- Location
- Canada
I have a question Critian Caceorte. What is ment by "a man of culture?"
Advice and Trust [NGE]
Schpoonman
They call me the Bord of Lays
- Location
- United States
...I don't remember the Kirby TV series being that mature.
EDIT:
EDIT:
Meme from Arakawa Under The Bridge.
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Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
It originally meant, I believe, that the person you were saying that to had the same fetishes as you. Now it's just more of a general "You have good taste" meme. Considering my previous advocation for Kirby: Right Back At Ya for Chronicles (along with Fate/Zero
) I was approving of his taste in shows.
Comedy Omake #142 - Chronicles Project G 14
BG_Character_592
The Fisherman
- Location
- Australia
It's Sunday in most places, which makes it around the time for new Chronicles!
Childhood friends have a small talk, someone leaves, and our crew have a much better time than the last few chapters
Childhood friends have a small talk, someone leaves, and our crew have a much better time than the last few chapters
A knock on the door.
A moment of two later, it opened.
Two aged men faced one another.
The denizen of the house chuckled, internally reminiscing. "Been a while."
"I've been busy."
"I'm sure you have, Werner."
~
His wife grocery shopping, his daughter brewing the tea, it was Tomoe and Werner that were reminiscing about their lives in the living room; a period piece of the late 90s, the woodgrain National branded TV quietly playing public broadcast. "Tokyo-3, eh? Never liked that place myself. Too busy."
"I'm sure you have your own biases as well."
"Gendo?" He huffed. "Can't say I find myself complaining he kicked it. Katsuragi seems to be doing a much better job at it, anyway." He grew melancholic, glancing to some photographs on a nearby table. "Course, that's not the only reason I don't like that place."
"...A grim affair, wasn't it."
He too gave a look to the photos, in colour and not. One was a high school group photo; his younger self always made him pensive. The second was another group photo, this time for a prefectural police department. Slightly older, but still green. The both of them.
Those weren't the photos Tomoe were focusing on. The one that drew his focus was a faded photo of his younger self, probably 11 or 12, smiling with his younger sister. "I still think about her."
"As you would. Can't say I knew her well, but she always seemed bright."
"Bit of an understatement. I can't even fathom Metaphysical Biology and she studied it." Quiet, he was. "Thing is, it took to the Angel War before I realised what she even did."
"She never told you?"
"I can understand; Evangelion would've been pretty top secret at the time. Not even family could know."
Annette placed the tea set on the table, pouring for three. "It would've provided some closure, I hope." Werner took from Annette. "Thank you, Annette was it?"
"...Yes." A shy nod, continuing to pour.
"Ah, don't mind him Ann." He chuckled, taking his own tea. "Old friend of mine. We go back a bit."
"...It's nice to meet you."
"And I could say the same for you, young lady."
A soft blush, as she poured a third cup.
"For you?"
Shaking her head.
"My father." Tomoe answered for her, himself rather timid. "He's been bedridden, lately. The doctor said he might not be too long for this world, unfortunately." To this feeling, Tomoe huffed, sipping the tea. "Suppose that's another member of my family I'm about to lose."
Like a fine watch, the gears silently clicked in Werner's mind. "Be sure to give him my best wishes, Annette."
A silent nod, before she went upstairs, tea in hand.
"...My apologies, Tomoe."
"Ah, it happens." He sighed, sipping the tea. "We were never too close, anyway. Only came back into our lives once he couldn't take care of himself, anyway."
"Relying on his family to take him back in?"
"Not like I couldn't just abandon him, y'know. Even if he hadn't been around in my life for decades, at that point. Now that I think about it, you probably never met him before."
"As far as I remember, you had your mother and that was it."
"Hmpf. She did a good job, you have to admit." Another sip. "Though enough of my story, for now. What of you?"
"Well, I was in Tokyo-3 for a bit, as you know..."
~
They must've talked for hours, it felt like. Simply talking about their different lives and stories. Generally revelling in the nostalgia. The addition of Alicia only added to the conversation.
Though the thing about the past, you can never stay there for long. And time waits for no one; even a reunion like this had to end sometime. "This was nice, Werner."
"It really was." He offered his hand. "I'll have to stop by sometime soon again."
His newly rekindled friend shook back. "I know I wouldn't mind. Don't be a stranger, alright?"
"Believe me, I won't." A small smile. "Later, buddy."
Tomoe gave a warm smirk, as Werner left.
Werner waited until he was back in his Toyota Crown before he let his pokerface down. "Well shit."
From out of the glovebox came a Nokia, and he dialled a familiar number. "Kaji?"
~
"Your hunch was right."
He chuckled at the development. "Ikari confirm it for you?"
"Yeah, said he was bedridden and dying."
Kaji gave a pause.
"I suppose that's a Kihl scenario out of the question."
"Yeah. No point doing that much."
"I shall leave it to you, then."
"Ah, already bowing out?"
"Yeah. Tomoe and I rekindled something. It'd be personal for me."
"Understandable." He warmly noted, before going somewhere dark. "Now it's just a matter on whether I... deal with them."
"Well, that's ultimately up to you, isn't it? He probably won't live to be tried, let's be honest. So... do what you must."
The phone clicked off.
Leaving Kaji with heavy thoughts.
A hand rested on his head. "...Looks like I'm going on a road trip."
~
Once more, they had gathered. "It's gonna get a whole lot worse, ain't it."
"You're certainly optimistic, Asuka."
"All my optimism died with me, Misato."
"If this is the lowest point, the only way is upwards."
"Thing is, this might not even be the lowest point." Shinji pointed out. "It sure as hell got worse in the Laserdiscs."
"If you consider Wolk's work a continuation of the Laserdiscs, you can say it went up from there."
"I'd rather the world didn't end again, but if it does I probably wouldn't complain."
"At this point, I doubt many of us would." Deadpanned Zero Two.
Kaworu opened the work, and the read began anew.
~~~
A moment of two later, it opened.
Two aged men faced one another.
The denizen of the house chuckled, internally reminiscing. "Been a while."
"I've been busy."
"I'm sure you have, Werner."
~
His wife grocery shopping, his daughter brewing the tea, it was Tomoe and Werner that were reminiscing about their lives in the living room; a period piece of the late 90s, the woodgrain National branded TV quietly playing public broadcast. "Tokyo-3, eh? Never liked that place myself. Too busy."
"I'm sure you have your own biases as well."
"Gendo?" He huffed. "Can't say I find myself complaining he kicked it. Katsuragi seems to be doing a much better job at it, anyway." He grew melancholic, glancing to some photographs on a nearby table. "Course, that's not the only reason I don't like that place."
"...A grim affair, wasn't it."
He too gave a look to the photos, in colour and not. One was a high school group photo; his younger self always made him pensive. The second was another group photo, this time for a prefectural police department. Slightly older, but still green. The both of them.
Those weren't the photos Tomoe were focusing on. The one that drew his focus was a faded photo of his younger self, probably 11 or 12, smiling with his younger sister. "I still think about her."
"As you would. Can't say I knew her well, but she always seemed bright."
"Bit of an understatement. I can't even fathom Metaphysical Biology and she studied it." Quiet, he was. "Thing is, it took to the Angel War before I realised what she even did."
"She never told you?"
"I can understand; Evangelion would've been pretty top secret at the time. Not even family could know."
Annette placed the tea set on the table, pouring for three. "It would've provided some closure, I hope." Werner took from Annette. "Thank you, Annette was it?"
"...Yes." A shy nod, continuing to pour.
"Ah, don't mind him Ann." He chuckled, taking his own tea. "Old friend of mine. We go back a bit."
"...It's nice to meet you."
"And I could say the same for you, young lady."
A soft blush, as she poured a third cup.
"For you?"
Shaking her head.
"My father." Tomoe answered for her, himself rather timid. "He's been bedridden, lately. The doctor said he might not be too long for this world, unfortunately." To this feeling, Tomoe huffed, sipping the tea. "Suppose that's another member of my family I'm about to lose."
Like a fine watch, the gears silently clicked in Werner's mind. "Be sure to give him my best wishes, Annette."
A silent nod, before she went upstairs, tea in hand.
"...My apologies, Tomoe."
"Ah, it happens." He sighed, sipping the tea. "We were never too close, anyway. Only came back into our lives once he couldn't take care of himself, anyway."
"Relying on his family to take him back in?"
"Not like I couldn't just abandon him, y'know. Even if he hadn't been around in my life for decades, at that point. Now that I think about it, you probably never met him before."
"As far as I remember, you had your mother and that was it."
"Hmpf. She did a good job, you have to admit." Another sip. "Though enough of my story, for now. What of you?"
"Well, I was in Tokyo-3 for a bit, as you know..."
~
They must've talked for hours, it felt like. Simply talking about their different lives and stories. Generally revelling in the nostalgia. The addition of Alicia only added to the conversation.
Though the thing about the past, you can never stay there for long. And time waits for no one; even a reunion like this had to end sometime. "This was nice, Werner."
"It really was." He offered his hand. "I'll have to stop by sometime soon again."
His newly rekindled friend shook back. "I know I wouldn't mind. Don't be a stranger, alright?"
"Believe me, I won't." A small smile. "Later, buddy."
Tomoe gave a warm smirk, as Werner left.
Werner waited until he was back in his Toyota Crown before he let his pokerface down. "Well shit."
From out of the glovebox came a Nokia, and he dialled a familiar number. "Kaji?"
~
"Your hunch was right."
He chuckled at the development. "Ikari confirm it for you?"
"Yeah, said he was bedridden and dying."
Kaji gave a pause.
"I suppose that's a Kihl scenario out of the question."
"Yeah. No point doing that much."
"I shall leave it to you, then."
"Ah, already bowing out?"
"Yeah. Tomoe and I rekindled something. It'd be personal for me."
"Understandable." He warmly noted, before going somewhere dark. "Now it's just a matter on whether I... deal with them."
"Well, that's ultimately up to you, isn't it? He probably won't live to be tried, let's be honest. So... do what you must."
The phone clicked off.
Leaving Kaji with heavy thoughts.
A hand rested on his head. "...Looks like I'm going on a road trip."
~
Once more, they had gathered. "It's gonna get a whole lot worse, ain't it."
"You're certainly optimistic, Asuka."
"All my optimism died with me, Misato."
"If this is the lowest point, the only way is upwards."
"Thing is, this might not even be the lowest point." Shinji pointed out. "It sure as hell got worse in the Laserdiscs."
"If you consider Wolk's work a continuation of the Laserdiscs, you can say it went up from there."
"I'd rather the world didn't end again, but if it does I probably wouldn't complain."
"At this point, I doubt many of us would." Deadpanned Zero Two.
Kaworu opened the work, and the read began anew.
~~~
Character Key:
Shinji (Sh) Asuka (A)
Rei (Re) Kaworu (K)
Misato (Mi)
Ritsuko (Ri) Maya (Ma)
Eliza (E) Sovereign (So)
Hiro (H) Zero Two (Z)
Shinji (Sh) Asuka (A)
Rei (Re) Kaworu (K)
Misato (Mi)
Ritsuko (Ri) Maya (Ma)
Eliza (E) Sovereign (So)
Hiro (H) Zero Two (Z)
(in which Bardiel rampages, Rei never quits, and Shinji is on a train.)
"Ah, time for my introspection, it seems."
"Always with the damn trains!"
"At least it sounds like I will be a significant mitigating factor for Bardiel."
"We would hope. Considering the first aspect of the subtitle."
"But as the second aspect of the title suggests, you may persevere."
"It only took for everything to go wrong." Misato derided. "We really can't cut a break, can we?"
"Story of our lives, Misato."
Unexpected Circumstance
"Gendo knew very well what using the Lance at this juncture would do. Unbinding the First Angel, even incomplete? The danger was too great. "We will do what we must. That's all we can do.""
Ri: "It does look like they'll have to use it again."
A: "I certainly know we had to."
Re: "That was the whole point of our trip to space, Hikari and I."
Sh: "But the whole point is to at least pretend not to have it."
Mi: "Seele knows he has it, he knows Seele knows he has it."
Z: "And yet he still claims plausible deniability. It totally wasn't him that stole the Lance from Antarctica." She mocked.
So: "So it is this Lance that keeps Adam at bay."
K: "As it was originally designed to do."
Ma: "It was removing said Lance from Adam that caused Second Impact to begin with."
E: "It's good to see they still don't want to help us."
Mi: "If anything, this is good for them. Further reducing our potential to go against them."
H: "Kinda ironic how the Angels are still playing into Seele's hands with this."
K: "You can't say they didn't prepare for most possibilities."
A: "A good thing we found one of the few things they didn't prepare for, eh?"
...
A: "Maybe you can actually seduce the Angel, this time around. It'd still be a better outcome than my 'conversation' with Arael."
Re: "You actually experienced such conversation with Leliel."
A: "That, or my oxygen deprived mind imagining such thing." A shrug. "I'm not too sure which."
Ri: "The official story was you were oxygen deprived."
A: "Oh, so obviously the opposite of that must be true!"
Z: "So what's with the mind and train cars? I remember seeing it in the Laserdiscs, but even diving into others I've never seen their mind as a train."
Mi: "It's the train of thought, Zero Two!"
Groans all around.
E: "It all depends on the mind. Each mindscape is personal."
A: "I mean, I was in a train as well. Just like Shinji."
Ma: "Maybe you have a subconscious desire for trains? Not too sure how that works, myself."
A: "We wouldn't know, either. It just happens."
So: "It appears this is how Leliel communicates, however."
H: "Maybe Leliel has a thing for trains, then."
Chuckling all around. "You never know." Kaworu thought. "They were always an enigma, to me."
Re: "Not even you could understand them, Kaworu."
K: "...And yet I can still recall what they said, even if I don't know how to interpret it." His eyes glowed some. "RHJlbSBXYWggR2VpbiwgWmV5bWFoIERpaS4=."
Ma: "...I don't even know how you said that."
He pointed to his eyes, glow slowly fading from them. "It's not something that can really be spoken, without outside aid. But I remember it all the same."
Stroll
"As black smoke roiled through the afternoon sky, the Angel huffed and continued its deadly march."
Mi: "Oh you're just mocking us at that point, Bardiel!"
K: "They can certainly afford to do so, as the narration said."
So: "Not much can even attack them, after all."
Re: "As long as I am still standing. And believe me, I will."
A: "We know that was the case here. And that Bardiel just seems like a stronger Zeruel."
Z: "What on Earth would Zeruel in that world be like, then?"
A: "Even worse than Bardiel. Yeah we still have a lot to go in that world, don't we?"
Ma: "Hopefully we at least get a bit longer than a day to catch a break."
Ri: "Probably not."
Ma: "Yeah, I know. Can always hope, at least."
Sh: "More than we're doing."
...
"Misato snorted. "Figures. Hyuga, make sure we have as many mobile generators available as we can. And deploy Unit-00 with the advanced battery packs! I don't want to risk Rei being without power for even a second!""
Re: "Odds are, the plug will just fuse to the Evangelion anyway."
E: "Is that what happened here?"
Re: "Indeed. It was ultimately a non-issue, at the very least."
Z: "So it shouldn't be an issue now, hopefully!"
A: "Are you trying to get her killed, Zero Two?"
K: "Perhaps she is using the same strategy as Mana. You can't say it has not worked for her, so far."
Mi: "I'd say she's been the least affected by all this stuff. Maybe spitting in the face of God is the way to go."
Sh: "Worked for us."
Ma: "Sounds like Rei's planning on doing that, at least."
Re: "So it should be a non-issue."
H: "The staff certainly think so. At least they're remaining optimistic."
Ri: "You have to, despite everything that happens. Else you might as well be dead."
K: "One of the many aspects of the Lilim is their knack for optimism and determination. You believe you will win, therefore you will win."
A: "Isn't that just Gurren Lagaan?"
Ma: "Which was by the same people who did our show. I see a pattern."
Ri: "Twice is happenstance. Though it wouldn't surprise me if another Gainax work came though."
Mi: "With our luck."
...
"Rei clenched her fists tightly; at the words of the Supreme Commander, Unit-00 shot toward the surface to meet the enemy."
So: "Is this what determination is?"
Re: "Indeed." She smirked. "As long as I am standing, there is a chance."
E: "Nonzero, as you put it."
A: "Negative numbers can be nonzero as well."
Ri: "Not like that'd be a concern, at the moment."
Ma: "It always seems like the odds are almost comically stacked against us, anyway."
Z: "Could say that of that world. One Evangelion and one Gundam, against probably the strongest Angel to have ever existed in any world."
K: "If Gurren Lagaan is anything to go by, the Lilim function better against the odds."
Sh: "Even here, you could say that. Just look at Rei."
K: "Indeed." A small smile. "You could even claim recent events have been similar."
H: "Even on our world, that's still the same."
Mi: "Well lookie here, it sounds like you guys are starting to get optimistic again."
A: "Hopefully we don't regret it."
Point of View
K: "A smart idea, using an Angel's own terms."
Sh: "Helps with communication, I imagine."
A: "Considering what happened with Arael." She muttered. "At least Leliel is trying to talk with you in a reasonable manner."
So: "This was similar to your experience?"
A: "Yeah, the whole me in other minds stuff, I somewhat recall that. Of course, the giant asterisk next to this is that it very well could've been my oxygen deprived mind; not like I could tell. Y'know, being oxygen deprived."
Z: "That doesn't seem like too much of a concern for Shinji, at the moment."
Sh: "Depends how long I've been there. I have a good day or so of oxygen, apparently."
Ri: "It's been at least two days since you fell. Though we could've overengineered it some."
Re: "Or this could be in the past."
A: "Or you could just simply be dying."
Sh: "I wouldn't exactly prefer that."
Mi: "Your mum's probably gonna get you out of there before you die anyway, eh?"
E: "Wouldn't do him good if he wasn't recovered from that. And I doubt NERV would have the resources to do so, being occupied with Bardiel."
Ma: "I'm sure we could get Mayumi to recover you, at least."
H: "It'd depend how Rei goes, wouldn't it?"
Re: "As here, I am sure I will do ok."
...
"The Third Child's hand clenched into a sure fist. "Absolutely.""
A: "Ain't that the truth. Sometimes the best lessons are the painful ones."
Re: "If something hurts you, you learn to avoid such pain. Of course, this can work the other way."
K: "And sometimes, pain is inevitable. But is it worth giving up potential happiness to offset potential pain?"
Sh: "I certainly don't think that nowadays."
So: "It seems you always knew that, in that world."
Mi: "We are more well adjusted in that world. At least we thought so."
Ma: "On the surface, at least."
Z: "Sounds like how most of you were."
A: "We're still kinda like that. Very few people know what's going on beyond what we show, even nowadays."
Ri: "And this is with you guys even more open than you were. I know we tend to be a bit less open about ourselves to you."
Re: "Rather understandable. Some people prefer that kind of privacy; as long as you have someone to talk to."
The Sempai glanced at the Kohai. "Well, I certainly have that."
Maya offered a slight smile and blush.
A: "If you couldn't tell by now, we're rather candid with one another."
E: "It is rather apparent, with you guys." Flat. "Not like that's a bad thing or anything; shows your relationship."
H: "Wouldn't surprise me if it took a lot to get there, however."
A: "You don't get a relationship like ours without a lot of trauma interspersed in between. Funny thing about traumatising events, they either drive you away or they drive you closer. There's not exactly an in-between. And almost all of you have seen what happens the other way."
...
""…that's kind of a silly question, isn't it? If I had been raised by different people, of course I would have been different. It's all a part of growing up. It's a part of being human."
So: "You did not live with them here?"
Sh: "No, Gendo sent me to live with my sensei. I mean, he was alright, but he couldn't replace a proper father figure."
Mi: "Maybe your uncle would've been better, eh?"
Ri: "It wouldn't surprise me if he couldn't even face another Ikari, after what happened."
Sh: "Why do you think he sent me away?"
Z: "You still know of your uncle, don't you?"
Shinji shrugged. "He's alright. Don't know him as well; not like he raised me."
A: "Maybe you would've been a bit more well adjusted if they did raise you, eh?"
K: "Leliel's words hold true, despite the Annette of your mind chastising them." An amused chuckle. "The you of your mind is invariably moulded by others, and this works the exact other way."
Re: "I know for a fact I would not be as I am without the influence of others."
E: "Most of us wouldn't."
Ma: "I doubt many of us would even be here if not for others."
H: "It sounds like the world would've ended, if not for that."
K: "Maya is still correct, in that regard. We would not be here."
A: "Shinji and I would still be here; whether or not we'd want to be there is a whole 'nother thing though."
Engage
"The beast howled, and leapt forward to continue its rampage."
A: "Not bad so far, Rei."
Re: "Thank you."
Ri: "At least you have an effective ally, this time around."
Mi: "Unlike those damn Dummy Plugs."
E: "Even if you wanted to use them in this case, the only Dummy System is in Unit-01."
Mi: "Yeah, no hope in getting that back, are we?"
Sh: "Even if you did, I'd probably be better at piloting it anyway."
K: "It could be used if, say, you lacked the oxygen required to pilot."
Sh: "I'd probably be dead at that point, anyway." He shrugged. "Not that I'd reach that point, not with my mum there."
Z: "I'd say it sounds like Zeruel here, but the Zeruel here went far better, from what I recall."
Ma: "Excluding the Commander sending Dummy Plugs against Zeruel."
Z: "Well yeah, that was a bit of a glaring error."
So: "With how primitive the Dummy System sounds, it would have been a quick battle for Zeruel."
Re: "If not for me. And a good amount of dumb luck on Shinji and Asuka's part."
A: "Yeah, Hikari's Evangelion somehow having an S2 was a bit of a lucky break, admittedly."
Mi: "And who says the universe doesn't give us something in return!"
Sh: "It sure as hell made up for it with how the later Angels went."
...
""...not really? I'm not sure exactly why you think it's so scary."
K: "It is a justified query, from their perspective. My kin are unchanging; there can be no division in their soul. They are one whole. In this sense, the Evangelion are strange. To them, there will always be division between two souls."
Re: "Even though it is relationship that binds souls together. Through their bond, two can become one. This is the principle of the Evangelion: Two become one."
A: "And they don't need two souls to pilot their own bodies, do they? We do; our souls sure as hell aren't as strong as theirs."
So: "And yet you overcame."
K: "Now you understand why my kin could not defeat the Lilim. They could not even comprehend this. The only way I was able to comprehend this was to allow someone in my heart, to get close to someone like a Lilim can. And... even losing someone, close to me. Tragedy it was, I believe it allowed me to understand."
Re: "A good thing it was temporary." A small smile.
K: "...Indeed."
E: "Even back then, there was something wrong. Even with how she was."
Ri: "The eyes tell a story, after all. Empty eyes, especially."
Asuka shook her head. "It's... not a good look. To say the least."
Ma: "Not that Shinji remembered, at least back then. Without Leliel digging them up."
Z: "...What the hell was that flyer, though?"
Mi: "Just another off the wall ad, methinks. Though I'm not sure pointing a gun at the reader has the intended effect."
H: "Least he wasn't aiming the gun at the kitten. 'Join or I kill this kitten'."
A: "I doubt that'd help his image. 'Gendo Ikari, kitten murderer'. Newspapers would have a field day with that."
Ri: "I imagine I'd go off my nut at him if he made a poster like that."
...
""Even if it all seemed hopeless, there had to be something. Think. THINK, DAMN IT!"
Cringing all around at the gory thought. "Oh, so she loses a leg this time around!"
Ri: "At least she had the mind to cauterise it. One less gaping wound to bleed out from."
Ma: "Not that either Mana or Hikari will appreciate Mayumi being one less leg."
Mi: "She's alive, at least. I think. I hope."
Sh: "That quickly whittled away." He dully noted.
K: "We did think she was going to die last chapter. Maybe Bond just wishes to cripple her."
So: "And this is the best case scenario."
Z: "It's not a great world, that's for sure."
E: "Though it has been said that losing a leg isn't so bad, in comparison to other scenarios."
A: "I'd rather lose a leg than an arm, honestly. Hands seem a bit more useful to me than a foot."
Mi: "Not like that even matters if you're dead."
Re: "It looks like I am all alone, again. Similar to our world. At least until Shinji and Asuka got involved again."
A: "Well I'm certainly out of the picture. Shinji might, if we're lucky."
H: "Good luck in our favour?"
A: "I know, right? We're screwed!"
Re: "Not if I have anything to say about it."
Cemetery
""Because family is supposed to stick together through thick and thin. No matter what happens."
