[NGE] The Doll and The Idol

[Boreas Anemos]

I created this one as a possible entry to Femslash February 2021, but I was pretty busy with wrapping up a huge project then. But the initial chapter of the story was written, the rest was slowly growing in my mind, and now I can devote it the time it requires.

The idea is simple: Asuka gets brushed off by Rei Ayanami at school. But while she sees it as odd, she does not take the refusal lying down – instead, she concocts a plan and executes it. This is a short, mostly-friendship-with-confused-feelings, lighthearted Asuka/Rei story. It happens during early days of Asuka's presence, around episodes 9. & 10.

The story is rated Teen and Up audiences. Also available on AO3.

Enjoy.

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Chapter 1 – Let's be good friends!

"Hello", a rather brash voice tinted with an odd accent sounded over the head of Rei Ayanami – who was, until now, enjoying her book in perfect peace. At least until someone cast a shadow on the pages. "You must be Rei Ayanami, the pilot of the prototype", the intruder continued.

Rei gave the red-headed girl in the school uniform a displeased look – and returned her attention to her book, deciding not to say anything. Most people learned that attempting to interact with her was an exercise in futility. Unfortunately for her, the newcomer did not belong to the set she could label as most people.

"I'm Asuka! Asuka Langley Soryu", the girl continued from her high vantage point, the school crowd slowly assembling behind her, no doubt awaiting her reaction as well. Rei's annoyance started to become perceptible to her. "I'm the pilot of Eva Unit 02. Let's be good friends!"

Rei realized that her usual strategy was not going to work here; interaction was clearly called for. She let out a sigh and spoke up: "Why?"

"Because it'd be convenient, in lots of ways", the annoying redhead replied and looked at her expectantly as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Aware of the futility of this conversation, Rei decided on an evasive answer. "If I'm ordered to, I will", she replied, well aware that a clearly pushy, possibly authoritarian type will respond well to an allusion to hierarchy and authority.

"Talk about odd", the intruder remarked – and relented in her assault.

Rei Ayanami was free to return to her book, which she did with the mild feeling of satisfaction – marred only by a faint awareness that this was not her last interaction with the annoying girl.

***

​

Asuka Langley Soryu did not take rejection well. Normally, she would have brushed the odd girl's behavior as a cultural issue or personal problem she did not care to pay more attention to – and moved on, disdainful of her, just as she treated the Third Child with disdain, waiting for the moment he would prove to be anything else than a wet blanket who got the Pilot status only due to his family connections.

But there was something about the girl that made Asuka think of her again and again.

'Who needs orders to be friends?' she mused as the teacher droned over some boring subject. 'It's really odd as an excuse, I could've come up with a hundred better ones on the spot. So, either she was insulting my intelligence… or she was serious. Okay', a mean smirk emerged on her face, causing at least two boys who were watching her to shiver both in fear and anticipation. 'She wants to play a game? I'll give her a game. She wants her rules? We'll see who's better at making the rules', the smirk grew wider, causing at least two more people to become seriously worried. 'But we'll do it properly', she decided. 'First step: intelligence gathering…'

***

​

Evening

"Hello Misato, got a moment? It's Asuka", the redhead started to talk as soon as she heard the 'Katsuragi here' on the other side.

"Sure, what's up?" the Captain replied. "I still don't have anything on your lodgings, sorry."

"Nah, not that", she dismissed it with a smile. Her current hotel room was adequate, and the only issue was her limited wardrobe; most of her stuff was stuck in storage or did not arrive yet – but that was not the problem on her mind right now. "Will you have time to meet me tomorrow afternoon? I need some questions answered, and I think we have some catching up to do", she requested.

"Sure, I'll give you a call once I'm off", Misato agreed.

"Thanks!" Asuka closed the phone – and resumed her 'annoyed-so-don't-come-closer-or-I'll-bite-you' attitude before returning to class.

***

​

The class was dragging. Asuka, since the moment she heard she was going to school here, wondered what the purpose of that was. After all, she was a college graduate, the minuscule language problems she had could be easily filled by a course, and she did not really need to socialize in her age group – especially that this age group seemed to be composed of perverts, gossip-mongers, idiots, dimwits, halfwits, jocks, empty-headed bimbos, nerds, aspiring alpha bitches, bland people – and Rei Ayanami, who refused to fit into any of the categories.

Asuka shook her head. She had a plan regarding her. She did not need her thoughts to stray towards the girl that often. She just needed to survive until the end of the class, get out of here without getting bothered by some idiot who failed to understand that 'tearing up a love letter in your face' is a few steps above 'throwing away your love letter' which in turn is at least a step above a simple 'no', and talk to Misato to gather some–

The buzzing of her phone interrupted her musings.

It was at least a minor offense for the student to check their phone during the class – but, due to Asuka being a Pilot and on-call every minute of her life, she had a dispensation. But considering that both Rei and Shinji reached for their phones at the same moment, she did not even need to open hers.

"Excuse me, sir", Shinji was the first to raise his hand. "We're ordered to leave on NERV business", he interrupted the teacher.

"Ah", the elderly man nodded after a momentary confusion. "Of course, carry on."

Asuka, for all her doubt about the whole suits-and-dark-glasses aesthetic of Section Two and their humorless demeanor, could only admire their efficiency. The moment the three left the school building, three cars were already waiting for them in the dedicated zone in front of the school – and as they approached, the operatives were making eye contact with the Pilot they were supposed to carry.

"Anything you can tell me?" she inquired the moment she strapped herself inside the car.

"Not much, Soryu-san", the man riding shotgun replied in a deep but unpleasantly scratching voice Asuka associated with long-time smokers. "We were ordered to bring you to Airfield Aleph, your Units are being transported there already. You and Pilot Ikari are to deploy as soon as possible and will be briefed later."

"Oh."

***

​

Asuka Langley Soryu was a person of many extremes. She claimed not to care what people thought of her, but her behavior was often drawing attention. She was loud and brash, but few people knew much about her. She was highly competent, but her teamwork ability was minimal.

Shinji Ikari just let out an annoyed sigh and grumbled words of protest under his breath as he heard "Ladies first!" after the newcomer told him to just cover her. He had to admit that her movements were indeed smooth, and her combat style seemed quite effective; a sight of Unit-02 bisecting the Angel in one fell swoop was a sight to behold.

Unfortunately, the Angel was anything but impressed.

The rest of the battle put a definite damper on her spirits.

***

​

The subsequent debriefing made things even worse, countered only by the information that she was going to move in with Misato, the second-best familiar face she had here. Her unabashedly expressed her preference to live with Kaji was disregarded; she expected that, of course, considering that Kaji could not openly admit his obvious feelings for her.

But as the entire day had been a rollercoaster of moods already, a final blow came from none other than Misato herself: "Looks like you're getting along well already", she said.

Asuka hoped she misunderstood her, but soon after, her hopes were dashed. She was not moving in with Misato to replace Shinji – she was going to be living with him, training with him, and – as it seemed – being annoyed with him. All. The. Time.

'Just… brilliant. Fuck me and my plans, right? Now I can't even…' she grumbled as Misato presented her inane plan, marking the beginning of a definitely hellish week.

***

​

Of course, Misato did what she could to make it even worse; Asuka could genuinely not say whether this woman was cruel, or just so insensitive. She used every opportunity to provoke her, tease her, and annoy her – and what was worse, she used Ayanami for that. Seeing the quiet girl synchronize with the idiot boy so easily was just too much.

'And him apologizing afterward – as if it was his fault, not Misato's – was so much him…' she sighed as she was trying to sleep instead of recounting the events of the last week for the nth time. 'He's useless. Okay, maybe not completely useless, but his landing…' she shook her head. 'That was an embarrassment. But at least he proved himself safe enough last night', she admitted. "So I guess I can live with him under one roof. Hardly perfect, but hey, beats living alone. As long as he doesn't try to peep at me or climb into my bed, I can tune him out. So, let's stick with being the servant – oh, sorry, "staff" – and focus on what matters', she decided, turning to her side.

Not that it helped much with her sleeplessness. 'God, I wish I could just drink myself to sleep like Misato does all the time…'

***

​

Sunday afternoon

"Hey, Misato", Asuka started as the Captain was opening her first beer. Shinji was out of the apartment, spending some time with his buddies. "Who is Ayanami, exactly?"

"Huh", her guardian's lips became a thin line. "It's not something easy to answer, you know", she admitted. "I can't tell you much."

"Come on", Asuka shook her head, her expression disbelieving. "She's a Pilot, so she's under your command. You know my dossier inside-out, why not hers? I'm not asking for military secrets, I just want to know why she's even more a recluse than your housekeeper is."

"My… what?" Misato shook her head after taking a few seconds to understand. "Asuka, he's your fellow pilot, don't call him that", she chastised the girl.

"Okay, okay", the redhead shrugged. "Than our Mitbewohner is", she decided on the neutral German term.

"Don't call him that to his face", Misato chuckled. "He'd think you're insulting him."

"And do what?" Asuka scoffed. "Frown at me?"

Misato let out a sigh. Those two were not exactly getting along the best, and she lacked the time and patience to sort that out. Perhaps keeping Asuka after the training was not her brightest idea – but on the other hand, the added pay was substantial and perhaps worth listening to an argument or two every few days. "That's his way of handling things", she replied. "Would you prefer he yelled at you?"

"It'd be at least some reaction… hey, you're changing the subject, aren't you?" Asuka narrowed her eyes at her guardian.

"Me? No way, it was you who asked about Shinji", Misato refuted.

"I asked about Ayanami", Asuka corrected. "What can you tell me about her?"

"Not much", Misato's face twitched. "Her dossier is limited, I'm not privy to details. She's the pilot of Unit-00, that you know. Administratively, Doctor Akagi is responsible for her just about as I am responsible for you and Shin-chan. So, if you want details, ask the good doctor, although I doubt she'd be willing to talk."

"You know this all is a bit… suspicious at best?" Asuka remarked.

"This is NERV", Misato shrugged. "Our food supply chain is classified, let alone details concerning pilots. She was there when I got employed, and when I tried to ask in the beginning, I was told she's not my responsibility beyond her duties as the pilot… and you know what such statement means."

"Yeah, 'keep your nose out of it'", Asuka shrugged and rested her chin on her fist. "So, I have to go bother the doctor or try to bug the girl herself, much good it would do", she sighed.

"Why so interested?" Misato turned the question around. "She's not exactly a friend material."

"I don't know why", Asuka lied. "And how do you know, have you tried?" she winked.

"Asuka… I don't go around making friends among teenagers", Misato shot her a tired glare. "She's just… an outsider. She talks to the Commander, sometimes, and to people she has to, which means mainly Doctor Akagi and her staff. Outside of that… she just is."

"Okay, I get it", Asuka nodded and fell silent for a while. A smile started to creep on her face as a plan started to form in her mind. "Hey, Misato, you said 'not your responsibility beyond duties as pilot', right?"

"Yes?" Misato raised her head from above the magazine she returned to as her charge fell silent.

"If I stay within that framework, will you do something for me?" Asuka asked with a very suspicious smile.

"Will I regret it?" Misato shot back immediately.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Would you regret relations between your pilots improving?"

"No, I know you well enough that your plans sometimes end… interestingly", Misato remarked.

"Nobody ever died or got permanently injured", Asuka shrugged. "And nobody will this time, either. Will you trust me?"

"If you promise it doesn't get me court-martialed or otherwise put her, you, or me in trouble" Misato replied with a raised eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"It's actually pretty simple…"

***

​

"I fail to understand the reason for this", Rei Ayanami stated matter-of-factly, her head tilted slightly. "This exercise seems unnecessary."

"It is not necessary, Rei. But I think it may be useful", Misato corrected. "Does it interfere with any of your duties?" she asked; to her knowledge, it did not – but as she told Asuka, she was not privy to many aspects of the First Child's life and duties.

"It does not", the girl replied. "Unless there is an Angel attack."

"Believe me, if there's an Angel attack, the whole thing is out of the window within seconds for everybody", Misato chuckled nervously. "Can I tell Soryu-san", Misato made sure to make the name recognizable to Rei, not sure about the level of familiarity they shared, "that she has the green light, then?"

"Yes, Captain Katsuragi", the girl confirmed, her voice carrying a hint of confusion.

"Thank you, Rei", Misato smiled at the girl, trying her best to hide her unease. "See you later, then."

"Goodbye, Captain Katsuragi", Rei replied, her monotone unchanged.

Misato breathed a sigh of relief as Rei left her office. Talking to her, while generally unproblematic as the girl agreed to virtually everything in the end, always gave her this odd feeling that she was conversing with a robot – or a doll. In fact, the latter was a common nickname for her, whispered among the personnel.

She always wondered why the girl was like that; reasons could be numerous, the problem was that none was too pleasant to think of. She thought of asking Ritsuko a question or two over a drink, or perhaps bribing one of her subordinates – but she knew all too well that asking too many questions would end up in one of two ways: she would be found out and at least reprimanded for being too nosy – or, which was arguably worse, she would get the answers she sought.

She shook it off. This was not her problem right now; Asuka had an inane idea that could actually work – and asked her a favor to make it possible, and she granted it, seeing it as an opportunity. The rest was in the hand of the crazy kid.

