- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
No wonder Misato got the job!
Beauty and the Beast [NGE]
See you ask why you need an Eva-scale Progressive Mellon Baller. How else are you supposed to get those pesky cores out of the Angel?
- Location
- Online
Of course it's not a jello mold. Evas are inedible.
Asuka: "... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..."
JennyDracos
Eccentric Hugging Lady
- Location
- Chicago
I was about to say something about how it's too bad Asuka doesn't say some things anymore but this is BnB she still totally does you idiot!
The Englanderish
Schrödinger's Kuudere Kitty Caliph(a)
- Location
- Califat de Chats
Aaaaand I return to read some more!
I look forward to more. Good job of laying out the setting so far - especially the slow drip-feed of info. Paces it well.
The young what? Needs a noun.
Its - this plagued me when I was younger. "It is" becomes "It's" and "belonging to it" becomes "Its"
Chomping, eh?
Nice, now are ducks going to get the kitten treatment?
That's Gendo, baby!
Well, you seem balanced and reasonable.
I look forward to more. Good job of laying out the setting so far - especially the slow drip-feed of info. Paces it well.
- Location
- Canada
Ah thanks writing is a process, as Mari would say "three steps forward two steps back."
Kunohama did not drink the kool-aid as much as became the president of the kool-aid fan club.Well, you seem balanced and reasonable.
Heh this is idealistic kid Kaworu wait a few years for him to get arrogant and superior.Nice, now are ducks going to get the kitten treatment?
Ah thanks again, hope you enjoy
- Location
- Canada
Hello all, I hope you are having a good holiday season. Between work and family and shopping, I was able to do this but I would not have been able to without the wonderful assistance of @JennyDracos so everyone gives her a nice round of applause.
Interlude 6
Kaji leaned against the railing and moped, his cigarette nearing its end as it struggled to stay alight against the ocean spray. Looking out he spied one of their sister ships carrying a massive form wrapped in a thickly bound tarp. Reaching inside his coat Kaji found his pack of cigarettes empty. Just like me. Try as he might, he could not get his hands on what he had promised Ikari, the sample locked deep within a NERV vault under Berlin, now being moved to Aurora Base far away from Kaji or even Ikari's influence. Sighing he tossed his pitiful butt into a passing wave and headed towards his cabin. At the very least he could try and get some sleep. Langley joining Asuka was an unexpected last-minute addition - Kaji would have thought the man to prefer being as far away from the fighting as possible, all the while bemoaning not being able to be there. Still, Langley's behavior, especially his behavior in relation to his children, was ever mercurial.
Reaching the door to his room brought Kaji out of his thoughts, his heart quickening as he saw the door was ajar. Someone was in his room. Immediately Kaji's hand ghosted over the brown leather of his holster. Had Ikari sent someone for him so soon? Or was it someone else? God knows he had made enough enemies these past few years, digging through peoples dirty laundry as inspector, both on the job and off. Still, sending someone here, on a UN vessel? That would be bold indeed.
With one hand thumbing the strap of the holster he quietly pushed opened the door, only to let go of his gun immediately as he saw the figure before him. "Rebecca? What are you doing here?"
The girl looked up from Kaji's bed and yawned, her eyes half-lidded. "Asuka kicked me out of our room because she said I was snoring. I didn't know where else to go."
Kaji sighed and entered the small cabin, closing the door behind him and sitting on a stool. "You couldn't go bunk with your dad?"
Rebecca simply raised an eye and gave him a somewhat sour look.
"Right, sorry." Kaji rubbed the back of his head weakly. "Well, if its just for one night, I don't see a problem. Just throw me a pillow and I can sleep on the floor."
Rebecca smiled and tossed him one of the pillows beside her. "Thanks, Asuka is..."
Kajij shook his head. "Rebecca, you can be honest with me, I won't tell her anything."
