They say you are your own worst critic, but for me it's this one lady, never before have I been traumatized at the idea of writing or typing anything, always second guessing everything I write or put down on paper, I'm not even allowed to succeed in my imagination. its emotional hell and I'm sure a lot of you understand. I'm studying on the side- adding more to my student loans- she's my lecturer, and god she really knows how to make you feel insignificant. it sucks, also work gets in the way and I haven't posted in months, but I promised Shinji and Asuka and dammit and you will get Shinji and Asuka. I wanted this to be as great as I can make it, I might even change and update it sometime, just as I need to do with chapter 2.
so I would really appreciate any feedback, even uncomfortable truths, hit me with em because that's all I've been getting from that horrible person. Also, I'm very excited for the 3.0+1.0 on the 13th of August, I also read the Eva extra manga for 3.0+1.0, it was really good, I recommend it.
Always I Appreciate you for even so much as looking at what I wrote, appreciate every review or comment, thank you.
BEGIN
Morning. the alarm machine rang and Shinji begrudgingly woke up. He woefully pushed his hand towards the buttons, shutting it down. Lying still he remembered, "Ugh, It's a school day." He groaned. Now tired and destitute, he pulled himself up from the bed, took a shower and prepared lunch for everyone in the household. Cooking still, he remembered what Asuka(Soryu) said last night. Maybe…just maybe. is that what Asuka truly thinks of me. He thought. It was then that both Asuka Langley(Shikinami and Soryu) came out of their room. They were still sleepy eyed and tired, dressed in their night gowns and yawning on their way to the kitchen table where they both sat down and simultaneously asked Shinji, "what's for breakfast?"
He swore they must've practiced that, no way that was just coincidence or maybe they were too tired to notice, "Shouldn't you guys get ready for school?" he asked.
Soryu looked down and sighed as she remembered " Ah Scheisse, it's a school day." She got up and headed for the shower, meanwhile Shikinami remained unphased "What about you?" Shinji asked, but Shikinami groaned in response "I don't feel like going." She said.
"Well that's too bad." Misato spoke out of the blue, spooking both Shinji and Asuka(Shikinami). "Jesus, what are you a ninja?" they asked "Maybe" she said, followed by her classic giggle. "Regardless, as long as your under my watch, you're going to school."
"And why is that?" Shikinami challenged "because I'm your guardian." Misato replied, with a warm smile on her face. Shikinami rolled her eyes and headed for the shower.
After a short while both Asuka were ready and in uniform, "Misato is waiting for us down stairs." Shinji said standing at the door, "Okaayyy." Asuka(Soryu) yelled as she was just about to go out, but before that Shikinami pulled her back, holding her by the shoulder. "What? What is it?" she asked her counterpart, "you know what." Shikinami said in an undertone, upon realisation Soryu's began to blush, "No." Soryu stammered, but Shikinami was relentless, "Do it.", "No.", "Do it.", "No", "Do It." , "No.", "Do it." Shikinami emphasized
Shinji noticed the two whispering to each other and asked, "Is everything okay guys?", neither of them answered and kept bickering amongst themselves, but eventually it looked to be that Soryu was defeated. Now she -being Soryu- angrily made her way towards Shinji, hiding her blush by not facing him directly. "You okay Asuka?" he asked, but Soryu didn't responded, she only stood there, trying to say something but struggling to get the words out of her mouth. Shinji looked to Shikinami, but she herself looked to be expecting something of her other self.
"Shinji." Soryu finally said, "Yeah?" Shinji inquired, "Wanna…" She – Soryu - took a deep breath, Shikinami hanging in anticipation, she finally says:
"Wanna hang out, like, later afterschool?" Soryu now looked to Shinji, but he was taken aback by her proposition. "What Like…like a date?" Shinji asked, Asuka's blush came back and she immediately looked the other way, Shinji was, for the most part confused, but also a little bit embarrassed now, looking to Shikinami he saw that she had been urging him to accept. "I mean, it doesn't have to be, it…" as Asuka went on Shinji paused to think.
This was Asuka Langley Soryu, the proud and haughty. She could do anything and yet here she found it difficult to do something as simple as asking for a date, Shinji couldn't believe. Most likely this is one of her mean attempts at a joke, but before he answered back he noticedhow open and vulnerable Asuka(Soryu) had let herself be, she couldn't have possibly be pretending right?
