I'm probably missing some of the time elements, since it feels very fast. Probably less so than I'm seeing, though.

To be clear, I'm not saying at all that this is a bad path. I just want it to have solid support so it can roll on, and not feel too easy. This is Eva. Nothing is that easy. :p

This occured to me earlier but I totally neglected to post it because I'm a terrible person. But I wanted to point out that JC did a pretty solid job of establishing that Asuka's not afraid of Kaworu. Or, for that matter, Shinji. She's afraid of Asuka. The driving emotion for all three of them isn't fear, its guilt.

So when presented with perhaps the one person in the world Asuka doesn't have to feel guilty about, she lets herself give into her curiosity. And when he's hurt, well, damnit, she's going to do something about it!

But...now she's got the guilt of betraying her feelings for Shinji to worry about...

I think she might be looking for some happy times in that bath.

I think they're not going to be happy. Asuka has a lot of memories of bathtubs.
 
I just wanted to say, this is good. I like what you've written so far. It's rare to see a post-3I fic where the world is fairly normal.
 
I think within Shinji are the seeds to make a Gendo. His father is what he turns into if he gives up trying to reach out to other people. The biggest differene is Shinji still wants the praise and approval of others. While Gendo has given up and locked himself away. Another big difference is that Gendo has a streak of bitterness that has not manifested itself in Shinji but would I think if he did not stray from his path.

This is so true and I think EoE shows that better than anything. Shinji very nearly becomes Gendo in wishing the world away. He nearly becomes that selfish person because he truly believes there is nothing for him. Yet he is shown that there are things for him and reasons to live and realizes that he should carry on.

So if Series Gendo is BAD END Shinji, what does that make Raising project Gendo?

Worst end Shinji :p

So when presented with perhaps the one person in the world Asuka doesn't have to feel guilty about, she lets herself give into her curiosity. And when he's hurt, well, damnit, she's going to do something about it!

Yeah this is quite important, both times Asuka has met with Kaworu there has been other things happening to distract her from her own guilt and feelings, she has felt it but not as much as she would if those other things hadn't have happened. First time it was pure curiosity that led her too him and coupled with them going to the concert she could be more relaxed.

Over the two weeks she did feel doubts and fear about things but then all of a sudden he was attacked and her anger and desire to help with that took over and pushed the guilt to one side.

Now she doesn't have either of those things to fall back on plus she is also going to have the guilt over upsetting Rei and betraying Shinji.

I think she might be looking for some happy times in that bath.

Yup, I mean she's pretty much seen Kaworu naked now, she has the images of Shinji and her dream before. So plenty of happy times. What could go wrong :p

I just wanted to say, this is good. I like what you've written so far. It's rare to see a post-3I fic where the world is fairly normal.

Thank you so much :)

I always have something of an optimistic view of 3I if I'm being honest. I always like to think that Yui/GNR wouldn't leave Shinji/Asuka with such a devastated world for them especially after all they had been through. I also like the idea that characters would return and have resolved their issues like Ritsuko or Fuyutsuki.
 
Thank you so much :)

I always have something of an optimistic view of 3I if I'm being honest. I always like to think that Yui/GNR wouldn't leave Shinji/Asuka with such a devastated world for them especially after all they had been through. I also like the idea that characters would return and have resolved their issues like Ritsuko or Fuyutsuki.
There should be plenty of food and other supples left on store shelves. Lack of fresh fruit or vegetables can be offset by vitamin supplements. Recovery largely depends on how quickly people come out in any particular area (or would they all emerge near Japan?) and how fast they get their memories back.
 
Recovery largely depends on how quickly people come out in any particular area (or would they all emerge near Japan?) and how fast they get their memories back.

So very much that. I mean, it would not take very long for certain unattended processes to go out of control. In some cases, automated safeties would shut them down. In other cases, not so much, and then you have fires.

But there is still some time, and a lot of those fires won't start critical.
 
There should be plenty of food and other supples left on store shelves. Lack of fresh fruit or vegetables can be offset by vitamin supplements. Recovery largely depends on how quickly people come out in any particular area (or would they all emerge near Japan?) and how fast they get their memories back.

