Disclaimer: don't own it. Wish I did, but I never will.

A/N: This is my first Rei centric story. If my characterization of her is off I do apologize. If you have any suggestions to improve on writing her personality and mannerisms please feel free to drop a review or PM me. Anyway enough of my ramblings enjoy the show.

Episode One: That Which Stirs Within

-Tokyo-3 February 14th 2014 (One year six months until Sachiel)-

The music was playing again. A strange arrangement of classical and modern instruments coming together to create a haunting melody beautiful, but sad. To thirteen year old Rei Ayanami it was an unpleasant distraction. It was not the music itself that was unpleasant, she had fallen asleep to this piece and others similar to it on the many nights since it began, no it was the fact that she was distracted at all that was unpleasant. A soft sigh escaped her pale lips and she placed the pencil she was currently holding down on the notebook sitting in her lap. As long as the music drifting in through the wall from the apartment next door persisted Rei would be unable to concentrate and therefore unable to complete her school assignment. This of course was unacceptable for if she could not complete said assignment than her grades would slip and if her grades slipped than the Commander would be displeased, something the young teen cared very much to avoid. She was, after all, only allowed out in the real world to learn of it and why she, in the end, would do what she must so keeping up with her education was important even if she would not live long enough to put any of it to use. It was, however, best not to dwell on such things until the time was right. In any case Rei had only been allowed to attend school recently, having only just been released from the darkness of the depths of NERV from whence she was born a couple of months prior, coming in to her first year of middle school at the start of the second semester making it that much harder to catch up. Not that the albino was unintelligent, but considering that this was her first time attending school it could be understandable having spent most of her short artificial life being instructed by the Commander.

The music continued unabated, the sound unaware of the problems that it was causing the young girl. Rei sat on her bed listening as the piece came to an end and another began, this one more hopeful and energetic sounding than the last, still being played with the strange amalgam of instruments that seemed to blend together so seamlessly. Even one such as Rei with her lack of comprehension of humanity and its emotions could not deny the beauty of the sound. It was why she had allowed it to play night after night since the one responsible had moved in the week prior with no complaint before. She found it entrancing and oddly comforting, the melancholy notes seeming to reach within and touch parts of her that Rei had been unaware existed. Not that she understood the feelings that stirred within. Emotions were frivolous, meaningless things that only caused others to hurt in the end and therefore had no room in the scenario or so had Commander Ikari drilled into her head since her first incarnation's awakening.

Still she was curious, what was it exactly were these stirrings that sounds from next door incited? She could not ask the Commander for obvious reasons more than likely the man would dismiss the notion and have the person responsible removed from the complex or worst case scenario have her terminated only to bring online an "uncorrupted" version. Neither of those options was acceptable she enjoyed the music too much, it was the only thing that caught the attention of her re-enforced apathy and the process of termination and reactivation was…unpleasant… Perhaps the owner of the music could help her understand what it was she was experiencing? That seemed to be the logical conclusion after all why would they play such music if not for an understanding of the emotional reaction it incited. If she went next door then she could ask them to explain and gain a better understanding of humanity. Would it not benefit her to have a better grasp of the inner turmoil which her purpose was meant to liberate them from?

'A reasonable assumption,' Rei thought to herself. She did not sound very sure. If she went next door then she would also be able to request that they stop the music until a later time so that she may finish her assignment unhindered by the ethereal sound. So decided Rei unfurled her legs from under her and swung them over the edge of her bed her loafer clad feet coming to rest of the floor with a soft click as she had not bothered to remove them upon returning home. She strode purposefully across the dilapidated interior of her small apartment and out the front door.

The music was louder outside, the front door to the apartment to the left of Rei's standing wide open allowing the sound to drift out and fill the evening air. A cardboard box held said door open and a small stack of similar looking boxes stood by the railing of the pathway the ran along the outside of the apartments. They were labeled with black marker in what appeared to be English though she could not understand what they said. It became apparent to the young albino that her neighbor was still in the process of moving in. She approached the open doorway without hesitation and looked in. She saw no one, only more stacks of boxes some open with their contents strewn haphazardly about, a bed, and a small desk with a portable speaker system attached to a media player resting on top.

