+++++ Tokyo-3 Intercontinental. Sunday, +5.

Breakfast later that morning was spent in discovery of a wide variety of flavors and textures. Misaki seemed to derive immense pleasure from watching Shinji learn more about the world and life through eating, while Funaho spent her time contentedly using the hotel room's kitchenette to prepare little thises and thats for him to enjoy. The conversation, between bites, had focused on nothing of any significant importance.

"So, then, what do you find attractive in a woman?" Misaki sat with her elbows on the table, her chin resting upon her clasped hands. "Other than the obvious, that is."

Shinji gave the question serious consideration, unwilling to risk giving an incorrect answer through laziness. "I'm…not really sure."

Funaho chimed in, "Then perhaps you could share with us who you find attractive, and we can narrow the list of traits from there?"

The question itself wasn't terribly difficult, but he was grateful that it didn't include him detailing specifics as of yet. "Well, I…uhm…." He couldn't maintain eye contact for this part, not and manage to spit it out. "You, b-both of you, I mean…."

"I'm not upset at that," Misaki encouraged him with an eager grin, "not at all! Who else?"

He hesitated for a few seconds, composing himself again. "W-well…there's Washu-sensei. Y-your daughter. Minaho-chan. Hikari. Sakura-san. Nanako. Ritsuko-sensei. Lieutenant Ibuki." He surprised himself by having named nearly every woman he knew, realizing that they were all very attractive in his eyes. They were, with few exceptions, all very different appearing women. "There are…uhm, a couple of other students in my school that…but I don't know their names."

Funaho pursed her lips in thought, wondering about a rather obvious omission. "What about that Captain? Katsuragi, I think was her name?"

"Is there something about her that's stopping you from finding her appealing?" Misaki was also curious, as Misato seemed to draw the attention of the other males on the bridge. "We could use that to find out what your 'type' is."

Not wanting to be pejorative, Shinji attempted diplomacy, "When we first met…I…well…." How could he explain without it directly impugning her and her character? "She…."

"I see." Putting the finishing touches on a crêpe, Funaho walked over and set it down before Shinji. "You find unreliability unappealing. You find deceit and self-centeredness unappealing."

"I-I only just met her," he protested lamely.

Misaki cocked an eyebrow at him. "And her 'best foot forward' is to be several hours late during an emergency. To steal items from a store that aren't necessary to get you to your station. To have her car be full of garbage, and her sense of direction impaired by lack of preparation. First impressions matter greatly, and require more than platitudes to overcome if they are ever to be improved upon. You should not be so harsh on yourself for valuing reliability, you know. The reason we're so overjoyed to spend time with you is because you are reliable!"

Trying to determine how best to consume the treat he'd been given, Shinji processed what he'd just learned and realized that they were speaking the honest truth. He didn't want to fail them, and so he acted as if failing them was unthinkable. What did that say about someone like Misato Katsuragi? He hadn't had food, and Hikari ensured he did. He was confused, and Nanako helped him understand better or at least told him where to look for answers. They were attractive physically, sure. Every woman he saw was physically attractive. But the ones that he looked at twice were those that distinguished themselves through actions.

Plucking the thin pancake from the plate, Funaho set it before his lips for him to bite. "You have a spirit of service. It has been ill-abused, but it has not been snuffed out."

"You don't serve others to gain anything, it's not even part of your calculations." Misaki's grin became a fiery smile as she saw his face light up at the delicate sweet flavors he was experiencing for the first time. "You lift with all of your might, not because someone told you to, but because you can't conceive of a world in which you didn't give the person you were helping everything."

Shinji's phone emitted a peppy song consisting entirely of the sound of a cat meowing, causing him to blink confusedly towards the strange plastic and metal machine. With his mouth full of delicious cream and fruit, he certainly couldn't ask what was happening, and so had no real issue with Funaho plucking it from the table and handling it.

Pressing the button to answer, then another to switch to speakerphone, the regal empress spoke as if serving Shinji was her entire life's purpose, "Shinji Ikari's phone, may I ask who is calling?"

