Author's Notes: I dedicate this story to Fanf1cFan who is a great pre-reader. Like 'Observations' this story is basically a humor(/tragedy) just to blow off steam. Actually, I'm trying to write a simpler story. Lilith's Gift is turning into a monstrosity, where each chapter is almost too complicated. For this one, I'm trying to be more descriptive and draw out a single theme for each chapter (as opposed to bombarding the reader with info overload).
Fanf1c, since this is just humor, I figured it wasn't worth pre-reading, but if you want to, just drop me a line.
Chapter 1 – Altered Perspectives
Evening sunlight shone from the west, turning the giant towers of Tokyo-3 into pillars of orange fire, the light dancing in the heat-waves of another hot summer day. Soon the beauty of the sunset would play over the towering mirror-surfaced structures, turning them into upright rainbows of light and color for a few brief minutes as the sun dipped below the horizon. Down below, on the street, a boy of about fourteen years of age stood staring at a rather plain-looking sign attached to an otherwise nondescript building. Or at least nondescript when you consider that the entire nation of Japan is basically Otaku in some form or other. Compared to the surrounding flashy signs of the other buildings, it was nondescript. Even so, the sign had been set away from the curving facade of the building in the fashionable way so as to draw the eye to it.
The sign read 'ARTONE' in large western block letters, with a scribble of color above and below. The boy, Shinji, read the name again in his mind. Not so much to make sure he was in the right place, he knew that. He could feel it. He read it, savoring each letter, trying to make sense of the meaningless squiggles above and below. The words were in pastel purple, and the squiggles were a light shade of blue. It was a Cinema, a place to see movies. This particular section of the normally-bustling city was quiet, in an almost sacred way. At this time of evening, one would assume that the Tokyo-3 night-life would be out in force, but such was not the case.
That's fine, the boy thought, as his eyes drifted lower to the darkened glass hiding the inner features of the Cinema. People would only distract. He took a deep breath, savoring the stillness and at the same time shivering a little at the desolate and lonely feeling that suddenly cloaked him. The quiet of the streets was unbroken save for the distant sound of Cicadas, almost an afterthought in the silence that hung in the air. A female voice rang out from a few feet behind his head.
"Been waiting long?"
He jumped, turning his head to assure himself that the red-headed female behind him was who he thought it was, and not possibly someone, or something, else. He looked into her eyes and found the answer. A deep blue answer. He smiled a little, despite the slight annoyance he felt at her usual antics. He was relieved to see her, and not afraid to show it.
"You know that always gets me," he said, almost turning back to the building. It called to him, but her expressive face held his gaze, her bright yellow sun-dress and the blue ribbon around her neck bringing a flash of color rivaling even the neon signs of the buildings around. Her subtly moving hair and the way she moved back and forth a bit as she stood screamed 'life' to him in a way the surroundings did not.
"That's why I do it," she said, happy smugness in her tone as she held his gaze. Her light-hearted banter served to cover the undercurrent of relief she felt as well, but he could sense it still, being so well-acquainted with it himself. After a few measure blinks she looked away back at the sign, and he followed suit moments later, wondering at her self-control.
"She's late," he commented.
"Hn," she replied, offhandedly. Silence ensued as they both took in the surroundings, the detail, the things that the eye usually flitted over without a second thought.
"I am not late," a voice insisted from somewhere behind the two. Asuka jumped almost comically, her eyes bugging out from momentary anger as she looked back for the albino intruder. Rei stared calmly back. "You two are early," she said. "As usual."
"Why do you always have to do that?" Asuka shrilled, her anger slowly cooling.
"Because you do the same to Ikari." Rei's calm tone was betrayed by a hint of wittiness.
"Hmph." Despite the girl's gruff response, she wasn't shy about her relief now that the final member of the party was present.
Rei's eyes wandered over the front facade, meandering down to observe the artistically-cut shrubbery next to the front glass double-doors. A hint of a smile crossed her lips as she memorized its shape, its structure. The plant, or perhaps it could be considered a mini-hedge, looked as if it had to have been specially trimmed to retain its current shape, but none of the branches were cut. Complex fractals were evident in the spirals of the branches, and the way the oddly-shaped leaves grew from the stems. It almost looked as if concentrically arranged layers of leaves were protecting something important, or something precious. Something vital. She longed to know what it was, but it was obvious from the fragile nature of the intertwined stems that moving the limbs around would harm the plant long before the observer would catch a glimpse of the plant's heart.