Once more Misato questioned the wisdom of having two children in the worst possible age under her roof.

As before, she could draw no good conclusion on that subject, except the number of times she smiled seeing lights in her windows as she returned from her work.

And suddenly, it felt enough.

 

[Dromeosaur]

Well, that, in fact, may go swimmingly. I think Rei and Asuka can help each other handle their lives much better.

 

[Boreas Anemos]

We will see where the story takes me. Right now, it is just a few chapters to see whether this pairing can work - and gather readers.

If it works, I do have a plan to take it further.

 

[gloomy-moods]

We will see where the story takes me. Right now, it is just a few chapters to see whether this pairing can work - and gather readers.

If it works, I do have a plan to take it further.

Click to shrink...

I'd be interested in seeing where you take it.
It can work, it depends on how you tweak things to get it to happen, that's the interesting part.
Playing on "only if I'm ordered to", "then I'd find a way to have you ordered to" is a fun one.

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Chapter 2 – Hikari Horaki, to the rescue!

"Hikari, I need a bit of your help", Asuka started in a definitely secretive whisper as she caught up with the girl first thing in the morning – and only after making sure Rei Ayanami was absent from the class.

"Help?" the Class Rep eyed her suspiciously. "What did you do, and to whom?"

"Erm… nothing yet?" the redhead seemed confused. "Oh come on!" her usual incredulity returned. "It's not that I need your help only if I do something."

"It was like this last time, with the Tsunoda boy", Hikari remarked, her tone acerbic. "What violation of school rules you need covered up this time?"

"He was trying to convince me to date him", Asuka grumbled. "Insistently."

"You could've started with saying 'no' instead of shoving him against the wall as the first response", Hikari remarked. "You're lucky there was no serious damage."

"It was not a matter of luck, I knew what I was doing", Asuka countered. "And that was just that one time!" she protested, ignoring the look that was clearly saying 'definitely more than one, and you've been here for less than two weeks' – and Hikari's ability to cram so much meaning into one glare. "I need your help in the clothing department. Well, yours or a pointer to someone who can help."

Hikari frowned. "What exactly do you have in mind?" she asked, her voice both interested and suspicious. "I've seen how you dress off-school; you're already drawing more attention than it is healthy for a human being."

"Oh, I can handle myself, thank you very much", Asuka confirmed with a smirk, completely ignoring the jab. "No, I want to make someone's day, and for that, I need to have her look wonderful", Asuka explained. "And that's not my specialty."

"Of course", Hikari let out a sigh, trying not to sound insulting. "Who is it?"

"Promise me not to tell anyone", the redhead stipulated. "And promise you won't judge!"

"I promise", Hikari nodded solemnly.

***

​

Asuka was well-aware of the vocal range of the Class Representative; even in those few weeks, she saw the rather diminutive girl dress down people who were a head taller than her, all that using a voice who would not be out of place in a drill sergeant.

But this day, Asuka learned that she knew nothing – and that there was a huge difference between a voice that was used as a precise tool and a voice of surprise. Hikari's "Who?!" made the window glass shake and was audible across half the school.

Asuka, who was perfectly in the front of the sound cone and far too close to the source for comfort, shook her head in shock – and then popped her eardrums a few seconds later. "You heard me", she finally managed to say. "Will you help me?"

Hikari nodded, her expression mortified as she noticed all eyes on her. "Sorry", she muttered out. "It was… unexpected."

"Well, at least I'm not predictable", Asuka smirked. "Today?"

"I'm sorry, tomorrow at the earliest", Hikari corrected. "I need to take care of my sister today."

"Fine for me", Asuka nodded. "Thanks", she smiled.

"You're welcome", Hikari replied as she went about her business trying her best to behave normally – and failing miserably.

***

​

Next day's afternoon

"Okay, Asuka", Hikari took a look at the plan of the shopping mall. "You wanted a Western attire…" she started to browse the shops-and-services list

"And a kimono", Asuka added off-handedly.

"You didn't say that before", Hikari turned to her and frowned.

"For me", the redhead shrugged. "I realized it would make more sense for me to appear proper, too. And I haven't worn one in ages."

"Okay… that I can do as well", Hikari agreed after a moment. "Okay, a kimono, a western, more frilly attire, and location of a few spots for having a good time with a friend, right? That's all you need?"

"Exactly that", Asuka nodded.

"Okay, the closest one is this one", she made a note in her notebook. "Let's go."

***

​

Asuka's head started spinning a bit from the variety of elements all around them as they entered the Gothic Madel shop. She was not sure whether the shop's name was a misspelling of "Model", making this merely pretentious, or of "Mädel" making this a rather weird mix of languages. Whatever the cause for the odd name was, the place was the right one.

"Okay, Asuka, we know what we aim for, but what is the budget?" Hikari finally raised her head from a page full of notes.

Asuka frowned at the girl. "There is no budget", she shrugged.

"Oh", Hikari's face dropped. "Then it's going to be… hard."

Asuka gave her a confused look before processing her words. "No, no, you don't get it", she finally replied. "Money is no object. I don't want to go luxurious, but don't dismiss anything based on a price from the start, okay?"

"Oh", Hikari's face expressed confusion in turn. "Are you sure?"

"Hikari, I'm being paid", the redhead reminded her friend. "It might not be a fortune, but it's not that I have many expenses, right? So, anything except the idiotic price range is under consideration."

"I… I think I can work with that", Hikari was slowly recovering. "Let's go wild, then", she smiled as she started another round between the dresses, head coverings, shoes, and all the lacings.

'No', Asuka corrected herself. 'This was a grin. She grinned. Is this still the same Hikari Stick In The Mud Horaki everybody sees?' she pondered as she tried to keep up with the whirlwind of a girl the respectable Class Representative turned into.

***

​

"…well, yes, we can do a quick on-site adjustment, and yes, we can hold those for you until Sunday", the clerk nodded. "But…" she seemed uncomfortable for a moment.

"But it comes with a fee, right?" Asuka realized. "Will the ten percent markup on the total be enough? Or do you have set fees?"

The young woman froze for a moment, then pulled something resembling a notepad from a drawer, made a few calculations, and presented the new total to Asuka.

"That's not even ten percent", Asuka remarked. "That would be all, do you take credit card?"

"Yes?" the clerk was still confused. Two girls who were clearly students no older than fifteen, wearing their school uniforms, walked into the shop, made a few rounds, did some calculations, had a discussion, repeated the process several times – and came to her, requesting a full set worth more than her monthly salary. Her first reflex was to question their capacity to pay for it – before she realized this purchase would fill half her target quota for the month; confusing as it was, passing on it because of her doubts would be plain stupid. Of course, there was a risk–

"Wonderful!" Asuka fished a black-and-red card out of her bag – and the clerk's fears abated. This was far better than the alternative reason for a teenager having such an amount of money. "I'll be to pick it up on Sunday. Put it under 'Soryu', please."

"Of course", the girl nodded, relief clear in her voice. "Please remember that we close at two o'clock on Sunday, and please keep in mind any adjustments take time."

"Will ten in the morning be early enough?" Asuka checked.

"Absolutely, Soryu-san!"

"Great", Asuka punched the PIN, concluding the transaction that gave the clerk a minor sense of lightheadedness. "Let's move, Hikari", she grinned at her as she collected the receipt the woman just stamped. "Bye!"

"Come visit us again!" followed her.

***

​

"I thought she was going to have a heart attack", Asuka giggled as they put some distance between them and the shop.

"Well, we did spend a lot there", Hikari admitted. "I'm a bit surprised you're willing to go to such length for her."

Asuka stopped, her face suddenly blank.

"Hikari", she stopped her friend with a word. "Why? Because you think I'm not like that? That I don't care?"

"I mean…" Hikari's voice was suddenly panicky. "It is something odd to do to someone whom you know for, like two weeks?" she tried to explain.

"You know me for two weeks", Asuka countered, her voice somewhat hollow.

"Yes, but we're friends, right?" Hikari retorted, her brain in high gear. Discussing something like that with someone as volatile as Asuka – and in public – was making her rapidly approach heart attack territory.

"And I want to make a friend", Asuka admitted, her voice suddenly low, her eyes dropping. "And you know I don't half-ass things, do you?"

"I don't know if it is the best way to make a friend…" Hikari raised an eyebrow. "I mean… it's all fine, but–"

"But what?" Asuka's voice suddenly returned to her usual tone, her vulnerable demeanor gone. "Too much? Am I overdoing it? You did the same to me, like two days after I entered school?"

"Well, yes… but–" Hikari tried to begin her explanation of the subtle difference between 'taking someone for a walk, to the mall, and maybe for some ice cream' versus 'dressing someone up and spending a day with them in a way more appropriate for best friends or maybe even a couple' – but Asuka's concerns seemed to be gone already.

"Come, I need your expert opinion!" she grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her towards their next stop – a shop carrying a far more traditional attire.

***

​

Hikari decided to raise the subject again – but not before she rendered the help she promised. After all, this particular purchase was intended for Asuka; a girl should be allowed to own pretty things, and a kimono would certainly be more appropriate than dresses Asuka sometimes wore out of school.

Of course, this was anything but simple.

"How traditional do you want to go, Asuka?" Hikari asked after several fruitless minutes spent on window shopping.

"That's actually something I wanted to ask you", the redhead retorted. "You're better with what's 'proper' – it's not something for a formal ceremony or even a formal event, I want something pretty but informal… don't know, something you'd put for a school festival? If this is a thing?" she tried to approximate. "An equivalent of a 'nice dress'?"

Hikari pondered for a moment, then gave Asuka a nod. "I can work with that. Colors?"

"Well, I do like red", Asuka chuckled. "But most I see here are red-and-white mixes, that cannot be practical. Maybe green? What do you think would fit me?"

"I'm sure we can find red without much white", Hikari countered. "Any you don't want to wear?"

"Rei's attire will be black-and-white, plus any additions we choose later, so either I need something to match or to contrast, so… I suppose we should skip black", Asuka started to ponder.

Hikari nodded to that. "Black would be improper altogether", she agreed. "Do you want a suggestion?"

"That's what I asked you for, right?" Asuka retorted.

"Right", Hikari shook her head, reminding herself that subtlety was not Asuka's strongest suit. "So, I'd go with…" she moved to a demonstrative post with pieces of cloth, took a good look, and pointed to one of the strips, "deep indigo as the exterior, and colder green", she indicated another, "as the interior. We'd give Rei something small in the former – a ribbon, perhaps an applique on the headpiece?"

Asuka pondered for a moment. "You know I wanted to make use of it this week?" she remarked, doubt in her voice. "I mean, we will ask, but what if they don't have those colors?"

"Oh, don't worry, those are autumn colors, and it is autumn already, isn't it?" Hikari smirked.

'Hikari Horaki acting smug, that's a new one', Asuka chuckled to herself. "Well, I surely can give it a try… wait, it will make me look like Unit-01!" she suddenly realized.

"Is… is that a 'no'?" Hikari blinked in confusion.

Asuka pondered for a moment. "Well, not exactly, I am still game to check how it looks, and the shades are completely different… on the other hand, it would be worth wearing if only to see how the idiot-boy would react", she giggled. "No, that's still a 'let's try'", she decided. "Let's find someone – ah. I would like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind", Asuka turned to a woman who had been following them around discreetly.

***

​

It was no surprise to anyone – even to Asuka after she had a moment to think – that Hikari was right. About twenty minutes later Asuka was admiring herself in a combination she never thought would fit her – a deep-indigo kimono with a darker green underside.

"Those sleeves are kind of unwieldy", Asuka complained. "I mean, they look fabulous, but I'd rather have shorter ones", she turned to Hikari; with a corner of her eye, she noticed that the clerk seemed distressed at the request. 'Oops. Let me guess, some of those cultural mines in the minefield this country is?'

"Asuka…" Hikari started carefully. "You wanted a less formal one, right?"

"Yes, and?" Asuka raised an eyebrow and turned to take a side look. Barring the length of the sleeves, it was quite comfortable.

"This is the less formal one that doesn't indicate that you're married", Hikari explained.

"Oh. Right", Asuka quickly accepted. "I'll need some help with those, though", she admitted.

"We can train later", Hikari offered. "I have a few kimonos I would not mind pulling out of the closet for some airing."

"That would be much appreciated", Asuka smiled. "Okay, so, I like it", she changed the subject. "What do you say?"

"Definitely suits you", Hikari nodded. "How long would it take to make the adjustments?" she turned to the clerk, indicating the clips holding the material at waist level.

"It would be ready in two days", the woman replied. "We can do an express one, if needed, but–"

"Two days will be fine", Asuka interrupted. "I'd like to pick it up on Friday."

"Of course", the woman nodded. "Anything else you would like to try?"

"I don't think so", Asuka shook her head. "Just tell me how exactly is this color called?" she indicated the kimono's exterior. "I'll need a match to it."

"It's futaai", the clerk replied. "I can give you a sample?"

"Yes please", Asuka nodded. "Let me unpack from this first… carefully."

