Ranma-sensei
Sorcerer
- Location
- Citrix Receiver
- Pronouns
- Weatherdependent
Meh, I'm too clumsy for pure-stealth gameplay, so I'll pass this one.
Take all the time you want, though. Real Life™ goes first.
-
Going forward, links to content from Twitter (now X) will no longer be embedded. Pre-existing links should not be affected.
You Are (Not) at Fault
- Thread starter MisterHalt
- Start date
Take all the time you want, though. Real Life™ goes first.
- Location
- Australia, mate
I had no illusions about my PC being capable of running it smoothly, so I got it on PS3. I think the only thing I'll miss is the ability to put my own music on the chopper.I so want to play that, but I won't be getting a chance until Christmas at the earliest, it looks like.
...Why does my gaming PC have to be so big...
- Location
- Spain
You don't play it for the stealth from what I've seen. You play it to FULTON ALL THE THINGS!
Chapter 20.2
- Location
- Australia, mate
Here it is! After a week of shooting tranqs into people's faces and abducting them via balloons, along with their cargo containers and vehicles, I've finally managed to get the next piece out.
Now to go back to Chapter 2 of Phantom Pa- er... I mean the next part of my story.
Chapter 20.2
******
Under a grey sky that carried with it the suggestion of rain, Rei Ayanami walked home, quietly trailing just behind Kensuke, Toji, Hikari, and their siblings. The clouds were a relief to the girl, as her pale skin did not appreciate direct sunlight very much. Although it would apparently not be as bad as it was the previous year, she was not looking forward to summer.
When the topic of her complexion and the approaching summer had come up between her and Misato, the older woman had remarked, "It's probably a good thing you didn't get out much last year. Some days it felt like the air itself was being cooked by a flamethrower."
She had been the first to complete her essay, mainly because she had left Instrumentality as late as she had. Despite this, she had eventually managed to finish a suitably sized piece of writing. It had not crossed Rei's mind to go into some detail on her fight with the Second Revenant until Kensuke had exulted about it while the teens were together for lunch one day. After consulting with Misato, it was agreed that she could speak of her role on that day.
She found it more interesting to write about her trip to the mall though, for some reason.
The first droplets of rain had just begun to fall as Rei reached the apartment building. She waved goodbye to her friends and went up to her own floor. The second the door to the Katsuragi household opened, an arm reached out and yanked her inside, and a hand was clapped over her mouth before she could make a sound.
"Quiet!" Asuka hissed. She relaxed her grip on the other girl's mouth when Rei nodded before tilting her head in confusion. In response, Asuka whispered, "Got a surprise for you." Though she tried to hide it, Rei could detect a hint of a smile on the redhead's face. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she nodded and followed her housemate, depositing her bag on the dining room table as she passed, as the pair crept towards the lounge room.
Just as Rei passed through the doorway, Asuka's expression darkened slightly and she cursed under her breath as the two girls heard the toilet flush. Rei was dragged further into the lounge room as Asuka disappointedly muttered, "So much for having time to make this good..."
A moment later, they heard the bathroom door open. Rei's eyes widened significantly as a familiar quiet voice said, "Huh? Where did this bag come from?" Asuka roughly turned her around to face the doorway as the sound of footsteps came closer, before standing in front of her.
"Is that your bag on the table?" Shinji asked as he stepped into the lounge room. "Are you going out or something?"
Asuka shook her head."No, Shinji. Somebody just arrived."
Shinji seemed to flinch slightly, before looking furtively around the room. Just as he was about to ask another question, he saw a pale hand come out from behind Asuka and push the girl aside.
"Hello, Shinji," said the last girl Shinji ever expected to see again.
Asuka moved towards Shinji with her hands raised in a placating gesture as he recoiled from the sight of the First Child, taking several steps back and almost bumping into a wall again. "Relax Shinji, it's fine, she's real," said Asuka. The quick reassurance seemed to help, and Shinji relaxed slightly as the redhead slowly stepped aside.
"Ayanami?!" Shinji breathed.
"It- it is good to see you well again. I-... I am glad..." Words failed Rei, and the stunned girl surprised even herself as she raised a hand to her eyes to wipe away the moisture that was suddenly building up. She tried once more to verbally express how she felt, before giving up and walking forward to gently place her arms around Shinji.
The shock of such a display from the previously-emotionless First Child had Shinji frozen in surprise for a moment, but it only took a moment for him to thaw out and gingerly return the hug as tears came to his eyes.
"Why did you come back?" Shinji whispered in Rei's ear. "I thought you had chosen to stay in there."
"Lilith decided to release me, and let me leave Instrumentality." Rei withdrew one arm and placed a hand on her chest as she continued. "As a result, I am now as human as you and the Second Child."
"Hmph," huffed Asuka as she folded her arms across her chest. "Both of you managed to ruin the surprise I had planned." Her words brought the embrace to an end, as Shinji awkwardly stepped away and rubbed the back of his head. She exaggeratedly turned her back on the other two teens. "But I suppose I should have expected that from you two. After all, you are re-mmph!"
Shinji barely even saw Rei move. One second he was staring into her red eyes, the next she was in front of Asuka with a hand clamped over the other girl's mouth. "I will tell him myself," she said, withdrawing the hand. Asuka raised an eyebrow, but silently acquiesced, waving a hand in dismissal before sitting on the sofa.
"Huh? Tell me what?" Shinji asked.
Before answering, Rei walked over to the couch. A confused Shinji followed her, and sat down between the two girls. "You know that I was... created using the DNA of your mother, Yui Ikari." At a grim nod from Shinji, the First Child continued. "An off-handed remark from Asuka shortly after I left Instrumentality led me to realise what that makes us. We can be considered to be brother and sister."
Shinji's eyes never left the girl's face as she conveyed her message, his own countenance growing more and more sombre with a sinking feeling of realisation that reached its nadir the moment Rei said the word 'sister'. "...Siblings..." he said, tearing his eyes away from the bluenette and focusing on the ground, a mirthless smile on his face. "Ever since I met you, I always felt as if there were something familiar about you. But when I found out that my father created you, I guess I became afraid of what you were. I didn't really think of how it defined our relationship."
"Hey."
The boy looked up as Asuka gently smacked his shoulder. "What is it?" he asked, rubbing the spot where her hand had struck.
"Stop focusing on that," Asuka replied. "On what you did wrong or whatever. Think about the now. You've just been told you have a sister, yet you look as though someone just ran over your dog."
Shinji sighed. "I know, but..." He shrugged helplessly, and turned to Rei. "I'm really not trying to be rude, Ayanami. It's just that-"
"Please, Shinji," the girl quietly interrupted with a raised hand. "We are siblings. You may call me Rei."
"O-oh. Um, okay... Rei," Shinji stuttered out. "A-anyway, I'm just wondering why you two are being so nice to me, after everything I did."
Behind the boy, Asuka let out a loud groan and collapsed back into the sofa. "I already told you, dummy! We don't think you're to blame."
Rei nodded. "All three of us were merely pawns. If you were really to blame, then I would be as well, for choosing you as the one to initiate Third Impact."
Shinji closed his eyes, and appeared to shrink into himself with a sigh. "I'm sorry, but could you please give me some time alone?" he asked at a level just barely audible to the two girls. "I need to think some things through."
