Defence in Depth [NGE]
- Thread starter grommile
- Start date
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
If Shinji wasn't already thoroughly distracted by the Corsican Brothers thing going on between him and Asuka, this line alone would make him O_O at Rei for a long time. 'Humans would have a problem, but I'll be fine'? Er, Rei...?
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
IMO, the qualifier 'not used to it' makes it less probable to him think that anything is odd with Rei (aside the obvious oddity surrounding her he is already used to), especially with the aforementioned distraction. And 'humans' can be written off as a result Rei's peculiar vocabulary.
Humans tend to rationalize things quite well, unless they already spotted a thread or are simply paranoid.
greensun
You shall all burn beneath my light!!!
"Well, at least she's easy to buy for."
"Asuka, what did you get her?"
"A voucher for that stupidly spice Indian restaurant, the one that nearly killed someone last week."
"Asuka!"
"What! She loved it! And she won a years free meals when she finished off the heart stopper curry."
"Asuka, what did you get her?"
"A voucher for that stupidly spice Indian restaurant, the one that nearly killed someone last week."
"Asuka!"
"What! She loved it! And she won a years free meals when she finished off the heart stopper curry."
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
Any restaurant that has anything with words 'heart stopper' in the menu should be approached with paranoid care.
On the other hand... I know a real-life pizzeria that holds "eat our hottest medium-sized pizza in 30 minutes for a cash prize!" contest. No, you cannot wash it down until you're done. Yes, they're livestreaming those. Yes, it is as insane as it sounds. Yes, each month there are winners.
Point of Contact
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
Wednesday morning at school found Rei watching her fellow pilots. Shinji was glancing occasionally at Asuka, and there was a visible tension in Asuka's posture as the redhead kept her eyes fixed on the blackboard. Whatever had happened after she left, Rei sensed that it had not been any kind of resolution.
She turned her thoughts to her own problems. There were advantages to her heightened awareness – after all, she wouldn't have been able to notice and investigate the interesting phenomenon that was Shinji and Asuka's connection without it – but it was very wearying, and her steady intake of capsaicin to distract from the wretched garments she was compelled to wear was... not ideal, for all that she had deflected Shinji's concerns the previous evening.
She couldn't approach Dr Akagi about the subject. She was unsure whether the scientist could be trusted to use anything but the most direct of methods, and she had no wish to return to the depths of her habitual daze.
She couldn't approach the Commander. Her mental state was outside his expertise. He might very well simply ask Dr Akagi to address the situation.
Captain Katsuragi was a possibility, but Shinji's occasional remarks about their superior raised questions over her suitability.
She opened the messaging application on her school laptop, and was immediately reminded why she didn't use it. The logs were littered with inane requests from other students. A few moments' work allowed an indiscriminate purge, and then she typed a message to Shinji. "May I sit with you and Asuka for lunch again? It was pleasant."
Shinji's response was disappointing. "Not sure she wants to sit with me. She wouldn't look at me at breakfast this morning. I can sit with you if you'd like."
"That would be pleasant. Do you mind if I ask Asuka? I think it would be better for us if we were able to interact with each other regularly."
"OK."
Asuka frowned at the message from Rei on her laptop. "Would you like to sit with me and Shinji for lunch today?"
Her cheeks flushed as she remembered the previous afternoon. The id— Shinji had started thinking pervy thoughts about her. She supposed it shouldn't really be a surprise. Boys were like that and she had an inkling he'd more or less never touched a girl apart from the time she was trying to not think about his memory of, so touching a girl who he could feel what she was touching probably would make him perv out over something.
There was the question of why she hadn't noticed anything like that when they held hands in the café, but they had both had bigger concerns than 'feeling a bit weird' at that point.
And she still had to share Misato's apartment with him, because Kaji was an arsehole and there was no way she was doing her own laundry if she could help it. Even if it meant a risk that maybe he was doing things with it.