***

​

As it seemed, in this establishment teenagers who could afford their wares were less a surprise than in the previous one. Asuka ascribed it to two simple facts: purchasing a kimono here was akin to buying a normal dress, maybe not something you do daily, but not unthinkable to be given money for by your parents – and lower prices. Thus, the payment was made, Asuka received the receipt for retrieval – and they were done.

The next step – taking the fabric sample to Gothic Madel and discussing where the minor element would fit best was quick; the clerk was certainly happy – if distressed – with seeing them again, and the matter was done within ten minutes.

The last stage – locating good spots that were not arcade games – would have taken another ten to twenty minutes – if Hikari had not made a mistake of showing Asuka a secluded, cozy restaurant just outside the mall. Asuka immediately took it in stride – and a few moments later a very uncomfortable Hikari was seated across the table from happy Asuka and was browsing a little too-expensive-for-her-comfort menu. Her discomfort was alleviated – or actually, shifted from one reason to another – when Asuka announced that it was her treat as a thank-you.

'She has a lot to learn, but she has her heart in the right place', Hikari concluded and tried to do her best to enjoy the situation.

***

​

"Thank you Hikari", Asuka bowed to her friend as they were taking a walk back; Hikari could not help but notice how proper the girl's language was when she actually cared. Regrettably, such moments were rare. "You were an immense help", she continued, "and I owe you a big one."

"Don't mention it", Hikari waved her hand. "It's what friends are for, right?" she smiled a genuine smile. "Now, are you sure you don't need any further help?"

"No worries", Asuka refused. "Are you sure you don't need me to walk you home?"

"No, not at all! It's still daylight", Hikari protested. "I'd rather you do your homework properly", she admitted.

"Ah", Asuka's expression turned sour. "That. Yeah, I will. See you then – and thanks again!" she grinned as she bowed again – and turned to run towards the bus stop.

Hikari let out a sigh. She was not sure where this was heading; for a moment, she pondered whether she should not actually warn Rei Ayanami what was coming – but decided this would be betraying the trust Asuka put in her.

After all, what was the worst that could happen?

 

[grommile]

Am I intended to think of the Formula 1 driver (who would be the right age to be in the year above Shinji and Asuka...)?

 

[Baran3]

After all, what was the worst that could happen?

Click to shrink...

Murphy: "Did someone call me?"

Whatever Angel is next: "No, I believe it was for me."

Shinji: "And what about me? Am I not the Main Character?"

 

[gloomy-moods]

Yay! lots of Hikari being a helpful friend.

After all, what was the worst that could happen?

Click to shrink...

Asuka. Asuka is the worst that could happen.
Unless things go well, then Asuka is the best that could happen.

 

[Kaoruko]

Ah this is already fantastically adorable and I'm looking forward to more.

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Am I intended to think of the Formula 1 driver (who would be the right age to be in the year above Shinji and Asuka...)?

Click to shrink...

I must admit you got me lost here
Care to explain?

Murphy: "Did someone call me?"

Whatever Angel is next: "No, I believe it was for me."

Shinji: "And what about me? Am I not the Main Character?"

Click to shrink...

Misato: "Who are you? How did you get in there?!" click

Yay! lots of Hikari being a helpful friend.

Click to shrink...

She always was and anyone saying anything else is slandering her.

She's just not alway good at it.

Asuka. Asuka is the worst that could happen.
Unless things go well, then Asuka is the best that could happen.

Click to shrink...

Asuka already happens. But Hikari can't see the danger!

Will she realize the problem? Stay tuned and see for yourself!

Ah this is already fantastically adorable and I'm looking forward to more.

Click to shrink...

Thank you ^^

Soon!

 

[grommile]

I must admit you got me lost here
Care to explain?

Click to shrink...

Mostly my brain free-associating on names. There is currently a Japanese driver in Formula 1 by the name of Yuki Tsunoda, who drives for Scuderia Alpha Tauri.

He was born in 2000.

 

[Dromeosaur]

Sweet! I loved the chapter. Thank you!

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Mostly my brain free-associating on names. There is currently a Japanese driver in Formula 1 by the name of Yuki Tsunoda, who drives for Scuderia Alpha Tauri.

He was born in 2000.

Click to shrink...

That is pure coincidence

I have a list of Japanese names, generated randomly via some tool, and use them for placeholders. I mean, I'm not denying that it could be family or even the same guy, but that was not the intent.

Sweet! I loved the chapter. Thank you!

Click to shrink...

Thank you for the kind word ^^

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Chapter 3 – The plan, coming together!

The days separating Asuka from the final act of her plan passed without any significant threats, Angel attacks, or particularly challenging tests and examinations at the NERV HQ, letting Asuka focus on the upcoming events – for better or worse.

The sleeve-handling training Hikari promised her had to be delayed by a few days because of the Class Rep's numerous duties, and, as a result, Asuka was taking it in her own, freshly received kimono. To her immense relief, her worries have been proven entirely groundless: it was about as difficult as handling a more elaborate dress – and that was a skill she had already learned a while ago on the very few occasions when she had an opportunity to dance.

And so, the afternoon of training – time she expected to be filled with necessary but annoying activities – quickly turned out to be quite enjoyable. Hikari was accommodating, helpful, and friendly, and while Asuka was still not sure if Hikari was being sincere about her friendship – after all, warming up to someone that quickly by a person from a famously reserved culture felt a little bit odd – but right now, her company was both a great help and a welcome distraction from darker thoughts plaguing her mind.

And that was a distraction she dearly needed.

***

​

An evening after the shopping trip

Asuka Langley Soryu was not a person that would allow her doubts to be seen by many people – but sometimes, someone gave her enough reasons, exerted enough influence, or simply happened to devote enough attention to her for something to slip out.

'Stupid me. Stupid doubt. Stupid Hikari', she huffed as she was laying in her bed, wide awake, trying her best to ignore Misato's snoring. It was a sound she could tune out – but not at the same time when she had to focus on tuning out her own annoyance. Her willpower was, after all, limited, especially when some of it was also being continuously tied up in not thinking about Rei Ayanami.

'Stupid… let's hope Hikari's not smart enough to figure it out… she's not exactly brilliant, but she's good with her social skills, and that might be a threat…' she kept milling the same worries over and over again. 'It would be easier if I knew I can trust her, but… but what if she is doing it out of her sense of duty? Drain the swamp, remove the crocodiles; befriend the troublemaker, take away the trouble…'

The mill of her thoughts did not abate deep into the night, running over and over again in her mind until the exhaustion took over and let her fall into an uneasy, single cycle of sleep just as the day started to dawn over Tokyo-3.

The next day was not pleasant for anyone who managed to cross paths with Asuka Langley Soryu – with the exception of two girls: one who looked at her with exasperation in her eyes – and another whom Asuka tried not to look at too much.

***

​

Saturday afternoon

"Hey, Shinji", Asuka waved to the boy reading some magazine.

"What is it, Asuka?" he pulled the earphone buds from his ears and turned his head to look at her.

"You asked me to tell you when I'm 'not following the meal routine', right?", she quoted and continued without waiting for his confirmation. "I'm leaving tomorrow after breakfast and have no idea when I'll be back, so no dinner for me. But I'll still need some supper."

"Sure, Asuka", he nodded with a small, cautious smile. "You're out with Hikari again?"

"Nah, not this time", Asuka shook her head. "I'll actually be working on improving the team cohesion."

Shinji tilted his head. "I'm afraid to ask", he admitted with a hint of confusion in his voice and raised eyebrows. "What team?"

"Oh, you'll see", she giggled.

"Why don't you just say you have a date?" he asked, the confusion in his voice becoming increasingly apparent.

"It's not a date!" Asuka protested vehemently; her face quickly turned a warm shade of pink. "Keep such ideas to yourself! I'm a prim and proper girl!"

"There's nothing improper with just dating, is it?" he asked, his confusion reaching its peak. "Even Misato wouldn't object. Well, I think she wouldn't…" he added with a more thoughtful expression.

"I know!" Asuka huffed. "It's just not it."

"Okay, okay. I'm not asking", he shrugged and put one of the earbuds back. "I'll leave you something for supper, don't worry."

"Thanks", Asuka pondered adding a few words for a moment but decided not to say anything else for fear of digging herself deeper. Having executed a tactical retreat to her room, she let out a breath she was unconsciously holding.

'Why am I acting like this?' she asked herself as she dropped onto the bed and hid her head under the pillow. 'And why is this not tomorrow already?!'

***

​

This night, sleep was more merciful to Asuka – but she still managed to run a few dozen scenarios in her head before succumbing to exhaustion. Most of them were relatively neutral and only slightly awkward – but a few involved embarrassing situations like some of the wardrobe failing due to her inability to move in it properly, a few ended in her getting publicly slapped in her face or being openly called a pervert, and some included being found out and laughed at by her schoolmates – moreover, at least one of those ended with a murder. As a logical consequence, Asuka made a mental note to check whether she could fit a pocketknife into her obi – instead of a tanto that she would likely not be able to procure on such short notice.

It was around that point that her mind decided that she was planning for far too much and finally made her fall into the soft embrace of sleep – but not before starting to plan for a hostage situation, a terrorist attack, and an alien invasion.

***

​

Sunday morning

Asuka woke up in a surprisingly good mood; it was actually good enough to temporarily push her anxiety about today down and managed to survive comments about unusual chirpiness from hungover Misato, who was, luckily not asking any questions. The fact that Shinji wished Asuka a pleasant day helped the mood quite a bit, too. And so, she was off to meet the anticipated day with her head held high.

The plan she had come up for this day with was quite simple: visit Hikari around nine, use her help to get into the kimono – that was also stored there to avoid stupid questions from Shinji – and go meet Rei Ayanami at the prearranged coordinates around quarter to ten. Then they would go fit the attire that was waiting at the shop – and then smoothly proceed to the other activities.

The first part worked pretty much as well as expected.

"You're late, Asuka", Hikari's welcomed her with a scolding tone.

"Ten minutes late, big deal, I got the walking time wrong", she shrugged as she ditched her shoes and entered the house.

"I can't do it right if I have to hurry", Hikari warned with a sigh. "That's why–"

"Then let's get to it, shall we?" Asuka countered with a surprising amount of cheer in her voice. "I have the utmost confidence in your skills!"

Hikari let out a heavy sigh. Being Asuka's friend was a challenge, no doubt – but on the other hand, it certainly prevented Hikari from ever getting bored. She still had to think long and hard about which one she preferred – but until then, she was resolute to be a good friend.

***

​

As Asuka suspected and contrary to what Hikari stated in her complaints, Hikari did perfect work on Asuka's kimono and hair. Of course, there were a few minor issues on the way – after all, nothing about Asuka could be simple.

"Those bumps have to go", Hikari demanded, pointing to Asuka's head. "We're doing it right", she stated with a voice that suffered no objection.

"Those are my neural connectors", Asuka objected, her cheer almost entirely gone. "They're what I am!"

"I can't imagine them being a fit for any kimono, especially for the colors you choose", Hikari stood her ground. "But if you told me, at the very least, that you wanted to keep them, we would've gone with a red one. I thought you wanted to do it right?"

"Yes, but–" Asuka protested.

"Asuka, you have three choices: either they go, we change one of the colors to red… somehow, we repaint those… connectors green here and now, or you just stay in your dress, mismatched as it is in color anyway. Four choices", Hikari kept insisting, pointing to the sundress hung on the chair.

"But but but but…"

"No 'buts'", Hikari remained steadfast, her tone unchangingly firm. "I'll give you the best hairdo I can, but not with those in the way", she declared. "It's not that I'm confiscating them or anything! You'll have them at hand at all times!"

"But…" Asuka's protests got noticeably weaker.

"Asuka… you claim you are serious about that, so… please be serious, okay?" Hikari looked at the redhead pleadingly.

"All right, all right", Asuka finally conceded; she could not decide whether it was because of the rational arguments or Hikari's determined and insistent look. "You could've said so before we chose the colors, though", she grumbled as she removed the connectors and secreted them away in her obi.

"I thought it was obvious", Hikari let out a sigh. "And please, sit still!" she demanded as she started brushing the red mane in front of her.

Asuka, as unwilling she was to be commanded like this, contained her reflexive resistance and contrariness. Looking into the mirror, she had to admit that Hikari Horaki, the fearsome Class Representative at school, was quite an artist at home – and even as she commanded similar obedience here, it might even be considered worth it.

***

​

'Of course she is waiting already', Asuka sighed with resignation. 'Does she have any life besides school and NERV? It's not even five to ten!" she shook her head – and immediately checked whether the hairdo Hikari put up for her held; to no one's surprise, it did hold perfectly. 'I wonder if I can loosen her up just a bit…', she returned to the previous train of thought. 'Step one: get rid of that school uniform and replace it with something fun… and that will be easy, bless my foresight', she smiled to herself.

"Good morning, Ayanami-san", she greeted the girl, trying her best not to make this sound awkward. 'I don't like the formality, but when in Rome… or when with Romans, in this case', she decided. She was considering starting to call her Rei from the get-go, but considering how Rei called her, it would be yet another exercise in awkwardness.

"Good morning, Soryu-san", Rei responded in kind before adding "You're early" with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Look who's talking", Asuka scoffed nervously. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long", the blue-haired girl replied with her usual emotional charge in her voice. "I was expecting you to be late, so I decided to come with minimal advance", she elaborated.

