- Location
- Who even cares?
I must not be "most people", seeing how I once wrote a male Asuka wearing a KMFDM SUCKS shirt.
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Two Souls [NGE]
- Thread starter Boreas Anemos
- Start date
I must not be "most people", seeing how I once wrote a male Asuka wearing a KMFDM SUCKS shirt.
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
It would be a little too obscure to build a meaningful (if short) scene on - I'm insufficiently familiar with German music scene to get that reference, I assume it'd be even worse for non-Western readers, and I'd rather not have the reader break their flow for a web search. On a related note, you just piqued my interest in your works
The final part of the interlude I was supposed to post yesterday needed a fix or two after the pre-post re-read, so I will post it tomorrow (it time permits) or on Wednesday (if time does not permit). Chapter 6. is also in the works and its first part should be up as planned - before the end of this month.
"Good morning, my beloved. Have you slept well?"
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
Never said I was knowledgable in the music field, thanks for that tidbit of informationKMFDM are, within their genre, a band of international renown; they have appeared on the soundtracks of Hollywood movies aimed at large audiences
That does amuse, but does not surprise me, self-deprecating humor is usually quite fun.
- Location
- Who even cares?
On a related note, you just piqued my interest in your works
Oh, don't bother. I'm unworthy.
And this particular example is from something I wrote about... 7 or 8 years ago and am not particularly proud of. Among other things, it has fem!Shinji threatening to "nail [guy!Asuka's] thing to the wall" if she catches him in her room handling her underwear ever again. Yes, it's a misunderstanding.
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
My experience has proven again and again that most works are useful, if not for entertainment, insight or enlightenment, then for fun ("so bad it's good" variety), learning (of the "bad example, avoid" variety) or inspiration ("hmmmm I like this bit, can I put another spin on it?").
On more serious note, rest assured, you will not traumatize me or anything
Sounds like standard dialogue between them in "can't live with you, can't live without you" type of A/S fanfiction, just with roles reversed.
What happened, daughter? – chapter 5.
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
As promised, the fifth - and final - part of the interlude.
================================================================
WHD?, chapter 5. – "Want to watch?"
Weekday evening
There was a soft knocking on Shinji's door. He raised his head from a manga he was reading: "Yes?"
Asuka's head popped in. "Hey, idiot. 'Top Gun' is on TV. Want to watch it… together?" she finished with only a hint of hesitation.
Shinji blinked. His brain – forced to change the paradigm in several ways in the recent two weeks and repeatedly convinced to abandon the autopilot – was slow to react to this still unusual stimulus. Fortunately for him, Asuka was adapting to that behaviour of his, even if it was trying her patience more than a little bit.
After a few long seconds, he nodded and rose from the desk. "Thank you for thinking of me, Asuka", he smiled carefully.
"Whatever", she shrugged. "It's more fun to have someone to cu-" she backtracked, seeing Shinji's surprised face. "To listen to my insightful comments."
***
"Hey, idiot, what do you think you are doing?" Asuka asked from the couch, eyeing Shinji menacingly.
"Pulling a seat for myself?" Shinji replied, confused by the look she gave him; it made him feel as if he had just been accused of some heinous – or at least highly embarrassing – crime.
"It's cold here. And you are warm. You're not hogging all that warmth to yourself" she growled. "Come here, this couch is big enough for two", she patted the spot next to her. "That was an invitation to watch it together, in case you didn't listen."
His brain threw another exception. Fortunately for him, since the strangest not-a-kiss-but-a-kiss he experienced a few days ago, he learned to catch and handle them without running away. He pushed the beanbag back into the corner where it belonged and sat on the couch next to the now-grinning redhead. It still seemed a little bit surreal – but activities like watching a movie in Asuka's company recently stopped feeling like a danger. Actually, being in Asuka's company stopped feeling like a danger as well.
His brain remained sceptical and vigilant, though; its doubts were confirmed seconds later when he almost jumped when Asuka's hand wormed its way between his back and the couch and circled his waist; next thing he knew, Asuka cuddled to his side. "!" he squeaked.
"I told you I was cold. I didn't invite you here just to take space, air, and listen to my intelligent and insightful commentary. Don't be selfish, Third, share the heat" she demanded. "Unless you object?" she asked, pausing, raising her head, and looking him in the eye from a distance small enough that he felt her breath on his face. To his surprise, he found this situation pleasant, if a little scary.
He shook his head, unable to respond verbally. Her hand was burning him. To his further surprise, this sensation was just as pleasant as Asuka's closeness.
"Good boy" she grinned and tightened her grip. "And relax!" she ordered in a slightly annoyed voice. "I'm not holding a knife or anything else in that hand, idiot."
Shinji complied the best he could. His brain, confused by the fact that its user was still alive despite being in close contact with a ferocious and extremely dangerous creature, started to review its reaction once more.
***
"Asuka…"
"Mrblg."