No, she thought. He wasn't quite that kind of perv. With a sigh, she typed a reply to Rei. "All right, then." Sitting together as the three of them would probably help stop people getting the wrong idea about her and Shinji.
Something was amiss, Asuka realized, as she wolfed down her lunch. Sitting with Rei and Shinji, she could feel an odd, nagging sensation like... like something wasn't there when it should be, which was stupid. She definitely wasn't missing any body parts. She set down her chopsticks. Eating lunch with people in silence was too weird. "So, Rei, what kind of music do you listen to?"
The bluenette shrugged. "I don't."
Asuka blinked. "Who the hell doesn't listen to music? Apart from deaf people, I mean. Obviously they don't."
"I don't have any equipment to do so. It never felt necessary."
Who even raised her? "Well, we should do something about that, shouldn't we, Shinji?"
At the opposite corner of the table, Shinji looked up from his lunch. "Uh, sorry, I didn't catch that."
"I said we should find some music for Rei to listen to! Can you believe she doesn't listen to any? And we still need to go to a record shop anyway, because I need to replace what got sunk and you need to listen to something written after 1850!"
"I like Stravinsky. He was after 1850."
"Fine, after 1950, then! And it needs to be something with electric gui—" As she leaned across the table, her hand touched Shinji's, and she gave a yelp of surprise as she realized her sense of something missing was gone. She recoiled from the accidental contact, and the missingness returned.
"You are very passionate about this," observed Rei, as Asuka flopped back down into her seat.
"It's really important," replied Asuka in a voice much smaller than usual. I mustn't run away.
"All right," said Shinji. "Let's go record shopping. I guess Rei might need something to play things on as well. If we go at the weekend we'll have time to browse properly and sit down afterwards and listen to things."
Asuka nodded and returned her attention to her lunch. Food was good. Food didn't complicate her life.
She turned her thoughts to her own problems. There were advantages to her heightened awareness – after all, she wouldn't have been able to notice and investigate the interesting phenomenon that was Shinji and Asuka's connection without it – but it was very wearying, and her steady intake of capsaicin to distract from the wretched garments she was compelled to wear was... not ideal, for all that she had deflected Shinji's concerns the previous evening.
She couldn't approach Dr Akagi about the subject. She was unsure whether the scientist could be trusted to use anything but the most direct of methods, and she had no wish to return to the depths of her habitual daze.
She couldn't approach the Commander. Her mental state was outside his expertise. He might very well simply ask Dr Akagi to address the situation.
Captain Katsuragi was a possibility, but Shinji's occasional remarks about their superior raised questions over her suitability.
She opened the messaging application on her school laptop, and was immediately reminded why she didn't use it. The logs were littered with inane requests from other students. A few moments' work allowed an indiscriminate purge, and then she typed a message to Shinji. "May I sit with you and Asuka for lunch again? It was pleasant."
Shinji's response was disappointing. "Not sure she wants to sit with me. She wouldn't look at me at breakfast this morning. I can sit with you if you'd like."
"That would be pleasant. Do you mind if I ask Asuka? I think it would be better for us if we were able to interact with each other regularly."
"OK."
Asuka frowned at the message from Rei on her laptop. "Would you like to sit with me and Shinji for lunch today?"
Her cheeks flushed as she remembered the previous afternoon. The id— Shinji had started thinking pervy thoughts about her. She supposed it shouldn't really be a surprise. Boys were like that and she had an inkling he'd more or less never touched a girl apart from the time she was trying to not think about his memory of, so touching a girl who he could feel what she was touching probably would make him perv out over something.
There was the question of why she hadn't noticed anything like that when they held hands in the café, but they had both had bigger concerns than 'feeling a bit weird' at that point.
And she still had to share Misato's apartment with him, because Kaji was an arsehole and there was no way she was doing her own laundry if she could help it. Even if it meant a risk that maybe he was doing things with it.