'Talk about convoluted logic…' Asuka shook her head. "Either way, I'm here. Shall we?"

"Please lead the way, Soryu-san", Rei bowed her head just a notch.

'This is going to be a ride… not that I expected anything else', Asuka took a deep breath, smiled – and led the way as she was asked.

Rei followed her, never staying more than a step behind.

***

​

As they were going through the halls of the mall, Asuka's mind was taking a stroll on its own. 'Okay, Soryu. You got her exactly where you wanted her. She is spending time with you and she seems cooperative – at least for now – so you've got your work laid out for you', she observed. 'There is a number of ways this can go wrong, of course: she might not like the outfit, she might get bored of all that, I may say something stupid, someone may bother us and mess up the mood… no, scratch the last, I can deal with external threats. But what about–'

"You seem tense, Soryu-san", a voice interrupted her musings. "You also seem anxious", Rei added, seeing Asuka almost jump up at the words.

"You think?" Asuka asked in a forcibly calm voice with a smile painted on her face as she tried her best to conceal her nearly doubled heart rate.

"I seem to have startled you", Rei remarked in her usual calm tone. "I apologize."

'Derail number one, coming right in' came into Asuka's mind as she took a deep breath, still facing away from the other girl. 'Of my own making, congratulations, let's try to avoid at least that, shall we, assuming I manage to salvage it somehow right now?' she decided while releasing the air. "It's not your fault, Ayanami-san. I'm fine", Asuka lied. "Just… preoccupied", she admitted.

"If there are other things on your mind, perhaps we should delay this… excursion?" Rei suggested.

Asuka had an answer on the tip of her tongue, a perfect retort that would shift the responsibility away from her. She turned to deliver it–

–only to see those red eyes looking at her with genuine concern, sincere worry, and actual care. Unable to collect her thoughts, just stared into those eyes, words dying before she could speak them out loud. And after a few long seconds in which she could hear the gears in her head grind against each other, she shook her head. "Ayanami-san, I…" she trailed off, unsure how to finish this sentence.

"I believe a team exercise should be given the proper attention", Rei continued, her tone and expression unchanged. "If there is something else on your mind, we should postpone it."

Asuka took another deep breath. 'She is right. Technically. But she is wrong. Entirely. Damn it!' the thought processes slowly restarted with a few bumps on the way. "Ayanami-san…" she tried again. "You're right."

"I see", Rei nodded. "In this case, I shall–"

"Please, stop and listen", Asuka demanded the moment the other girl started to turn away. 'Do I sound desperate? No, why would I… damn it, I do, don't I?' was unhelpfully rattling in her head.

"Soryu-san?" Rei's voice was unusually charged with confusion – and her eyes went down; only then Asuka realized she caught Rei's hand without thinking.

"Oh", she let go quickly, drew a deep breath – and started to talk: "You're right about me being preoccupied, but you're wrong about postponing it. Yes, I am preoccupied but it's because I have you, and only you on my mind. I want this to go right, okay?" she rattled out on one breath. "So, please, don't even think about calling it off", she added. 'Now I sound desperate', she realized. 'Go Soryu!' a bitter taste followed.

Rei tilted her head slowly to the side. "I… see. I apologize for the misunderstanding", she finally replied. "Do not worry. I do not need that much attention. You can be at ease. We should continue, then."

"Yes. Definitely", Asuka smiled a nervous smile. 'At ease, right', she sighed internally before turning away and continuing towards their first destination.

In her preoccupation – and despite discreet looks cast behind her to check whether Rei was following her – she failed to notice that the girl was looking at her hand with a ponderous expression on her face – the hand Asuka held for a few seconds just a moment ago.

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Chapter 4 – Will you come to my garden?

The clerk in the Gothic Madel was clearly already expecting them. "Good morning, Soryu-san!" she greeted them happily, an enthusiastic smile painted on her face. "I assume this is the lovely lady you intend to dress in our attire?" she continued, taking a good long look at Rei. "I'm sure she will look absolutely wonderful in it!"

"Good morning…" Asuka replied, momentarily confused by the radiance suddenly projected on them both. "Yes, this is Ayanami-san, and I assume this means everything is ready for her?" she replied when she managed to regain her bearings.

"Yes, yes, of course", the woman nodded energetically, her smile unchanging. "Please, please follow me!"

'Anyone having so much energy while working on Sunday morning must either have had too much coffee or have a really good motivation', Asuka mused. 'Or both, of course. I wonder how much she benefits from this sale… a lot, I assume, Japanese people are helpful, but this… this goes above and beyond. Oh well, better for us. She seems to know what she is doing', she shrugged the thoughts off as she followed the woman and listened to her explanations about the particular pieces.

Being lost in her thoughts, she seemed to entirely miss the sudden curiosity in Rei's eyes.

***

​

About ten minutes later

Asuka was pacing back and forth on the shop floor. In hindsight, letting Rei go in there alone with the clerk and staying out might have been a mistake; on the other hand, the fitting room was too small for three people – and something was telling her this is how this was supposed to be done.

The sound of the moved curtain interrupted her reverie. "Soryu-san, I think your friend is ready", the clerk announced with a smile as she held the curtain invitingly.

Asuka took a few steps fast before stopping in her tracks. "Oh."

For a moment, she was not sure whether someone did not switch the occupants of the dressing room as some kind of a prank; she knew, of course, that replicating Rei's features would be difficult, but far from impossible. But just as soon as she had the idea, she dismissed it; few would dare to do something like that to a NERV employee, and those that would, would not really care to do so. Having concluded that, Asuka returned to what she did since Rei entered her sight: staring.

Rei Ayanami, who was generally seen by most of the class as 'somehow pretty, but not exactly attractive' at best and 'freakish' at worst was now looking like a perfect model of the Japanese take on the gothic style.

A small part of Asuka's mind labeled her as a 'beautiful doll'. It took her a few seconds to realize that this was the first time in ten years that this word had a positive connotation in her mind; the sheer weirdness of that fact made her quickly bury that thought for later – and let her mind do what it was supposed to do right now: be focused on admiring the sight provided by the eyes hopelessly fixated on the figure of Rei Ayanami.

The black-and-white-with-small-indigo-accents attire – with a significant dominance of black – contrasted wonderfully with Rei's pale complexion. The skirt was hiding quite a lot more of her legs than her uniform did, but what was visible and clothed in white stockings gave Asuka an unexpected, sudden understanding of why certain fetishes existed. The corset was doing wonders to show Rei's figure and lift her bosom, giving Asuka a small twinge of envy. The blouse, along with the choker, gave the attire an elegant finish Asuka could only admire. After scanning Rei from bottom to top, Asuka only managed to notice there was also something in Rei's hair before she caught the girl's gaze – and noticed her expression, one she never saw in her before. It was an expression of… hope? Worry? Anticipation? Fear?

"How do you like it?" the clerk chimed in, clearly happy with both Rei's appearance and Asuka's reaction.

"It's… I mean… Ayanami-san, you look… wonderful", Asuka finally managed to speak – only to see the expression of the red eyes turn from this fearful and expectant look to something that could be described as 'mild joy' in an average person; for Rei, this was almost like full-blown happiness. It was only amplified by a small smile appearing on her lips.

Asuka felt her heart speeding up without warning. 'Damn it, Soryu! Get a grip!' she chastised herself. "Thank you, this is just perfect", Asuka turned to the clerk.

"I'm glad you like it!" the woman smiled a wide smile as she clasped her hands; Asuka could not tell whether it was genuine, well-trained, or some mix of those two – but it did not matter right now. "We need to make a minor adjustment to the corset though; can you return in half an hour?"

"Sure, we'll just– Ayanami-san?" Asuka started only to interrupt when Rei muttered something. "Say again?" she turned to her.

"It is not necessary", Rei repeated a bit louder. "It is not uncomfortable."

"But it would just take a moment, it's not a problem!" the clerk objected.

"I do not want to take it off", Rei replied with certainty in her still low voice.

"But–" the clerk tried again.

"If Ayanami-san says she doesn't want to take it off, who are we to argue, right?" Asuka interrupted in a reflexive gesture defense, quickly squashing the voice in her head that whispered 'would it be fine if I took it off for you?' and extending her hand to Rei. "Let's go then! Please make a note of the needed adjustment, and I'll drop the corset off at some point later, okay?"

The clerk seemed conflicted for a moment, but it was quickly becoming obvious to her that Asuka's attitude was not something easy to fight against. "…yes, of course."

"Is there anything else I need to pay? Adjustments, or additions?" Asuka asked as Rei took her hand and made a few careful steps in the new shoes.

"No, no, there's nothing left, it's all covered by your prior payment", the clerk quickly replied. "Ayanami-san, since you don't want to take the dress off… do you want me to pack your uniform instead?" she turned to Rei.

"Yes, please", Rei replied in a soft tone that carried a very small, but a still unusually high amount of joy.

"Excuse me for a moment, then", the woman collected the garments hanging in the dressing room and disappeared into the secret corridors of the Staff Only part of the shop.

"How do you like yourself in this?" Asuka asked with a smug smile the moment they were alone, trying her best to ignore how sweaty her hand was getting while holding Rei's – and how her heart refused to slow down by any significant degree.

"I am uncertain", Rei replied with some hesitation. "It is… pleasant."

"Well, that's a start", Asuka seemed both confused and amused. 'I really need a Rei-human dictionary… but for now "multiply everything by a factor of ten" will have to do', she quickly decided.

"Here you are!" the clerk emerged seemingly from nowhere and handed Rei a shop bag. "Your uniform, two additional hair ribbons should you lose some, four button replacements, the note about the needed adjustment, and the sample we were given for the color, all inside", she listed with a smile. "Enjoy your day!"

"Thank you", Rei nodded and took the bag.

"Thank you very much", Asuka smiled. "See you on the next occasion!" she added as she turned to face Rei again, still refusing to let go of her hand. "Come, Ayanami-san. We have a day to enjoy", she winked as she pulled the girl's hand – and they strolled out of the shop.

***

​

"Thank you, Soryu-san", Rei said once they were back in the mall halls, drawing numerous looks that reassured Asuka she made the right choices; the only point she was not sure of is which one of them was drawing more attention. Before she could ponder the possible answers along with their consequences, Rei resumed in her soft voice. "I like it. What is the amount I need to reimburse you for it?"

Asuka stopped in her tracks, turning back to face Rei – and had to close her eyes to focus enough to answer. "Ayanami-san. Don't even think about it", she stated firmly. "It's my gift to you, okay? We started off on the wrong foot, and I want to make it right."

"It was unnecessary", Rei objected. "There is was no need to make it right."

Asuka's eyes shot open, her gaze betraying her rising anger; to her surprise, Rei did not take a step back as most people who saw her like that would; she did not even flinch. "There was, for me. If you don't care for 'making it right', then accept it as a gift, will you? I thought you people have a far more elaborate tradition for gifts than us, 'barbarians'?" she asked, her tone slowly changing from anger into a mix of amusement and mockery in the final words.

"I do not know", Rei admitted. "But… thank you", her tone softened – and Asuka could swear a minuscule smile returned on her face.

"You're welcome", Asuka smiled a wide smile, once more aware of her faster heartbeat. "Okay, do you want to do something?"

"I am… fine", Rei replied with just a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"What do you mean, 'fine'?" Asuka asked, her voice confused. "Actually, why didn't you want to let them make the adjustments?" she asked suddenly.

"I did not want to take it off", Rei repeated her explanation, her hand absentmindedly running along the seams of the fabric and the lines of the corset. "I like it", she added, the corners of her lips turning up just a bit.

"Okay", Asuka nodded, unsure what to think about this relatively weak argument but unwilling to go full Inquisition on the girl just yet. "So… did you have breakfast?"

"I have already eaten", Rei replied. "But we can go eat something if you want to", she added carefully.

"Great", Asuka caught her hand again. "I know just a place!"

***

​

As they entered a small café, Asuka – guided by her experiences from both Germany and Japan – chose a two-person, secluded table, seating Rei in the less exposed seat. 'It's for her comfort and safety', she told herself, silencing a quiet voice that was insistently telling her that the sight Rei presented right now was just too wonderful to be wasted on the unappreciative eyes of some rube.

"O-kay… is there anything you cannot eat, or just don't like to eat?" Asuka asked as they settled in the chair and opened the menu.

"I don't like the smell and sight of meat", Rei replied after a moment of pondering. "And Doctor Akagi said I should not drink coffee or take amphetamines", she added.

"Well, that escalated quickly", Asuka remarked, her expression bemused. "Okay, will keep the meat part in mind for later, they don't serve much of it here anyway… it's just meat, right? You don't mind… I don't know, gelatin or such?"

"I do not", Rei confirmed after a moment of consideration.

"Good. Coffee is not a problem, they surely have a nice tea selection here…" Asuka continued, her tone betraying a bit of confusion, "and I don't think we need to worry about the last part. Okay, what about chocolate? Nut allergies? Dislike of butter?"

"I do not suffer from any ailment on this list that I am aware of", Rei replied. "But I have never tested any of them to my knowledge."

