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You Are (Not) at Fault
- Thread starter MisterHalt
- Start date
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
The couple of A&T is in a very different place. They got lucky, and got together before the long downward slide of the second half of the series ground away at their emotional stability and egos. So for them to wake up in bed together is armor against going that way. This pair is after all the abuses and traumas the 13th-17th Angels heaped on them, and the wounds they gave each other in their pain and lashing out, so yeah, they've got a lot of healing to do before them 'entangling their AT-Fields' would be anything like a good idea. But on the bright side, they're talking, or at least starting to, and Shinji's at least willing to have Asuka around and open up a little, and she's found the courage and desire to try getting closer to him (in all senses).
Shinji less needs his pipes cleaned than he needs to actually just plain sleep with her. Just someone to hold onto in the night and keep the nightmares at bay. He really does need the hugs more than the sweating and moaning.
M. H. Fuzzball
Aperture Science-certified Horrible Person
- Location
- Sector 2814
I'm sorry, I just wouldn't know where to begin on a hug-telethon post like I did for Rei on the A&T thread...
(Besides that, there were the people who just didn't get the point. I mean, seriously; I put up a message that said 'hug this post to hug Rei!', and people liked the post, or rated it as funny. OTOH, I told an author I read elsewhere that I was organizing a hug telethon for Rei, and he said to put him down for 5. When I let him know it was for A&T, he said to triple it.)
wtdtd
slow thinker, with crippling abundance of time
- Location
- The Netherlands
Ranma-sensei
Sorcerer
- Location
- Citrix Receiver
- Pronouns
- Weatherdependent
Yer late, buddy. I already favourited it.
- Location
- Australia, mate
You beat me to it. I was flicking through the account options after uploading, and completely forgot to post in this thread about the post.
Ah, good. Favorited.
Chapter 24.2
- Location
- Australia, mate
I had a serious choice to make tonight. I'm up to the final mission in XCOM 2. I could have made you wait another day while I tackled it. But it's midnight and I get the feeling the mission would have taken ages with lots of bullshit to face. I'd rather come back to it fresh in the morning. Instead, you get this update!
**
Chapter 24.2
Surprisingly, it was Rei who came up with a possible idea to keep Shinji's mind off of other people while outside a few days later, while the two girls were getting changed after another round of sync tests and combat simulations.
"Have you noticed how Shinji concentrates while listening to the music when he's not playing?" Rei quietly asked after opening her locker.
Asuka mentally replayed the previous evening in her head. Both Misato and Rei had been home as well, and she had convinced Shinji to play for them. She had been focused on Shinji's face, as she was still amazed that he could play so accurately from memory. The thin sheen of sweat on his face as he played the last song before finishing showed just how much effort he put into making music. "Yeah, it's like... he shuts the world out..." Her eyes lit up.
"Precisely."
"Wondergirl, you're a genius."
The bluenette blinked. "I am?"
Asuka explained how she had part of a solution to helping Shinji go outside, and that Rei's comment had given her exactly what she needed to complete it.
"I see," Rei replied after a moment. "Then perhaps this may help." She took a familiar object out of her locker and passed it to the redhead.
"This... is his SDAT player." Asuka would have preferred to never see this infernal device as long as she lived. Shinji had used it to shut out the world when things became too much for him. She looked up and asked, "Where'd you get it?"
"It was still in... my room," Rei replied. "I brought it to my locker to... hide it."
"Hide it?" Asuka repeated as she raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you give it back to him?"
"I..." The pale girl looked away, seemingly ashamed. "I know why Shinji used it so often. I was... afraid he would return to that habit."
Asuka hummed in total understanding. She opened the SDAT player and took the tape out, muttering under her breath when she saw that it was unlabelled. The batteries were long dead, but fortunately not leaking yet. She was thankful that she always kept a few spares in her locker for her games and the long periods of waiting she had had to endure in the past. Slotting the fresh batteries in, she held the headphones near her ear and began to listen to the tracks, skipping through them to see what the Third Child's musical tastes were.
His playlist consisted mostly of pop songs, with a couple of classical music tracks near the end. The final two tracks made Asuka wonder if Misato had ever been a singer, as the vocalist sounded almost exactly like her.
A tap on her shoulder almost made her drop the SDAT in surprise, and Asuka looked up into the concerned face of the First Child. She shook her head at the unasked question, and glared down at the player. It was almost as if it was attempting to suck her in. No wonder Shinji returned to it so often.