There was a pregnant pause, then Ritsuko's voice, "Good morning, Miss, this is Ritsuko Akagi. I was calling to ask Shinji if he had a few hours this morning to undergo a test here at his work. May I ask who this is?"

"My name is Funaho, doctor. If you will give me a moment, I will check his schedule for today and see if he has time for you." After a murmur of consent from Ritsuko, she muted the line. "I will be going in with him, dear. Please arrange for Nanako to come get us within the half hour." Once Misaki was on her way out of the room, she unmuted the line. "We will be there within an hour. He looks forward to helping you in whatever way you need."

"Oh, that's great." Ritsuko hesitated. "We?"

"Yes, the UNOIG has made the determination that Shinji is not to be unaccompanied at any time for any reason. There have been several attempts on his life already, and several plots uncovered that would have threatened him further. I would be glad to show you the particulars once we're speaking in person, as I have it on confidence from Shinji himself that you are one of two people he trusts there."

"I…see. Well, I will make sure the gate expects an escort, Funaho-san. We'll see you in an hour."

"Of course." Formalities finished, Funaho hung up the phone and sighed. "I had hoped to spend more time discussing things with you today, but it seems that your world has other plans."

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3. Sunday, +5.

Shinji stood on the gantries in front of Unit-01 in his plugsuit, waiting for further instructions as the 'work' team spoke with the 'not-work' team. He knew he was easy to impress, with little experience in a lot of matters, but watching as Funaho skillfully managed everyone around them made his heart swell with a strange form of pride. He knew this woman, and she enjoyed his presence. That mattered!

"So, you're his security, Dojima-san?" Maya had taken up a position directly next to Shinji, consciously and unconsciously ensuring that he knew he was safe and supported.

"That I am, ma'am." Nanako, on his other side, was playing the part of gregarious handler like she was born to. "You'll see several of us from time to time, but I'm his favorite so I got to come in with him today." Nudging Shinji's chin with her fist, she got a blushing smile from him. "He spoke highly of you, as well. Said he knocked you over and almost bent himself in half trying to apologize."

Maya scoffed, "It wasn't his fault, I promise. I was reading a report and not paying attention to where I was going. If I had looked in the mirror on the ceiling at the intersection, I would have seen him coming and it wouldn't have happened. Besides, I'm the one who should be ashamed. He's so skinny, and I was still bowled over."

"He's put on some weight, though." Nanako rubbed his chest, pointing out the area he'd made the gains. "It turns out when you feed him, he actually grows!"

"No," Maya gasped playfully, setting her hands to her mouth in mock shock, "what dark magic is this?!"

Ritsuko's interjection of, "Time to climb in, Shinji," stopped further banter and set people in motion to their places. "I don't want to take up your whole day off, so we'll run the basic checklist and make sure that the last fight didn't knock anything loose then I'll let you get back to whatever Doctor Jurai had planned."

The platform lift that took him up to Unit-01 gave him an excellent view of something he'd wondered about, and without thinking it through he muttered, "Repairs around here are a little hasty." The bay window between the combat bridge and the Evas had been replaced without leaving any trace of it ever having been damaged. He remembered the glass that had littered the area, grateful that nobody had been hurt. What hadn't been repaired, though, were the dents and dings in the metal brackets supporting the window.

"Oh, we don't waste time around here, sir," one of the two engineers accompanying him to help him climb aboard Unit-01 stated with pride. "Unit-01 was combat ready in six hours, seven hours less than guidelines required!"

Shinji blinked, then looked at the engineer, then back to the window. "I, uhm…I had meant the window."

The older of the two, a grizzled old man that clearly knew his business, eyed the window curiously. "The window, sir? I don't remember seeing anyone working on the window."

Several things found their place in his mind at once. The three women who'd pulled him out of the Eva last time it had lost control were far more powerful than he thought. Nobody had mentioned the several hundred dead. Ritsuko and Maya hadn't said anything about the Eva losing control. He was now in serious danger of giving up the ghost, and that just wouldn't do. "The seal around the bottom, I meant. There are some gaps in the white stuff that stops drafts, I think. I'm sorry, that probably came out sarcastic."

