I really need to get back to watching Lupin III...
Tho in my case it was the English dub of Lupin III Part II, because I tried the Japanese dub and while the voices weren't bad...I loved the English voices much more than the Japanese. Though I'm gonna have to be forced to Japanese since the dub wasn't able to dub all the eps of Part II.
I oddly enough stopped before the undubbed episodes. And yeah, the dub team of Oliver/Epcar/Lang/Ruff/Lorge (later Erholtz) has become iconic at this point.
 
Shinji: Is that all you'll be needing, liebling?

Asuka: Certainly not! It's just an aperitif while I mull over how else I can obliterate this from existence.
 
Something for the Chronicles gang, considering they know that they have fictional counterparts:

 
Technically any sexual act with Rei has no separate distinction from intercourse with the Great Mother. Skyrim's Alduin will be appearing shortly. These fans best go hide.
 
Chapter 12.5
Welp, it's Saturday night, I got less done than I wanted, but here's two scenes and 2000 words of official update. Let's hope that getting past these two scenes will make the next ones flow faster. ....Not that the next couple are any easier.

Art? Oh yes.





Chapter 12.5
Götterdämmerung

+++

The faint, rhythmic sound of pumps circulating the LCL through the scanning tube and the now empty clone tank behind her filled the chilly chamber of Ritsuko's Terminal Dogma lab with a pseudo-organic sound disturbingly like the breathing of a large, inhuman beast. It was usually-ignored background noise to Rei, but at times like this she found it comforting, a white noise that had been the soundtrack to much of her past. It helped her think, in the quiet hours she floated in the tube. To be quite fair, she hadn't precisely done a lot of thinking in past years. More just drifted and let her mind be blank as Doctor Akagi's scanners and instruments monitored her. But of late she'd had more things occupying her mind.

'That stupid fish. His stupid smile. His stupid eyes. So different from Shinji's or Asuka's. But they distract and occupy me just as much. And I want to explore. At length. For much time.'

'Time…'
Rei raised her head and looked at the only other occupant in the room. "Do you believe in the future now, Doctor Akagi?"

Ritsuko blinked distractedly, visibly pulling her thought process out of the AT-Field harmonics readouts she'd been intently staring at on the screen. "What?"

"You were invested, somewhat willingly, in Commander Ikari's intent to end humanity. In his belief that it was the best choice for the world in the face of SEELE's own plan. But now you appear to have hope in the future. I believe a good deal of this feeling is thanks to having someone who loves you. I wish to discuss this, as I believe I now hold…," Rei fidgeted, "similar feelings."

Ritsuko looked away. "It's… complicated. Part of it is a retroactive realization that I knew at least somewhat that he would never love me back, not the way I wanted. It was a willful delusion because that was less painful than the idea of being alone or unwanted. Now that my fears in that area are, mmm… more than removed? Yes, the future feels different. If we have one." She sighed. "This is not a conversation I ever expected to have."

Despite her more serious concerns, Rei could not restrain a tiny, Asuka-like voice whispering an idea in the back of her head. Nor could she contain the miniscule, impish smile that grew on her lips. "I think you'd still prefer this conversation to the other question I wanted to ask. This is, at least, less awkward."

Sensing a trap, but still curious, Ritsuko bit. "And what question would that be?"

"'What is sex like?' and variations on that theme."

Ritsuko stared blankly at her for a moment. "I'm sorry, Rei, I think my brain just hiccupped. And.. yes, let's go back to the first o-"

The phone on the control console rang. Ritsuko eyed it with something like relief, then picked it up. "Sir." There were very few people who might call this line, and half of them were here already.

"Doctor Akagi, come to my office immediately. There is serious news," Commander Ikari's baritone rumbled in the receiver.

Ritsuko's eyes darted to the LCL-filled cylinder in the middle of the lab. "Sir, the First Child is-"

"I am aware. Put whatever processes you can under MAGI monitoring and control, and come here. Place the First Child in automatic suspension. She will not be needed for this. This is urgent, Doctor."

'Once upon a time, I'd have thought nothing whatsoever about putting Rei "on pause" like she was a bad movie I wasn't really paying attention to. Now it feels wrong.' She silently shook her head. "Understood, sir. I am on my way."