"Wait, what?" Asuka tilted her head, and an expression of utter confusion and incredulity emerged on her face. "What do you mean by 'never tested'? You're a fourteen-year-old girl… and you never had chocolate?"

"Correct", Rei nodded, seemingly confused by this line of questioning.

Asuka just glared in disbelief. 'God, I think I see why this girl is like this. Does she even have any pleasures in life? Okay, I get why she doesn't run with the stupid boys or have the class harpies for friends, but all I saw her do at school was glare out of the window and sometimes read odd things… after a few years of such life, I'd be a serial killer… oh well, maybe she is one, that'd make some sense', she chuckled to herself – and forced herself back to reality before Rei started asking questions. Musing over Rei Ayanami's body count was not going to bring her anywhere with the actual Rei Ayanami. "Okay. So, what would you like?"

"I do not know", Rei replied.

"Okay, let's go with a chocolate dessert, you can't go wrong with chocolate, after all – and some milder black tea…" Asuka decided before her face twitched in displeasure. "I'll have to ask the waiter's advice on those…"

"Why?" Rei's face expressed genuine confusion.

'Congratulations, Soryu!' a thought went up in Asuka's head. 'You just dug yourself in nice and deep, painted yourself into a corner, went out of the apartment and locked yourself out, et cetera, et cetera!' it kept going bitterly before she managed to make up an explanation. "Ah… I usually drink coffee. I don't know much about various teas, you know? German people are like that."

"You are only quarter-German, correct?" Rei asked.

"Yes, but I'm also quarter-Japanese, and half-American, and the USA is very much a coffee-drinking country too, so…"

"Ah. Of course", Rei nodded, pondered something for a moment, then delivered the kill shot: "You are unable to make the menu positions out. Is this correct?"

Asuka's ears went full-red within half a second. "Why do you think that?" she asked with a nervous smile, doing her best to cover the fact of how much it hurt.

"You are talking about black tea while looking at the list of green teas", Rei explained matter-of-factly, without any hint of judgment in her tone. "This should provide you with the necessary information", she stood up, picked up another menu from the counter, and handed it to Asuka in one fluent move – before starting to struggle with her skirt as she tried to sit down again.

The shade of Asuka's face now matched her ears. 'Congratulations, dumbass, for not thinking about something as basic as finding a menu in English', a voice in her head admonished her. 'Be glad that this pretty, pretty doll has more brains than you do! And where are your manners?'

"…thank you", Asuka muttered. "And allow me", she quickly found herself behind Rei's chair and deftly assisted her in taking the seat. "Soooo…" she started with an unusually warm smile as she returned to the now-legible menu. "Will you trust my choices and advice as I invite you to the garden of earthly delights?"

Rei seemed to consider the answer for a moment, her expression inscrutable. 'I'd really give a lot to understand what was going on behind those beautiful, ponderous red eyes…' appeared in Asuka's head, drifting across her mind as she watched Rei's face in search for an answer.

"Yes", Rei finally nodded with the smallest of smiles. "Please."

And Asuka could only smile back.

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Chapter 5 – Will you play with me?

Asuka was watching Rei's face intently with a growing, unpleasant awareness that, despite her well-honed perception, the girl's reactions were still a mystery to her. The thought that her perception might have indeed been well-honed, but towards detecting danger on the battlefield, and not reading facial expressions of pretty girls did not get too far in her mind before perishing from the lack of attention.

In fact, most thoughts she had right now were not exactly focused – or, at least, not focused on anything except Rei.

All the while, Rei seemed to be entirely unaware of the attention she commanded as she was entirely focused on the content of her plate: a fancy-looking, barrel-shaped dessert covered with chocolate dust, with a cherry on top. She was methodically working her small fork, separating pieces of various sizes from the dessert and eating them, occasionally taking a sip of her tea. Her expression was unchangingly ponderous and the precision of her movements more befitting an operating table than a café.

"How do you like it?" Asuka – unable to bear the silence any longer – finally asked.

Rei finished the piece she just had and considered her answer quietly for a few more moments. "It is… interesting", she finally said, her voice uncertain.

"Interesting?" Asuka scoffed, doing her best not to notice the smallest smudge of chocolate on Rei's lips; there was a thought in her head telling her what she should do with it – and she was fighting hard not to allow that thought to even form properly. "I mean… people usually love chocolate or hate it, but… interesting?"

Rei tilted her head slightly. "Is this an incorrect description?"

"Well, not incorrect, but it doesn't say if you like it or not, for starters", Asuka stated, forcing her eyes to go up; she realized why this was a mistake the moment she locked her gaze with Rei's. "I – mean…"

"Perhaps the right word would be – fascinating?" Rei corrected and seeing that Asuka's confused expression did not change, tried again. "It is… enjoyable."

Asuka took a deep breath, her gaze still focused on Rei's beautiful eyes. 'I guess that's the most positive I'm going to get out of her', she decided. "Great! And the tea?" she asked immediately, unsure how to follow up otherwise.

"Its bitterness is an appropriate counterpart to the sweetness of the dessert", Rei replied, this time with far more certainty. "It was a good choice. I am… grateful for your recommendation."

'Is it getting warmer in here?' was Asuka's first thought upon hearing this.

"Is everything all right, Soryu-san?" Rei asked, her voice suddenly carrying a hint of concern. "Your face appears flushed."

"It's the tea! And the cake!" she babbled out as she gestured to the almost untouched piece of cheesecake on the plate in front of her. "I just like them so much!" she added. 'Yes, Soryu, carry on. Soon you'll need a proper shovel to dig yourself deeper! Or maybe a bloody, huge, massive excavator would do better, when we are at it?'

"I see", Rei nodded to that, seemingly convinced. "But if you like them, why do you consume them so slowly?"

A witty retort containing a suggestion that she was seeing something she liked far more – and preferred to consume that – got brutally and decisively squashed in Asuka's mind before it could reach her consciousness. "Right!" she said instead. "I'm sorry, I got distracted. It's the heat, you know?"

"Is your attire inadequately adjusted to the weather?" Rei kept querying.

"No, no, no, it's just perfect", Asuka replied, in a bit nervous tone. "Except for the sleeves, but I'll manage. Don't worry about me! By the way, don't you feel cold? Or too warm?" she tried, a part of her mind registering with relief that in the meanwhile, the temptation of the chocolate disappeared from Rei's lips.

"I am comfortable with the current temperature", Rei stated as she looked down at her dress. "This attire is pleasant to wear and provides me with adequate comfort. I do not want to take it off."

"Well, you definitely shouldn't, not here", Asuka quipped with some effort. "You look great in that, by the way", she added with a smile and a hint of envy in her voice.

"Thank you", Rei said after looking confused for a moment.

A moment of awkward silence descended between them. Asuka quickly reached for her cup, took a sip, and decided that actually starting on her cake was the best she could do now; she was relieved that Rei took this as a cue to return her attention to her own plate.

'This is not going entirely according to plan' flared in Asuka's head – and refused to go even as they finished their respective desserts – be it in a methodical and studious way or chaotically and committing the crime of not paying much attention to the definitely great taste.

***

​

As they departed, Rei seemed to be somewhat concerned about Asuka paying for them both, but a quick reassurance and Asuka's confidence on the matter seemed to put her at ease and made her protests stop. 'Well, the dress might have a few hidden pockets, I saw to that, but I don't think she gets much money…' Asuka concluded – and led Rei out of the café and into the wider space of the mall.

"So, what's your fancy now?" she asked once they were in the open.

"I do not know", Rei replied matter-of-factly after a moment of pause.

"Hm. What do you like to do? In general, I mean."

"I… do not know", Rei repeated with some hesitation creeping into her tone.

"What do you mean, you–" Asuka started in a raised voice and interrupted herself as she saw Rei's tilted head – and worryingly more than just a hint of wariness in her eyes, the kind that usually came before a fight. She suddenly felt horrible, like she just scared a kitten. "I'm sorry", she blurted out quietly. "You really don't know, do you?"

"I would not deceive you, Soryu-san", Rei replied, her tone neutral. "Have you assumed that I did?"

A loud sound marked Asuka's palm landing on her own face as she stopped in her tracks. 'God, I'm dense!'

"Do you require assistance?" Rei asked as she stopped as well; her head tilted further – but the wariness was slowly going away.

"Give me a literal minute, okay?" Asuka requested, her voice low but tense, her eyes closed, her hand raised. "I'm sorting things out", she added in the hope it would explain something – while at the same time, a stampede of thoughts was already happening in her head. 'She's lost here because she was never in such a situation. I brought her here. I planned it all out… well, some of it. I decided how it starts and what we are going to do. So it's up to me to make it feel right to her. To guide her by her hand, figuratively speaking', Asuka tried to order her realizations. 'Or… even literally?' she suddenly added one more. 'There's no rule against that, is there? She seems to expect me to be forward, she seems to be fine with following, she seems fine with me–'

She shook her head as the realization dawned on her.

'–with me being the boy here. I mean, taking the role of the… damn. Okay. Stereotypes exist for a reason. For a very good reason… let's roll with this, then. I'm a certified genius, I am a trained soldier, I've been on some dates, good and bad, and I can improvise better than anyone. So… what would I want to hear in her place? What would I expect from a boy? What would make me happy?' she pondered for a few moments before making her decision. "Okay, I'm back", she finally let a breath out and gazed once more into those red eyes. "We got you all dressed up, check. We went through the mall, looking at things, not much fun. We just ate, so there's no reason to grab anything. The closest movie that makes sense to watch is about an hour away if I remember right", she listed and paused. "Do you enjoy arcade games?"

"I am not certain", Rei replied, her head tilted again.

"Do you want to check?" Asuka probed with a careful smile.

"I am not certain", Rei repeated.

Asuka's brow furrowed in frustration – but a solution was slowly becoming clear. "Okay. Different question. Do you object to checking?"

Rei pondered for a moment. "No", she finally replied. "I do not."

"Let's go, then", Asuka declared, forcing herself to sound more cheerful and less anxious than she really was. After half a second of internal struggle, she slowly reached for Rei's hand, giving her a chance to pull away.

But – contrary to her fears – it did not happen; she felt the cool skin of the girl's palm under her own – and closed her hand around hers. "Come on", she managed, her smile wider and the cheer in her voice more genuine. "Should not be that busy yet", she added as she tugged gently.

Rei followed Asuka, wondering all the time why the usually aggressive and self-assured redhead was suddenly behaving very similarly to a boy trying to talk to a girl he was attracted to.

'A logical explanation must exist. Soryu-san is a girl. I am a girl. This situation does not match the pattern I am familiar with. Thus, I need to perform research once this encounter is concluded', she decided before returning to her observations.

She was doing her best to capture every detail, as she usually did – except right now, the interesting and important details seemed to be limited to two people: one particular girl – and herself.

***

​

A few minutes later

"I do not understand", Rei admitted as she observed both the game table and the plastic components. "This table indeed resembles a hockey court. But the game is played on the table, not in the air."

"Yeah, it's just called like that", Asuka explained with a shrug as she checked the table and the price list. "You know, everything needs a name, and not all of them make sense. Need more explanation on the rules?"

"I do not believe so", Rei replied as she intently studied the game area.

Asuka was almost expecting those red eyes to slide aside and measuring lasers to emerge from the girl's skull. She quickly shook that thought off with a small internal chuckle. Rei was odd, nobody could deny that, but she felt very flesh and blood. 'Or, at least, her hands did', Asuka's treacherous mind quickly suggested and unhelpfully recalled the recent memory of having led Rei here by her hand. "So, what do you think of it?" she asked quickly to stave off those thoughts – and the blush they evoked that threatened to creep on her face.

"It has a certain potential for providing entertainment", Rei stated after a few seconds of pondering. "It appears to require both dexterity and perception."

"Yes, but would you like to play it?" Asuka tried to rephrase, beating herself for still not being able to speak Rei's language too well. The girl, despite her clear intelligence, seemed to require very direct questions and seemed to be unable to understand subtext or indirect communication. On the other hand, once the right question was asked, she seemed to have no issue answering it. 'Not dumb. But very different', rang in Asuka's mind; she scoffed at the uselessness of this diagnosis and shelved it for later. "Or… if I wanted to play it, would you join me?" she tried again upon seeing Rei's hesitation.

"Yes", Rei finally replied, confirming Asuka's hypothesis once more. "I do not think I have the required currency, though. I shall procure–"

"Ha!" Asuka's expression turned from ponderous to triumphant within a tenth of a second. "For that, I am prepared!" she declared, reached into a small satchel tucked into her obi, and procured a few coins. "Good luck!" she declared as she put the coin into the machine and waited for the strikers and pucks to drop.

"I do not understand", Rei stated. "Why are you wishing me luck?"

"Um… what?" Asuka blinked in clear confusion. "What do you mean, 'why'? Because it's what you say before a game?"

"If I understand the rules correctly, the purpose of the game is to win, and this is done via scoring goals", Rei continued. "If I am luckier than you, I will win. Therefore, wishing me luck is illogical on your part. It is contrary to your interests."

Asuka stood there for a few seconds, confusion in her eyes. "Well", she finally spoke, "you're not wrong. Maybe it's something like 'good luck, you're going to need it because I know I'm better'?"