Both engineers looked at the window, then each other. The younger one chuckled wryly. "He is the Commander's son, after all. He'd notice the small things first."

"Big things are made up of little things, kid. We're lucky that our Pilot has an eye for those details." Looking back to Shinji, he gave him a firm nod. "You find anything else, sir, you make sure to pass it along. I'll inform the others to expect impromptu requests."

Nicely recovered, Funaho's voice coated his mind with approbation. Washu is far more powerful than you think she is, and she addressed everything herself. I promise you, we are not going to use such power without due caution for the rights of your species.

Speaking with his mind wasn't a skill Shinji possessed, and so he 'thought happy thoughts' in the hopes that the kindly empress would understand that he was glad they weren't inclined towards abuse. "If I find anything, I'll let someone know right away." Cooperating with others that wanted to improve things around them would feel good. Knowing that he could help just by keeping his eyes open and remaining aware of his surroundings felt great.

Each of the items on the pre-contact checklist were meticulously performed. Ritsuko made certain that Shinji understood the reasoning and asked him to tell her how each of those items 'felt'. It was during the nebulous phase amid full connection between pilot and Eva that the machine seemed to start asking questions of him, instead. He briefly remembered how things had surged out of control during the last test, and desperately made an attempt to answer one of the questions to establish a dialogue instead of precipitating another disaster.

Why…ignorant…poetry?!

To that, he tried to focus on thoughts of how his uncle had declared it 'useless' to teach him things he'd never use. He wasn't meant for intellectualism, or philosophy, or for artistic endeavors. His place in the world was predetermined by his father, and his father hadn't needed him to know anything more advanced than how to speak.

Funaho's voice once more worked its way into his mind, We are going to be addressing that. Her words were not entirely pointed at Shinji, however, instead speaking indirectly to the machine's presence. The criminal responsible has been captured and will be judged by a court of law for the crimes he has committed. For now, trust that those Shinji thinks fondly on will do what we can to repair what has been done. Whether the answer surprised or mollified the Eva, the end result was Unit-01 slowing down the mad rush towards psychosis.

"Huh…kind of an odd blip there, but I think that might have been a result of the lengthy delay between A-10 and full connection this time." Ritsuko made a few notes, then looked at Shinji with the same question as before written on her face.

"I…uhm…." Stalling to find a way not to expose everything was made easier by not really having even a tiny morsel of a clue as to what had just happened.

With a warm smile of encouragement, she urged him to just start talking, "Don't worry about finding the right words, just tell me what you were feeling. We'll help you find your way there."

Tell her that you heard the spirit of Unit-01 ask you a question. It will be ok. Funaho's mind soothingly stroked his. She should know the truth, to a degree.

"Unit-01 asked…asked why I hadn't been taught anything about poetry." Shinji watched Ritsuko's smile turn brittle, and it tore at his heart.

"Unit-01…asked…." Her mind seemingly gained traction once more, and with a rapid series of motions, she cut the link between Eva and Pilot.

The sudden darkness surrounding him didn't help the feeling that he'd made a huge mistake.

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3. Sunday, +5.

"Unit-01 doesn't talk," Ritsuko stated emphatically to the assembled leadership. The people standing inside of her lab, around a recently showered and tested Shinji, were hotly debating what had just been discovered. "Unit-01 can't talk. Unit-01 doesn't think. It doesn't dream. It doesn't have motivations, or desires, or even feelings. In order to even functionally comprehend competency in poetry of all topics, it would have to have a JLPT rating of N one." She pointed directly to Misato. "For those not familiar with the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, she'd manage an N two at best."

Misato blinked, frowning. "Hey!"

"Are we certain that Pilot Ikari is not…experiencing hallucinations?" Kozo Fuyutsuki motioned apologetically towards Shinji. "No offense, Pilot, but very few people have ever been able to truly connect directly to an Evangelion. Even fewer have survived the process. The mind is a complex system, and it doesn't take a great deal for it to create something that isn't real to provide context when exposed to chaotic inputs."