Asuka and Rei looked at each other over the top of Shinji's head. A slight nod from the First Child was echoed by the Second, and they both stood up. "Alright," said Asuka. "I'll be in my room."
"As will I," Rei added.
Outside the lounge room, and out of sight of the gloomy boy, Asuka grabbed the bluenette by the shoulder and whispered, "Misato needs to know about this, so I'm going to call her. Hopefully I can convince her to come home right away."
"Shall I go and tell Hikari and the others?" Rei quietly asked.
Asuka thought for a moment, before shaking her head. "No, leave that for another day. Let's just take it slow for now."
"Then I shall go and do my homework."
With a nod, Asuka let Rei leave then went into the kitchen, where she picked up the phone and fled to her room as quietly as she could.
**
Misato sighed as her intercom beeped and held up a hand to her friend. "Let me take this first, then we can continue." Ritsuko nodded and took a seat, then unfolded her laptop and began to type.
"What is it, Sotomura?" Misato asked.
The slightly distorted voice of her secretary answered. "Commander, Pilot Soryu is calling. She says it's very important."
"... Alright, put her through." Releasing the button, the exhausted woman had only a few seconds to try and guess what happened to make Asuka call her at work before the phone rang. "What's the matter, Asuka?" she asked as soon as she picked it up.
"I need you to drop everything and come home now," came the whispered reply.
Misato pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it in disbelief. Did one of her surrogate daughters -and a subordinate- really just try to give her an order? She was definitely too tired for this. "I'm sorry... what?" she asked as politely as she could. "And why are you whispering? Is there an intruder?"
A faint snort was Asuka's initial response. "If it were even possible for that to be the case, I would have called for Section Two, as bad as they are. Look, just get here as soon as you can. Please?"
"Can't it wait? I'm busy at the moment."
"Whatever Akagi is boring you with is not as important as this."
It was a struggle for Misato to keep a straight face while looking at Ritsuko, so she turned her chair around to face the wall. "And just what is so important, Asuka?"
"... I can't tell you over the phone," the girl replied, her voice getting even quieter.
Misato palmed her face and grumbled to herself. "So you want me to come home now, for something important," she eventually said. "Something so critical you can't even say it over a secure line to the Commander of NERV. Today has been a long day, and I'm tired. What are you planning, Asuka?"
There was a soft sigh from the other end of the line, then Asuka said, "I want it to be a surprise. If you come home right now and you're not completely bowled over by what I have planned then..." There was a humming sound, then a long pause. "Then you can fire me."
Ritsuko looked up as Misato turned around in her chair and let out a loud "What?!" She hurriedly waved away the doctor's curiosity, before leaning an elbow on the table and rubbing her forehead. "Asuka, are you sure you know what you're doing? I can't possibly think of anything that could be as amazing as you're trying to paint this."
"I'm positive. Please, Misato, just trust me."
Misato let out a low growl. "... Fine. I'll be there in half an hour. Be warned, however. If this is not the greatest thing to happen to me all year, then I will fire you." Though she sounded serious, with the threat of the Revenants, she had no intention of actually following through with such a threat.
"Great! Thanks, Misato!" The excited redhead hung up without waiting for a goodbye.
Misato let the phone fall back into its cradle, then raised the hand that had been holding it to join the other on her face.
"Your birthday isn't until December," Ritsuko remarked as she closed her laptop. "I wonder what the Second Child has planned."
Misato groaned through her hands. "She didn't give me anything to go on, and I'm too tired to think. Let's just get this over with so I can go home and get that over with. You were saying something about SEELE?"
"Oh. Yes," Ritsuko replied as she stood up. She cleared her throat and said, "For the past month, under your orders, I've been looking into what would be left of their power base. Trying to pinpoint any potential threats to us, such as people who share the same opinion about humanity as the Old Men."
"I hope this is good news."
The blonde scientist shrugged slightly. "I would call it good. Several possible suspects were found, but all of them mysteriously disappeared or died not long after I located them. For example, a German politician who was one of Chairman Keel's highest men in the country was found dead in his home with a note next to him and a gun in his hand. Only two days after I found his name."
Misato raised an eyebrow. "Somebody's cleaning house."
Ritsuko placed the laptop on Misato's desk and turned the screen to face the Commander. An influential American magnate who was killed in a car accident when a truck smashed into him at an intersection. A French senator, who suddenly fell deathly ill and only given a month to live, committed suicide. Several more names scrolled past, along with the cause of death or a note saying that they had disappeared.
"What's strange is that not a single one of SEELE's agents was... removed... until I began searching for them. Somebody is definitely dealing with them, and using the MAGI to do the hard work of finding them."
Misato looked thoughtful for a moment, before reaching into the pocket of her jacket, hanging over the chair. After a few seconds of digging, she pulled something out and held it up to Ritsuko, who leaned in to see what it was.
A tiny external memory device, smaller than her thumb.
"Kaji?" Ritsuko whispered. She curiously reached out for the item in Misato's hand, but the device instantly disappeared into Misato's fist.
The Commander of NERV grinned. "It's the only thing I can think of. I reckon we should let this continue. Not only does it save us the trouble of trying to neutralise these potential threats, we also don't have to worry about it being traced back to us."
"How can you be so sure?" Ritsuko asked incredulously. "The names are going out somewhere. What's to stop whoever this is from getting in?"
The grin on Misato's face widened. "If I knew Kaji half as well as I believe I did, then whoever's acting on this information has no idea where the name is coming from. Just that it's imperative to eliminate the target."
The blonde woman sighed and picked her laptop up. "Alright, I'll trust you -and Kaji- on this. I'm still going to run a diagnostic just in case though."
"I knew you would." Misato let a mighty yawn loose as she got up, and stretched before picking her jacket up. "Right, I'm going to get a cup of coffee and go home. You might want to start looking for a replacement pilot," she added snarkily before leaving the room.
"Are you sure you don't want Section Two to take you home?" Ritsuko called after the departing woman as she walked out the door, but only got a dismissive wave in response. "...Well, let's just hope she doesn't crash," she muttered to the bemused secretary.
Now to go back to Chapter 2 of Phantom Pa- er... I mean the next part of my story.
Chapter 20.2
******
Under a grey sky that carried with it the suggestion of rain, Rei Ayanami walked home, quietly trailing just behind Kensuke, Toji, Hikari, and their siblings. The clouds were a relief to the girl, as her pale skin did not appreciate direct sunlight very much. Although it would apparently not be as bad as it was the previous year, she was not looking forward to summer.
When the topic of her complexion and the approaching summer had come up between her and Misato, the older woman had remarked, "It's probably a good thing you didn't get out much last year. Some days it felt like the air itself was being cooked by a flamethrower."
She had been the first to complete her essay, mainly because she had left Instrumentality as late as she had. Despite this, she had eventually managed to finish a suitably sized piece of writing. It had not crossed Rei's mind to go into some detail on her fight with the Second Revenant until Kensuke had exulted about it while the teens were together for lunch one day. After consulting with Misato, it was agreed that she could speak of her role on that day.
She found it more interesting to write about her trip to the mall though, for some reason.