I often wondered about the mechanics of returning as well. I would imagine that if the whole world was taken as we see in EoE then people would likely re-emerge in the places near bodies of water where they were taken.

Like I say, I always go the more optimistic route so as little damage to the world as possible but that's mostly because I tend to write lighter material. So my view is that GNR/Yui managed to work it so there was minimal issues. I do wonder if the reality of Post 3I would be a Fallout style wasteland though, or at least similar to what we saw in Eva 3.0
 
Chapter 6 - Preview #1 - Asuka
I dislike double posting but just to let people know, I am working on the fic but progress has slowed down ever so slighlty. I'm currently in the final week before moving into a new apartment so this week has been filled with going to view the place to inspect it, solicitors meeting, posting stuff off and making phone calls which has eaten into the time I'd normally use for writing. I've been able to get a bit done though. I reworked the Asuka section posted previously, and also wrote the follow up scene which I'd like to share.

Also next week I'll be without internet in my new flat until the new year. Over Christmas, my Birthday and New Year I'll be staying at my parents so I should be able to upload something but I won't be online as frequently so updates might be a bit spotty. I will try though :)

Asuka Langley Soryu – Berlin
Early morning.

I open the door into my apartment step straight through into the living room, on looking around I can see it's exactly the same as it was when I left it on Friday evening. The same dirty plates have been left out on the coffee table, one of my controllers has been left on the sofa along with my laptop, the entire place looks... lived in and yet as I push the laptop and controller aside it feels remarkably empty.

There was actually a part of me that didn't want to come back to this place after the weekend. That small part of me wanted to stay at Kaworu's place but I had work to do here. Besides which Kaworu also had to return to work, Fuyutsuki did offer him the week off due to the attack but Kaworu insisted on going back in. I can't say I blame him for that, I'd have been the same.

I suppose I'll at least be thankful for being back in my own bed tonight. Kaworu's sofa was comfortable but I don't think I'd be able to handle too many nights on it. I suppose there is always his... No, I can't think that sort of thing. I mustn't think that, I can't let myself think of feel those sorts of things.

That is another reason as to why I had to return. Over the course of yesterday and even this morning I've been having slightly more thoughts about Kaworu in certain ways. I had to get away from there because I can't allow myself to feel those things for him, befriending him was an accident but I can't let that go too far. He'll just end up being hurt.

Yet, every time I try to remind myself of that the thoughts become more intrusive and vivid. They start off innocent enough. We might be sitting on the sofa and playing a game together but then we'll be holding hands or holding one another. Strangely it always seems to be Kaworu who is cuddling into me and not the other way around, I suppose even in my fantasies I have to be the dominant one.

Today those thoughts shifted again. We weren't holding each other on the sofa but in his bed. We weren't just cuddling but we were kissing as well, passionately and deeply. I could feel him, I could feel all of him. It made my bus ride home very uncomfortable.

I keep on trying to tell myself that it means absolutely nothing, my mind is just working overtime because of the strange situation I find myself in. It's affect anyone if an attractive stranger like Kaworu suddenly came into your life in such a way. Here is this person who I know nothing about yet shares a history with me and my past. He enjoys and can play the music I also like, he is well spoken and very handsome. Yet he also needs help and is similar to me in many ways, of course that is going to affect me.

The time we spent together has hardly been normal either. Who would blame me for the first meeting? I was curious and wanted to know more about him. I wanted to know how someone could have upset Rei so much and why he was scared of me. This weekend I was just being a good friend. He had been hurt by the people who promised to protect him, how could I not be there for him. So, all in all my mind acting the way it does makes sense.

Besides I barely know the guy, I can't have any feelings for someone I barely know. He doesn't even know me yet, if he did then he would have continued to run from me. If he knew me then he'd know that I can't offer him anything good friendship or otherwise, all I can offer is myself, and I'm not worth anything.