'Maybe now its powers can be harnessed for good,' she mused. Out loud, she said, "The songs are pretty good, but the tape is starting to degrade."
"Kensuke may be able to assist," offered Rei. "He has helped some of our classmates to acquire music. Perhaps he can make a new tape."
"Well, since I'm sure you're going to be seeing him again soon, I'll let you handle that," Asuka replied, passing her the tape. She briefly considered asking Rei about what was happening between her and Kensuke, but held her tongue. The confused redhead had to sort out her own relationship before she could pry into somebody else's. If the First Child came to her with any questions, she would just have to direct her to Misato instead.
At least it might be entertaining to listen to.
Asuka stuffed the SDAT player into her pocket, hoping the bulge would go unnoticed. After both the pool time and the tests and simulations, it was now well after lunchtime. The two pilots met up with Shinji and Misato, and together they headed for the cafeteria for a bite to eat before heading home. While the boy got his own lunch, Asuka quietly asked Misato a question, to which the woman responded that she would look into it and let her know that evening.
**
It had been less of an effort than Asuka had expected to teach Shinji the Western alphabet, and she had quickly had him singing the alphabet song in German. She couldn't work out what had compelled her to do such a thing, but it was worth it when she caught the Third Child idly humming it to himself while preparing lunch one day.
His rapid progress in learning her mother tongue had given Asuka an idea earlier that day. After Misato dropped them off and headed back to NERV, and Rei split off to speak to Kensuke, she posed a challenge to Shinji: Instead of Japanese, speak only German for the rest of the day. Everybody else in the Katsuragi household could speak the language, Rei only slightly less so than Misato and Asuka, so there would be little trouble as all three could correct him.
Asuka had no idea if Pen-Pen could understand German though. But since the bird drank, read the newspaper, watched television and could somehow smuggle in a critically endangered fish, she wouldn't put anything past him.
"Shall we begin?"
"Yes- I mean, ja."
Asuka nodded in approval. "Gut. Also, was kochst du heute zum Abendessen?" <Good. Okay, what are you making for dinner tonight?>
"Ah... Reis, Suppe, und ich werde dem Rest von die Thunfisch benutzen, die PenPen mich gegeben hat. Oh, und eine alternative Gericht fur Rei." <Rice, soup, and I'm going to use the last of the tuna Pen-Pen gave me. Oh, and an alternate dish for Rei.>
"Okay, that wasn't so bad," Asuka replied with an appraising look. "Just... Shinji, Rest and Thunfisch are male words, and it should be a genitive with the tuna; also, it's 'ein alternatives Gericht' and 'für'."
"Sorr- I mean... Entschuldige?"
The redhead rolled her eyes, trying to ignore what hearing the boy apologise in German did to her. "Don't be sorry, dummy. You're doing a hell of a lot better than I expected. In a couple months you'd probably be able to watch a German documentary and understand the entire thing."
The praise brought a smile to Shinji's face, which in turn made Asuka's lips turn upwards.
**
Asuka's stepmother, a woman who had apparently fallen for her bastard of a father just as badly as her own mother, had given the redhead a wonderful gift for her college graduation, despite Asuka being emancipated.
It was an antique Jakob Stainer violin, that Katharina Langley's grandmother had bequeathed to her in the old woman's will. But with her nursing career, she could never find time to learn to play it and so had quietly passed it onto Asuka when her husband wasn't looking.
Asuka had been determined to make time to learn to play the instrument. At the time, it was simply because she wanted to add another skill to her repertoire. Another thing to brag about; another notch on her belt.
The Second Child was glad the time had been made now. All she needed to do was get the violin from the storage unit it had been stored at when she had arrived in Japan with far too much to fit in her room.
It was just a shame that the storage unit had been badly damaged by the N2 mine dropped on Tokyo-3.
"You're kidding me!" Asuka angrily exclaimed when Misato told her the bad news that evening.
"Afraid so."
"Everything okay?" Shinji asked as he turned away from the stove. "Er... I mean... Alles in Ordnung?"
"Ach... egal," Asuka hastily replied. "Ich hatte nur gehofft, etwas aus der Lagereinheit zu holen, in der letztes Jahr der ganze Rest von meinem Kram eingelagert wurde." <Oh... never mind, I was just hoping to get... something from the storage unit the rest of my stuff got put in last year.>
Misato raised an eyebrow at the redhead, curious as to why both teens were speaking in German, but decided to play along. "Ich hab nur gesagt, dass das Gebäude beschädigt wurde, nicht zerstört. Deine Sachen könnten überlebt haben." <I just said the building was damaged, not destroyed. Your stuff might have survived.>
"Um... Ich... Ah..." Shinji struggled to keep up.