No, she thought. He wasn't quite that kind of perv. With a sigh, she typed a reply to Rei. "All right, then." Sitting together as the three of them would probably help stop people getting the wrong idea about her and Shinji.
Something was amiss, Asuka realized, as she wolfed down her lunch. Sitting with Rei and Shinji, she could feel an odd, nagging sensation like... like something wasn't there when it should be, which was stupid. She definitely wasn't missing any body parts. She set down her chopsticks. Eating lunch with people in silence was too weird. "So, Rei, what kind of music do you listen to?"
The bluenette shrugged. "I don't."
Asuka blinked. "Who the hell doesn't listen to music? Apart from deaf people, I mean. Obviously they don't."
"I don't have any equipment to do so. It never felt necessary."
Who even raised her? "Well, we should do something about that, shouldn't we, Shinji?"
At the opposite corner of the table, Shinji looked up from his lunch. "Uh, sorry, I didn't catch that."
"I said we should find some music for Rei to listen to! Can you believe she doesn't listen to any? And we still need to go to a record shop anyway, because I need to replace what got sunk and you need to listen to something written after 1850!"
"I like Stravinsky. He was after 1850."
"Fine, after 1950, then! And it needs to be something with electric gui—" As she leaned across the table, her hand touched Shinji's, and she gave a yelp of surprise as she realized her sense of something missing was gone. She recoiled from the accidental contact, and the missingness returned.
"You are very passionate about this," observed Rei, as Asuka flopped back down into her seat.
"It's really important," replied Asuka in a voice much smaller than usual. I mustn't run away.
"All right," said Shinji. "Let's go record shopping. I guess Rei might need something to play things on as well. If we go at the weekend we'll have time to browse properly and sit down afterwards and listen to things."
Asuka nodded and returned her attention to her lunch. Food was good. Food didn't complicate her life.
Last edited:
GeshronTyler
Kleiner Giftzwerg
New, no. But there is practically no story (and hardly more than 2-3, maybe), that took the premise beyond a couple of chapters.
- Location
- In the depts of despair.
Quite a few years ago (at least 15) there was one story where this premise is taken to its logical conclusion with Asuka and Shinji ending in a bucket of goo. It was good, long and it even had fanart, even if said fanart was nightmarish.
GamingPizza1998
(Verified Pizza) (Verified Cape) (Verified Case53)
- Location
- Earth
I'm gonna regret this but got a link?
GeshronTyler
Kleiner Giftzwerg
There was a story that, iirc, had the premise that the 3 pilots were syncing with each other. I think it initially was between Shjnji and Rei? Asuka I think gets included eventually. There are problems with the pilots' minds/souls merging though, iirc. In part because they find it more and more difficult to relate to the world and human beings, and they had to learn to reduce the contamination, as I recall. Or maybe things went as far as 3rd impact, but they were able to carry out some plan to restore things?? I think there might have been a kind of Angel resistance that wanted to seal away FAR technology, or free themselves if their Imperative to merge with ADAM?
Not sure if the premise wasn't part of a larger overarching plot, or if things are blending in my memory. Various "sliders", all the last "survivors" (quite a variety of people not just the 3 pilots) from other NGE 'verses, had been gathered to act as a kind of Illuminati conspiracy countering SEELE, being scattered all over in positions of influence in NERV, SEELE even iirc, the UN...
I can't recall if these Illuminati would actually end up passing on if they succeeded, but they wanted to save at least one world...
Not sure if the premise wasn't part of a larger overarching plot, or if things are blending in my memory. Various "sliders", all the last "survivors" (quite a variety of people not just the 3 pilots) from other NGE 'verses, had been gathered to act as a kind of Illuminati conspiracy countering SEELE, being scattered all over in positions of influence in NERV, SEELE even iirc, the UN...
I can't recall if these Illuminati would actually end up passing on if they succeeded, but they wanted to save at least one world...
- Location
- In the depts of despair.