Shinji quickly snapped back into reality, interrupting Asuka mid-speech. "Yeah…uhm, sure. I mean why not." He let out a small laugh to ease the mood. "Oh." She said, Soryu was unsure how to respond, and Shikinami hoped she'd say something more, or that he'd say something else, they were both so indecisive. "Uhm yeah, cool." Soryu replied, "Yeah." Shinji agreed.
Misato's car horn echoed, her patience was growing thin and they all quickly made their way out towards the car.
At school, Shinji found himself thinking more and more on the supposed date he was supposed to - no that he had to go on. And the more he thought about it, the more he began to feel stress and anxiety towards it, I mean what the hell do people go on dates anyway he thought, what was he gonna do, what was gonna happen, he didn't know, and this not knowing added fear to the list of no-good emotions he was feeling right now, this was not good.
Meanwhile the same was happening to Asuka(Soryu), she didn't know what, where and when they were go, god how did I even let her talk me into this, she screamed in her thoughts.
Just then Shikinami came to her desk and placed two tickets onto her counterparts table. Soryu looked at the tickets and then up towards her counterpart, "I…I don't think I can do this anymore." Soryu said, and Shikinami's expression went from sweet to sour.
"Hey, no." Shikinami said, as she looked her counterpart right in the eye. But Soryu looked down away from her. "look at me." Shikinami said. Soryu did not listen and continued staring at the table.
Shikinami sighed, and pulled her chair towards Asuka's(Soryu) table. "Asuka please." Shikinami asked gently. Soryu finally looked up and faced her counterpart. poor girl Shikinami thought, "okay look, you can do this." But Soryu's condition remained unchanged, "yes you can okay, maybe not in such a public place." Shikinami continued, and now a glimmer of hope irradiated from Soryu's face "In my apartment. next door. How's that sound?" Shikinami asked. Soryu looked up and saw a warm smile on Shikinami's face, "I'd like that." Soryu responded feeling less stressed and anxious. "Good." Shikinami said as she stood up and left the classroom.
Hikari surprised followed her outside,
"Hey where do you think you're going?" Hikari probed, "fixing up my place for a date, wanna come help?" Shikinami replied.
"We can't leave now, School is still in session." Hikari emphasized, shocked at Shikinami's ill-behaviour, "School- Schmool" Shikinami replied "I got a degree so meh."
Hikari frustrated, simply groaned, "Just…just don't do this again!" she exclaimed as she went back to class, Shikinami payed no mind to her as she left.
Shinji near the end of the day thought about cancelling this date, maybe I'lll apologise, will Asuka understand? . All these thoughts, coupled with the Anxiety he felt, left his mind in disarray. It was only now that he noticed there was a message on his student laptop, it was from Shikinami, looking around he was certain that She wasn't around or in class. but how did she even send that. He thought. Now having read the message, Shikinami had told him to not even think about cancelling this date, he should: "Trust Asuka and go with the flow" whatever that meant. The bell rang for the final time, thus marking the end of the school day, the time had come.
Both Shinji and Asuka sat still on their tables for a while, unsure what to do. So Shinji even though he was nervous, with his heart beating 100km/ph. Stood up, turned around and approached Asuka's table, with Asuka looking down the whole time. When he got there, he put a smile on his face, and extended his hand towards Asuka. "Alright Asuka, let's go." He said.
she hesitantly took his hand and stood up, "yeah." She breathed in, "let's go."
Meanwhile Shikinami- with a little help from Mari- had set up her apartment for the perfect evening. "A date-night at home? so original." Mari said sarcastically, "Well" Shikinami fired, "I originally wanted them to go out at an amusement park, have fun and watch a movie or something like that."
"so then…What happened?" Mari asked.
"They were both such Nervous wrecks I don't think they would've been able to handle the situation so well."
But Mari gave her a doubtful look, "You? Nervous?" she asked, unable to believe what she was hearing. Shikinami just rolled her eyes, "First of all, she's not me and secondly, yes she was nervous. This is different, it's not just another random date." Shikinami turned around only to see Mari making that smug look of hers once again, and then she immediately knew what was coming.