Asuka took pity on the poor boy, as Misato had been talking far faster than he could follow. She returned to Japanese and translated for him. "Misato said that the building wasn't outright destroyed, and that I might get my things back."
"Right. Also..." Shinji began.
"I'll let you stop now, anyway" Asuka said, "You did pretty well, I suppose."
Shinji nodded and turned back to the stove. Rei's extraordinary gift had amazed everybody, and even caused some jealousy to stir inside Asuka at the fact that the First Child had basically one-upped her. Some of the old cookware had been passed along to a grateful Hikari, and the new ones were now cleaned almost immediately after dinner, as was the stove. Asuka took a deep whiff of the almost-ready dinner. His gifts seemed to have inspired him, as his meals were only getting better as time went on.
Since she wanted to surprise Shinji, she began speaking to Misato in rapid-fire German about precisely what she was hoping was still intact. The woman predictably teased her about 'making beautiful music' with Shinji, to which all she could do was blush. It was difficult enough to deny anything to herself, let alone somebody like Misato.
It was impossible to hide from her emotions lately, especially when they were as strong as they had become in the past few weeks. Asuka had tried in the past to change how she felt about Shinji, but it simply didn't work. She had only two choices: keep trying and not get anywhere, or give in and accept these feelings.
She couldn't even bring herself to try and change him anymore. Teaching him to swim and speak German didn't count, as they were both useful skills to know. And her attempt to get him to go outside again was just her trying to heal him, to return him to what he used to be. The quiet, polite, not-very-social-but-still-tries teenager she knew for most of last year.
Most other people wouldn't give up on changing him. They would try to 'fix' him, to mould him into their perfect mate... their doll. They would try to get him to 'man up'. But to Asuka, those changes would strip away the very things that made him Shinji Ikari. So what if he couldn't beat somebody up? He could still out-cook practically anybody, in her opinion.
Brave? No, Shinji wasn't brave. But he was courageous. He feared and hated the Evangelions, but he had the courage to climb into the machine that had stolen his mother, and go out to save humanity countless times.
To Asuka's faint surprise, she felt like he was perfect just the way he was, meekness and all. All those little flaws that used to irritate her to no end... they made him who he was. A cocky and arrogant Third Child just would not be the same. He would be like... well, like herself. And look how she had turned out.
And then there was his ability to make her relax with just a few notes on his cello. No matter how many times Shinji would say that he wasn't very good, Asuka would always insist that he was brilliant. Because he was.
Was this what it really felt like to be in love? Was it love? She didn't exactly have much to compare it to. It certainly felt different to whatever she had felt for Ryoji Kaji.
But fear was still lurking in her chest, ready to remind her what had happened the last time she had opened her heart to somebody. Knowing the truth behind her mother's death didn't seem to help. The sting of that betrayal still lingered. It was now like an animal that had learned not to touch an electric fence, instinctively keeping away from it in case it got shocked again.
What would it take to be able to force herself to say something?
"Asuka? You okay?"
The Second Child jumped a little at the woman's voice. "Huh? Yeah, just thinking." She didn't need to turn around to feel the concerned stare of Shinji on her, and was almost unhappy when that sensation disappeared a moment later as he put the finishing touches on dinner.
"Considering the look on your face just then, I won't ask what about," replied Misato. "Anyway, I'll do my best to find out if... that item survived."
"Thanks, Misato."
**
To Asuka's great relief, she had the violin case in her hands two days later. Most of the rest of her stored items had been damaged or destroyed, but most of it was clothing and fashion accessories, as well as the small amount of sheet music she had used to practice. With her pilot's wage, those were easily replaceable.
A crack in the case showed where something heavy had fallen on it, and as Asuka gingerly opened the case, her heart sank at the accompanying damage to the instrument itself. The fact that the bow survived intact was little consolation.
The loud German curse she uttered was soon followed by the sound of footsteps hurrying up the hallway, and she hastily shoved the violin back in its case and under her bed, pulling down the sheet a little to cover it up.
"Asuka?" It was Shinji, worried as usual, cautiously poking his head through the door as if her bedroom were a dragon's cave. "Everything okay in here?"
