+++++ Washu's laboratory. Tuesday, +7.

Detangling Shinji's DNA the way a playful kitten would attack a strand of yarn, Washu floated upside down relative to the entryway to her domain. Each time she thought she'd reached the source of the mysterious modifications, she realized that she'd only found a sharp bend in the labyrinth. When Sasami stepped lightly into the laboratory, she grunted out a terse, "Hey Sasami. Unravelling the oddity that is Shinji. What can I do for you?"

"He is not meant for us, dear sister." While emanating from Sasami's body, it was Tsunami's voice that spoke with quiet confidence. "Our benevolent interference is actively meddling with the designs of another. We may soon find ourselves at war, if we do not step aside."

With a less than impressed snort, Washu set aside the projection of Shinji's innermost secrets and rolled forward to land on the floor. Setting her hands on her hips, she leaned forward just enough to indicate that she neither believed in her sister's foresight nor cared about the outcome regardless. "Everything I have seen of him shows me that he is far more than some simple human set upon a path of misery and death. What makes you think I'm somehow worried about fighting a war to keep him around to play with, hmm?"

"It was never our place to interfere with the orderly progression of the universe. Our duty was to shepherd the living along the path of their choosing, not to make the choices that bind them."

"It wasn't our place to take on semi-mortal forms, either. You and I agreed we would," she waggled a finger between them, "so that we would have a greater understanding of what it meant to be mortal. Nothing I'm seeing in Shinji is mortal, not with the base telomeric configuration and not with what's happened after I gave things a nudge. Whatever it is that he is, he's certainly not that."

"That does not mean he is meant for us."

"Doesn't mean he's not. He gets to choose, same as anyone else. If he chooses to give me a couple of babies to spoil rotten, I'm not going to push him away because something else demands he goes left when he wants to go right. Who's going to start a war over this, and why shouldn't we steamroll them for daring to demand he dance to their tune?"

Tsunami slowly shook her head. "To answer that would be to seal his fate. If he is to remain as he should, then I am to remain silent."

"Except you're already fucking with the waveform by talking to me about it!" Washu tossed her hands up in the air, exasperated. "It sounds like you, once again, are making choices by yourself without considering the feelings of the people you're choosing for!"

"I am making the best choice possible, for the greatest number of people possible. Do not fault me for having greater vision, little sister. That I see further is not an indictment of my actions."

"No, just that you're so focused on a future that you're willing to take the future away from others." Scowling, she pointed back towards the door. "I'm not going to be party to your shenanigans. Shinji's choice is his own, and if it includes me and not whoever else is calling, then I'll happily die defending that particular hill. Out."

With a heavy aura of sorrow, Tsunami turned away and left. Before she crossed the threshold, she gave one final warning, "We may all die, then."

Wanting nothing more than to stalk after her sister and tear into her for her newfound fatalism, Washu instead turned that energy towards ensuring that Shinji's evening was going well. She'd helped to push him towards Ritsuko Akagi, basing it entirely on the vague sense of compatibility she got whenever two people were able to become greater together, combined with Funaho and Misaki's agreement that he needed human companionship just as much as he needed Juraian.

A viewscreen blinked into existence, showing Shinji sitting on a soft couch, massaging one of Ritsuko's feet as they animatedly discussed a movie that seemed older than both of them combined. The faux-blonde scientist wasn't actively seducing him, nor was she actively pushing him away. From an external analysis, it seemed that she was very firmly in the camp of 'if it happens, it happens', which suited Washu just fine. Shinji, for his part, was most definitely not seducing Ritsuko intentionally. Everything about him screamed 'happy to be of service', mixed with an air of growing fondness for time spent with someone as educated and gregarious as his dinner date.

"Good…good." The tableau made Washu's mood climb back upwards. The freedom to choose was paramount, in her mind. That Shinji was choosing to take his time and get to know someone, even unknowingly, meant the world to her. Dismissing the viewscreen, she accepted that whatever may come of the night it would be what should come of it. "Now, back to figuring out how my man is somehow special."

+++++ Ritsuko's apartment. Tuesday, +7.

The idea of massaging Ritsuko's feet had come from remembering how much Nanako had enjoyed the same treatment the other night. Figuring that it must be universal to enjoy having someone rub those portions of your body that are exposed to the greatest stressors during the day's motions, he had boldly taken her foot into his lap when she tucked her legs up onto the sofa hours earlier.