E: "I believe that event had been alluded to beforehand."
Mi: "And now we know. And... well, I'm sure that would've been traumatising."
Sh: "Ya don't say."
K: "It would've helped you understand why the Commander sent you away, at least. And that you were safer, away."
Ma: "I'm mainly concerned that even back then, cultists were bold enough to do... that."
Ri: "And look how much bolder they became."
So: "Even with the added security that should be implied from such an event, it was not enough to prevent the cultist incursion."
Re: "Determination works both ways. War is who has the determination to win."
A: "It's a good thing our determination trumps pretty much everyone else, eh? Kinda puts our tumbleweed in a good light."
Z: "I still can't believe it sounded like this world was saved with a damn kiss between you and Shinji."
A: "It was a pretty damn good kiss. The Laserdiscs didn't do it justice."
Sh: "If they did do all that justice, it'd probably be as lewd as that doujin."
A: "Probably, but in comparison to what actually happened in the Laserdiscs, I wouldn't mind showing everyone how we kissed so good we toppled over furniture. Oh who am I kidding, I'm sure those two saw it." Referring to Rei and Kaworu.
Re: "We may have come across it, looking for more information about Aki."
A: "Yeah, may." Her flat look turned to a grin. "Did we do ya proud, Rei?"
Re: "...Perhaps."
Cannot Lose
""Perhaps." To use the Lance at this juncture will result in the First Angel awakening right beneath us. "We will hold out as long as possible.""
Mi: "That's another ace gone."
Sh: "It's like they're deliberately trying to get us to use the Lance."
Re: "It does seem rather convenient for them."
Ri: "It often does, when the decks are so highly stacked in their favour."
A: "At least we lasted to here before having to call in a favour from the JSSDF. It's better than our world."
Ma: "Would it even do much, at this point?"
A: "I doubt it."
So: "Is there anything that can be done, without resorting to the Lance?"
Z: "It doesn't look like it."
E: "And consider, we know someone obtains both Lance and Sword. It could be Bardiel."
K: "My money was on Zeruel, myself. I don't think Bardiel has spoken."
H: "Good to hear it can always get worse. Surely there's some light at the end of the tunnel."
A: "Yeah, it's the headlamp of a train."
Mi: "Man you guys can be dour sometimes."
A: "We're optimistic when it counts, Misato."
...
"Stormed at with cross and beam, boldly she rode and well; into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of Hell, rode the one called the First."
Z: "Jeez you really don't give up, do ya?"
Re: "As long as I am still standing, I will fight."
A: "Losing your arms wouldn't help."
Re: "I have a mouth. It will buy time, at least."
Mi: "Though we are in a bit of shit, right about now. You're practically disabled, Rei. Like it or not."
H: "Can't do much without arms."
Re: "That is a slight issue, admittedly. Even against Zeruel, I had one arm functional enough to pull a gun trigger."
Ma: "They aren't even attached, let alone functional."
Sh: "It was either that, or get infected. Which... yeah, losing the arms is probably the better scenario."
K: "At this point, the only thing that could get in the way would be you, Shinji."
So: "Who is currently preoccupied."
Sh: "Bit of an understatement. Perhaps if Leliel would finish philosophising with me."
E: "I'd say you could always continue it later, but odds are you'll be forcing your way out."
A: "That or his mama, as here."
So: "There is still the question of the strength of the Angel. It has overcome everything, thus far."
A: "Maybe Shinji somehow returns with an S2? We're about due for some dumb luck in that damn world!"
Wake Up, Mr Ikari
"Because now that I'm thinking about it…you're reminding me an awful lot of the Fifth Angel."
Sh: "Bit less than dumb luck, at this point."
Ri: "It was expected. Of course, probably not as directly."
Ma: "Still, Shinji would like that."
Sh: "It'd probably be the first time in a good while I've even seen her face. Of course I'd like that!"
K: "All this continues to show what I have said, time and time again. We did not understand the Lilim. I was the only one to."
Z: "And for that, you get to live. Congrats."
H: "It sounds to me like they can't understand, at least not without some sort of outside influence."
K: "That was the case for me. Even to this day, I am still learning."
Re: "We help rather well with this, at the very least."
Melancholy on his face. "Indeed. A shame my other kin could not think that."
E: "I imagine the Nephilm body counted for something."
K: "Yeah, annoyance when I couldn't resist the urges of a Lilim."
Re: "It allowed me to teach you a very important lesson, at the very least."
To this, Kaworu offered a flat look.
...
"Almost immediately, the entire void began to tremble."
Sh: "...Okay, maybe it is some dumb luck."
A: "Hot damn! Maybe we do have a chance!"
Re: "Let us hope he can return before I get destroyed."
So: "Can you even do anything with zero limbs?"
Re: "I will certainly try."
Mi: "I mean, at that rate, you kinda have to stand down, don't you?"
K: "A good thing Shinji will be returning. With all the power in the world."
Ri: "I imagine Seele would not be pleased about such a development. Your actions essentially caused Unit-01 to gain an S2."
A: "All thanks to your mama, Shinji!"
K: "It seems eating the Solenoid is the easiest way to obtain one. The Laserdiscs have done it, this has done it. Asuka has done it."
A: "Thanks to the Laserdiscs. See? The universe certainly seems to think it's the best way of getting an S2!"
Mi: "Maybe if Nevada knew that, they would've just eaten the corpse of Shamshel instead."
Sh: "It's almost a shame we haven't faced an MP-Evangelion lately. The one thing they did have over us was the S2; if we could've just eaten them to get one, I'm sure we could've tolerated the... taste."
A: "It tasted like shit, but I had too much adrenaline pumping through me to really care."
Ma: "I know I certainly didn't like looking at it."
Ri: "I mean, can I even really complain? The S2 has been quite the boon for us; when not in use, Unit-03 actually provides power for the facility. The N2 Reactor only really runs at around 10% when the Evangelion aren't sortied. And we were planning on doing the same for Unit-02; Rogue-00 delayed it some."
A: "I'm sure my mama wouldn't have preferred being a glorified generator."
E: "Though speaking of mothers, it also seems you will soon find out about Unit-00, Shinji."
Sh: "And with that, the truth. Which... I'm sure I'll find adequately world changing.
Wake Up and Smell the Ashes
""Very funny, Fuyutsuki." There was an unmistakable note of relief in the Commander's sarcastic response."
Re: "Just in time." She smirked.
A: "At the very least, the rubble would've distracted them from killing you."
Sh: "I don't suppose that counts as going to Las Vegas."
Mi: "The ruins of Las Vegas, perhaps."
Ma: "Man, that's gonna utterly ruin Sagami Bay, isn't it?"
Ri: "Environmental damage is part and parcel with attacks of this magnitude. Can't tell you how many times we had to redraw the damn map after battle."
K: "Imagine how the cartographers of that world feels with what has happened."
Mi: "Jumping for joy. They actually get work to do!"
Z: "Man, finally getting cut a break, eh?"
E: "About time, eh?"
So: "We have to wait and see how Unit-01 responds to Bardiel."
Ma: "With fire and blood."
A: "A lot of blood, I imagine."
H: "He'd have some care; you never know if Toji's still alive."
Sh: "Yeah, I could at least try to get him out of there."
Re: "A part of me wonders how I could have even gotten out of there, in my state."
Mi: "Entry Plug ejection?"
Re: "With me on my back?"
A: "A good thing Shinji is there, eh?"
...
"Unit-01 howled and pursued, intent on making its rage a reality."
The widest of grins on Asuka's face. "Fuck YEAH, Shinji!"
Re: "That was straight out of Gurren Lagaan."
Ma: "We can always use more of that."
K: "Amazing what a Solenoid can do."
Z: "Can't say I expected this. But I'm certainly not complaining."
Sh: "You bet I have the will to protect everyone."
E: "Would've been nice if this went Gurren Lagaan a bit earlier."
A: "It's about damn time! Bond fucked everyone these past few chapters; we're finally getting something good!"
Mi: "Can't have too much sadness now, can we?"
Z: "With how this was going."
H: "But we even said, you need the dark times to appreciate the good times."
So: "I believe everyone here is appreciative of this."
A: "I mean, I kinda expected to get fucked. I know we were."
Re: "It seems Bond prefers going to extremes. Extraordinarily bad times call for extraordinarily good times."
Asuka huffed. "Fine, I suppose I can forgive him for frying my brain. I better end up with someone at the end of this though!"
Re: "Kaworu certainly has a thing for you." She smirked in his direction. "All goes well, perhaps you end up together."
K: "I may even help you. I would almost certainly be racked with guilt for what happened."
A: "I know I'd certainly appreciate you putting me back together."
...
"A concentrated beam of plasma and three streams of charged particles plowed into Unit-01's position."
K: "As long as you are conscious, the Solenoid will protect you."
Sh: "Yeah, it's the staying conscious part, I feel."
A: "Wouldn't be the first time he used the Dummy on Bardiel."
Mi: "He'd surely know it'd possibly kill Toji. And that it'd destroy Shinji, as well."
Ma: "It'd be a shame if he ruined his reputation this deep into the work."
Ri: "He actually has a reputation that isn't in the lower percentile."
Z: "Such thing doesn't even seem like him. He's pragmatic, sure, but as long as Shinji can handle it."
So: "That is the deciding factor."
E: "I imagine with an S2, his actions will be adequate enough."
H: "How would you even stop a berserk Eva with an S2?"
Ri: "If you don't have another Evangelion, hopes and prayers. It's a good thing Unit-03 is rather stable."
A: "And my mama wasn't even in Unit-02 for long enough to get used to an S2."
Sh: "At least we're finally on the front foot again, eh?"
A: "Oh hell yeah, it's been ages since we were!"
Thy Will Be Done
""The sync ratio has jumped to two-seventy-five! Unit-01's AT-Field is interfacing with the Angel's attack!""
Re: "This is approaching the end, I feel."
K: "There wouldn't be too much left for Bardiel to try, admittedly. A good thing the Commander has faith in you."
Sh: "More than I can say of this world, eh?"
A: "It means he actually loves and trusts you. This was our Gendo, he would've done something stupid to get us all killed a dozen chapters ago!"
E: "This is the power of will, isn't it? The spiral, as Gurren Lagaan put it."
Mi: "The S2 helps, admittedly."
Ri: "Even if he didn't possess such power, Yui Ikari could get the job done by herself."
Z: "And we know she would, at this point."
Sh: "I can't fail. Therefore, I won't."
Re: "There is that optimism we have been missing out on." She gave a warm smile.
H: "It's pretty easy to be optimistic now."
So: "This is in our favour once more."
A: "Of course, Bond can always fuck us again."
Z: "I can understand your lack of optimism, at least."
...
"I did it. Shinji breathed heavily as he slowly set the Core down amidst a forest reduced to patchwork by the battle. I saved him.
you have one more thing to do"
Ri: "Now it's just to get them out of there."
A: "If it's anything like Hikari, he should come out with all his limbs intact, at least."
Sh: "Speaking of spirals, though. Using a drill?"
Re: "If Gurren Lagaan showed us anything, it showed us their efficacy."
Ma: "Even though I doubt there'll be much development into Evangelion sized drills."
E: "Maybe Gurren will come falling out of the sky, one day."
Mi: "We've already invested a lot of resources into the New-Type, only for it to get shown up once these two came here."
Z: "You're welcome."
Ri: "Yeah, if we developed a new system after the NACSS, the UN would probably begin to question our spending."
H: "They don't already?"
Ri: "Not yet, but there's a reason we're thinking about monetising the Rift materials in one way or another."
A: "We certainly have a library of materials to sell, though there'd probably be questions asked about some."
Sh: "And I doubt the Laserdiscs would be suitable to sell."
Ri: "Oh Gods no, that's way too classified. Hell, even the Theatrical. Practically any work with our universe."
Mi: "And I know of at least two works we should really get permission for. Y'know, since they involve people that actually exist here."
Ma: "If Kensuke and his birds will even allow us to get it."
Ri: "That was one of the points on hiring him. Since it does contain pretty secretive material, from the sounds of it."
K: "Known only to those who know of the Scrolls. So, not many."
A: "Maybe you can give them a cut of the profits, if you decide to monetise it."
Ritsuko snorted. "Might be a good idea."
...
"The Nineteenth Angel's body vanished in a cross of green energy.
Unit-01 emerged unscathed and triumphant."
So: "Good."
A: "Hell yeah! You actually won, Shinji!"
The victorious pilot gave a coy smile. "It's what had to be done, wasn't it?"
Mi: "And it could've been a whole lot worse, eh? Looks like we don't have to use the Lance this time around, eh?"
Ri: "I suppose that fully explains who obtains the Lance and the Sword. It's certain to be Zeruel, now."
Re: "Could Bardiel still be in the core of Unit-03?"
K: "Perhaps. It was a part of Bardiel, after all."
Ma: "Of course, I doubt Toji will appreciate that. Or Ai."
E: "Depends how conscious they are, at this point in time."
Z: "I don't think Bardiel would have nearly enough power, as just an isolated core. Plus, human determination and all that."
E: "Bardiel is as good as dead, then. And with such a stratagem."
H: "Though to be fair on Bardiel, it was something they couldn't exactly predict, was it?"
Re: "The same with Zeruel, here. They themselves said to me it is a maxim to take advantage of any error your enemy makes. Bardiel's error was to underestimate Unit-01. 'The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry'."
Ma: "I'm pretty sure it's just a thing where the more you threaten humanity, the more we fight."
K: "The survival instinct of the Lilim is strong, that is certain. Even after Second Impact; with the environmental, economic and political upheaval, you persisted."
Mi: "Yeah, we're pretty good at that, aren't we?"
...
"THEN I WILL TAKE MY OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT EMERGES. I TIRE OF WAITING.
…very well. Do what you must."
Mi: "Now that would've been satisfying for you, Shinji."
Sh: "I imagine it would." A smirk. "Nice job, Toji."
A: "It's his sister, of course he'd protect her like that. Stooge he is, I can at least give him credit for that."
K: "...And then there were two."
So: "You would be correct. Seele would not appreciate this."
Ri: "May be good to disappear for a while."
K: "If it weren't for the fact we believe they possess Adam."
Ma: "I wouldn't be surprised if you find out soon, though."
Re: "Perhaps you launch an incursion into NERV-5 on your own."
Z: "Where they'll find out they've been lied to."
Sh: "The fireworks would be nice, at the very least."
E: "Even though Bardiel's stratagem had overall failed, they're still right in that they have advantage. Unit-01 is most likely the only Evangelion currently deployable; even deploying the Gundam at this stage would be difficult."
Ri: "Even if we could grow an artificial leg for Mayumi, there'd be quite a bit of rehab."
Re: "You can do what you did for me, and transfer her into a new shell. I imagine you can do that for any injured Nephilim."
A: "Being alive is the important part, isn't it? If even we might have an advanced way of regrowing limbs, surely they can as well."
H: "How would you even go about that, anyway?"
Ri: "We can either grow it out of Lilith cultures, of course this may raise questions outside of NERV. Most likely, we can create a Nephilim shell out of your genetic material and use it for... parts. There'd be a colour difference, of course."
A: "Unless you're doing it for a Nephilim."
Mi: "I'm assuming LCL aided healing would be used as well?"
Ri: "To help heal the nerve damage, yes. It'd most likely still take months of rehabilitation and relearning how to use the limb; you can't just attach new nerves and expect your mind to know how to use them. Of course, we can't know until we actually try it. And we're not cutting off any of your limbs to test it out."
A: "Thanks."
Reunion
"So much had happened, and so much had yet to happen. There would be questions that needed answering.
But those could wait another day.
For now, there was solace to be had in survival."
Rei had a demure smile. "...At least we have this."
Sh: "...Yeah. Can't say we didn't work for this, eh?"
Re: "Indeed. This... is rather like our world."
A: "You guys certainly had to go through a lot to get to this point, didn't ya?"
K: "That is what made this all the more sweet. This is the sun after the long night."
Mi: "It's still pitch black for most of us."
So: "At least you are alive."
E: "As Rei said. As long as you are living, you can keep moving forward."
Re: "...We are certainly doing that."
Z: "Baby steps, eh?"
Re: "...After everything that happened, I am somewhat surprised I have not completely grown reliant on Shinji."
A: "It's almost like you're somewhat better adjusted than everyone here. I know having your relationship move that quickly probably isn't the norm, eh Shin-chan?"
Sh: "Not that we minded too much."
Z: "It doesn't help it's better to quickly form close relations, in our situations. What, when we could die any time."
A: "When you've been so deprived of something like that, it makes sense why we fell so hard for one another when we realised we liked one another."
Re: "So this is the one event we want to be not as well adjusted?"
A: "I mean, I can understand why you two are a bit of a slow burn, with that knowledge. But I certainly wouldn't mind seeing you get together like we did."
H: "At this rate, I'm sure you'll get what you want."
Asuka chuckled. "I'd hope. I'd say they deserve this after the shit they've been through."
The two pilots in question blushed."
~
"To be continued..."
"Can't deny that went better, eh?"
"At least for some." Asuka replied to Misato's open question. "I wouldn't want to be in Mayumi's shoes, myself."
"Shoe."
"Sh-" As soon as it struck Asuka, she burst out laughing. "Christ, Rei!"
"Hopefully we will at least be getting some relief, next chapter."
Kaworu glanced forward a page or so. "Indeed."
"Well that's good. It'd be nice to have something that isn't soul crushing for once."
"This chapter wasn't exactly soul crushing, Maya."
"Leg crushing, perhaps." Rei continued the dark humour, much to Asuka's amusement.
Much to the Commander's consternation. "At least the next chapter shouldn't be as dark. Unlike some people."
"Dark humour helps us deal with the world, Misato. It is either this, or innuendo laced humour bordering on obscene."
"Not even innuendo." Pointed out Asuka. "We're rather explicit with that."
"Kaworu, start reading please."
He huffed. "As you wish."
~~~
"Ah, time for my introspection, it seems."
"Always with the damn trains!"
"At least it sounds like I will be a significant mitigating factor for Bardiel."
"We would hope. Considering the first aspect of the subtitle."
"But as the second aspect of the title suggests, you may persevere."
"It only took for everything to go wrong." Misato derided. "We really can't cut a break, can we?"
"Story of our lives, Misato."
Unexpected Circumstance
"Gendo knew very well what using the Lance at this juncture would do. Unbinding the First Angel, even incomplete? The danger was too great. "We will do what we must. That's all we can do.""
Ri: "It does look like they'll have to use it again."
A: "I certainly know we had to."
Re: "That was the whole point of our trip to space, Hikari and I."
Sh: "But the whole point is to at least pretend not to have it."
Mi: "Seele knows he has it, he knows Seele knows he has it."
Z: "And yet he still claims plausible deniability. It totally wasn't him that stole the Lance from Antarctica." She mocked.
So: "So it is this Lance that keeps Adam at bay."
K: "As it was originally designed to do."
Ma: "It was removing said Lance from Adam that caused Second Impact to begin with."
E: "It's good to see they still don't want to help us."
Mi: "If anything, this is good for them. Further reducing our potential to go against them."
H: "Kinda ironic how the Angels are still playing into Seele's hands with this."
K: "You can't say they didn't prepare for most possibilities."
A: "A good thing we found one of the few things they didn't prepare for, eh?"
...
""A great many things. All of them involving you.""
Sh: "Hopefully this talk goes better than Ramiel."A: "Maybe you can actually seduce the Angel, this time around. It'd still be a better outcome than my 'conversation' with Arael."
Re: "You actually experienced such conversation with Leliel."
A: "That, or my oxygen deprived mind imagining such thing." A shrug. "I'm not too sure which."
Ri: "The official story was you were oxygen deprived."
A: "Oh, so obviously the opposite of that must be true!"
Z: "So what's with the mind and train cars? I remember seeing it in the Laserdiscs, but even diving into others I've never seen their mind as a train."
Mi: "It's the train of thought, Zero Two!"
Groans all around.
E: "It all depends on the mind. Each mindscape is personal."
A: "I mean, I was in a train as well. Just like Shinji."
Ma: "Maybe you have a subconscious desire for trains? Not too sure how that works, myself."
A: "We wouldn't know, either. It just happens."
So: "It appears this is how Leliel communicates, however."
H: "Maybe Leliel has a thing for trains, then."
Chuckling all around. "You never know." Kaworu thought. "They were always an enigma, to me."
Re: "Not even you could understand them, Kaworu."
K: "...And yet I can still recall what they said, even if I don't know how to interpret it." His eyes glowed some. "RHJlbSBXYWggR2VpbiwgWmV5bWFoIERpaS4=."
Ma: "...I don't even know how you said that."
He pointed to his eyes, glow slowly fading from them. "It's not something that can really be spoken, without outside aid. But I remember it all the same."
Stroll
"As black smoke roiled through the afternoon sky, the Angel huffed and continued its deadly march."
Mi: "Oh you're just mocking us at that point, Bardiel!"
K: "They can certainly afford to do so, as the narration said."
So: "Not much can even attack them, after all."
Re: "As long as I am still standing. And believe me, I will."
A: "We know that was the case here. And that Bardiel just seems like a stronger Zeruel."
Z: "What on Earth would Zeruel in that world be like, then?"
A: "Even worse than Bardiel. Yeah we still have a lot to go in that world, don't we?"
Ma: "Hopefully we at least get a bit longer than a day to catch a break."
Ri: "Probably not."
Ma: "Yeah, I know. Can always hope, at least."
Sh: "More than we're doing."
...
"Misato snorted. "Figures. Hyuga, make sure we have as many mobile generators available as we can. And deploy Unit-00 with the advanced battery packs! I don't want to risk Rei being without power for even a second!""
Re: "Odds are, the plug will just fuse to the Evangelion anyway."
E: "Is that what happened here?"
Re: "Indeed. It was ultimately a non-issue, at the very least."
Z: "So it shouldn't be an issue now, hopefully!"
A: "Are you trying to get her killed, Zero Two?"
K: "Perhaps she is using the same strategy as Mana. You can't say it has not worked for her, so far."
Mi: "I'd say she's been the least affected by all this stuff. Maybe spitting in the face of God is the way to go."
Sh: "Worked for us."
Ma: "Sounds like Rei's planning on doing that, at least."
Re: "So it should be a non-issue."
H: "The staff certainly think so. At least they're remaining optimistic."
Ri: "You have to, despite everything that happens. Else you might as well be dead."
K: "One of the many aspects of the Lilim is their knack for optimism and determination. You believe you will win, therefore you will win."
A: "Isn't that just Gurren Lagaan?"
Ma: "Which was by the same people who did our show. I see a pattern."
Ri: "Twice is happenstance. Though it wouldn't surprise me if another Gainax work came though."
Mi: "With our luck."
...
"Rei clenched her fists tightly; at the words of the Supreme Commander, Unit-00 shot toward the surface to meet the enemy."
So: "Is this what determination is?"
Re: "Indeed." She smirked. "As long as I am standing, there is a chance."
E: "Nonzero, as you put it."
A: "Negative numbers can be nonzero as well."
Ri: "Not like that'd be a concern, at the moment."
Ma: "It always seems like the odds are almost comically stacked against us, anyway."
Z: "Could say that of that world. One Evangelion and one Gundam, against probably the strongest Angel to have ever existed in any world."
K: "If Gurren Lagaan is anything to go by, the Lilim function better against the odds."
Sh: "Even here, you could say that. Just look at Rei."
K: "Indeed." A small smile. "You could even claim recent events have been similar."
H: "Even on our world, that's still the same."
Mi: "Well lookie here, it sounds like you guys are starting to get optimistic again."
A: "Hopefully we don't regret it."
Point of View
""Your data set is more thorough, and so your conclusions have more weight. That is a sensible position."
"...thanks?""K: "A smart idea, using an Angel's own terms."
Sh: "Helps with communication, I imagine."
A: "Considering what happened with Arael." She muttered. "At least Leliel is trying to talk with you in a reasonable manner."
So: "This was similar to your experience?"
A: "Yeah, the whole me in other minds stuff, I somewhat recall that. Of course, the giant asterisk next to this is that it very well could've been my oxygen deprived mind; not like I could tell. Y'know, being oxygen deprived."
Z: "That doesn't seem like too much of a concern for Shinji, at the moment."
Sh: "Depends how long I've been there. I have a good day or so of oxygen, apparently."
Ri: "It's been at least two days since you fell. Though we could've overengineered it some."
Re: "Or this could be in the past."
A: "Or you could just simply be dying."
Sh: "I wouldn't exactly prefer that."