"It's nothing, I'm fine!" the girl loudly replied, much too quick to be believable. It brought to mind the times last year when she'd told him to go away. He always would.
"Oh... okay..."
And now he was making that face again, the one that made him look like a dog with its tail between its legs, as he slowly retreated.
Asuka sighed heavily. "Get back here, you idiot."
It was a long five seconds between the footsteps outside her room stopping, and turning around to come back at a snail's pace. This time, Shinji only put part of his face in view. He was probably expecting it to get burnt off. She had to wave him in several times before he got the message.
He stopped several feet away from her and said only one thing. "Um..."
The redhead sighed and yanked Shinji down to the floor by an arm. She grudgingly brought out the violin case and showed him her problem. Whatever had fallen on the case had had enough force to crack the neck of the instrument.
"Ooh, that looks bad," Shinji said with a sharp intake of breath. "But... you could still get it repaired, right?"
"I'd have to find somewhere in this city that does antique repairs and restorations," Asuka dully replied. "This thing is old."
The boy next to her gently placed the violin back in its case and closed the lid, then held up the bow. "You could ask at the place where you got my bow. Surely a music shop owner would have some idea."
Asuka almost dismissed his suggestion, but then she remembered the old man who had sold her the perfect bow. Masami was certainly not just some retail goon grudgingly doing his job. He was a person who had found his niche and did everything he could to ensure everybody who shopped at his store left more than satisfied.
She would have gladly paid full price for the cello bow.
For the second time that week, Asuka said, "You're a genius!"
And also for the second time, the response she received was, "I am?"
Asuka sighed. Despite the physical differences, it was obvious that the First and Third Children were related. "Damn right you are. Let's go while the shops are still open."
Shinji was almost dragged out of the apartment, Asuka letting go only when she realised that the violin had been left behind. She pressed the button for the elevator and waited.
When the door opened, they were greeted by Kensuke, who stepped out and waved. "Oh, hey guys."
"What's up, nerd?" Asuka almost growled.
"Uh..." Kensuke froze. A look of confusion crossed his face. "Aren't you supposed to be at NERV?"
"No, that was a couple days ago."
The spectacled boy scratched his head. "That's funny. The public address system called Rei away. Said it was NERV business. I assumed it was a sync test."
The puzzled look migrated to Asuka's face. "We get told ahead of time when the tests are scheduled. And why use the P.A.? The Eva pilots have cellphones for a reason."
"Maybe her phone stopped working?" suggested Shinji. He took out his own phone and dialled Rei's number. The other two teenagers waited as he held the phone to his ear for almost half a minute, before he looked at it in disbelief. "No answer."
"Something's wrong, then," Asuka replied. "She wouldn't just choose not to answer it, not with everything that's happened this year and the last. I'm calling Misato."
The call was answered almost immediately, and she pressed the button for the speaker. "Shit. Asuka? Are you and Shinji okay?"
"Of course we are."
"And your friends? Nothing's happened to them?"
"Aida, are Toji, Hikari and their sisters fine?" At a nod from Kensuke, she answered Misato. "They're fine too. What's going on? Rei's not answering her phone, and Nerd Stooge said she got called to NERV."
"Her Section Two detail was just found dead, and we can't even locate her with the MAGI." The response drew gasps of shock from all three teenagers, but the the next words chilled them to the bone.
"We believe she's been abducted."
**
Chapter 24.2
Surprisingly, it was Rei who came up with a possible idea to keep Shinji's mind off of other people while outside a few days later, while the two girls were getting changed after another round of sync tests and combat simulations.
"Have you noticed how Shinji concentrates while listening to the music when he's not playing?" Rei quietly asked after opening her locker.
Asuka mentally replayed the previous evening in her head. Both Misato and Rei had been home as well, and she had convinced Shinji to play for them. She had been focused on Shinji's face, as she was still amazed that he could play so accurately from memory. The thin sheen of sweat on his face as he played the last song before finishing showed just how much effort he put into making music. "Yeah, it's like... he shuts the world out..." Her eyes lit up.
"Precisely."
"Wondergirl, you're a genius."
The bluenette blinked. "I am?"
Asuka explained how she had part of a solution to helping Shinji go outside, and that Rei's comment had given her exactly what she needed to complete it.
"I see," Rei replied after a moment. "Then perhaps this may help." She took a familiar object out of her locker and passed it to the redhead.
"This... is his SDAT player." Asuka would have preferred to never see this infernal device as long as she lived. Shinji had used it to shut out the world when things became too much for him. She looked up and asked, "Where'd you get it?"