The first droplets of rain had just begun to fall as Rei reached the apartment building. She waved goodbye to her friends and went up to her own floor. The second the door to the Katsuragi household opened, an arm reached out and yanked her inside, and a hand was clapped over her mouth before she could make a sound.
"Quiet!" Asuka hissed. She relaxed her grip on the other girl's mouth when Rei nodded before tilting her head in confusion. In response, Asuka whispered, "Got a surprise for you." Though she tried to hide it, Rei could detect a hint of a smile on the redhead's face. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she nodded and followed her housemate, depositing her bag on the dining room table as she passed, as the pair crept towards the lounge room.
Just as Rei passed through the doorway, Asuka's expression darkened slightly and she cursed under her breath as the two girls heard the toilet flush. Rei was dragged further into the lounge room as Asuka disappointedly muttered, "So much for having time to make this good..."
A moment later, they heard the bathroom door open. Rei's eyes widened significantly as a familiar quiet voice said, "Huh? Where did this bag come from?" Asuka roughly turned her around to face the doorway as the sound of footsteps came closer, before standing in front of her.
"Is that your bag on the table?" Shinji asked as he stepped into the lounge room. "Are you going out or something?"
Asuka shook her head."No, Shinji. Somebody just arrived."
Shinji seemed to flinch slightly, before looking furtively around the room. Just as he was about to ask another question, he saw a pale hand come out from behind Asuka and push the girl aside.
"Hello, Shinji," said the last girl Shinji ever expected to see again.
Asuka moved towards Shinji with her hands raised in a placating gesture as he recoiled from the sight of the First Child, taking several steps back and almost bumping into a wall again. "Relax Shinji, it's fine, she's real," said Asuka. The quick reassurance seemed to help, and Shinji relaxed slightly as the redhead slowly stepped aside.
"Ayanami?!" Shinji breathed.
"It- it is good to see you well again. I-... I am glad..." Words failed Rei, and the stunned girl surprised even herself as she raised a hand to her eyes to wipe away the moisture that was suddenly building up. She tried once more to verbally express how she felt, before giving up and walking forward to gently place her arms around Shinji.
The shock of such a display from the previously-emotionless First Child had Shinji frozen in surprise for a moment, but it only took a moment for him to thaw out and gingerly return the hug as tears came to his eyes.
"Why did you come back?" Shinji whispered in Rei's ear. "I thought you had chosen to stay in there."
"Lilith decided to release me, and let me leave Instrumentality." Rei withdrew one arm and placed a hand on her chest as she continued. "As a result, I am now as human as you and the Second Child."
"Hmph," huffed Asuka as she folded her arms across her chest. "Both of you managed to ruin the surprise I had planned." Her words brought the embrace to an end, as Shinji awkwardly stepped away and rubbed the back of his head. She exaggeratedly turned her back on the other two teens. "But I suppose I should have expected that from you two. After all, you are re-mmph!"
Shinji barely even saw Rei move. One second he was staring into her red eyes, the next she was in front of Asuka with a hand clamped over the other girl's mouth. "I will tell him myself," she said, withdrawing the hand. Asuka raised an eyebrow, but silently acquiesced, waving a hand in dismissal before sitting on the sofa.
"Huh? Tell me what?" Shinji asked.
Before answering, Rei walked over to the couch. A confused Shinji followed her, and sat down between the two girls. "You know that I was... created using the DNA of your mother, Yui Ikari." At a grim nod from Shinji, the First Child continued. "An off-handed remark from Asuka shortly after I left Instrumentality led me to realise what that makes us. We can be considered to be brother and sister."
Shinji's eyes never left the girl's face as she conveyed her message, his own countenance growing more and more sombre with a sinking feeling of realisation that reached its nadir the moment Rei said the word 'sister'. "...Siblings..." he said, tearing his eyes away from the bluenette and focusing on the ground, a mirthless smile on his face. "Ever since I met you, I always felt as if there were something familiar about you. But when I found out that my father created you, I guess I became afraid of what you were. I didn't really think of how it defined our relationship."
"Hey."
The boy looked up as Asuka gently smacked his shoulder. "What is it?" he asked, rubbing the spot where her hand had struck.
"Stop focusing on that," Asuka replied. "On what you did wrong or whatever. Think about the now. You've just been told you have a sister, yet you look as though someone just ran over your dog."
Shinji sighed. "I know, but..." He shrugged helplessly, and turned to Rei. "I'm really not trying to be rude, Ayanami. It's just that-"
"Please, Shinji," the girl quietly interrupted with a raised hand. "We are siblings. You may call me Rei."
"O-oh. Um, okay... Rei," Shinji stuttered out. "A-anyway, I'm just wondering why you two are being so nice to me, after everything I did."
Behind the boy, Asuka let out a loud groan and collapsed back into the sofa. "I already told you, dummy! We don't think you're to blame."
Rei nodded. "All three of us were merely pawns. If you were really to blame, then I would be as well, for choosing you as the one to initiate Third Impact."
Shinji closed his eyes, and appeared to shrink into himself with a sigh. "I'm sorry, but could you please give me some time alone?" he asked at a level just barely audible to the two girls. "I need to think some things through."
Asuka and Rei looked at each other over the top of Shinji's head. A slight nod from the First Child was echoed by the Second, and they both stood up. "Alright," said Asuka. "I'll be in my room."
"As will I," Rei added.
Outside the lounge room, and out of sight of the gloomy boy, Asuka grabbed the bluenette by the shoulder and whispered, "Misato needs to know about this, so I'm going to call her. Hopefully I can convince her to come home right away."
"Shall I go and tell Hikari and the others?" Rei quietly asked.
Asuka thought for a moment, before shaking her head. "No, leave that for another day. Let's just take it slow for now."
"Then I shall go and do my homework."
With a nod, Asuka let Rei leave then went into the kitchen, where she picked up the phone and fled to her room as quietly as she could.
**
Misato sighed as her intercom beeped and held up a hand to her friend. "Let me take this first, then we can continue." Ritsuko nodded and took a seat, then unfolded her laptop and began to type.
"What is it, Sotomura?" Misato asked.
The slightly distorted voice of her secretary answered. "Commander, Pilot Soryu is calling. She says it's very important."
"... Alright, put her through." Releasing the button, the exhausted woman had only a few seconds to try and guess what happened to make Asuka call her at work before the phone rang. "What's the matter, Asuka?" she asked as soon as she picked it up.
"I need you to drop everything and come home now," came the whispered reply.
Misato pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it in disbelief. Did one of her surrogate daughters -and a subordinate- really just try to give her an order? She was definitely too tired for this. "I'm sorry... what?" she asked as politely as she could. "And why are you whispering? Is there an intruder?"
A faint snort was Asuka's initial response. "If it were even possible for that to be the case, I would have called for Section Two, as bad as they are. Look, just get here as soon as you can. Please?"
"Can't it wait? I'm busy at the moment."
"Whatever Akagi is boring you with is not as important as this."
It was a struggle for Misato to keep a straight face while looking at Ritsuko, so she turned her chair around to face the wall. "And just what is so important, Asuka?"
"... I can't tell you over the phone," the girl replied, her voice getting even quieter.
Misato palmed her face and grumbled to herself. "So you want me to come home now, for something important," she eventually said. "Something so critical you can't even say it over a secure line to the Commander of NERV. Today has been a long day, and I'm tired. What are you planning, Asuka?"
