AN:Here we are at the 100k word mark,this is where the original LOB was supposed to end in terms of word count but as you can probably guess from the sheer amount of loose threads this fic is far from over,like...very,very far.
Well this Second Act will be much less action oriented then the first and will mostly deal with character relations and the growing secret organizations.
Well,enjoy!
ACT 2:The lie we call happiness.
Shinji woke up,as he normally did, at a rather early hour in the morning when compared to everyone else...and yet there was something different this time,something warm. Suddenly the memories of yesterday rushed into his mind, forcing his eyes slightly downward at the figure firmly snuggled against him. That...wasn't a dream.
A smile crossed his face,the most earnest and truly happy smile he had ever had in years. This was real, he was there,with Asuka,he and Asuka..together,maybe?He didn't know what the status on their relationship was, but he hopped it was something...more than just friends.
Don't be stupid,friends don't make out you dumbass. The cynical part of him said,for once Shinji felt oddly comforted by it's presence within his mind.
Slowly he removed himself from bed,Asuka giving a displeased moan in her sleep as he did. "I'll be back if you want me, but someone needs to make our food." He said in a whisper.
Asuka woke up alone, normally this would not have bothered her, she was used to being alone. But yesterday,yesterday she hadn't been alone,not when she fell asleep at the very least. He had been there with her...he,Shinji.
Her face immediately reddened as she remembered the last night, all they'd done was kiss and sleep in the same bed,that was it,but even from just remembering that her hear beat increased a thousandfold. The question was,why wasn't he there? By her side,had he misread her signals,thought it was a one of thing?It wasn't meant to be, she didn't want it to be.
She inched her door open, noticing Shinji in the kitchen as he always was at such hours, the clock was about to strike 6:30, wondergirl would be coming down soon,she needed to make her move now. Taking a deep breath Asuka stepped into the living room.
"Hey firs-"She stopped herself. "Hey Shinji."
He turned toward her,a soft red to his own cheeks and a small smile to his face that utterly melted away her heart. Stop beating to fast heart! The organ in question did not acquiesce.
"G-good morning Asuka." He said with a slight stutter
"Good morning Shinji"She said,equally hesitant.
A rather awkward silence followed this,both sitting around without saying a word.
"So..."He began. "Do you want some breakfast?"
She nodded. "yeah,your cooking is nice."
"Thanks,your uh...eyes are nice." He said.
Asuka just looked at him for a few seconds with a blank expression in her face before she burst out laughing. "You're not great at this sort of thing are you first?"
"I've never really dated anyone.."He admitted with an anxious scratch of the neck.
Dating?...Yes,Asuka had to suppose that was the natural conclusion to what happened last night. Was that what she wanted?...yes,yes it was,but it was...scary,she'd never had this sort of commitment in her life.
"Hey Shinji.."Asuka spoke up,somewhat hesitant. "Why weren't you there,when I woke up?"
"Honestly..i didn't know if you would want me there." He said. "I mean,it's like you said back then,I'm just boring looking Shinji Ikari."
Asuka shook her head. "What are you stupid?! Just because you look boring doesn't mean I don't care about you! Not to say I'm pretty sure I also told you you had spirit."
"You care about me?"Shinji asked in genuine surprise.
"You think I would kiss just anyone?"Asuka asked with an indignant look.
"Of course not...i just didn't think you would care about someone like me." Shinji said.
"Well I do,so now you've got to deal with it!"Asuka declared,trying not to sound desperate.
"I guess I do uh...i care about you too Asuka."Shinji said,a small smile in his face as he looked at her,her heart hammering in her chest at such a small gesture.
"J-just make my breakfast dummkofp" Asuka said,looking away with a face as red as the colour of her hair.
The walk to school was quiet and uneventful,neither of the pair of lovers truly speaking to each-other or even looking at one another much at all. Shinji felt immensely awkward,he wasn't exactly bad with girls per say,but he'd never dated anyone, and especially not someone like Asuka.
He certainly cared for Asuka,a lot,like a lot a lot. But that didn't mean he wouldn't recognize how difficult she could be to deal with at times, especially when she was being dishonest with herself.
I wonder if things will change, I mean we are together now after all.. Shinji pondered.
"Hey,what are you thinking about first?"Asuka asked, slight hesitation to her voice that was wholly uncommon for the red-headed wonder-pilot.