"It was still in... my room," Rei replied. "I brought it to my locker to... hide it."
"Hide it?" Asuka repeated as she raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you give it back to him?"
"I..." The pale girl looked away, seemingly ashamed. "I know why Shinji used it so often. I was... afraid he would return to that habit."
Asuka hummed in total understanding. She opened the SDAT player and took the tape out, muttering under her breath when she saw that it was unlabelled. The batteries were long dead, but fortunately not leaking yet. She was thankful that she always kept a few spares in her locker for her games and the long periods of waiting she had had to endure in the past. Slotting the fresh batteries in, she held the headphones near her ear and began to listen to the tracks, skipping through them to see what the Third Child's musical tastes were.
His playlist consisted mostly of pop songs, with a couple of classical music tracks near the end. The final two tracks made Asuka wonder if Misato had ever been a singer, as the vocalist sounded almost exactly like her.
A tap on her shoulder almost made her drop the SDAT in surprise, and Asuka looked up into the concerned face of the First Child. She shook her head at the unasked question, and glared down at the player. It was almost as if it was attempting to suck her in. No wonder Shinji returned to it so often.
'Maybe now its powers can be harnessed for good,' she mused. Out loud, she said, "The songs are pretty good, but the tape is starting to degrade."
"Kensuke may be able to assist," offered Rei. "He has helped some of our classmates to acquire music. Perhaps he can make a new tape."
"Well, since I'm sure you're going to be seeing him again soon, I'll let you handle that," Asuka replied, passing her the tape. She briefly considered asking Rei about what was happening between her and Kensuke, but held her tongue. The confused redhead had to sort out her own relationship before she could pry into somebody else's. If the First Child came to her with any questions, she would just have to direct her to Misato instead.
At least it might be entertaining to listen to.
Asuka stuffed the SDAT player into her pocket, hoping the bulge would go unnoticed. After both the pool time and the tests and simulations, it was now well after lunchtime. The two pilots met up with Shinji and Misato, and together they headed for the cafeteria for a bite to eat before heading home. While the boy got his own lunch, Asuka quietly asked Misato a question, to which the woman responded that she would look into it and let her know that evening.
**
It had been less of an effort than Asuka had expected to teach Shinji the Western alphabet, and she had quickly had him singing the alphabet song in German. She couldn't work out what had compelled her to do such a thing, but it was worth it when she caught the Third Child idly humming it to himself while preparing lunch one day.
His rapid progress in learning her mother tongue had given Asuka an idea earlier that day. After Misato dropped them off and headed back to NERV, and Rei split off to speak to Kensuke, she posed a challenge to Shinji: Instead of Japanese, speak only German for the rest of the day. Everybody else in the Katsuragi household could speak the language, Rei only slightly less so than Misato and Asuka, so there would be little trouble as all three could correct him.
Asuka had no idea if Pen-Pen could understand German though. But since the bird drank, read the newspaper, watched television and could somehow smuggle in a critically endangered fish, she wouldn't put anything past him.
"Shall we begin?"
"Yes- I mean, ja."
Asuka nodded in approval. "Gut. Also, was kochst du heute zum Abendessen?" <Good. Okay, what are you making for dinner tonight?>
"Ah... Reis, Suppe, und ich werde dem Rest von die Thunfisch benutzen, die PenPen mich gegeben hat. Oh, und eine alternative Gericht fur Rei." <Rice, soup, and I'm going to use the last of the tuna Pen-Pen gave me. Oh, and an alternate dish for Rei.>
"Okay, that wasn't so bad," Asuka replied with an appraising look. "Just... Shinji, Rest and Thunfisch are male words, and it should be a genitive with the tuna; also, it's 'ein alternatives Gericht' and 'für'."
"Sorr- I mean... Entschuldige?"
The redhead rolled her eyes, trying to ignore what hearing the boy apologise in German did to her. "Don't be sorry, dummy. You're doing a hell of a lot better than I expected. In a couple months you'd probably be able to watch a German documentary and understand the entire thing."
The praise brought a smile to Shinji's face, which in turn made Asuka's lips turn upwards.
**
Asuka's stepmother, a woman who had apparently fallen for her bastard of a father just as badly as her own mother, had given the redhead a wonderful gift for her college graduation, despite Asuka being emancipated.