There was a soft sigh from the other end of the line, then Asuka said, "I want it to be a surprise. If you come home right now and you're not completely bowled over by what I have planned then..." There was a humming sound, then a long pause. "Then you can fire me."
Ritsuko looked up as Misato turned around in her chair and let out a loud "What?!" She hurriedly waved away the doctor's curiosity, before leaning an elbow on the table and rubbing her forehead. "Asuka, are you sure you know what you're doing? I can't possibly think of anything that could be as amazing as you're trying to paint this."
"I'm positive. Please, Misato, just trust me."
Misato let out a low growl. "... Fine. I'll be there in half an hour. Be warned, however. If this is not the greatest thing to happen to me all year, then I will fire you." Though she sounded serious, with the threat of the Revenants, she had no intention of actually following through with such a threat.
"Great! Thanks, Misato!" The excited redhead hung up without waiting for a goodbye.
Misato let the phone fall back into its cradle, then raised the hand that had been holding it to join the other on her face.
"Your birthday isn't until December," Ritsuko remarked as she closed her laptop. "I wonder what the Second Child has planned."
Misato groaned through her hands. "She didn't give me anything to go on, and I'm too tired to think. Let's just get this over with so I can go home and get that over with. You were saying something about SEELE?"
"Oh. Yes," Ritsuko replied as she stood up. She cleared her throat and said, "For the past month, under your orders, I've been looking into what would be left of their power base. Trying to pinpoint any potential threats to us, such as people who share the same opinion about humanity as the Old Men."
"I hope this is good news."
The blonde scientist shrugged slightly. "I would call it good. Several possible suspects were found, but all of them mysteriously disappeared or died not long after I located them. For example, a German politician who was one of Chairman Keel's highest men in the country was found dead in his home with a note next to him and a gun in his hand. Only two days after I found his name."
Misato raised an eyebrow. "Somebody's cleaning house."
Ritsuko placed the laptop on Misato's desk and turned the screen to face the Commander. An influential American magnate who was killed in a car accident when a truck smashed into him at an intersection. A French senator, who suddenly fell deathly ill and only given a month to live, committed suicide. Several more names scrolled past, along with the cause of death or a note saying that they had disappeared.
"What's strange is that not a single one of SEELE's agents was... removed... until I began searching for them. Somebody is definitely dealing with them, and using the MAGI to do the hard work of finding them."
Misato looked thoughtful for a moment, before reaching into the pocket of her jacket, hanging over the chair. After a few seconds of digging, she pulled something out and held it up to Ritsuko, who leaned in to see what it was.
A tiny external memory device, smaller than her thumb.
"Kaji?" Ritsuko whispered. She curiously reached out for the item in Misato's hand, but the device instantly disappeared into Misato's fist.
The Commander of NERV grinned. "It's the only thing I can think of. I reckon we should let this continue. Not only does it save us the trouble of trying to neutralise these potential threats, we also don't have to worry about it being traced back to us."
"How can you be so sure?" Ritsuko asked incredulously. "The names are going out somewhere. What's to stop whoever this is from getting in?"
The grin on Misato's face widened. "If I knew Kaji half as well as I believe I did, then whoever's acting on this information has no idea where the name is coming from. Just that it's imperative to eliminate the target."
The blonde woman sighed and picked her laptop up. "Alright, I'll trust you -and Kaji- on this. I'm still going to run a diagnostic just in case though."
"I knew you would." Misato let a mighty yawn loose as she got up, and stretched before picking her jacket up. "Right, I'm going to get a cup of coffee and go home. You might want to start looking for a replacement pilot," she added snarkily before leaving the room.
"Are you sure you don't want Section Two to take you home?" Ritsuko called after the departing woman as she walked out the door, but only got a dismissive wave in response. "...Well, let's just hope she doesn't crash," she muttered to the bemused secretary.
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Er, Asuka of all people should know not to leave the severely traumatized person alone at a time like this.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
You're in for a surpriiiiiiise, Misato....
So it start, now Shinji will actively avoid any contact with people he knew which will do wonders for his mental health I'm sure. At same time Shinji pushing Asuka away will probably be first step for her to move on so at least one person will benefit. There will also be chance to alienate Misato some.
At same time I wonder which will cause first visible break in her resolve to help him, will it be when he refuses to help against MP Evas or when he put their lives in danger by his ineptitude in piloting when he tries to act himself instead of letting Yui do all the work if he decides to try helping with fight.
At same time I wonder which will cause first visible break in her resolve to help him, will it be when he refuses to help against MP Evas or when he put their lives in danger by his ineptitude in piloting when he tries to act himself instead of letting Yui do all the work if he decides to try helping with fight.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
You kept us waiting? Never noticed. *Fultons tank*
So much peeling, not fun.
Indulge in normal things, new experiences. Evas and Biblical conspiracies are old hat by now.
What's the plan Asuka?
I'm with Rei, some bombshells are best delivered personally.
And because you accidentally got to second base with her. That's gotta be another self-blame snarl. The only girl who cared about me is my sister, I accidentally molested my sister... Shinji's not in good head space right now. It's still better than his mental coma, but Shinji will be making some decisions about things.
He had other friends it seems.
Asuka probably thinks the worst of Shinji's madness is over. And given her hyper-focus on the surprise for Misato, Shinji's integral enough that she or Rei are watching her.
- Location
- Australia, mate
Damnit, why didn't I say 'Kept you waiting, huh'?! Perfect time to use it and I messed up!
Chapter 20.3
- Location
- Australia, mate
Chapter 20.3
"Hey Shinji, you done thinking yet?"
The boy looked up into the face of Asuka, then lowered his head and sighed. "It's only been a few minutes, Asuka."
"Oh. Right." She decided against mentioning that it was a bad idea to leave a person in his state alone for very long. "Anyway... you know what you need?" The redhead grabbed Shinji by the shoulders and lifted him to his feet. "A distraction."
"Distraction?"
"Yep. Put all that thinking off until later. Besides..." Asuka rubbed her stomach, "I'm hungry."
"O-oh! Sorry-" Shinji paused as Asuka got a strange look on her face.
Sorry. Such a small word, but she would have given up anything to hear it again, despite how angry it used to make her. Its earlier utterances had passed over her head as she attempted to calm the boy down. Now Asuka almost wanted Shinji to say it again, just to prove that he was truly back.
"Are you okay, Asuka?" Shinji's voice cut through her musing and brought her back to see his concerned expression, and she was mildly surprised to feel her heart flutter a little at the look in his eyes.
"I-I'm fine!" she stammered. "A-anyway, I've got a surprise coming for you, but we need dinner ready in less than half an hour."
"Um..." Shinji scratched his head, and just barely avoided apologising again as he said, "I need a bit more time than that. I don't even know what we have in the fridge."
"You're in luck!" Asuka pointed a thumb towards her chest and thrust her chin upwards. "Since this is a special occasion that I want to go perfectly, I will graciously lend you my aid." To Asuka's secret delight, the depressed boy actually gave her a small smile. Her chest now felt like there was a butterfly trapped inside her ribcage. She mentally shook herself and said, "Now come on, we need to get started."