"Asuka… Wake up, I can't carry you to the bedroom and Misato may be back soon."
"F-what, you say I'm too heavy?" she instantly snapped back to consciousness with a hint of anger in her voice.
"Nnno I just-"
Asuka rolled her eyes, looked at him as if she questioned his intelligence, and sighed. Then, she relaxed, closed her eyes and stretched with a soft, short purr. Shinji felt an inexplicable urge to scratch her behind her ear or on her neck – and to kiss her to check whether she had grown whiskers and fangs. He also knew that to do that would be to invite death and destruction.
"Damn. I missed the ending, didn't I?" Asuka realised after opening her eyes and seeing some late-night talk show on screen.
"Yes, sorry, you fell asleep-"
"And you didn't wake me up. Idiot" she grumbled groggily. "Nah. Never mind. I'm going to bed" she continued before Shinji could react and apologise once more.
She collected herself from the couch and took a few steps towards the bathroom door. Shinji tracked her movements with a soft smile on his lips that he hid quickly when she abruptly stopped and turned around.
"Third…" she started.
"Yes?" he straightened himself. She rolled her eyes.
"When will you learn that I am not going to kill you, idiot?" she sighed. "Never mind. Thanks for the company, I wasn't cold for once" she smirked.
"Y-you're welcome", Shinji managed to stutter out. He still was trying to understand the mixed – in his perception – messages he was getting. The fact that his brain was busy took his ability to react to what happened next.
Asuka crossed the few steps distance between them in a single, long step and planted a soft kiss on his lips, only to retreat with a warm smile. "Goodnight, Shinji."
Then, she turned and walked towards the bathroom.
Shinji sat there for a long while, replaying that moment in his mind. Not the kiss: it was, of course, a minor shock to his system, but it was not the strangest thing. The strangest thing was the smile. 'I think I saw her smile like this only once before, after the last date… no, not a date, we were just hanging out together, right?'
He had to admit that while he still did not understand what was going on, he really enjoyed the thought of Asuka being happy.
And he really liked that smile.
***
Asuka giggled when she realised Shinji was still where she left him. She moved in for a tease or a jab, only to realise he had fallen asleep. She stopped for a moment, facepalming, then went to her room, emerging with her spare blanket. "Don't you dare catch a cold, idiot, that'd mean no good food for a day or two", she grumbled silently, carefully wrapping him. But even her brain, despite being used to great degrees of self-deception, had trouble buying this as the only reason. She shook her head, resolving not to think about it too much. She went back to her room and started her pre-sleep routine.
Suddenly, between brushing her hair and taking her robe off, she stopped. 'Damn, I can't let him think too much…'
She quickly scribbled a note – in English, to avoid any possible misunderstandings and save time – and left it tucked into the blanket. Satisfied with the disclaimer, she was finally able to go to bed.
***
Shinji woke to a beep and a hiss. Few seconds of disorientation allowed him to realise where he was and that it was most likely Misato returning. He sprang up, tangled himself in a blanket that should not have been there, and tumbled down from the couch. His attempts on untangling himself were loud, only half-successful, and ended abruptly when he heard Misato's stern and collected voice.
"Whoever you are, step out with your hands where I can see them." The sentence was accompanied by the unmistakable click of her gun's safety.
"Move!" came a hushed, but stern command.
"Mi-misato, it's me" he managed to stutter undignifiedly from the floor. "I can't move right now, but if you would help me…"
He noticed a dark silhouette move into his field of view, illuminated by the still-on TV screen. She was still aiming in his general direction, at least until she realised what she was seeing. "Shinji! Are you all right?" she moved closer, still scanning the area, but now moving her aim over him.
"Yes… I just fell, please, don't shoot anyone…" Shinji made another effort to untangle himself from the blanket he did not remember being wrapped in when he was falling asleep. "There's no one else in the apartment but us and Asuka" he reassured her.
Misato eyed him carefully while replacing the safety and putting her gun back into its holster. "What happened?" she asked, kneeling next to him.
"I don't know, I think I fell asleep on the couch… and when you entered, I panicked and fell…" he explained, his embarrassment growing with every word.
Misato blinked, then smiled. "What were you watching that you panicked?" she asked half-suspicious, half-amused.
"N-nothing, I was asleep!" he defended himself meekly, his ears turning red again.
Misato giggled. "Don't worry, I'm not suspecting you of watching anything dirty. Although I would not be surprised. Let me help you…" she finally released him from a surprisingly well-done wrap and tossed the blanket to the couch. "Go to bed properly, will you?" she smiled at him, doing her best to hide her exhaustion.
"Y-yes, Misato. There's food for you in the kitchen if you want to eat" he reasserted himself once on his feet again.
"Thank you, Shin-chan, this is exactly what I need", she smiled. "Now, off with you, you have school tomorrow!"
Shinji nodded and obeyed. Misato sighed and made her way to the kitchen, stopping in her room only to drop the weapon and her jacket. This has been a long day with unexpected stress spike at the end, but it was finally over, granting her a right to some drink.