'They have many possessions,' she observed taking in every detail of the room. It was the same size and style as hers and just as run down, but at the same time it was different. Because of the sheer quantity of objects that had been shoved into the small space perhaps? Despite the chaos that was running rampant within the room it still appeared welcoming, more so than her cold and dreary abode. 'Are these the 'personal touches' that I've heard other girls from school speak of?' she mused.

"It's kinda hard for me to get in my house with you standin' in the doorway," a male voice spoke from behind her with a hint of amusement causing her to jump slightly in surprise. Rei quickly regained her composure and turned around to see the owner of the apartment she was looking in standing behind her with his arms crossed against his chest, a stack of small packages rested at his feet. So lost in her observations of his living space was she that she must have not heard him approach, strange considering her training. It was of no consequence though as she found herself taking in his appearance instead. He was roughly a head taller than her with an unruly mop of short black hair and piercing brown eyes that were looking her over in interest from behind a pair of rimless glasses. A loop of black metal ending in conical points ran through the left side of his lip with similar piercings in both ears. He wore a pair of baggy faded black jeans and an oversized black sweat jacket with Chinese dragons silk screened onto it in fading grey ink hiding the shape of his body beneath their layers.

It was his face though that Rei found herself unable to tear her attention from. He was not overly handsome by any means, not that Rei understand the concept of attractiveness let alone what handsome was, yet she still found her attention drawn to it. He had a rounded face and high cheeks bones which were at odds with his pointed chin. A large scar ran horizontally through the middle of his right eyebrow and despite only being a few years older than her in appearance he had the beginnings of crow's feet at the corners of his eyes. His skin tone and features spoke of an oddly diverse ethnical background, but they were warm and friendly.

"You're starin'" He said, he had an accent; it was thick, but comprehendible. He sounded slightly unnerved, likely from her crimson eyes which had indeed been staring at him, rather intently too. "First time seein' a Gaijin huh?"

Rei blinked slowly, his words breaking her out of the semi-trance she had found herself in and returning her to reality.

"I have seen other foreigners," Rei replied flatly. There had been liaisons from the other NERV installations at the main branch before and there were a handful of exchange students attending her middle school. None of them were in her class. The older teen made a noncommittal grunt and uncrossed his arms revealing his hands which he wore a pair of black and red stripped fingerless cotton gloves over.

"Mind 'ellin me why you were standin' in front of my door like that?" He inquired as he bent down and picked up the stack of boxes at his feet.

"Which you're still blockin' by the way," he added. During the entirety of this encounter Rei had yet to move from her spot between him and the aforementioned door. "You mind movin' so I can get by?" Rei nodded minutely in response to his request and side stepped allowing the young man passage into his home. He strode past her with a sideways glance, placing his load down in the middle of the one room apartment with a muffled thud before returning to the doorway a second later.

"Was their somethin' I can help you with miss…I'm sorry I don't think I got your name," He stated leaning against the door frame crossing his arms against his chest once more.

"Ayanami, Rei," She replied in her usual soft monotone.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Rei, I'm Silas, Silas Hale, but everyone just calls me Sy. Just make sure you say it with the 'eye' sound or it just sounds like you're saying' Si and my name's not Spanish for yes," Silas rambled extending his left hand out presumably to shake hers. Rei stared blankly at it for a moment before speaking.

"Ayanami is my surname. Rei is my given," she stated correcting the way he had addressed her.

"Sorry," Silas apologized, his left hand dropping to his side before going up and rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "Still kinda getting' used to the whole names are backwards here thing. It's different on the other side of the pond you know?" Rei did not know, nor did she quite understand the euphemism he had just used. To what pond was he referring to?

"Anyway…" He spoke filling in for Rei's lack of response, clapping his slender hands together. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit Miss Ayanami?"

"The music you are playing."

"What about it?"

"It's loud," Rei deadpanned.

"Oh!" Silas exclaimed a look of understanding crossing his foreign features. "Sorry I forgot that these walls are pretty thin. I bet your parents are pretty pissed at me huh? Probably been keepin' you folks up since last week. Guessin' they got fed up to send you over am I right?" Rei slowly shook her head left to right in the negative.