The sound of the line disconnecting as he hung up was her only answer. She rolled her eyes at yet another display of the Commander's sterling manners and hung up the receiver. She straightened up and looked at the LCL tank. "Rei, the Commander wants me up in his office right away. He didn't say why, just that it was urgent. He also told me to put you to sleep while I was gone, but I think I should leave that up to you. Do you want a nap, or do you not mind being bored for an unknown amount of time? He didn't say how long this might take."

The First Child shook her head lightly. "I am sufficiently well rested, Doctor Akagi. I will enjoy having solitude to think, as well. I do not mind the time."

"Alright. I'll leave the systems running on high-definition collect, so we'll at least get some good data from this. Your AT-Field is still looking… quite peculiar. You've recovered from most of the damage Arael did, though."

Rei gave her a very faint smile and a nod. "That is good. Please return as soon as you can and inform me of what the Commander finds so urgent."

"I'll message Maya to come get you out if it looks like it will go long." Ritsuko tapped a few commands into the controls in front of her, then picked up her remote MAGI terminal as she headed for the lab door.

+++

Misato folded her arms across her chest again, shifting back to the posture she'd irritably changed out of just a minute before. The reason she'd changed her stance was immediately brought back to mind as the movement once again pressed the pistol in her shoulder holster against her armpit. The metal digging into her undershirt pointedly reminded her she was armed.

And that the second round in that magazine now had a particular, ruby-red tip.

Despite herself, her eyes once again darted to the Fifth Child, standing in front of her, his face almost pressed to the glass of the test chamber. He was staring calmly at Unit-03, a faint smile on his face. He hadn't paid her much attention after polite greetings after he'd arrived, but Misato was still unable to keep herself from constantly checking his presence.

'How can I not, now that I know what he really is?'

Asuka had merely given her a grim nod when she'd seen Misato staring at her pistol, then carefully putting the anti-AT-Field round into the ejected magazine. At the same time, the Second Child had made her own gesture by taking her own red-tipped bullet and pointedly putting it in the back of her desk drawer in her room.

The fact Kaworu really did have good reason to be immediately on hand to watch while Hikari did her Synch Test in their shared Evangelion was driving her up the wall with hyper-alertness. That Misato likewise had no reason to tell him to go somewhere else on the mere grounds he was making her paranoid only made it worse. She tried to tell herself to calm down with the argument that she'd only be even more paranoid if she couldn't keep an eye on him did little to help.

'God, I wish I could get completely hammered tonight. I'd like to not be giving myself an ulcer from sheer worry every time I try to sleep. And I hate hate hate that I can't get Kaji to sleep over every night without it being a bit too obvious,' she mentally grumbled. 'Then again, Commander Ikari already knows we're together, so why not? Fuck it, I'm telling my,' a small mental gulp, 'my fiancé he's sleeping over again tonight.'

Her eyes finally stopped hopping between the Fifth Child and the monitors tracking the test when her phone beeped in her pocket. She dug it out of her jacket's pocket, almost grateful for the momentary distraction. A text message from Shinji? Unusual. Her brow furrowed as she read.

Her eyes narrowed further when she got to the 'unannounced exercise'. The same excuse they'd used before Sachiel. But this time without informing NERV. And if it had already been underway for a couple days… She chewed her lip. She had to tell Kaji about this, right away.

She quickly forwarded the message to her fiancé. He'd be able to confirm if her fears were accurate. She'd barely taken her finger off SEND when the phone rang from an incoming call. She suppressed a blink of shock that he'd called her back so quickly, but the caller ID was less welcome:

CDR IKARI

"Sir?"

"Major Katsuragi, come to my office immediately. There are urgent developments we need to discuss."

"I'm leaving the Pilots at a test, sir. Priority?"

"Correct, Major. This supersedes all other immediate activities. Doctor Akagi is already on her way. Come." Click.

She put her phone away with a frown. Now what? Or had Commander Ikari gotten the same news she just had through his own channels? She pursed her lips as she looked at Lieutenant Ibuki. "Lieutenant, I need to see the Commander right away. Keep running the test and call me immediately if there are any anomalies."

"Yes, ma'am."

Misato raised her voice a bit. "Asuka, I've got to go see the Commander. Lieutenant Ibuki will keep things under control here. You good?"