"He's not suffering from pareidolia," Ritsuko barked in irritation. "The magnetoencephalography throughput isn't stochastic. Maya, bring up the last minute." After her junior put the imagery up on the screen, she pointed to three different points on a three-dimensional waveform. "Here, you can see what he was thinking when I asked him about how the A-10 connection felt. He listened to my voice, interpreted the words and interpolated their meaning in the context, thought through his response, and then gave it to me here," she tapped the second point. "Between there and this point," she tapped the third, "he was listening to a voice. The waveform is similar, because the correct areas of the brain are being accessed. Wernicke's area lights up like a bloody billboard, which would only happen if he was attempting to comprehend written or spoken language. If it was pareidolia, Brodmann areas forty one and two would have been the end of it, because he wouldn't have recognized it as a language. If you need further proof, I'll hook him up to my MEEG and play some Wagner."

Allowing the information to settle in its place, Kozo nodded slowly. "And the other portions that are active?"

"His Broca's Area," Ritsuko responded indifferently. "He's trying to respond with words, but is having a difficult time finding the right ones to use. The reason the lines are unsteady is that his internal monologue is stunted, and he has a hard time thinking in words and not just in emotional impulses. Now that he's here, I fully intend to make sure that such inadequacies are rectified."

Understanding only about a third of the words used, Shinji fixed his attention to one of the words he was much more familiar with. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a morose tone. "I will work on my inadequacies."

"…Fuck." Turning around, Ritsuko pulled Shinji into a hug. "No. No, I'm sorry, Shinji. I shouldn't have put it that way." Running one hand along his back, the other tightly about his shoulders holding him to her, she sighed loudly. "You are doing a wonderful job of remaining calm through some intensely terrible experiences. You have fought and won against two terrible alien creatures. If anyone is at fault for anything, it's that animal you lived with. I promise that if you are willing to work with me, I'll help lift you as high as you wish to climb."

Funaho set one hand on Shinji's shoulder. She is a very attractive woman, isn't she? "Thank you, Doctor Akagi. I will be certain to include in my report that the Science Division is both eager and willing to do what they can to help." Feeling Shinji's mental blush, she couldn't help but try to tease out something deeper. "Perhaps you'd be willing to have a couple of meals a week with him, outside of work? Casual conversation is much more effective at reaching him than educational settings, according to his teacher."

Keeping one hand on Shinji, Ritsuko leaned back and considered both the idea and the woman who'd presented it. "Really? That's certainly interesting…but it does make a bit of sense, now that I think about it." She switched her attention to Shinji. "You see, one of the most important lessons one can ever be taught is how to learn. A sizable percentage of students pick it up based solely on the atmosphere created by educational institutions. Most of the remainder pick it up from observing their peers. Since you were never in a school, and were never allowed to have friends, you likely never learned how to learn. How do you feel about Italian?"

"I…uhm…." Without any reference to draw from, he shrugged. "I've never heard of it."

"Then we'll start with something nice and simple. Agnolotti, with some caciocavallo and piadina on the side."

Misato rolled her eyes. "You start him on all that fancy stuff, he's never going to gain an appreciation for the common things in life."

"At no point in history has lemonade ramen been considered 'common'." Ritsuko eyed her friend. "We will most pointedly not be exposing him to your…gastronomic atrocities."

"As amusing as this is," Kozo coughed delicately, "we still must address the issue with Unit-01." Looking at Funaho, he attempted another diplomatic venture with a woman that had largely ignored him. "If it is all right with you, Doctor, I'll release Shinji into your care for the rest of the evening. If Doctor Akagi needs him for anything, we'll arrange it through his protective detail?"

"That would be best," Funaho replied simply. "Come along, Shinji. It's past lunchtime."

+++++ Tokyo-3 Intercontinental. Sunday, +5.

Misaki and her wife were sitting with Toshiro, Minaho, and Washu while watching Shinji, Hikari, Sakura, and Nanako playing a simple card game that involved a great deal of laughter and physical contact. The 'adults', not that anyone in the room was considered a child, had spent several hours discussing what had been learned regarding both Shinji's upbringing and the monstrosity he piloted.