"Well..us,i guess."Shinji said,unusually shy. She nodded.
"We'll speak about that when we get back home." Asuka said,he gave a nod in agreement.
As they continued Shinji couldn't help but wonder if Asuka really did want a real relationship with him,he wasn't exactly the best at that sort of thing as previously stated and she was Asuka Langely Sohryu,the most beloved girl in school. And he was well..him,just boring old Shinji Ikari.
As he looked at her he caught her staring at his hand from the corner of her eye,an unspoken question in her eyes. He smiled. You really aren't honest even with your own heart,are you Asuka? Then again,he was much the same, he understood her.
He reached out his hand,she grabbed onto it,both getting a blush into their face as they advanced hand in hand, thankful for Rei's lack of attention for once.
While Asuka didn't enjoy school most days,finding it utterly pointless for someone whose level of education far outstripped the meager teachings of the public school system of Japan, today of all days felt utterly torturous.
The clock felt as if it was mocking her,ticking far too slowly as, for once in her life, she just wanted to back to the geofront. Her mind flashed back to when he'd held her hand,all he'd needed to do was catch a light glimpse and he'd just..know.
His mother and mine...and he's piloted Evangelion since he was a child as well...he's,he's like me,he understands. He had to,right? With a slight shake of her head she tried to focus on the lessons once again, failing miserably at that task, so her eyes trailed over to him.
She'd never really noticed it before but he was..cute. Yeah,kind of bland sure,but his soft face,almost feminine with a hint of masculinity and with hair that nearly covered his eyes but not quite so long as Kaji's was just..cute. She blushed and look away.
Stop being stupid Sohryu,you're acting like some sort of schoolgirl! Then she looked around herself. Right...i am a schoolgirl.
Her eyes focused on him once again,all she wanted to do was go up and kiss him,class be damned,but her pride wouldn't let her do so, making it so she was instead forced to watch in a sadistic form of mental torture as Shinji looked everywhere in class except at her.
Maybe he hated her? Even thought he'd said he cared about her he could have lied, just like her father lied. But he'd never lied to her,had he? No,not quite. She pouted, frustrated at her own childishness and inability to do figure out her own feelings and those of the first child. No,not the first child,she found him obnoxious,cocky,annoying,but Shinji? Shinji was different,he was kind,he was hurt and just like her...yes in some sort of paradoxical way she both found Shinji Ikari an obnoxious,cocky,annoying brat yet also loved him...Wait did I just...Shinji...love...
A shriek immediately cut through the lesson of class 2-A,followed by a very flustered Asuka Langely Shoryu excusing herself and rushing out of the class supposedly because she needed to go to the bathroom.
Excusing himself from class had been simple enough, Shinji had merely made up some excuse as to how Asuka's sudden outburst could have something to do with Nerv related business and the old teacher who was terrified of getting fired if he overstepped his bounds allowed him to go free. That much had been easy,what wasn't so much was finding his fellow pilot and maybe-girlfriend.
But eventually find her he did, sitting with her knees in her chest and looking with an unreadable expression outward toward the horizon. Shinji sat down beside her,surprised not to hear her complain about the fact he was there.
"Why are you here?" She asked.
"It's not everyday someone decides to shriek and then rush out of class you know?"He asked with as slight hint of humor.
"You'd think they'd send the class representative instead of you." Asuka said without looking at him,almost as if she was afraid to.
"I asked to come." Shinji clarified.
"Why?"
"It's obvious."He said. "Because I care about you."
"I don't need this,not right now."Asuka said. "Not lies"
"It's not a lie! I wouldn't lie,not to you." Shinji said.
"It doesn't matter,you wouldn't understand it anyway!"Asuka said,irritation in her voice.
"I will."Shinji said. "Because we are the same."
"If we're the same then you don't need me to tell you what i'm feeling do you?"Asuka mocked in reply, Shinji however took it quite seriously.
"You're right...since we're the same...then how about this." Shinji inhaled. "You're afraid,afraid of this,of a relationship,a real one,because you've never had one. Because you don't think you're really worthy of anyone's love,no one has ever really loved you,and if they have their own problems never allowed them to show it to you much. "Shinji said,Asuka inhaled herself.