"who would have thought all it took to bring the princess down was a little puppy." She said,
Shikinami not feeling like playing the usual game of back and forth, instead decided to humour her, and responds: "She doesn't call him the invincible-Shinji for nothing."
Meanwhile Asuka and Shinji were walking Silently towards the residence. Asuka for one did not like this awkward energy between them and Shinji was unsure of what to say.
come on think of something, he thought.
"So uhh, why ask me out?" Shinji spoke, breaking the silence, whilst Asuka was thinking and didn't know how to answer to his question. "And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked back
"Well, you're the most popular girl in school." Shinji replied "You could've asked anybody out and they would've said yes, so why me out of all of them?"
What kind of question is that? Asuka thought Putting me on the spot huh.
"Hmph" Asuka voiced, "You trying to get a confession out of me?" she teased, "Oh no it's…well I-" Shinji then took a moment to pause, what are you thinking Shinji?.
"It is a date after all." He said, leaving a chuckle behind that comment. "You really had to pause to think of that one huh?", Shinji only responded with another small laugh, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Asuka shook her head amused, Nice try "Idiot." She said with a giggle. Upon seeing her true smile Shinji was glad, he was at the very least getting somewhere with her.
"I'm sorry it's just, I" but before he could finish, Asuka interrupted him, "Don't apologise. It's…" she held herself back, letting out a sigh. "just do it less…please?" She asked kindly. "Oh." Shinji said, "Sure." They continued walking and-
-That awkward silence from before had returned, and now Asuka felt she was the one at blame, dammit why! she though. "before I cut you off, you were about to say something." She asked, "What was it?"
Coming back to reality, Shinji spoke: "Oh well, I was about to say that I really hadn't been on a real date before, so I don't actually know the etiquette." He finished. Well Asuka wasn't much surprised, he was very self-isolating.
"There's no etiquette." She said, "not really, a lot of things can happen on a date."
"Things like what?" Shinji asked
"Well, things." She shrugged "Every date is different, so it's hard to say for sure."
"what about our date?" He asked again
"I…" she herself wasn't sure, Shikinami didn't really elaborate on this set-up of hers, "I think we'll see." She replied.
"Well anyway I'm really glad that you chose me. to ask out that is" He said
"whatever idiot." The sense of normality between them had returned and they could both walk comfortably without any awkward energy to pressurise them.
"Is this the right path?" Shinji asked, "Cause it looks like we're going home"
"Yeah we're on the right path." Asuka replied. "You'll see."
They had arrived at the flats and travelled up the flight of stairs. Once on the right floor they stopped at Shikinami's door. Upon opening the door they saw that the room had been flat-lit, with Sandy Beige walls and caramel candles to create a sense of calm and serenity. The waxed wooden floor refracted the orange light of the candles perfectly.
And in the middle of the (Living)room there was a neat set-up of dinner plates and consumable's on the ground floor, all these placed eloquently next to a television set. Wow she really went all out didn't she Asuka thought
"Well, shall we." Shinji said, "Yeah, lets." Asuka replied confidently.
They sat down and ate their food. "This is good." Shinji said, "Did you make these?" he asked.
Asuka, considering that Shikinami resembles and somewhat acts like her, but maybe, really isn't her or maybe is some part of her, or a clone of her, finally said, "Yes…technically." The latter she spoke in an undertone. "You've got to teach me some time." Shinji replied, "You're very skilled." And Asuka bore that proud smile of hers, but she humbled herself "Thank you Shinji."
And this would be a regular pattern for the night, occasional small talk, followed by small moments. all around basically enjoying each other's company.
At this moment they were playing chess, and Asuka wasn't one to lose, though Shinji wasn't too into the game, and his mind had wondered off. So he decided to ask Asuka a question.
"Hey Asuka, You think that we're ever gonna defeat the Angels?"
Asuka stopped and took her focus of the chess board.
"I have no doubt in my mind that we can do it, after all its that or face extinction."
"but then what happens after that?" He continued "What happens to us or EVA once we're done?" Shinji moved his pawn two squares forward; F2 to F4
Asuka thought about what he was saying and began to feel disheartened at the prospect of an answer, after all the piloting the Eva was her life, she loved it, it gave her drive, it gave her purpose.