It was an antique Jakob Stainer violin, that Katharina Langley's grandmother had bequeathed to her in the old woman's will. But with her nursing career, she could never find time to learn to play it and so had quietly passed it onto Asuka when her husband wasn't looking.
Asuka had been determined to make time to learn to play the instrument. At the time, it was simply because she wanted to add another skill to her repertoire. Another thing to brag about; another notch on her belt.
The Second Child was glad the time had been made now. All she needed to do was get the violin from the storage unit it had been stored at when she had arrived in Japan with far too much to fit in her room.
It was just a shame that the storage unit had been badly damaged by the N2 mine dropped on Tokyo-3.
"You're kidding me!" Asuka angrily exclaimed when Misato told her the bad news that evening.
"Afraid so."
"Everything okay?" Shinji asked as he turned away from the stove. "Er... I mean... Alles in Ordnung?"
"Ach... egal," Asuka hastily replied. "Ich hatte nur gehofft, etwas aus der Lagereinheit zu holen, in der letztes Jahr der ganze Rest von meinem Kram eingelagert wurde." <Oh... never mind, I was just hoping to get... something from the storage unit the rest of my stuff got put in last year.>
Misato raised an eyebrow at the redhead, curious as to why both teens were speaking in German, but decided to play along. "Ich hab nur gesagt, dass das Gebäude beschädigt wurde, nicht zerstört. Deine Sachen könnten überlebt haben." <I just said the building was damaged, not destroyed. Your stuff might have survived.>
"Um... Ich... Ah..." Shinji struggled to keep up.
Asuka took pity on the poor boy, as Misato had been talking far faster than he could follow. She returned to Japanese and translated for him. "Misato said that the building wasn't outright destroyed, and that I might get my things back."
"Right. Also..." Shinji began.
"I'll let you stop now, anyway" Asuka said, "You did pretty well, I suppose."
Shinji nodded and turned back to the stove. Rei's extraordinary gift had amazed everybody, and even caused some jealousy to stir inside Asuka at the fact that the First Child had basically one-upped her. Some of the old cookware had been passed along to a grateful Hikari, and the new ones were now cleaned almost immediately after dinner, as was the stove. Asuka took a deep whiff of the almost-ready dinner. His gifts seemed to have inspired him, as his meals were only getting better as time went on.
Since she wanted to surprise Shinji, she began speaking to Misato in rapid-fire German about precisely what she was hoping was still intact. The woman predictably teased her about 'making beautiful music' with Shinji, to which all she could do was blush. It was difficult enough to deny anything to herself, let alone somebody like Misato.
It was impossible to hide from her emotions lately, especially when they were as strong as they had become in the past few weeks. Asuka had tried in the past to change how she felt about Shinji, but it simply didn't work. She had only two choices: keep trying and not get anywhere, or give in and accept these feelings.
She couldn't even bring herself to try and change him anymore. Teaching him to swim and speak German didn't count, as they were both useful skills to know. And her attempt to get him to go outside again was just her trying to heal him, to return him to what he used to be. The quiet, polite, not-very-social-but-still-tries teenager she knew for most of last year.
Most other people wouldn't give up on changing him. They would try to 'fix' him, to mould him into their perfect mate... their doll. They would try to get him to 'man up'. But to Asuka, those changes would strip away the very things that made him Shinji Ikari. So what if he couldn't beat somebody up? He could still out-cook practically anybody, in her opinion.
Brave? No, Shinji wasn't brave. But he was courageous. He feared and hated the Evangelions, but he had the courage to climb into the machine that had stolen his mother, and go out to save humanity countless times.
To Asuka's faint surprise, she felt like he was perfect just the way he was, meekness and all. All those little flaws that used to irritate her to no end... they made him who he was. A cocky and arrogant Third Child just would not be the same. He would be like... well, like herself. And look how she had turned out.
And then there was his ability to make her relax with just a few notes on his cello. No matter how many times Shinji would say that he wasn't very good, Asuka would always insist that he was brilliant. Because he was.
Was this what it really felt like to be in love? Was it love? She didn't exactly have much to compare it to. It certainly felt different to whatever she had felt for Ryoji Kaji.
But fear was still lurking in her chest, ready to remind her what had happened the last time she had opened her heart to somebody. Knowing the truth behind her mother's death didn't seem to help. The sting of that betrayal still lingered. It was now like an animal that had learned not to touch an electric fence, instinctively keeping away from it in case it got shocked again.
What would it take to be able to force herself to say something?
"Asuka? You okay?"