"I live alone, I have no parents, I came over under my own volition," Rei answered softly her tone never shifting in infliction.

"You live alone?" Silas questioned incredulously quirking his scarred eyebrow. Rei nodded her confirmation. Rei did not understand why he did not believe her; she had nothing to gain from lying to him.

"Bull shit," He stated bluntly. You're like what? Twelve?"

"Thirteen," Rei corrected. "I have not been twelve since the beginning of last month." This particular statement did happen to be a lie, her age and birthdate a fabricated background so that she may blend in with society. Technically the creature known as Ayanami Rei had only existed for ten years, her body and mind aged to that of a thirteen year old thanks to the rapid maturation process of the cloning procedure. This of course had some unforeseen side effects including, but not limited to the accelerated deterioration of her body should she forget to take her medicine, a powerful cocktail of anti- rejection medication, or so she had been told.

"I see, well happy belated birthday." Rei merely blinked her crimson orbs at him. "Still doesn't explain why you're livin' alone, who in their right mind would allow that?"

"You do not appear to be that much older than me yet it seems you live by yourself," Rei pointed out becoming annoyed with how sidetracked this conversation was getting, well her level of annoyed. This for most people would probably be considered slightly less apathetic.

"Touché, but it was my dad's idea for me to live by myself, some nonsense about makin' me a better man or somethin'," Silas shrugged casually. "But I've always thought the man had a few screws loose so what does he know, right?" The pair fell silent for a moment while the music continued to play over his speaker system. It had changed tracks during their conversation, it was the same artist by the sound of it, but a man singing in German had joined the instruments. Silas seemingly forgot about her presences for a moment as the piece progressed nodding his head in time to the music and humming to himself as he stared out at the empty street below.

"The music," Rei stated breaking him out of his reverie. "Would you turn it down, it is distracting and I would like to finish my homework."

"Right, yeah, sorry about that," Silas sputtered seemingly embarrassed that he had zoned out like that. Rei said nothing either ignorant or uncaring of her new neighbor's discomfort. "Well anyway I still got a lot of unpackin' to do so…." Rei, taking his statement as a sign that the conversation was over, nodded and turned on her heels making to head back to her apartment and finish her assignment.

"Ayanami!" Silas called after her. She paused and turned slightly so that she was looking at him over her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"It was nice meeting you." Rei nodded in reply before disappearing back into her apartment.

"What a strange girl," She heard him murmur just as she shut her front door. Rei returned to her bed and reassumed her position on top of her bed still not bothering to remove her loafers. The music from Silas's apartment ceased leaving the room in total silence. She let out another soft sigh whether it was one of content or disappointment was difficult to discern, even for her. Picking up her notebook she began to read over what she had already written insuring that there were no mistakes before picking up her pencil. But when Rei put it to the paper she found that she could not write anything. She sat for several minutes staring at blankly at the half filled page of Kanji unable to recollect her thoughts and finish her assignment. Her focus was apparently unwilling to return to her despite the lack of outside distractions.

'Perhaps I simply need to rest for a moment,' Rei thought to herself and she had to admit that she was tired, school and NERV having taken their toll on her frail body. So decided, Rei replaced the pencil into the notebook once more closing the spiral bound pad of paper and sliding it into her satchel before lying down.

The oppressive silence of her hovel of an apartment pressed in around her. She had grown too accustomed to the music when she slept it seemed and without it sleep eluded her. Her crimson orbs suddenly snapped open as she realized just why she was still distracted. In the oddity of their verbal exchange Rei had forgotten to ask Silas if he could explain the feelings his music aroused within her core.

'I will not be able to accomplish anything tonight until I discover why it is that these sounds affect me so,' she determined. This conundrum was beginning to bother her greatly. She had heard music many times before while in the company of Commander Ikari, but this, what Silas listened to, was different, powerful. She wanted to understand, no, she needed to understand. Rei got up and walked over to her door with determination in her steps. She would get her answers and then put it behind her so that she could focus on her true purpose. She grabbed her door knob and pulled the door open only to stop short of stepping over the threshold.