Mi: "Your mum's probably gonna get you out of there before you die anyway, eh?"
E: "Wouldn't do him good if he wasn't recovered from that. And I doubt NERV would have the resources to do so, being occupied with Bardiel."
Ma: "I'm sure we could get Mayumi to recover you, at least."
H: "It'd depend how Rei goes, wouldn't it?"
Re: "As here, I am sure I will do ok."
...
"The Third Child's hand clenched into a sure fist. "Absolutely.""
A: "Ain't that the truth. Sometimes the best lessons are the painful ones."
Re: "If something hurts you, you learn to avoid such pain. Of course, this can work the other way."
K: "And sometimes, pain is inevitable. But is it worth giving up potential happiness to offset potential pain?"
Sh: "I certainly don't think that nowadays."
So: "It seems you always knew that, in that world."
Mi: "We are more well adjusted in that world. At least we thought so."
Ma: "On the surface, at least."
Z: "Sounds like how most of you were."
A: "We're still kinda like that. Very few people know what's going on beyond what we show, even nowadays."
Ri: "And this is with you guys even more open than you were. I know we tend to be a bit less open about ourselves to you."
Re: "Rather understandable. Some people prefer that kind of privacy; as long as you have someone to talk to."
The Sempai glanced at the Kohai. "Well, I certainly have that."
Maya offered a slight smile and blush.
A: "If you couldn't tell by now, we're rather candid with one another."
E: "It is rather apparent, with you guys." Flat. "Not like that's a bad thing or anything; shows your relationship."
H: "Wouldn't surprise me if it took a lot to get there, however."
A: "You don't get a relationship like ours without a lot of trauma interspersed in between. Funny thing about traumatising events, they either drive you away or they drive you closer. There's not exactly an in-between. And almost all of you have seen what happens the other way."
...
""…that's kind of a silly question, isn't it? If I had been raised by different people, of course I would have been different. It's all a part of growing up. It's a part of being human."
"…I see.""
Sh: "That was certainly true."So: "You did not live with them here?"
Sh: "No, Gendo sent me to live with my sensei. I mean, he was alright, but he couldn't replace a proper father figure."
Mi: "Maybe your uncle would've been better, eh?"
Ri: "It wouldn't surprise me if he couldn't even face another Ikari, after what happened."
Sh: "Why do you think he sent me away?"
Z: "You still know of your uncle, don't you?"
Shinji shrugged. "He's alright. Don't know him as well; not like he raised me."
A: "Maybe you would've been a bit more well adjusted if they did raise you, eh?"
K: "Leliel's words hold true, despite the Annette of your mind chastising them." An amused chuckle. "The you of your mind is invariably moulded by others, and this works the exact other way."
Re: "I know for a fact I would not be as I am without the influence of others."
E: "Most of us wouldn't."
Ma: "I doubt many of us would even be here if not for others."
H: "It sounds like the world would've ended, if not for that."
K: "Maya is still correct, in that regard. We would not be here."
A: "Shinji and I would still be here; whether or not we'd want to be there is a whole 'nother thing though."
Engage
"The beast howled, and leapt forward to continue its rampage."
A: "Not bad so far, Rei."
Re: "Thank you."
Ri: "At least you have an effective ally, this time around."
Mi: "Unlike those damn Dummy Plugs."
E: "Even if you wanted to use them in this case, the only Dummy System is in Unit-01."
Mi: "Yeah, no hope in getting that back, are we?"
Sh: "Even if you did, I'd probably be better at piloting it anyway."
K: "It could be used if, say, you lacked the oxygen required to pilot."
Sh: "I'd probably be dead at that point, anyway." He shrugged. "Not that I'd reach that point, not with my mum there."
Z: "I'd say it sounds like Zeruel here, but the Zeruel here went far better, from what I recall."
Ma: "Excluding the Commander sending Dummy Plugs against Zeruel."
Z: "Well yeah, that was a bit of a glaring error."
So: "With how primitive the Dummy System sounds, it would have been a quick battle for Zeruel."
Re: "If not for me. And a good amount of dumb luck on Shinji and Asuka's part."
A: "Yeah, Hikari's Evangelion somehow having an S2 was a bit of a lucky break, admittedly."
Mi: "And who says the universe doesn't give us something in return!"
Sh: "It sure as hell made up for it with how the later Angels went."
...
""...not really? I'm not sure exactly why you think it's so scary."
"...I see."
Sh: "Not like I know too much about the Metaphysical Biology behind it. I just pilot the damn thing."K: "It is a justified query, from their perspective. My kin are unchanging; there can be no division in their soul. They are one whole. In this sense, the Evangelion are strange. To them, there will always be division between two souls."
Re: "Even though it is relationship that binds souls together. Through their bond, two can become one. This is the principle of the Evangelion: Two become one."
A: "And they don't need two souls to pilot their own bodies, do they? We do; our souls sure as hell aren't as strong as theirs."
So: "And yet you overcame."
K: "Now you understand why my kin could not defeat the Lilim. They could not even comprehend this. The only way I was able to comprehend this was to allow someone in my heart, to get close to someone like a Lilim can. And... even losing someone, close to me. Tragedy it was, I believe it allowed me to understand."
Re: "A good thing it was temporary." A small smile.
K: "...Indeed."
E: "Even back then, there was something wrong. Even with how she was."
Ri: "The eyes tell a story, after all. Empty eyes, especially."
Asuka shook her head. "It's... not a good look. To say the least."
Ma: "Not that Shinji remembered, at least back then. Without Leliel digging them up."
Z: "...What the hell was that flyer, though?"
Mi: "Just another off the wall ad, methinks. Though I'm not sure pointing a gun at the reader has the intended effect."
H: "Least he wasn't aiming the gun at the kitten. 'Join or I kill this kitten'."
A: "I doubt that'd help his image. 'Gendo Ikari, kitten murderer'. Newspapers would have a field day with that."
Ri: "I imagine I'd go off my nut at him if he made a poster like that."
...
""Even if it all seemed hopeless, there had to be something. Think. THINK, DAMN IT!"
Cringing all around at the gory thought. "Oh, so she loses a leg this time around!"
Ri: "At least she had the mind to cauterise it. One less gaping wound to bleed out from."
Ma: "Not that either Mana or Hikari will appreciate Mayumi being one less leg."
Mi: "She's alive, at least. I think. I hope."
Sh: "That quickly whittled away." He dully noted.
K: "We did think she was going to die last chapter. Maybe Bond just wishes to cripple her."
So: "And this is the best case scenario."
Z: "It's not a great world, that's for sure."
E: "Though it has been said that losing a leg isn't so bad, in comparison to other scenarios."
A: "I'd rather lose a leg than an arm, honestly. Hands seem a bit more useful to me than a foot."
Mi: "Not like that even matters if you're dead."
Re: "It looks like I am all alone, again. Similar to our world. At least until Shinji and Asuka got involved again."
A: "Well I'm certainly out of the picture. Shinji might, if we're lucky."
H: "Good luck in our favour?"
A: "I know, right? We're screwed!"
Re: "Not if I have anything to say about it."
Cemetery
""Because family is supposed to stick together through thick and thin. No matter what happens."
"…I see.""
Staggered silence. "Well shit."E: "I believe that event had been alluded to beforehand."
Mi: "And now we know. And... well, I'm sure that would've been traumatising."
Sh: "Ya don't say."
K: "It would've helped you understand why the Commander sent you away, at least. And that you were safer, away."
Ma: "I'm mainly concerned that even back then, cultists were bold enough to do... that."
Ri: "And look how much bolder they became."
So: "Even with the added security that should be implied from such an event, it was not enough to prevent the cultist incursion."
Re: "Determination works both ways. War is who has the determination to win."
A: "It's a good thing our determination trumps pretty much everyone else, eh? Kinda puts our tumbleweed in a good light."
Z: "I still can't believe it sounded like this world was saved with a damn kiss between you and Shinji."
A: "It was a pretty damn good kiss. The Laserdiscs didn't do it justice."
Sh: "If they did do all that justice, it'd probably be as lewd as that doujin."
A: "Probably, but in comparison to what actually happened in the Laserdiscs, I wouldn't mind showing everyone how we kissed so good we toppled over furniture. Oh who am I kidding, I'm sure those two saw it." Referring to Rei and Kaworu.
Re: "We may have come across it, looking for more information about Aki."
A: "Yeah, may." Her flat look turned to a grin. "Did we do ya proud, Rei?"
Re: "...Perhaps."
Cannot Lose
""Perhaps." To use the Lance at this juncture will result in the First Angel awakening right beneath us. "We will hold out as long as possible.""
Mi: "That's another ace gone."
Sh: "It's like they're deliberately trying to get us to use the Lance."
Re: "It does seem rather convenient for them."
Ri: "It often does, when the decks are so highly stacked in their favour."
A: "At least we lasted to here before having to call in a favour from the JSSDF. It's better than our world."
Ma: "Would it even do much, at this point?"
A: "I doubt it."
So: "Is there anything that can be done, without resorting to the Lance?"
Z: "It doesn't look like it."
E: "And consider, we know someone obtains both Lance and Sword. It could be Bardiel."
K: "My money was on Zeruel, myself. I don't think Bardiel has spoken."
H: "Good to hear it can always get worse. Surely there's some light at the end of the tunnel."
A: "Yeah, it's the headlamp of a train."
Mi: "Man you guys can be dour sometimes."
A: "We're optimistic when it counts, Misato."
...
"Stormed at with cross and beam, boldly she rode and well; into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of Hell, rode the one called the First."
Z: "Jeez you really don't give up, do ya?"
Re: "As long as I am still standing, I will fight."
A: "Losing your arms wouldn't help."
Re: "I have a mouth. It will buy time, at least."
Mi: "Though we are in a bit of shit, right about now. You're practically disabled, Rei. Like it or not."
H: "Can't do much without arms."
Re: "That is a slight issue, admittedly. Even against Zeruel, I had one arm functional enough to pull a gun trigger."
Ma: "They aren't even attached, let alone functional."
Sh: "It was either that, or get infected. Which... yeah, losing the arms is probably the better scenario."
K: "At this point, the only thing that could get in the way would be you, Shinji."
So: "Who is currently preoccupied."
Sh: "Bit of an understatement. Perhaps if Leliel would finish philosophising with me."
E: "I'd say you could always continue it later, but odds are you'll be forcing your way out."
A: "That or his mama, as here."
So: "There is still the question of the strength of the Angel. It has overcome everything, thus far."
A: "Maybe Shinji somehow returns with an S2? We're about due for some dumb luck in that damn world!"
Wake Up, Mr Ikari
"Because now that I'm thinking about it…you're reminding me an awful lot of the Fifth Angel."
"And for good reason.""
A: "Well look at that, Shinji. Looks like your mama's here to get you out again!"Sh: "Bit less than dumb luck, at this point."
Ri: "It was expected. Of course, probably not as directly."
Ma: "Still, Shinji would like that."
Sh: "It'd probably be the first time in a good while I've even seen her face. Of course I'd like that!"
K: "All this continues to show what I have said, time and time again. We did not understand the Lilim. I was the only one to."
Z: "And for that, you get to live. Congrats."
H: "It sounds to me like they can't understand, at least not without some sort of outside influence."
K: "That was the case for me. Even to this day, I am still learning."
Re: "We help rather well with this, at the very least."
Melancholy on his face. "Indeed. A shame my other kin could not think that."
E: "I imagine the Nephilm body counted for something."
K: "Yeah, annoyance when I couldn't resist the urges of a Lilim."
Re: "It allowed me to teach you a very important lesson, at the very least."
To this, Kaworu offered a flat look.
...
"Almost immediately, the entire void began to tremble."
Sh: "...Okay, maybe it is some dumb luck."
A: "Hot damn! Maybe we do have a chance!"
Re: "Let us hope he can return before I get destroyed."
So: "Can you even do anything with zero limbs?"
Re: "I will certainly try."
Mi: "I mean, at that rate, you kinda have to stand down, don't you?"
K: "A good thing Shinji will be returning. With all the power in the world."
Ri: "I imagine Seele would not be pleased about such a development. Your actions essentially caused Unit-01 to gain an S2."
A: "All thanks to your mama, Shinji!"
K: "It seems eating the Solenoid is the easiest way to obtain one. The Laserdiscs have done it, this has done it. Asuka has done it."
A: "Thanks to the Laserdiscs. See? The universe certainly seems to think it's the best way of getting an S2!"
Mi: "Maybe if Nevada knew that, they would've just eaten the corpse of Shamshel instead."
Sh: "It's almost a shame we haven't faced an MP-Evangelion lately. The one thing they did have over us was the S2; if we could've just eaten them to get one, I'm sure we could've tolerated the... taste."
A: "It tasted like shit, but I had too much adrenaline pumping through me to really care."
Ma: "I know I certainly didn't like looking at it."
Ri: "I mean, can I even really complain? The S2 has been quite the boon for us; when not in use, Unit-03 actually provides power for the facility. The N2 Reactor only really runs at around 10% when the Evangelion aren't sortied. And we were planning on doing the same for Unit-02; Rogue-00 delayed it some."
A: "I'm sure my mama wouldn't have preferred being a glorified generator."
E: "Though speaking of mothers, it also seems you will soon find out about Unit-00, Shinji."
Sh: "And with that, the truth. Which... I'm sure I'll find adequately world changing.
Wake Up and Smell the Ashes
""Very funny, Fuyutsuki." There was an unmistakable note of relief in the Commander's sarcastic response."
Re: "Just in time." She smirked.
A: "At the very least, the rubble would've distracted them from killing you."
Sh: "I don't suppose that counts as going to Las Vegas."
Mi: "The ruins of Las Vegas, perhaps."
Ma: "Man, that's gonna utterly ruin Sagami Bay, isn't it?"
Ri: "Environmental damage is part and parcel with attacks of this magnitude. Can't tell you how many times we had to redraw the damn map after battle."
K: "Imagine how the cartographers of that world feels with what has happened."
Mi: "Jumping for joy. They actually get work to do!"
Z: "Man, finally getting cut a break, eh?"
E: "About time, eh?"
So: "We have to wait and see how Unit-01 responds to Bardiel."
Ma: "With fire and blood."
A: "A lot of blood, I imagine."
H: "He'd have some care; you never know if Toji's still alive."
Sh: "Yeah, I could at least try to get him out of there."
Re: "A part of me wonders how I could have even gotten out of there, in my state."
Mi: "Entry Plug ejection?"
Re: "With me on my back?"
A: "A good thing Shinji is there, eh?"
...
"Unit-01 howled and pursued, intent on making its rage a reality."
The widest of grins on Asuka's face. "Fuck YEAH, Shinji!"
Re: "That was straight out of Gurren Lagaan."
Ma: "We can always use more of that."
K: "Amazing what a Solenoid can do."
Z: "Can't say I expected this. But I'm certainly not complaining."
Sh: "You bet I have the will to protect everyone."
E: "Would've been nice if this went Gurren Lagaan a bit earlier."
A: "It's about damn time! Bond fucked everyone these past few chapters; we're finally getting something good!"
Mi: "Can't have too much sadness now, can we?"
Z: "With how this was going."
H: "But we even said, you need the dark times to appreciate the good times."
So: "I believe everyone here is appreciative of this."
A: "I mean, I kinda expected to get fucked. I know we were."
Re: "It seems Bond prefers going to extremes. Extraordinarily bad times call for extraordinarily good times."
Asuka huffed. "Fine, I suppose I can forgive him for frying my brain. I better end up with someone at the end of this though!"
Re: "Kaworu certainly has a thing for you." She smirked in his direction. "All goes well, perhaps you end up together."
K: "I may even help you. I would almost certainly be racked with guilt for what happened."
A: "I know I'd certainly appreciate you putting me back together."
...
"A concentrated beam of plasma and three streams of charged particles plowed into Unit-01's position."
K: "As long as you are conscious, the Solenoid will protect you."
Sh: "Yeah, it's the staying conscious part, I feel."
A: "Wouldn't be the first time he used the Dummy on Bardiel."
Mi: "He'd surely know it'd possibly kill Toji. And that it'd destroy Shinji, as well."
Ma: "It'd be a shame if he ruined his reputation this deep into the work."
Ri: "He actually has a reputation that isn't in the lower percentile."
Z: "Such thing doesn't even seem like him. He's pragmatic, sure, but as long as Shinji can handle it."
So: "That is the deciding factor."
E: "I imagine with an S2, his actions will be adequate enough."
H: "How would you even stop a berserk Eva with an S2?"
Ri: "If you don't have another Evangelion, hopes and prayers. It's a good thing Unit-03 is rather stable."
A: "And my mama wasn't even in Unit-02 for long enough to get used to an S2."
Sh: "At least we're finally on the front foot again, eh?"
A: "Oh hell yeah, it's been ages since we were!"
Thy Will Be Done
""The sync ratio has jumped to two-seventy-five! Unit-01's AT-Field is interfacing with the Angel's attack!""
Re: "This is approaching the end, I feel."
K: "There wouldn't be too much left for Bardiel to try, admittedly. A good thing the Commander has faith in you."
Sh: "More than I can say of this world, eh?"
A: "It means he actually loves and trusts you. This was our Gendo, he would've done something stupid to get us all killed a dozen chapters ago!"
E: "This is the power of will, isn't it? The spiral, as Gurren Lagaan put it."
Mi: "The S2 helps, admittedly."
Ri: "Even if he didn't possess such power, Yui Ikari could get the job done by herself."
Z: "And we know she would, at this point."
Sh: "I can't fail. Therefore, I won't."
Re: "There is that optimism we have been missing out on." She gave a warm smile.
H: "It's pretty easy to be optimistic now."
So: "This is in our favour once more."
A: "Of course, Bond can always fuck us again."
Z: "I can understand your lack of optimism, at least."
...
"I did it. Shinji breathed heavily as he slowly set the Core down amidst a forest reduced to patchwork by the battle. I saved him.
you have one more thing to do"
Ri: "Now it's just to get them out of there."
A: "If it's anything like Hikari, he should come out with all his limbs intact, at least."
Sh: "Speaking of spirals, though. Using a drill?"
Re: "If Gurren Lagaan showed us anything, it showed us their efficacy."
Ma: "Even though I doubt there'll be much development into Evangelion sized drills."
E: "Maybe Gurren will come falling out of the sky, one day."
Mi: "We've already invested a lot of resources into the New-Type, only for it to get shown up once these two came here."
Z: "You're welcome."
Ri: "Yeah, if we developed a new system after the NACSS, the UN would probably begin to question our spending."
H: "They don't already?"
Ri: "Not yet, but there's a reason we're thinking about monetising the Rift materials in one way or another."
A: "We certainly have a library of materials to sell, though there'd probably be questions asked about some."
Sh: "And I doubt the Laserdiscs would be suitable to sell."
Ri: "Oh Gods no, that's way too classified. Hell, even the Theatrical. Practically any work with our universe."
Mi: "And I know of at least two works we should really get permission for. Y'know, since they involve people that actually exist here."
Ma: "If Kensuke and his birds will even allow us to get it."
Ri: "That was one of the points on hiring him. Since it does contain pretty secretive material, from the sounds of it."
K: "Known only to those who know of the Scrolls. So, not many."
A: "Maybe you can give them a cut of the profits, if you decide to monetise it."
Ritsuko snorted. "Might be a good idea."
...
"The Nineteenth Angel's body vanished in a cross of green energy.
Unit-01 emerged unscathed and triumphant."
So: "Good."
A: "Hell yeah! You actually won, Shinji!"
The victorious pilot gave a coy smile. "It's what had to be done, wasn't it?"
Mi: "And it could've been a whole lot worse, eh? Looks like we don't have to use the Lance this time around, eh?"
Ri: "I suppose that fully explains who obtains the Lance and the Sword. It's certain to be Zeruel, now."
Re: "Could Bardiel still be in the core of Unit-03?"
K: "Perhaps. It was a part of Bardiel, after all."
Ma: "Of course, I doubt Toji will appreciate that. Or Ai."
E: "Depends how conscious they are, at this point in time."
Z: "I don't think Bardiel would have nearly enough power, as just an isolated core. Plus, human determination and all that."
E: "Bardiel is as good as dead, then. And with such a stratagem."
H: "Though to be fair on Bardiel, it was something they couldn't exactly predict, was it?"
Re: "The same with Zeruel, here. They themselves said to me it is a maxim to take advantage of any error your enemy makes. Bardiel's error was to underestimate Unit-01. 'The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry'."
Ma: "I'm pretty sure it's just a thing where the more you threaten humanity, the more we fight."
K: "The survival instinct of the Lilim is strong, that is certain. Even after Second Impact; with the environmental, economic and political upheaval, you persisted."
Mi: "Yeah, we're pretty good at that, aren't we?"
...
"THEN I WILL TAKE MY OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT EMERGES. I TIRE OF WAITING.
…very well. Do what you must."
Mi: "Now that would've been satisfying for you, Shinji."
Sh: "I imagine it would." A smirk. "Nice job, Toji."
A: "It's his sister, of course he'd protect her like that. Stooge he is, I can at least give him credit for that."
K: "...And then there were two."
So: "You would be correct. Seele would not appreciate this."
Ri: "May be good to disappear for a while."
K: "If it weren't for the fact we believe they possess Adam."
Ma: "I wouldn't be surprised if you find out soon, though."
Re: "Perhaps you launch an incursion into NERV-5 on your own."
Z: "Where they'll find out they've been lied to."
Sh: "The fireworks would be nice, at the very least."
E: "Even though Bardiel's stratagem had overall failed, they're still right in that they have advantage. Unit-01 is most likely the only Evangelion currently deployable; even deploying the Gundam at this stage would be difficult."
Ri: "Even if we could grow an artificial leg for Mayumi, there'd be quite a bit of rehab."
Re: "You can do what you did for me, and transfer her into a new shell. I imagine you can do that for any injured Nephilim."
A: "Being alive is the important part, isn't it? If even we might have an advanced way of regrowing limbs, surely they can as well."
H: "How would you even go about that, anyway?"
Ri: "We can either grow it out of Lilith cultures, of course this may raise questions outside of NERV. Most likely, we can create a Nephilim shell out of your genetic material and use it for... parts. There'd be a colour difference, of course."
A: "Unless you're doing it for a Nephilim."
Mi: "I'm assuming LCL aided healing would be used as well?"
Ri: "To help heal the nerve damage, yes. It'd most likely still take months of rehabilitation and relearning how to use the limb; you can't just attach new nerves and expect your mind to know how to use them. Of course, we can't know until we actually try it. And we're not cutting off any of your limbs to test it out."
A: "Thanks."
Reunion
"So much had happened, and so much had yet to happen. There would be questions that needed answering.
But those could wait another day.
For now, there was solace to be had in survival."
Rei had a demure smile. "...At least we have this."
Sh: "...Yeah. Can't say we didn't work for this, eh?"
Re: "Indeed. This... is rather like our world."
A: "You guys certainly had to go through a lot to get to this point, didn't ya?"
K: "That is what made this all the more sweet. This is the sun after the long night."
Mi: "It's still pitch black for most of us."
So: "At least you are alive."
E: "As Rei said. As long as you are living, you can keep moving forward."
Re: "...We are certainly doing that."
Z: "Baby steps, eh?"
Re: "...After everything that happened, I am somewhat surprised I have not completely grown reliant on Shinji."
A: "It's almost like you're somewhat better adjusted than everyone here. I know having your relationship move that quickly probably isn't the norm, eh Shin-chan?"
Sh: "Not that we minded too much."
Z: "It doesn't help it's better to quickly form close relations, in our situations. What, when we could die any time."
A: "When you've been so deprived of something like that, it makes sense why we fell so hard for one another when we realised we liked one another."
Re: "So this is the one event we want to be not as well adjusted?"
A: "I mean, I can understand why you two are a bit of a slow burn, with that knowledge. But I certainly wouldn't mind seeing you get together like we did."
H: "At this rate, I'm sure you'll get what you want."
Asuka chuckled. "I'd hope. I'd say they deserve this after the shit they've been through."
The two pilots in question blushed."
~
"To be continued..."
"Can't deny that went better, eh?"
"At least for some." Asuka replied to Misato's open question. "I wouldn't want to be in Mayumi's shoes, myself."
"Shoe."
"Sh-" As soon as it struck Asuka, she burst out laughing. "Christ, Rei!"
"Hopefully we will at least be getting some relief, next chapter."
Kaworu glanced forward a page or so. "Indeed."