Rei pondered for a moment, then nodded. "This would make sense. Good luck, then", she said as she picked up the striker and placed it in position.

'Did she just…' Asuka remarked to herself with a mix of amusement and respect just before chuckling internally – and focusing all her attention on the game.

Well, most of her attention; she noticed with some dismay that Rei still commanded quite a lot of it, even now.

Or, more correctly, especially now.

***

​

Asuka was very far from being a champion of air hockey; she simply saw this as far too easy a game for her standards – and most boys that took her to dates did not consider this game an option, even if they thought of taking her to the arcade. 'Perhaps out of fear I'd beat them and make them look dumb', she thought of it most of the time. 'As if most of them needed to be made that way', she often added with a feeling of superiority, only subtly tainted with a hint of annoyance.

But while she was not a champion, she considered herself to be quite good in the game.

And yet, to her utter confusion and quite a lot of dismay, she was barely able to hold her ground against Rei.

She, of course, blamed part of it on the inexplicable fact that she could not help but watch how well Rei moved and how fast her movements were despite being restrained by the dress. This looked almost as if the girl was dancing against the table, her eyes fixated on the game but her body free from such restraints. What Rei lacked in technique – which was, effectively, everything due to this being her first time playing the game – she made up with intense focus, good perception, and surprisingly quick reflexes.

And by the time they were done with their fourth match – the first match that Rei won – Asuka quietly blessed the fact that there was not enough time for a fifth one, for she was quite certain that she would have lost it.

***

​

"Did you like that?" Asuka finally asked as they settled in their seats in the cinema room about fifteen minutes later. She was a little bit concerned that – aside from answering questions about snacks before confirming she would like to try roasted nuts – Rei was even quieter than usual.

"Yes", Rei finally answered. "I think I like air hockey."

"That's good, I – wait. Did you just say you actually liked something?" Asuka asked, shaking her head in confusion.

"Yes", Rei confirmed, her expression hinting at her being mildly surprised. "Is this a problem?"

"Well, that'd be the first", Asuka explained. "At least the first time I hear it from you…"

"This is incorrect", Rei countered in a matter-of-fact tone. "I have already used that term in regard to the dress I am currently wearing. I like it as well."

"Oh", Asuka tracked back to her memories at the Gothic Madel shop – and, to her dismay, had to admit that she barely remembered what was discussed there; the words were heavily overshadowed by the first impression she got of Rei emerging from the changing room. She felt a growing blush creeping up her cheeks – and dearly hoped that the low lighting of the room would hide it. "I see", she added, her voice unfocused.

"Would you be willing to play with me again?" Rei asked – and Asuka was really happy that this was the moment the lights dimmed and the screen lit up with the pre-movie advertisements.

"Sure", was all she managed to blurt out. "With pleasure!"

"Thank you", Rei said – and Asuka could swear she saw a smile.

Asuka was prepared for many things happening today: the movie being bad, Rei being uncooperative, clothing suffering accidental damage, Rei's dress not fitting, some boy bothering them, a terrorist attack happening, food being bad, and even the fact that she might simply get bored.

But she was not ready for this to turn into something she only refused to call a very successful date because of how absurd that sounded in her head.

But she had to admit that everything started to point to exactly that.

The lights went dark and the movie started – and when Asuka was slowly starting to relax with certainty that she had at least an hour and a half of distraction from her current confusion, Rei's hand, framed in the frills of her dress, accidentally brushed against her own.

'Uh oh…'

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Chapter 6 – What should I do now?

Asuka was, of course, quite familiar with the subtle yet important distinction between "going for a movie" and "going to the cinema"; after all, she had been on more than a few dates and movies were a common thing on those. But she was also quite sure that in this case the former case was supposed to apply.

And yet, she quickly realized that she was, right now, almost entirely unable to follow the plot. Rei's presence next to her might have been perfectly silent, entirely focused on the screen, and completely composed – but that presence was also indisputably affecting Asuka.

Granted – at the beginning of the movie, Asuka was still quite able to follow the events on the screen despite the initial distraction – but about twenty minutes in, when yet another brush against her hand happened, her focus became a thing of the past.

And so, Asuka was – despite her best efforts – unable to tell how it came to this, but it was clear that a few scenes later, her own hand was covered by another hand – and their fingers were lightly intertwined.

The skin that was touching her own was slightly cool, wonderfully soft – and felt almost like touching a live wire.

Except that the almost electric feeling was indisputably pleasant instead of painful.

'This was not part of the plan…'

***

​

To Asuka's growing confusion and distraction, Rei did not let go of her hand once the movie ended. She did not comment or suggest anything as they rose from their chairs; she simply did not let go and kept holding Asuka's hand as they walked down the stairs toward the cinema's exit. Stairs that have turned from a perfectly normal, well-marked route into a treacherous, far too long journey, on which Asuka managed to trip at least twice before reaching the door.

"Um… Ayanami?" Asuka tried when they stopped just outside the door of the exit corridor.

"Yes, Soryu-san?" Rei said in response, her eyes finding Asuka's.

Asuka almost managed to collect herself and bring some semblance of order to her mind – but she made the mistake of looking into those red eyes, and that act made her thoughts scatter again. It almost felt like locking their gazes made some circuit close, activating a device that significantly lowered Asuka's IQ; once it closed, she was happy to just stand there – and keep looking. People were walking by, either ignoring them or giving them appreciative looks before moving on.

After a few moments of eternity, Asuka managed to speak again: "We should go."

"Does this conclude our exercise?" Rei asked, her tone almost unchanged – but a part of Asuka's mind registered something akin to… regret? Regrettably, her mind was far too busy to follow that clue in any useful manner.

"Our… wait, our what?" she tried, her voice still unfocused.

"Our team exercise", Rei explained. "According to your previous statement, we are currently conducting–"

"Ah. Yes. Yes", Asuka shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment; once the circuit broke and she was no longer exposed to Rei's graceful look, she regained some of her composure, and the plan she devised returned to her mind. "I mean, no, no, no, not at all! We're still on it! Next step: food court!"

"I see", Rei replied – and the slight smile sounding in her voice made Asuka open her eyes to check whether she was not imagining it.

The spark of the closing circuit flickered again, along with the confusing conclusion that Rei was, indeed, smiling – if very softly. "Let's go", Asuka quickly decided – and started to walk, pulling Rei with her.

"Soryu-san", Rei spoke again, this time with much more than a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Yes?" Asuka replied as nonchalantly as she could, refusing to look back at the girl.

"I believe the food court is the other way", Rei stated calmly.

"Oh. Right."

***

​

Rei, in contrary to Asuka, was far from distracted.

'Physical contact continues to distract Soryu. This is unexpected; her non-Japanese heritage should have made her more comfortable with it than an average Japanese person would normally be. Therefore, it is logical to assume there is a different factor contributing to her distraction. I should investigate that direction; step one would be identifying a possible factor, step two would be the acquisition of a control group or creation of a control situation, step three would be conducting the observations of Soryu under both circumstances', she reasoned.

'Negative', she corrected herself immediately after only a moment of further consideration, 'it is difficult to identify the most probable factor solely from observation; asking her directly is not a valid option at the moment. Therefore, this direction of analysis has to wait until further information is collected. Moreover, it would also likely require me to break the physical contact with her. And this is a course I am not willing to follow unless the circumstances require it', she added an observation and immediately filed it under 'reasons uncertain' and 'requires further investigation'. Having done that, she continued her musings in other areas, only occasionally interrupted a few acts of correcting their movements; she was glad that she had memorized the plan of the building complex beforehand. 'Soryu acts in an unusual way. I must understand her reasons', Rei concluded.

***

​

A few mistaken turns and ponderings over the restaurant's menu later

The distraction of choosing, discussing, and ordering food – along with the fact that Rei finally let go of Asuka's hand, to both her immense relief and serious regret – restored a significant percentage of Asuka's wit. The said restitution was even enough to start discussing the movie.

"It was… enjoyable", Rei admitted carefully in reply to Asuka's question. "I found it unexpectedly cerebral for the genre you initially mentioned."

"Well, I chose something that was supposed to be an action movie that also had some social commentary", Asuka explained with only some effort to maintain her focus; she managed to squash the desire to take Rei's hand again and the fact that, once more, they were sitting on opposite sides of a table was helping to maintain the safe distance. "At least according to the reviews… it kind of turned out to be the reverse", she added with a sigh. "And yeah, The Dragon in the Sea did not sound exactly like a title for a serious movie", she added with some annoyance in her tone.

"I have assumed that studying for your college degree would have made you familiar with the works of Frank Herbert?" Rei asked, her tone a little bit more inquisitive than usual.

Asuka's eyes escaped to the side. "Well", she started, unpleasantly aware of her ears starting to burn again. "It's not that I had to read every book in existence for that, right? It was not an English Literature degree, after all, and I am not that much of a fan of him. I mean, he's good, really good, but this story… well, novel… that was a bit obscure. Well, quite obscure", she said, feeling that she was digging herself in deeper and deeper with every word coming out of her mouth. 'Go Soryu!' she growled internally. 'Keep going, and all she'd have to do would be putting some dirt over you and planting a few flowers!'

"I understand", Rei replied with a small nod, her expression still focused. "Your miscalculation in choosing the film is understandable, then", she added and paused, her face turning ponderous; she seemed not to notice the mix of annoyance and confusion on Asuka's face. "I enjoyed it, nonetheless. Did you enjoy it?"

'Not as much as I enjoyed being there with you' was the first reply Asuka wanted to give before forcing it back. "It was okay", she replied instead. "It sure was interesting."

"How did you like the depiction of psychology?" Rei asked – and Asuka froze for a moment.

'Wait, wait. That was a proper question', she realized. 'Not a reaction to what I did or said. Is she showing initiative?' she mused before trying to reply – which was, of course, anything but easy given what she remembered from the movie. "I'm not sure. It felt a bit… superficial?" she tried. 'It's a safe bet, I guess? Can someone come around and spill something on me – no, cancel that, I'd hate to waste a nice kimono so soon after I managed to get some grasp on those dumb long sleeves…'

"Unquestionably", Rei agreed with a small nod. "The depiction presented in original material was far more detailed and proved the author's familiarity with the underlying theories."

"Well, movie adaptations simplify things, obviously", Asuka confirmed with a sage nod, her tone still nervous. Suddenly, an idea appeared in her head: "Actually, Ayanami – how come you are familiar with the book? It's definitely not a required reading at any Japanese school I have heard of. I know you like to read, but this is… well. Obscure."

"You should be aware that I have not been attending the public school for long", Rei explained. "The major part of my education was handled by NERV and supervised by Doctor Akagi. Therefore, required reading lists have no effect on my education. I am familiar with the work because Doctor Akagi summoned the works of Frank Herbert during a discussion I had with her regarding ecology and its presence in culture. I became interested and read the corpus of his work."

"Were you… ordered to do that?" Asuka asked and immediately regretted asking that. 'Go Soryu! What if she thinks you're mocking her?'

"There was no need to", Rei, to Asuka's relief, replied without a hint of feeling offended. "It was a positive experience", she added, her voice gaining an unusual tone and her face acquiring an odd expression for just a moment.

"But… the entire corpus?" Asuka stared in confusion – and missing the minuscule change entirely.

"Correct. I did not have many activities to perform during my upbringing", Rei explained matter-of-factly. "And the NERV HQ has a well-stocked library."

"Well, I can imagine there'd be every single scientific journal there, including those that never existed in the open, but… science fiction?" Asuka chuckled with disbelief.

"I have inquired Doctor Akagi on that subject. It was confusing to me as well. She claims the literature was provided to stimulate my mental development, based on prior psychological research on the correlation between consumption of science fiction and intelligence levels in children of various ages", Rei explained. "But I am also aware that NERV employees are making significant use of it as well. I have reasons to believe that the NERV HQ library currently owns the most complete collection of science fiction genre in Japan."

"Well, every day we learn something new", Asuka chuckled.

"Yes", Rei nodded with unusual intensity. "This is correct. Regarding that, there is a matter I want to discuss–"

"Your orders, ladies" coming from the suddenly appearing waitress interrupted Rei's words – and Asuka cursed quietly at that disruption.

"Thank you", she quickly intervened, her annoyance perceptible in her tone for just a moment – and gone the moment she turned to Rei, looking at her order. "You know you didn't have to follow my example, right?"

"My familiarity with European cuisine is limited", Rei replied as she studied the content of her plate. "I have decided it was safer to rely on your experiences in that area. Conversely, you did not have to choose a vegetarian version of this… dish."

"It's called 'lecsó'… and you told me you don't like the smell or sight of meat", Asuka explained, hoping that Rei would not dwell on the matter too much. 'I am just being considerate!' she kept telling herself. 'You can call me many, many things, but definitely not inconsiderate!'

Rei raised her eyes at Asuka – and for a few moments, her gaze seemed almost confused. "I did. I am surprised you remembered that. Thank you", she offered a small smile.

"Don't mention it", Asuka waved her hand. 'Why is it getting so hot in here?' was her dominant thought right now. "Enjoy the food! I hope it is not too spicy for you!"

"Thank you", Rei replied and reached for the spoon.