"Misato, this is the stupidest test we've done in weeks. I'm bored!"

"That's a 'I'm good', then. Got it. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Bored! Bored bored bored!"

"Suck it up, Pilot. Later." She shot a look at the Fifth Child. "Nagisa-kun, you behave too."

Kaworu smiled calmly and said, "Of course, Major. What trouble would I get into in here?"

She rolled her eyes, but was out the door of the test observation chamber a moment later.

Kaworu returned to watching the constantly-shifting displays of the Second and Fourth Children's synch rates. He'd have to make sure he was below their levels. This would not be too difficult; the Second's rates were flirting with 80%, and the Fourth was slowly climbing towards 70%. He hoped they were enjoying their time communicating with their mothers. He spent a moment wondering what that would be like, to have a mother. It must be nice. He'd have to ask Rei if she recalled her mother back on their original world. His own memories of that age were still absent.

One of the techs tapped him on the shoulder. "Ah… Pilot Nagisa? You have a phone call." He was holding up the line from the console.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Who would be calling him? Ah. He did his best to keep his face clear as he took the proffered receiver from the instrument desk next to him. "This is Nagisa."

"Fifth Child. This is Ayanami. I need you to meet me on sublevel 30B in 15 minutes. It is important," Rei's cool, distinct voice said quietly. "You must proceed immediately. Speak to no one. Do not tell them where you are going."

His eyebrows rose even higher, despite the happy thrill that ran up his back on hearing her voice. Sublevel 30B was deep within the Geofront, and most importantly was the location of one of the access points to the elevators and shafts leading down to Terminal Dogma. Did Rei intend to lead him down to Lilith's chamber right now? Risky, but it might be a good time to make their approach. "I see. Of course. I am on my way."

There was no reply, only the click of her hanging up. Of course, she wouldn't say anything else, not here in the heart of NERV, where every line was monitored. No way of knowing who was standing near her, too. She was down in Doctor Akagi's lab, wasn't she? Still, good for her to be cautious.

"Lieutenant Ibuki? I have to go. I have been summoned."

Maya glanced up, distractedly nodding at him. "That's fine, Pilot Nagisa. We don't have anything for you here."

He smiled and made his way to the door, his plugsuit's padded soles making hardly any noise on the metal floors. He contained his smile until the observation room door had closed behind him. He was going to see Rei soon. That always made his day better.

+++

Technically any sexual act with Rei has no separate distinction from intercourse with the Great Mother. Skyrim's Alduin will be appearing shortly. These fans best go hide.
Rei would in fact complain about that, since memories or no, she considers herself distinct from Lilith. By identity, at least. If you are attempting sex with her greater body in Terminal Dogma, you've got all sorts of other problems, as well. :p
 
Sensing a trap, but still curious, Ritsuko bit. "And what question would that be?"

"'What is sex like?' and variations on that theme."

Ritsuko stared blankly at her for a moment. "I'm sorry, Rei, I think my brain just hiccupped. And.. yes, let's go back to the first o-"
That is a better question to ask Misato, but I am afraid she isnt in the mood at the moment. Besides, the answer is "The first time is awkward, confusing, exciting and one way or another always over way too quickly. Then it gets better"
'God, I wish I could get completely hammered tonight. I'd like to not be giving myself an ulcer from sheer worry every time I try to sleep. And I hate hate hate that I can't get Kaji to sleep over every night without it being a bit too obvious,' she mentally grumbled. 'Then again, Commander Ikari already knows we're together, so why not? Fuck it, I'm telling my,' a small mental gulp, 'my fiancé he's sleeping over again tonight.'
Ritsuko: My dear AU copy of my dear friend, there are alternative drugs to ethanol to be used for this purpose and others.
CDR IKARI

"Sir?"

"Major Katsuragi, come to my office immediately. There are urgent developments we need to discuss."

"I'm leaving the Pilots at a test, sir. Priority?"

"Correct, Major. This supersedes all other immediate activities. Doctor Akagi is already on her way. Come." Click.

She put her phone away with a frown. Now what? Or had Commander Ikari gotten the same news she just had through his own channels? She pursed her lips as she looked at Lieutenant Ibuki. "Lieutenant, I need to see the Commander right away. Keep running the test and call me immediately if there are any anomalies."

