Sorry for the late update, but at least this chapter's longer, right? Don't hate me. I promised you that this next installment would make up for the last one's shortcomings, and I'm pretty sure it does. Lots of dialog, some mindless comedy, and an interesting development. Did I mention Shinji takes action? No? Read on. (and enjoy)
What is EVA? Rei thought to herself. Her eyes were closed, and her lungs full of LCL. The cold synthetic plugsuit wrapped around her like a second skin, aiding her in her task. A-10 clips adorned her head, linking mind and body to EVA's heart. Does it feel? Does it hold affection for others? Does it wish to be close to them? The girl experienced a pleasant feeling at this thought. Is it... like me?
A memory of Shinji's face entered the mind of the red-eyed girl. He was smiling, laughing even, as his two abrasive friends grinned capriciously. Rei's brow furrowed. I can not cause these feelings. I confuse him. He does not understand. The memory was extinguished, and a new one replaced it. Shinji had taken on a surprised expression. He had just seen the First Child wheeled into the EVA cage, to do the job he refused, to pilot Unit 01 and defeat the Angel besieging Tokyo-3.
The images changed again; now the boy's face was contorted with fear, but tempered by deep resolve. He is... To save Rei from a fight she would certainly not survive, the boy bent his own will to his father's, and entered the Evangelion. He wishes... to protect me? With callous disregard for his own safety, Shinji followed the orders he would otherwise defy, because of one person and one person alone. Me.
Doctor Akagi, Captain Katsuragi, and Commander Ikari could not convince the Third Child to pilot, to save them all from the wrath of God's messenger. His father weighed him with guilt by suggesting that his inaction would lead to the death of all humanity, but it had not been enough. In the end, pressed for time, the bearded man brought out his trump card, the badly injured Rei Ayanami. Forced to decide between protecting himself and protecting a stranger, Shinji chose the latter.
I am... important to him. He pilots only to spare me. He endures great pain so that I can remain safe. Shinji... Can I not be selfless? Can I not protect you in return? Might I not ease your pain? Rei took a breath. The synch test was almost over. She could feel EVA pulling away. Shinji. We are not unlike EVA, desperate for contact and feeling. But EVA has no voice... I will make you aware of mine. I am not the same. With this surprisingly convoluted thought, Rei broke out of her relaxing reverie. The plug had been disconnected. The test was over.
"Shinji, more toast!" Misato called.
"Right away," the boy sighed. The predatory grin on his guardian's face suggested that she was either going to torture him psychologically or jump him. Either way, it was going to be an interesting morning.
The purple-haired woman stole a quick glance at the clock and returned her gaze to the apron-wearing self-appointed cook of the Katsuragi household. "Are you gonna see Rei today?" she asked in a sing-song voice, "She'll be home in less than two hours... Probably tired from getting up early and doing all those strenuous tests."
Shinji flinched. Don't say it.
Misato's sly look intensified. "She won't put up a fight. You'll be gentle, won't you?"
Dammit. The boy blushed. Should've stayed in bed.
"Or... Maybe you won't let her rest until she's too exhausted to-"
"Shut up!" Shinji shouted, cutting her off.
The Captain stood up and bowed low. "I apologize, my lord," she said reverently, before looking up and adding in a mocking tone, "A little testy this morning, aren't we?"
Shinji sighed again, just as the toast popped up. He took the two slices from the toaster, laid them on a plate, and buttered them, all automatically. "Sorry. I just- It's really-" Dammit. "I can't stop thinking. What am I gonna do, what's she gonna do- What am I supposed to do, anyway?"
Misato sat back down, frowning as he charge handed her the toast she had requested. "I thought we went over this already," she mumbled, stuffing one of the slices in her mouth.
"I can't do stuff like this... As soon as I see her I'm going to forget everything-" And babble like an idiot. Again. God, this sucks.
"Tell her you want to get to know her better," Misato said, getting up to get a beer, "I told you that already. It isn't that hard."