"Well that's good. It'd be nice to have something that isn't soul crushing for once."
"This chapter wasn't exactly soul crushing, Maya."
"Leg crushing, perhaps." Rei continued the dark humour, much to Asuka's amusement.
Much to the Commander's consternation. "At least the next chapter shouldn't be as dark. Unlike some people."
"Dark humour helps us deal with the world, Misato. It is either this, or innuendo laced humour bordering on obscene."
"Not even innuendo." Pointed out Asuka. "We're rather explicit with that."
"Kaworu, start reading please."
He huffed. "As you wish."
~~~
(in which a certain Progenitor serves as the Flashback-Mobile, Gendo has a change of heart...and Yomiko Nagisa decides that she's done waiting.)
"...I suppose that is just confirmation Yomiko will cast the die."
"Much like other days in the life, it will occur at the end."
"Leaving us with a cliffhanger." Asuka muttered.
"Wouldn't be the first time." Misato too muttered. "I wonder what Gendo would change his mind about?"
"What is the one thing he wants?"
"...Would he really change his mind about Instrumentality?"
"A difficult thought, I'm sure." Wryly remarked the son.
"We're getting some more information about the past, at least." Thought Zero Two. "I kinda thought the other historical record was interesting."
"Even though it focused more on the forbidden fruit instead of what was actually interesting."
"Much like you guys." Deadpanned Ritsuko.
Ruby Eyes
"Toji's fist slammed into the wall, creating a sizable dent. Best part: it didn't hurt. At all. "...awesome.""
Re: "That is... hmm." She bemused.
Ri: "Didn't happen, here. Else Hikari would've become a Nephilim. Or pseudo-Nephilim."
Z: "Do we count as pseudo-Nephilim?"
Ma: "We didn't even have that classification until we read this."
Sh: "I'm sure he wouldn't mind that, at least."
K: "It would depend how deep this newfound Nephilimhood goes. Though... I suppose it would make sense one could potentially become a Nephilim with Angelic contamination."
Mi: "I know Hikari certainly didn't become one. Unless there's something there I'm missing."
Ri: "We checked over her when she came back, no contamination of note."
Mi: "...Of note."
A: "Maybe her mama protected her from all that."
So: "Would it be her mother subject to such thing, then?"
K: "We wouldn't even know, until we free her."
E: "It does sound plausible, however."
A: "Don't suppose you can contaminate us, Kaworu?"
Ri: "I wouldn't call that wise."
Re: "I am doing quite fine with my daily contamination."
Snickering from everyone except the adults in the room.
H: "Even compared to us, it doesn't sound as complete."
K: "It sounds plausible, how Angel remnants can influence someone. There's only so much that can happen without altering someone's genome, however."
...
Mi: "It wouldn't surprise me if she had some sort of awareness like this, in our world."
Ri: "Could say that of all the Evangelion, honestly. It depends on whether they wanted to, or not."
Re: "And what they know of the soul. This appears to be an application of Astral Projection; Shinji's mother may know or have figured this with her studies into Metaphysical Biology. Ms Horaki may not have this knowledge."
A: "I don't recall my mama Projecting herself out of the Evangelion."
K: "We wouldn't even know unless they told us."
Sh: "Which they didn't."
So: "It could not be a concept here. Most situations in this work do not appear to be so."
K: "All our worlds ultimately stem from the same tree. Hence, the plausibility."
H: "Even other worlds, you applied knowledge from there for your own benefit."
Z: "Like our world."
Ri: "Even the world of Pacific Rim gave us some idea as to how a coreless, two pilot system works."
E: "More or less the same principle as a cored system. Two souls are required to pilot an Evangelion. The world of Pacific Rim simply used a more traditionally scientific approach."
A: "At the very least, it sounds like his sis is alright. More than you can say of me, eh?"
Although Bound
A: "Yeah, it's not just me. At least Ai seems to be alright, at least." She huffed. "You can tell she's my sis, at least."
Ri: "It's understandable why she's angry. She'd have so much emotion welling up, after what happened."
Ma: "At least she isn't hiding it away."
A: "That's already better than what I did. Hell, even in that world, there were shades of that."
Sh: "...It wouldn't help she's young. Not like they can know; we'd know that well."
Re: "There is a reason why her father wanted to keep her in Germany. At least there, she would be somewhat shielded from what happened."
Z: "But that would've meant keeping her away from Asuka. And she wouldn't want that either."
A: "Well, I'm pretty far away from her now, ain't I?"
K: "Through no fault of your own."
Mi: "Can you really say anything that happens to them is their fault? Practically everything is out of their control."
Sh: "Just like this world."
A: "Hell, even the Seele Incursion, that was you guys that did all the diplomatic stuff. We just thrashed the MP-Eva."
H: "I can see that helping your case, as well."
E: "I wouldn't think this coma would be permanent, though. Even in the Laserdiscs, you eventually came to."
A: "And promptly dying not 10 minutes later. But you have a point; maybe Bond is benevolent enough to give me fifteen minutes of waking life before I kick the bucket."
So: "Your hopes are understandably low."
...
E: "Even Mayumi, considering she lost a limb."
Re: "It is no wonder, then, why Hikari Kirishima wanted to... indulge, as she put it."
A: "So they do have cloning facilities!"
Ri: "Sounds like they're a lot more confident with such a thing, however."
Mi: "I mean, as you said, we've never had to use such thing, have we?"
Sh: "The way we keep talking about it, it's gonna get some use soon."
So: "I can understand her reasoning. Even if she is Nephilim, it will at least remind others she is as mortal as they are."
A: "I mean, I'd probably go for a regrown limb. Depends how much of an inconvenience it is."
Re: "You might even be able to get around doing that. Ai was horribly disfigured and yet ensouling her has been said to help her."
A: "It's a bit of an extreme, though. I'd probably go for it only if I was horribly disfigured; a few limbs is small fry compared to a broken spine."
Ri: "I mean, you're still losing function."
A: "If I break my spine, I lose function everywhere below the break. At least if I lose, say, my right leg, I still have control of all my faculties down there. Plus, battle scars and all that."
Z: "Of course, you'd probably think differently if it actually happens."
A: "Oh yeah, almost certainly. I know losing a limb like that would fuck me up a bit, even with how I sound."
Mi: "'Least you aren't deliberately trying to get your leg lopped off."
Asuka snorted. "Shinji likes them too much for that!"
Her other became luminous, much to her amusement.
...
K: "Would Yui be her avatar, in this world?"
Ri: "Unit-01 is of Lilith. It could be a possibility."
E: "If this is even Yui. From what it sounds like, Lilith could do this."
Re: "Lilith does know. Every single Lillim soul, she knows."
Mi: "So she pretty much is God."
Re: "More or less. Yet she is often content to observe. A watchmaker God."
A: "You can certainly say she's observing all this. I suppose she's a better god than God."
Ma: "Not because Rei is practically her avatar in this world, right?"
Asuka shrugged. "I mean, you could say it's a positive having a couple gods as friends. That's not exactly what I focus on, of course."
So: "It appears he is beginning to change his mind, about his plan."
Z: "With how far he's gotten into this?"
Sh: "Goes to show how we influenced him, doesn't it?"
Re: "Indeed. Perhaps he sees some hope in the world, with our relationship."
A: "More than you can say of our world, eh?"
Second Coming
Z: "This story is similar?"
Re: "Indeed. Even down to the fall of her civilisation, of the First Ancestral Race."
K: "It is known that Lilith felt something for Adam. This went all the way back to before they were Progenitors; star crossed love that she could not admit."
A: "Though this is less wanting Adam, and more wanting anything. It's loneliness."
Ri: "It would be rather lonely, I imagine. Adam would be the only being who could be her equal."
K: "You can see why she tolerates my relation with Rei, then. We can do what she could not."
Mi: "Yeah, I'm sure she's very happy perving on you two."
E: "If they are like this, they perv on literally everyone."
Sh: "That's the same with any god, honestly. Not like you can stop them from seeing you, considering they see everything."
A: "Guess that makes those two perving on us completely fine, then!"
Sh: "You're already alright with that, Asuka."
A: "I mean, they can't help it, can you?"
Both Nephilim shook their heads.
A: "Plus, I don't particularly mind."
Ma: "Tumbleweee~ed."
A: "Yeah yeah, we know."
Bongo Bongo Bongo
K: "Saving someone's life tends to result in goodwill like that."
Ma: "Good to see my brother and I weren't the only ones having a horrid time after Second Impact."
Ri: "It goes a way to explain her... attitude."
H: "Are diamonds really that valuable?"
Mi: "I never got that myself. Especially nowadays; you wouldn't want to waste something like diamond on jewellery, eh?"
Ri: "Synthetic diamond is more or less what most diamonds are nowadays, anyway. I'm sure you all know by now how Africa fell to shit, that's where most of the world's diamonds came from."
A: "Even that sounded like complete cruelty to the people who actually mined them, least from what I read."
Ri: "There's a reason they were called blood diamonds."
K: "We know this world's Japan did not resort to neo-colonialism. Some nations did, of course."
E: "It sounded like Japan was busy with their own affairs."
Ma: "It's hard to focus on the outside world when you were literally nuked by an unknown entity. Not even mentioning the flooding and climate change we had to deal with."
Ri: "Honestly, diamonds are severely overrated. They're useful, don't get me wrong. They're one of the hardest materials we know of. But the only reason why they were so valued as they were was because they were shiny, and people have the intelligence of a crow when it comes to shiny objects."
So: "It sounds like Second Impact resulted in that changing."
Ri: "To say the least. Can't exactly spend money on what is ultimately a vanity object when you're trying to survive."
A: "God knows I wouldn't want to spend tens of thousands of Yen on something like that. We'd probably just get a simple silver or gold band if we're looking for rings, maybe a small gemstone of some sort. Certainly not diamond, though."
Mi: "Yeah that's pretty much my thinking as well. Don't suppose one of you guys could make something like that; save us some more money."
Kaworu chuckled. "It would be an exercise in imagination, I suppose. I could use some development in that regard."
Shine, Shine, Monk
""For one, if our dear vigilantes are unstable, I'd prefer it to be you instead of one of my men.""
Sh: "I'm sure he appreciated that."
Z: "Can't say they're not honest."
A: "Can't say I even feel sorry those dogs met horrid ends. Shit, I'd kill them myself if I wanted to."
Ma: "...I mean, those are pretty horrible people."
K: "That is another argument for Instrumentality."
Re: "An unfortunate reality. The existence of such depravity is a sad reality of any world; Instrumentalty would prevent such thing from occurring."
Mi: "Of course, you could spin Instrumentality as a good thing using anything wrong with this world, can you?"
Sh: "Maybe if Instrumentality was more known to the general public, that's what they'd do."
K: "It's all a question on whether or not it is worth it to lose your individuality. As life has the good and the bad, the world has the good and the bad. And removing the bad would also result in removing the good. So, is it worth it?"
H: "Of course, that doesn't sound like what Seele thought."
K: "Indeed. But they could spin it like that. It wouldn't surprise me if they did, in fact. Fuyutsuki at that point believed as much."
E: "...Something like that is ultimately dependent on what the individual believes in, I would think."
...
Re: "A good thing Fuyutsuki found you before anyone else."
Ma: "...Yeah. But... fuck, I can't believe we could even think that."
K: "It would've taken a great deal to gain that trust, I imagine."
Ma: "And yet... he somehow managed."
A: "Those dolls still creep me out, y'know."
Misato grimaced at the memory. "Yeah, I probably should've seen how they could... look like that."
Asuka handwaved it. "Not like I knew it was a Japanese thing."
Z: "...Is that really a song?"
Ri: "It's a nursery rhyme. Children sing it to keep the rain away, not like we need the help of the Teru Teru Bozu nowadays."
Z: "Final line and all?"
Ri: "Yep."
Z: "What the hell?!"
A: "All nursery rhymes worth their salt are grim when you think about them. Not like the children would know; a popular German one is Hoppe Hoppe Reiter." She gave a small smile. "It's one my mama used to sing to me."
The smile became a comical frown. "It's about a man who falls off his horse and cart, and either drowns in a swamp or a lake, or gets eaten by ravens."
Z: "...And why do they become children's songs?"
A: "God if I know. Maybe the adults find it hilarious seeing kids singing about that kinda shit. I know I would."
Sh: "You could say that of most children's stories anyway. Nursery rhymes are just one part of it."
Mi: "Nothing like scaring the shit out of your kids to get them to learn something!"
E: "I'm sure Ma and her brother would have been scared during their experience post-Impact."
Ma: "And instead of learning a moral of some sort, we just learnt to horrifically murder. Not exactly a good thing to learn."
Lesson Zero
""Hmm. Never taken a punch before?"
"Not…like…that…"
"Consider it another free lesson.""
Mi: "Speaking of lessons."
A: "Why can I see Kaji getting in a situation like that?"
Ri: "He certainly doesn't nowadays."
Mi: "...Let's just say he learnt this quickly."
So: "Different to this world."
A singular nod. "And that is all I'll say."
Ma: "Still, they can't really know what they got into. Kaji's the same age as you, Misato."
Re: "Desperation drives people to do many things they may not do normally."
K: "As the Kaji in that world."
Z: "Suppose the world just doesn't like youthful optimism."
Ri: "Second Impact would've saw to that, one way or another."
E: "He's lucky the Jackal felt benevolent towards him."
Mi: "He has a point. They're just dumb kids, at that point."
H: "We certainly know he didn't waste this chance of his."
Z: "And they've been 'friends' ever since."
Sh: "Friends with a giant asterisk next to the term."
...
So: "I assume that is what will be covered next."
Kaworu gave a cursory glance to the next section. "...No, not exactly."
Sh: "So that is what started his curiosity?"
Re: "It is an interesting question, for someone like him. Just who was this man?"
Ri: "He certainly found that out."
Ma: "How many times has the Jackal threatened his life?"
Z: "This is the first of many." Flat.
K: "It's a good thing your mother helped quell him some, Asuka."
Asuka snorted. "Good for Misato, isn't it?"
Mi: "Yes, I do appreciate your father not killing my fiancee."
E: "It's a good thing he's rather noble about his job. Not everyone needs to die."
H: "Though we know if they squandered this chance, he wouldn't hold anything back."
Sh: "Some people can be redeemed. Kaji and his team hadn't yet crossed that event horizon, at least according to Asuka's dad."
A: "And we've seen what people have crossed that line. Cultists that murdered hundreds with VX, and a child abductor. And not just any child, his child!"
Mi: "Not to mention how they did it. He was lucky he was given an honourable death after that."
Au Naturel
""Hey, I can objectively comment on someone else's beauty. You know the saying: you can look at someone else's car, even if you aren't driving it."
"Okay Kaji-kun, who actually says that?""
A: "Of course it's a damn nude beach."
Mi: "And of course he's perving on your mum."
Ri: "I'm more intrigued as to why I am doing post-doctoral studies on a nude beach."
Z: "Maybe you like studying in the nude?"
A: "I can think of many better things you can do in the nude, Zero Two."
Sh: "None of which you could do on a nude beach." Shinji deadpanned. "Unless it's a private beach."
Ma: "Not like this even matters for us. I've never heard of a nude beach in Japan; it's mainly European isn't it?"
A: "More or less, modest this place is. There's a few in Germany, not that I ever partook in that sort of thing."
Mi: "Though it's not like nudity here is untoward. Hell, look at those hot springs we went to after Sandalphon, that was a naturalist spring."
E: "That were separated by gender."
Ri: "You wouldn't get a mixed nude onsen unless you're in rural Japan. Meiji saw to that." A huff. "Westerners can be prudes sometimes."
A: "Hey, that's the English and the Americans. Don't lump us in with them."
...
"Kyoko nodded to herself. "Yes. Mari will be fine.""
Mi: "Well that certainly changed."
K: "Lilith certainly found it amusing."
So: "Mari may be, I cannot say the same for the doctor."
Mi: "At least she's excited for the beach."
Asuka huffed. "I'm too young to worry about perverts, at that point."
Ri: "Depending on who's on the beach, you probably wouldn't mind nowadays."
A: "Yeah, but that's a rather thin category. In fact, almost all of them are in this very room."
H: "Almost?"
Z: "Including us?"
A: "As long as you don't stare, Zero Two." She smirked. "And the only other person is Hikari. Though that's more the fact I've seen her like that, so it's fair turnabout at this point."
Sh: "Not even mentioning we were all nude at least once in the Laserdiscs."
Z: "Hell, you guys seen me like that. And at least every other girl I knew on Plantation 13. Probably more, in fact; depends how much that show of ours showed you."
Sh: "Remember when that Klaxosaur burnt off the plugsuits of the Pistils?"
Re: "Which caused a rift between the Pistils and Stamen, ultimately resulting in them breaking the house in two?"
A: "And then you told the boys they could use the bathhouse? Which was on the girls side of the house?"
K: "And in the inevitable clash that resulted in nude males encountering the nude females, you stole the clothing of everyone?"
Mi: "Resulting in Hiro chasing you up to the roof while World War G was blazing down below?"
Zero Two had a coy smirk, remembering. "Was it entertaining?"
A: "Very."
Ma: "At least this meeting seems rather calm."
...
K: "She's Lilith. I imagine she's somehow speaking to us thought this text."
Re: "I can see her doing that."
Mi: "Damn it, Kaji. Why the fuck would I agree to that?"
Z: "It's not so bad, eh?"
Mi: "Maybe to him, and to others I know reasonably well. A public nude beach, however? Hell, even the onsen we went to was one I booked out exclusively for us."
A: "Pretty much how I feel."
E: "Sounds like a common opinion here."
Ma: "Don't suppose you share that opinion, Eliza."
E: "Clothing is more a utility, for me. Though I understand the modesty aspect of wearing such thing."
Re: "Essentially my opinion. There was a time where all I would wear was either my school uniform or my plugsuit."
A: "That was mainly cause you had no other clothing, wasn't it?"
Re: "That was a part of it. Though being unladen is a rather nice feeling regardless."
Mi: "Well, we know your opinions on that."
Rei merely gave Misato an unamused look.
Mi: "Yeah, I know. A lot coming from me."
Re: "Coming from most of you."
It's a mystery, Sociology!
K: "Not one for sociology, Misato?"
Mi: "Not exactly my forte, if you couldn't notice."
Re: "This would have been when you first... well, snapped."
Ri: "To say the least." Flat. "Makes me wonder how I dealt with such thing."
Sh: "...How did you deal with that kind of thing?"
Ri: "I roll with it." Shrugging. "It's how our world works. Best not to think about it too hard."
Ma: "Certainly a different attitude to that world, eh?"
A: "I mean, it is some sort of shit to comprehend, ain't it?"
E: "Hence why the world at large is in the dark."
Z: "But we do comprehend it, don't we? Otherwise we would've gone mad like you did."
H: "With how our world was like."
Z: "Alright, fair enough Darling."
Ri: "At least Lilith is enjoying my breakdown."
So: "Can the mind do that?"
Ritsuko shrugged. "The mind is a strange entity. It could go to such a length to understand, I imagine."
Mi: "You could've used that break. Maybe swim with Pen-Pen; penguins make everything better."
Ri: "Even mental breakdowns?"
Mi: "Hey, I probably would've snapped in some way if he wasn't around for me."
Union
Sh: "I've always wanted to know when I was conceived." He deadpanned.
E: "The 27th of August 2000 was a Sunday."
A: "Weren't you born in 2000, Shinji?"
Sh: "Maybe it was still a Sunday." Shrugging. "Is that usually the case, Kaworu?"
K: "I don't know when you were conceived, but I believe we established we are all one year removed from our counterparts in this work. In most of the works."
Re: "Strange how that happens."
Ma: "Can't deny he helped cheer her up."
A: "Seems you got that from your dad at least, Shinji."
Z: "Forgetting the union, it sounds like she isn't opposed to an idea of Instrumentality. It's simply why they wanted Instrumentality."
Sh: "...I mean, that does sound like mum. It took her a bit of convincing otherwise."
Ri: "It wouldn't surprise me if she still thinks along those lines, honestly. As we said earlier, it's a subjective opinion."
H: "Amazing how it can be subjective."
A: "This world's fucked; I can see the appeal of Instrumentality through that lens. Hell, we didn't mind Instrumentality when we were fucked!"
Re: "You of all people proved there can be good in this world."
A: "I know that." A small smile. "But I can see how it could be hard to see that when we get fucked by it."
...
K: "In a way, he did. He could not have known the consequences this action caused, as our world could not know."
A: "Of course, Seele most likely knew."
K: "Indeed, he most likely played into their hands with what he did."
Re: "That or Seele adapted to this change."
Z: "And this was the better alternative to whatever Seele wanted to do."
Sh: "Shows you just how bad they are."
E: "With Adam's propensity for ending the world, if Dr Katsuragi did not do what he did, Adam very well could've ended the world."
Ri: "He already did, at least as we knew it."
Ma: "...Suppose it goes to show just how curious we are, if anything."
K: "A part of me wonders if my Father attempted communications before Second Impact, as in that world."
So: "We could not know this."
K: "...Indeed. Not without great effort, at the very least."
Upgrade
Mi: "It's a natural part of life, death comes for us all one day."
K: "The difference is that he has the resources to prevent such thing. Of course, there's only so much you can do to the body and mind."
So: "The soul, however."
K: "Indeed. Hence, Instrumentality."
Z: "Pretty sure we even discussed how everything humans do is to stave off death."
A: "I mean, I'd like a long and healthy life. But eventually you're just gonna get diminishing returns; I wouldn't want to die as some demented mess, forgetting everything I ever knew and love. Live your life and die a good death, that's what I think."
Sh: "Practically every day is a day longer than we were expected to live, anyway. Might as well make the most of it."
A: "Not to mention we have a bit of an insurance policy, with those two."
Ma: "Ain't that taking life insurance to an extreme."
H: "Though I can't help but feel unapologetic for him not being able to engage in such thing."
Asuka huffed. "That uniform wouldn't help. Though if anything, it's this Dr Black being the pervert. Customer service, not even Bond is trying to hide what they really service."
E: "Poles of a sort."
A barking laugh from Asuka, as Ritsuko and Maya had a frankly shocked look. "Sounds like we're teaching you well, Eliza!"
...
Mi: "Seems you picked up on Adam's other influences in that world."
Ri: "It wasn't obvious with the mutant animals?"
Mi: "Oi, Pen-Pen ain't a mutant!"
K: "My other self is correct, in that regard. People can leave an impact on the world, well beyond their natural lifespans. It's one of the most intriguing aspects of the Lilim, in my opinion."
A: "I mean, I'd hope you'd agree with yourself, at least in some aspects."
Ma: "Everyone tends to leave something behind. Even if it's just offspring, that's still an influence of yours, isn't it?"
Sh: "And as long as a part of you lives on, are you really dead?"
Z: "I suppose that's one way we're still alive on our world, then. They certainly aren't forgetting us anytime soon, are they darling?"
H: "With how close we were, I'd hope not."
E: "I imagine this Water Music is a decent tune."
On her behest, Kaworu hummed a small part. "I believe so."
Spook
A: "A shame it took me a while to learn that attitude. Least it sounds like he has a good life."
So: "In which world?"
A: "Both, honestly." She shrugged. "Not like I tend to interact with him or Aoba outside of a sortie anyway; can't say for sure."
Ma: "He tends to keep NERV and home life separate. Certainly more than we can say."
Sh: "It's amazing he can do that."
Mi: "Kinda makes me feel bad for teasing him so much."
Ri: "Yeah, that was kinda obvious. At least he kept it professional."
Mi: "More than you can say of me, eh? Plus, I didn't mind the attention."
Ma: "He hasn't done that in a while, has he?"
Mi: "Maybe Kaji scared him off, or something." A small chuckle. "Or, he found someone else."
K: "You don't know?"
Misato shrugged. "As Maya said, he segregates work and home life. Not everyone's life has to orbit NERV."
Ri: "Could say the same of Aoba, as well. But hey, it's not my business what others do with their life."
Re: "With how... unique our lives are, at that."
Ritsuko chuckled. "Exactly my thought."
Z: "It's a nice attitude to have, isn't it? I don't really care about too much, myself."
E: "Hiro would be one of the things you do care about."
Z: "Kinda obvious, eh?"
H: "It helps we don't have to care about much. This world has been... rather generous to us. Now I think about it."
Z: "Yeah, all they really expect of us is to pilot another giant robot."
Mi: "You have agreed to piloting said giant robots." In deadpan.
Z: "I know." A smirk. "It's just kinda funny how that worked out, considering our world."