"Yes, ma'am."

Misato raised her voice a bit. "Asuka, I've got to go see the Commander. Lieutenant Ibuki will keep things under control here. You good?"

"Misato, this is the stupidest test we've done in weeks. I'm bored!"

"That's a 'I'm good', then. Got it. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Bored! Bored bored bored!"

"Suck it up, Pilot. Later." She shot a look at the Fifth Child. "Nagisa-kun, you behave too."
Gendo, you might not be the Devil himself, but you are a goddamn sneaky bastard.
Kaworu returned to watching the constantly-shifting displays of the Second and Fourth Children's synch rates. He'd have to make sure he was below their levels. This would not be too difficult; the Second's rates were flirting with 80%, and the Fourth was slowly climbing towards 70%. He hoped they were enjoying their time communicating with their mothers. He spent a moment wondering what that would be like, to have a mother. It must be nice. He'd have to ask Rei if she recalled her mother back on their original world. His own memories of that age were still absent.
Lost childhood memory/absence of good childhood memory of your family is one hell of a ride. Something tells me that Kaworu has been beset and followed by tragedy even in that time.
And Kaworu better know that in general knowledge does not bring happiness - it only gives strength to those who can handle it.
One of the techs tapped him on the shoulder. "Ah… Pilot Nagisa? You have a phone call." He was holding up the line from the console.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Who would be calling him? Ah. He did his best to keep his face clear as he took the proffered receiver from the instrument desk next to him. "This is Nagisa."

"Fifth Child. This is Ayanami. I need you to meet me on sublevel 30B in 15 minutes. It is important," Rei's cool, distinct voice said quietly. "You must proceed immediately. Speak to no one. Do not tell them where you are going."

His eyebrows rose even higher, despite the happy thrill that ran up his back on hearing her voice. Sublevel 30B was deep within the Geofront, and most importantly was the location of one of the access points to the elevators and shafts leading down to Terminal Dogma. Did Rei intend to lead him down to Lilith's chamber right now? Risky, but it might be a good time to make their approach. "I see. Of course. I am on my way."

There was no reply, only the click of her hanging up. Of course, she wouldn't say anything else, not here in the heart of NERV, where every line was monitored. No way of knowing who was standing near her, too. She was down in Doctor Akagi's lab, wasn't she? Still, good for her to be cautious.

"Lieutenant Ibuki? I have to go. I have been summoned."

Maya glanced up, distractedly nodding at him. "That's fine, Pilot Nagisa. We don't have anything for you here."

He smiled and made his way to the door, his plugsuit's padded soles making hardly any noise on the metal floors. He contained his smile until the observation room door had closed behind him. He was going to see Rei soon. That always made his day better.
And now everything hinges on you, Kaworu. Do you have the will to acknowledge what is going to happen? Do you have will to fight your who appears to be your beloved and still keep your composure despite all? Can you do what is necessary?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPPGMNOLaMw
The fact you found art of Ritsuko with TempleOS is kind of amazing on a meta level.
So this is why nobody besides Ritsuko and Maya can understand the code of MAGI OS...
 
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Agggghhhhh, Kaworu that's not the real Rei! She's gonna do bad things, and not the good kind of bad. Surely you'll, uh, hear the difference before it's too late?

That's what he does right? He hears peoples souls like Rei sees them? If I have that correct?
 
Before any y'all ask, shift work sucks :V

Something for the Chronicles gang, considering they know that they have fictional counterparts:

I'm pretty sure they already figured there'd be porn of them :V
In fact I think I pointed that out in the first Chronicles at that :p

Asuka had merely given her a grim nod when she'd seen Misato staring at her pistol, then carefully putting the anti-AT-Field round into the ejected magazine. At the same time, the Second Child had made her own gesture by taking her own red-tipped bullet and pointedly putting it in the back of her desk drawer in her room.

Keeping it just in case? Or is it more that she's willing to only use it at last resort. Considering Misato's paranoia over it.

'God, I wish I could get completely hammered tonight. I'd like to not be giving myself an ulcer from sheer worry every time I try to sleep. And I hate hate hate that I can't get Kaji to sleep over every night without it being a bit too obvious,' she mentally grumbled. 'Then again, Commander Ikari already knows we're together, so why not? Fuck it, I'm telling my,' a small mental gulp, 'my fiancé he's sleeping over again tonight.'