Rebecca nodded. "Look, I- I get that she is going through a lot right now, but she can be really hard to be around. She keeps yelling at me, and teasing me, and-" She stopped, took a deep breath. She didn't want to cry. "I just don't know what to do. Why? Am I not a good enough sister?"
"Rebecca you are a good sister." Kaji said firmly, "It's just-- well, Asuka is what NERV made her. What I made her. She is a pilot and a soldier but she is still just a kid." Kaji paused for a moment and let it the silence creep in, his own guilty conscience hanging over him. "A scared kid being shipped off to war. I can't imagine what that's like."
Rebecca nodded. "I know, I just... I just wish she would be nicer sometimes. Maybe Shinji will help. He always used to mellow her out when he was with us."
Kaji hoped so. There were times, golden memories, when the three of them had found some happiness and peace in each other, laughing and playing without a care or concern. Things had gotten worse when Mari was sent to Nevada to head the base there and then Shinji was chosen as a pilot soon after. Kaji remembered holding a crying Asuka in his arms as she wailed about it, how it was not fair and they were taking him away from her. The intermittent meetings afterword were not the same. Asuka had tried to see Shinji as a friend, but couldn't help but view him as a rival for attention and glory. "I hope so, Rebecca. You kids deserve better than this. I'm sorry things are working out this way. I talked to Ritsuko the other day about you guys; she said Shinji was going to be attending a school while in Tokyo along with the first pilot, maybe you can go there with him. I know it's not much, but..."
Kaji looked up to see Rebecca's eyes light up. "The three of us together again? That sounds nice. You know... You don't have to sleep on the floor if it's too bad. I don't mind sharing."
Kaji swallowed hard "I uh... I don't think that's appropriate, but thank you for the offer. Don't worry about me though, I can sleep anywhere. One time, after the bars all closed? Me and Katsuragi- you know, maybe that story is one for when you are older." Kaji laid down on the hard metal floor and closed his eyes. "Don't worry, I'm sure Shinji hasn't changed much since you last saw him."
Reaching the door to his room brought Kaji out of his thoughts, his heart quickening as he saw the door was ajar. Someone was in his room. Immediately Kaji's hand ghosted over the brown leather of his holster. Had Ikari sent someone for him so soon? Or was it someone else? God knows he had made enough enemies these past few years, digging through peoples dirty laundry as inspector, both on the job and off. Still, sending someone here, on a UN vessel? That would be bold indeed.
With one hand thumbing the strap of the holster he quietly pushed opened the door, only to let go of his gun immediately as he saw the figure before him. "Rebecca? What are you doing here?"
The girl looked up from Kaji's bed and yawned, her eyes half-lidded. "Asuka kicked me out of our room because she said I was snoring. I didn't know where else to go."
Kaji sighed and entered the small cabin, closing the door behind him and sitting on a stool. "You couldn't go bunk with your dad?"
Rebecca simply raised an eye and gave him a somewhat sour look.
"Right, sorry." Kaji rubbed the back of his head weakly. "Well, if its just for one night, I don't see a problem. Just throw me a pillow and I can sleep on the floor."
Rebecca smiled and tossed him one of the pillows beside her. "Thanks, Asuka is..."
Kajij shook his head. "Rebecca, you can be honest with me, I won't tell her anything."
Rebecca nodded. "Look, I- I get that she is going through a lot right now, but she can be really hard to be around. She keeps yelling at me, and teasing me, and-" She stopped, took a deep breath. She didn't want to cry. "I just don't know what to do. Why? Am I not a good enough sister?"
"Rebecca you are a good sister." Kaji said firmly, "It's just-- well, Asuka is what NERV made her. What I made her. She is a pilot and a soldier but she is still just a kid." Kaji paused for a moment and let it the silence creep in, his own guilty conscience hanging over him. "A scared kid being shipped off to war. I can't imagine what that's like."
Rebecca nodded. "I know, I just... I just wish she would be nicer sometimes. Maybe Shinji will help. He always used to mellow her out when he was with us."