Maybe, but sure as hell I don't have it. That one is from the time before FF.net was popular...
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Thoughts about...
...This.
Throbbing, pulse-racing handholding.
No, Asuka, he's not. He's the kind that wants more of that. More unrestricted handholding!
Records? I know Eva-Earth's technology stagnated after Second Impact, but at least get her a CD player or SDAT like yours, Shinji.
Not sure about the other part, but this bit sounds like In Tune, which had various versions of the characters from other timelines involved, including the Asuka from the series proposal and (sadly) a Shinji that just wanted his Rei back and to return to the Sea of LCL, fuck the rest of humanity.
GeshronTyler
Kleiner Giftzwerg
Yes, "In Tune" was certainly at least one of the fics.
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
Every physical-media audio recording I've ever bought has been on compact cassette, compact disc, or USB thumbdrive.
I still call the act of buying audio recordings on physical media "record shopping"
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
Uh oh. This... might be an issue. When burning your tastebuds is insufficient stimming, then you need to find alternatives.
He might even - gasp - be touching and - the horror! the horror! - washing them!
I'm not sure if Asuka is aware that classical music is still being composed...
Okay, apparently she's learning from her mistakes quickly.
Well. A simple solution is - literally - at hand? But of course, this being Asuka... she's not going to be willing to accept that...
...except it's already there.
We will be watching.
- Location
- Australia, mate
Is it just the fact that she's feeling something on her skin that's irritating, or is it the type of fabric that's the problem?
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
Plugsuits are fine, because they're made of a special high-tech fabric designed to be synchronization-positive, with a skin-contact surface that is nice and smooth and doesn't bunch or pinch when you move (except if the modesty/support inserts are designed for someone with different parts).
Ordinary fabric irritates her (and at particularly bad moments, so does her own hair brushing against her neck).
XerAlix
LARIATTO GOZAIMASU
Goddamnit handholding is actually lewd in this fic.
So basically ultra sensitive skin enhanced by bullshit AT Field Progenitor powers. Well considering how my own skin already seems hellbent on pissing me off 24/7, looks like we're crossing GNR off the superpower wishlist.
HoratioVonBecker
Imperfectly Aligned
Sounds like she needs to order some plugsuit-derived underwear. Or maybe just something with similar tactile properties.
Resynchronization
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
Down in the deepest parts of NERV HQ, with only the floor – and ten layers of armour – separating her from the "LCL Production Plant", Ritsuko tapped her fingers nervously on the workbench. Ayanami's behaviour was different, and the fact the girl was suspended in LCL behind an inch of armoured glass did very little to make that less worrying.
Gendou taking so long to answer her call wasn't helping. Come on, you bastard, pick up.
Click. "Doctor. Is something wrong?"
"Ayanami seemed agitated when she arrived for her backup. I'm not sure I've ever seen her undress that fast before outside of combat prep." She looked at the rack of drug cartridges next to the workstation. Formula three would be easiest, but six would probably yield the best results. A couple of buttons, a few squirts of carefully chosen chemicals into the suspension tank, and she could have her peace of mind back. "I can address the issue easily enough, but I knew you'd want to offer some input."
"I'm aware of a shift in her behaviour. If it causes a serious problem, it will be dealt with. Until then, do not interfere."
That wasn't the answer she wanted. She pressed the issue. "The MAGI estimate a 200% increase in the size of the backup delta compared to last week. It's not going to finish in the normal time window. That's going to cause a problem right there."
"Move the backup window to Saturday nights." Gendou's tone shifted subtly, even if his language remained professional. "I believe that would be a suitable time for a conference once the process is under way."
Ritsuko hesitated, grateful that this was a voice-only connection. Their last couple of... conferences had not been to her taste, in more ways than one. She couldn't help wondering if he'd changed his diet. "Of course, Commander."
"Very good. Cancel tonight's backup. Have Section Two return Ayanami to her accommodation." Click.