"You feel like no one can understand you,like they can sympathize with you but they don't know what it's like. You feel like the years are passing by very slowly, you can't wait to be an adult but you're scared of what it entails."She said. "You know there are people who care but they aren't pilots,they don't understand."
And then,silence, both of them stood in an odd quiet contemplation at each-other's words. Both of them processing that truly,deeply,they were the same. Neither believe in such a thing as fate or destiny but even so they both couldn't help but feel as if this was what was occurring.
They both moved closer to one another,Shinji wrapping his arm around her and she did much the same,they both leaned in their heads,laying them against each-other.
"Hey Shinji."Asuka spoke up after a while. "be by my side."
"Even if I have to walk into hell itself..i will be by your side,Asuka." Shinji declared without a hint of of hesitation.
"Baka...don't things like that!you'll jinx it."She joked.
For as long as the earth,the moon and the sun remain and there was life on earth then there was a heaven to be had, that had been the philosophy of Yui Ikari before she had been told about the final tribulation. In her fear she had decided that if mankind would not have a chance at life perhaps it would have a chance to live past death.
"And thus she choose to become one with Evangelion,a symbol of mankind's existence to remain once even when the last heaven fades." Gendo commented as he looked at the truly titanic form of Unit-01. "A truly noble goal,one only a truly selfless person like she could carry onward."
Gendo knew the truth,the truth his son refused to believe,that her actions had in the end been selfless in nature. She could have lived a happy 15 years with her son and her husband, awaiting for the inevitable coming of mankind's extinction,and yet she had chosen to take action,to give them a chance,even the tiniest of chances,at victory. Even when she did not expect it to come,even when she thought victory was a scientific impossibility she had still given way of her own sense of self to become one with a monster,torn down into nothing but her very base soul.
"You are stronger than all of us combined Yui. In a way it is you that Shinji takes after."Gendo said. "Though certainly in terms of personality Rei is much more akin to you,even if much less talkative."
Silence,as had been his only answer for the past 15 years.
"You always did want to have a girl,i thought it was fair for me to give this one her name since you choose Shinji's." Gendo commented.
His mind focused on the blue haired girl of which he spoke,a feeling of fatherly affection rising from within his heart, even if she did not yet have his name she was his daughter none the less,it had hurt to see her go the first time, he was sure it would the second as well.
Even so...for the sake of Yui's sacrifice...mankind must live on,no matter the cost.
A soft knock, Rei stood still in front of the door of her fellow pilot's room,her red eyes lost in a haze of thought. Held close to her chest and perhaps a bit too tightly was her latest creation,a drawing made specifically for Mari Makinami.
"Rei?" Mari asked as she opened the door,the mess of her room becoming clear behind her.
"Pilot Makinami."Rei said with a soft smile. "May I come in?"
Makinami looked at her and then at the mess and then back at her again,after a few moments of deliberation she gave a small sigh.
"Yeah,don't mind my mess though,please."She said, allowing the blue haired girl to enter her mess of a room. Rei's eyes trailed over the place, a mess indeed, well she wasn't free of guilt when it came to having a messy room either.
I am nearly certain I still have the bandages from my wounds from the first activation test...i should really dispose of those. Rei commented within the confines of her mind.
"I do not, it is simply proof that someone lives here." Someone very messy yes,but someone none the less. It was certainly better than the white,spotless and lacking in life nature of the inner bowels of the headquarters.
"Well,thanks I guess,what brings you to my most humble of abodes Icicle?" She asked, Rei's grip tightened, had she ever been this nervous before? No,she supposed she had not, this was even worse than any angel battle she had faced,her heart felt like it was about to beat it's way out of her chest.
"I am...not good with emotion,you aware of this." Rei said, Makinami nodded.
"Yeah,you're very reserved."She said in agreement. "What's that got to do with why you're here though?"
"As I have...difficulty speaking about emotions, I have decided to instead express them through other means." Rei said, handing the other pilot her picture, which took it with a small smile that quickly faded.
"...it's me." Mari said.
"It is the inner turmoil which I see within yourself." Rei said, Mari took in a breath and sat down on her bed,patting the position next to her on it.
"Come on,sit beside me."Mari said. Rei nodding as she did as she was told. "How do you know..?"
"I am bonded." Mari blushed, Rei felt a need to clarify. "Not just with you,but with all of mankind."