Kaji hoped so. There were times, golden memories, when the three of them had found some happiness and peace in each other, laughing and playing without a care or concern. Things had gotten worse when Mari was sent to Nevada to head the base there and then Shinji was chosen as a pilot soon after. Kaji remembered holding a crying Asuka in his arms as she wailed about it, how it was not fair and they were taking him away from her. The intermittent meetings afterword were not the same. Asuka had tried to see Shinji as a friend, but couldn't help but view him as a rival for attention and glory. "I hope so, Rebecca. You kids deserve better than this. I'm sorry things are working out this way. I talked to Ritsuko the other day about you guys; she said Shinji was going to be attending a school while in Tokyo along with the first pilot, maybe you can go there with him. I know it's not much, but..."
Kaji looked up to see Rebecca's eyes light up. "The three of us together again? That sounds nice. You know... You don't have to sleep on the floor if it's too bad. I don't mind sharing."
Kaji swallowed hard "I uh... I don't think that's appropriate, but thank you for the offer. Don't worry about me though, I can sleep anywhere. One time, after the bars all closed? Me and Katsuragi- you know, maybe that story is one for when you are older." Kaji laid down on the hard metal floor and closed his eyes. "Don't worry, I'm sure Shinji hasn't changed much since you last saw him."
*
- Location
- Edinburgh
Really like the extra amount of insight you give to Kaji during this and his thought process. Really digging into how hollow he things he is is compared to the image he gives off.
Poor Rebacca though, as much as I like her as a character Asuka is not always the most pleasant of people and it would be difficult to deal with/live with her I imagine. I think you'd doing a good job of showing that but also letting us know the depth of her as well.
Looking forward to more
Poor Rebacca though, as much as I like her as a character Asuka is not always the most pleasant of people and it would be difficult to deal with/live with her I imagine. I think you'd doing a good job of showing that but also letting us know the depth of her as well.
Looking forward to more
Hey he could have stayed behind, he had a medical reason the frontlines of a war is no place for a man without a spine.
Also Kaji is best father figure.
- Location
- Online
That's the thing though. Asuka is a brat. Her depth here is as always: she's angry and bitter and can't help but be so. Someone like that is always going to be hard to live with.Poor Rebacca though, as much as I like her as a character Asuka is not always the most pleasant of people and it would be difficult to deal with/live with her I imagine. I think you'd doing a good job of showing that but also letting us know the depth of her as well.
Looking forward to more
In fact he could just make everything worse. I could honestly see Asuka being even more hostel with Shinji then canon since he is actually "competition"(he's had as much training as her). Then she learns of his Angel side, which gives her even more reason to be confrontational and challenging. Then Rebeca starts to spend more time with Shinji(Rei maybe) making Asuka think she's losing someone else(not realizing it's her own fault) and that Shinji(and Rei) are the reason.
JennyDracos
Eccentric Hugging Lady
- Location
- Chicago
I'm sure that won't happen. It's not like this is a really cynical, depressing setting like Evangelion or someth-
....Oh, wait.
....Oh, wait.
- Location
- Volksstaat Hessen, Deutsches Reich
Though I wouldn't call it "brat". It's not like Asuka is spoiled or anything - quite the contrary. Frankly, Asuka has good reason to be angry and bitter, she is just always directing that anger and bitterness towards the wrong people.
- Location
- Canada, Manitoba
I would have to disagree. Asuka is a humongous brat no question asked. She is not only insufferable in any and every way possible but also has no right to be that way. Sure, her childhood was literal excrement, and there's no way no one would not develop and pretty big psychological problem after being replaced by a doll for some months. Hell, I sympathize with her, as I cannot even understand the pain she would be in. The thing is, she grew up and such things do dull with time.
'But the Evangelion reminds me of my mother' Eh, I would say that's pretty false. She has stated that she like to pilot and does not realize that her mother is actually in there until, well, the end. In fact, she only thinks of it as a giant kickass robot that is a route for other to give her many well deserved praises.
