Asuka made a choked gurgle in her throat. Then again. Then she burst into howling laughter until she had to grip her sides and wipe away tears. "Oh Gott! Ahahahaha! Yes! That's hilarious! Hahahah! Oh, Rei, you are the best! You have been learning from me, haven't you?"
Rei looked at her, puzzled. "What?"
Asuka pointed a finger at her, smirking widely. "You, my dear First Child, sound exactly like I used to about this baka right here!" She gently poked her other hand at Shinji's cheek. "And I know now what it meant when I did that!" She blew Shinji a kiss with a wink.
Rei pouted, and turned her head back to face forward. "I… do not sound like that."
"Just saying…" Asuka giggled some more.
Rei just grumbled.
Shinji and Asuka waited. "So…" they said in stereo.
Rei's head sank slightly. "So?"
"Rei, he showed us stuff yesterday… he's serious. He… wants to ask you out," Asuka said. "I mean… right before you passed out yesterday, you even said he had, and you were… considering it?"
"I have," Rei said very quietly.
She could feel the stares from her friends. "I… Commander Ikari and… the others… think us enemies. That I am only able to tolerate the Fifth Child thanks to the increased dosage of drugs the Commander Ikari believes I am still taking. We… if we do any more than merely get along in public, too many eyes would see," she said, almost tonelessly.
Shinji and Asuka looked at each other for a moment. "But… do you want to, Rei?" Shinji asked.
"I… cannot," Rei said hints of fear in her voice. "If… if the Commander or… others found we were… not enemies, they would not… tolerate it. They would kill him, or me, or all of us." Her voice dropped to little more than a whisper. "...I don't want him to die."
Silence broken only by their footsteps reigned for a while. Shinji and Asuka exchanged another glance, this one with more fear in it. They both looked back at Kaworu, who noticed their paled faces, and started walking faster to catch up.
"Rei… why… why would the sight of you two being... friends cause that? What is so bad about you and he-"
"Asuka, please!" Rei burst out. "It… it hurts enough already!"
"What hurts? Are you alright, Ayanami?" Kaworu said, reaching them.
Rei did not appear to hear him. "If I so much as smile at him, Asuka, it could… doom us all. I cannot."
A tense silence hung over the group.
Shinji finally broke it. "But do you want to?" he asked quietly.
Rei stopped walking and turned to face them. She locked eyes with Shinji, resolutely refusing to look at Kaworu. "He is my friend. We share more of our pasts than I ever could have expected. And he has… never given me reason to doubt he wants to help us all, no matter… no matter the cost to himself. He is patient, kind, selfless, braver than he thinks he is, and…. and… he is just like me. I have considered it, Shinji. And I hate that I cannot say yes."
Rei shot one wounded look at Kaworu, then spun on her heel and sped off towards the school in a walk so fast it was practically a run. She did not look back.
"Who was she talking about?" Kaworu said, breaking Shinji and Asuka out of their shocked stillness.
Asuka numbly shook her head. "I… Rainbow Trout, you are a giant ball of trouble. But you may be good enough for our Rei after all."
"Huh?"
Asuka turned to face him, taking Shinji's hand as she did. "And you are going to tell us everything after the next one, Trout. I won't stand for watching Rei hurt like this any longer than that."
Kaworu blinked. A look of understanding blossomed on his face. "Ah. Yes. I will. We will. I promise. We… we both are going to need your support when that happens. And I am… I do not like seeing her like this either. Is… there anything I can do? Wait… she wasn't talking about me, was she?"
Asuka turned back towards the school and started walking again, Shinji in step right beside her. "Heel, Trout. We're not there yet."
+++
I hope this lived up to your expectations.
Great to have you back Stryp
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Kaworu: "Across every alternate reality I can remember, this is the first time I've even heard 'conceal a relationship' being used as innuendo for... whatever this is... and even then, I'm fairly certain some of what is described in there should be impossible without physical therapy, an S2 organ, zero-gravity, or all three."
Rei: "I KNOW! Walking with them to school tomorrow morning is going to be so awkward."
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Rei: "So.... ah.... did you two watch the news last night?"Rei: "I KNOW! Walking with them to school tomorrow morning is going to be so awkward."
Shinji: "No, we had to catch up on homework, had dinner, and went to bed early so we'd have more... time there." ~cough~ "Ah... why?"
ReI: ".......no reason."
Comedy Omake #53 - Rei Wins A Bet
Matt R
Giant Robot Pilot
- Location
- North Dakota
Sub-Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki hung up his phone and sighed. After a moment, he took out his cell phone and sent a text message.
REI
The reply came swiftly.
SUB-COMMANDER
Fuyutsuki continued.
YOU WERE CORRECT. HE IS ENTIRELY OBLIVIOUS.
Rei's response was immediate.
OF COURSE. DID YOU THINK OTHERWISE?
Fuyutsuki grimaced and replied.
I HAD MY HOPES.
Rei's next question was direct.
SEEING WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN, CAN YOU CONTINUE TO TRUST HIS SCENARIO? OR WILL YOU SUPPORT MINE NOW?
Fuyutsuki blanched. In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose.
I WILL BACK YOU WHEN THE TIME COMES.
Rei chuckled softly before responding.
WELCOME TO THE RESISTANCE. WE HAVE COOKIES
Fuyutsuki groaned and rolled his eyes.
HOW MUCH SUPPORT DO YOU HAVE?
Rei responded quickly.
SCIENCE AND OPS ON MY SIDE.
Fuyutsuki frowned.
WHAT OF SECTION 2?
Rei shot back.