The Second Child jumped a little at the woman's voice. "Huh? Yeah, just thinking." She didn't need to turn around to feel the concerned stare of Shinji on her, and was almost unhappy when that sensation disappeared a moment later as he put the finishing touches on dinner.
"Considering the look on your face just then, I won't ask what about," replied Misato. "Anyway, I'll do my best to find out if... that item survived."
"Thanks, Misato."
**
To Asuka's great relief, she had the violin case in her hands two days later. Most of the rest of her stored items had been damaged or destroyed, but most of it was clothing and fashion accessories, as well as the small amount of sheet music she had used to practice. With her pilot's wage, those were easily replaceable.
A crack in the case showed where something heavy had fallen on it, and as Asuka gingerly opened the case, her heart sank at the accompanying damage to the instrument itself. The fact that the bow survived intact was little consolation.
The loud German curse she uttered was soon followed by the sound of footsteps hurrying up the hallway, and she hastily shoved the violin back in its case and under her bed, pulling down the sheet a little to cover it up.
"Asuka?" It was Shinji, worried as usual, cautiously poking his head through the door as if her bedroom were a dragon's cave. "Everything okay in here?"
"It's nothing, I'm fine!" the girl loudly replied, much too quick to be believable. It brought to mind the times last year when she'd told him to go away. He always would.
"Oh... okay..."
And now he was making that face again, the one that made him look like a dog with its tail between its legs, as he slowly retreated.
Asuka sighed heavily. "Get back here, you idiot."
It was a long five seconds between the footsteps outside her room stopping, and turning around to come back at a snail's pace. This time, Shinji only put part of his face in view. He was probably expecting it to get burnt off. She had to wave him in several times before he got the message.
He stopped several feet away from her and said only one thing. "Um..."
The redhead sighed and yanked Shinji down to the floor by an arm. She grudgingly brought out the violin case and showed him her problem. Whatever had fallen on the case had had enough force to crack the neck of the instrument.
"Ooh, that looks bad," Shinji said with a sharp intake of breath. "But... you could still get it repaired, right?"
"I'd have to find somewhere in this city that does antique repairs and restorations," Asuka dully replied. "This thing is old."
The boy next to her gently placed the violin back in its case and closed the lid, then held up the bow. "You could ask at the place where you got my bow. Surely a music shop owner would have some idea."
Asuka almost dismissed his suggestion, but then she remembered the old man who had sold her the perfect bow. Masami was certainly not just some retail goon grudgingly doing his job. He was a person who had found his niche and did everything he could to ensure everybody who shopped at his store left more than satisfied.
She would have gladly paid full price for the cello bow.
For the second time that week, Asuka said, "You're a genius!"
And also for the second time, the response she received was, "I am?"
Asuka sighed. Despite the physical differences, it was obvious that the First and Third Children were related. "Damn right you are. Let's go while the shops are still open."
Shinji was almost dragged out of the apartment, Asuka letting go only when she realised that the violin had been left behind. She pressed the button for the elevator and waited.
When the door opened, they were greeted by Kensuke, who stepped out and waved. "Oh, hey guys."
"What's up, nerd?" Asuka almost growled.
"Uh..." Kensuke froze. A look of confusion crossed his face. "Aren't you supposed to be at NERV?"
"No, that was a couple days ago."
The spectacled boy scratched his head. "That's funny. The public address system called Rei away. Said it was NERV business. I assumed it was a sync test."
The puzzled look migrated to Asuka's face. "We get told ahead of time when the tests are scheduled. And why use the P.A.? The Eva pilots have cellphones for a reason."
"Maybe her phone stopped working?" suggested Shinji. He took out his own phone and dialled Rei's number. The other two teenagers waited as he held the phone to his ear for almost half a minute, before he looked at it in disbelief. "No answer."
"Something's wrong, then," Asuka replied. "She wouldn't just choose not to answer it, not with everything that's happened this year and the last. I'm calling Misato."
The call was answered almost immediately, and she pressed the button for the speaker. "Shit. Asuka? Are you and Shinji okay?"
"Of course we are."
"And your friends? Nothing's happened to them?"
"Aida, are Toji, Hikari and their sisters fine?" At a nod from Kensuke, she answered Misato. "They're fine too. What's going on? Rei's not answering her phone, and Nerd Stooge said she got called to NERV."
"Her Section Two detail was just found dead, and we can't even locate her with the MAGI." The response drew gasps of shock from all three teenagers, but the the next words chilled them to the bone.