***

​

"Ayanami…" Asuka probed after a few minutes of watching Rei eat; she almost wolfed down her own portion. "We were talking about reading", she continued, trying not to sound forced.

"Correct", Rei replied as she set her spoon down. "Do you wish to discontinue the subject?"

"Um… no? We got interrupted?" Asuka tried.

"This is correct. Do you then wish to continue on the subject?"

"Um… yes?"

"There is a matter I want to discuss", Rei picked up in reply. "It is, supposedly, linked to 'learning something new'. Why did you choose this food provider?"

"Prov–ah", Asuka shook her head. "Don't you like it?" she asked, a note of worry in her tone.

"Negative", Rei replied. "The food tastes well and the service is adequate."

"So… what's wrong?" Asuka asked, confusion obvious in her voice.

"I would not characterize it as wrong. I have merely been observing people engaging in similar activity as we are", Rei started – and Asuka had to squash the musings about whether she meant 'hanging out' or 'dating'. "More than eighty-two percent choose either fast-food venues or to-go food. Furthermore, everyone in this location is noticeably older than we are. This makes your choice of venue unusual. Can you explain your reasoning?"

Asuka stared at Rei for a few seconds, processing what she has just heard. "Oh. I see" was all she managed to say. "I mean… do you like this place?"

"Positive", Rei confirmed with a nod. "But this opinion does not help me understand your choice."

'Okay. Get a grip, Soryu', Asuka chided herself. 'She is not trying to trip you over, she's different from a regular girl enough and might actually be genuinely interested in an explanation. Answer this straight and maybe you're walking out of here without a massive mess-up on your hands… and without an overwhelming urge to throw yourself down all those levels' she finished on a morbid note and began to speak: "Well, a few reasons. First, since we're all dressed up and looking fancy, so I thought that we should have a fancy dinner, too. It fits, right? And, second, there's far lower risk of some dumb boy bothering us here."

"Do I understand correctly that you intend to attract intelligent boys?" Rei asked, her expression still unchanging.

Asuka stared at her in utter confusion. "What? Why?"

"You described 'bothering by dumb boys' as a 'risk'. This may, with a few further assumptions, indicate that 'bothering by intelligent boys' would be seen as an opportunity", Rei explained.

"No, no, no, no. I don't want any boys here", Asuka explained, shaking her head vehemently. 'I want you all to myself' was an unspoken thought that followed – that required some effort of will to remain unspoken. "This is our… exercise, nobody else's, right?"

"Correct", Rei nodded after a moment of pondering – but did not follow on that in any manner.

And Asuka realized that she would give a lot to know what was going on inside that pretty head of the girl in front of her.

***

​

'Soryu seems to desire exclusivity of my attention' Rei added to the pool of observations she was collecting. 'This is a factor consistent with the pattern of a team exercise. Yet, the progress of the entire encounter does not match any team exercise pattern I am familiar with. It is, in fact, closer to a social event template that Commander Ikari sometimes executes with me; those events seem to satisfy both his need for company and for exercising his care for me. But this would be illogical and unlikely on Soryu's part to have the same motivation as the Commander. She is in an entirely different position in relation to me.'

Rei took yet another look at the redhead sitting in front of her. The girl's expressions were far more pronounced than those of the Commander, and Rei could tell that she was behaving quite differently from her usual patterns. She succumbed to distraction more often, her heart rate was elevated beyond what would be expected of a person of her build during the current activities, her pupils were constantly dilated in comparison to her baseline – and her speech patterns were different from the patterns Rei observed previously.

And Rei, confused as she was, had to admit that she preferred this Asuka to one she saw at school – but, to her regret, she could not find a way to relay that information to the girl without breaking a number of social rules she was conditioned to follow. Thus, she defaulted to the second-best solution – deriving pleasure from the situation as long as it lasted and continuing her observations in both passive and active ways.

'Physical contact continues to agitate Soryu, she added to her notes. 'And yet, she does not avoid it, though, despite making such avoidance easy on my part. It is also pleasant to me, which is unexpected', she mused. 'Unexpected, but welcome' she followed with a thought – and performed the only logical action stemming from this conclusion.

'This did not go according to my expectations', she admitted to herself as she watched Asuka almost jump in reaction. 'The intensity of Soryu's reactions is fascinating. I must investigate further; she is sufficiently resilient to survive the excitement and further experimentation', she finally decided. 'I must understand. I must learn… her.'

 

[grommile]

lecsó

Click to shrink...

Things I was not expecting: a character in a Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfic to know the name of a Hungarian dish other than maybe gulyás

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Things I was not expecting: a character in a Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfic to know the name of a Hungarian dish other than maybe gulyás

Click to shrink...

Well, Asuka grew up in Germany, and it's a dish that happens there (and is called about the same); Hungary is not that far away, after all.

And since I myself have a lot of love for Hungarian cuisine, including it is a self-indulgent reference

 

[Boreas Anemos]

Chapter 7 – Will this happen again?

Asuka almost jumped when Rei's hand covered her own.

"Is this making you uncomfortable, Soryu-san?" Rei immediately asked in her usual calm tone.

"No! No, no, not at all", Asuka blurted out. "I'm just – just surprised", she explained, half-truthfully.

"I was under the impression that you enjoyed the previous, prolonged physical contact", Rei explained, her voice still impassionate. "Was my observation incorrect?"

"No – I mean, negative!" Asuka tried. "It's pleasant, just… just unexpected, okay? I didn't expect you to do that, that's all!" she explained, her ears now burning. 'This. Is. Not. How. This. Was. Supposed. To. Go' rattled in her head.

"I see", Rei nodded. "What other activity related to me do you think you would enjoy?" she asked.

Asuka could swear by all that was holy and unholy in the Universe that Rei meant this in a perfectly innocent way. There was simply no other way to think of it, not based on what she knew about the girl.

And yet, her brain immediately jumped to horribly improper and almost certainly wrong conclusions, the softest of them involving kissing the girl here and now; it took her a few good seconds to push those back to the darkest corners of her mind – and force them to stay there. And despite being successful, she was still blushing like crazy right now; she could feel her cheeks burning brightly. Fortunately for her, Rei was a patient person and waited for her answer – or just too tactful to comment on her sudden attempt at self-immolation.

"I – I was thinking of finding – of going to the roof garden and hoping – and finding a spot there. It's peaceful, and – and I like those", Asuka finally managed to blurt out.

"Would you like to continue to hold hands while we proceed?" Rei asked, her perfectly innocent tone retained.

Asuka took a deep breath and held it for a few moments. "Yes please", she finally answered after a few moments – that is, when she could speak again without her voice betraying her.

Catching the attention of the waitress, getting the check, and paying up – all that was a bit of a blur. And she did not want to dwell too much on the thought of why the perspective of walking the garden hand-in-hand with Rei Ayanami in the hope of finding a secluded place was making her both nervous and happy. She decided to use the rational justification: 'I'm making a friend here, aren't I? It's a reason to be happy! It's perfectly reasonable! I'm perfectly reasonable!'

***

​

The concept of pride was somewhat alien to Rei Ayanami. She knew satisfaction, of course: the feeling coming from the work well done, the positive reinforcement of being praised, the pleasant sensation of having fulfilled a need. She knew that someone could be proud of their skills – she had heard people say that, after all – but this was a purely theoretical concept for her; she simply could not understand that concept too well. And so, she could not say she prided herself on being a good observer – but she was quite certain in her abilities.

And yet, her observations, despite being detailed and quite astute, were not helping her in resolving discrepancies she was currently perceiving.

'Soryu claims to desire the physical contact and does not avoid it once it begins', Rei listed the facts. 'Yet, it greatly diminishes her mental capabilities, especially her focus', she added to her observations as she once more felt the need to point out to Asuka that they were going in the wrong direction; eventually, after a third such occurrence, she took a look at the building's simplified plan displayed on the wall and carefully guided her companion there. 'This occurs to a degree that I have never observed in her before today. I have also not observed it in any of the pilots. The only two reactions that match the intensity in the general population are: a boy attempting to interact with a girl he is attracted to and a girl attempting to operate normally in the presence of a boy she is attracted to', she recalled relevant scenes from her classroom observations. 'Neither of those situations has a sufficient match to the situation I am currently in.'

Rei paused for a moment as she realized something else – and steered Asuka away from a collision with a couple moving in the opposite direction. 'There is an additional factor: I am personally involved in the situation I am observing. This creates a bias that will most likely affect the result. It is likely that, due to lack of experience, I lack sufficient self-awareness to detach the observing self from the acting self. I must take this into account as I process the data', she decided – and added that factor to the model she was currently constructing.

Or, more precisely, was trying to construct as she was increasingly focused on arriving at the roof garden without suffering an accident.

***

​

Fortunately for the whole endeavor, the change in scenery allowed Asuka to recover in time to take over before the most unintuitive part: navigating the garden itself. Thanks to that, only a few minutes and several empty – and nervous, at least on Asuka's side – remarks about the blooming flowers later, they were sitting in a secluded, out-of-the-way spot behind a large bush of rhododendrons.

Of course, since at no point of their way here did they break the hold of their hands, Asuka's ability to focus began to wane again the moment they settled in and her navigational skills were no longer in use. But this time, she had no time to dwell on that, since Rei started to talk first: "Soryu-san, do you have a prepared topic of conversation for this stage of our exercise?"

"Stage of–ah", Asuka shook her head. "No, I mean, this was – what do you want to talk about?"

"I have several questions", Rei started. "Can I ask them?"

"Shoot", Asuka nodded. 'This can't get any crazier, right?' she reassured herself with a hint of resignation – and ignoring the fact that despite all the stress she was suffering right now, the whole situation remained quite pleasant to her.

"Thank you", Rei acknowledged – and carried on. "First: is this exercise going according to your plan?"

"No plan survives the first contact with the – with the real situation", Asuka recited, adjusting the words on the fly; after all, even suggesting that Rei was 'the enemy' sounded just wrong. "So – partially but this is fine", she added, hoping that this lie would go unchallenged. "Why?"

"I am confused by some of the events", Rei explained. "They seemed to have been unplanned. Second: does this exercise still serve its purpose at this stage?"

'God, just call the Spanish Inquisition in and break out the Comfy Chair', Asuka pleaded in her head. "Of course!" she managed to say. "We are interacting, and I believe this will improve team cohesion!" she added. 'It certainly will if I have to do the somersaults again, this time with you. We got the "hold to me" part figured out just fine, thank you very much, Miss Hold-My-Hand, all that is left is to move to Miss Darling–"

A sudden screech of a brake put on her train of thought deafened her for a moment. 'Hold it, brain. I mean it this time', she chastised herself. 'Another weird quote from Frank Sinatra… or what was her name… Ballard? and I'm washing my brain with mindless J-pop for the next few days! Also–'

"Soryu-san?" came in and interrupted her attempt to make up an even worse threat.

"Yes? Did I miss something?"

"Positive", Rei confirmed. "I asked whether you are enjoying your presence at this place. Do you?"

'Not as much as I enjoyed being there with you' was the first thought Asuka thought of – and, as usual, pushed it down, deciding to state something safer instead. "I enjoy being there with you", she said – and only then realized what had just happened. For a short moment, she hoped this was merely her head playing tricks on her – but her hopes were quickly dashed.

"I see", Rei's expression confirmed that she heard that – and was now trying to comprehend.

'Okay, that's it. Excavator time!' Asuka shivered as her vision started to blur a bit again. "I enjoy being here with you", she repeated, her face now entirely red. "The movie was fine, the food was nice, the garden is okay, but–" she stopped and took a deep breath. "I like being here with you", she repeated once more.

Rei's now-unblinking gaze made Asuka suddenly feel like an insect under the scrutiny of a scientist, unsure whether she was going to just observe and admire – or pierce her with a needle.

"I believe this is the result you wished to achieve", Rei finally stated.

"Well, yes, but… but… not that much", Asuka replied. "Or… damn it! I mean… did I say I had to fix… change the plan?"

"Is this a result of my initiative?" Rei asked, a hint of concern present in her tone.

"Yes. No. I mean – it's complicated", Asuka rattled out in quick succession.

"Your statements are confusing, Soryu-san", Rei stated, concern in her voice still present.

'It's because I am confused!' was on the tip of Asuka's tongue before her brain, driven by the tattered remnants of her pride, replaced it with safer "I know", followed by "I'm trying to work something out. A moment, okay?"

Rei nodded to that – and watched the girl in front of her close her eyes.

"Okay", Asuka finally let her breath out. "Your… initiative", she managed to say the word with only a minimal increase in her blush as the images and sensations on her hand flashed back, "was welcome. It was good. It was just… it added a lot. A lot of… something. But it's good, okay?" she tried and felt the sudden urge to hit her head on the wall. 'Go Soryu! Mess it up even more! At this stage, an excavator doesn't do justice to what you're doing! We're at rock blasting now!'

"I see", Rei replied. "I am… glad", she added with far less certainty.

"Okay, at least – wait, what did you say?" Asuka stared at Rei. "That you are glad?"

"Correct", Rei confirmed. "Is this the wrong word for this situation?"

"Not at all, just… unexpected", Asuka explained quickly, her expression stuck between utter confusion and a certain relief. "Well, this is a day sponsored by the term unexpected, isn't it?" she chuckled nervously.