The dream I had last night hasn't helped either. It involved Kaworu and Shinji again. It was not the same as the first one, I didn't witness them together without me but instead I was with the two of them. It was early morning I think and we were all lying in a bed together. I had one on either side of me and we were all so warm and happy. It was strange but it felt like the three of us were pieces that completed some bizarre puzzle.

It's been a very long time since I've thought of Shinji in such a way. I never stopped having feelings for him after I left Japan but I tried to suppress them. It's why I went so long without uttering his name. That's changed now, I said his name to Rei and the floodgates are now open once again. Shinji... Shinji... Shinji, Shinji, Shinji... Stupid idiot Shinji!

I can't help the sad smile that comes to my lips as my mind wanders to the image of Shinji. Rei has told him that Kaworu is alive now, I imagine he'll have taken the news about it hard. Rei will take care of him though. Rei knows what to do, she's come a hell of a long way from the girl she used to be. The girl that I berated and called a doll.

I wonder what they're doing right now, I wonder what he is doing right now. Rei mentioned he is playing the cello again, I wonder if he is playing that now? I wonder what he sounds like on it. When I heard him many years ago I really liked what I heard, I know little of how to play an instrument, it's the one thing my brilliant self never got around to trying. I was focused on my studies and my Eva piloting, maybe I should take up an instrument one day.

I'd like to hear Shinji play. I should ask Rei to record him playing for me so I can hear it. I know she'll disapprove of it or… maybe I should just reach out to him myself. Maybe I should just let him know I'm alive and well. I know I have to do it eventually, I can't let Rei keep that secret forever but I don't know if I'm ready.

No… It's not that I'm not ready, it's that I'm scared. Scared of hurting him again but so damn scared of being hurt. Scared that he'll have smartened up and seen who I really was. He'll tell me the truth about myself. Tell me that I'm a horrible person and that he hates me. Tell me how much I hurt him and that he doesn't want any part of me in his life.

Or maybe that wouldn't happen. Maybe it's just like Rei says and I'm not as horrible a person as I think I am. Maybe I can actually be friends with Shinji and Kaworu and not have to feel this goddamn guilt so much. This is why I didn't want to be alone, because with Kaworu I could actually forget about it. I could make him my focus and I didn't have to remember me for a change.

I can't keep doing that though can I? I can't just use Kaworu to prop myself up. Next time we meet there won't be anything else behind it, no curiosity and no attack from others. It'll be on our own terms but I don't know if I can reach out to him. I'd like to see him again, I like being around him. I like talking to him about music and hearing what his plans are. We can play games together and just laugh and enjoy ourselves.

I'd like to continue being friends with him, I want to be friends with him. I want to be friends with Shinji again. Maybe we could all meet up together and get everything out. We can all scream and yell and cry at one another until we have nothing left. Maybe we could even… I shake my head, my minds wandered to that place again. I don't know why I'm feeling so wound up, I'm not normally… I mean I do imagine things but I never usually feel like this. Then again I haven't in a while, maybe I need to take care of it. I need a bath… a nice long hot bath to empty my mind of these thoughts.

Asuka Langley Soryu
That was a mistake. That was a goddamn stupid mistake and I hate myself for it so much. Why did I even think I could do this? Did I seriously think I could just jump in here and get myself off like it was normal? Did I really think I could just lie back and think of those two without any problems? Of course not, I'm Asuka Langley Soryu, I can't even do that without messing it up.

It started off fine, the water was nice and warm and... well that started to feel good at first but then of course I had to start feeling the guilt. What the hell was I doing using their image to get myself off? I have no right to use their image for anything like that, most of all making myself feel good.

Then things got worse, I started to remember what I have done to Shinji in the past. I started to think about what Kaworu would say if he knew how horrible a person I was. Soon afterwards all the good feelings I had, the release that I craved had died away. It had been replaced only with a feeling of repulsion at myself and a desire to get out of there.

I glance at myself in self in the mirror as I button up my top. The scars on my body seem to be showing more prominently today. Two marks on my chest from where my Eva was impaled and the damage transferred to me. Strangely enough there was little scaring on my face, only what I see in nightmares. I quickly put my bra on and throw a shirt on over me to cover myself up.