Shinji yelped slightly as Asuka's hand grabbed his own and began to drag him towards the kitchen. It had been an unconscious move done out of habit, and she prayed that he would be too nervous to say anything.
"Who's coming over?" Shinji asked as he looked through the fridge.
Asuka turned the tap on to wash her hands. "Misato. I told her to come home and to expect a surprise."
"Oh okay. What's the-" Shinji froze, and the fridge began to beep in complaint at being open for too long.
"You were gonna ask what the surprise was, weren't you," the Second Child said, looking away to hide her grin.
The boy declined to comment, shutting the fridge door a little harder than necessary after taking out several ingredients.
Six months of mental trauma apparently had little, if any, effect on Shinji's culinary skills. Asuka helped out where she could, washing and cutting some vegetables and other minor tasks, but the bulk of the task was handled by the skilled young man next to her. The contents of the pan flew up into the air at one point, to the redhead's surprise, but not a single piece was lost.
Twenty minutes passed rapidly, and the stir fry was soon complete. As soon as the plates were filled and laid out on the table, Shinji was dragged away to Asuka's bedroom while Rei kept a lookout for the return of their foster mother.
"What are we doing in here?" Shinji wondered, taking the time to look around the room.
"Waiting for the right time," Asuka replied mysteriously. She walked over to the mirror and began to brush her hair, mostly for something to do to keep her hands occupied, as the right was starting to twitch slightly, to her confusion
"Couldn't I have just waited in my room then?"
Asuka shook her head, letting her hair fly about, and then met Shinji's gaze in the mirror.
"That's Rei's bedroom now. Her apartment was destroyed, and Misato decided to take her in."
"O-oh... okay..." Shinji's face fell, and Asuka sighed internally.
'Come on, don't tell me you're just going to act like it's perfectly normal to get kicked out of two bedrooms for somebody else!'
"Wait, Rei isn't staying in this room?" Shinji asked with a frown, his eyes still looking down at the floor. "There are two futons in here." He looked up, quirking an eyebrow. "Is something wrong with the bed? Did it break?"
'Well, good. At least he's not just rolling over,' Asuka mused. "No, nothing like that," she said out loud. "It's... well, somebody had to keep an eye on you. Your nightmares tended to get rather nasty if someone wasn't nearby. Misato really needs all the rest she can get, since she's far too busy most days, and she ordered me to look after you. So you're staying in my room."
She couldn't stop the smirk that grew on her face as she watched Shinji's face gradually redden as she revealed the details of their sleeping arrangements.
"W-we're sleeping together?!" Shinji finally squeaked out.
Asuka's cheeks pinked up at the choice of words. "Wh- no! We're just sleeping in the same room!"
"But... a boy and girl shouldn't sleep in the same bedroom!"
"It was that or listen to you enduring your nightmares." Asuka leaned in closer to him. "I don't care what people think. I refuse to do nothing while you suffer."
The redness faded slowly from the boy's face as he thought in silence for a minute. The Second Child had just finished combing her hair when he mumbled, "I'm sorry, Asuka."
Reeling back slightly as that word sent a small shiver down her spine, Asuka put the brush back on her dresser, before turning around and asking, "What for now?"
"Um... for you having to be the one to look after me. We've never exactly gotten along, after all..."
Asuka sighed and rubbed her forehead. 'Great, he still thinks I don't like him.' Her face softened as she said, "Don't apologise. I've been looking after you for months now. I'm used to it. Besides," she added with a smirk. "You've been a perfect excuse for me to not have to go back to school."
The Third Child's eyebrows rose. "You finally got your wish? I'm sure you've been loving that," he chuckled. "But won't you have to start going again, now that I'm... awake?"
"Misato said that you are my top priority until you're fully recovered." It was only a slight twisting of her orders, but it wasn't the right time to explain that the Evangelions were still needed. "Do you feel recovered?"
Shinji almost lied, still embarrassed by their sleeping arrangements, but one look at Asuka's serious expression told him what would happen if she caught him out. "No," he mumbled. With absolute honesty, he added, "I don't think I'll be okay again for a long time."
"Then out of the goodness of my heart, I shall allow you to stay here," Asuka replied, internally cheering at Shinji's statement. She had to turn around and pretend to busy herself with something, anything, to hide the elation she felt. "After all, it would be too much work to move Rei in here."
From elsewhere in the apartment, a loud and angry voice yelled, "Asuka Langley-Soryu, get out here!"
The redhead gulped and made to leave the room, but the sight of a wide-eyed Shinji made her pause for a moment. Knowing that if she didn't show up quickly the surprise would be ruined, Asuka hissed, "Stay here, I'll be back soon!"
**
As she stepped into the hallway, Asuka was immediately pierced by the laser-like glare of Misato. Rei was standing in the woman's way, preventing her from simply storming into the bedroom. Asuka gently pushed the other girl out of the way, and took her place in front of the tired and disgruntled woman. Rei glanced sidelong at her before moving to sit at the kitchen table. The intensity of the stare increased as Misato folded her arms and said, "Well?"
The Second Child drew herself up and replied, "The surprise is nearly ready, Misato. I just need you to do one thing first."
"Asuka, I'm damn well exhausted and not in the mood," Misato growled. "What is so important that you felt the need to practically order me home?"
"Look, please just trust me for a little longer," pleaded Asuka as she moved past the woman into the kitchen. "You're about to find out."
"If I'm not amazed in the next five minutes, I'm cutting your pay for a year."
Asuka paled slightly as she neared the kitchen table, but got herself under control before turning around. That was a much more suitable threat than what she had thought of. "Er, okay. Anyway, please try this stir fry."
Misato's eyes narrowed as she attempted to discern what the German girl was planning, but a rumble from her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything in a while. She almost fell into the dining chair, and took a moment to lean back and relax before picking up her utensils and digging into the stir fry.
After a few mouthfuls, she said, "This is good. Very good. I haven't had a meal this tasty in a long time. You're getting better at cooking, but you only have four minutes left."
Asuka sat down across from her, but didn't begin eating. "What if I told you I did barely anything?" she asked with a smirk.
"Then I would assume you got lazy and convinced that Horaki girl to come over."
"Nope, try again."
Misato pursed her lips in thought. "Did Rei do this? Maybe she got some of the Ikari cooking talent too."
"She might have the gift, but no. You're getting warmer though."
"Then Shinji must have had another cooking memory." While she had been surprised that the boy could somehow cook while semi-comatose, her portion of that meal had sadly not lived up to his previous creations. The tired woman took another bite. This meal on the other hand certainly tasted a lot like what her surrogate son had made the previous year.
If the girl could grin any wider, the top of her head would have fallen off. "So close!"
Misato froze with a piece of chicken halfway to her mouth. Something that had been jumping up and down in the back of her mind since the phone call half an hour ago had finally kicked her in the head. Asuka's almost exuberant attitude, the still-unknown 'surprise', and a meal that could only have been created by one person.
All her tiredness vanished, and Misato's chair fell over with a clatter as she got to her feet. "Where is he?!" she demanded, planting her hands on the table.
"Calm down, he's-"
"Where?!"
"Um..."
It was such a quiet sound, but it easily reached both of them. Asuka would never forget the expression on Misato's face as her eyes nearly popped out of her head. She seemed frozen to the spot, almost afraid of turning around in case she had imagined the voice.