Silas stood just on the other side of the door his right hand raised as if he were about to knock on her door. Rei took a step back surprise evident on her features, well to the few who knew her anyway, to Silas she looked slightly less poker faced.

"Ummm, hi…." He greeted his hand going to the back of his head which he rubbed embarrassed. "Sorry I didn't realize you were on your way out."

"Why are you here?" She inquired when her momentary shock at his unexpected appearance wore off.

"About that…." He paused searching for the right words to answer her question and not sound like an idiot. "Well I was unpackin' some stuff and I found my calendar and I saw that today was Valentine's Day…"

"I do not have chocolate to give," Rei intoned flatly. She was aware of the custom of girls giving sweets to boys as she had witnessed at school that morning. She assumed that this was what he was referring to.

"Wha? Oh, no, no, no," He blurted waving his hands in front of himself. "That's not what I meant. I don't really know any good food joints around here so I was hopin' you could recommend some, maybe grab a bite with me. Since we're gonna be livin' next to each other and all it might be a good chance to get to know one another. My treat."

Judging from her limited experience Rei was under the impression that this oddly dressed foreigner was asking her on a date. Which she voiced.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

"No, not really, more like friends goin' to dinner. You're like four years younger than me; people'd probably think I'm a pedophile or somethin'."

"Are you?" Rei inquired cocking her head to the side curiously. If he was than she would have to report him to NSI though the concept did not frighten her all that much. She was still ignorant when it came to things like that.

"Am I what? A pedophile?" Rei nodded.

"No god no!" He exclaimed with a look of outrage on his face. It did not last long though and his mouth soon split into a crooked grin revealing a longer than average canine and a row of slightly un-even teeth. "But considering how cute you are I might just have to change that."

Rei felt unusual warmth in her pale cheeks. 'I'm blushing?' She thought in surprise. Given her normally stoic nature this was a rather new experience. 'Is it because he said that I'm cute?' No one had ever complimented Rei before, let alone call her cute even if it had been delivered in a rather odd manner.

"So Miss Ayanami what do you say?" He questioned still grinning that strange lopsided grin. It disturbed Rei and she wished he would stop, but at the same time it was intriguing. A few times she had seen the commander grin and even smile, but his were more for intimidation while Silas's held a more casual wickedness to it. I believe the proper term is devious.

"I get to say I took a beautiful girl out on Valentine's." Rei felt her face heat up again at the compliment. "And you get free food I'd say that's a win, win right there" Rei was silent as she considered his proposal. While she was not aware of that many restaurants, the prospect of a free meal was inviting and was made all the more so by the she did not have any food left in her apartment at the time. And while it would take even more time out of her night it did present her with the perfect opportunity to question him about the music and its effect on her. After several moments of deliberation she finally nodded in consent.

"That's great!" Silas said happily clapping his hands together his lopsided grin turning into a wide smile that took up much of the bottom half of his face revealing that his other canine was just as elongated as the other giving him the appearance of possessing fangs. "Why don't you go get changed and we'll head out?"

"What I am wearing is adequate enough," She informed him in her unchanging soft monotone referring of course to her ever present school uniform consisting of white shirt, red bow, and blue skirt with jumper. Silas shrugged, his wide smile never faltering.

"If you say so." It was then that Rei noticed he had changed out of his oversized hoodie and was now wearing a black button up shirt with a heavy necklace that had the dull sheen of pewter. He had forgone the fingerless gloves and now wore two leather arm bands with metal studs imbedded in them. It was very strange.

"Well let's get this night started shall we?" Silas spoke before turning and heading towards the stairs that led to the parking lot. Rei followed after him not bothering to lock her door, it was broken anyway. Something else about her new neighbor's attire caught the young girl's attention as she followed behind him. There was a large splotch of color across the back of his shirt, bright red like fresh blood and within it there was a face. A demon's face and it was grinning at her. The same as Silas had.

You have been reading

Angel Blue

Episode One: That Which Stirs Within

Where there once was one now shall there be two

A/N: and so the Adventure begins, just in time for Valentine's day. But poor Rei just what exactly have you gotten your self into? Guess you will have to keep reading and find out. Well that's it for now. Cue Fly Me to the Moon. –Jalen of the Silence