Anyhow, to the main subject, Asuka is still a brat. She wines to anyone that would listen and its because of the smallest things. Not only that but she doesn't try to understand anyone for anything and hurts people in blind and, lets be honest, pretty idiotic anger. That, for me, is a brat of the highest caliber.
Also, Asuka is super spoiled. I get that she sees herself as god's gift to Earth. I mean, she is a child prodigy and an Evangelion pilot, there's only three in the whole world, so it's pretty special. What makes her a spoiled brat is that she demands other to see her that way. Whatever she demands must given to her because why? She's a freaking pilot. I mean, after being trained as a soldier I would think that kind of view would disappear if not lessen.
In fact, I would say that BnB Asuka would be more of a brat than in NGE by the simple fact that she has a sister. A daily remainder that hey, that's right, my childhood sucked ass.
P.S Asuka is best girl. Hehehe
- Location
- Volksstaat Hessen, Deutsches Reich
...I of all people have to defend Asuka now? I'm feeling so goddamn confused right now...
Asuka has any and all reason in the world to be angry and bitter. She lost her mother at 4, and ever since she has been pushed around from guardian to guardian, all the while being used as nothing more than a tool. Nobody ever really paid attention to her, and that is why she is so high strung about getting recognition. And nobody does! Everyone just takes her for granted. She is a fourteen year old girl going out routinely saving the world, at great personal sacrifice, and nobody even pays attention to that! Misato doesn't, her classmates don't, NERV doesn't, they all take her for granted, just another tool in the shed, it's just expected that she fight and suffer.
Asuka is a bitch, the way she behaves to Shinji and Rei and so on. She channels all her anger at them, while still hungering for recognition from the higher-ups. Kicking down and kissing up. But she was made that way. She was raised as nothing more than a tool, nobody paying attention to her, making her starved for recognition. And even when she goes out, suffers and saves everyone, even then she isn't getting the recognition that quite frankly she is due.
The problem really is how she channels her anger. Shinji and Rei are as much exploited victims as she is. If she were to just recognize how she has always ever just been used, and direct her anger towards NERV, Misato, all the other adults in her life... but she is a broken 14 year old girl, so what do you expect? She is an abuse survivor, and abuse survivors develop psychological survival strategies.
Asuka has any and all reason in the world to be angry and bitter. She lost her mother at 4, and ever since she has been pushed around from guardian to guardian, all the while being used as nothing more than a tool. Nobody ever really paid attention to her, and that is why she is so high strung about getting recognition. And nobody does! Everyone just takes her for granted. She is a fourteen year old girl going out routinely saving the world, at great personal sacrifice, and nobody even pays attention to that! Misato doesn't, her classmates don't, NERV doesn't, they all take her for granted, just another tool in the shed, it's just expected that she fight and suffer.
Asuka is a bitch, the way she behaves to Shinji and Rei and so on. She channels all her anger at them, while still hungering for recognition from the higher-ups. Kicking down and kissing up. But she was made that way. She was raised as nothing more than a tool, nobody paying attention to her, making her starved for recognition. And even when she goes out, suffers and saves everyone, even then she isn't getting the recognition that quite frankly she is due.
The problem really is how she channels her anger. Shinji and Rei are as much exploited victims as she is. If she were to just recognize how she has always ever just been used, and direct her anger towards NERV, Misato, all the other adults in her life... but she is a broken 14 year old girl, so what do you expect? She is an abuse survivor, and abuse survivors develop psychological survival strategies.
- Location
- Canada, Manitoba
I get what you are saying, really I do, but I never really was attacking Asuka per se. I was stating the fact that she is totally a brat. Sure she has the right to be angry, I understand that, and sure Asuka does need to get better at expressing her anger. In what I again disagree with you is that she never got any kind of praise. If she hand't I don't think she would of developed that superiority complex of hers. Instead she would have an inferiority one. Especially if everyone treated her like a tool as you said. Classmates fawned over her and Shinji did recognize she was a badass. Hell, Misato gave her thanks for saving them in her own messed up way, but still, that's gotta count for something.