...
Re: "Seems not even the therapist is a proper therapist."
Sh: "I kinda knew it was too good to be true."
Mi: "Is it really hard to believe we'd actually want you well adjusted?"
The pilots gave her a flat look, pointing to the book.
Mi: "Right, right." She conceded.
K: "At this point, we've come to accept the only place we get some sort of privacy is the bedroom."
A: "Even then." A knowing glance to the Nephilim.
Ri: "Privacy in this line of work is more or less a luxury. If anything, you lot are lucky."
K: "I appreciate you stopped bugging the apartments, at least."
Ri: "You just fry them immediately; it's a waste of resources at this point."
Ma: "Not to mention we still don't monitor your texts. I imagine you four use that to full advantage."
Re: "That was one of the reasons I did not completely appreciate Kensuke calling me."
Z: "Was that how you guys found out about me?"
Ri: "The Magi automatically assumed your name was an important one, considering it was in Rift material and we already had Hiro in the ward. I'm pretty sure all the names in that were priority for the Magi."
E: "I doubt our apartment would be bugged, as well."
Ma: "I mean, that would involve bugging ourselves, wouldn't it? At least we don't have to use syslogs to communicate with some kind of privacy."
So: "How would you even do that?"
Ri: "Carefully."
Change of Plans
""…I know. But she's my mother. I deserved to know."
"…I see.""
Sh: "...Looks like I know everything now."
A: "It's still more than we were ever told."
Mi: "I can see his justification for not telling you; you couldn't change it. It'd just worry you."
Sh: "I know that. Maybe if I knew a bit more on Metaphysical Biology."
Re: "He is truthful about the soul, at the very least. Fracturing the soul is beyond any sort of physical or mental trauma; it is damage that sunders the very core of your existence."
A: "And look what my mama had to deal with."
K: "Hence why the Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu of that world chose to place her entire self within. No half measures."
So: "She might have known what a fracture in the soul was like. Seeing her counterpart go through with it."
Ri: "It's a brutal lesson. You simply cannot do half measures with the Evangelion. If half is willing but the other half is not, what do you expect will happen?"
Z: "...Hey, do you know if that's the same with the NACSS?"
Ri: "It would not be to such an extent, I would think. Any ensouling that would happen in using the NACSS system is temporary, and we know enough that we can stop anything like that if it happened today."
Ma: "They say safety standards are written in blood. The same principle applies, I feel."
A: "Well it's good to know regardless. Don't be half assed when you're a core, got it."
H: "I mean, in our world, if the Pistil wasn't feeling it, the Paracapacity would just tank."
Z: "Yeah, if our souls got torn to shreds if we weren't that into it, Ikuno wouldn't have a good time. So, you guys should be fine."
E: "At least he's blunt about it. He's not speaking around what happened."
A: "He's got that going for him, at least."
...
A: "Approves? You damn changed his mind, Rei and Shinji! That's more than we did!"
Sh: "Didn't help my father was steadfast in that belief."
So: "We not need worry of his plan any longer, then."
Z: "There's still Seele."
Mi: "If he's willing to halt his plans for it, surely he'll stop Seele's plan for it."
Ri: "What would he do now, then? Everything he did, he did for Yui."
K: "Well, I imagine all this planning will go to ensuring you two are alright, Shinji and Rei."
E: "All because he saw himself and Yui in you two."
Ma: "I find it amazing he could change his mind, after everything."
H: "He doesn't want to deprive you two of the joy he once had. Given that, it would've been a rather simple decision to make."
A: "For that Gendo, yeah. But for our Gendo, who would've split us up somehow in order to damage us more for his plan."
Sh: "At least that version is more... allowing."
A: "Guess that means you're official!"
Re: "It is... certainly more of a blessing than we ever got."
Mi: "You wouldn't even want our Gendo's blessing."
Re: "True. Who is he to influence our lives, when he treated us naught but tools."
Sh: "...That version of my father certainly isn't treating us like that."
Angels Seven
K: "They're rather different entities, are they not? With a different view on the world at large."
Ri: "Lilith's the curious one; suppose that's fitting for the Progenitor of humanity."
Ma: "It's our curiosity that got us here, after all. And I'm not just talking about Second Impact, everything humans have done started with a curiosity."
Z: "So it's Adam crucified, in that world."
A: "Ain't that some imagery."
K: "Essentially implying Lilim superiority over Adam. I imagine many of my kin would find that in poor taste." A wry remark.
Sh: "As if they couldn't despise us even more."
E: "That's another interesting point. Adam is wary of progress, Lilith enjoys progress. What does that make your curious mind, Kaworu?"
Kaworu found the computer's thoughts amusing. "It gives me hope I may live to be with Asuka."
A small chuckle. "You're gonna have to salvage my mind first. 'Less you want to do what Shinji did, in the Laserdiscs."
An unamused frown from Shinji. "I doubt any of us in that world would stoop that low. We're all better adjusted, for one."
H: "Can you be adjusted if you don't even have a mind?"
A: "Not like I can do anything like that, being catatonic." A huff. "I doubt I'm fixing myself anytime soon."
...
"So instead of beginning the next phase - which involved various AT-Field-induced physics manipulations - the Mark 06 took off northward, sprinting toward the sea."
A: "...Or, you could be the one going Angel, Kaworu."
K: "I would not think I was the one going Tabris."
So: "The subtitle suggested Yomiko."
Mi: "So this would be a distraction?"
E: "Kaworu pretends to go rogue, giving an excuse for Yomiko to sortie in the Mark-07. Where she can then... well, go Zeruel."
Sh: "So much for getting her to the end of this."
K: "I... wrote her off in my mind, as soon as she stated she will take whatever opportunity comes her way. This... would be that."
Z: "A shame, isn't it?"
K: "...Yeah. Hence why I think this tragic; I know I am ultimately sending her to her death. But what am I to do?"
Ri: "Not like she would change her mind, at this point."
K: "Indeed. She is locked into her path. It would've been nice to have one of my own to last with me, but alas."
Ma: "...That's even if you last. We know in... what is it, three things so far? How'd you go in that other book?"
K: "Dead."
Ma: "Four."
Re: "It is more an exception, at this point."
H: "I assume there's nothing special about the date?"
K: "It's World Health Day, I suppose?"
A: "I'm starting to think we shouldn't bother with the numerology."
Kaworu shrugged. "It's fun to point out, when there is some significance."
...
"And, in a moment of cosmic irony, Yomiko Nagisa let loose a diabolical laugh."
A: "Welp. They're boned."
Ri: "I concur. Nice bait, Kaworu."
Mi: "Now I kinda understand why they didn't let her use the Mark-07."
Sh: "Because she would've immediately gone Zeruel?"
K: "...It doesn't help we have nothing left to lose. Bardiel's machination failed. We're running out of plans. And... when she falls, it'll be down to me."
So: "Believing her dead already?"
Ma: "It's what happens to Angels that attack us, isn't it? Either we die, or they die. The only way there could be peace would be if they didn't attack."
Z: "I kinda noticed that, at least in the Laserdiscs. Other than Sandalphon, it was all self defence. Wasn't it?"
Re: "And we know the survival instinct is a strong one. Humanity would not die without a fight."
K: "A good thing I went for a different tactic. Actually befriending the Lilim; becoming the peaceful emissary of my kind."
Re: "Even then, it took some convincing from us all."
K: "Lets just say you're very persuasive." A small smirk. "A shame my self there could not convince Zeruel."
Twentieth Century Fucked
"In the next instant, half of Berlin-2 erupted, annihilated by a flurry of crosses."
Mi: "Looks like there'll be a third Berlin soon."
A: "Joy." She bit through her teeth. "Hopefully my papa survived, at least. He's actually kinda decent in this."
K: "I'm sure he will. Jackal and all that."
So: "Zeruel will not, at this point."
Z: "Judging at least from the sneak peak we got, they actually got pretty far."
Sh: "Then again, that could've been right before we end up defeating her."
Ri: "She won't make it easy, that's for sure."
Re: "I expect this will be the most difficult Angel. Which is saying something, considering the most recent Angels we had to face."
H: "Can't argue the next chapter will be boring, at least."
A: "None of these have really been boring, Hiro. Especially when they fuck us!"
E: "With how common that seems to happen, next chapter will be full of it."
K: "It's clear, however." He surmised, a glance to the book. "We are approaching the endgame. After Zeruel, it will either be I or Seele."
Sh: "Fun."
...
"Turning away, the Mark 06 delved further into the deep."
K: "...It seems she knows she may fall, as well."
E: "But she will allow you to come and take what you want."
Re: "It is whether he wants to, or not. It is clear he appreciates the Lilim, as our world; would he want to destroy that?"
K: "You know my answer to that question here."
Mi: "With how you interacted with us, I'd hope. Yomiko, yeah it was pretty damn obvious she had it out for us, but you were rather pleasant with us."
K: "Hopefully that relationship I hold with you is enough to keep me from ending the world, Asuka."
A small chuckle, slightly bashful. "In my state, I don't think I'd care too much."
H: "What if he fixes you?"
A: "Well, if he goes to the trouble of putting my mind together again, why on Earth would he then immediately go on to end the world?"
K: "A fair point. If I wished to end the world, it would not matter to me."
Ma: "So it all comes down to if you fix her, or not?"
A: "Cause that'd be pretty scummy if you put my mind back together, then you ended the world."
K: "I wouldn't do that to you. Either I leave you as you are and end it all; a mercy for you. Or I fix you and leave it all as is; also a mercy for you."
Sh: "Might as well flip a coin, at that point."
Z: "Most of this place seems to be decided on chance, anyway."
So: "You may have a separate stratagem as well, Kaworu."
K: "That, or I'm laying low. I don't need to say this act will anger Seele."
A: "Oh? I thought they'd be bouncing in joy with the knowledge that the two Angels they had just went rogue."
K: "Exactly."
~
"To be continued..."
"That certainly went better, I suppose."
"Even with Yomiko going all big Z on us?"
"Yes, Asuka. Even with. At least we got some break, after all that shit." Misato deadpanned.
"It was rather interesting seeing the different perspectives." Mused Rei. "Lilith certainly has an interest in what happens."
"She's as curious as we are."
"Indeed, Maya. Rather natural, I would think."
"We do certainly know a bit more of that world." A glance to Shinji. "Perhaps a bit too much."
"I mean, I kinda knew my mum and dad would've had to do that. Y'know, existing."
"You probably could've gone the rest of your life without knowing the day you were conceived."
"Eeyup." A flat reply to the doctor. "At least here, it was different."
"At least year wise."
"Who knows, I could've been conceived on a Sunday. Not like there's too much that happens on that day, anyway." A beat, before before a look of disgust grew on him. "Why the hell am I even thinking of this?!"
His reaction certainly helped in raising the mood, laughter all around the table. It died down soon enough, however; Kaworu closing the book, ready to continue another time. "I take it the NACSS may be ready for testing about now?"
A glance to the clock from the Commander. "At this point, I'd expect it. Rits?"
"Checking it now." Once more, into the terminal. "30 minutes."
"Well, ain't that convenient." Remarked Misato. "Gives our test pilots enough time to change into their plugsuits, at least."
"So I'm guessing we're one of those pilots."
"You do have the most experience with dual pilot systems, Zero Two and Hiro." Misato pointed out. "Plus, you said you'd like you get back in your darling's mind again."
Hands on the back of her head. "Oh yeah."
"Anyone else want to volunteer?" The Commander openly queried. "We'd have enough time to test another pilot pair; tomorrow can be for training and experimenting with the system."
Asuka was rather immediate in her reply. "You wanna try it, Shinji?"
"Sure." He too immediately agreed. "It'd be nice to get back in a saddle again."
A light slap on the back. "That's the spirit, Shin-chan!" A beaming smile; she too was somewhat eager. Especially if it meant she could experience such a thing with Shinji. "I suppose we can test that system we thought of, eh?"
Shinji looked to Asuka.
She looked to Shinji. "Best of three is pilot position."
"You're on."
"First comes the rock, then comes paper, you can't throw all of them JANKEN PON!"
"First comes the rock, then comes paper, you can't throw all of them JANKEN PON!"
1-0 to Shinji.
"Janken PON!"
"Janken PON!"
Draw.
"Aiko desho!"
"Aiko desho!"
1-1.
"Janken PON!"
"Janken PON!"
2-1.
A smirk from Shinji. "Looks like I'm piloting."
"Heh, lucky." Ever the graceful also-ran, she poked her tongue. "Oh well, I can always beat you in something."
"Eh?"
"A race." A wide grin. "Last person to the lockers does tomorrow's laundry!"
She bolted, the door not holding her back much.
"But I'm already doing laundry tomorrow Asuka!"
He too ran after her.
All this was rather amusing to the gathered. "Well, you two might as well go get changed as well." Ritsuko suggested.
"Don't suppose we'll beEE-"
"Come, my darling!" Lifting him from the chair, she began running out with him. "Maybe we can beat them there!"
The amusement continued. "They seem rather enthusiastic."
"It has been a while." Rei noted. "Plus, if such thing is how Zero Two made it out to be, well... that just adds another layer to their excitement."
"I'm sure you'd be rather excited for such thing, as well."
"Perhaps." A demure glance to Kaworu, and a small smile. "Though I already have such thing."
~~~
"...I suppose that is just confirmation Yomiko will cast the die."
"Much like other days in the life, it will occur at the end."
"Leaving us with a cliffhanger." Asuka muttered.
"Wouldn't be the first time." Misato too muttered. "I wonder what Gendo would change his mind about?"
"What is the one thing he wants?"
"...Would he really change his mind about Instrumentality?"
"A difficult thought, I'm sure." Wryly remarked the son.
"We're getting some more information about the past, at least." Thought Zero Two. "I kinda thought the other historical record was interesting."
"Even though it focused more on the forbidden fruit instead of what was actually interesting."
"Much like you guys." Deadpanned Ritsuko.
Ruby Eyes
"Toji's fist slammed into the wall, creating a sizable dent. Best part: it didn't hurt. At all. "...awesome.""
Re: "That is... hmm." She bemused.
Ri: "Didn't happen, here. Else Hikari would've become a Nephilim. Or pseudo-Nephilim."
Z: "Do we count as pseudo-Nephilim?"
Ma: "We didn't even have that classification until we read this."
Sh: "I'm sure he wouldn't mind that, at least."
K: "It would depend how deep this newfound Nephilimhood goes. Though... I suppose it would make sense one could potentially become a Nephilim with Angelic contamination."
Mi: "I know Hikari certainly didn't become one. Unless there's something there I'm missing."
Ri: "We checked over her when she came back, no contamination of note."
Mi: "...Of note."
A: "Maybe her mama protected her from all that."
So: "Would it be her mother subject to such thing, then?"
K: "We wouldn't even know, until we free her."
E: "It does sound plausible, however."
A: "Don't suppose you can contaminate us, Kaworu?"
Ri: "I wouldn't call that wise."
Re: "I am doing quite fine with my daily contamination."
Snickering from everyone except the adults in the room.
H: "Even compared to us, it doesn't sound as complete."
K: "It sounds plausible, how Angel remnants can influence someone. There's only so much that can happen without altering someone's genome, however."
...
"These interactions, so small in magnitude, yet so passionate in their meekness...how delightful."
Sh: "...And my mother is watching all this?"Mi: "It wouldn't surprise me if she had some sort of awareness like this, in our world."
Ri: "Could say that of all the Evangelion, honestly. It depends on whether they wanted to, or not."
Re: "And what they know of the soul. This appears to be an application of Astral Projection; Shinji's mother may know or have figured this with her studies into Metaphysical Biology. Ms Horaki may not have this knowledge."
A: "I don't recall my mama Projecting herself out of the Evangelion."
K: "We wouldn't even know unless they told us."
Sh: "Which they didn't."
So: "It could not be a concept here. Most situations in this work do not appear to be so."
K: "All our worlds ultimately stem from the same tree. Hence, the plausibility."
H: "Even other worlds, you applied knowledge from there for your own benefit."
Z: "Like our world."
Ri: "Even the world of Pacific Rim gave us some idea as to how a coreless, two pilot system works."
E: "More or less the same principle as a cored system. Two souls are required to pilot an Evangelion. The world of Pacific Rim simply used a more traditionally scientific approach."
A: "At the very least, it sounds like his sis is alright. More than you can say of me, eh?"
Although Bound
"So stark and so heartfelt, yet so humble and diminutive...like molecules with wills and minds of their own."
A small sigh from Misato. "...Poor kid. They're the one really going through the ringer with this."A: "Yeah, it's not just me. At least Ai seems to be alright, at least." She huffed. "You can tell she's my sis, at least."
Ri: "It's understandable why she's angry. She'd have so much emotion welling up, after what happened."
Ma: "At least she isn't hiding it away."
A: "That's already better than what I did. Hell, even in that world, there were shades of that."
Sh: "...It wouldn't help she's young. Not like they can know; we'd know that well."
Re: "There is a reason why her father wanted to keep her in Germany. At least there, she would be somewhat shielded from what happened."
Z: "But that would've meant keeping her away from Asuka. And she wouldn't want that either."
A: "Well, I'm pretty far away from her now, ain't I?"
K: "Through no fault of your own."
Mi: "Can you really say anything that happens to them is their fault? Practically everything is out of their control."
Sh: "Just like this world."
A: "Hell, even the Seele Incursion, that was you guys that did all the diplomatic stuff. We just thrashed the MP-Eva."
H: "I can see that helping your case, as well."
E: "I wouldn't think this coma would be permanent, though. Even in the Laserdiscs, you eventually came to."
A: "And promptly dying not 10 minutes later. But you have a point; maybe Bond is benevolent enough to give me fifteen minutes of waking life before I kick the bucket."
So: "Your hopes are understandably low."
...
"Their pain comes in many flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, strong, weak…such variety."
Ma: "Mana took it well, at least."E: "Even Mayumi, considering she lost a limb."
Re: "It is no wonder, then, why Hikari Kirishima wanted to... indulge, as she put it."
A: "So they do have cloning facilities!"
Ri: "Sounds like they're a lot more confident with such a thing, however."
Mi: "I mean, as you said, we've never had to use such thing, have we?"
Sh: "The way we keep talking about it, it's gonna get some use soon."
So: "I can understand her reasoning. Even if she is Nephilim, it will at least remind others she is as mortal as they are."
A: "I mean, I'd probably go for a regrown limb. Depends how much of an inconvenience it is."
Re: "You might even be able to get around doing that. Ai was horribly disfigured and yet ensouling her has been said to help her."
A: "It's a bit of an extreme, though. I'd probably go for it only if I was horribly disfigured; a few limbs is small fry compared to a broken spine."
Ri: "I mean, you're still losing function."
A: "If I break my spine, I lose function everywhere below the break. At least if I lose, say, my right leg, I still have control of all my faculties down there. Plus, battle scars and all that."
Z: "Of course, you'd probably think differently if it actually happens."
A: "Oh yeah, almost certainly. I know losing a limb like that would fuck me up a bit, even with how I sound."
Mi: "'Least you aren't deliberately trying to get your leg lopped off."
Asuka snorted. "Shinji likes them too much for that!"
Her other became luminous, much to her amusement.
...
"But not me. Nothing of humanity is hidden…for I am always by their side."
Re: "...Not Yui. Lilith."K: "Would Yui be her avatar, in this world?"
Ri: "Unit-01 is of Lilith. It could be a possibility."
E: "If this is even Yui. From what it sounds like, Lilith could do this."
Re: "Lilith does know. Every single Lillim soul, she knows."
Mi: "So she pretty much is God."
Re: "More or less. Yet she is often content to observe. A watchmaker God."
A: "You can certainly say she's observing all this. I suppose she's a better god than God."
Ma: "Not because Rei is practically her avatar in this world, right?"
Asuka shrugged. "I mean, you could say it's a positive having a couple gods as friends. That's not exactly what I focus on, of course."
So: "It appears he is beginning to change his mind, about his plan."
Z: "With how far he's gotten into this?"
Sh: "Goes to show how we influenced him, doesn't it?"
Re: "Indeed. Perhaps he sees some hope in the world, with our relationship."
A: "More than you can say of our world, eh?"
Second Coming
"I am known as LILITH. And I am aware of the stories of all that I have created."
Re: "...Curious."Z: "This story is similar?"
Re: "Indeed. Even down to the fall of her civilisation, of the First Ancestral Race."
K: "It is known that Lilith felt something for Adam. This went all the way back to before they were Progenitors; star crossed love that she could not admit."
A: "Though this is less wanting Adam, and more wanting anything. It's loneliness."
Ri: "It would be rather lonely, I imagine. Adam would be the only being who could be her equal."
K: "You can see why she tolerates my relation with Rei, then. We can do what she could not."
Mi: "Yeah, I'm sure she's very happy perving on you two."
E: "If they are like this, they perv on literally everyone."
Sh: "That's the same with any god, honestly. Not like you can stop them from seeing you, considering they see everything."
A: "Guess that makes those two perving on us completely fine, then!"
Sh: "You're already alright with that, Asuka."
A: "I mean, they can't help it, can you?"
Both Nephilim shook their heads.
A: "Plus, I don't particularly mind."
Ma: "Tumbleweee~ed."
A: "Yeah yeah, we know."
Bongo Bongo Bongo
"And yet…conflict offers opportunity for unexpected interactions."
Z: "I suppose that's how she became an a monkey whisperer."K: "Saving someone's life tends to result in goodwill like that."
Ma: "Good to see my brother and I weren't the only ones having a horrid time after Second Impact."
Ri: "It goes a way to explain her... attitude."
H: "Are diamonds really that valuable?"
Mi: "I never got that myself. Especially nowadays; you wouldn't want to waste something like diamond on jewellery, eh?"
Ri: "Synthetic diamond is more or less what most diamonds are nowadays, anyway. I'm sure you all know by now how Africa fell to shit, that's where most of the world's diamonds came from."
A: "Even that sounded like complete cruelty to the people who actually mined them, least from what I read."
Ri: "There's a reason they were called blood diamonds."
K: "We know this world's Japan did not resort to neo-colonialism. Some nations did, of course."
E: "It sounded like Japan was busy with their own affairs."
Ma: "It's hard to focus on the outside world when you were literally nuked by an unknown entity. Not even mentioning the flooding and climate change we had to deal with."
Ri: "Honestly, diamonds are severely overrated. They're useful, don't get me wrong. They're one of the hardest materials we know of. But the only reason why they were so valued as they were was because they were shiny, and people have the intelligence of a crow when it comes to shiny objects."
So: "It sounds like Second Impact resulted in that changing."
Ri: "To say the least. Can't exactly spend money on what is ultimately a vanity object when you're trying to survive."
A: "God knows I wouldn't want to spend tens of thousands of Yen on something like that. We'd probably just get a simple silver or gold band if we're looking for rings, maybe a small gemstone of some sort. Certainly not diamond, though."
Mi: "Yeah that's pretty much my thinking as well. Don't suppose one of you guys could make something like that; save us some more money."
Kaworu chuckled. "It would be an exercise in imagination, I suppose. I could use some development in that regard."
Shine, Shine, Monk
""For one, if our dear vigilantes are unstable, I'd prefer it to be you instead of one of my men.""
Sh: "I'm sure he appreciated that."
Z: "Can't say they're not honest."
A: "Can't say I even feel sorry those dogs met horrid ends. Shit, I'd kill them myself if I wanted to."
Ma: "...I mean, those are pretty horrible people."
K: "That is another argument for Instrumentality."
Re: "An unfortunate reality. The existence of such depravity is a sad reality of any world; Instrumentalty would prevent such thing from occurring."
Mi: "Of course, you could spin Instrumentality as a good thing using anything wrong with this world, can you?"
Sh: "Maybe if Instrumentality was more known to the general public, that's what they'd do."
K: "It's all a question on whether or not it is worth it to lose your individuality. As life has the good and the bad, the world has the good and the bad. And removing the bad would also result in removing the good. So, is it worth it?"
H: "Of course, that doesn't sound like what Seele thought."
K: "Indeed. But they could spin it like that. It wouldn't surprise me if they did, in fact. Fuyutsuki at that point believed as much."
E: "...Something like that is ultimately dependent on what the individual believes in, I would think."
...
"A stroke of luck resulted in two lives being changed forever…and looking back, knowing who they had become…you would always wonder if their suffering was truly meaningless."
Maya appeared melancholic. "...Man, we were so fucked."Re: "A good thing Fuyutsuki found you before anyone else."
Ma: "...Yeah. But... fuck, I can't believe we could even think that."