Shinji set his head down, propping it up on his hands. "I can't talk to people, Misato," he said seriously. "If I tried to tell her that it'd come out as: I want your ice cream. Please chocolate my hammer pants."
Misato giggled, popping the tab on the can she was holding. "Like that would be so bad," she laughed. "I'm sure she'd love to chocolate your pants... And more."
Dammit. "God," the Third Child groaned, "Do you have to do that so much?"
"What? Imply that you and Rei have or will have a sexual relationship?" Misato asked carefully, setting her open beer on the table.
"Y- Yeah."
"Of course!" the Captain said happily, "And your reactions make it all worthwhile!" She picked up the beer and chugged it, then chucked the empty can in the general direction of the garbage.
Shinji rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"Look, it's not that bad," Misato offered, sitting down next to him, "It's not like she's so much better at it than you. She always puts everything so bluntly..." It's kinda creepy.
"I know."
"You have anxiety issues. You have trouble making friends or even acquaintances. You have trouble voicing your thoughts to people you don't know well," Misato listed, holding up three fingers. "Rei has emotional issues. She has trouble relating to people. Whenever she speaks her mind she sounds like a robot from the 1950s," the woman continued, holding up three fingers on her other hand. "You're perfect for each other."
Shinji laughed derisively. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense."
"Maybe you can help each other," Misato suggested, "Everyone needs someone to lean on, even her. Why do you think she came to you and not one of your classmates, or something?"
"Maybe she did," the boy said sadly.
"Ha! Rei talking to anyone except you or the Commander? That's almost crazy enough to make the world explode."
Shinji said nothing.
The Captain sighed. "She likes you, right?" at the boy's nod she continued, "You like her back, don't you?" another nod. "Why are teenagers so dense?" she said to herself, more than loud enough for him to hear. "Go out! Get married! Have kids! Or at the very least, get to know each other! I can do it, and I'm a raging alcoholic!"
Shinji laughed. "No you're not."
Misato got another beer. Sometimes I wonder.
"Thanks," the boy said. "Thanks again, I mean. Sorry for freaking out all the time..." his face fell as he remembered the last battle. Disobeying orders, nearly getting himself and his only friends killed. It was things like that that made him think he was some sort of psychotic, which actually led to part of his anxiety. He wasn't just afraid that people would hurt him, but also that he would hurt them.
"You know," the woman said wryly, "I could pick her up from NERV so she doesn't have to take the train... It gets really crowded on Sunday and she hates crowds," Shinji's look said he followed so far. Misato continued, "If you just happened to be in the car for some reason..."
"You and your plans..."
Misato took offense. "Hey! I'm the Operations Director! It's my nature!"
Shinji chuckled. "I didn't say it was a bad plan," he stated, "But I see her at school-"
"Bullshit!" the Captain yelled in his ear, "You're going to just sit here at home on the weekend when you could be out with Rei? And you tell me you can always see her at school? Who the hell do you think you're dealing with?"
"I- What?" Shinji sputtered.
Misato grinned inwardly. Outwardly she was behaving like a drill sergeant who was just told by a new recruit that the boot-shining could always wait till tomorrow. "I order you to get off your ass right now, mister spineless! You're coming with me to get Rei, and I'm either going to drop you both off at her place or the nearest mall, and you're going to spend the day together, dammit!"
"Y- Yes Ma'am!" the Third Child shouted, saluting awkwardly. This is ridiculous.
"Awesome!" the purple-haired woman shouted back, "Now get me another effin' beer and two more slices of toast or I'll order you to sleep with her!" I can't believe that's a threat to him. What the hell's wrong with his balls? Get a sex drive, Dammit!
"Yes Ma'am!"
The rest of breakfast went predictably. At one point there were push-ups and an obstacle course, and at the halfway mark PenPen buried himself under the couch cushions to keep Misato's voice from shattering his eardrums. Humans sure seemed to love their obscenities.