"Is... is everything okay out here?" Worried eyes under a mop of dishevelled brown hair peeked out of the doorway to Asuka's room. Misato unfroze, spinning around and accidentally kicking the chair at her feet away. Her hand flew up to her mouth at the sight of the boy as he slowly walked into the kitchen.
"Asuka..." she slowly said. "Please tell me this is real."
Though Misato couldn't see it, Asuka nodded. "He woke up this afternoon. I'm not really sure what triggered it," she lied, sending a 'don't you dare' look at Shinji, but he was too busy focusing on Misato to pay attention.
"Misato... I-... I'm sorry," Shinji stammered, finally tearing his gaze away after a few seconds. He closed his eyes against the tears threatening to break through and said, "I'm sorry I was so useless."
A sob escaped the woman's mouth, and Misato stumbled forward, landing on her knees in front of her surrogate son, who was now cringing at the close proximity of someone who he had indirectly killed due to his inaction.
"Oh Shinji..." Misato said with a tearful smile. She reached a hand out and pulled his chin around so she could look into his eyes. If there had been any doubt in her mind, it evaporated upon seeing the life in those cobalt orbs. "I don't care what happened before. Right now I don't care about anything except that you've come back to us. To me." As she uttered the last two words, she threw her arms around Shinji and yanked him into a hug.
Shinji stood there dumbly, arms hovering in the air as Misato squeezed him. With a despairing sigh, Asuka got up and moved towards the embracing pair, grabbing Shinji's hands and guiding them into returning Misato's hug. Just as the redhead was about to step back, she noticed the lines of tears crawling down the boy's cheeks and soaking into the woman's shirt, which brought a suggestion of a smile to Asuka's face.
Nearby, Rei stared at her brother and foster mother. The scene brought a comforting warmth to her chest, and the corners of her mouth tilted upwards. Shinji and Misato were now both weeping openly, and a sob occasionally wracked one or the other's body.
After a few minutes, Asuka moved around the table and tapped the bluenette on the shoulder. At Rei's inquisitive glance, she pointed towards the lounge room, and the First Child nodded. Together, they silently left the kitchen, and the still hugging pair, and sat down on the couch.
"I pray that this will aid Shinji's recovery," Rei quietly said.
"It will. Misato's got her boy back, but I have a feeling it's still going to take a very long time," Asuka replied.
The bluenette nodded. "Sadly, I must agree with you. Based on what little I remember from Lilith's link to his mind, it could well be several years before he is no longer badly affected. But now that he is awake, we can actively work to help him, instead of simply reacting to his nightmares and memories."
Asuka sighed, glancing back over her shoulder and through the doorway. "When should we tell him about the Revenants?"
"We should leave that for Misato. I believe she will be better able to know when to bring the matter up."
The two girls fell silent, and Asuka could just barely hear Misato mumbling something to Shinji.
"What did you do to cause him to awaken?" Rei suddenly asked, startling the Second Child.
Asuka remained facing away, mostly to hide the fact that her face was reddening. "N-nothing!" she exclaimed.
"If that is the case, then I shall ask Shinji what he remembers."
Asuka spun quickly around and glared at Rei. "What? No, don't do that!" Her face was now bright red.
The bluenette returned the stare for a few seconds, then said, "You know, but are unwilling to tell me."
"Just... give me some time, okay?" Asuka mumbled. "I'm still not over the shock."
"Will you be 'over it' by tomorrow night?" Rei inquired. Letting out a low groan, the Second Child grudgingly nodded. "If you cannot bring yourself to answer by then, I shall speak to my brother. For now, I shall go to bed. Goodnight." She got up and padded towards her room, sparing a glance and a smile at Misato and Shinji as she passed.
"Gee, no pressure, First," Asuka muttered to herself.
"Hey Shinji, you done thinking yet?"
The boy looked up into the face of Asuka, then lowered his head and sighed. "It's only been a few minutes, Asuka."
"Oh. Right." She decided against mentioning that it was a bad idea to leave a person in his state alone for very long. "Anyway... you know what you need?" The redhead grabbed Shinji by the shoulders and lifted him to his feet. "A distraction."
"Distraction?"
"Yep. Put all that thinking off until later. Besides..." Asuka rubbed her stomach, "I'm hungry."
"O-oh! Sorry-" Shinji paused as Asuka got a strange look on her face.
Sorry. Such a small word, but she would have given up anything to hear it again, despite how angry it used to make her. Its earlier utterances had passed over her head as she attempted to calm the boy down. Now Asuka almost wanted Shinji to say it again, just to prove that he was truly back.
"Are you okay, Asuka?" Shinji's voice cut through her musing and brought her back to see his concerned expression, and she was mildly surprised to feel her heart flutter a little at the look in his eyes.
"I-I'm fine!" she stammered. "A-anyway, I've got a surprise coming for you, but we need dinner ready in less than half an hour."
"Um..." Shinji scratched his head, and just barely avoided apologising again as he said, "I need a bit more time than that. I don't even know what we have in the fridge."
"You're in luck!" Asuka pointed a thumb towards her chest and thrust her chin upwards. "Since this is a special occasion that I want to go perfectly, I will graciously lend you my aid." To Asuka's secret delight, the depressed boy actually gave her a small smile. Her chest now felt like there was a butterfly trapped inside her ribcage. She mentally shook herself and said, "Now come on, we need to get started."
Shinji yelped slightly as Asuka's hand grabbed his own and began to drag him towards the kitchen. It had been an unconscious move done out of habit, and she prayed that he would be too nervous to say anything.
"Who's coming over?" Shinji asked as he looked through the fridge.
Asuka turned the tap on to wash her hands. "Misato. I told her to come home and to expect a surprise."
"Oh okay. What's the-" Shinji froze, and the fridge began to beep in complaint at being open for too long.
"You were gonna ask what the surprise was, weren't you," the Second Child said, looking away to hide her grin.
The boy declined to comment, shutting the fridge door a little harder than necessary after taking out several ingredients.
Six months of mental trauma apparently had little, if any, effect on Shinji's culinary skills. Asuka helped out where she could, washing and cutting some vegetables and other minor tasks, but the bulk of the task was handled by the skilled young man next to her. The contents of the pan flew up into the air at one point, to the redhead's surprise, but not a single piece was lost.
Twenty minutes passed rapidly, and the stir fry was soon complete. As soon as the plates were filled and laid out on the table, Shinji was dragged away to Asuka's bedroom while Rei kept a lookout for the return of their foster mother.
"What are we doing in here?" Shinji wondered, taking the time to look around the room.
"Waiting for the right time," Asuka replied mysteriously. She walked over to the mirror and began to brush her hair, mostly for something to do to keep her hands occupied, as the right was starting to twitch slightly, to her confusion
"Couldn't I have just waited in my room then?"
Asuka shook her head, letting her hair fly about, and then met Shinji's gaze in the mirror.
"That's Rei's bedroom now. Her apartment was destroyed, and Misato decided to take her in."
"O-oh... okay..." Shinji's face fell, and Asuka sighed internally.
'Come on, don't tell me you're just going to act like it's perfectly normal to get kicked out of two bedrooms for somebody else!'