"I see..."Mari said,her eyes trailing over to the equally abstract and realistic painting she had been given. "This must have taken effort."
"It took roughly 40 hours of total work time to complete." Rei answered, Mari smiling.
"That's pretty impressive all things considered. Well,i guess you want me to talk?" Mari asked. The blue haired albino-looking girl nodded in response.
" Well,i guess we can start at the beginning. I never knew my mother..or my father or any family really..hell I don't even know if my name really is Makinami."Mari said,an unusual look of sorrow in her face. "All I've ever had was Nerv, ever since I can remember. Nerv-London was my first home,it was..painful. Pepole tried to give me some small comfort but they didn't have the answer I needed and for me at the time that was all that mattered all I wanted was to know where my parents were,who I was and why I was there."
Mari stops speaking for a few seconds, a soft smile crossing her features as she remembers a pleasant memory. "But then I was transferred to Nerv-Moscow and suddenly I had someone there for me,their pilot; the fourth child...she was my first real human connection."
Rei's own looked saddened, she was aware of what had become of the fourth child,every pilot in Nerv had heard of it. She was the first casualty,the first among the pilots to fall victim to the attack of the angels.
"Well..you know how that went,i was there as well." Mari said.
"My apologies." Rei said,knowing not what else she was supposed to say.
"Well..don't mind it. It wasn't anyone's fault." Mari said.
Rei then moved her hand into the other pilot's head,a gesture of care. Mari looked at her with an odd expression the question 'what are you doing?' clear in her eyes.
"Pilot Ikari does this to me when I am distressed. I thought it might help." Rei said, Mari smiled at the gesture. "Does it?"
"Yeah..."She said. "Yeah it does."
Ever since having returned from school both Asuka and Shinji had no idea what to do,following their impromptu cuddling sessions on their school's roof they really had no idea how to truly face each-other. A worrying development seeing as night was falling and neither wanted to spend it alone.
Asuka,however, had a plan. "Hey Shinji...do you wanna kiss?" If it ain't broken don't fix it right?
"Sure.."Shinji said with a slight blush in his face. Asuka once more being forced to face the fact that her new boyfriend was utterly adorable. It was hard to reconcile the fact that Shinji Ikari and the first child really were the same person. They felt so..different.
She got up and Shinji moved closer,lightly placing his lips on hers. The passion of yesterday had faded but it was no less magical in it's own way especially as he pulled her closer to him. As they broke apart a small,almost teasing smile spread itself across his lips.
"Maybe next time I should hold your nose closed."Shinji joked, Asuka herself giving a slight laugh.
"Baka,i don't even know why I did it."She said. "Your breath actually feels...nice in a way."
"Well it was for the best,i don't think I would have held you so close if you hadn't." Shinji admitted.
"You only have guts when it comes to defeating the angels don't you?"Asuka said,somewhat annoyed.
"Sorry, I just thought you wouldn't like someone like me."He admitted with a shy look to his face. "When did you even start well..you know."
"I think it was when you saved me..i couldn't believe you'd care enough to throw yourself in front of a bullet for me."She said,her hands trailing over to his shoulder. "Does it still hurt?"
"A bit sometimes,but mostly not nowadays." Shinji answered. "And I'm glad I did it,I'd rather be injured than see you hurt."
"Baka."She whispered in his ear as she leaned in to hug him. "I felt really guilty about that you know?"
"I'd apologize,but I don't regret it." Shinji said.
"You really are an idiot aren't you?" She asked,though her tone was still warm and affectionate.
"I might be an idiot but I'm your idiot." He replied. Causing Asuka to hit him in the chest lightly.
"What are you stupid?!"She said,her face red. "You're making me blush."
"Red does suit you." Shinji joked.
"Hold the door!"Misato asked as she quickly jogged into the elevator, Kaji lifting up a curious eyebrow.
"Now now,this is new." He said."I'd never thought you'd be the one asking me to hold the elevator for you. How the tables turn as they say."
"Don't be an ass."Misato said,thought with little of the annoyance that was normally in her voice when she spoke to him. "And I'm actually here to speak to you."
"When it's you Katsuragi I'm all ears." He said with a slight smile.
"Thank you for yesterday and I'm sorry for being a nuisance."She said.