Rei's morning was considerably more dull. There were synch tests, cross-indexed synch tests, and at one point Doctor Akagi left "to get some coffee" and didn't come back. Regardless, the technicians handled all the procedures perfectly, so there was no reason to worry, but the absence of the faux blond was, at the very least, odd. She was ordered to supervise all synchronization tests. Perhaps the Commander found something more important for her to do, Rei wondered as she pulled her school uniform back on.
All of the girl's orders had been fulfilled, and her shower had removed any trace of LCL, so there was nothing left for her to do at NERV. She finished buttoning her shirt and exited the locker room, heading in the direction of the nearest elevator. The Commander was not in a pleasant mood.
The elder Ikari had called Rei to his office as soon as she entered the GeoFront. She arrived quickly, knowing more or less what he was going to say. The visit was short, as the bearded man had a lot of work to do and didn't want to waste time being more civil than he had to. He got straight to the point.
"It has come to my attention that you are attempting to pursue a relationship with the Third Child."
"Yes," Rei replied truthfully.
The Commander folded his hands. "It is not my concern what you do outside of NERV, provided that you follow orders and continue to pilot Unit 00 to a satisfactory degree."
"Understood."
"You know, then," the Commander said gravely, "That I will not tolerate any development that negatively affects your performance. If your synch ratio drops below an acceptable level or I feel that the Third's... influence on you is anything less than desirable, you must terminate your relationship with him immediately."
"Yes, sir."
The Commander's face softened imperceptibly. He seemed satisfied with Rei's answer. "Good. You are dismissed."
The First Child turned on her heel and left, closing the door to the cavernous office behind her. The man had said nothing she did not expect him to say. All was well.
Now, however, she was not so sure. If her synch scores went down, or she became insubordinate to even a small degree, the Commander would force her to stay well away from Shinji. Rei was not concerned about following orders, for she could easily manage impulse with self-control, and obedience was second nature to her. The real problem was synchronization. It was impossible to manipulate her synch score consciously. It simply followed naturally as an expression of her unconscious mental state.
Would EVA respond better or worse if Shinji was on her mind? If she was happy or sad, what kind of a difference would it make? It had been suggested by the Doctor and the Commander both that someone who is satisfied or in a good mood would attain a higher score, but since neither Rei nor Shinji were often in such a state, the claim was unprovable. The Third Child's synch scores had increased since his first sortie, but that seemed to have everything to do with experience and nothing to do with contentedness.
In a short time Rei reached the main surface elevator, swiped her keycard, and entered. The ride to the surface would be her last respite before the train. It was Sunday, which meant the entire population of Tokyo-3 would be out shopping and doing various other nonsensical things. Most of them would take the train. The train Rei had to ride home. She sighed. I dislike crowds.
The elevator hummed softly as it slid upwards on its magnetic tracks, transporting its lone passenger outside the GeoFront with nary a complaint. It sound was strangely soothing to some, though it annoyed others. Rei had no preference. To her it was just another piece of the background, to be observed once and forgotten forever. Of vastly greater importance to her was her relationship with Shinji, and the question of his decision. I hope he has had sufficient time. I would like an answer, but I will not press him. Asking him directly would be against Rei's nature, and it probably wouldn't accomplish anything. He would stall, saying he had been too bogged down with school or housework to think about anything.
This thought brought a tiny inward smile to the First Child. Shinji was nearly the complete opposite of the stereotypical male. He was unassertive instead of aggressive, possessed negligible physical strength, and had no qualms about acting as the Captain's personal maid. As his friends were fond of pointing out, he bore an extreme resemblance to a housewife. There was nothing on the outside that suggested power or any illusion of it. He was easily bent to the will of others, and often served them without protest.