***
Next day, early morning
Shinji Ikari left his room in the grey light of the rising day. He was still groggy from the disruption of his routine that took place last night, but it did not stop him from being the first to rise. Asuka has always had tendencies to sleep in, and Misato… well, alcohol made her mornings an exercise in suffering most of the time.
He glanced on the couch, left untouched after the incident. Memories flooded back, making him smile. Reflexively, he started to tidy the place up.
'Wait… this doesn't belong here', he realised while folding a blanket. 'It's Asuka's…'
His eyes fell on a note on the floor. He picked it up and realised it was in English – and, more importantly, in Asuka's handwriting.
"Hey, idiot. You fell asleep, and I'd hate to eat takeouts or Misato's stuff for the next few days if you catch a cold. So, have a blanket and a) don't forget to return it in a pristine state, b) don't overthink it."
There was something else on the bottom, in far smaller cursive, written hastily: "Thanks for the company." It was followed by something that could have been an "I", but it was stricken out.
Shinji took a deep breath. His brain did not know what to think of it; despite a clearly aggressive tone, the note felt very warm to him. He smiled, folded it carefully, and tucked it into his pocket. 'I'll think about it later. Now, bathroom and breakfast' he decided after making the couch presentable.
***
Some fifteen minutes later, Asuka emerged from her room. A sight of the couch in perfect order made her stop. 'Fuck. I left that stupid note, didn't I?' She gritted her teeth. 'Why, why, wh-'
"Oh, good morning, Asuka", Shinji smiled at her from the kitchen. "Slept well? Breakfast will be ready in a moment, you may want to hurry with your bathroom turn. Misato's not up yet."
This time, it was Asuka's brain that refused to cooperate. 'He's smiling. At me. At the morning, murder-the-world me. And I like that smile.' She suddenly realised her face was rapidly turning red enough to match her hair.
Mumbling something unintelligible, she rushed to the bathroom, door slamming behind her. Shinji blinked, then shrugged and returned to his cooking.
***
Locked in the bathroom, Asuka was staring at her own reflection, her mind racing.
"Soryu. What have you done?" she half-whispered, half-shouted at the mirror. The mirror, to benefit of her sanity, did not answer.
"And, more importantly, what are you going to do with it?" she kept going, still without a reply.
"How do you feel about that boy?" she asked the third question, her whispering voice breaking, tears forming at the brink of her eyes.
There was no verbal reply, of course. But her own expression gave her all the answer she needed.
"Fuck. Me."
She let out a short, hysterical laugh. A few tears fell, wetting her face.
"I did this to myself. Let's face it: I did it to myself… I fell for him, and I can't be sure whether he fell for me or is just swimming with the current. Now I have to make it work. Or die trying."
She gritted her teeth and started her morning routine with an intent to get through it as quickly as possible.
Leaving, she gazed into the mirror once more. "Oh, and how will I make it work! Just you wait, Shinji Ikari!"
Her head raised high, she marched out to face her not-sure-what-he-is-to-me-but-I-like-him-I-guess, who was just in the middle of serving the breakfast.
================================================================
This is an end, but this is not the end. As Two Souls storyline progress, things will keep happening in the background and the events there will influence Asuka, Shinji, and their not-sure-what-it-is-but-I-think-we're-together-but-not-dating relationship. I intend to have at least one longer interlude somewhere down the line, or several shorter ones.
================================================================
WHD?, chapter 5. – "Want to watch?"
Weekday evening
There was a soft knocking on Shinji's door. He raised his head from a manga he was reading: "Yes?"
Asuka's head popped in. "Hey, idiot. 'Top Gun' is on TV. Want to watch it… together?" she finished with only a hint of hesitation.
Shinji blinked. His brain – forced to change the paradigm in several ways in the recent two weeks and repeatedly convinced to abandon the autopilot – was slow to react to this still unusual stimulus. Fortunately for him, Asuka was adapting to that behaviour of his, even if it was trying her patience more than a little bit.
After a few long seconds, he nodded and rose from the desk. "Thank you for thinking of me, Asuka", he smiled carefully.
"Whatever", she shrugged. "It's more fun to have someone to cu-" she backtracked, seeing Shinji's surprised face. "To listen to my insightful comments."
***
"Hey, idiot, what do you think you are doing?" Asuka asked from the couch, eyeing Shinji menacingly.
"Pulling a seat for myself?" Shinji replied, confused by the look she gave him; it made him feel as if he had just been accused of some heinous – or at least highly embarrassing – crime.
"It's cold here. And you are warm. You're not hogging all that warmth to yourself" she growled. "Come here, this couch is big enough for two", she patted the spot next to her. "That was an invitation to watch it together, in case you didn't listen."