Ritsuko rubbed her upper arms as she looked towards the suspension cylinder. She could have done with a break before interacting with Ayanami again.
As the hot spray of the shower sent orange rivulets of diluted LCL streaming down the drain, Rei pondered the incidents of the evening.
Given how unpleasant cloth felt against her skin, she had been looking forward to the backup process, and the multiple hours of being suspended in LCL without even a plugsuit. To have it interrupted after less than an hour and be ordered to wash, dress, and report to Section Two's motor pool to be driven home was... displeasing.
Dr Akagi's behaviour towards her was different, too. Normally the scientist treated her with a certain disdain, like she regarded Rei as barely more than an animated object. This evening, though, there was anxiety and tension in Dr Akagi's movement and manner.
Rei wondered what inspired such a reaction. She could not imagine herself engaging in violence towards Dr Akagi. She had no motive to do so, and in any event the likely result would be the termination of her current body and the continuous sedation of its replacement.
She ran her fingers through her hair, separating her locks to allow the shower to loosen every last trace of LCL. Immersion was pleasant, but letting it dry and congeal was not.
"Ayanami!" shouted Dr Akagi from the doorway. "What's taking so long?"
Rei sighed and twisted this way and that under the shower one last time before turning off the water. "I wished to be particularly sure I had cleaned all the LCL out of my hair before getting in a Section Two vehicle. It would be inappropriate to contaminate the headrests."
She started towelling off. The rough cotton was no more pleasant against her skin than her school uniform, but the contact was brief, and entirely in her own control. She left her hair wetter than usual; if it was wet, it would cling to her instead of brushing against her neck.
Reluctantly re-dressed in her school uniform, Rei emerged from the bathroom and met Dr Akagi's gaze. "When is my next backup going to be?"
The scientist recoiled slightly and looked away. "Saturday. 18:00. Don't be late. The MAGI estimate it could take as much as 24 hours."
"Is Unit 02 ready for use? It would be unfortunate to leave Shin— Pilot Ikari as the only pilot capable of deployment."
"We'll be holding full sync tests for all three of you tomorrow afternoon. Now get upstairs. Section Two are waiting for you."
Arriving in class on Thursday morning, Asuka started at the sight of Rei. She'd replaced her usual scruffy bob with a much shorter – but equally scruffy, like she'd hacked it into being with nail scissors – style that left her face unframed and her ears exposed. After the class rep had run them through that pointlessly deferential stand-bow-sit routine, Asuka sent a message to the bluenette.
"What's with the lesbian hair?"
"I don't understand the question."
"Your new haircut. It's going to make people think you're into girls."
"As far as I know I am not 'into' any kind of human."
"If you say it like that people will wonder if you're some kind of freak who's into tentacle monsters or something."
"Humans are strange."
"You say that like you aren't one."
Rei stiffened in her seat. "Later. Bring Shinji."
"Hey, we're not joined at the hip, you know."
As Asuka sent that last rejoinder to Rei, the teacher cleared his throat. "Miss Souryuu, your kanji work could do with a great deal of improvement. Please pay attention to the lesson."
Asuka opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it. He'll just have that Horaki girl march me to the office or something.
There was a final message from Rei on her laptop. "Indeed. You are joined at the soul."
Gendou taking so long to answer her call wasn't helping. Come on, you bastard, pick up.
Click. "Doctor. Is something wrong?"
"Ayanami seemed agitated when she arrived for her backup. I'm not sure I've ever seen her undress that fast before outside of combat prep." She looked at the rack of drug cartridges next to the workstation. Formula three would be easiest, but six would probably yield the best results. A couple of buttons, a few squirts of carefully chosen chemicals into the suspension tank, and she could have her peace of mind back. "I can address the issue easily enough, but I knew you'd want to offer some input."
"I'm aware of a shift in her behaviour. If it causes a serious problem, it will be dealt with. Until then, do not interfere."