But he cannot be judged on appearance alone. During the last battle, Shinji openly defied the orders of his superior, refused to retreat, and attacked the Angel with his progressive knife. More than that, he screamed the entire time he was doing it. There was something else inside him, something that he had repressed for a very long time. Shinji is a very strange person. But I am strange as well...
At long last, the elevator reached the top of its shaft, and opened with a ding. Rei stepped out quickly, and the doors closed behind her. She had come out at the usual place, an inconspicuous NERV lot close to the train station. It was almost always empty, but today appeared to be an exception. That looks very much like the Captain's car.
"Hey, Rei! Over here!"
That is indeed the Captain's car. But she is not alone. Is that-
The beat-up blue Alpine stood motionless some distance away, with two of its wheels up on the curb, a testament to the Captain's driving. Two people had been leaning on its back bumper when Rei had arrived, obscured by a nearby light pole. Now both of them were standing in front of the car, in full view. One, obviously, was Misato, and the other was Shinji, looking rather embarrassed and keeping his hands awkwardly pressed at his sides.
Rei walked faster.
Misato grinned widely, still feeling a slight buzz from the dozen or so beers she had had that morning. "Katsuragi express leaves in one minute! Have your boarding passes ready!" she shouted.
In a moment Rei was close enough to speak. "I do not possess a boarding pass for your vehicle, Captain," she said.
The purple-haired woman chuckled. "It was a joke, Rei. Wanna ride?"
Shinji said nothing. The very instant he saw the First Child coming toward him his mind decided to skip town.
Rei glanced at him. Her expression was neutral. "That would be acceptable," she stated in monotone. Shinji appears to be uncomfortable in my presence. That is understandable.
Misato opened the passenger door. "Who wants shotgun?" she asked. When neither Child said anything, she offered, "You can sit on Shinji's lap, if you want," while staring Rei in the face and mustering up the most serious look she could.
The Third Child's face reddened considerably.
While the prospect of being so close to the boy was undeniably exciting, Rei almost immediately decided against it. "I will sit in the back," she said. He has not made his decision. To attempt to convince him in such a manner would be... unjust.
Unfortunately, the Captain wasn't about to just let it go. "You're right," she supposed, "There's room to lie down in the back. I guess it'd be easier."
That is not what I meant. But even Rei blushed at that suggestion, if only a little.
Misato leaned into the car and pulled a handle beneath the passenger seat, making it pull all the way forward. There was barely enough space for someone to squeeze through into the back seats. "Get in," she said cheerfully.
Since this was a command and not a question, Rei obeyed without a second thought. She bent down, got her upper body through the small space, and climbed in. For a brief moment her skirt caught on the door frame, exposing her panties.
Shinji's eyes widened considerably, and he quickly looked away, muttering "Sorry" in a low voice. Misato was tempted to laugh.
After Rei had secured herself, the Captain gestured to the boy, giving him a knowing look. There was no way she was letting him off the hook. If she had to stuff him in there herself he was gonna sit next to the blue-haired chick, dammit!
With great reluctance (or fear, nobody could tell), the brown-haired introvert compressed himself into the small space between the body of the car and the front seat, and took his place next to Rei, who had defaulted to staring out the window. She smoothed her skirt absently and propped up her head with her right hand.
"Fasten your seat belts, kids," Misato called out, plopping into the driver's seat and slamming the door, "We're going back to the future!"
At the speeds you drive I do not doubt it, Rei remarked sarcastically to herself.
The key was turned, the electric engine purred, and the bright blue Alpine took off, destined for the Ayanami place at 120 mph.
Silence reigned in the back seat as both pilots were pressed into the upholstery. The First Child would not speak unless she was addressed. The Third Child couldn't form a coherent thought to save his life. But, as usual, his body acted without consulting his higher functions. He tapped Rei's shoulder to get her attention. She turned her head to look at him.
Shinji gulped. "Rei?"
The blue-haired girl nodded. Her brain, for lack of a better term, crossed its fingers.
"I- Uh- I have something to tell you."