"Shall we go in?" Asuka's voice held a touch of anticipation, which the other two did not miss. Neither answered, but they all went in by mutual silent agreement. The door hissed closed behind them, the wall of air-conditioned air hitting and surrounding them, soothing in its coolness. The lobby was dimly lit, but the three saw clearly enough to walk the relatively unobstructed path across the dark-patterned floor to the door leading to the single fifty-seat theater room. Shinji and, to a lesser extent Asuka, observed the dark somber lines and shapes of the ticket-collection booth, the concessions area, and the few video games, screens flashing sullenly over and over the prearranged opening sequence for each game. Rei looked at the two as they looked around, watching them watch the surroundings, carefully noting where their eyes lingered, and the myriad subtle expressions that crossed their faces with each glance.
Walking into the dark theater, the three individuals walked down the aisle separating the rows of seats, taking in the dark screen that dominated the far wall, the muffled hiss of air-conditioning, and the anticipatory mood conveyed by the music playing softly through hidden speakers. Classical. One of Beethoven's more melancholy works. Asuka glanced at Shinji momentarily as the three made their way to a trio of seats in the middle of the middle section, and sat down.
"...aah, that's good," Shinji commented, closing his eyes in appreciation as he leaned back in the comfortable seat. It was the only difference from a normal Cinema, whose seats might feel a bit hard, or at least well-worn. "Your contribution?" He asked of Asuka.
"Yeah." Her voice echoed his approval. She opened one eye, looking over at him. "Was the music the only thing you put into this?" At her words, he looked over in surprise, a little bit of hurt evident in the small downward twitch of the side of his mouth. Rei saved him from responding.
"No," she said, her voice cool. "The plant outside. Did you not see it?"
"Verdammt!" Asuka heaved herself up out of her chair, stomping down the aisle, trailing colorful German curses as she left. Her annoyed attitude partially covered up the fear that she had missed what might have been Shinji's only physical addition to this world. Would it still be there when she exited the doors? Several heart-rending seconds later, she saw that it was. Nondescript at first glance, she saw why she had missed it, but the more she looked, the more enigmatic and alluring it became.
With no hesitation, she walked forward and began to calmly disassemble the plant. Her actions became frantic, and it turned into a veritable blood bath, leaves and stems flying from her hands as she tore her way to the center. Her trembling fingers stopped abruptly, right before they would have torn into something red. She carefully removed the last clinging branches to reveal a single red flower in full bloom, its petals open to receive sunlight that would never have made it through the dense tangle of leaves that had previously surrounded it. She bent over, closing her eyes as she inhaled the sweet fragrance. Her lower lip trembled momentarily, but that was all. Pushing herself back upright, she gazed down at the crippled plant drinking in its beauty.
The two inside did not complain at their companion's lingering, knowing that observing each other's imagination at work was the only thing that kept each of them sane. Shinji watched as she reentered the silent theater. Storm clouds still hovered above the German's head as she made her way back to her seat, but they had a definite silver lining, meaning she had destroyed the plant, and found its center. Of course she did, he thought, a smile crossing his lips momentarily. He had constructed the outer shell for Rei, knowing she would never destroy something so mathematically alluring no matter what precious thing might lay inside. He had placed the flower inside for Asuka, knowing that no amount of outer wrapping would deter her, however pretty. She said nothing as she huffed back down into her seat beside him, but he could feel the thankfulness coming from her in silent waves. The three of them looked at the blank screen, savoring the moments of anticipation.
"I'll go first," Asuka said, looking over and daring either of her two fellow occupants to speak.
"Oh, by all means," Shinji replied, almost sardonically. "Go right ahead."
"Yes," Rei agreed.
Asuka grunted in annoyance at her too-easy win.
"Fine."
After a few moments, light illuminated the screen, different colors and shapes forming a picture. Very quickly the three viewers were drawn into the show, and the theater around them faded, replaced by the flickering picture before them.
Asuka's room, in Misato's apartment. The walls were plastered with various pictures and posters. A full-length pin-up of Kaji, the picture taken from who-knew-where. A poster of Unit Two in a glory pose, its foot crushing into the head of half of the twin Angel, its hands on its hips. On the right side of this poster one could see the purple leg of Unit One, obviously pinning down the other half of the Angel, but the Unit was not fully shown in the picture. Various males and females from manga and television shows that Asuka liked. A folded-up futon was shoved between a wall and one side of a two-person couch that sat facing a small television. Asuka sat on the couch, her thumb repeatedly pressing the remote control as she switched her way through the various channels available.
Static. A row of contestants behind podiums, their hands on buzzers as the announcer droned out a question.
Static. A basketball game.