THEIR SECTION CHIEF'S DAUGHTER HAS CANCER, CORRECT?
Fuyutsuki replied.
YES. NERV HOSPITAL IS TREATING HER.
Rei smiled before responding.
SHE WILL BE DISCHARGED TOMORROW. IN PERFECT HEALTH.
Fuyutsuki's eyes widened.
YOU CAN DO THAT?
Rei's smile widened before she responded.
YOU WOULD BE AMAZED AT THE THINGS I AM LEARNING HOW TO DO.
AND DO NOT FORGET.
Fuyutsuki replied,
YES. I WILL BACK YOU.
Rei's response was sharp.
NO, THE OTHER THING.
Fuyutsuki rolled his eyes again.
YES, YES. I OWE YOU 1000 YEN OVER THAT STUNT.
Turing Decidable
𝕘𝕒𝕣𝕗
- Location
- Belgium
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Waking up to this madness was a treat.
SaltyWaffles
I am dissapoint, son
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Seeing Asuka cracking up upon realizing that Rei is tsundere over Kaworu was a real treat. Now she gets to see the fun from the outside!
octobersanctuary
Self-appointed Master of Ceremonies
- Location
- New Zealand
Waking up to this madness was a treat.
Yup!
We're back in business baby!
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The Englanderish
Schrödinger's Kuudere Kitty Caliph(a)
- Location
- Califat de Chats
The Eva pilots are collectively the Axis powers now.
Lord Sovereign
The Emperor of shitty fanfic
- Location
- England
The Eva pilots are collectively the Axis powers now.
But we don't have any Italians...
The Englanderish
Schrödinger's Kuudere Kitty Caliph(a)
- Location
- Califat de Chats
Rei now knows Italian - that's close enough.
Matt R
Giant Robot Pilot
- Location
- North Dakota
The Eva pilots are collectively the Axis powers now.
I think e was referring to Rei having learned Italian, at least.
(If that girl really wants to seal the deal on Kaworu's heart, she should learn to cook Italian, but I digress...)
Hmm... Asuka notionally counts as American as well; Mari is British when she exists... now we just need representative French and Russian pilots to have both sides!:lol
Lord Sovereign
The Emperor of shitty fanfic
- Location
- England
Rei now knows Italian - that's close enough.
Well...that's about as useful to the Pilot's cause as the Italians were to the Axis powers in world war 2, so...somewhat historically accurate in a way.
- Location
- Texas
Sub-Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki hung up his phone and sighed. After a moment, he took out his cell phone and sent a text message.
REI
The reply came swiftly.
SUB-COMMANDER
Fuyutsuki continued.
YOU WERE CORRECT. HE IS ENTIRELY OBLIVIOUS.
Rei's response was immediate.
OF COURSE. DID YOU THINK OTHERWISE?
Fuyutsuki grimaced and replied.
I HAD MY HOPES.
Rei's next question was direct.
SEEING WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN, CAN YOU CONTINUE TO TRUST HIS SCENARIO? OR WILL YOU SUPPORT MINE NOW?
Fuyutsuki blanched. In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose.
I WILL BACK YOU WHEN THE TIME COMES.
Rei chuckled softly before responding.
WELCOME TO THE RESISTANCE. WE HAVE COOKIES
Fuyutsuki groaned and rolled his eyes.
HOW MUCH SUPPORT DO YOU HAVE?
Rei responded quickly.
SCIENCE AND OPS ON MY SIDE.
Fuyutsuki frowned.
WHAT OF SECTION 2?
Rei shot back.
THEIR SECTION CHIEF'S DAUGHTER HAS CANCER, CORRECT?
Fuyutsuki replied.
YES. NERV HOSPITAL IS TREATING HER.
Rei smiled before responding.
SHE WILL BE DISCHARGED TOMORROW. IN PERFECT HEALTH.
Fuyutsuki's eyes widened.
YOU CAN DO THAT?
Rei's smile widened before she responded.
YOU WOULD BE AMAZED AT THE THINGS I AM LEARNING HOW TO DO.
AND DO NOT FORGET.
Fuyutsuki replied,
YES. I WILL BACK YOU.
Rei's response was sharp.
NO, THE OTHER THING.
Fuyutsuki rolled his eyes again.
YES, YES. I OWE YOU 1000 YEN OVER THAT STUNT.
Somewhere in the multiverse, the Rei from ND felt a sudden surge of pride.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
You know, I talk to GreggHL occasionally, but I have no idea if he's ever read A&T, or what he thinks of it if he has. It's scary enough knowing that EarthScorpion and Aleph read this thing already.
In any case, I think the next bit of A&T is going to take a back seat for a moment, since I want to kick out the much delayed next part of ACoS first. In the meantime, here's another Eva fic that's just started up, by @Alex, that I had a small part in inspiring: https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/beauty-and-the-beast-nge.38509/#post-8504586
Drop in and give it a look. Yui's former student, Mari Makinami, takes in a poor, abandoned young Shinji when his father proves unable to handle him.
To keep you all worried, I've had some of those ideas that make me cackle like a cartoon villain for what comes next in A&T. To hint, Maugan Ra's Bleach Quest has given me some ideas, and I've thought of some terrible, painful ways to twist a knife soon.
- Location
- Denmark
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
- Location
- Voidbetweenstars
So is Rei going to have to deal with her former reincarnation?
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
My cultural context leads me to find something problematic about that image macro.
BadRoad
a thousand miles
It's Mr. Popo from Dragonball Z (or more appropriately Dragonball Z Abridged). It's probably fine in Japan, but it does raise eyebrows among Americans who don't know the context.