That wasn't the answer she wanted. She pressed the issue. "The MAGI estimate a 200% increase in the size of the backup delta compared to last week. It's not going to finish in the normal time window. That's going to cause a problem right there."
"Move the backup window to Saturday nights." Gendou's tone shifted subtly, even if his language remained professional. "I believe that would be a suitable time for a conference once the process is under way."
Ritsuko hesitated, grateful that this was a voice-only connection. Their last couple of... conferences had not been to her taste, in more ways than one. She couldn't help wondering if he'd changed his diet. "Of course, Commander."
"Very good. Cancel tonight's backup. Have Section Two return Ayanami to her accommodation." Click.
Ritsuko rubbed her upper arms as she looked towards the suspension cylinder. She could have done with a break before interacting with Ayanami again.
As the hot spray of the shower sent orange rivulets of diluted LCL streaming down the drain, Rei pondered the incidents of the evening.
Given how unpleasant cloth felt against her skin, she had been looking forward to the backup process, and the multiple hours of being suspended in LCL without even a plugsuit. To have it interrupted after less than an hour and be ordered to wash, dress, and report to Section Two's motor pool to be driven home was... displeasing.
Dr Akagi's behaviour towards her was different, too. Normally the scientist treated her with a certain disdain, like she regarded Rei as barely more than an animated object. This evening, though, there was anxiety and tension in Dr Akagi's movement and manner.
Rei wondered what inspired such a reaction. She could not imagine herself engaging in violence towards Dr Akagi. She had no motive to do so, and in any event the likely result would be the termination of her current body and the continuous sedation of its replacement.
She ran her fingers through her hair, separating her locks to allow the shower to loosen every last trace of LCL. Immersion was pleasant, but letting it dry and congeal was not.
"Ayanami!" shouted Dr Akagi from the doorway. "What's taking so long?"
Rei sighed and twisted this way and that under the shower one last time before turning off the water. "I wished to be particularly sure I had cleaned all the LCL out of my hair before getting in a Section Two vehicle. It would be inappropriate to contaminate the headrests."
She started towelling off. The rough cotton was no more pleasant against her skin than her school uniform, but the contact was brief, and entirely in her own control. She left her hair wetter than usual; if it was wet, it would cling to her instead of brushing against her neck.
Reluctantly re-dressed in her school uniform, Rei emerged from the bathroom and met Dr Akagi's gaze. "When is my next backup going to be?"
The scientist recoiled slightly and looked away. "Saturday. 18:00. Don't be late. The MAGI estimate it could take as much as 24 hours."
"Is Unit 02 ready for use? It would be unfortunate to leave Shin— Pilot Ikari as the only pilot capable of deployment."
"We'll be holding full sync tests for all three of you tomorrow afternoon. Now get upstairs. Section Two are waiting for you."
Arriving in class on Thursday morning, Asuka started at the sight of Rei. She'd replaced her usual scruffy bob with a much shorter – but equally scruffy, like she'd hacked it into being with nail scissors – style that left her face unframed and her ears exposed. After the class rep had run them through that pointlessly deferential stand-bow-sit routine, Asuka sent a message to the bluenette.
"What's with the lesbian hair?"
"I don't understand the question."
"Your new haircut. It's going to make people think you're into girls."
"As far as I know I am not 'into' any kind of human."
"If you say it like that people will wonder if you're some kind of freak who's into tentacle monsters or something."
"Humans are strange."
"You say that like you aren't one."
Rei stiffened in her seat. "Later. Bring Shinji."
"Hey, we're not joined at the hip, you know."
As Asuka sent that last rejoinder to Rei, the teacher cleared his throat. "Miss Souryuu, your kanji work could do with a great deal of improvement. Please pay attention to the lesson."
Asuka opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it. He'll just have that Horaki girl march me to the office or something.
There was a final message from Rei on her laptop. "Indeed. You are joined at the soul."
Last edited: