Chapter 3: The Money Store Part 2
A/N: Ayyyy we're back babey! Finished with the semester now so I got more time to focus on this. Also had time to think of where I wanna go with the story. A few uncertain spots but I generally have the plot outlined and I know what I wanna do with certain albums, and since NGE is set in 2015 I think you can put two and two together to figure out where I'll go. In terms of 'album listening' scenes, I'll probably skip over tracks here and there if I don't have much to say, or I'll be more brief as to not drag the scene along. With that, let's get going!
Disclaimer: Don't eat things off the ground.
Rei makes her way to the kitchen first, leaving her two co-pilots standing at the entrance.
"Well," Asuka huffs, "Guess we're gonna figure out what this weirdo listens to."
Shinji gave a sheepish smile, unsure what to say, and the two walked to the kitchen to find Rei sitting with seemingly calculated posture, SDAT in one hand and tape case in the other.
Shinji spoke up "L-lemme get some drinks! Water okay, Rei?"
"That is acceptable" The girl responded.
"And you want orange juice, right Asuka?" he asked as Asuka was sitting down across from Rei.
"Yeah, make it quick, idiot." She quipped back.
As Shinji poured the glasses, Rei laid her music down on the table, and Asuka grabbed the tape case and silently perused the front and back of it. What the hell does this even sound like? She thought to herself. As she was about to declare her impatience, Shinji sat down adjacent to both girls, serving drinks.
"Ready?" the redhead asked, receiving a nod from her co-pilots. At that, Rei opened the SDAT, placed the tape in, and hit play on Track 1, Get Got.
Shinji and Asuka were greeted to the low, aggressive, rushing drum beat that filled Rei's ears for the first time a few weeks ago. They exchanged a bewildered look, but that was only the beginning.
"Get get get get got got got blood rush to my head lit hot lock poppin' off the fuckin' block knot clockin' wrist slit watch bent thought bot"
Then BOOM! That synth loop and crashing drums came in, almost circular-sounding in nature.
Asuka whipped her hand out and paused as fast as she could "What the fuck!?"
"Uh, Rei... that's... quite the song... So you've been listening to this for the past week?" Shinji said with a boatload of hesitation.
Oblivious to the shock in front of her, Rei nodded her head "Yes, it is... pleasant."
Asuka almost choked on her breath "That's one way to put it! Jeez, Wondergirl! It sounds like robot music! I bet if you played this for one of the Evas it'd start dancing!"
Rei tilted her head "I believe the Evangelion Units are incapable of dancing, especially if they are not piloted.
Asuka's face went flat "It's a joke, Wondergirl. But anyways, we need to go back, I gotta hear what this guy is saying one more time."
After rewinding and listening to the words again, Asuka ran both hands down her face "I have no clue what this guy is trying to say! I understand it, but it makes zero sense!"
Shinji had an idea "How about you write it down? I'll grab some paper!"
Asuka smirked "Not a bad idea for an idiot. Grab some pens too, you're the king of Kanji afterall!"
Shinji smiled a little, then rushed to his room, returning a moment later with a stack of looseleaf paper and three pencils. "Here! Asuka can write out in English and translate, then Rei and I can write the Kanji!"
The girls nodded, and they continued on.
About halfway through the song, Rei was the one who paused and spoke up. "It appears that this narrator is driving a car, and displaying clear signs of mental disturbance. Interesting..."
Asuka looked at her "If by 'interesting,' you mean 'batshit insane,' I'm fully on board. It's a struggle to make heads or tails out of any of this."
"Maybe this song isn't supposed to mean anything?" Suggested Shinji.
"That's stupid, don't you think?" Asuka retorted dryly.
"I do not think this to be stupid. I believe it to be musically fascinating" Rei shot back.
Asuka responded with a grunt, and they worked their way to Track 2, The Fever (Aye Aye).
As they worked their way through this one, Shinji seemed to have a slight epiphany. "This one seems to be talking about living in excess and 'wasting your life,' not caring about other things."
Asuka didn't have a snarky response for this one "Yeah, not bad, idiot. He also seems to be talking about doing awful things just for that rush. Not my type of living but to each their own."
Rei watched in silent fascination.
The album continued, and the three found themselves on Track 6, I've Seen Footage.
Asuka grinned slightly "Okay, this one's kinda catchy."
Rei smiled a little "Yes, I find enjoyment in its rhythm."
They came to a slight halt when Asuka read out "I've seen footage, I stay noided." and attempted to translate.
"Noided? The hell does that mean?" She said, staring quizzically at what she just wrote.
Shinji looked at her "Maybe its slang? Look it up, someone might've said it somewhere.
Asuka thought for a second, then nodded, quickly returning with her laptop. Opening it up, she typed 'noided' into a search engine and clicked one of the first results. "Huh, so it's just a shorter way of saying paranoid... I guess it makes a little sense, but what does seeing footage have to do with it?"
Shinji pondered that question "What if 'seeing footage' means that he's seen things he doesn't want to see? Like, the 'footage' is supposed to be bad things?"
She agreed, and so did Rei, as her mind was turning it's gears at all the new information it was receiving. This was not something that she could learn from one of the many books she had read.
Asuka and Shinji were yet again startled by track 10, Punk Weight.
"Aagh! What the fuck is up with this!?" Asuka shouted, frantically decreasing the volume of the SDAT speaker. This brought some amusement to her co-pilots.
After that little scene, they continued to work until Asuka let out a laugh upon seeing that they reached Track 12, Bitch Please. "Look Wondergirl, it's the song that I used to teach you what 'bitch' meant."
Rei's cheeks flushed slightly in mild embarrassment "Ah, yes, I believe I called you a bitch, which triggered an angry response."
Asuka waved her hand "Eh, don't worry about it, teaching you about swearing is way too fun anyways."
Halfway through the song, Rei paused "This 'smoking rocks,' what does it mean?"
Asuka pondered that question before formulating what she could even say, even doing some typing on the computer before her answer came "Slang in America, invokes an illegal drug that I guess looks like a rock?"
Rei gave a small "hmm" but her mind momentarily drifted to the countless pills on her table at home upon the mention of drugs, but it was a fleeting thought.
With a stack of paper filled with completed lyric sheets in both English and Japanese, the three pilots braved the final song of this strange tape, Track 13, Hacker.
Asuka took charge again "'When you come out, your shit is gone'... heh, I like that, this is a neat one. I also like the chorus; 'I'm in your area,' it's like, yeah, here I am, and you can't get rid of me."
Shinji nodded amused at his roommate's enthusiasm and leaned on his hand for a moment "These lyrics kinda remind me of the beginning, where they were kinda confusing."
Rei chimed in "I believe these lyrics are a culmination of the previous compositions of this album, where the narrator sees fit to create chaos, like in the beginning, but a different kind of chaos."
Shinji and Asuka exchanged a look. Just how much was this girl thinking at all times?
Rei continued "Although, I'm unsure what 'teaching bitches how to swim' means.'
Asuka smirked "Isn't that what they do for us in gym class?"
This elicited a laugh from Rei, which caused Shinji and Asuka to join in.
As the track drew to a close and the last few words were penned, a familiar hiss came at the door.
"Hey kids, hope you aren't killing eachother in here!" Came Kaji's voice from the entrance.
Asuka got out of her seat "Kaji!"
He smiled "Hey kiddo. Hey Ayanami. Hey Shinji, Could you help me with Katsuragi, here?"
Shinji got up and helped carry his drunken guardian to her bedroom and lead Kaji back to the entrance.
Asuka batted her eyes at the unshaven man, clinging to his arm "Oh, Mr. Kaji, won't you stay here tonight?"
Kaji chucked "Kiddo, I'll get laughed at if I come to work in this suit. Besides, I think I should drive Miss Ayanami home."
Asuka was torn, because Kaji staying meant Wondergirl staying, so she relented "Ugh, fine... Have a good night, Mr. Kaji!"
"Good to see you, kid. Got everything, Ayanami?" He asked Rei, who nodded, stack of paper in one hand, SDAT and tape case in the other. Bidding them goodnight, Asuka waited for them to get to the elevator as a realization hit.
He smells like lavender, she solemnly thought to herself. She knew where that scent came from, and it meant that he was up close and personal with Misato. Asuka couldn't help but feel a little defeated that her dream guy was back together with a woman his age.
As the door hissed closed, Asuka made her way to the kitchen where Shinji was cleaning the cups, slightly dejected after the lavender discovery. Re-assuming her typical cockiness, she crossed her arms and leaned against the counter as Shinji was doing his thing at the sink.
Regarding her with a look before focusing back on the cups, Shinji pushed down a little anxiety and decided to press a little "See? Rei isn't so bad right? You really should give her a chance."
Asuka rolled her eyes a little "I guess... She was pretty articulate when we were going through the words, she seems to really want to understand. Maybe she's not such a doll after all."
Shinji paused then turned toward her, thinking back to what Ritsuko said to him early on "Before I really knew Rei at all, I remember Dr. Akagi saying something about how she isn't very adept at living."
Asuka took that into consideration before puffing her chest a little "Heh, clearly. But, y'know, maybe I could give Wondergirl a chance, pull her out from daddy's thumb a little, if it makes her not as much of a doll."
She witnessed a genuine smile form on her roommate's face "Yeah! If that music helps too, you and I should encourage her to listen to more of it." Shinji's words were met with a smile as he finished up with the cups.
Asuka, still with her arms crossed, thought about what she planned to do right before Wondergirl knocked on their door.
I was about to try and kiss the idiot. hm, maybe that was a sign that it would've ended poorly, but still, I wanna do something... maybe the kiss can come another time, but I want to get him to do something, he seems to be so God-damned dense, picking up on absolutely zero hints!
Maybe I need to push a bit more... she pondered, when the idea hit her.
Shinji had his back turned, drying his hand with a towel, so he did not see Asuka approach him, one hand on her hip, the other extended to him, with her head tilted upward but her gaze landing on him.
He did, however, hear when she said "Dance with me, Third."
At that point he turned around "W-what?"
She grinned "You know, dancing! Come on, you wouldn't pass up the chance to dance with the prettiest girl in Tokyo-3!"
Shinji looked at the ground "I, uh, don't really know how to dance..."
Asuka let out a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a scoff "Don't give me that, Ikari! We danced during sync training, so if anything, this should come naturally!"
Shinji looked up at her "What about Misato?"
She rolled her eyes "And? She's so plastered I could shoot you with the positron cannon and she wouldn't move a muscle!"
He laughed a little at that "O-okay, sure, let's dance." As he said this, Asuka grabbed him by the wrist and lead him to the living room, where the sound system was. Turning it on, Asuka inserted her ABBA CD as Shinji stood dumbly in the middle of the room.
Making her way over to him, she grabbed both of his hands "Come on, get moving here! You won't melt if you touch me a little!"
Shinji blushed at that, but surely gained his composure as the two figured out how they were dancing to each song. Swaying slowly with his hands on her for some, and joining hands and doing little spins for others, and so on.
After about an hour, the two made their way to each of their rooms, bidding eachother goodnight. They both slept the best in a while.
After a silent drive home and being dropped off by Inspector Kaji at her apartment, Rei moved some of her medication out of the way to lay out the lyric sheets that she wrote out with her... friends?
Rei wasn't sure what Pilot Ikari and Pilot Sohryu considered her as, but she found herself willing to refer to them as friends, and a small part of her hoping they would also do the same for her.
As she flipped through each page, a smile crept up on her lips. Rei knew for a fact that she felt feelings that were foreign to her.
Happiness.
Comfort.
Joy.
Commander Ikari sat at his desk, scrutinizing the Section 2 report about his pilots seemingly getting along.
Sub-commander Fuyutski broke the silence. "This is certainly a first. Do you think we need to intervene?"
The commander did not look up "If they get too close, it may endanger the scenario. For now, the Second's pride and insecurity are right where we want it, along with the Third's social ineptitude. Currently, they cannot corrupt Rei, but if she starts to become rebellious, we should take action."
Fuyutski put a hand on his chin "And this music?"
"That remains to be seen."
Rei sat in her tube in the depths of NERV as thoughts about the past few weeks reverberated in her mind.
Thoughts about music.
Loud music.
Drums.
Vocals.
The manic depths one can find themselves in expressed through song.
Friends.
Pilot Ikari.
Pilot Sohryu.
The feelings associated with them.
Happiness.
Comfort.
Joy.
These feelings again.
She would like to feel those more.
Outside of the tube, Dr. Akagi sat vigilant, monitoring the unusually active readings as Rei's brain was being backed up.
Rei wasn't at school the day after her impromptu visit, so two days later, Asuka had plenty of time to think of how to approach the most unapproachable person in class 2-A.
When the time came for lunch, Shinji went through the motions of giving Asuka her bento, to which she wasn't as cutting as usual.
Clutching her food, she looked over to where Rei was sitting, staring out the window.
Shinji's words came like a reminder You should give her a chance.
So Asuka made her decision and strode over to the girl's desk, lightly nudging her shoulder "Wondergirl, come shit with us."
Rei turned her head and gave a simple "okay," standing up and following Asuka, who motioned Hikari to follow as the girls walked over to where the three stooges were eating.
Asuka put her hands on her hips, careful not to drop her bent "Oy, stooges, make some room for the ladies."
After some protest from Toji, the six eventually found themselves sitting in a nice circle, making small talk and enjoying the moment.
Hikari made an observation and spoke up "Um, Miss Ayanami, do you not have a lunch?"
Rei shook her head and Hikari reeled a little "That will not do! here, I made a little too much for myself, eat up!"
She accepted the food with a smile and ate it peacefully.
Shinji noticed Rei's lack of food "Oh, uh, Ayanami, I can bring you some food next time if you'd like, it's really no effort and We have an extra bento lying around!"
Rei smiled slightly "That would be... Acceptable."
Kensuke decided to change the subject to his favourite, NERV activities "So guys, going in for some cool tests today?"
Asuka scoffed amusedly "Just some boring ass sync tests, but it doesn't matter, because I, the Ace Pilot, will come out on top as usual!"
Toji rolled his eyes, but Shinji simply chucked, as he was used to the boasting.
Rei felt warmth from the scene that unfolded. The human emotion that surrounded her felt reassuring, and resonated with her angel soul.
Later that day, the pilot trio found themselves in a sync test, each of them bored, but focused.
After what feels like an eternity, the silence is broken by Misato's voice "Shinji, Asuka, can you guys hear me?"
Asuka answered for the both of them "Yeah, yeah, have I crushed the idiot underfoot?"
Misato looked at the scores again "Actually, you guys are tied to the decimal!"
This lifted Shinji's spirits a little as a smile spread across his face.
Asuka was at a loss for words "Well... well... this isn't over, third!"
Ritsuko chimed in "Rei's up too, not super close to Shinji and Asuka but she's climbing.
Misato smiled upon hearing that "Nicely done, Rei!"
Later on, on the way to the showers, Shinji and Rei catch up with Asuka, and she abruptly turns on her heel "Just because you've caught up to me means you can walk around like you're better, you're still the rookie here! Got it, Third?"
Shinji averted his gaze for a moment before meeting hers "Y-yeah, no problem! You're still the ace! In fact, you're like a captain for the three of us!" Rei nodded in agreement.
Asuka grinned at that "Captain Sohryu... I like that! Alright team, break!" as she proceeded to the shower with her head high and a bounce in her step.
"Pattern orange, we're not sure if it's an angel or not!" Came the call from the bridge crew.
Misato hummed "Send the Evas, but make sure they're careful.
Soon after, the three pilots changed and sortied, ready to face this potential foe.
They were greeted by a giant floating ball with a zebra stripe-like pattern all over it.
Shinji opened the comm "Hey, captain, should I try and get closer to it?"
Asuka knew that was meant for her, and resorted to logic instead of rage, feeling more level-headed after having the feeling of social authority given to her by her pseudo-subordiante "This one is giving me a weird feeling, and I would've gone glaive first into it."
Shinji mulled over that for a moment "Misato, what do you think?"
Misato leaned forward from her spot in Central Dogma "Get a bit closer, but be careful and alert?"
"Roger" came his response and Shinji moved closer to this maybe-angel. When he got close enough he felt a surge of dumb confidence "Alright, I'm firing! This thing's dead meat!"
"Shinji. don-" before Misato could finish, a flurry of shots ripped from Unit-01's rifle and passed right through the floating sphere, when it suddenly disappeared. Suddenly, what seemed to be a shadow began to creep underneath the Eva's feet.
"Pattern blue, it's an angel!" Cried out Maya as Shinji turned his bullets downward, when he realized he was sinking. As he frantically tried to make his escape, he called out "Asuka! Ayanami! Help! Misato! Help me-" and his radio went dead.
Asuka felt rage build up inside her as she roared "YOU IDIOT!" over the comm, but she also felt a tinge of fear as the last of Unit-01 was swallowed by the shadow.
Rei watched the scene in silence, concern radiating off of her as her friend was consumed by the angel.
Misato was horrified and reluctantly leaned into the microphone "Asuka... Rei... retreat"
"...and so, dropping out 992 existing N2 mines on the central part of the target and using the AT-fields of the two Evas to concentrate the explosion, we can break apart the angel's body, which is the Dirac sea" said Dr. Akagi, laying out the salvage plan.
Misato was livid "That's hardly a rescue operation!"
The good doctor regarded Misato casually "in this operation, recovery of the Eva takes priority."
-slap-
Asuka and Rei towelled off from their showers and quietly put their clothes back on, both still in shock about their co-pilot potentially dying tonight.
Asuka makes her way to the cafeteria in the hopes that food will get her mind off of the situation, and Rei decides to follow.
After grabbing a sandwich and some juice, Asuka sits at a table, mildly surprised when Rei sits across from her with a small salad.
Rei decides to break the awkward silence and extend an olive branch to Asuka, knowing full well how she could react. "Pilot Sohryu"
Asuka is briefly pulled out of her own whirlwind of thoughts "What the hell do you want, Wondergirl?"
"Would you... like to listen to music with me?" She hesitantly asks, pulling the SDAT from her pocket.
The redhead softens slightly "Oh, uh, fine... but come sit beside me, if we listen with you across from me I'll practically be kissing you."
Rei moves to sit beside Asuka and they each take an earbud as 'play' is pressed and the familiar sounds of The Money Store echo in their minds.
Halfway through the album, Rei notices some tension in her co-pilot, and decides to take a stab at what it could be about, pausing the music "You are worried about Pilot Ikari."
Asuka recoils at this "What? Why would I be worried about that idiot? He made a stupid decision, and it's his funeral."
Rei's expression sours "Do you not care about him?"
She turns to her "Oh, what, and you do? You don't even have the facilities to care about someone!"
Rei did not falter "But I do care about Pilot Ikari. I promised to protect him."
This causes Asuka to pause briefly as she lets out an angry sigh "Okay... Maybe I am worried about him. I'm just pissed off that had to do something so stupid!"
Rei was inwardly satisfied by the progress being made "With that, why do you act aggressive towards him?"
Asuka answered in an instant "Because he's an idiot! He's always apologizing, acting like a doormat! It's like he has no backbone! He hardly ever picks up on things I'm saying to him!"
Rei took these words into consideration before responding "Perhaps you need to be more direct with him. You should talk to him when he escapes the angel."
Asuka momentarily grew concerned before concealing it "What if he never gets out?"
"He will"
Asuka and Rei were in position, ready for the N2 strike, neither of which approaching the situation with enthusiasm, the very real fear of losing Shinji plagued their thoughts.
"Okay, T-minus 60 second until N2 strike" Came Dr. Akagi over the comm.
Back in Central Dogma, Misato stood with an extreme level of fear that she may lose the closest thing she has ever had, and may ever have to a son.
The operation is interrupted by the angel's "shadow" beginning to crack, causing the ground to rumble.
"What the hell?" Asuka asked rhetorically as the bridge crew attempted to make heads or tails of what was going on.
This was all interrupted by the bloodied fist of Unit-01 punching through the floating sphere and emitting a grizzly-sounding roar.
Sprinting out to see Shinji, Misato made her way to Unit-01, hoisting the entry plug open to find her charge barely conscious, and she wraps him in a hug. "Shinji! Are you alright? Shinji!"
He smiled weakly "I... Just wanted... to see you again..." and he fell unconscious.
Just outside the entry plug, Asuka watched as a wave of relief washed over her.
She has another chance to talk to him, and the thought made her smile.
Rei stood next to her, the happiness spreading and causing her to smile too.
A now-familiar ceiling in the first thing that appears in Shinji's sight, and he realizes that the angel didn't kill him. He lifts his head to see Rei, and also Asuka? They both appear to have dozed off in their chairs.
"A-Ayanami? Asuka?" This wakes Rei up, and she gives Asuka a gentle nudge.
"Wha-" She quickly realizes what could be so important, with the idiot sitting right in front of her, eyes open. "Idiot-Shinji, you're awake!"
"Pilot Ikari, I am glad to see you are safe. I will go inform Major Katsuragi." Rei said with a small smile before giving Asuka a look and exiting the room, closing the door behind her.
"A-Asuka..."
"Lemme talk. So, while you were stuck in the angel, Wondergirl and I spent some time together. I know, crazy right? But she made some sense to me, and I thought I should have this talk with you. I don't want you to have to feel so tense around me. You really don't need to apologize for every single step you take, it drives me nuts."
"Um..."
"Let me finish! I'll try and be a bit... nicer, I guess. By the way, I do think your cooking is really good, just for the record. So, what do you say? Friends? For real?"
"Y-yeah, friends." Shinji responded with a smile.
Asuka hesitantly smiled back, and moved to envelope him in a hug, which he embraced.
As the two separated, Shinji was nearly tackled by one emotional Major, shouting "SHINJI!" as she flung the door open and charged him, wrapping him in a bear hug. Asuka couldn't help but laugh and Rei cracked a smile. She enjoyed smiling.
A few days after the angel attack, Rei sits alone on the roof of the school, idly listening to The Money Store.
Her solitude is interrupted by the sound of a door, and she turns to see her co-pilots in good spirits, approaching her.
"Pilot Ikari, Pilot Sohryu."
"Oh, enough of the formalities, Wondergirl, just call us by our first names!" Said Asuka with a laugh.
"Yeah! I'll call you Rei instead of Ayanami too!" Shinji added.
Rei smiled "Okay... Shinji, Asuka, you two were looking for me?"
Shinji reached into his bag "Yeah! We were looking for you to have lunch! I made you an extra bento like I said I would!"
Shinji handed it to her as the two sat down, with the pilot trio eating in a small triangle. Rei responded with a simple "Thank you."
As the three ate and made small talk, Rei wondered if this band, Death Grips, had any more music for her to listen to.
A/N: We did it! Money Store arc complete! Next time on Rei Grips: a new tape is found, the Fourth Child is selected, and Bardiel strikes! Tune in next time for the next chapter: Exmilitary Part 1!
Special thanks to jellodude for the review, and also Autor0fntent for the review, and also having me write an omake for his story, Evangelion: Shadō Wa Shitte Imasu, which should be up with the next chapter of that story.
And Now, an Omake.
Omake: Taste
Commander Ikari sat at his desk, scrutinizing the Section 2 report about his pilots seemingly getting along.
Sub-commander Fuyutski broke the silence. "This is certainly a first. Do you think we need to intervene?"
The commander did not look up "If they get too close, it may endanger the scenario. For now, the Second's pride and insecurity are right where we want it, along with the Third's social ineptitude. Currently, they cannot corrupt Rei, but if she starts to become rebellious, we should take action."
Fuyutski put a hand on his chin "And this music?"
Gendo pulled out a newer SDAT of his own "That remains to be seen. Besides, I am a man of more classic taste." He boasted as he loaded Overkill by Motörhead into it, cranking the volume and bobbing his head to it."
Fuyutski chuckled "Touché, Rokubungi."