- Location
- Altamonte Springs, FL
This. This. How come people (looking at you, Izurumi!) don't understand this? You've said it better than I could. This is right into Axel Terizaki territory
- Location
- Volksstaat Hessen, Deutsches Reich
Well, at the same time I really do think Asuka is majorly unhealthy for Shinji. I think Shinji was seen as his mental best in episode 7... when he even had enough spine to talk back to Misato, when he complained about normal day to day stuff... and yet some episodes later Misato remarks how unhappy he is, and Shinji remarks how he doesn't even want praise because it will just piss Asuka off... I think Asuka moving in really did a number on him. Now Shinji had no place to retreat to anymore, no space on his own anymore. Now even in his apartment, it's just stress for him.This. This. How come people (looking at you, Izurumi!) don't understand this? You've said it better than I could. This is right into Axel Terizaki territory
That's why I said earlier what Shinji needs is rather just a shoulder to lean on. Like Rei, or Kaworu.
And if I say Asuka rechanneling her anger, I do mean it that way. What Asuka mostly needs is IMO, a realization that she has always just been used as a tool. That hence all her bluster about being a pilot and being special is empty - in truth, that never has gotten her any recognition at all, in truth that was just something NERV and all her guardians used to keep her strung up. All her delusions in that regard need to burn away... even if that does leave just bitter ash behind. The thing is, some people have done majorly wrong by her, and she needs to direct her anger against those. That I think would be an important development step for her.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Applauds.
Whuh oh.... That's going to put a small crimp in Gendo's Scenario... He needs Adam's body to pull off his Red Earth Purification Ceremony at the end of things, to snake Third Impact out from under SEELE. He's going to have to come up with a much sneakier plan to get it now, or figure out some other way.
Ouch... Asuka would have few enough friends period, and even fewer she'd regard as close peers that she could really talk to. Shinji being sent away, and Kaworu all but vanishing into SEELE's clutches... she'd be really alone. And her relationship with Rebecca is already not great for a few reasons, and now she'd turn her pain and anger on her even more.
Rebecca needs hugs too.
But as Susano said, she's going to adapt to survive by turning her pain outwards, and taking it out on who she can, because that's all she's got. She really needs someone to support her, and be the comfort she can retreat to. Sadly, her own father is shit in that department, and Misato and Kaji are... full of their own problems. They try, but they're not well set up themselves to comfort anyone. Maybe she can find that bond in Shinji or Kaworu again, but first she'd have to get over now viewing them as rivals for glory and attention as a Pilot.
- Location
- Canada
I am really glad this came out well, I was really afraid that I didn't strike the balance between blaming Asuka and whitewashing her. In the end her behavior is a result of her upbringing and how she copes with the stresses of piloting but that explanation hardly makes it easier on people like Rebecca who have to deal with Asuka at her worst.
Yeah, and he is not looking forward to the inevitable meeting where he has to explain himself.
Meanwhile at Aurora Base, Revolver Ocelot, Sniper Wolf, Psycho Mantis, Vulcan Raven, and Liquid Snake are all really confused as to why there's a fetus suspended in amber instead of the bipedal nuke-launching mecha that they hoped to get control of.
- Location
- Online
Yeah. Say what you will about Misato, good or bad, but she did give Shinji a haven, then took it all away.
You have a point in theory. However given what happened in canon there is a very good chance her break down in canon would happen instead. After all her realizing she's a tool means she's not special. She's not special her self esteem crashes into nothing. That happens we get a girl laid up in a hospital bed who's catatonic.
Applauds louder
Assuming he has the resources to make another way. I mean why would he have Kaji steal Adam if he had other means, seeing as how Adam is the kind of thing that the "term belongs in Fort Knox" was made for.
Which brings up another question. Why the @#$% was Adam somewhere it can be stolen from?