I don't even glance back at the bath as I move into the front room, what a stupid idea. I should have known it wouldn't go well from the start. I never took well to baths, I've always taken showers but I thought lying back and indulging myself would be easier in the bath. I can't even remember the last time I took a bath properly. It must have been...

I try to cast my mind back and another unwanted image flashes into my mind. A delapidated house on the outskirts of a town, clothes folded up and left on a chair and a rusty bathtub with a naked shivering girl in it.

That was the last time I took a 'bath.' I feel sick.

I leave the bathroom behind and move into the front room throwing myself onto the couch. I quickly check my phone, I've had a message from Kaworu letting me know he is alright. I send him a quick message to let him know I'm home and working on the book.

I open my laptop but any desire to do work has been flushed out of me along with any other desire. I feel nothing but emptiness and anger at myself. I don't even feel clean right now, I just feel dirty and wrong. I slam the laptop lid shut in frustration. This isn't fair damnit, I was happy earlier!
 
I keep on trying to tell myself that it means absolutely nothing, my mind is just working overtime because of the strange situation I find myself in. It's affect anyone if an attractive stranger like Kaworu suddenly came into your life in such a way. Here is this person who I know nothing about yet shares a history with me and my past. He enjoys and can play the music I also like, he is well spoken and very handsome. Yet he also needs help and is similar to me in many ways, of course that is going to affect me.

Eyes Shinji

Yeah Kaworu kinda has that effect on people.
 
I dislike double posting
You're the OP, and they're more than a day apart. You're just fine.
Besides which Kaworu also had to return to work, Fuyutsuki did offer him the week off
Needs a . here, not a , since that's a full new sentence, not a continuation of the phrase or thought.
It's affect anyone if an attractive stranger
I think there's an 'enough to' or something missing here.

You really need to call Shinji and Kaworu and start talking, Asuka, if the mess in your head is stopping you from even being able to... relieve tension by yourself. If something's so malignant that it's affecting you that badly, you shouldn't try keeping it all inside...

...but then again, this is Eva, and that is exactly what people do here. :(
 
Be of good cheer, even as you bite your nails, Strypgia!

Things are happening.

This is just the one step back from two steps forward of earlier - she still wants to see Kaworu, she still wants Shinji to know she's okay (and she still wants to hear Shinji's voice.)

And she's able to think his name, and to say it out loud.

For all that she's having flashbacks to when she only didn't commit suicide because she couldn't gather the strength to care that much, she's still making progress.

And Rei, whether she knows it or not, is also pushing things along.

I gotta admit these nails are tasty though.
 
I'm sorry, Asuka. I'm so very sorry. You're not as bad a person as you think you are.

You're the OP, and they're more than a day apart. You're just fine.

Thanks, it's sort of a holdover from older forums I used to be on where double posting was really frowned upon for some reason, even if the circumstances were like this one.

...but then again, this is Eva, and that is exactly what people do here. :(

I think it's one of the worst things for each of the characters knowing that as well. Going on and being able to see the little moments in their past where if one of them had said one little thing at that point it might have changed things for the better. :(

And she's able to think his name, and to say it out loud.

Her now being able to speak/say his name is going to be a huge step for her in moving forward. Just need to get Shinji to that point now :p

And Rei, whether she knows it or not, is also pushing things along.

Definitely, to her it's frustrating and a bit upsetting because she thinks she is hurting Shinji by keeping it all secret but also she doesn't want to betray Asuka's trust but her support for Asuka and even the small amounts of nudging are helping Asuka.
 
Definitely, to her it's frustrating and a bit upsetting because she thinks she is hurting Shinji by keeping it all secret but also she doesn't want to betray Asuka's trust but her support for Asuka and even the small amounts of nudging are helping Asuka.

Well, that, and the way she's all "Kaworu's in Germany, you need to stay away from him, he might not be an Angel any more but he's still dangerous and he hurt you," and he hears "Kaworu's in Germany, he's not an Angel any more, maybe you should go and apologize for the way you killed him, because you won't have to do it again."

