Beholden, random ideas that I wanted to put through the steps to see how it turns out. This will be a brief story... maybe. One that might not make a whole lot of sense, but I wanted to use these characters because well, they are obviously out of character, but that's the point. I'll explain later. As per legal requirement, I own nothing except this vague concept that came forth from the depth of my mind. As for the characters and their direct past, those belong to one Anne Hideaki and Studio Gainax.


Live On
- Part I: Habits -

You will do as you have always done,
survive and live.

March 19, 2023 AD
Geneva, Switzerland

"What day is it?" I tossed over in our bed, struggling to open my eyes to see the clock, it wasn't there anymore, how odd. Must have been one of those nights again. Another one of those nights where I'm dead sure I had the time of my life, but couldn't remember a damn thing.

It's a bad habit I picked up.

Friday nights were our night. Once classes were over I'd drive by the apartment building to pick her up. Her hair, I could always spot her with her hair. Stood out in the crowd. She has this attitude about her that you just want to follow her no matter where she goes and do whatever she wants you too. I couldn't get enough of her.

Another bad habit I picked up.

At times it felt like I was in love with the wrong woman. The nights of boozing it up on the town, the blank mornings that felt oh so sweet yet you wanted to die at the same time from the hangover. She always seemed to pull it off though, then again she does have more experience at this then I do.

It's been seven years since I undid the world, and remade it. Things turned back to the way they were, over time. Now it's as if things hadn't changed really. People go to work, kids go to school, and NERV no longer exists, one of my gifts to mankind that Rei new I wanted. Except for some sliver of memories no one really knew what happened. Most people are afraid to talk about it, it remains a great unknown, I know what it was. Hell I was it. I did it, I may not be proud of it and I may not have made the best decisions, but I did it and I'm satisfied with that.

My last bad habit, I sound like my Father sometimes.

Of all people he came back, Gendo Rokobungi, he doesn't deserve to use my Mothers name. Although when he was found he was severed at his torso and missing and arm. He was definitely dead and gone. I cried, I cried over that bastard. He was my father after all there wasn't much I could do about that. Your father could be the devil himself but when he departs this realm you'll still feel that gnawing pain. Just something you can't avoid really. Simply a part of life.

There's one of my few good habits. Acceptance.

I picked that up from Kaji. Ryoji Kaji, there's a name I haven't put into the forefront of my mind in quite awhile. He knew what life was all about, at least he acted like it, but that's one of the few things about Kaji that I knew was true. He knew what life was about, and how to not only survive, but to live and experience it.

"Damn… remind me why we keep doing this love?" My head wasn't moving, but the room sure was.

"Because you love it just as much as I do. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it, you lead most of the way last night." She giggled at this, God I love that. I know it sounds sappy and like a bad romance novel, but she has this small giggle after our nights out. She makes me fall in love with her again and again.

Our nights on the town were legendary to our friends and myth to our classmates. We would stumble our way through the streets of Geneva completely drunk. We didn't care, no that's not right… we cared, but in a way we were enjoying every second of it. We loved making it to the door in a drunken stupor barely able to even put the key card through the lock. Then once we crossed the threshold and the door closed behind us, we made love. Sounds so unromantic. Dirty even. But if you've seen and done what we have, you'd be happy to just be alive. Sure there's romance, but this is how we knew we were alive and living. Our reaffirmation.

"What time is it?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out, but I can't seem to find where the clock went."

"Try looking across the room."

"How did it get there?"

"Oh I think you know." She gave me that Cheshire cat grin of hers.

"You must have had fun last night."

"Oh yeah, while you were passed out and inebriated there, my lover came for a night of hot passionate sex."

"Must have been good." She hopped over on top of me, straddling my waist.

"Unbelievable." Then leaned down for a deep passionate kiss. "Remember now?"

"A little I think." My head was now spinning with the room, oh well.

"SHEISS!"

"God not so loud, what is it?" The room blurred now with her scream.

"You do know what today is right?"

"I can't even remember last night hon."

"We're supposed to be meeting everybody for lunch remember." They would kill us if we were late again, my head and room came to an abrupt stop as the adrenaline filled my body. Of course they really wouldn't kill us, she just didn't want to miss this get-together, I didn't either.

"Damn it!" This wasn't the first time we've done this. The half-drunken preparation in the last minutes of the morning, sure enough, once I found the clock on the floor in two pieces. It read 11:47 AM. "You know the drill honey" I gave her a kiss on her soft lips as we both bounded up from our position in the bed. Both scrambling across the apartment we called home. Dressing as we made our way to the door. By the time I made it to door, I was dressed, at least enough to where I was presentable. However, she was in front of me with full make up, a blouse, skirt, heels and earrings. I still don't know how she does it. We gave each other a quick inspection before we walked outside.

"Looking great beautiful."

"Wish I could say the same about you baka." She pointed to my face. "You need to shave that stubble Shinji!"

"I have that covered, electric razor is in the car." I gave her my best tooth filled grin.

"Well aren't you the prepared one, come on we need to run!" The door slid open as she pulled me out of it and raced down the hallway. I caught a glimpse of the brass nameplate on the door as it shown in the dim lighting. 'Ikari-Soryhu'.

--End part I of II--
-Possibly III-

Now now, what was this author thinking when he sat down to write such a contrived story? What would happen if Shinji picked up some bad habits from Misato, IE drinking… HEAVILY. This is the incarnation of what came forth, some of it even I may not like later, but I had to let the story come to life as wished too… sounds fun no?

Side question: Why Geneva? It is the world headquarters of the U.N. after all. Things shall be explained don't worry.

Okay, some people here will be asking why I haven't put out the fourth chapter of That's Good For You… that's simple, I even know how I wanted it to end… I even had the end written first practically, but that wouldn't do justice to the story. I also feel that re-writing Neon Genesis Evangelion is somehow wrong. Like I'm defiling a piece of art. It is for me anyway. When I first began writing That's Good For You, I had yet to see Death and Rebirth, and End of Evangelion. Once I did, all new production on my little story ceased. Those two movies are just pure art, I would even go so far as to call them cinema. So to go forth with that project would be a disservice to: Anno Hideaki, Studio Gainax, and all those connected to Project-E. But that's a personal feeling and choice.

(Side note: For those who watched the American DVD version of both Death and Rebirth, and EoE. Didn't the musical composition and the background setup of the openings menu's give you chills? From the second you put either DVD in, you knew the story was going to be something that you hadn't seen before. It's that feeling of impending doom and personal anguish.)

I won't knock the people that have actually done it, and done it well: (in no particular order) Random 1377, SeldonPlanner (whom I've had the pleasure of communicating with lately), Axel Terizaki, and Strike Fiss to just name a few. There's a whole host of others, however those are the one's that come to the surface of my mind.

Comments and even hate mail can be sent to balky82@hotmail.com with the subject line of FF or something. Or you can tell me I suck directly to me with the wonders of AIM: EineAlteSeele (yes that means an old soul in German no less)

Long notes huh? I'd like to thank Lord SeldonPlanner for his thoughts and pre-reading services.