His brain threw another exception. Fortunately for him, since the strangest not-a-kiss-but-a-kiss he experienced a few days ago, he learned to catch and handle them without running away. He pushed the beanbag back into the corner where it belonged and sat on the couch next to the now-grinning redhead. It still seemed a little bit surreal – but activities like watching a movie in Asuka's company recently stopped feeling like a danger. Actually, being in Asuka's company stopped feeling like a danger as well.
His brain remained sceptical and vigilant, though; its doubts were confirmed seconds later when he almost jumped when Asuka's hand wormed its way between his back and the couch and circled his waist; next thing he knew, Asuka cuddled to his side. "!" he squeaked.
"I told you I was cold. I didn't invite you here just to take space, air, and listen to my intelligent and insightful commentary. Don't be selfish, Third, share the heat" she demanded. "Unless you object?" she asked, pausing, raising her head, and looking him in the eye from a distance small enough that he felt her breath on his face. To his surprise, he found this situation pleasant, if a little scary.
He shook his head, unable to respond verbally. Her hand was burning him. To his further surprise, this sensation was just as pleasant as Asuka's closeness.
"Good boy" she grinned and tightened her grip. "And relax!" she ordered in a slightly annoyed voice. "I'm not holding a knife or anything else in that hand, idiot."
Shinji complied the best he could. His brain, confused by the fact that its user was still alive despite being in close contact with a ferocious and extremely dangerous creature, started to review its reaction once more.
***
"Asuka…"
"Mrblg."
"Asuka… Wake up, I can't carry you to the bedroom and Misato may be back soon."
"F-what, you say I'm too heavy?" she instantly snapped back to consciousness with a hint of anger in her voice.
"Nnno I just-"
Asuka rolled her eyes, looked at him as if she questioned his intelligence, and sighed. Then, she relaxed, closed her eyes and stretched with a soft, short purr. Shinji felt an inexplicable urge to scratch her behind her ear or on her neck – and to kiss her to check whether she had grown whiskers and fangs. He also knew that to do that would be to invite death and destruction.
"Damn. I missed the ending, didn't I?" Asuka realised after opening her eyes and seeing some late-night talk show on screen.
"Yes, sorry, you fell asleep-"
"And you didn't wake me up. Idiot" she grumbled groggily. "Nah. Never mind. I'm going to bed" she continued before Shinji could react and apologise once more.
She collected herself from the couch and took a few steps towards the bathroom door. Shinji tracked her movements with a soft smile on his lips that he hid quickly when she abruptly stopped and turned around.
"Third…" she started.
"Yes?" he straightened himself. She rolled her eyes.
"When will you learn that I am not going to kill you, idiot?" she sighed. "Never mind. Thanks for the company, I wasn't cold for once" she smirked.
"Y-you're welcome", Shinji managed to stutter out. He still was trying to understand the mixed – in his perception – messages he was getting. The fact that his brain was busy took his ability to react to what happened next.
Asuka crossed the few steps distance between them in a single, long step and planted a soft kiss on his lips, only to retreat with a warm smile. "Goodnight, Shinji."
Then, she turned and walked towards the bathroom.
Shinji sat there for a long while, replaying that moment in his mind. Not the kiss: it was, of course, a minor shock to his system, but it was not the strangest thing. The strangest thing was the smile. 'I think I saw her smile like this only once before, after the last date… no, not a date, we were just hanging out together, right?'
He had to admit that while he still did not understand what was going on, he really enjoyed the thought of Asuka being happy.
And he really liked that smile.
***
Asuka giggled when she realised Shinji was still where she left him. She moved in for a tease or a jab, only to realise he had fallen asleep. She stopped for a moment, facepalming, then went to her room, emerging with her spare blanket. "Don't you dare catch a cold, idiot, that'd mean no good food for a day or two", she grumbled silently, carefully wrapping him. But even her brain, despite being used to great degrees of self-deception, had trouble buying this as the only reason. She shook her head, resolving not to think about it too much. She went back to her room and started her pre-sleep routine.
Suddenly, between brushing her hair and taking her robe off, she stopped. 'Damn, I can't let him think too much…'
She quickly scribbled a note – in English, to avoid any possible misunderstandings and save time – and left it tucked into the blanket. Satisfied with the disclaimer, she was finally able to go to bed.
***
Shinji woke to a beep and a hiss. Few seconds of disorientation allowed him to realise where he was and that it was most likely Misato returning. He sprang up, tangled himself in a blanket that should not have been there, and tumbled down from the couch. His attempts on untangling himself were loud, only half-successful, and ended abruptly when he heard Misato's stern and collected voice.
"Whoever you are, step out with your hands where I can see them." The sentence was accompanied by the unmistakable click of her gun's safety.
"Move!" came a hushed, but stern command.
"Mi-misato, it's me" he managed to stutter undignifiedly from the floor. "I can't move right now, but if you would help me…"
He noticed a dark silhouette move into his field of view, illuminated by the still-on TV screen. She was still aiming in his general direction, at least until she realised what she was seeing. "Shinji! Are you all right?" she moved closer, still scanning the area, but now moving her aim over him.