Static. Another game-show, one that she didn't recognize.
A hesitant scratching could be heard through the sliding door separating Asuka's Lair from the rest of Misato's apartment. A pitiful-sounding 'wark!' came through the thin wooden partition. The room's occupant grimaced as her eyebrows drew down.
"Shut up, you damned bird!" she groused, silencing the noise outside. "I'm not moving the tv back out there. Go get your own!"
A dejected moan followed by shuffling footsteps indicated that the penguin had given up and returned to its refrigerator. Her thumb flicked the button once more, and a smile flitted across her lips as she recognized the game show.
A wildly-dressed contestant was attempting to jump across a series of what appeared to be foam rubber stones set at various intervals from one side of a narrow stream to the other. The man hit a 'stone' that apparently was not fully connected to anything solid, and his foot twisted as the treacherous piece of rubber moved beneath him, sending him groin-first into the next stone, which, sadly, was quite stable.
"...ooh!" A lively voice interrupted the booing of the man's team-mates, and the camera view switched to show two Japanese men, one wearing a blue outfit, the other wearing red. "Direct hit to the nads! That's gotta hurt...!"
"Right you are, Ken," the other man agreed, nodding sagely.
The muffled sound of a door sliding shut interrupted the pointless violence coming from her television set.
"...I'm home." Shinji's voice was distant, having traveled through the living room and a solid door panel to reach her.
"I want something different for dinner tonight!" she yelled through the closed door, her eyebrows turning down at the interruption. "Not Japanese or Chinese!"
"-kay," his muttered reply barely reached her.
"Are you listening to me?" she asked suspiciously. His 'yes' had been a little too quick.
"Yes, Asuka." His voice was somewhat closer. She turned the tv up to mask the noises of her room-mate, and thus did not hear the door slide open. She did not hear him walk up beside her, and she did not notice until a white chloroformed towel covered her mouth and nose.
"What the hell-ermnfphth...!" She slumped over into his arms.
"Don't worry, Asuka," his voice was soothing. "We're going on a trip. Just the three of us."
Shinji's voice, the real Shinji's voice, interrupted the scene as it faded to black.
"Yeah, here it comes." His voice was rather tired-sounding.
"Oh shut up!" The real Asuka's voice berated him. "Do you want to see the rest of it or not?!"
A sigh rustled through the silence.
"Fine," he relented.
"...well, actually, that's all of it right there."
"Oh." The word was loaded with hidden meanings.
"You know the rest of it anyway," she said petulantly.
"That entire scene is nothing but lies!" Shinji complained. "It didn't happen like that at all..."
"It might as well have!" Asuka responded, fire in her voice. Silence greeted her explosive rejoinder, then Shinji spoke quietly.
"Would you really rather be back in that hell-hole?"
She shivered, visions of blood-red waters and the garish white forms of the enemy Evangelions crucified half-in and half-out of the ocean.
"It doesn't really matter, does it?" she replied after taking a moment to compose herself. "We're here, and that's that."
"Perhaps." Rei's voice was soft but firm as she cut in on the pointless yet desperately important argument.
"Oh? Show us your side of this, then." Asuka demanded indignantly.
"Alright."
The scene changed to show a dank dirty room. Apartment 402. Mess cluttered the floor, and the main living room was also bedroom and kitchen by the looks of it. A practiced eye could discern the method behind the madness. Piles of bandages by the mirror, where she always took them off. Crumpled up papers by the bed, from assignments given by the teacher. Packets of medicine, both opened and unopened, on the rolling medical table that sat by her bedside. Rei lay on the bed on her stomach, head resting on her hands, which rested on her pillow. Her eyes were almost completely empty of emotion, except for a touch of sadness.
The door burst open, and her eyes flicked up to take in the fourteen year old male intruder, dressed in white shirt and black pants. One hand was over his heart, and the other was outstretched towards her.
"Rei, I've come to take you out of this miserable place. I've come to set you free!"
The real Asuka broke in at this point, making retching sounds.
"Oh Gott, I think I'm going to be sick...!"
The picture froze, and Rei's eyes on the screen glared at Asuka, who wilted slightly.
"...fine, fine, sorry I interrupted, geez," she grumbled.
The frozen picture came back to life, and Shinji swept into the dreary apartment as Rei picked herself up out of bed and fell into his arms. The two stared lovingly into each other's eyes. Asuka quietly made more retching noises.
"Just the two of us?" Rei asked hopefully. Shinji ran the back of his fingers over her white cheek, and she closed her eyes.