"Wait, Rei isn't staying in this room?" Shinji asked with a frown, his eyes still looking down at the floor. "There are two futons in here." He looked up, quirking an eyebrow. "Is something wrong with the bed? Did it break?"
'Well, good. At least he's not just rolling over,' Asuka mused. "No, nothing like that," she said out loud. "It's... well, somebody had to keep an eye on you. Your nightmares tended to get rather nasty if someone wasn't nearby. Misato really needs all the rest she can get, since she's far too busy most days, and she ordered me to look after you. So you're staying in my room."
She couldn't stop the smirk that grew on her face as she watched Shinji's face gradually redden as she revealed the details of their sleeping arrangements.
"W-we're sleeping together?!" Shinji finally squeaked out.
Asuka's cheeks pinked up at the choice of words. "Wh- no! We're just sleeping in the same room!"
"But... a boy and girl shouldn't sleep in the same bedroom!"
"It was that or listen to you enduring your nightmares." Asuka leaned in closer to him. "I don't care what people think. I refuse to do nothing while you suffer."
The redness faded slowly from the boy's face as he thought in silence for a minute. The Second Child had just finished combing her hair when he mumbled, "I'm sorry, Asuka."
Reeling back slightly as that word sent a small shiver down her spine, Asuka put the brush back on her dresser, before turning around and asking, "What for now?"
"Um... for you having to be the one to look after me. We've never exactly gotten along, after all..."
Asuka sighed and rubbed her forehead. 'Great, he still thinks I don't like him.' Her face softened as she said, "Don't apologise. I've been looking after you for months now. I'm used to it. Besides," she added with a smirk. "You've been a perfect excuse for me to not have to go back to school."
The Third Child's eyebrows rose. "You finally got your wish? I'm sure you've been loving that," he chuckled. "But won't you have to start going again, now that I'm... awake?"
"Misato said that you are my top priority until you're fully recovered." It was only a slight twisting of her orders, but it wasn't the right time to explain that the Evangelions were still needed. "Do you feel recovered?"
Shinji almost lied, still embarrassed by their sleeping arrangements, but one look at Asuka's serious expression told him what would happen if she caught him out. "No," he mumbled. With absolute honesty, he added, "I don't think I'll be okay again for a long time."
"Then out of the goodness of my heart, I shall allow you to stay here," Asuka replied, internally cheering at Shinji's statement. She had to turn around and pretend to busy herself with something, anything, to hide the elation she felt. "After all, it would be too much work to move Rei in here."
From elsewhere in the apartment, a loud and angry voice yelled, "Asuka Langley-Soryu, get out here!"
The redhead gulped and made to leave the room, but the sight of a wide-eyed Shinji made her pause for a moment. Knowing that if she didn't show up quickly the surprise would be ruined, Asuka hissed, "Stay here, I'll be back soon!"
**
As she stepped into the hallway, Asuka was immediately pierced by the laser-like glare of Misato. Rei was standing in the woman's way, preventing her from simply storming into the bedroom. Asuka gently pushed the other girl out of the way, and took her place in front of the tired and disgruntled woman. Rei glanced sidelong at her before moving to sit at the kitchen table. The intensity of the stare increased as Misato folded her arms and said, "Well?"
The Second Child drew herself up and replied, "The surprise is nearly ready, Misato. I just need you to do one thing first."
"Asuka, I'm damn well exhausted and not in the mood," Misato growled. "What is so important that you felt the need to practically order me home?"
"Look, please just trust me for a little longer," pleaded Asuka as she moved past the woman into the kitchen. "You're about to find out."
"If I'm not amazed in the next five minutes, I'm cutting your pay for a year."
Asuka paled slightly as she neared the kitchen table, but got herself under control before turning around. That was a much more suitable threat than what she had thought of. "Er, okay. Anyway, please try this stir fry."
Misato's eyes narrowed as she attempted to discern what the German girl was planning, but a rumble from her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything in a while. She almost fell into the dining chair, and took a moment to lean back and relax before picking up her utensils and digging into the stir fry.
After a few mouthfuls, she said, "This is good. Very good. I haven't had a meal this tasty in a long time. You're getting better at cooking, but you only have four minutes left."
Asuka sat down across from her, but didn't begin eating. "What if I told you I did barely anything?" she asked with a smirk.
"Then I would assume you got lazy and convinced that Horaki girl to come over."
"Nope, try again."
Misato pursed her lips in thought. "Did Rei do this? Maybe she got some of the Ikari cooking talent too."
"She might have the gift, but no. You're getting warmer though."
"Then Shinji must have had another cooking memory." While she had been surprised that the boy could somehow cook while semi-comatose, her portion of that meal had sadly not lived up to his previous creations. The tired woman took another bite. This meal on the other hand certainly tasted a lot like what her surrogate son had made the previous year.
If the girl could grin any wider, the top of her head would have fallen off. "So close!"
Misato froze with a piece of chicken halfway to her mouth. Something that had been jumping up and down in the back of her mind since the phone call half an hour ago had finally kicked her in the head. Asuka's almost exuberant attitude, the still-unknown 'surprise', and a meal that could only have been created by one person.
All her tiredness vanished, and Misato's chair fell over with a clatter as she got to her feet. "Where is he?!" she demanded, planting her hands on the table.
"Calm down, he's-"
"Where?!"
"Um..."
It was such a quiet sound, but it easily reached both of them. Asuka would never forget the expression on Misato's face as her eyes nearly popped out of her head. She seemed frozen to the spot, almost afraid of turning around in case she had imagined the voice.
"Is... is everything okay out here?" Worried eyes under a mop of dishevelled brown hair peeked out of the doorway to Asuka's room. Misato unfroze, spinning around and accidentally kicking the chair at her feet away. Her hand flew up to her mouth at the sight of the boy as he slowly walked into the kitchen.
"Asuka..." she slowly said. "Please tell me this is real."
Though Misato couldn't see it, Asuka nodded. "He woke up this afternoon. I'm not really sure what triggered it," she lied, sending a 'don't you dare' look at Shinji, but he was too busy focusing on Misato to pay attention.
"Misato... I-... I'm sorry," Shinji stammered, finally tearing his gaze away after a few seconds. He closed his eyes against the tears threatening to break through and said, "I'm sorry I was so useless."
A sob escaped the woman's mouth, and Misato stumbled forward, landing on her knees in front of her surrogate son, who was now cringing at the close proximity of someone who he had indirectly killed due to his inaction.
"Oh Shinji..." Misato said with a tearful smile. She reached a hand out and pulled his chin around so she could look into his eyes. If there had been any doubt in her mind, it evaporated upon seeing the life in those cobalt orbs. "I don't care what happened before. Right now I don't care about anything except that you've come back to us. To me." As she uttered the last two words, she threw her arms around Shinji and yanked him into a hug.
Shinji stood there dumbly, arms hovering in the air as Misato squeezed him. With a despairing sigh, Asuka got up and moved towards the embracing pair, grabbing Shinji's hands and guiding them into returning Misato's hug. Just as the redhead was about to step back, she noticed the lines of tears crawling down the boy's cheeks and soaking into the woman's shirt, which brought a suggestion of a smile to Asuka's face.
Nearby, Rei stared at her brother and foster mother. The scene brought a comforting warmth to her chest, and the corners of her mouth tilted upwards. Shinji and Misato were now both weeping openly, and a sob occasionally wracked one or the other's body.