"Yes… I just fell, please, don't shoot anyone…" Shinji made another effort to untangle himself from the blanket he did not remember being wrapped in when he was falling asleep. "There's no one else in the apartment but us and Asuka" he reassured her.
Misato eyed him carefully while replacing the safety and putting her gun back into its holster. "What happened?" she asked, kneeling next to him.
"I don't know, I think I fell asleep on the couch… and when you entered, I panicked and fell…" he explained, his embarrassment growing with every word.
Misato blinked, then smiled. "What were you watching that you panicked?" she asked half-suspicious, half-amused.
"N-nothing, I was asleep!" he defended himself meekly, his ears turning red again.
Misato giggled. "Don't worry, I'm not suspecting you of watching anything dirty. Although I would not be surprised. Let me help you…" she finally released him from a surprisingly well-done wrap and tossed the blanket to the couch. "Go to bed properly, will you?" she smiled at him, doing her best to hide her exhaustion.
"Y-yes, Misato. There's food for you in the kitchen if you want to eat" he reasserted himself once on his feet again.
"Thank you, Shin-chan, this is exactly what I need", she smiled. "Now, off with you, you have school tomorrow!"
Shinji nodded and obeyed. Misato sighed and made her way to the kitchen, stopping in her room only to drop the weapon and her jacket. This has been a long day with unexpected stress spike at the end, but it was finally over, granting her a right to some drink.
***
Next day, early morning
Shinji Ikari left his room in the grey light of the rising day. He was still groggy from the disruption of his routine that took place last night, but it did not stop him from being the first to rise. Asuka has always had tendencies to sleep in, and Misato… well, alcohol made her mornings an exercise in suffering most of the time.
He glanced on the couch, left untouched after the incident. Memories flooded back, making him smile. Reflexively, he started to tidy the place up.
'Wait… this doesn't belong here', he realised while folding a blanket. 'It's Asuka's…'
His eyes fell on a note on the floor. He picked it up and realised it was in English – and, more importantly, in Asuka's handwriting.
"Hey, idiot. You fell asleep, and I'd hate to eat takeouts or Misato's stuff for the next few days if you catch a cold. So, have a blanket and a) don't forget to return it in a pristine state, b) don't overthink it."
There was something else on the bottom, in far smaller cursive, written hastily: "Thanks for the company." It was followed by something that could have been an "I", but it was stricken out.
Shinji took a deep breath. His brain did not know what to think of it; despite a clearly aggressive tone, the note felt very warm to him. He smiled, folded it carefully, and tucked it into his pocket. 'I'll think about it later. Now, bathroom and breakfast' he decided after making the couch presentable.
***
Some fifteen minutes later, Asuka emerged from her room. A sight of the couch in perfect order made her stop. 'Fuck. I left that stupid note, didn't I?' She gritted her teeth. 'Why, why, wh-'
"Oh, good morning, Asuka", Shinji smiled at her from the kitchen. "Slept well? Breakfast will be ready in a moment, you may want to hurry with your bathroom turn. Misato's not up yet."
This time, it was Asuka's brain that refused to cooperate. 'He's smiling. At me. At the morning, murder-the-world me. And I like that smile.' She suddenly realised her face was rapidly turning red enough to match her hair.
Mumbling something unintelligible, she rushed to the bathroom, door slamming behind her. Shinji blinked, then shrugged and returned to his cooking.
***
Locked in the bathroom, Asuka was staring at her own reflection, her mind racing.
"Soryu. What have you done?" she half-whispered, half-shouted at the mirror. The mirror, to benefit of her sanity, did not answer.
"And, more importantly, what are you going to do with it?" she kept going, still without a reply.
"How do you feel about that boy?" she asked the third question, her whispering voice breaking, tears forming at the brink of her eyes.
There was no verbal reply, of course. But her own expression gave her all the answer she needed.
"Fuck. Me."
She let out a short, hysterical laugh. A few tears fell, wetting her face.
"I did this to myself. Let's face it: I did it to myself… I fell for him, and I can't be sure whether he fell for me or is just swimming with the current. Now I have to make it work. Or die trying."
She gritted her teeth and started her morning routine with an intent to get through it as quickly as possible.
Leaving, she gazed into the mirror once more. "Oh, and how will I make it work! Just you wait, Shinji Ikari!"
Her head raised high, she marched out to face her not-sure-what-he-is-to-me-but-I-like-him-I-guess, who was just in the middle of serving the breakfast.
================================================================
This is an end, but this is not the end. As Two Souls storyline progress, things will keep happening in the background and the events there will influence Asuka, Shinji, and their not-sure-what-it-is-but-I-think-we're-together-but-not-dating relationship. I intend to have at least one longer interlude somewhere down the line, or several shorter ones.