And it's only going to get worse. The really sad thing is she'll only have herself to blame for it getting worse as she's going to chase everyone away.Ouch... Asuka would have few enough friends period, and even fewer she'd regard as close peers that she could really talk to. Shinji being sent away, and Kaworu all but vanishing into SEELE's clutches... she'd be really alone. And her relationship with Rebecca is already not great for a few reasons, and now she'd turn her pain and anger on her even more.
... ... ...It's stryp's fault for me seeing this as "release the Rei" isn't it?
And given all the changes to Shinji i can honestly see that as a 0% chance of happening. I mean he was the MVP in canon. Now? He's MVP X 3. Asuka isn't going to like that.
But the sad part is that the "not her fault" part falls flat when you realize she has set herself up to fail gloriously. I firmly believe that it's okay to have coping mechanisms, even if they're not really all that healthy, even more so for cases where it's a kid. But Asuka is a good argument as to why that belief is wrong. Asuka has set herself up to self destruct no matter what happens, win or lose.
Even worse is she victimizes everyone else around her. Making her no better then the people who have done it to her.
Last edited:
- Location
- Canada
Sorry update is coming slowly, here is a preview for those interested:
Gendo speared the center of his warm egg with a prong of his fork, spilling the sticky yellow yolk within across his white plate and onto his waiting toast. Grunting in quiet satisfaction, he absently brushed a crumb of brown bread from his beard and looked across the table to his companion, who only stirred her coffee weakly. It was always like this between them in these odd twilight hours where things were not clear. Soon both would be at work and he would be the commander and she would be his subordinate.
It was easier in the dark. There it all seemed to melt away into simple comfort. All women feel like Yui in the dark. It was harder at times like this, the morning light only seemed to bring questions and doubts in his mind.
"You have an admirer." Gendo snapped out of his own thoughts to see Ritsuko's smiling face. Following her warm green eyes, Gendo spied one of Ritsuko's cats sitting on a chair next to him, gazing intently.
"He is just hungry," Gendo said. He scrapped some of the yolk off his plate with his forefinger and offered it to the feline, whose name he could not recall. The beast lapped it up with vigor after a moment's hesitation.
"I don't know why" Ritsuko laughed before taking a careful sip of her coffee. "It's not like I don't feed the blighter."
"Some things are always hungry," Gendo explained evenly, feeling the rough tongue of the cat on his finger. "They don't know when their next meal is coming, so they take all they can get."
Ritsuko nodded. "I suppose so..." Her laugh disappeared and Gendo returned his gaze to the woman, following her vision again to the thick red scars on his outstretched hand. Swearing under his breath, Gendo stuck his hand in his pocket. "I wish you had come to me for that. It looks like it healed rather badly. It would have been no trouble for me to..."
"It's fine," Gendo said sternly and with more authority then he wanted to "You had important things to do. We both did." Feeling a deep awkwardness approach, Gendo got up and scratched the cat with his unscarred hand before heading to the door. "Speaking of which." Reaching the hall, Gendo picked up the worn leather overnight bag he had left there the night before.
Feeling Ritsuko's gaze on his back, he turned around and saw her open her mouth before closing it and then thinking of something to say. Having decided she spoke up weakly "You can leave that here if you like. It's no trouble, I can just throw it in with my stuff."
Gendo paused for a moment and then shrugged, leaving the bag by his feet. "Very well then. I will see you later, Doctor Akagi."
Ritsuko smiled back at him weakly. "You as well, commander."
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Just can't let her go, can you? Knowing her ghost is right there in Unit-01... how many hours have you spent in the Cages staring at her, even talking to her, Gendo?
And Ritsuko's not stupid. She can see it. She just thinks she can change your mind one day. And that everything she does to get there will be worth the cost.
- Location
- Canada
In some ways, in some horrible ways Gendo would never like to admit it might have been better if she had just died. It is not the loss that drove Gendo mad but the sliver of hope that forever seemed beyond reach.