K: "It would've taken a great deal to gain that trust, I imagine."
Ma: "And yet... he somehow managed."
A: "Those dolls still creep me out, y'know."
Misato grimaced at the memory. "Yeah, I probably should've seen how they could... look like that."
Asuka handwaved it. "Not like I knew it was a Japanese thing."
Z: "...Is that really a song?"
Ri: "It's a nursery rhyme. Children sing it to keep the rain away, not like we need the help of the Teru Teru Bozu nowadays."
Z: "Final line and all?"
Ri: "Yep."
Z: "What the hell?!"
A: "All nursery rhymes worth their salt are grim when you think about them. Not like the children would know; a popular German one is Hoppe Hoppe Reiter." She gave a small smile. "It's one my mama used to sing to me."
The smile became a comical frown. "It's about a man who falls off his horse and cart, and either drowns in a swamp or a lake, or gets eaten by ravens."
Z: "...And why do they become children's songs?"
A: "God if I know. Maybe the adults find it hilarious seeing kids singing about that kinda shit. I know I would."
Sh: "You could say that of most children's stories anyway. Nursery rhymes are just one part of it."
Mi: "Nothing like scaring the shit out of your kids to get them to learn something!"
E: "I'm sure Ma and her brother would have been scared during their experience post-Impact."
Ma: "And instead of learning a moral of some sort, we just learnt to horrifically murder. Not exactly a good thing to learn."
Lesson Zero
""Hmm. Never taken a punch before?"
"Not…like…that…"
"Consider it another free lesson.""
Mi: "Speaking of lessons."
A: "Why can I see Kaji getting in a situation like that?"
Ri: "He certainly doesn't nowadays."
Mi: "...Let's just say he learnt this quickly."
So: "Different to this world."
A singular nod. "And that is all I'll say."
Ma: "Still, they can't really know what they got into. Kaji's the same age as you, Misato."
Re: "Desperation drives people to do many things they may not do normally."
K: "As the Kaji in that world."
Z: "Suppose the world just doesn't like youthful optimism."
Ri: "Second Impact would've saw to that, one way or another."
E: "He's lucky the Jackal felt benevolent towards him."
Mi: "He has a point. They're just dumb kids, at that point."
H: "We certainly know he didn't waste this chance of his."
Z: "And they've been 'friends' ever since."
Sh: "Friends with a giant asterisk next to the term."
...
"And what delight you felt, when you first met Pieter Langley in Germany, and realized that you were speaking to the man who had been contracted to kill you and your friends. A mere connection in the thread of causality, but one with such possibility…"
Misato gave a grim chuckle. "Oh yeah, that would've creeped him out some."So: "I assume that is what will be covered next."
Kaworu gave a cursory glance to the next section. "...No, not exactly."
Sh: "So that is what started his curiosity?"
Re: "It is an interesting question, for someone like him. Just who was this man?"
Ri: "He certainly found that out."
Ma: "How many times has the Jackal threatened his life?"
Z: "This is the first of many." Flat.
K: "It's a good thing your mother helped quell him some, Asuka."
Asuka snorted. "Good for Misato, isn't it?"
Mi: "Yes, I do appreciate your father not killing my fiancee."
E: "It's a good thing he's rather noble about his job. Not everyone needs to die."
H: "Though we know if they squandered this chance, he wouldn't hold anything back."
Sh: "Some people can be redeemed. Kaji and his team hadn't yet crossed that event horizon, at least according to Asuka's dad."
A: "And we've seen what people have crossed that line. Cultists that murdered hundreds with VX, and a child abductor. And not just any child, his child!"
Mi: "Not to mention how they did it. He was lucky he was given an honourable death after that."
Au Naturel
""Hey, I can objectively comment on someone else's beauty. You know the saying: you can look at someone else's car, even if you aren't driving it."
"Okay Kaji-kun, who actually says that?""
A: "Of course it's a damn nude beach."
Mi: "And of course he's perving on your mum."
Ri: "I'm more intrigued as to why I am doing post-doctoral studies on a nude beach."
Z: "Maybe you like studying in the nude?"
A: "I can think of many better things you can do in the nude, Zero Two."
Sh: "None of which you could do on a nude beach." Shinji deadpanned. "Unless it's a private beach."
Ma: "Not like this even matters for us. I've never heard of a nude beach in Japan; it's mainly European isn't it?"
A: "More or less, modest this place is. There's a few in Germany, not that I ever partook in that sort of thing."
Mi: "Though it's not like nudity here is untoward. Hell, look at those hot springs we went to after Sandalphon, that was a naturalist spring."
E: "That were separated by gender."
Ri: "You wouldn't get a mixed nude onsen unless you're in rural Japan. Meiji saw to that." A huff. "Westerners can be prudes sometimes."
A: "Hey, that's the English and the Americans. Don't lump us in with them."
...
"Kyoko nodded to herself. "Yes. Mari will be fine.""
Mi: "Well that certainly changed."
K: "Lilith certainly found it amusing."
So: "Mari may be, I cannot say the same for the doctor."
Mi: "At least she's excited for the beach."
Asuka huffed. "I'm too young to worry about perverts, at that point."
Ri: "Depending on who's on the beach, you probably wouldn't mind nowadays."
A: "Yeah, but that's a rather thin category. In fact, almost all of them are in this very room."
H: "Almost?"
Z: "Including us?"
A: "As long as you don't stare, Zero Two." She smirked. "And the only other person is Hikari. Though that's more the fact I've seen her like that, so it's fair turnabout at this point."
Sh: "Not even mentioning we were all nude at least once in the Laserdiscs."
Z: "Hell, you guys seen me like that. And at least every other girl I knew on Plantation 13. Probably more, in fact; depends how much that show of ours showed you."
Sh: "Remember when that Klaxosaur burnt off the plugsuits of the Pistils?"
Re: "Which caused a rift between the Pistils and Stamen, ultimately resulting in them breaking the house in two?"
A: "And then you told the boys they could use the bathhouse? Which was on the girls side of the house?"
K: "And in the inevitable clash that resulted in nude males encountering the nude females, you stole the clothing of everyone?"
Mi: "Resulting in Hiro chasing you up to the roof while World War G was blazing down below?"
Zero Two had a coy smirk, remembering. "Was it entertaining?"
A: "Very."
Ma: "At least this meeting seems rather calm."
...
"Five individual humans, seemingly limited in their power. And yet, these five will be involved in the great crucible that will test this world…yet you wouldn't know if the time and place were just a little bit different. Oh, the ecstasy and agony of [change/evolution/transformation]!"
A: "A part of me wonders who she's speaking to."K: "She's Lilith. I imagine she's somehow speaking to us thought this text."
Re: "I can see her doing that."
Mi: "Damn it, Kaji. Why the fuck would I agree to that?"
Z: "It's not so bad, eh?"
Mi: "Maybe to him, and to others I know reasonably well. A public nude beach, however? Hell, even the onsen we went to was one I booked out exclusively for us."
A: "Pretty much how I feel."
E: "Sounds like a common opinion here."
Ma: "Don't suppose you share that opinion, Eliza."
E: "Clothing is more a utility, for me. Though I understand the modesty aspect of wearing such thing."
Re: "Essentially my opinion. There was a time where all I would wear was either my school uniform or my plugsuit."
A: "That was mainly cause you had no other clothing, wasn't it?"
Re: "That was a part of it. Though being unladen is a rather nice feeling regardless."
Mi: "Well, we know your opinions on that."
Rei merely gave Misato an unamused look.
Mi: "Yeah, I know. A lot coming from me."
Re: "Coming from most of you."
It's a mystery, Sociology!
"Your mind, whole and hearty, was unable to bear the world…and so it split until it could. Oh, the ecstasy and agony of [change/evolution/transformation]!"
Ri: "Ain't that the truth."K: "Not one for sociology, Misato?"
Mi: "Not exactly my forte, if you couldn't notice."
Re: "This would have been when you first... well, snapped."
Ri: "To say the least." Flat. "Makes me wonder how I dealt with such thing."
Sh: "...How did you deal with that kind of thing?"
Ri: "I roll with it." Shrugging. "It's how our world works. Best not to think about it too hard."
Ma: "Certainly a different attitude to that world, eh?"
A: "I mean, it is some sort of shit to comprehend, ain't it?"
E: "Hence why the world at large is in the dark."
Z: "But we do comprehend it, don't we? Otherwise we would've gone mad like you did."
H: "With how our world was like."
Z: "Alright, fair enough Darling."
Ri: "At least Lilith is enjoying my breakdown."
So: "Can the mind do that?"
Ritsuko shrugged. "The mind is a strange entity. It could go to such a length to understand, I imagine."
Mi: "You could've used that break. Maybe swim with Pen-Pen; penguins make everything better."
Ri: "Even mental breakdowns?"
Mi: "Hey, I probably would've snapped in some way if he wasn't around for me."
Union
"[Union/generation/life]. Humanity continues on with this act each time it occurs. Her gaze focused on Yui's abdomen, within which a new soul would soon take residence. Shinji Ikari, conceived on a Sunday. You will be born into a world of calamity."
Mi: "Now that's too much information."Sh: "I've always wanted to know when I was conceived." He deadpanned.
E: "The 27th of August 2000 was a Sunday."
A: "Weren't you born in 2000, Shinji?"
Sh: "Maybe it was still a Sunday." Shrugging. "Is that usually the case, Kaworu?"
K: "I don't know when you were conceived, but I believe we established we are all one year removed from our counterparts in this work. In most of the works."
Re: "Strange how that happens."
Ma: "Can't deny he helped cheer her up."
A: "Seems you got that from your dad at least, Shinji."
Z: "Forgetting the union, it sounds like she isn't opposed to an idea of Instrumentality. It's simply why they wanted Instrumentality."
Sh: "...I mean, that does sound like mum. It took her a bit of convincing otherwise."
Ri: "It wouldn't surprise me if she still thinks along those lines, honestly. As we said earlier, it's a subjective opinion."
H: "Amazing how it can be subjective."
A: "This world's fucked; I can see the appeal of Instrumentality through that lens. Hell, we didn't mind Instrumentality when we were fucked!"
Re: "You of all people proved there can be good in this world."
A: "I know that." A small smile. "But I can see how it could be hard to see that when we get fucked by it."
...
"Man and woman sought to change the destiny of the world…and their wish was granted."
Misato offered a huff. "...So. It was an attempt to destroy him."K: "In a way, he did. He could not have known the consequences this action caused, as our world could not know."
A: "Of course, Seele most likely knew."
K: "Indeed, he most likely played into their hands with what he did."
Re: "That or Seele adapted to this change."
Z: "And this was the better alternative to whatever Seele wanted to do."
Sh: "Shows you just how bad they are."
E: "With Adam's propensity for ending the world, if Dr Katsuragi did not do what he did, Adam very well could've ended the world."
Ri: "He already did, at least as we knew it."
Ma: "...Suppose it goes to show just how curious we are, if anything."
K: "A part of me wonders if my Father attempted communications before Second Impact, as in that world."
So: "We could not know this."
K: "...Indeed. Not without great effort, at the very least."
Upgrade
"Humanity's lifespan: long enough, that one could afford to think in the abstract, and ponder the meaning of existence…yet short enough for one to cherish every single moment…to the point where death frightens you, beyond the merely instinctual level."
Re: "For him, Instrumentality was to stave off death."Mi: "It's a natural part of life, death comes for us all one day."
K: "The difference is that he has the resources to prevent such thing. Of course, there's only so much you can do to the body and mind."
So: "The soul, however."
K: "Indeed. Hence, Instrumentality."
Z: "Pretty sure we even discussed how everything humans do is to stave off death."
A: "I mean, I'd like a long and healthy life. But eventually you're just gonna get diminishing returns; I wouldn't want to die as some demented mess, forgetting everything I ever knew and love. Live your life and die a good death, that's what I think."
Sh: "Practically every day is a day longer than we were expected to live, anyway. Might as well make the most of it."
A: "Not to mention we have a bit of an insurance policy, with those two."
Ma: "Ain't that taking life insurance to an extreme."
H: "Though I can't help but feel unapologetic for him not being able to engage in such thing."
Asuka huffed. "That uniform wouldn't help. Though if anything, it's this Dr Black being the pervert. Customer service, not even Bond is trying to hide what they really service."
E: "Poles of a sort."
A barking laugh from Asuka, as Ritsuko and Maya had a frankly shocked look. "Sounds like we're teaching you well, Eliza!"
...
"You are well aware of your destiny, and fully accept the ultimate end, whatever it may be…but in the meantime, you are content to wait, and experience. So…nostalgic."
Re: "Reminds her of another time, it seems."Mi: "Seems you picked up on Adam's other influences in that world."
Ri: "It wasn't obvious with the mutant animals?"
Mi: "Oi, Pen-Pen ain't a mutant!"
K: "My other self is correct, in that regard. People can leave an impact on the world, well beyond their natural lifespans. It's one of the most intriguing aspects of the Lilim, in my opinion."
A: "I mean, I'd hope you'd agree with yourself, at least in some aspects."
Ma: "Everyone tends to leave something behind. Even if it's just offspring, that's still an influence of yours, isn't it?"
Sh: "And as long as a part of you lives on, are you really dead?"
Z: "I suppose that's one way we're still alive on our world, then. They certainly aren't forgetting us anytime soon, are they darling?"
H: "With how close we were, I'd hope not."
E: "I imagine this Water Music is a decent tune."
On her behest, Kaworu hummed a small part. "I believe so."
Spook
"A modest philosophy, an unpretentious lifestyle…yet there is contentment to be found, even when everyone around is decidedly…unconventional. There is a simpleminded charm to it."
Ma: "Yeah, that sounds like Makoto. He's pretty good at not making too much fuss of things."A: "A shame it took me a while to learn that attitude. Least it sounds like he has a good life."
So: "In which world?"
A: "Both, honestly." She shrugged. "Not like I tend to interact with him or Aoba outside of a sortie anyway; can't say for sure."
Ma: "He tends to keep NERV and home life separate. Certainly more than we can say."
Sh: "It's amazing he can do that."
Mi: "Kinda makes me feel bad for teasing him so much."
Ri: "Yeah, that was kinda obvious. At least he kept it professional."
Mi: "More than you can say of me, eh? Plus, I didn't mind the attention."
Ma: "He hasn't done that in a while, has he?"
Mi: "Maybe Kaji scared him off, or something." A small chuckle. "Or, he found someone else."
K: "You don't know?"
Misato shrugged. "As Maya said, he segregates work and home life. Not everyone's life has to orbit NERV."
Ri: "Could say the same of Aoba, as well. But hey, it's not my business what others do with their life."
Re: "With how... unique our lives are, at that."
Ritsuko chuckled. "Exactly my thought."
Z: "It's a nice attitude to have, isn't it? I don't really care about too much, myself."
E: "Hiro would be one of the things you do care about."
Z: "Kinda obvious, eh?"
H: "It helps we don't have to care about much. This world has been... rather generous to us. Now I think about it."
Z: "Yeah, all they really expect of us is to pilot another giant robot."
Mi: "You have agreed to piloting said giant robots." In deadpan.
Z: "I know." A smirk. "It's just kinda funny how that worked out, considering our world."
...
"Promises and oaths will be twisted until they suit your aims. Compared to the survival of humanity, it seems a simple decision. And yet…one can only wonder…how long can you hold yourself to that duplicitous standard?"
A: "Okay, that's a bit of a bastard move on Gendo's part."Re: "Seems not even the therapist is a proper therapist."
Sh: "I kinda knew it was too good to be true."
Mi: "Is it really hard to believe we'd actually want you well adjusted?"
The pilots gave her a flat look, pointing to the book.
Mi: "Right, right." She conceded.
K: "At this point, we've come to accept the only place we get some sort of privacy is the bedroom."
A: "Even then." A knowing glance to the Nephilim.
Ri: "Privacy in this line of work is more or less a luxury. If anything, you lot are lucky."
K: "I appreciate you stopped bugging the apartments, at least."
Ri: "You just fry them immediately; it's a waste of resources at this point."
Ma: "Not to mention we still don't monitor your texts. I imagine you four use that to full advantage."
Re: "That was one of the reasons I did not completely appreciate Kensuke calling me."
Z: "Was that how you guys found out about me?"
Ri: "The Magi automatically assumed your name was an important one, considering it was in Rift material and we already had Hiro in the ward. I'm pretty sure all the names in that were priority for the Magi."
E: "I doubt our apartment would be bugged, as well."
Ma: "I mean, that would involve bugging ourselves, wouldn't it? At least we don't have to use syslogs to communicate with some kind of privacy."
So: "How would you even do that?"
Ri: "Carefully."
Change of Plans
""…I know. But she's my mother. I deserved to know."
"…I see.""
Sh: "...Looks like I know everything now."
A: "It's still more than we were ever told."
Mi: "I can see his justification for not telling you; you couldn't change it. It'd just worry you."
Sh: "I know that. Maybe if I knew a bit more on Metaphysical Biology."
Re: "He is truthful about the soul, at the very least. Fracturing the soul is beyond any sort of physical or mental trauma; it is damage that sunders the very core of your existence."
A: "And look what my mama had to deal with."
K: "Hence why the Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu of that world chose to place her entire self within. No half measures."
So: "She might have known what a fracture in the soul was like. Seeing her counterpart go through with it."
Ri: "It's a brutal lesson. You simply cannot do half measures with the Evangelion. If half is willing but the other half is not, what do you expect will happen?"
Z: "...Hey, do you know if that's the same with the NACSS?"
Ri: "It would not be to such an extent, I would think. Any ensouling that would happen in using the NACSS system is temporary, and we know enough that we can stop anything like that if it happened today."
Ma: "They say safety standards are written in blood. The same principle applies, I feel."
A: "Well it's good to know regardless. Don't be half assed when you're a core, got it."
H: "I mean, in our world, if the Pistil wasn't feeling it, the Paracapacity would just tank."
Z: "Yeah, if our souls got torn to shreds if we weren't that into it, Ikuno wouldn't have a good time. So, you guys should be fine."
E: "At least he's blunt about it. He's not speaking around what happened."
A: "He's got that going for him, at least."
...
"And so destiny begins to shift yet again. The ecstasy and agony of [change/evolution/transformation]…is truly spectacular."
Re: "...I take it he approves of our relationship?"A: "Approves? You damn changed his mind, Rei and Shinji! That's more than we did!"
Sh: "Didn't help my father was steadfast in that belief."
So: "We not need worry of his plan any longer, then."
Z: "There's still Seele."
Mi: "If he's willing to halt his plans for it, surely he'll stop Seele's plan for it."
Ri: "What would he do now, then? Everything he did, he did for Yui."
K: "Well, I imagine all this planning will go to ensuring you two are alright, Shinji and Rei."
E: "All because he saw himself and Yui in you two."
Ma: "I find it amazing he could change his mind, after everything."
H: "He doesn't want to deprive you two of the joy he once had. Given that, it would've been a rather simple decision to make."
A: "For that Gendo, yeah. But for our Gendo, who would've split us up somehow in order to damage us more for his plan."
Sh: "At least that version is more... allowing."
A: "Guess that means you're official!"
Re: "It is... certainly more of a blessing than we ever got."
Mi: "You wouldn't even want our Gendo's blessing."
Re: "True. Who is he to influence our lives, when he treated us naught but tools."
Sh: "...That version of my father certainly isn't treating us like that."
Angels Seven
"Perhaps. Perhaps…and yet all things will eventually pass away. Time, space, and matter. Even fate has an ultimate end, my [Love/enemy].
And so she waited. And listened. And watched."
Rei offered a small smile. "At least she gets to converse with him."And so she waited. And listened. And watched."
K: "They're rather different entities, are they not? With a different view on the world at large."
Ri: "Lilith's the curious one; suppose that's fitting for the Progenitor of humanity."
Ma: "It's our curiosity that got us here, after all. And I'm not just talking about Second Impact, everything humans have done started with a curiosity."
Z: "So it's Adam crucified, in that world."
A: "Ain't that some imagery."
K: "Essentially implying Lilim superiority over Adam. I imagine many of my kin would find that in poor taste." A wry remark.
Sh: "As if they couldn't despise us even more."
E: "That's another interesting point. Adam is wary of progress, Lilith enjoys progress. What does that make your curious mind, Kaworu?"
Kaworu found the computer's thoughts amusing. "It gives me hope I may live to be with Asuka."
A small chuckle. "You're gonna have to salvage my mind first. 'Less you want to do what Shinji did, in the Laserdiscs."
An unamused frown from Shinji. "I doubt any of us in that world would stoop that low. We're all better adjusted, for one."
H: "Can you be adjusted if you don't even have a mind?"
A: "Not like I can do anything like that, being catatonic." A huff. "I doubt I'm fixing myself anytime soon."
...
"So instead of beginning the next phase - which involved various AT-Field-induced physics manipulations - the Mark 06 took off northward, sprinting toward the sea."
A: "...Or, you could be the one going Angel, Kaworu."
K: "I would not think I was the one going Tabris."
So: "The subtitle suggested Yomiko."
Mi: "So this would be a distraction?"
E: "Kaworu pretends to go rogue, giving an excuse for Yomiko to sortie in the Mark-07. Where she can then... well, go Zeruel."
Sh: "So much for getting her to the end of this."
K: "I... wrote her off in my mind, as soon as she stated she will take whatever opportunity comes her way. This... would be that."
Z: "A shame, isn't it?"
K: "...Yeah. Hence why I think this tragic; I know I am ultimately sending her to her death. But what am I to do?"
Ri: "Not like she would change her mind, at this point."
K: "Indeed. She is locked into her path. It would've been nice to have one of my own to last with me, but alas."
Ma: "...That's even if you last. We know in... what is it, three things so far? How'd you go in that other book?"
K: "Dead."
Ma: "Four."
Re: "It is more an exception, at this point."
H: "I assume there's nothing special about the date?"
K: "It's World Health Day, I suppose?"
A: "I'm starting to think we shouldn't bother with the numerology."
Kaworu shrugged. "It's fun to point out, when there is some significance."
...
"And, in a moment of cosmic irony, Yomiko Nagisa let loose a diabolical laugh."
A: "Welp. They're boned."
Ri: "I concur. Nice bait, Kaworu."
Mi: "Now I kinda understand why they didn't let her use the Mark-07."
Sh: "Because she would've immediately gone Zeruel?"
K: "...It doesn't help we have nothing left to lose. Bardiel's machination failed. We're running out of plans. And... when she falls, it'll be down to me."
So: "Believing her dead already?"
Ma: "It's what happens to Angels that attack us, isn't it? Either we die, or they die. The only way there could be peace would be if they didn't attack."
Z: "I kinda noticed that, at least in the Laserdiscs. Other than Sandalphon, it was all self defence. Wasn't it?"
Re: "And we know the survival instinct is a strong one. Humanity would not die without a fight."
K: "A good thing I went for a different tactic. Actually befriending the Lilim; becoming the peaceful emissary of my kind."
Re: "Even then, it took some convincing from us all."
K: "Lets just say you're very persuasive." A small smirk. "A shame my self there could not convince Zeruel."
Twentieth Century Fucked
"In the next instant, half of Berlin-2 erupted, annihilated by a flurry of crosses."
Mi: "Looks like there'll be a third Berlin soon."
A: "Joy." She bit through her teeth. "Hopefully my papa survived, at least. He's actually kinda decent in this."
K: "I'm sure he will. Jackal and all that."
So: "Zeruel will not, at this point."
Z: "Judging at least from the sneak peak we got, they actually got pretty far."
Sh: "Then again, that could've been right before we end up defeating her."
Ri: "She won't make it easy, that's for sure."
Re: "I expect this will be the most difficult Angel. Which is saying something, considering the most recent Angels we had to face."
H: "Can't argue the next chapter will be boring, at least."
A: "None of these have really been boring, Hiro. Especially when they fuck us!"
E: "With how common that seems to happen, next chapter will be full of it."
K: "It's clear, however." He surmised, a glance to the book. "We are approaching the endgame. After Zeruel, it will either be I or Seele."
Sh: "Fun."
...
"Turning away, the Mark 06 delved further into the deep."
K: "...It seems she knows she may fall, as well."
E: "But she will allow you to come and take what you want."
Re: "It is whether he wants to, or not. It is clear he appreciates the Lilim, as our world; would he want to destroy that?"
K: "You know my answer to that question here."
Mi: "With how you interacted with us, I'd hope. Yomiko, yeah it was pretty damn obvious she had it out for us, but you were rather pleasant with us."