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- Location
- Australia, mate
Indeed. Especially considering this is Evangelion, where even saying hello can end up being miscommunication.Further to my comment on the AO3 copy of chapter three: well, that seems to have all gone much better than expected
Great piece, Boreas. Happy to see things going well for our favourite pair of awkward traumatised teenagers.
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
I consider Asuka, with all her confusing and messy personality, an brilliant person. Agreed, many of her ideas end up badly, but not because she is stupid, but because she acts impulsively and lacks experience. In this case, by plan or by pure chance, she gave herself time to think - and considered someone else's point of view, for once. This is still not a guarantee of success, but certainly an improvement. I am no expert, but I believe Asuka dearly lacked a role model when she was growing up - and tried to make it up with her intelligence.Further to my comment on the AO3 copy of chapter three: well, that seems to have all gone much better than expected
*squees quietly*
Yes. I consider NGE canon to be too much "everything that can go wrong, will" and "if I can misunderstand it, I will, for the sake of drama". I wanted to go with "those are teenagers: sometimes stupid, often awkward, always inexperienced, but still kind-of-functional" (at this stage in canon, they are shaken, but not broken yet). I'm glad this worked
Thank you! I can't promise it'll be smooth sailing from now on, though. They're might be better off than in canon, but the trials still await them: not only the canonical ones, but also those coming from their own kind-of-relationship. On the other hand, I generally don't do darkfics (even if themes might be darker than usual in fluff), so I don't think it'll get worse than canon.
- Location
- Surrey
*IN THE MENTAL WORLD*
Yui: Shinji, what happened?! Shinji! Shinjiiiiiii!
Kyoko: ...honestly, I'm just curious how he made that noise.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
True, she could look like this:
Yes, this is not overthinking it at all.
Jeebus, Misato. Jumpy, much? What's got you this wired walking in to your own place?
~picard~
I fully expect Shinji to explain it exactly this way to Misato or someone at some point later.
Just like I run with in A&T, I think they're well-set to at least have a good shot at being much better off than in canon, since at least here they've got some inkling that they like each other, that happiness is possible, and they're not alone. Those things alone will make them stronger than they were. If that is enough is a different question, though.
Oh, and one more thing, Shinji. Asuka is not subtle:
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- Location
- supernatural
When it comes to NGE that is so very very true.
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
Yui: It is a skill we're trained in our family since childhood.
Kyoko: And how do you trigger it?
Yui: Well, surprise, usually. You'd need-
Kyoko: <moves in to tickle>
Yui: NO YOU DON'T <starts running>
Kyoko: <starts chasing>
<cue Yakety Sax>
Outside: Sempai! Readings are in the red again!
Considering that one of his reactions to Asuka is "scaroused", this sight would only intensify itTrue, she could look like this:
One of the idea on my list of concept/prompts (category:weird) is a story about Evangelions making people turn animalistic, first by behavior, then by appearance. This can be either horribly dark (losing humanity, becomind detached, violent, and feral) or purely comedic (A: "You shut up, Third! You got... cute... fox... ears <shakes head and fights the blush> And me? I got fangs and whiskers! And I can't even shave them, because they are too sensitive! No-one's going to look at me as a woman anymore! How will I ever kiss?" S: "<blushes heavily and twitches ears> Well... I wouldn't mind them..." A: <predatory look> S: "Meep?")
As I stated before: the bane of smart, insecure people. "Don't fuck it up" is some serious pressure, especially that it's internal. And then she regretted leaving it in the morning, spinning into further overthinking. While telling him not to do it. Yay for consistency!Yes, this is not overthinking it at all.
I'd say "string of bad days at work". With Ritsuko's fuck-up and resulting tightening of regulations at NERV (more on that in the next chapter of Two Souls, it's not all about Kyoko's quest), Misato's job became even more stressful.
There's a half-written scene where they try to establish the labels of their relationship themselves. It includes a mention of "friends with benefits" (although due to their insecurities, benefits are limited) and "marriage" (which triggers some nervous joking intended to hide panic) as boundaries.
And to that, even I don't know the answer. Time will tell. I had an ending planned for Two Souls nearly from the beginning, but it involved the main characters only, with rather ambiguous notes for the rest. I know already that it will not be enough, as I touched more characters, changed their fates, and they deserve a wrap-up, even in a form of a paragraph in a catch-all epilogue. But considering we are less than half-way through the story, I still have time to think about it.
She is definitely not subtle, and this is scaring/confusing Shinji at times (canonicaly, the swimming pool scene is a good indicator). This image is of the "tender approach" (at least when it comes to her expression) variety, something she hasn't reached in this story yet. I guess Shinji imagines an ideal start of an relationship as something gradual and subtle: discreet gestures, sharing an umbrella, surreptitious hand touches, then a very careful, soft kiss... In other words, the opposite to what Asuka is doing and a path Rei could possibly walk.Oh, and one more thing, Shinji. Asuka is not subtle:
On the other hand, she is discreet.