"No need to for apologizing Katsuragi. Though you did say something just before I left,gave me a little gift and everything."He said in a joking tone, Misato shook her head.
"And here I was going to invite you to have a drink sometime, but since you're being a nuisance I might just consider otherwise."She said giving a sideways glance that told him she was joking.
"Going out for a drink with you does seem nice Katsuragi,reminds me of the old days."He said,a smile crossing his features as he remembered.
"It's agreed then, be on time."Misato told him sternly.
"I will, even if I have a job." He assured,causing the Major to give him a smile.
"Good,but don't go getting fired because of me." She answered in jest.
"I'll try not to Katsuragi."
Shinji Ikari was in a dream..or rather he was reliving an old memory through a dream.
"Riaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" The cries of the berserker Unit-01 could be heard as another pulse of it's AT field shot outward,a purple haze to it as it broke apart yet another portion of the artificial evolution laboratory.
It's normally white eyes were now a pure purple that held within them an endless rage. Another roar and the giant's power once again pulsed outward, the turrets of a battleship within the geofront's lake rotated to point at the unit and fired with a thunderous roar,all four of it's turrets hitting their mark,and yet once the smoke from the explosion of the shells cleared no effect could be noticed. The unit reached out it's hand,where once an entire battleship stood now only two halves remained,a cross of light having cut it in two.
"This is an emergency,deploy unit 00!"He could hear the voice of vice-commander Fuyutsuki bark even though he was not there,such was the weird nature of dreams.
And again,because this was a dream, unit-00 appeared nearly instantly, throwing at the purple unit a red projectile that impacted it's chest,exposing it's core as it merged with the purple titan. And then it fell dead,collapsing into the ruined remains of the artificial evolution laboratory.
"Get the pilot out!"
"He's in critical state."
"Synch ratio neared 400%,sympathetic damage was critical!"
Shinji lurched awake,unable to even scream out as he hyperventilated,his heart was beating too fast,his body was covered in sweat and he felt like he was going to die. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around him,his first instinct being to push them off as his brain was still stuck in the delirium of his dreams. As his head snapped backward he took notice of Asuka,now with a bloody nose which she held in the verge of crying,though he could tell she was trying her damnedest not to.
"Shit!"He cursed. "I'm so sorry,are you okay?"
"I think you broke my nose...it fucking hurts."She said,pain in her voice.
"Hold on,we have a first aid kit. Just sit down and lean forward or it'll drain into your throat...fuck,I'm so sorry."
"First aid first First,apologizing later!"Asuka said, Shinji took her words to heart and rushed out of her room. Returning shortly with ice wrapped in a towel,some tissues and a painkiller.
"Here,this should stop you from bleeding everywhere.." Shinji said as he handed her a tissue. "And the ice should help it heal somewhat. I brought a painkiller as well."
Shinji sat beside her. "I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing so much or you'll give me an even worse headache than your elbow did."She said, a short silence following before she spoke up again. "Must have been a pretty bad dream if it made you have that sort of reaction.."
Shinji nodded. "I was...it was bad..one I haven't had in a while."
"Want to speak about it?"She asked, he shook his head.
"I'm sorry but..not yet."Asuka nodded in response, Shinji growing a thankful smile. She understands.
"It's fine,let's go back to sleep." She said.
"Are you sure you don't want me to go away?"Shinji asked with a saddened look. "I hurt you."
"It's okay. You didn't mean to did you?"He shook his head, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "Are you gonna cry?"
"I-it's just...i really like you,a-and I want to protect you but in the end i've..i've just ended up hurting you."He sobbed. "All I ever do is hur-"
Then he had his face promptly shoved into Asuka's chest. The girl in question shaking her head with a tired sigh. "You know, you're not like the image you put out there,i mean what would all the girls at school think? The famous first child,crying like a baby because he accidentally broke his girlfriend's nose."
He sniffed again. "I don't care what they think...your chest is very soft by the way."
"Pervert."Asuka joked softly as she ran a hand through his hair. "I bet you've had fantasies about this sort of thing haven't you?"
I know I have. She thought. Shinji himself went red.
"M-maybe. L-like I said,Sohryu is a very attractive girl."Shinji said with a completely red face, suddenly very aware that he had his face shoved into a girl's chest. Not just any girl's chest either,that would have been bearable, but Asuka's chest.