"I…I don't know." She replied, moving pawn two squares forward as well, D7 to D5
"Will…will you stay here in Japan?" Shinji asked, "Or are you going to go back to Germany?" he asked that question with somewhat fret. Moving his knight B1 to A3
"I don't know Shinji." Moving her knight from G8 to F6.
"Well." Shinji hesitated, "I'd really like it if you stayed. Even after all this." Playing it safe, his pawn H2 to H3.
"You really care huh." Asuka said, her knight F6 to E4. "Yeah." Shinji replied, his pawn D2 to D4
"I'll consider it" she said with a smile, "but what if I do go?" she teased, her pawn E7 to E5.
"Well then." Shinji played along "I guess I'd have to come up there some time." He responded, taking her pawn D4 to E5. After which Asuka moved her rook F8 to C5.
"Can you even speak in German?" she questioned.
"Ich habe daran…gearbeitet." Shinji said, unsure of what he just uttered.
"what?" an amused Asuka said
"I've been working on it, uhmm… die erlernung."
"Das Lernen." Asuka responded laughingly. " It's sweet of you try? Danke schon."
"Bitte schon." He quickly added in response, she rolled her eyes amused at his childlike excitement.
"Make your move already." She said, still happy. "Oh yeah." Shinji looked at the board, and moved his knight from G1 to F3, and Asuka grinned.
"What?" Shinji asked, Asuka just kept her smug face and moved her bishop C5 to F2.
"Checkmate." She said, "What!?", Shinji said. upon realization he facepalmed, "no fair I was in the heat of the moment.", "Oh so we had a moment now." Asuka teased again, "You know what I meant" Shinji concealed his blush.
"You left your queen defenceless, rookie move" Asuka said, Shinji defeated sighed "Round 4? " he asked, but Asuka refused.
"Its been a nice evening. I had fun Shinji."
"me too." He agreed. "So then how do we conclude our night." He asked.
"Wellllll." Asuka still kept that mischievous look on her face, "Asuka?" Shinji asked suspiciously.
"Hey Shinji." She uttered, "Yes?" He asked
Asuka was about to make a suggestion but she paused for a while and dropped the thought. "Actually forget about it." She got up and now extended her hand towards him. "let's just go home" she said kindly, Shinji delighted, took her hand and they both left the apartment.
Upon Entering Misato's apartment, they found Shikinami watching TV with an unfamiliar brunette girl wearing red glasses.
"How was it?" Shikinami asked, "Did you guys have fun?",
Shinji was about to reply but Soryu stopped her.
"Who's that." She asked pointing towards the brunette.
"Oh her." Shikinami said "This is Mari illustrious Makinami, a friend of mine."
"Nice to meet you Mari" Shinji said, "pleasure is all mine…Shinji." There was something about the way she said that, "Have we-" once again before Shinji could talk he was cut off, this time by Mari herself who came up real close to Soryu.
"Wow, you two really do look alike." She said, "what's really baking my noodle is…does she look like you or do you look like her. Or maybe it's neither." Its definitely the first notion both Asuka thought.
"Ignore her, she's weird." Shikinami said to them. "I bet you guys are tired anyways, the waters hot and your rooms are ready, if you feel like it, you can hit the sheets."
"I think I will." Soryu said, "Come on Shinji.", Shinji wanting to inquire more from Mari sensed now was not the best time, somehow Asuka(Soryu) changed, she was stone cold again and Shinji didn't understand why. He sighed, was fun while it lasted he thought, getting some shut eye.
Later at night when Shikinami took her side of the bed, Soryu – still awake- spoke up. "I don't like that Makinami illustrious girl."
"Glasses? Why?" Shikinami asked.
"I don't know, I just. Don't." Soryu said, but
Shikinami shrugged her off, not seeing the problem.
The next day, the red alerts rang and Misato had woke up the EVA pilots early, it was once again an Angel Attack this time:
12th Angel Leliel.
End.
So how was it so far? Needs more adding on and fixing, I also feel it was a bit rushed, idk, been on and off with this one for a while, you tell me.
Also my German is not good, I only know Afrikaans I'm sorry for that, but that wasn't that kinda the whole point?