"I realize I have said this repeatedly," Funaho emphasized, "but he is rather well adjusted for someone without significant socialization or education. His disposition hides nothing, and yet he never once looks on something new or uncomfortable with the type of trepidation one would expect."

"He was built to be sacrificing. Compliant." Toshiro's low rumble demonstrated his opinion on that, "This 'Soul' organization that has contacted us claims to be ignorant of the reason." Hikari, his middle child, began to tickle Shinji as 'retribution' for him making a skillful play with the cards he'd been given. "Have you considered Yasuji's request?"

As was her duty, Minaho stepped in with the obvious issue, "It is not terribly wise to entrust Shinji with a man that has already failed one male child, Toshiro." Her own entanglements with Shinji aside, the last thing she wanted was the only man capable of wielding such enormous power serving as a 'do over'. "Perhaps, instead of a son he might take Shinji on as an apprentice?"

"A stiff breeze is going to blow him over," Washu disagreed firmly. "For the time being, his only defense is going to be us. Gen will work on his body, and according to Funaho he'll have this human working on his mind. What we need to find is a mentor for his spirit. Yasuji's a hammer, though his ethics are without question he looks at the world like a hammer."

"No," Toshiro answered the unspoken question lingering in the air. Choosing not to expound further, he instead smiled softly at how Hikari now hugged Sakura while including Shinji in some esoteric concept.

"I can't think of any other men loyal to the Masaki clan that I would trust to sculpt a statue from the clay we've been gifted, old friend."

Funaho was more familiar with the particulars and motioned to dismiss the idea gently. "We need not involve the best to achieve outstanding results. Perhaps, for now, we simply maintain what we have set before us. I feel that the five of us agree that we will come to love him, and that through that love we can buttress his spirit enough that he won't fall victim to hubris or anger."

"Rather hard not to have a little hubris when one has managed to win the bed of your granddaughter, dear," Misaki eyed her wife curiously. "Are you certain we should agree to come to love him?"

"So long as we maintain our course, I see no reason to ward off any future fortunes." Funaho pointedly did not look at anyone when she added, "My concern remains your daughter. The bond between Sasami and Tsunami grows thicker…as does her…."

"The word you're looking for is 'paranoia'," Washu provided bluntly. "As powerful as we are, even we can't see all ends. Tsunami seems to see something terrible happening to Shinji if they should join together." Making a masturbatory gesture, she made her opinion clear. "Something terrible could happen to him just by playing cards with those three. Something terrible could happen to him the next time he fights. We don't see prophecies, we see potential. The future is too mutable, and the past too uncertain, for anything in the present to be seen as more than a warning to cherish what we have while we have it."

Misaki grimaced, glaring down at her thumbs. "I do not like that my daughter was hijacked by your sister, Washu. If your sister is attempting to tell my daughter to avoid a good man out of…." Cutting the threat off, she looked away and let what she'd said hang.

+++++ Tokyo-3 Academy. Monday, +6.

Having spent a night dreamlessly sleeping in the arms of Funaho, Shinji was feeling both well rested and eager to try keeping up with the other people in his class. The back of his mind, a dark place where dragons lingered, was occupied with the business of quantifying his relationships. He'd gained so many in such a short period of time, and each seemed so much different than the others that it was impossible to apply any form of universality.

Funaho, an empress, had spent the past few days serving him. She spoke to him like his opinion was both valid and insightful, she made him meals with a joyful smile, she protected his body and mind from the terrors of the world around him, and when she held him close, he….

Misaki, also an empress, had spent these few days touching and teasing him. Hugs, pinches, pokes, and soothing hands along his spine all spoke of a willingness to be more than just acquaintances. Her affections were not complicated by any illusions of innocence, but they also weren't overtly flirtatious the way some others had been.

Washu, currently talking with Hikari and Sasami, had saved his life repeatedly. She'd also encouraged him to strive for more than 'adequate' while supporting his fumbling steps towards adequacy. More immediately, she'd joined him in the shower that morning completely nude and talked him through some of the basic concepts she'd build on in class later. When he'd tried to close his eyes, she stepped in front of him and pulled them back open to chastise him for 'falling back asleep'.