Mark my words: Shinji is going to wind up in Kaworu's apartment, spill something on his shirt, try to change it, be frantically unable to as the front door opens, and then Asuka steps in and sees Shinji, shirtless and flustered.

And then Kaworu gets back.

...I'm not sorry. (If it wasn't going to be the way it happened, but now it is, I'm sorry, JC.)
 
Well, that, and the way she's all "Kaworu's in Germany, you need to stay away from him, he might not be an Angel any more but he's still dangerous and he hurt you," and he hears "Kaworu's in Germany, he's not an Angel any more, maybe you should go and apologize for the way you killed him, because you won't have to do it again."

Mark my words: Shinji is going to wind up in Kaworu's apartment, spill something on his shirt, try to change it, be frantically unable to as the front door opens, and then Asuka steps in and sees Shinji, shirtless and flustered.

And then Kaworu gets back.

...I'm not sorry. (If it wasn't going to be the way it happened, but now it is, I'm sorry, JC.)

Well i mean it's totally the way it's going to happen now :p

I do actually have the eventual meeting planned for this and how it is going to happen. I do however always realize that it'd be only fair if Shinji had some sort of wardrobe malfunction over the course of the story as well. :p
 
I love that 'Kaworu's archenemy is his pants' is what's evolving out of this.

Shinji: "....pants? Really?"

Kaworu: "...er... they are surprisingly complicated when you're in a hurry and panicking."

Shinji: "Wait... so I could have defeated you the first time by taking my pants off and throwing them at you?!"

Kaworu: ~sweats~ "Um.... yes, for several reasons."

Asuka: ".....go on. Both of you." ~very interested~
 
In 1999, trousers hospitalized over five thousand people in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

(And, apparently, tea cosies hospitalized a hundred people. How, we are not permitted to know.)
 
Poor Asuka, I can see why she is in so much turmoil. Between her feelings for Shinji and her guilt about herself, it is a mountain to get over and of course self-harm flashbacks... fun. I have a hard time thinking about something less sexy. On the upside though, if she does try to act on these feelings then Kaworu's alien nature might actually help for once as I could see him caring a lot less about standard social mores regarding romance.

And a damn phone call. :p

Asuka "So what are you wearing?"

Shinji "Umm... blue undershirt, white dress shirt and black slacks?"

Asuka "Still! After all these years you'd think you would have a different outfit idiot!"
 
I often wondered about the mechanics of returning as well. I would imagine that if the whole world was taken as we see in EoE then people would likely re-emerge in the places near bodies of water where they were taken.

Like I say, I always go the more optimistic route so as little damage to the world as possible but that's mostly because I tend to write lighter material. So my view is that GNR/Yui managed to work it so there was minimal issues. I do wonder if the reality of Post 3I would be a Fallout style wasteland though, or at least similar to what we saw in Eva 3.0
I figure the worst thing that would happen at first is whatever damage caused by suddenly driver- and pilotless vehicles crashing.
In the long term I would be concerned about nuclear power and chemical plants running unattended for too long. Other than that, the only places that would be torn up would be Tokyo-3 and any place that had been affected by 2nd Impact that hadn't been recovered yet.
 
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I love that 'Kaworu's archenemy is his pants' is what's evolving out of this.

Shinji: "....pants? Really?"

Kaworu: "...er... they are surprisingly complicated when you're in a hurry and panicking."

Shinji: "Wait... so I could have defeated you the first time by taking my pants off and throwing them at you?!"

Kaworu: ~sweats~ "Um.... yes, for several reasons."

Asuka: ".....go on. Both of you." ~very interested~

Meanwhile, in space:

 
Chapter 6 - Preview #2 - Shinji
Hey everyone, sorry about the lack of updates for this recently. I've moved into my new apartment now but at the moment I'm still without a Broadband connection in there. As I do most of my work on OneDrive it means I don't have access to it at home so have to wait until I'm on my lunch break to do anything.