K: "Hopefully that relationship I hold with you is enough to keep me from ending the world, Asuka."
A small chuckle, slightly bashful. "In my state, I don't think I'd care too much."
H: "What if he fixes you?"
A: "Well, if he goes to the trouble of putting my mind together again, why on Earth would he then immediately go on to end the world?"
K: "A fair point. If I wished to end the world, it would not matter to me."
Ma: "So it all comes down to if you fix her, or not?"
A: "Cause that'd be pretty scummy if you put my mind back together, then you ended the world."
K: "I wouldn't do that to you. Either I leave you as you are and end it all; a mercy for you. Or I fix you and leave it all as is; also a mercy for you."
Sh: "Might as well flip a coin, at that point."
Z: "Most of this place seems to be decided on chance, anyway."
So: "You may have a separate stratagem as well, Kaworu."
K: "That, or I'm laying low. I don't need to say this act will anger Seele."
A: "Oh? I thought they'd be bouncing in joy with the knowledge that the two Angels they had just went rogue."
K: "Exactly."
~
"To be continued..."
"That certainly went better, I suppose."
"Even with Yomiko going all big Z on us?"
"Yes, Asuka. Even with. At least we got some break, after all that shit." Misato deadpanned.
"It was rather interesting seeing the different perspectives." Mused Rei. "Lilith certainly has an interest in what happens."
"She's as curious as we are."
"Indeed, Maya. Rather natural, I would think."
"We do certainly know a bit more of that world." A glance to Shinji. "Perhaps a bit too much."
"I mean, I kinda knew my mum and dad would've had to do that. Y'know, existing."
"You probably could've gone the rest of your life without knowing the day you were conceived."
"Eeyup." A flat reply to the doctor. "At least here, it was different."
"At least year wise."
"Who knows, I could've been conceived on a Sunday. Not like there's too much that happens on that day, anyway." A beat, before before a look of disgust grew on him. "Why the hell am I even thinking of this?!"
His reaction certainly helped in raising the mood, laughter all around the table. It died down soon enough, however; Kaworu closing the book, ready to continue another time. "I take it the NACSS may be ready for testing about now?"
A glance to the clock from the Commander. "At this point, I'd expect it. Rits?"
"Checking it now." Once more, into the terminal. "30 minutes."
"Well, ain't that convenient." Remarked Misato. "Gives our test pilots enough time to change into their plugsuits, at least."
"So I'm guessing we're one of those pilots."
"You do have the most experience with dual pilot systems, Zero Two and Hiro." Misato pointed out. "Plus, you said you'd like you get back in your darling's mind again."
Hands on the back of her head. "Oh yeah."
"Anyone else want to volunteer?" The Commander openly queried. "We'd have enough time to test another pilot pair; tomorrow can be for training and experimenting with the system."
Asuka was rather immediate in her reply. "You wanna try it, Shinji?"
"Sure." He too immediately agreed. "It'd be nice to get back in a saddle again."
A light slap on the back. "That's the spirit, Shin-chan!" A beaming smile; she too was somewhat eager. Especially if it meant she could experience such a thing with Shinji. "I suppose we can test that system we thought of, eh?"
Shinji looked to Asuka.
She looked to Shinji. "Best of three is pilot position."
"You're on."
"First comes the rock, then comes paper, you can't throw all of them JANKEN PON!"
"First comes the rock, then comes paper, you can't throw all of them JANKEN PON!"
1-0 to Shinji.
"Janken PON!"
"Janken PON!"
Draw.
"Aiko desho!"
"Aiko desho!"
1-1.
"Janken PON!"
"Janken PON!"
2-1.
A smirk from Shinji. "Looks like I'm piloting."
"Heh, lucky." Ever the graceful also-ran, she poked her tongue. "Oh well, I can always beat you in something."
"Eh?"
"A race." A wide grin. "Last person to the lockers does tomorrow's laundry!"
She bolted, the door not holding her back much.
"But I'm already doing laundry tomorrow Asuka!"
He too ran after her.
All this was rather amusing to the gathered. "Well, you two might as well go get changed as well." Ritsuko suggested.
"Don't suppose we'll beEE-"
"Come, my darling!" Lifting him from the chair, she began running out with him. "Maybe we can beat them there!"
The amusement continued. "They seem rather enthusiastic."
"It has been a while." Rei noted. "Plus, if such thing is how Zero Two made it out to be, well... that just adds another layer to their excitement."
"I'm sure you'd be rather excited for such thing, as well."
"Perhaps." A demure glance to Kaworu, and a small smile. "Though I already have such thing."
~~~
Nominally, it's 9 hours from Tokyo-3 to Okayama. A trek, to be sure, but ultimately it should be a day trip.
Key word: should. Fate wasn't exactly kind to Yui and Kyoko this day.
Getting lost as soon as they set off didn't exactly help matters. The car breaking down with a trivial problem that a high schooler could solve certainly sapped a few hours.
Though they eventually found their way to an expressway. And had to immediately turn back as soon as they hit a tollbooth, because despite having as much money as they could want, the tollbooths didn't exactly accept plastic. Yui was especially vexed that this was still the case some 14 years since she had last used an expressway.
So, one quick trip to several ATM later (as they had to shop around to find one that worked with the cards NERV provided) and a few vending machines (being one of the few pieces of machinery that dispensed coins, that they could find), they willed their way through the several tollbooths down the expressway. Once again, to Yui's chagrin; there wasn't nearly as many tollbooths when she was around. So much so, she asked her navigator to best avoid the expressway.
Zeppelin especially noted it made her sound like an old crone. But hey, at least they were making good time.
At least until the sun started setting, which revealed yet another issue with the car.
Being a diesel hybrid, you'd expect it to keep up with headlights being on, but this was Yui's car. Perhaps the alternator wasn't up to scratch or the batteries couldn't keep up with the draw, but the end result was that it was not a good idea to run the car with headlights on.
Which, in the ever growing twilight, was increasingly becoming an issue.
It was in these situations that, instead of finding themselves in Okayama, they found themselves around five hours away from Okayama; more specifically a small Ryokan in the town of Wazuka.
Not that they were currently complaining about this change of fate. They didn't exactly have an onsen, but the baths were pleasant enough. Their room was small, but it was well kept and the provided yukata were comfortable. Dinner wasn't special, but it was comforting regardless.
The tea stood out, at least. Which, looking out at the vast tea plantations from the balcony, they really should've expected. "Well. The day ended alright, at least."
"You can say that again." A sip of the tea. "It's rather quaint."
"...Pretty far and away from Tokyo-3, eh Kyoko?"
"It's a nice change, at least." A warm smile. "I always liked the country. Always so calm."
Yui huffed. "It's more than you can say of our lives usually. Eh?"
"Zumindest in dem Evangelion zu sein war immer etwas ruhig."
("At least being in the Evangelion was always somewhat tranquil.")
"Boring, more like. At least... without anything to occupy yourself."
"Believe us, we had plenty of time."
"Du hast kaum mit mir gesprochen."
("You barely talked with me.")
"You know why I barely talked with you, Zep."
"Oh, du kannst nicht sagen, dass ich mich nicht verbessere, wenn es darum geht. Ich konnte mich tatsächlich mit unserer Tochter unterhalten, ohne verrückt zu werden."
("Hey, you can't say I'm not improving when it comes to that. I was actually able to converse with our daughter without going mad.")
"I can't deny that; you're certainly improving." A sorry look to her companion. "I suppose that's more than I can say of your headmate, Yui."
"I've... accepted it." Melancholic. "I... wouldn't have minded holding on, but..."
A quiet.
"...Should I give you some alone time?"
"...I-"
A phone started ringing, the tone indicating it was for the candle. "Heh. Looks like you might be getting that alone time anyway."
"...I'd appreciate it."
All she offered was a small nod, before Yui was left alone.
She looked out over the balcony, at the stillness of this town; the stars continuing to twinkle above her.
Not like she was alone. In fact, the person standing by her side seemed as real as Kyoko. "You were always stubborn, y'know."
A slight movement, in acknowledgement. Talking in any competent manner was well beyond him, at this point.
"I appreciate you keeping my car around. Completely shot it is." She huffed. "Suppose it just shows us what time does to us, eh?"
A slight nod.
Some more silence, before she sighed. "I... I know you did a lot of bad stuff, Gendo. But... damn it. I never stopped loving you."
"...i...never...deserved...you."
His other was taken aback by the sudden lucidity. "...I guess you aren't bothering to save your energy anymore."
"...no...point."
"I suppose that means you accepted it."
"...you...seem...good...hands."
"I take it you approve of this... strange relation I found myself in."
"...you...deserve...love."
"You've given me so much of that, Gendo. Even... after I fell. Even now, I can see that." She looked to him, into those now almost lifeless eyes. It jarred her. "But... you're not you anymore. Are you?"
A small shake of his head.
"...Stubborn man." A rue. "I... don't know what'll happen to you after I... let you go. If you're lucky-"
"I...do...not...care...anymore......I...got...what...wanted.....you."
"That's... all you really ever wanted. Eh?"
A nod. "I....I..."
"Shh..." She tried to hold his hand, but her arm only phased through this apparition. "I know what you want to say. Now's... a good time."
"...love...y...y...y-"
Her other fell silent.
"...I love you too, Gendo."
And like that, the apparition faded from her view. A weight lifting from her soul.
He was gone. Whether he was to fade or to be reborn was ultimately unknown to her.
A breath in, a breath out. She... wasn't as upset as she expected to be.
Maybe coming to terms helped her. Or having someone else to be close with.
Either way, she no longer felt like drinking her tea; the now lukewarm brew raining over a garden bed below.
And it didn't take too much longer before the chill of the night became too much for her; catching the end of a warm conversation between her and who she presumed was her daughter. "You'll do good, mein Schatz."
She smiled. "I love you too, Asuka."
The phone clicked off.
Kyoko immediately went to Yui, hands in hers. "You don't look too good."
"...That obvious?"
A nod. "...Just know I'm here for you, okay?"
Brown eyes looked into blue.
Yui fell into Kyoko, her walls crumbling.
Kyoko simply held her. It would've been a slight comfort, she hoped.
~
Her phone flipped down.
"Did that help?"
"...Yeah." A smile, the phone going in Asuka's locker. "She said it's a... nice feeling."
"Zero Two said as much, as well."
"She also said you can't exactly describe it. But hey, it's with you. It can't be all that bad."
"That's the spirit." He chuckled, approaching her, arms wrapping around her. "Though you know if-"
Shaking her head. "I'm keeping good on my word, Shinji. Not backing out now, that's for sure."
"Just saying." A warm smile. "Been a while since we've been in these."
"I know, eh? Amazing I still fit in them."
"They're form fitting."
She chuckled. "So. How's it like in your mind, Shin-chan?"
"Oh, I don't think it's that interesting in there."
The PA crackled. "Pilots Ikari and Soryu, please report to Test Chamber 00."
"Sounds like those two are done intermingling themselves." He wryly remarked.
"Ready to do it yourself, Shinji?"
His slight hesitation was met with a quick kiss. "Now are you ready?"
"...Yeah. I am."
~
Hiro and Zero Two's test took around an hour, consisting mostly of sync tests and moving arms around. Much to her chagrin, according to Hiro; she wanted to get a bit more involved than Massachusetts. Even with being told that would be for tomorrow, this was just to compare it to the pre-established baseline.
They managed to break their record, at least. 85% Coreways and Pilotways, for a total sync of 170%.
Of course, numbers would not matter for the upcoming test. The goal was to simply sync, between two individuals who have never dealt with such a system. Other than a few pointers from Zero Two.
She sighed within her seat, a few stray bubbles of carbon dioxide floating away. "I actually get a seat belt, Shinji."
Asuka could hear his chuckle from behind her, as he audibly grappled the butterfly controls. "I've always wondered why they never had any. Maybe the LCL was good enough."
"With what we face, not like a seat belt's gonna help anyway." A huff. "Rather amazing we still stay in the seat, even with getting knocked around like we tend to do."
"Might just be luck, at that point."
"Figures. Though... I'd say we've been pretty lucky." Quiet reminiscing, in the stillness of this plug, grappling a set of handlebars that provided nothing more than something to occupy her hands. "...I kinda can't wait to do this, Shinji. Nervous I am."
"...Yeah. Me too." He too was quiet. "With... how our mothers put it."
"Guess it's my turn to watch over you, Shinji. Or, whoever's turn it is to watch over whoever." An unseen smirk. "Suppose we couldn't live with our folks forever, eh Shin-chan?"
"I mean, it's not like we moved out of their home. They were kinda evicted."
"Still, you can see the analogy."
"I certainly can." He mused, flat. "Wouldn't be the first time there was something Freudian going on with the Evangelion."
"Hey, it could've been more Freudian. You could've been staring straight up my ass now, if they went with the Franxx system."
"Or you stare at mine." He retorted, knowing any other response would've been met with 'pervert'.
"I've always been a proponent of gender equality, Shin-chan."
"Heh. Pervert."
"Shinji and Asuka, we're ready on our end. You two ready?" Commander Misato filled their radios.
"Yes Ma'am."
"Yes Misato!"
"Good, give us a few more seconds..."
Asuka relaxed, meditative in preparation. "I'll see you soon, Shinji. I know I will."
"Begin NT-Unit-00 startup. Inducing core now..."
Her vision began to tunnel. "...Woa... this is..."
And like that, she was pulled under, her physical self trailing away as she delved ever deeper into this being.
And there was darkness.
She inspected herself; other than lacking any sort of clothing she was perfectly fine.
Her nonphysical eyes metaphorically rolled. 'So... this is what mama felt.'
Another thought occurred to her, and she tried to expand her awareness.
It took some sort of trial and error, never having actually done this before. But eventually, she found what felt like limbs, and eyes, and some other senses. 'Okay... let's see if this works.'
Another application of her will (i.e., thinking about it), and she found she could see. The test facility filled her vision, even more vivid than her own eyes. She could hear the various mechanical functions of the armour as the startup continued, even the unamplified voices coming from the various people supervising her activation.
'Core startup nominal. Positions one through five calibrated.'
'Jeez, cut me some slack, Ritsuko.' She continued to prod with her will, finding yet more of the Evangelion to slot her being into. 'That better?'
'Positions six through eight calibrated. Ready for synchronisation.'
'I wonder if she heard you, Sempai.'
'You bet I did!'
Startup continued through stages one and two, as Asuka listened in. 'Language set to Japanese. Beginning handshake sequence.'
Something tugged at her. It felt... good? '...Shinji?'
'Handshake confirmed, crossover A-10 neural connection active.'
'This... is you, isn't it?'
Another tug on her mind. Her perceptions turned inward, as they were prior.
'Opening Bi-Directional circuits. Synchro Start.'
Colour and pattern, aspects of his memory, rushed through her. The source of which was the soul of Shinji Ikari.
'So this is what it means to synchronise.'
She opened herself up, drawing herself ever closer.
'0.7...0.5...'
And closer...
'0.3...0.1...'
'Shinji!'
The two souls collided, intertwining. His warmth, his feelings, his very being, all was clear as crystal to her. She looked into his eyes, her hands cupping his face. All her other senses seemed to fade in comparison to her current focus. 'Do... you hear me?'
A brief moment of disbelief was followed by unconditional acceptance. 'I... I can hear you, Asuka!'
If she could cry in this state, she would. But Shinji felt her joy, regardless. '...Am I wearing anything?'
'N-no...'
Amusement. As if this couldn't get more Freudian. But... this was rather acceptable, regardless.
She further settled into him, almost sinking into Shinji, as her hands traced his arms and settled on his own, holding the butterfly controls as if she was him, and he was her. 'Are... you comfortable, Shinji?'
'Yes.' She could feel his joy, as well. 'This is...'
'Unbelievable?'
'...Yes.'
Joy. '...This is us as one, Shinji. Body, mind, soul. This... is just sex, isn't it?!'
She could feel his laughter at her reply. 'Can't say we're inexperienced in such thing. Kinda puts our synchronisation with our mothers in new perspective, though.'
Asuka didn't exactly want to think about that aspect, so she changed the subject. 'How're the others reacting?'
Shinji focused in on the radio, so that she may hear. 'Misato's especially proud of us. They said we're syncing at 80% both ways.'
'Not bad, eh Shin-chan? For our first time together.'
'I thought you were complaining about the sex aspect of it.' Dry.
'With you?'
'Heh. Fair.'
'Though a part of me wonders if the sync improves the closer we are to one another.'
'Can't wait for that to be added to the training.' Another wry remark. 'I can see Ritsuko encouraging the pilots to get close with one another.'
'What do you think happened in the Franxx world? That's exactly what they did!'
'And from the feel of it, it works rather well. Can't say Doctor Franxx was wrong in that regard.'
Mirth. 'At least all this is perverted in a subtle and private way. Not like you piloting with my ass.'
'We got that going for us, at least.' High sprits. 'Ritsuko wants to start some simple movement tests.'
'I'm guessing the arms?'
Confirmation. 'She tells me to tell you to synchronise our thoughts, just like Israfel.'
'A good thing we got experience.'
She lined her thoughts up with Shinji's; awareness now mostly turning back outside. The rapture and wonderment on everyone's face sang to her. 'One body, one mind, one soul.'
'...You are me, and I am you.'
'Lets show them what for.'
Moment and heart together, they willed the Evangelion to move; Asuka's/NT-Unit-00's right arm slowly moving upwards.
~
It was rapturous, back on the observation bay of the test chamber. It worked, and it seemed to work well. And it didn't take too much from pilots inexperienced in such system to actually pilot.
Misato was certainly happy with this; her smile beaming ever since they crossed the absolute borderline. This well and truly made up for last night and the morning. "Man, I gotta get Hikari in tomorrow."
"Might want to get Toji in as well, while you're at it."
"You're confident enough with the system, I take it?"
A smirk. "It'd need more testing, of course. Massachusetts... did a good job with this."
The Commander barked a laugh, "Never thought I'd see you admit that, Rits."
Ritsuko kept her excitement mostly under wraps, continuing to analyse the various feeds coming from NT-Unit-00. Their sync ratios were astounding, as she somewhat expected, and they only ticked upwards as time went on. There were some initial issues with getting the core in place, but that could be remedied with some training; not like they've ever had to become the Evangelion, after all.
Maya was excited both for her and for Ritsuko. "Both Coreways and Pilotways sync holding at 84%. Looks like they're going for your record, Hiro and Zero Two." A thought occurred to her. "Hey Sempai, C-Sync and P-Sync works for shorthand, right?"
A pause in her typing. "Yeah, that works." Back to the keyboard. "Nice one, Maya."
Maya accepted this with a shy chuckle.
"But we just got that record!"
"I take it they like this system, then." She chuckled. "Synchronising is always a wonderful thing, in my experience."
"Exactly what they get to experience." A glance to Rei, who had been watching on with awe. He could hear the symphony of the two souls in the Evangelion; he knew the sight Rei was seeing was... wondrous. "Marvellous, is it not?"
"It is." She was soft, eyes continuously locked to the light show. "This was what I saw with Hiro and Zero Two. They... dance together."
A smile, standing by her side. "I'm pleased this system bears my namesake. I... could not choose anything better."
Sovereign simply watched on, by Eliza's side. So much joy was in this room.
Such a system continued to intrigue him.
~
The test continued on for who knows how long, cause she certainly didn't. Time (at least to her) seemed to become... almost irrelevant. All that mattered was the here and now, with Shinji.
It made sense, to her. In a battle situation, you'd want to think in the here and now.
But even in this state, it wasn't like time stopped its ever continuous march. And like most good things, it soon started drawing to an close. 'They're starting the shutdown procedure in half a minute or so, Asuka.'
Disappointment, but acceptance. 'We did well, did we?'
'I'd say. This... was fun.'
She curled around him again, taking a final opportunity to really get close with him. 'It... really was.'
Her eyes looked into his, even if he may not have been able to see her in a traditional sense. '...I love you, Shinji.'
'I love you too, Asuka.'
Love, and joy. 'I was half expecting to be interrupted, saying that.'
The pipe was broken, and she was thrust out back to the darkness.
Her will over the Evangelion ceased, her soul slowly drifted upwards; resurfacing. Returning to the physical world, and back to her body.
But a murmur, as she wearily opened her eyes to the dimness of the entry plug, still secure. Just as she was before.
"Core freed. NT-Unit-00 in shutdown. Beginning recovery."
It was only now, that she glanced to the chronograph. Three hours had passed.
"...heh."
"...You alright, Asuka?"
"Yeah. I'm alright, Shinji." Her voice was warm, if slightly tired sounding. "I... could certainly get used to that."
~~~
Key word: should. Fate wasn't exactly kind to Yui and Kyoko this day.
Getting lost as soon as they set off didn't exactly help matters. The car breaking down with a trivial problem that a high schooler could solve certainly sapped a few hours.
Though they eventually found their way to an expressway. And had to immediately turn back as soon as they hit a tollbooth, because despite having as much money as they could want, the tollbooths didn't exactly accept plastic. Yui was especially vexed that this was still the case some 14 years since she had last used an expressway.
So, one quick trip to several ATM later (as they had to shop around to find one that worked with the cards NERV provided) and a few vending machines (being one of the few pieces of machinery that dispensed coins, that they could find), they willed their way through the several tollbooths down the expressway. Once again, to Yui's chagrin; there wasn't nearly as many tollbooths when she was around. So much so, she asked her navigator to best avoid the expressway.
Zeppelin especially noted it made her sound like an old crone. But hey, at least they were making good time.
At least until the sun started setting, which revealed yet another issue with the car.
Being a diesel hybrid, you'd expect it to keep up with headlights being on, but this was Yui's car. Perhaps the alternator wasn't up to scratch or the batteries couldn't keep up with the draw, but the end result was that it was not a good idea to run the car with headlights on.
Which, in the ever growing twilight, was increasingly becoming an issue.
It was in these situations that, instead of finding themselves in Okayama, they found themselves around five hours away from Okayama; more specifically a small Ryokan in the town of Wazuka.
Not that they were currently complaining about this change of fate. They didn't exactly have an onsen, but the baths were pleasant enough. Their room was small, but it was well kept and the provided yukata were comfortable. Dinner wasn't special, but it was comforting regardless.
The tea stood out, at least. Which, looking out at the vast tea plantations from the balcony, they really should've expected. "Well. The day ended alright, at least."
"You can say that again." A sip of the tea. "It's rather quaint."
"...Pretty far and away from Tokyo-3, eh Kyoko?"
"It's a nice change, at least." A warm smile. "I always liked the country. Always so calm."
Yui huffed. "It's more than you can say of our lives usually. Eh?"
"Zumindest in dem Evangelion zu sein war immer etwas ruhig."
("At least being in the Evangelion was always somewhat tranquil.")
"Boring, more like. At least... without anything to occupy yourself."
"Believe us, we had plenty of time."
"Du hast kaum mit mir gesprochen."
("You barely talked with me.")
"You know why I barely talked with you, Zep."
"Oh, du kannst nicht sagen, dass ich mich nicht verbessere, wenn es darum geht. Ich konnte mich tatsächlich mit unserer Tochter unterhalten, ohne verrückt zu werden."
("Hey, you can't say I'm not improving when it comes to that. I was actually able to converse with our daughter without going mad.")
"I can't deny that; you're certainly improving." A sorry look to her companion. "I suppose that's more than I can say of your headmate, Yui."
"I've... accepted it." Melancholic. "I... wouldn't have minded holding on, but..."
A quiet.
"...Should I give you some alone time?"
"...I-"
A phone started ringing, the tone indicating it was for the candle. "Heh. Looks like you might be getting that alone time anyway."
"...I'd appreciate it."
All she offered was a small nod, before Yui was left alone.
She looked out over the balcony, at the stillness of this town; the stars continuing to twinkle above her.
Not like she was alone. In fact, the person standing by her side seemed as real as Kyoko. "You were always stubborn, y'know."
A slight movement, in acknowledgement. Talking in any competent manner was well beyond him, at this point.
"I appreciate you keeping my car around. Completely shot it is." She huffed. "Suppose it just shows us what time does to us, eh?"
A slight nod.
Some more silence, before she sighed. "I... I know you did a lot of bad stuff, Gendo. But... damn it. I never stopped loving you."
"...i...never...deserved...you."
His other was taken aback by the sudden lucidity. "...I guess you aren't bothering to save your energy anymore."
"...no...point."
"I suppose that means you accepted it."
"...you...seem...good...hands."