After a few minutes, Asuka moved around the table and tapped the bluenette on the shoulder. At Rei's inquisitive glance, she pointed towards the lounge room, and the First Child nodded. Together, they silently left the kitchen, and the still hugging pair, and sat down on the couch.
"I pray that this will aid Shinji's recovery," Rei quietly said.
"It will. Misato's got her boy back, but I have a feeling it's still going to take a very long time," Asuka replied.
The bluenette nodded. "Sadly, I must agree with you. Based on what little I remember from Lilith's link to his mind, it could well be several years before he is no longer badly affected. But now that he is awake, we can actively work to help him, instead of simply reacting to his nightmares and memories."
Asuka sighed, glancing back over her shoulder and through the doorway. "When should we tell him about the Revenants?"
"We should leave that for Misato. I believe she will be better able to know when to bring the matter up."
The two girls fell silent, and Asuka could just barely hear Misato mumbling something to Shinji.
"What did you do to cause him to awaken?" Rei suddenly asked, startling the Second Child.
Asuka remained facing away, mostly to hide the fact that her face was reddening. "N-nothing!" she exclaimed.
"If that is the case, then I shall ask Shinji what he remembers."
Asuka spun quickly around and glared at Rei. "What? No, don't do that!" Her face was now bright red.
The bluenette returned the stare for a few seconds, then said, "You know, but are unwilling to tell me."
"Just... give me some time, okay?" Asuka mumbled. "I'm still not over the shock."
"Will you be 'over it' by tomorrow night?" Rei inquired. Letting out a low groan, the Second Child grudgingly nodded. "If you cannot bring yourself to answer by then, I shall speak to my brother. For now, I shall go to bed. Goodnight." She got up and padded towards her room, sparing a glance and a smile at Misato and Shinji as she passed.
"Gee, no pressure, First," Asuka muttered to herself.
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Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
I see, prepare a Shinji meal, then introduce the kid back to Misato. Very Good surprise.
Now you're catching on Shinji.
Of course Shinji jumps to the innuendo.If shinji still thinks people don't car-
Well, I guess we're done with the Instrumentality-induced trauma, now to work on all the other trauma built up over Shini's life.
A lifetime of neglect would take a lifetime to undo.
I think Misato's home.
And here we... go.
Almost there Misato.
Misato's just as shocked about this as Asuka was.
Asuka, Rei, I think we'd better let the two have their moment.
Misato just confessed she views Shinji like a son. That revelation will be fun to see unveil itself, considering Shinji knows what his biological mother did for him.
I'm with Rei. That tearful reunion's just heartwarming.
yeah, no pressure Asuka.
Good work Halt. It's... it's just allergy season, I'm not crying due to FEELZ.
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Ranma-sensei
Sorcerer
- Location
- Citrix Receiver
- Pronouns
- Weatherdependent
I won't comment on breaks, as those are probably the BB codes' fault, but there's one thing:
Missed a wrong punctuation character there; should be a comma.
Heh. I can practically see Asuka desperately trying to summon her anger, just to partially fail and give Rei's hyperactive mind something to work with.
It's cute you think that he's done with any part of it or that there will be improvement at some point.
GeshronTyler
Kleiner Giftzwerg
Nicely done, Mr. Halt. Now there's a real chance to start to work through things. I think Rei and Misato will find it easier to express themselves than Asuka will though, and Shinji will likely need some time and help to learn to give and take emotionally. It will be a novel experience for him, to have people who want truly form a family with him.
- Location
- Australia, mate
You mean the bit where she disintegrated in front of him, the bit where she murdered three Angels to protect him, or the bit where she refused to move until Asuka was downed then took her son for a space trip?
Yes, the BBcode thing is really starting to get on my NERVs (dohohoi'msorry). Every single paragraph I paste here has three line breaks, and attempting to remove them by just clicking and hitting Backspace tends to fuck with the formatting even worse, forcing paragraphs to merge, or occasionally deleting a paragraph. I have to click drag over the invisible marks and then delete them. Every. Single. Time.
I actually have to agree with you here. The only reason why Shinji wasn't curled up in a ball and hiding in the bathroom after waking up was because of the shock of everything that happened. Asuka being worried about him, Rei reappearing and her revelation about their relationship, and Misato hugging the shit out of him. Once things settle back down again for him though? Yyyyeaaahhh...
It's pretty much guaranteed that Misato will take time off work to help Shinji. Screw NERV, screw the UN or whatever, her son needs her. Ritsuko is capable enough to be left in charge anyway. If Gendo can fuck off to an iceberg for a week or so, Misato should be allowed to take... would it be medical leave? Looking after a family member?
Of course, Shinji has so much to both catch up on and learn to believe. Like the fact that Asuka of all people spent six months looking after him.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Yes. Being raised in an Apocalyptic cult did Yui no favors in parenting skills.
Wait, aja was right about a plotpoint? THIRD IMPACT IS NIGH!
- Location
- Spain
Well, to be fair, that's actually a pretty sensible way to go. Everything being 'just fine' after Shinji's awakening would be pretty boring, after all.
- Location
- Australia, mate
Imagine being woken up in the morning by Shinji singing in the shower the day after this event. Everybody would think he'd completely snapped.
- Location
- Spain
Nah, it would be better for him to be air-guitarring in the hallway to the tune of some classics, a la 'Shinji the Casanova'.
- Location
- The Midlands.
You might find it easier to just write in a plaintext editor, adding the BBCode manually.
1. Please, Zeruel was joint exercise, not only did he actively initiate reactivation but Unit 01 was acting closer to way Shinji fight than what Yui did before (very agressive but goal oriented method we see in both 4th and 10th fight compared to just hyperagressive way Yui does things).
2. Speaking of plot, you made few mentions of worsening physical condindition Shinji was in due to lack of activity and it didn't hit me untill pretty much last chapter. Rei's clones weren't that active themselves (and needed to grow) but there were no problems when Rei needed new body so either angel genetic material carry benefits or LCL is even more useful (which begs the question why he wasn't spending some time in tank).
So that's it as far as nitpicking goes for now. Back to usual messages.
Now we'll get to observe Shinji crashing down hard, making sure no one want to be in his company and everyone around slowly coming to conclusion that they'll be much better of just moving on. There will also be some eva fight where everybody will almost die because of something he did.
- Location
- Australia, mate
Okay yeah, Zeruel is kind of a grey area when it comes to Berserker kills. For that fight I was more referring to Yui absorbing him and finishing off Big Z so she could nick his core.
Thank you for reminding me of his frail condition. That will have to come up soon, possibly the very next day in the story. On the Rei clones though, they at least swam around a bit while in the tank (I think). Shinji was basically not moving around at all until someone made him do it. Just sticking him in a tank wouldn't have done much, and it would have been much harder to calm him down.
The thing is they developed enough for new body to experience no problems after Rei reincarnated and she was rather active in her life and I didn't meant keeping him there but rather throwing him into blood of progenitor of mankind to soak soul magic.
I'll just note Rei under alien biology and be done with it.
There's a thought, get Shinji a good physical therapist. Someone who is experienced in dealing with people coming off long and/or debilitating illnesses who need both motivation to get back into shape and emotional support in equal measure.