Shinji was already familiar with the spot where Asuka had ambushed him previously. In hindsight, he appreciated the tactical advantages of her choice – a spot not visible from the neighbouring corridors, but in their auditory range, making steps of anyone approaching audible long before they came any closer; additional escape route in form of exit-only door he sometimes used to leave if he wanted to avoid the crowds, making this a likely place to find him in the afternoon; an old, unused storage room that could serve as an impromptu interrogation chamber.
Thus, he was not surprised – just a little bit startled – when he felt a familiar, warm hand grab him before pinning him to the wall. "Oh, hello Asuka" he said even before he made out her face in the shadows.
"How did you-" she started, then aborted. "Never mind. We need to talk."
Thus, he was not surprised – just a little bit startled – when he felt a familiar, warm hand grab him before pinning him to the wall. "Oh, hello Asuka" he said even before he made out her face in the shadows.
"How did you-" she started, then aborted. "Never mind. We need to talk."
Yes, to an absurd degree. On the other hand, I've (in real life, friend of mine) seen a single "I'm tired, not going anywhere tonight" spiral to a hard ending of a four-year relationship due to miscommunication. People are complicated, especially when they are insecure (and among teenagers, that's a near-certainty).When it comes to NGE that is so very very true.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
That could be hilarious, heartwarming, heartbreaking, or facepalm inducing or all of the above at once.
Shinji, you read way too much shoujo romance manga.
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
Let's not forget a healthy dose of awkwardness and nervous jokes.
A boy can dream! I just wonder what may happen if he tries the "romantic" approach with Asuka.Shinji, you read way too much shoujo romance manga.
<walking slowly in the rain under one umbrella>
A: Damn it, I should've brought my own, we'd be home far sooner. Besides, it was clear sky, why did you take an umbrella?
S: Forecasts?
A: Ah, right. Wait, and you didn't tell me, nor at least brought two umbrellas, or raincoats? Why did you insist on a walk if you knew it would be raining?
S: <starts sweating> I-I-I-I thought it would be romantic?
A: <facepalm audible in 1-mile radius> IDIOT! You're lucky I'm warm-blooded, but if I catch a cold, or worse - you catch a cold, and can't cook... I'm going to murder you not once, but twice!
S: I-I-I-I thought...
A: <stops in her tracks> God. What happened?
S: <confused>
A: You didn't apologise for once! Progress!
S: S-sorry?
A: <facepalm> Small steps, small steps...
QFT.
Shinji, you read way too much shoujo romance manga.
Well, for all we know, he might've been home schooled at his senseis', and never really learned how to deal with women. The closest he may have gotten to women prior to the series could have very well been reading material like shoujo manga and what was on TV at the time. It seems to be my head canon anyway.
I once had an idea for a fic along those lines. Maybe Asuka or someone snarks at Shinji about his methods of romance(maybe something along the lines "men are supposed to take the lead"), and his response being that "wait, I thought girls wanted things slow and at their own controlled pace?" Come to find out, Shinji was homeschooled, and had not dealt with women at all before coming to Tokyo-3.
Worse yet(from the prospective of everyone else), the only books his sensei let him read were a bunch of old shoujo manga he had for whatever reason. Shinjis' favorite of them? Was one where the main heroine was eerily similar to Asuka herself(something that he himself admits creeps him out now that he thinks about it), wound up with the guy most like Shinji himself, who tried the 'slow and steady' type of romance in typical, 'realistic romance' shoujo manga(that I've heard reference to). The other two potential 'love interests' that represented the 'types' teen girls were interested in (something like a male version of Asuka and a younger Kaji, respectively)? Were shown to be nothing more than hollow shells 'dressed up to look nice(the way his fictional teen 'rip off' is shown hits a little too close to home for Kaji)'.
Cue a BSOD from everyone else there(with a side of growing horror from the two adult figures that give a crap about the teens; if Shinji took their teasing/'advice' as literal fact...), save for Hikari, who just facepalms and groans. Not knowing anything about typical adult relationships, she decides to help by doing two things. First, have them talk to some people with successful experience in love. Since Misato and Kaji aren't in one(Asuka shoots her a look that is ignored), and neither teen brings up their parents, she's willing to see if a few family friends could help her out on that front. Second, have Asuka read Shinjis' Shoujo collection, and Shinji read some of Asukas' preferred romance books/movies/etc.
When the redhead loudly protests, Hikari explains that a great deal of the problems the two pilots have are from cultural misunderstandings towards romance(saying without saying the two of them are interested in each other; everyone else but them picks up on this). Since each subconsciously expects the other to know what is culturally acceptable, reading literature that points to that set of conclusions might help. When Asuka blushes, Hikari makes a point to mention that the redhead's choices are not to be 'bodice rippers;' age appropriate romances only please. Privately, Hikari admits however this goes, she'll at least get some peace and quiet while it lasts.