Minaho, apparently the granddaughter of an empress, had appeared sad during the previous night's dinner. When he asked if he could do anything to help with what she was hurt by, she'd asked him bluntly if he still found her compelling even after they'd had sex. After he bumbled his way through an exhortation on her brilliance and beauty, she asked him why he hadn't pushed for 'another go'. His reply of a completely lost look and a series of noises that might have qualified as language caused her to giggle and smile again, to his confusion.

Nanako was similar to Misaki in that she enjoyed physical contact at all times. The difference came in that where Misaki was simply physically demonstrative, Nanako was teaching him. Her hugs threatened his balance, her friendly punches helped him ignore small pains to focus on greater gains, the way she jumped on his back gave him the confidence that he was stronger than he thought he was. Every touch served the twin purposes of affirming her presence in his life and asserting that his presence was more than as a local source of gravitation.

Sakura…was nearly impossible for him to figure out. Quality, rather than quantity, had become her watchword. She wasn't often the one to speak, but when she did it was both potent and joyous. She rarely reached over to take his hand, but when she did he never wanted to let it go. She seemed to be waiting for something in everything she did, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what that might be.

Hikari was Hikari. What you saw from her was what you got. If she had a grin on, it was time to prepare for a challenging yet completable task. If she had a smile on, you needed to keep doing what you were doing, because you were doing the right thing. If she was frowning, something was not acceptable and would be repaired or removed. What confused him was what he should do when she looked at him with sadness. Nothing he did, or said, seemed to fix it and it tore at him to see someone so positive be anything but filled with joy.

Sasami frustrated him. She was the same effervescent young woman, wanting him to be happy in and by himself. She still asked after his health, shared what she'd been doing when they weren't in the same room, and acted as if she cared. The problem is, there was a growing sub-stratum of her being that didn't match what he was seeing. He was familiar with the duality of someone's emotions and actions differing all too well. Every time his uncle seemed happy….

The entrance of a new student, one clearly 'not local', shook him out of the reverie he'd fallen into. His first instinct, based on the mop of blue hair, was that she was a Juraian like the Masaki family. When he took in the rest of her features, though, a much different picture came into focus. Her eyes were red. Blood red. Her skin was so white that it seemed fake. Another of the students in his class had exceptionally pale skin, it was something she worked hard to keep, and through her skin you could catch signs of her veins. Greenish lines here and there that showed through the pale flesh. The woman who'd just walked in had no such markings. No veins exposed on her arms, or her neck. No blemishes, signs of age or exposure…nothing.

"Pilot Ikari," this new student stated in an empty monotone, "I have been instructed to speak with you regarding NERV regulations."

Before she could continue, Hikari appeared nearby and attempted to take control of the discussion. "Good morning, Ayanami-chan. Are you sure you should be here? I was told your injuries were pretty bad."

Ayanami, as she was apparently called, looked briefly at Hikari, then ignored her and spoke once more to Shinji, "You are not to discuss our duties or the Evangelion systems with uncleared personnel. I have been tasked with helping you to comply by intervening should it become necessary." With a slight bow of parting, she turned and flowed over to her own desk next to the window, leaving behind a very confused Shinji Ikari and an irritated Hikari Horaki.

When Shinji looked to his friend and class representative, he received the universal 'we'll talk later' signal. Nodding in silent reply, he turned his attention to the snack he'd been given by Funaho on his way out of the hotel room that morning. Things would sort themselves out, or his friends would sort them out for him. Best that he not stick his neck out without trying to gain awareness first, to avoid losing his head. Still, he had confirmation of one thing…Ayanami wasn't from Jurai.

+++++ Author's Note.

TheHiddenLettuce: RE: Creationji.

It is no spoiler to state that no, they're not fully aware of Creation-Shinji. The walls that he put in place around each shard of creation limited the vision of those within the shard, no matter how powerful. They would logically know that before them, there was something, but they could no more put their finger to it directly than we can.

I'm pretty sure he's not what they expect.