I feel most nights she'd be feeling that.
I guess sometimes it's good if big brother knows, at least then it fits with the narrative that had formed. Hope they thoroughly sweep for bugs though :V

"Major Katsuragi, come to my office immediately. There are urgent developments we need to discuss."

Well, if they even ever make it to the bedroom.
Thought I'm kinda relieved Misato is being called up as well, alongside Ritsuko. Misato's still kinda important in at least keeping NERV and the pilots cohesive during the upcoming events. Plus, if anything does happen, she's armed.

"Fifth Child. This is Ayanami. I need you to meet me on sublevel 30B in 15 minutes. It is important," Rei's cool, distinct voice said quietly. "You must proceed immediately. Speak to no one. Do not tell them where you are going."

Wonder which Rei it is, may as well flip a coin.
Tails it's the real Rei, heads and Kaworu loses his head :V

He smiled and made his way to the door, his plugsuit's padded soles making hardly any noise on the metal floors. He contained his smile until the observation room door had closed behind him. He was going to see Rei soon. That always made his day better.

See point above, because I just have that feeling it'll all come crashing down.
Oh my apologies, tumbling down. Forgot where I was for a second :V

Good update, always good to see you post Stryp :)
 
Agggghhhhh, Kaworu that's not the real Rei! She's gonna do bad things, and not the good kind of bad. Surely you'll, uh, hear the difference before it's too late?

That's what he does right? He hears peoples souls like Rei sees them? If I have that correct?

Wonder which Rei it is, may as well flip a coin.
Tails it's the real Rei, heads and Kaworu loses his head :V

That...possibility honestly didn't come to mind because for some reason my brain thought that the call was through Kaworu's phone. But reading at it again, especially upon remembering where we last saw the Rei we know...

...yeah it doesn't look so good. :V

Of course would still want it to be our Rei that had called but yeah, hopefully Kaworu can tell the difference if it ain't our Rei.
 
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"Fifth Child. This is Ayanami. I need you to meet me on sublevel 30B in 15 minutes. It is important," Rei's cool, distinct voice said quietly. "You must proceed immediately. Speak to no one. Do not tell them where you are going."
Nonononononono--

*ahem*

This can only end in pain. For who, exactly, will remain to be seen.

Wonder which Rei it is, may as well flip a coin.
Tails it's the real Rei, heads and Kaworu loses his head :V
Fingers crossed. :p
 
"Rei, the Commander wants me up in his office right away. He didn't say why, just that it was urgent. He also told me to put you to sleep while I was gone, but I think I should leave that up to you. Do you want a nap, or do you not mind being bored for an unknown amount of time? He didn't say how long this might take."

The First Child shook her head lightly. "I am sufficiently well rested, Doctor Akagi. I will enjoy having solitude to think, as well. I do not mind the time."
So she is awake and alert for the quite possible Attempted Shenanigans, this is good (although I do not know how hard it would be for her to climb out unaided.

"Major Katsuragi, come to my office immediately. There are urgent developments we need to discuss."
She has an Anti-AT Field round on her, this might be good (or at least less bad).

"This is Nagisa."

"Fifth Child. This is Ayanami. I need you to meet me on sublevel 30B in 15 minutes. It is important," Rei's cool, distinct voice said quietly. "You must proceed immediately. Speak to no one. Do not tell them where you are going."
If he cannot tell the difference at close range? This is going to be Very Very Bad....
 
So, pushing for a false flag, it seems? "Look, that Angel's going for Lilith, better kill him now!"
Potentially. Or perhaps simply attempting to silently murder him to not raise any alarms.
(although I do not know how hard it would be for her to climb out unaided.
Trivial with her AT-field powers, but the problem is that she doesnt necessarily know anything is happening.
Evil!Rei is going to get wrecked regardless - either Kaworu catches on in time, or he doesn't and then Rei kills her evil twin for hurting her boyfriend.
The second option isn't exactly a good ending.

Also, everyone has just ignored that this Rei is not using the messaging system and is instead calling Kaworu. Everyone in the thread and Kaworu.
 
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