The idea peters out there, as I've never been in a romantic relationship. Sorry for borrowing/using your thread as an idea thread @Boreas Anemos , but I had to get that off of my chest.
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
Sounds like workable idea of a fic I would read
It seems quite in-character for Hikari, she is a homemaker and a leader. Although the amount of drama, facepalming, Asuka's shouting, and Shinji's embarassment would be immense, I imagine.
No problem, it's still quite on subject and you did not offend anyone - that's a contribution, not an abuse
- Location
- Altamonte Springs, FL
Yeah, people tend to use Rammstein too much (looking at you, GrummanCat!). Luckily there are people wanting to break the mould. Braver Than We Are, for example, has Asuka listening to English Prog Rock, for example. In my case, for A-Eight, I went a step further: I gave Asuka not just prog, but also Krautrock, like Kraftwerk, Faust, Can, Neu!, Amon Düül II, Tangerine Dream, Harmonia, Bröselmaschine, and Hölderlin, which has a song that perfectly matches Asuka: "Requiem für Einen Wicht". Asuka's tastes are very international, from music from her own country, to that of the English speaking world.
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
The whole "German music? Rammstein!" issue is a classical symptom of a small reference pools trope. The author has a choice to: make a known reference (thus limiting yourself to bands/people/books that are generally famous), refer to something famous now (thus dating the work), or make an obscure reference (thus forcing the average reader to websearch the concept and break the reading flow).
And it's easy to make a mistake when judging what is famous and what is not. an example from the top of my head, if I were to name a famous modern German politician (to stay in the same reference pool), I'd say "Helmut Kohl", as he was the most prominent one I remember witnessing in the news across my lifetime. But I'm aware that name would fall completely flat to most young people in my country, let alone to someone who was taught European history to a degree I was taught, say, history of Asia.
On somehow related note, I find it interesting and funny that no one is questioning Asuka's portrayal as a metalhead
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
Hotheaded German? What else would an Anglo-culture-exposed audience expect but some variant on "rocker"?On somehow related note, I find it interesting and funny that no one is questioning Asuka's portrayal as a metalhead
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
Good point, although this starts to fall into stereotyping - something fine for background character, not for a, well, protagonist in this particular side-story.Hotheaded German? What else would an Anglo-culture-exposed audience expect but some variant on "rocker"?
In my eyes, her taste for heavier music simply reinforces her Tough Girl demeanor (not as a pose, though - as a natural consequence) and is not a result of her nationality/upbringing (mainly because I don't think rock/metal is a dominant musical preference among German people - I would suspect that among Norwegians).
I really hope I'm not walking into a cultural and political minefield with that post.
- Location
- Who even cares?
And in SCE, I went for Rei having a thing for metal as well and even listening to it during sync tests, though only Heaven Shall Burn is named (and only named in an author's note). It would eventually be a plot point that Yui had a thing for late eighties / early nineties rock and hair metal in her youth, with a mixtape she listened to in her teenage years and gave to Shinji back in the day passing between multiple characters (and the reason why it's not Japanese music is because due to backstory reasons, people didn't have much access to cultural materials after Second Impact and had to make due with what they could get, not to mention that the invention and spread of J-Rock and J-Metal always lagged at least a decade behind their western counterparts, even before Second Impact).
As for Asuka, she and Mari prefer electronic music (mostly trance) over traditional instrumental genres (which isn't unusual when one considers that the story takes place in the early 2040s; the likes of Iron Maiden and AC/DC are to their generation what Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong are to our generation, half-century old vintage stuff only elders and hardcore fans listen to anymore). Kaworu doesn't have a preference because due to his backstory, he couldn't listen to enough music in his life to care (he once heard Ode to Joy in his youth and its tune's been sitting on the back of his mind ever since, though he doesn't know its name or composer).
- Location
- On a powder keg, next to a fire
Hm, I would have Rei pinned more towards she jazz or classical music, but this likely stems from associating her with the "Fly me to the Moon" rendition associated with her.
That's actually a notable background issue - most of human culture was IMO saved (the recordings/master tapes exist), but availability is another issue. Re-editions appear slowly and are not cheap. There is an Internet, but it's like early 2000s - definitely not broadband for civilians, even in advanced countries.
And anything that did not exist before 2000 is unlikely to ever appear: Sabaton, a band that would IMO fit Asuka's tastes perfectly (at the very least, by their war-driven theme), was created in late 1999 but did not release their first proper album until 2005, so I assume they do not exist in post-2I world or they released different albums in different order (starting with Metalizer as it was already recorded).
While this makes sense for so many years in the future, I do not think a whole wide music genre like metal would go dormant; of course, Iron Maiden and AC/DC would no longer release or tour (on the other hand, Rolling Stones still tour
), but new ones would emerge - just as there are still jazzmen in modern times. On the other hand, while I consider myself dedicated to developing a proper background for a story, even I would not consider spending too much time on thinking out musical landscape of post-2I world - unless the story was about Pilots starting a band