"We believe she's been abducted."
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Ranma-sensei
Sorcerer
- Location
- Citrix Receiver
- Pronouns
- Weatherdependent
Oh crap.
Gendoh? Seele? Some cult?
Frak it, I'm going in! *digs out his AWM*
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Dang, you work fast.
The nickname is used as a compliment now. Good to see.
Don't think about that last bit too much Asuka. The less you're involved with Shinji and Freudian psychology, the better.
Hey, I've been doing that in class myself.
Now that part is a week away for me. Although the family I'm staying with is used to Japanese students, appropriately enough.
Cut the kid some slack Asuka, you germans don't even have consistent rules for what words are what gender./fake outrage.
Need a space here.
Hm. I don't know whether to call that another example of her stepmom trying to care for Asuka, or the opposite.
So the jealousy starts to emerge, and Misato's in on the game.
This I gotta hear.
Hm. Interesting, go on.
Veyr insightful, especially given what some fanfics do with Shinji. If the key emotional and psychological concepts of a character are changed, then are they really the same character? Asuka seems to think not.
Oh yeah. Being scared yet doing the job anyway is the textbook definition of courage.
Daaaaaaaw.
You're asking the wrong person Asuka, I haven't even been on a date!
So Masami is not gone from the story, and he's going to meet Shinji. Wonder what memories Shinji will pick up from him...
Mama Yui don't birth no fools. She'll marry one though.
Shouldn't 'her' be Rei here?
Oh sit, don't tell m-
That's not good.
Hold up, I'm coming with you! This Bonesaw is just very heavy. "Hurry up, I want to look at the Lilith-clone you told me about."
Ranma-sensei
Sorcerer
- Location
- Citrix Receiver
- Pronouns
- Weatherdependent
Who told you that? We German speaking folk have technically three genders to contend with: Male, Female, and Neutrum. It's all very clearly defined.
I think it's pretty clear who he's talking about, though.
Okay, now we just need someone for middle distance.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
You misunderstand. I'm talking about which words get labeled Male, Female, and Neuterum. Stuff like: 'Der Bikini'.
Knightfall
Nui lover and Slaaneshi
- Location
- New York, New York
I will join you
You as well.
Good thing I bought this shotgun.
khazit
Verified Skrull infiltrator
Bonesaw with cap? Riley?
Also, can't speak about German, but the whole gendered verb for door and chair and shit made me drop French.
*look at German suspiciously*
M. H. Fuzzball
Aperture Science-certified Horrible Person
- Location
- Sector 2814
Just to let you know, stolen for signature.
Oh, look, Shinji just jumped in Unit-01 again, and this time, he's going to make it start.
"Mom, Rei's in trouble, and I have to save her. If you don't like that, fine, but we are doing this!"
Knightfall
Nui lover and Slaaneshi
- Location
- New York, New York
M. H. Fuzzball
Aperture Science-certified Horrible Person
- Location
- Sector 2814
I don't think it's ever been mentioned, but does Unit-01 still have the S2 Organ it ripped out of Zeruel?
Knightfall
Nui lover and Slaaneshi
- Location
- New York, New York
Most likely yes.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Yeah.... this is going to go well for whoever is behind it. Threatening a girl Shinji cares about usually leads to screaming and occasionally the end of the world.
M. H. Fuzzball
Aperture Science-certified Horrible Person
- Location
- Sector 2814
I have a feeling that when Shinji gets a hold of whoever's responsible, they're going to wish they'd stayed Tanged. To say nothing of our favorite Chosen of the Unconquered Tsun.
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Ranma-sensei
Sorcerer
- Location
- Citrix Receiver
- Pronouns
- Weatherdependent
Oh, that's the problem. That's were derivation comes in:
You see, a bikini is swim wear (Badeanzug). Since 'Badeanzug' is male, so is 'Bikini'. Simple rule, ne?
Okay, guys. Let's do this!
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Knightfall
Nui lover and Slaaneshi
- Location
- New York, New York
Oh hell yes.Oh, that's the problem. That's were derivation comes in:
You see, a bikini is swim wear (Badeanzug). Since 'Badeanzug' is male, so is 'Bikini'. Simple rule, ne?
Okay, guys. Let's do this!
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Time to rock and roll!
Which way are we going?
Knightfall
Nui lover and Slaaneshi
- Location
- New York, New York
Follow the Shinji.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Yes Ma'am. I'll bring the car around.