"If I understand your wording correctly, I am inclined to agree with you", Rei stated after a few moments of consideration. "Yet, if this was an unintended part of the exercise, I believe it still to be useful for our training."

"Yes!" Asuka nodded, a bit more vigorously than she was used. "Isn't it? That's why I say your initiative was fine. I mean, useful. It's okay!"

"I see", Rei replied and considered something for a moment. "Would my initiative still be appropriate at this moment?"

"Um… yes?" Asuka replied – and only then realized, that this could mean almost everything. Her heart sped up, her vision blurred a step further, her skin–

"I saw people eat ice cream", Rei stated. "Is it possible that we try that?"

Never in her life, not even after passing a difficult test or a victorious battle, was Asuka so relieved – and so disappointed at the same time.

***

​

"I didn't even know they had seaweed taste", Asuka commented as she finished her ice cream cone – and realized that Rei was quite far from being done.

"It was on the second menu, only visible as a reflection in the panel behind the operator. It required a proper angle to view and an ability to read mirrored Japanese", Rei explained quite quickly and returned to her methodical tasting of the ice cream

Asuka took a few seconds to comprehend what she had just heard; the fact that a lot of her attention was consumed with observing what a cutely dressed – and cute herself, as her mind unhelpfully added – girl was doing in front of her. "Wait, what?" she finally asked and shook her head.

This time, Rei took longer to stop eating and reply. "I believe this was some form of a secret menu. It was most likely intended for customers enrolled in the loyalty program they had advertised and therefore, not displayed publicly."

"You really don't miss a single thing", Asuka remarked with respect in her voice. "And I thought your head was empty…" she admitted before realizing what she just said. 'Blast away!' was a stray thought that appeared in her mind before the damage control team moved in to assist. "I mean… you're not exactly shoving off that observation skill? And people think you don't care? I mean–"

"Their assumption is partially correct", Rei interrupted. "I do not care about most activity that happens at school", she explained and returned to her ministrations; she was almost done, but she continued to eat it in a peculiar way that always left some of the ice cream to mix with the cone.

"Fair enough, I don't care about them either…" Asuka began – and trailed off, observing Rei's way of finishing her food and realizing that there had to be a meticulous, precise plan behind it: the final bite seemed to contain just the right proportion of all ingredients for it to still be enjoyable. 'This girl must be mad… but there's a method to this madness', she made a note – and filed it away.

"Is there anything else to today's exercise, Soryu-san?" Rei finally asked. "My time allotted to the exercise is approaching its end, and should it continue, I must inform NERV so they can reschedule my tomorrow activities."

"Um… tomorrow activities?" Asuka asked, her voice confused.

"I am operating in a regime that demands certain doses of medicine and a proscribed amount of sleep", Rei explained. "Should either change, it is my duty to report that, so my tests can be adjusted. This way, the results remain comparable."

"Oh", Asuka shook her head as she processed it. 'What kind of orders is this girl under? Stricter than mine, for some reason, I guess… okay, let's not look the gift horse in the mouth, I'm running out of ideas anyway…' she realized with some relief. "We may wrap it up now if that's good for you. Um… thank you for joining me?" she tried – and immediately felt like an idiot. Fortunately for her, Rei did not leave her much time to ponder that feeling.

"We should depart, then", Rei declared, took Asuka's hand – and once more, Asuka's ability to think dropped a few notches – and led her towards the main exit of the building.

A few moments later, they were outside – and Rei turned to face Asuka. "I am grateful for what you did today", she stated, her words coming out even slower than usual. "Thank you", she added.

Asuka took a deep breath, trying her best to ignore the wave of heat that rose in her chest; she wrote it off as a result of leaving the air-conditioned building. "Well, I hope you had fun", Asuka replied with a nervous smile on her face. "I surely did."

"It was… enjoyable", Rei confirmed and paused once more with a ponderous expression on her face. "No. My apologies. It was pleasant", she corrected herself after an agonizingly long pause during which Asuka's heart managed to stop for a moment. "Can we…" she paused and started again after a moment. "Would you consider doing this with me again?"

Asuka managed to contain the immediate expression of shock; hiding the fact that her heart suddenly started to beat twice as fast was harder, but she managed to start speaking before Rei began to express her worries about her condition. "Sure thing! I mean–" she shook her head, trying to contain her reaction since Rei seemed to be at the very least concerned by her outburst. "I mean, of course, gladly… I'll – I'll call you! Or… or we'll discuss it at school?"

"Our means of remote communication are meant for our NERV duties, and thus are under surveillance", Rei stated matter-of-factly. "I am uncertain if their use would be appropriate for this purpose. But I believe discussing the matter during a school break or after the end of classes would be appropriate."

"What do you mean under – ah, never mind", Asuka shook her head, her expression surprised. "Okay, never mind, I'll ask later. School it is. Great!"

A short, somewhat awkward pause hung between them.

"You have to let go of me if I am to leave, Soryu-san", Rei suggested.

"Ah. Right", Asuka smiled a nervous smile – and let go of Rei's hand. "Um… maybe we should come with me to Misato's place and change first?"

"It would be illogical to do so", Rei replied. "My apartment is far closer than where the Captain dwells. My attire does not attract sufficient undue attention to be a problem."

"You'll cook in it", Asuka countered.

"Unlikely. My thermoregulation is clearly superior to yours."

"How so?" Asuka asked in an incredulous tone, her eyebrow raised.

"You were sweating during our entire exercise, at random intervals, with noticeable intensity, and regardless of the air conditioning provided by the building. I did not", Rei explained.

Asuka stared at her for a few moments, uncertain whether this had been a joke, a jab at her nervousness, or a genuine lack of understanding. No answer came from observing Rei's perfectly still face, though – and Asuka decided that the longer she was standing there, the more it was likely that she was going to say something she would later regret. "All right. Fair point. Um… see you at school?"

"See you at school", Rei Ayanami replied, took a step back, bowed gracefully – to which Asuka managed a somewhat graceful reply – and turned to walk away.

A pair of blue eyes followed her every step for a very long time – and a storm of increasingly chaotic thoughts brewed behind those eyes with alarming speed.

***

​

Rei Ayanami was looking at herself in a cracked, never cleaned bathroom mirror – and still had difficulty believing the sight in front of her.

She never wore this kind of clothing before.

She was, of course, no stranger to tight clothing – after all, her plugsuit was made to fit the form and adjust to it. But this was different; the plugsuit was just a layer of protection, intended to help her interface with the system, nothing more.

She was also no stranger to dresses; she remembered wearing them in her previous life, and for a while until she permanently switched to the school uniform. But those were just regular, relatively loosely fitting clothes.

This attire was different. First, it was definitely not regular; contrary to what she told Asuka, she was attracting much more attention than she usually did. Second, despite having no active components and despite being borderline medieval compared to the technology used in the plugsuits, the sensation the dress gave her was entirely different, entirely new. She felt it on her skin more than any other clothing; she felt like it embraced her.

Embrace.

A sensation she did not feel. Until today.

Holding hands.

A gesture she did not experience. Until today.

A pleasant day.

An idea she did not understand. Until today.

The events still did not match any pattern in a way that would satisfy her. The behaviors were still quite confusing. The sensations were still difficult to process and comprehend.

Normally, she would ask someone for advice. Doctor Akagi was a logical candidate; terse and unhelpful as she was most of the time, she sometimes provided Rei with useful insights and practical advice. Commander Ikari was another option – even if he barely interacted with her aside from the almost ritualistic conversations and equally ritualistic shared meals.

But somehow, neither of those options felt appealing. This felt too… personal?

Personal.

A concept she did not have. Until today.

There were a lot of things that were eluding her. There were a lot of things she wanted to grasp.

And many of them seemed to be closely linked to Asuka Langley Soryu.

Rei reluctantly started to remove the dress, following the instructions she was given to the letter, extremely careful not to damage anything. She was going to need it in a week – assuming her fellow Pilot would be willing to repeat the exercise.

She was not sure why the thought that she might not be willing filled her with an odd, familiar, sinking feeling.

***

​

"Well… the joke's on me", Asuka said in German. It was directed to nobody in particular – not that there was anyone else in the room and the only other person in the apartment did not speak the language.

She was laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The purple-and-green kimono she arrived home in – and surprised Shinji with, to a degree that he actually managed a genuine compliment about it suiting her – was now hanging safely in the closet; Asuka was wearing her usual home attire. Having arrived early enough to eat at the table, she still refused to do so and asked him to still leave something for her; knowing what may happen, she decided not to risk showing that to anyone.

"And you had to be right, Hikari… I wanted to make a friend, and… fuck. This went well", she babbled out and turned, grabbing a pillow tight and burying her face in it. "Well, it did go well. Just… too well? What did you get yourself into, Soryu?" came out a bit muffled. "And… more importantly… do you want to carry on?"

A moment of silence followed – and it was enough for her to jump up and punch the pillow.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit", she rattled out, her fists balling and opening over and over as she slowly paced around the small room. "I'm stupid. That's stupid. She's stupidly cute. She's… she's… ugh", she shook her head. "Shit."

She sat on the bed again, her back dropping on the mattress a few moments later, her stare fixated on the bland ceiling again. "Well, Soryu, you've got two options. To run or to fight. Or to roll with it. Three options – shit, can't I be serious for a moment?!" she lamented as she grabbed the pillow again and covered her face with it.

Despite her hopes, it did nothing to help to stem the tide of thoughts – they simply kept coming.

***

​

'I want this to happen again', Rei admitted to herself after a long moment of consideration. This was not a new thought, it came to her during the day already – but for some reason, she enjoyed repeating it; it triggered some odd emotional reaction inside of her, something that happened quite rarely. And the idea that this thought may actually come true – that idea caused that reaction to intensify to a truly unheard-of degree.

She was now sitting on her bed, the dress secured and secreted in the deepest recesses of her closet, once more with instructions on storage followed to the letter – and her head full of thoughts, observations, and analyses.

'The whole situation still does not match the patterns I am familiar with. In most cases, that would make it unacceptable and a threat to the Scenario. Yet, I perceive the entire experience as positive. Additionally, NERV seems to approve of non-standard training exercises, as evidenced by recent dance-based training for Ikari and Soryu. Therefore, nothing stops us from repeating the exercise', she concluded. 'Moreover, recognizing the exercise's nature would be helpful. Repeating it would be a significant help in that', she added.

Still, there was something gnawing at her – an unvoiced question, impossible to give form, but still present somewhere in her less conscious mind. 'I must understand', she repeated the thought from the day. 'And it is likely, that the only way to understand this leads through Soryu. I must understand her, then.'

Having concluded that, she decided to finally go to sleep. For some reason, the fact that she spent more than half an hour of her allotted rest time to dwell on things her makers would be surprised to learn about did not seem to bother her at all anymore.

***

​

"I started it. I kicked this into motion", Asuka stated again, words coming out slowly as the pillow flew to the side again. "And I will see it to the bitter end. Or to the sweet end. Whatever it takes. I am the Great Asuka Langley Soryu… and I don't run. She wants to do this again? We will do it again and see where this goes. We'll see if she understands where this goes. I'm quite sure she'll get cold feet when I tell her that we're going!"

Despite her resolve, though, she dared not look into a mirror; the thought that the grin and conviction on her face could be marred with doubt or fear gnawed at her quietly.

And she was not going to let any of those ruin her determination.

***

​

The next morning

"Ayanami?" was a simple request, a name, but also came heavy with so much potential – potential for both happiness and disappointment.

"Yes, Soryu-san?" a deceptively calm acknowledgment came in return, laden with both hope and fear – but at a level almost imperceptible to a regular person.

"Should we–" Asuka started before immediately correcting herself. "Would you like to go out with me next Sunday?"

Rei Ayanami smiled a small smile – and Asuka could not tell whether it was that or the simple "Yes, with pleasure" that made her heartbeat much, much faster. She knew that she had a few days to prepare, yes. But she also knew every one of those days would be filled with both joyous anticipation and tormenting anxiety – and she could only hope that Rei Ayanami felt the same way, that she was awaiting next Sunday with the same feeling.

Because the moment Asuka saw that smile, she knew that nothing would be the same anymore.

And she knew that she could never rest; not until this doll would be hers.

 

[Boreas Anemos]

And so ends this story about a few unremarkable days in life of the two girls.

Since the reception of this story was generally positive, the follow-up, under the working title This Doll is Mine, should start in a few months – if nothing goes wrong, it will start this year. It will be telling a story of how this whole affair may turn out and should cover a few weeks (and an Angel or two, most likely).

Stay tuned.

 

[grommile]

I loved this. I am very much looking forward to the follow-up.

(less coherently: Squee!)

 

[Boreas Anemos]

I loved this. I am very much looking forward to the follow-up.

(less coherently: Squee!)

Click to shrink...

Thank you for the kind word!

It was fun to write - no complex plot, no world-destroying conspiracies, just two confused teenagers trying their best. And doing Asuka/Rei dynamics was refreshing.

Let's hope the follow-up will be just as fun for everyone involved

 

[Kaoruko]

An absolutely adorable story, and I highly look forward to the follow-up.