Good news is though that the framework for chapter 6 is in place. (Well probably bad news depending on whether or not you consider the fic to be any good :p) I just need to go through a few scenes and edit them. Perhaps this weekend.

I bring two previews of the next chapter through from Shinji's perspective.

Shinji Ikari
Tokyo-2

I approach the store and take a deep breath to calm my nerves, I can already hear the voice inside my head telling me how silly it is to be nervous about this.

'What are you? Stupid. They don't know who you are, they've never heard of you! Why are you scared of them? Just go in there and get it done!'

I nearly laugh and shake my head, it's funny how the voice in my head who tries to push me to do something will take her form. I know it's right as well, I know I have nothing to fear by going into the store. I grab a basket and pull out my list. I move into the store and try to ignore the feeling that the people are looking at me, that they know who I am and are going to say something to me.

I brush past them and move to get the first items on my list. I move into the vegetable aisle and start looking at the ones I need. I take my time examining each one trying to find the ones that are the best quality. When I'm satisfied with them I place them into the basket. I look down at the next thing I need when I hear a familiar voice calling out my name.

"Hey Shinji!"

My first instinct is to panic but instead I look up to see a smiling Hikari waving at me. I smile and wave back and move towards her, "Hikari!"

She bows her head politely towards me, "How are you doing?"

"I'm going well." I reply to her as I pull a box of eggs down from the shelf. I open the lid to check the contents for any damage before setting them into the basket, "Are you and Touji okay?"

She nods, "Fine, Toji has a coaching session today. Don't tell him I told you this but I reckon he was a bit nervous about it."

"Oh really! That's great!" I smile as she tells me the news, Toji since returning has been working towards becoming a PE teacher. It's quite a turnaround for someone like Toji who never really shown any interest in school but he really wants to do it.

"It is, I heard you're taking cello lessons too!"

I nod, "Y-Yeah! I have another lesson this afternoon actually."

I feel myself tense up when I remember my lesson this afternoon. Today is the day that I was going to give me answer about joining up with the group. I still don't know what I'm going to do. With all that has happened I never got a chance to discuss it with Rei and then the news about Kaworu pushed it out of my mind. Damnit, I'm such an idiot!

Hikari seems to notice my sudden discomfort, "Is everything okay?"

"Y-Yeah I just… I forgot that I was supposed to do something today and I still don't know if I can do it." I reply.

"Is this about that group thing?"

I nod, "Y-You knew about that?"

"Toji told me about it when he said you were taking lessons. So you haven't made a decision on it yet?"

I shake my head, "No… Not yet, I don't know what I should do."

"Well, have you talked to other people?"

"I spoke to Misato and Rei briefly… I spoke to Toji and Kensuke and…"

"They just told you to do what you wanted to do right?"

I nod, "Yeah… Problem is I don't know what I want to do. I just don't want to let people down I suppose."

"I don't think there is any danger of you doing that but… I can see how people just saying do what you want won't help." She says as she smiles at me, "Do you like the idea of playing cello with others?"

I pause for a moment to think about it, the idea does appear to me. I enjoy playing the cello, I like it a lot and I can really lose myself in playing whatever music I've selected be it someone else's or just improvisation. I guess it would be fun to play with others and have a conductor or even compose our own pieces. I just don't know if I'm ready for that.

"I… I guess, I've never really done it before. When I first started it was just me and my tutor. My school didn't have a music department and in Tokyo-3… I never really had the time. I just… I don't know if I can, it's hard enough for me to be here."

"But you are here aren't you?"

"I… I guess…"

"And how do you feel about it?"

"Well… A little bit scared." I admit, "I just need to get used to it though, I know that."

"It's the same with that then. The people in here, they don't know you just like the people in that group won't. They'll just see Shinji Ikari the cello player and a new member to their group. If the idea of playing in a group appeals to you then try it Shinji, push yourself and if you don't like it then you can always leave but if you don't try it then you'll regret not trying."