"...umm, no, not quite." Asuka peeked her head around from where she had been standing behind him. Her A10 clips had been arranged a bit higher on her head and looked like little red horns. In fact, were she to have a tail, she would look like a demoness. At that point, a red tail snaked around from behind her and encircled Shinji's leg.
"Alright that does it!" The real Asuka screeched, causing the display to fuzz slightly.
"The movie was over anyway," Rei commented coyly, looking down at her folded hands, and trying not to look at Shinji, who was blushing.
His face slowly returned to normal, and he looked up at the screen, his expression forlorn. I can't show them my movie, not after seeing what they made. His own version was factually accurate, if slightly distorted by his own frail memory, and he had hoped to compare it with Rei's, which he had assumed would be the truest representation of how they had gotten to where they were now. But she made a parody, just like Asuka. The minute they saw his creation, Asuka would laugh, and Rei would probably say that he had missed the point. Missed the point! Of my own exercise. It had been his turn to make up something for the three of them to do, and this had been the results.
Of course, the Tokyo-3 reality had been breathtakingly flawless, but he had expected nothing less from Rei, who seemed to have a perfect memory for details. Asuka had filled in a little of the theater, she having been more times than Rei (whose grand total stood at zero, actually), and he had added the waiting music, Beethoven's piece, from one of his SDAT recordings that he remembered. And the plant, which fortunately they both seemed to have gotten something from.
"Shinji, you're being awfully quiet," Asuka's voice interrupted his musings. "Show us your movie."
Now he was on the spot. He fumbled a bit, opening and closing his mouth.
"No, I..." he swallowed once. "-I mean, it's not ready," he finished in a small voice.
"What??"Asuka nearly yelled. "Dear Gott, how long do you need?! It's not like it's a feature production or anything..." She cut herself off when between one blink and the next he was gone. Not even a stir of air currents indicated his departure, or that he had even been there at all. "Scheisse!!" she bit out viciously. "You stay here," she demanded, pointing her finger at the First. "I'll be right back with that doofus." She disappeared.
Rei gave no indication she had heard any of the exchange. After a few seconds, she too disappeared, and the reality, having no more actual observers, blinked out of existence.
Asuka came to herself and opened her eyes, adjusting to the relatively dim lighting that illuminated the bare plug walls. She looked to her left to find Shinji where they had left him, sitting in the pilot's seat, his legs hugged to his chest as he gazed off into the distance into nothingness.
"Why, Shinji?" she asked. "We all agreed to make a movie and show it to each other." She knew well his reclusiveness, and how easily he became embarrassed, but this had been his own idea.
"Do not pester him, Soryu." Rei shifted a bit from where she sat on the other side of the seat, and Asuka's eyes flashed.
"I thought I told you to stay there!" Her voice held a hint of desperation. She knew that now she would never get to see Shinji's movie, or at least not for a day or so. "Do you know how long it took us to create that reality?!"
"-ten hours, thirty-seven minutes, twenty-eight sec-"
"Never mind!" She brought her knees up, resting her forehead on them, giving an exasperated sigh. "We all agreed," she mumbled quietly. "We all agreed, and he-"
"Wasn't the flower enough?" he asked plaintively, still looking straight ahead.
"I-I don't know," Asuka replied, her cheeks having a bare shading of pink. It's not like I can measure sanity. It's not like I can say, "Well, Shinji, I'm about five hours away from completely snapping! If I don't get something new, I'll just have to relieve you of your collar bone and attempt to burrow out of here!"
Rei smiled a bit, now that she knew what had been at the center of the bush. She still did not know what the flower looked like, but she could bribe Soryu later with something special she had created just for such occasions. Soryu would give her the memory.
"Show me," Asuka demanded, dully.
"I-I don't want to," Shinji complained. "I don't like looking at it..."
"Dammit, you owe me, Shinji!" Asuka yelled, glancing over at him for a moment. "For not showing me your movie, you owe me-" She cut off when Shinji complied, and the plug walls seemed to disappear, as a full wrap-around vision of their surroundings was shown on the inside of the walls themselves.
Space. Deep, dark, empty space, as far as the eye could see in any direction. Trying not to move too suddenly, she slowly turned her head to look behind her. The sullen marble of yellow light that was the sun had gotten noticeably smaller since the last time they had looked at the outside view. Earth was no longer visible except as a pinpoint of white at certain times, just like Venus or Mars. It didn't matter though, she could imagine the reddish-tinged seas and the broken landscape as if she was right there.
"-turn... turn it off," she managed to speak without her voice wavering. Shinji did so without a moment's hesitation.
The three souls continued their lonely expedition into space.