Shinji wasn't aware of it, but the wine he'd imbibed was relaxing any inhibitions he might have had regarding proactively touching the beautiful goddess on his left side. Over the course of the hours he'd spent touching, he'd worked both feet, both calves, and was now spending time on a lovely pair of knees and lower thighs. He maintained steady attention on the movies they watched, was attentive to the conversations Ritsuko brought up, all without sacrificing due care to the limbs she'd entrusted to his care.

After the credits on the third movie began to roll, Ritsuko's emotions fairly screamed in righteous indignation at the fact that the evening was coming to an end. It had been precisely never since a young man had taken both the initiative and the time necessary to appreciate and appropriately fondle her legs. She knew, in her soul, that he wasn't doing this with an eye towards the bedroom, despite the enormous erection she could feel settled against the sole of her foot. That if she'd taken her legs back he wouldn't have cried foul or demanded anything of her for his service. He was, in total truth, lavishing her with affection for no reason other than he wanted to lavish her with affection. "You keep that up, I might just need to ask to switch you to an internship program under me," she sighed happily. "I didn't even realize how much my legs were hurting until you made them feel all sorts of better."

"You have very lovely legs, very cute feet." He blushed making the statement, but he didn't cringe as he might have with less alcohol in his system. "I'm honored that you have let me touch them."

Biting her lower lip, she had an indecent thrill race up her spine. "You think my feet are cute?"

Cradling her leg the entire time he slid his hands back down to her right foot, he attempted to put to words what it was that made them not 'gorgeous' or 'lovely', and instead made them 'cute'. "You…are tall."

"I had noticed that," she teased with a giggle.

"But your feet aren't huge, like some of the guys at school. But they aren't tiny, like Takahara-san's." He lowered his voice, trying not to be rude, "She's really short. I think she's…like, up to my hip? Maybe? Very, very short." Lifting her foot up ever so slightly, he gently kissed her great toe. "Your feet are the right size for you. Not too big, not too small. Just…cute."

"Shinji," she breathed out, closing her eyes and forcing her hands to stay where they were.

"Mmm?" Setting her foot back down, he gently held her shin. "Are you ok? Did I upset you?"

"I hereby and in perpetuity give you complete permission to call any woman who complains about what you have just done a total and irredeemable bitch." Without opening her eyes, she forcibly dialed back the parts of her mind and body that were screaming at her to ignore caution. "Are you doing what you're doing because you want to, or because you think you should?"

The question, to him, was more complicated than she'd meant it to be. Giving it due weight, he answered with a firm, "Yes."

Not the answer she'd expected. "Why do you think you should?"

"Because it makes you happy, making you happy causes me to feel wonderful." Letting his fingers trail along her smooth flesh, he frowned and sought the words to make his thoughts make sense. "All…he ever did was take. He forced me to do everything. No explanations. No justifications. No thoughts about how it made me feel, or what it might do for me if I pushed through." Wondering how a different tactile method might feel, he slowly dragged the back of his nails down her calf towards himself, earning a warm purr of approval. "When I was ordered by my asshole of a father to fight, he was doing the same thing. Either I fought, or I was as useless as he thought I was. You…you didn't do that. You gave me a reason to fight. You explained why my fighting would help me. You praised me. You told me when I did something right, or good…and you helped me when I did something bad, or wrong. I know nothing I can ever do will give you even a tenth of the…the happy feelings you've given me." Settling his hands on her ankle again, he shrugged. "I think I should still try."

Swallowing hard, Ritsuko made her choice. "It's probably past time for you to get back to your hotel room." The part of her mind that wanted to club him over the head and drag him into her bed to discover if it was possible to truly break the floor beneath it howled promises of vengeance. "You've got school in the morning, and I have work."

"Ok." Where Ritsuko feared there would be a note of discontent in his voice, she only heard calm acceptance. Carefully shifting his weight so that her feet could be placed gently on the sofa, he stood up and picked up the empty platter, plate, and glasses. "I'll text Nana-chan, and wash these for you. It was very nice of you to invite me to dinner, and I should do something to help you get some rest."

He. Is not. Your toy. "You have already helped me, Shinji. Washing the dishes is just a cherry on top of everything else tonight." Sitting up enough that she could see over the back of the couch to the kitchen, she pushed away the hopeful tone she felt to ask, "How would you feel about doing this again on Thursday?"

"I wouldn't want to be a bother."

The look he was giving her was filled with pure honesty. He wasn't pushing her away. He wasn't being petty because she hadn't dropped and spread. He was, and would remain, patient with anything she threw his way. "I assure you, if this was a bother I'd absolutely adore seeing what you thought was 'better'."