"You're cute as well." She said with a slight blush.
"Thanks.."Shinji said as a smile grew on his face. "Let's sleep."
"Yeah...let's."
A gigantic metallic container was lowered into the snow in northern Siberia, one of the few places in the planet that could truly be said to be frigid after the second impact. And yet even there in that hellishly cold place mankind could still survive.
"So,this is it. The last of the true nails." Commented a man in a business suit as he watched from afar, this man's Russian origin was not hard to guess from the way he looked,but his importance was much less known, for while technically he was simply Russia's minister of foreign affairs his true nature was much more sinister,that of Seele 6.
"As expected,it is within a usable state." Lorenz commented. "Like the other 3 in our possession."
"Four if we are to count the one within the test unit." Seele 6,also known as Alexei Artyomov,said.
"The one within the test unit is not in an active state,it is less than useless to us,in fact it hinders us greatly that the awakening of unit-01 can not be proceeded with because of this." Lorenz commented with a bitter tone to his voice.
"The awakening of unit-01 would aid whatever trickery Ikari has ongoing more than it would do us,it was a secret blessing that unit-01 had to be deactivated with it's lance."Alexei spoke.
"Even so,for Ikari to hold even a single of the nails is a bothersome occurrence, if the lance of Lilith could be activated we would be able to initiate third impact at our behest,with or without a Lilith replacement." Keel said,his eyes narrowing on the metallic box,his breath visible in the cold siberian winter.
"In the end all this does is tricky Ikari into a false sense of security, he will think that his plans are going along until the mass production series brings an end to his dreams."Alexei said with a sadistic smile. "oh,and have you heard? They have canceled the dummy plug system because of the AT extender fiasco, Nerv is self defeating by it's very nature. We need not worry about them."
"The fact that they have canceled the dummy system worries me, it could mean they have a more reliable method..."Lorenz commented,trailing off into his thoughts.
"They do not,they simply put too much stock in the 'power of the human spirit'. Utterly ridiculous,the only thing the human spirit is capable of is self-destruction." The Russian man spoke.
"In that you are correct, Ikari Gendo's trust in humanity will be his final downfall."
Olympus,the home of the gods. It was something to be said about the hubris of the Societas Eruditorium that they had chosen that as the name of their main headquarters,but that was the very founding basis of the society of erudites. The ascension of mankind,not through the methods of gods but through the true power of mankind,that of technology.
It was no surprise then,that beneath it's facade of an old Austrian castle owned by Eugen Drache and his corporation the base known as Olympus was a technological marvel.
"You are not entering the throne of Zeus." An Automated voice spoke as a multitude of locks came undone in the gigantic door leading to the main bridge,also known as the throne of Zeus. Jonathan Travis took a step out of the horizontal elevator platform that had brought him there and looked around.
"This place gets more crowded each day I visit." He commented.
"It is the march of progress my friend, it does not stop simply because we look away."An older voice spoke from behind him. Travis turned around and was quickly faced with a man in his older years, with long gray hair that nearly reached his shoulders and an equally large beard. This man was none other than Eugen Drache,who wore as per usual a simple black coat and white shirt. The man who by his own words would surely change the world.
"Boss!" Travis greeted the man warmly as he gave him a half-hug. "I thought you were at your doc's?"
"She cleared me early,as per usual I am in good health,for my age at least."He said,that last part added in with some humor.
"You don't look a day over eighty." Travis said.
"Good,seeing as I am 76!"Eugen said with a hearty laugh.
"I know,i know. It was just joking."Travis said. "Really you look even younger than normal! What's the matter for that to be the case? Bagged yourself a cute Austrian chick?"
Eugen shook his head,ignoring the slight wink his underling had given him as he spoke his sentence. "No,i am simply happy that after a nearly 4 decades worth of work we are finally getting somewhere quickly."
"Yeah, when I joined I didn't even dream we would ever have this many members total, much less just in this bridge." Travis said. "You've got to tell me how you fund this stuff one day my man."
"Friends in high places will get you far and a man of my age can have a great many friends indeed,that is all I will say."He said cryptically but with a slight up-tilt to his lips.
"Mysterious as ever boss, is Lummy around?" He asked,Eugen nodded.
"Lumiese is working on the Delphi,and don't let her hear you call her that,she'll gut you." He joked.