I let out a laugh and shake my head, "I know… I've been trying to tell myself that and I've been hoping someone will say it to me. Rei and Misato they…"

"Rei and Misato love you a lot Shinji, we all do but they have their own issues and I think they're afraid of giving you a nudge sometimes." Hikari explains, "You should do this, you said you've thought about it and the idea appeals to you. The only thing holding you back is your fear of the people there and just coming to the store that'll get easier over time."

I realize that Hikari is right, my fear of people is what is holding me back. The more I think about it the more I realize what I'm scared of is people recognizing me and what I was. I'm not scared of playing cello in front of people. I want to do that, I like the idea of doing that so I'm going to do it.

"You're right. Thank you Hikari."

13th September 2021
Shinji Ikari
Tokyo-2

I can feel the exhaustion as I open the door to the apartment and immediately set my cello case down on the ground. I give my sore arms and hands a little bit of time to recover from carrying the heavy instrument around before kicking my shoes off and announcing I'm home to the empty apartment. I pick up the case again and bring it through into the living room.

As I sit down on the sofa I feel something else within me besides the tiredness. It's a feeling I'm so unused to feeling, pride. I was actually able to do it, I was able to go out and meet with that group and not run away. For the past week that is what I've been telling myself would happen. For the past week I've been terrified of meeting them to the point that I even contemplated calling ahead this morning and saying I wouldn't be able to make it in.

I could run away from it though. I couldn't run away because I actually wanted to do it. I wanted to be there, ahead of tonight I was even having dreams about it. It seems so silly but I was dreaming that I was up on stage with other people. I was playing music with them and I was enjoying it so much. Hikari was right, the only thing holding me back was my fear of others, I did want to be there.

Even being there wasn't easy for me though. At first, I was barely able to speak, I was afraid to open my mouth for fear that I'd be sick. Our first task was to introduce ourselves and tell the others a little bit about ourselves. I managed to mumble out my name and tell them that I originally started playing cello over ten years ago but I hadn't played it much in the last five years.

The others started to introduce themselves afterwards. There was one moment of fear for me when one of the violin players in the group introduced themselves. They had lived in Tokyo-3 and had always played violin but started taking it more seriously after the Third Impact. Their dream was to compose and perform a piece dedicated to their son who had died during one of the Angel attacks.

From there the other members of the group introduced themselves on by one. There were about twelve of us in total. Two cellists, six violin players and four viola players. The youngest was a girl who played the violin, she seemed to be a year or two younger than I am, the older was a man in his early fifties.

After our brief introductions we were each asked to play a piece that we enjoyed or that meant something. I selected the Cello Suit No. 1 by Bach, it's a piece I play fairly often and feel I'm competent at. It was the first piece I pushed myself to try and learn on my own without a tutor asking me to and it is one I return to frequently. I typically see it as a piece I enjoy but it is also a piece that has some strange memories associated with it, it was the one I played on the night of a particular incident.

After we each played a solo piece my tutor spoke to the group about what he would like to do with the group and plans for the future. He mentioned that he had a particular piece in mind that he would like to try to get us to learn for a performance later this year. For now, he would like to focus on getting us in sync with one another so will be running through some simple pieces next week.

After that the session was over and I returned home. I am exhausted but happy. I was so scared throughout the session that at any one moment one of them might recognize me. I was terrified on the way home that the same might happen but neither of those things happened. Perhaps I shouldn't fear that happening anymore, maybe if I do keep on pushing myself as I am doing I can get through this.

I reach for the remote control for the television when I hear a noise coming from the other side of the room. I look over and see a phone sat on one of the drawer units and let out a sigh. I bet Misato has left her phone here again, she's done that a few times lately. It's a good thing that we're watched twenty-four seven because if there was an emergency getting in contact with her would be a nightmare.

I stand up and grab the phone from the cabinet. Much to my surprise it isn't actually Misato's phone but it's Rei's. I look at the number on screen, Private Number, I contemplate letting it go to voice mail but wonder if maybe it's important. If it is I should at least take a message for Rei, I tap the button to answer, "Hello?"
 
So I was gonna say something about how proud I was of Shinji, and of how Hikari gave him just the right push, but squeeeeee~~~~~

YES

YESSSSS
 
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