"I take it you approve of this... strange relation I found myself in."
"...you...deserve...love."
"You've given me so much of that, Gendo. Even... after I fell. Even now, I can see that." She looked to him, into those now almost lifeless eyes. It jarred her. "But... you're not you anymore. Are you?"
A small shake of his head.
"...Stubborn man." A rue. "I... don't know what'll happen to you after I... let you go. If you're lucky-"
"I...do...not...care...anymore......I...got...what...wanted.....you."
"That's... all you really ever wanted. Eh?"
A nod. "I....I..."
"Shh..." She tried to hold his hand, but her arm only phased through this apparition. "I know what you want to say. Now's... a good time."
"...love...y...y...y-"
Her other fell silent.
"...I love you too, Gendo."
And like that, the apparition faded from her view. A weight lifting from her soul.
He was gone. Whether he was to fade or to be reborn was ultimately unknown to her.
A breath in, a breath out. She... wasn't as upset as she expected to be.
Maybe coming to terms helped her. Or having someone else to be close with.
Either way, she no longer felt like drinking her tea; the now lukewarm brew raining over a garden bed below.
And it didn't take too much longer before the chill of the night became too much for her; catching the end of a warm conversation between her and who she presumed was her daughter. "You'll do good, mein Schatz."
She smiled. "I love you too, Asuka."
The phone clicked off.
Kyoko immediately went to Yui, hands in hers. "You don't look too good."
"...That obvious?"
A nod. "...Just know I'm here for you, okay?"
Brown eyes looked into blue.
Yui fell into Kyoko, her walls crumbling.
Kyoko simply held her. It would've been a slight comfort, she hoped.
~
Her phone flipped down.
"Did that help?"
"...Yeah." A smile, the phone going in Asuka's locker. "She said it's a... nice feeling."
"Zero Two said as much, as well."
"She also said you can't exactly describe it. But hey, it's with you. It can't be all that bad."
"That's the spirit." He chuckled, approaching her, arms wrapping around her. "Though you know if-"
Shaking her head. "I'm keeping good on my word, Shinji. Not backing out now, that's for sure."
"Just saying." A warm smile. "Been a while since we've been in these."
"I know, eh? Amazing I still fit in them."
"They're form fitting."
She chuckled. "So. How's it like in your mind, Shin-chan?"
"Oh, I don't think it's that interesting in there."
The PA crackled. "Pilots Ikari and Soryu, please report to Test Chamber 00."
"Sounds like those two are done intermingling themselves." He wryly remarked.
"Ready to do it yourself, Shinji?"
His slight hesitation was met with a quick kiss. "Now are you ready?"
"...Yeah. I am."
~
Hiro and Zero Two's test took around an hour, consisting mostly of sync tests and moving arms around. Much to her chagrin, according to Hiro; she wanted to get a bit more involved than Massachusetts. Even with being told that would be for tomorrow, this was just to compare it to the pre-established baseline.
They managed to break their record, at least. 85% Coreways and Pilotways, for a total sync of 170%.
Of course, numbers would not matter for the upcoming test. The goal was to simply sync, between two individuals who have never dealt with such a system. Other than a few pointers from Zero Two.
She sighed within her seat, a few stray bubbles of carbon dioxide floating away. "I actually get a seat belt, Shinji."
Asuka could hear his chuckle from behind her, as he audibly grappled the butterfly controls. "I've always wondered why they never had any. Maybe the LCL was good enough."
"With what we face, not like a seat belt's gonna help anyway." A huff. "Rather amazing we still stay in the seat, even with getting knocked around like we tend to do."
"Might just be luck, at that point."
"Figures. Though... I'd say we've been pretty lucky." Quiet reminiscing, in the stillness of this plug, grappling a set of handlebars that provided nothing more than something to occupy her hands. "...I kinda can't wait to do this, Shinji. Nervous I am."
"...Yeah. Me too." He too was quiet. "With... how our mothers put it."
"Guess it's my turn to watch over you, Shinji. Or, whoever's turn it is to watch over whoever." An unseen smirk. "Suppose we couldn't live with our folks forever, eh Shin-chan?"
"I mean, it's not like we moved out of their home. They were kinda evicted."
"Still, you can see the analogy."
"I certainly can." He mused, flat. "Wouldn't be the first time there was something Freudian going on with the Evangelion."
"Hey, it could've been more Freudian. You could've been staring straight up my ass now, if they went with the Franxx system."
"Or you stare at mine." He retorted, knowing any other response would've been met with 'pervert'.
"I've always been a proponent of gender equality, Shin-chan."
"Heh. Pervert."
"Shinji and Asuka, we're ready on our end. You two ready?" Commander Misato filled their radios.
"Yes Ma'am."
"Yes Misato!"
"Good, give us a few more seconds..."
Asuka relaxed, meditative in preparation. "I'll see you soon, Shinji. I know I will."
"Begin NT-Unit-00 startup. Inducing core now..."
Her vision began to tunnel. "...Woa... this is..."
And like that, she was pulled under, her physical self trailing away as she delved ever deeper into this being.
And there was darkness.
She inspected herself; other than lacking any sort of clothing she was perfectly fine.
Her nonphysical eyes metaphorically rolled. 'So... this is what mama felt.'
Another thought occurred to her, and she tried to expand her awareness.
It took some sort of trial and error, never having actually done this before. But eventually, she found what felt like limbs, and eyes, and some other senses. 'Okay... let's see if this works.'
Another application of her will (i.e., thinking about it), and she found she could see. The test facility filled her vision, even more vivid than her own eyes. She could hear the various mechanical functions of the armour as the startup continued, even the unamplified voices coming from the various people supervising her activation.
'Core startup nominal. Positions one through five calibrated.'
'Jeez, cut me some slack, Ritsuko.' She continued to prod with her will, finding yet more of the Evangelion to slot her being into. 'That better?'
'Positions six through eight calibrated. Ready for synchronisation.'
'I wonder if she heard you, Sempai.'
'You bet I did!'
Startup continued through stages one and two, as Asuka listened in. 'Language set to Japanese. Beginning handshake sequence.'
Something tugged at her. It felt... good? '...Shinji?'
'Handshake confirmed, crossover A-10 neural connection active.'
'This... is you, isn't it?'
Another tug on her mind. Her perceptions turned inward, as they were prior.
'Opening Bi-Directional circuits. Synchro Start.'
Colour and pattern, aspects of his memory, rushed through her. The source of which was the soul of Shinji Ikari.
'So this is what it means to synchronise.'
She opened herself up, drawing herself ever closer.
'0.7...0.5...'
And closer...
'0.3...0.1...'
'Shinji!'
The two souls collided, intertwining. His warmth, his feelings, his very being, all was clear as crystal to her. She looked into his eyes, her hands cupping his face. All her other senses seemed to fade in comparison to her current focus. 'Do... you hear me?'
A brief moment of disbelief was followed by unconditional acceptance. 'I... I can hear you, Asuka!'
If she could cry in this state, she would. But Shinji felt her joy, regardless. '...Am I wearing anything?'
'N-no...'
Amusement. As if this couldn't get more Freudian. But... this was rather acceptable, regardless.
She further settled into him, almost sinking into Shinji, as her hands traced his arms and settled on his own, holding the butterfly controls as if she was him, and he was her. 'Are... you comfortable, Shinji?'
'Yes.' She could feel his joy, as well. 'This is...'
'Unbelievable?'
'...Yes.'
Joy. '...This is us as one, Shinji. Body, mind, soul. This... is just sex, isn't it?!'
She could feel his laughter at her reply. 'Can't say we're inexperienced in such thing. Kinda puts our synchronisation with our mothers in new perspective, though.'
Asuka didn't exactly want to think about that aspect, so she changed the subject. 'How're the others reacting?'
Shinji focused in on the radio, so that she may hear. 'Misato's especially proud of us. They said we're syncing at 80% both ways.'
'Not bad, eh Shin-chan? For our first time together.'
'I thought you were complaining about the sex aspect of it.' Dry.
'With you?'
'Heh. Fair.'
'Though a part of me wonders if the sync improves the closer we are to one another.'
'Can't wait for that to be added to the training.' Another wry remark. 'I can see Ritsuko encouraging the pilots to get close with one another.'
'What do you think happened in the Franxx world? That's exactly what they did!'
'And from the feel of it, it works rather well. Can't say Doctor Franxx was wrong in that regard.'
Mirth. 'At least all this is perverted in a subtle and private way. Not like you piloting with my ass.'
'We got that going for us, at least.' High sprits. 'Ritsuko wants to start some simple movement tests.'
'I'm guessing the arms?'
Confirmation. 'She tells me to tell you to synchronise our thoughts, just like Israfel.'
'A good thing we got experience.'
She lined her thoughts up with Shinji's; awareness now mostly turning back outside. The rapture and wonderment on everyone's face sang to her. 'One body, one mind, one soul.'
'...You are me, and I am you.'
'Lets show them what for.'
Moment and heart together, they willed the Evangelion to move; Asuka's/NT-Unit-00's right arm slowly moving upwards.
~
It was rapturous, back on the observation bay of the test chamber. It worked, and it seemed to work well. And it didn't take too much from pilots inexperienced in such system to actually pilot.
Misato was certainly happy with this; her smile beaming ever since they crossed the absolute borderline. This well and truly made up for last night and the morning. "Man, I gotta get Hikari in tomorrow."
"Might want to get Toji in as well, while you're at it."
"You're confident enough with the system, I take it?"
A smirk. "It'd need more testing, of course. Massachusetts... did a good job with this."
The Commander barked a laugh, "Never thought I'd see you admit that, Rits."
Ritsuko kept her excitement mostly under wraps, continuing to analyse the various feeds coming from NT-Unit-00. Their sync ratios were astounding, as she somewhat expected, and they only ticked upwards as time went on. There were some initial issues with getting the core in place, but that could be remedied with some training; not like they've ever had to become the Evangelion, after all.
Maya was excited both for her and for Ritsuko. "Both Coreways and Pilotways sync holding at 84%. Looks like they're going for your record, Hiro and Zero Two." A thought occurred to her. "Hey Sempai, C-Sync and P-Sync works for shorthand, right?"
A pause in her typing. "Yeah, that works." Back to the keyboard. "Nice one, Maya."
Maya accepted this with a shy chuckle.
"But we just got that record!"
"I take it they like this system, then." She chuckled. "Synchronising is always a wonderful thing, in my experience."
"Exactly what they get to experience." A glance to Rei, who had been watching on with awe. He could hear the symphony of the two souls in the Evangelion; he knew the sight Rei was seeing was... wondrous. "Marvellous, is it not?"
"It is." She was soft, eyes continuously locked to the light show. "This was what I saw with Hiro and Zero Two. They... dance together."
A smile, standing by her side. "I'm pleased this system bears my namesake. I... could not choose anything better."
Sovereign simply watched on, by Eliza's side. So much joy was in this room.
Such a system continued to intrigue him.
~
The test continued on for who knows how long, cause she certainly didn't. Time (at least to her) seemed to become... almost irrelevant. All that mattered was the here and now, with Shinji.
It made sense, to her. In a battle situation, you'd want to think in the here and now.
But even in this state, it wasn't like time stopped its ever continuous march. And like most good things, it soon started drawing to an close. 'They're starting the shutdown procedure in half a minute or so, Asuka.'
Disappointment, but acceptance. 'We did well, did we?'
'I'd say. This... was fun.'
She curled around him again, taking a final opportunity to really get close with him. 'It... really was.'
Her eyes looked into his, even if he may not have been able to see her in a traditional sense. '...I love you, Shinji.'
'I love you too, Asuka.'
Love, and joy. 'I was half expecting to be interrupted, saying that.'
The pipe was broken, and she was thrust out back to the darkness.
Her will over the Evangelion ceased, her soul slowly drifted upwards; resurfacing. Returning to the physical world, and back to her body.
But a murmur, as she wearily opened her eyes to the dimness of the entry plug, still secure. Just as she was before.
"Core freed. NT-Unit-00 in shutdown. Beginning recovery."
It was only now, that she glanced to the chronograph. Three hours had passed.
"...heh."
"...You alright, Asuka?"
"Yeah. I'm alright, Shinji." Her voice was warm, if slightly tired sounding. "I... could certainly get used to that."
~~~
Quite a few happenings, eh?
Yui's situation was unfortunate, but inevetable. She simply couldn't maintain him any longer, and he knew this. Perhaps that is why he went gently.
At the very least, she's in good hands. Perhaps she'll have a newfound appreciation of her car, as well.
Even if it would've been better if he left them a sizeable amount of Yen to get a new one.
...Actually, with the money the got from NERV, they could just buy a decent used car. But it's the journey and all that
Though they aren't the only ones going to Okayama. Tomoe can be rather candid at times, it seems. Then again, he probably didn't know that aspect of his friend.
...Then again, he doesn't even know what happened to his father, until he showed up in his life once more. Nothing like hiding in plain sight; it would've been stupid to hide with his family. So stupid no one would've even thought about it.
He probably had a point, with how it took this long to track him down. And even then, it was through an innocuous slip of the tongue between two friends.
Which leaves Kaji with his dilemma. If he's close to death anyway, is it even worth it to drag him through the courts when he'd probably just have a heart attack during his arrest? Or should he be a vigilante, like a particular Jackal?
Speaking of MFE: these chapters were actually good on the characters for once! Mostly; I wouldn't want to be in Mayumi's shoe at this point. But hey, it's better than being dead. So overall, it was a rather good time for all involved.
And you can see how the good times continued, especially between Shinji and Asuka. It was a pretty interesting thought: what does synchronising look like from the Core's point of view? Once you get rid of all the technobabble fluff, what's it actually like?
The answer is: it's very Freudian As one would expect of Evangelion.
But you can bet Asuka wasn't complaining. Much. Maybe about the clothing situation, but that's just what the soul is like, isn't it?
And I doubt Lilith would accept a petition to clothe souls anytime soon
Yui's situation was unfortunate, but inevetable. She simply couldn't maintain him any longer, and he knew this. Perhaps that is why he went gently.
At the very least, she's in good hands. Perhaps she'll have a newfound appreciation of her car, as well.
Even if it would've been better if he left them a sizeable amount of Yen to get a new one.
...Actually, with the money the got from NERV, they could just buy a decent used car. But it's the journey and all that
Though they aren't the only ones going to Okayama. Tomoe can be rather candid at times, it seems. Then again, he probably didn't know that aspect of his friend.
...Then again, he doesn't even know what happened to his father, until he showed up in his life once more. Nothing like hiding in plain sight; it would've been stupid to hide with his family. So stupid no one would've even thought about it.
He probably had a point, with how it took this long to track him down. And even then, it was through an innocuous slip of the tongue between two friends.
Which leaves Kaji with his dilemma. If he's close to death anyway, is it even worth it to drag him through the courts when he'd probably just have a heart attack during his arrest? Or should he be a vigilante, like a particular Jackal?
Speaking of MFE: these chapters were actually good on the characters for once! Mostly; I wouldn't want to be in Mayumi's shoe at this point. But hey, it's better than being dead. So overall, it was a rather good time for all involved.
And you can see how the good times continued, especially between Shinji and Asuka. It was a pretty interesting thought: what does synchronising look like from the Core's point of view? Once you get rid of all the technobabble fluff, what's it actually like?
The answer is: it's very Freudian
As one would expect of Evangelion.But you can bet Asuka wasn't complaining. Much. Maybe about the clothing situation, but that's just what the soul is like, isn't it?
And I doubt Lilith would accept a petition to clothe souls anytime soon
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SaltyWaffles
I am dissapoint, son
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Gotta love how Shinji just calmly puts his chest right in front of a gun and acts like he's just tired of this crap.
Shinji and Asuka are gonna have trouble having children in the future, because he's got balls of steel.
Shinji and Asuka are gonna have trouble having children in the future, because he's got balls of steel.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
I believe 'stave' was the word you're looking for, because starving Death would be rather difficult. Especially because the Grim Reaper's already nothing but bones anyway. (Heyo!)
The first scene with Werner and Tomoe was quite interesting, if only because Annette seemed so shy. Maybe, growing up, she passed all of her shyness off to Shinji in MFE? Hmm...sure, let's go with that.
(Wonder if Kaji will actually meet up with Ikari Senior in person; just as an FYI, my mental image of him in MFE was based on Christopher Lee, as his character depiction in the Tim Burton Willy Wonka movie. And yes, this was also a Gregg influence.
)Anyhow, I'm glad that dear Asuka no longer wants to defenestrate me. It's not like I want them to suffer, but the Plot is a vicious and uncaring beast. Speaking of which, do you think Leliel was thinking 'this isn't how the script was supposed to go' during the whole Train scene with Shinji (he was probably like 'canon me was able to psychologically unsettle him, who in the world decided it was a good idea to give this Shinji a more stable upbringing???')?
Next Chronicles will feature Zeruel. And then Tabris. That'll be fun. (Get ready Kaworu, it's your turn to go on the 'ow, right in the feels' train!)
Also, full disclosure: any similarities between MFE!ADAM+LILITH and A&T!ADAM+LILITH are purely coincidental (plus, as will be unveiled in the finale, their backstory sufficiently diverges anyway).
/on a side note
//are there any other Evafics
///where Gendo decides to abandon his plan to initiate Instrumentality
////for selfless reasons? (cause I can recall at least one where he abandoned it because Yui was crazy)
BG_Character_592
The Fisherman
- Location
- Australia
Well, TIL it's stave off death, not starve off death.
I can't believe I didn't know this by now
Possibly, not like Leliel would even be thinking in general for too much longer, at that point
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Well, TIL it's stave off death, not starve off death.
I can't believe I didn't know this by now
"Dear diary: today, I completed my vocabulary lessons with another round in the A&T thread..."
/in all seriousness
//how many people have learned English
///thanks to fanfic?
- Location
- Canada
If Ritsuko found out that Gendo made a poster of him threatening a kitten, she would go after him with a chain saw. For Yui it was a tough situation. Even knowing death is inevitable, it still hurts. Good to see the new core system works. Lets hope it works in actual battle.
- Location
- Germany
Well, at least that got addressed...
Aw, this Rits is no fun. ;P
🔥
H-hey, he just makes "plumps" if he falls in the swamp and it's the fun part where your parent pretents you falling from the "horse" (ie. their leg), we don't know what happens afterwards and-and... yeah, there the screaming and getting eaten by ravens, so... >_>
You know with the whole "Rei can see them doing it" going on, I could see her one day starting to wear a knowing smile around Asuka and Shinji, much to their confusion at first. Then eventually certain symptoms start to show and finally confirm with a test. As they're about to tell the others, it suddenly clicks:
A: "Y-YOU KNEW!"
R: "Well, that one evening, there suddenly was another, small but bright flash of light with you, and rather than fading, has been growing ever since..." :3
Hm, "der" sounds wrong. Even though the Evas are ultimately female, I'm pretty sure they are usually addressed as masculine. So "in dem" or short "im".
Those both seem fine.
Hm, well, we don't really know if he abandoned his plans or if it counts as selfless, but Ikaris Gendo wants to keep Shinji and Asuka together to fulfill Yui's wish for a big family - that wouldn't really make sense when tanged. On the other hand, we also don't really know if that ever was his plan to begin with in that universe...
- Location
- United States
Well there is Asuka quest where he abandons it and tries to help save the world. I'd say more but I dont know how to use the spoiler function and it's a good quest to read.
My ex mostly taught herself english in order to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer and read fanfic.
Schpoonman
They call me the Bord of Lays
- Location
- United States
I've got more than a passing interest in taking up Japanese again so I can watch more anime and play more video games.
Bastards still won't give us Tales of Destiny DC.
Bastards still won't give us Tales of Destiny DC.
- Location
- Altamonte Springs, FL
Shinji - Reimagined Fate has him doing exactly that, though I can't remember which of the chapters it was. It's sadly been on hold for three years.
- Location
- Chicago, IL
God dammit, that was horrible. *still giggling*
Hehheheheheheeheh.
Haven't had much time to do full reactions lately, but I'm caught up on both MFE and Chronicles.
There were quite a few good moments. I loved all the "tumbleweed" jokes, and the defenestration conversation from last time cracked me up.
Can't wait for the next set!
samdamandias
Apprentice Plane Wizard
I cannot shake the image of Misato mag-dumping her pistol into Kaworu's AT-field, followed by increasingly ridiculous implements of destruction.
M: *pulls charging handle*
A: Is that?
M: "A Chauchat? Yep."
Misato used MAG DUMP. It's not very effective
M: "Hang on, be right back."
*sounds of clanging, swearing, and something very important going "ping"*
M: "Behold, the Bofors!"
S: "Where did you even get one of those?"
M: "I know a guy who knows a guy."
Misato used FULL AUTO. It's not very effective.
K: "Maybe a chainsaw would have worked better?"
M: "WHAT?"
A: "WHAT?"
S: "WHAT?"
M: *pulls charging handle*
A: Is that?
M: "A Chauchat? Yep."
Misato used MAG DUMP. It's not very effective
M: "Hang on, be right back."
*sounds of clanging, swearing, and something very important going "ping"*
M: "Behold, the Bofors!"
S: "Where did you even get one of those?"
M: "I know a guy who knows a guy."
Misato used FULL AUTO. It's not very effective.
K: "Maybe a chainsaw would have worked better?"
M: "WHAT?"
A: "WHAT?"
S: "WHAT?"
- Location
- Canada
Next Misato tries a laser rifle. The laser bounces around the apartment, wrecking the place. Fortunately no one was hurt.
Ranma-sensei
Sorcerer
- Location
- Citrix Receiver
- Pronouns
- Weatherdependent
It's a laser, not flubber.
MFE!Ritsuko: "PHYSICS HAS TAKEN A HOLIDAY, SO DEAL WITH IT! OHOHOHOHOHO!"
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Something Shinji will mention in a little bit is that getting shot and nearly dying has really made him examine what he considers important right now. So this Shinji will definitely put himself in front of a gun to protect his friends and say "No, you will not."
Of course, Asuka will be annoyed at him risking himself like that, for both the obvious selfish reasons, and because she knows that such behavior is still at least a little bit rooted in his low sense of self-worth and habit of putting everyone else ahead of himself, both of which are things she is trying to help him improve on.
Ah yes, the scene in the garbage masher when Han's trying to shoot the tentacle thing. The reason Han's blaster bolt bounced around the room was because the garbage masher was magnetically sealed, I guess that means a magnetic field which has the side effect of causing blaster bolts to ricochet all over the place instead of stopping when they hit the walls. I severely doubt that there's a magnetic field of any sort in Misato's apartment, so at most there might be one ricochet from the AT Field and the shot stopping when it hits anything else.
- Location
- United States
I cant imagine how Misato is processing this. Had Asuka done the same, I'm confident she would have shoved her aside. She may be a charge under her care, but she never really bonded with Asuka beyond her time in Germany. Shinji, on the other hand, has been under her care the longest and they have bonded quite a bit. Shinji always defended Misato from Asuka's suspicions and it's clear they both are loyal to each other. This is the moment of truth.
Spec Ops "truth revealed" has started playing and its gonna be a mess of emotions.
Wixelt
NGE Fic plan 480 pages and counting...
- Location
- England, UK
- Pronouns
- He/They
"Maybe... she's even watching us right now."
There was an awkward, momentary silence. Everyone present, even Eliza and Sovereign, shifted uncomfortably, several of them glancing over their shoulders, as if they expected an ethereal figure with a cheeky grin to be greeting them like some kind of creeper.
Rei, for her part, looked, for a moment, like she was raising her eyebrow at someone unseen, before she shrugged and turned back to the group, the matter seemingly settled.
"Well." Asuka sighed flatly. "I'm not sleeping tonight."
"Like you would have anyway."
"True enough."
Complete honesty, here. When I got to this title and realized the context, I was slightly concerned, though also curious, that a fault or unexpected complication in the sync sequence was going to cause our favorite battle couple to fuse into a single entity in all senses. In hindsight that would've been a bit out there, but it would certainly have been a fun plot twist, and one that I wouldn't have been averse to.
- Location
- Chicago, IL
Complete honesty, here. When I got to this title and realized the context, I was slightly concerned, though also curious, that a fault or unexpected complication in the sync sequence was going to cause our favorite battle couple to fuse into a single entity in all senses. In hindsight that would've been a bit out there, but it would certainly have been a fun plot twist, and one that I wouldn't have been averse to.
To be fair, it's still got a bittersweet double-meaning, as it can refer to both Yui and Gendo as well as Asuka and Shinji.