"She's too aggressive with poor old me." Travis complained. "It's half the reason I'm always off base,the other half being that you give me far too much work."
"Consider yourself lucky I didn't assign you to go to Rome with me." Eugen shot back.
"Oh, believe me,i do. Poor Kurumi can't get a break with you." Travis joked. "Did she complain too much?"
"For once she was trilled, speaking to another Japanese girl,even if not her own age, seems to have lifted her spirits."He answered to which.
"Now,if you won't mind me,I'm gonna go find Lumiese." Travis said.
"Don't harass her too much now,we still need a computer's expert!"
Traveling through the extreme amounts of machinery that made up the Delphi felt more like traveling throughout ventilation ducts than anything else,thankfully Travis was not too unaccustomed to such an activity and quickly found himself at the Delphi's core.
Lumiese sat,as per usual,with her computer in lap and a posture that no doubt meant her later years would be torturous, typing away with such great speeds as to be scary and only adding yet another reason for Travis to see her as some sort of superhuman tech genius.
"Hello,hello!"He greeted,the woman in question giving him an annoyed glare and an equally displeased grunt as she stopped typing for a few moments.
"What are you doing here,I'm busy!"She spat out in annoyance as she returned to her work.
"Well I just came to see my favorite person in the whole wide world."Travis joked. "What are you doing?"
"Updating our security to make it deal better with a possible attack from the magi." She answered.
"Aren't we allied with Nerv?"He asked curiously.
"We're allied with headquarters,the other branches are loyal to the committee and Seele,even in a best case scenario that would be 5 supercomputers versus 9,and I don't fancy Delphi's odds against even a single trio of Magi. Much less three." She answered. "Not to say,why do you even give a fuck?"
"Your work interests me,it's certainly beyond the reach of my computer abilities." Travis said honestly, Cecile looked away with a 'tsk'.
"Honeyed words won't get you into my pants"She said as she continued to type away. Travis gave a slight laugh as he rolled his eyes.
"I'm not trying to, I actually value our friendship you know?" He said,causing her to give him an odd sideways look. "What?! Is it so surprising to think that even a tricky bastard such as I could value friendship?"
"...i guess not,maybe I've been misreading you these past three years,jackass." She said,her eyes returning to the computer in which she was working.
"Why do you feel the need to either insult me or cuss every other sentence?"He asked.
"I Don't feel the need I just fucking feel like it." She answered.
"You really are an odd sort of person aren't you?" He asked with a soft smile.
"Most people who work in this place are missing most of their screws anyways." She said.
He laughs. Can't argue with that.
"Gaghiel,the Seventh angel and Ramiel,the Sixth." Ritsuko said as she looked at their remains in block C-3,out of access for all those under prince-class classification.
"Can they be used?"Gendo asked,his eyes focused on the two.
"Ramiel can be used as is since we only need it for the wings,but Gaghiel's rib-cage isn't strong enough to hold the expected outer structure." The scientist reported. "Much less the weight having upward of six Evas on board."
"As expected the progress on the ark is not quick or easy."Gendo said. "What can be done to remedy this issue?"
Ritsuko thought about it,looking up at the cracked rib-cage of the angel as she did.
"We have samples of Gaghiel's flesh still intact,if used properly they could recreate the outer structure of the angel through cellular regeneration,but without a core the process will likely take years." She said.
"It will do."He said,she looked at him in surprise.
"Gendo,we're talking about half a decade at least." She informed him,he nodded once again.
"The scenario will still be occurring during that time-frame,as long as there are no significant delays I fail to see the problem." He said. She shook her head.
"You simply add even more work to my already large workload don't you?"She said,her tone one of humor. "It's almost as if its on purpose."
"I will reimburse you as expected,this weekend I am free." He said.
"Your place as usual?"She asked, he nodded.
"Yes and dinner beforehand as well." He said.
Ritsuko rose an eyebrow. How oddly romantic of you Gendo. Normally you just fuck me and are done with it. Akagi thought,but she certainly wouldn't complain,it was the first dinner he would be treating her too in over an year after all.
AN:Another bigger chapter to contrast the slightly smaller one before it. As is said before this Act will deal much more with interpersonal relationships and the build up to the final angel battles and the end of Evangelion,so don't expect much action at all. That's all for now,cya!