"Probably massaging your back, your shoulders, and your neck," he stated after a pause for thought. "I know I like it when someone runs their hand up and down my spine."

Spending time with Big Green tonight, Ritsuko mentally sing-songed. "That sounds great to me. I'll contact the UNOIG and deconflict our schedules."

+++++ Tokyo-3 Intercontinental. Tuesday, +7.

The ride home had been quiet. The walk up to his room had been quiet. The shower, brushing his teeth, and getting into bed were all quiet. Everything had been done under the watchful eye of both Minaho and Nanako, with Funaho and Misaki busy performing necessary Imperial business aboard their ship. While neither woman had interfered with his actions since picking him up, both had displayed worried caution throughout. They knew he'd done nothing nearly as intimate with Ritsuko as he had with them, but his silence was itself speaking volumes about how the evening had impacted him.

"Would it be…rude of me, I guess, if I asked if either of you wanted to have sex?" With his eyes on the ceiling, his thoughts too chaotic to form anything significant, he asked in hopes of discovering some form of limit or boundaries that he could judge future actions off of.

Both Nanako and Minaho were seated at the breakfast table, going over paperwork and reports. The two women looked at each other, silently coughed out a laugh, then shrugged at one another. It was obvious they had been worried over nothing, and they both felt silly having thought him capable of so easily switching loyalties or interests. "Well," Minaho ventured, keeping her eyes on Nanako for any sign of dissent, "if you asked nicely, I think we'd both be more than happy to join you in bed for a little late-night exercise."

Propping himself up on his elbows, he tilted his head ever so slightly to the side. "I was asked an important question, earlier tonight…. I think I should ask it of you, to see if my answer made sense."

Nanako stood up, taking off her blazer and setting it over the back of her chair. "Ok, shoot."

"Are you doing this because you want to, or because you think you should?" There was no deceit, or hurt, in his question. It was evident just from looking at him as he spoke that he was genuinely curious.

"Because I want to," Minaho replied with a shrug, standing and taking off her blouse. "Honestly, I probably shouldn't. Besides the age gap, there's the simple fact that you're coming out of an abusive situation." Her bra followed. "But, since I know that Nanako won't let me hurt you, I want to and I'm going to."

Nanako similarly stripped down as she spoke, though her reply was much more simple, "Both. I can honestly say I haven't had the urge, this strong, ever before. I want this. I think I should, because I truly believe you want to too. If I want to, and you want to, then there's no reason we shouldn't make each other feel good."

The smile he gave them made any worries they might have had vanish. "Thank you for answering. I feel better about the choice I made earlier tonight."

Since Nanako had managed to undress first, she was the first to climb into bed alongside their 'captain'. "And what choice did you make, my dear Shinji?"

Thanking whatever fate had given him such blessings as the two women with him, Shinji answered confidently, "I chose not to try for more with Ritsuko." Gratefully sharing a kiss with Minaho as she joined them, he let his guard down completely. "The first time I met both of you, I was gifted with wonderful memories of you." Nanako beginning to explore below his waist caused him to breathe in harshly with anticipation. "My first memory of Ritsuko is…not as good. She was angry with Misato, angry with the delay, and those memories hang over everything for me. I want good memories to accompany anything she and I do. This," he nuzzled Minaho's neck, "should only ever be good memories."

+++++ Tokyo-3 Academy. Wednesday +8.

Ikari.S: Yes, I had dinner with her last night. We watched three movies, "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "Plan 9 from Outer Space", and "War of the Worlds". They were all in English, so I had to work with what I could pick up from the movement of the characters and the Kanji I recognized.

Pink Mouse: She didn't tell me! ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) Nobody told me we could invite you to dinners!

Ikari.S: Oh. I hope I didn't say something I shouldn't have….

Shinji looked up from his terminal, noticing that Hikari was still hovering protectively nearby while several students were discussing their group assignments. His classroom was, thankfully, fairly quiet. He'd been excused from the assignment, based purely on the fact that he couldn't be considered a reliable partner for the exercise. Instead, he had an essay he was working on while talking to Maya Ibuki.

Pink Mouse: No, no, no. 乂(◇ ) I'm sure Senpai is doing exactly what she should be, she's very responsible and follows the rules.

Thinking about the wine he'd been given, he chose the better part of valor and said nothing about that particular portion of the evening's events.

Ikari.S: She has a very nice apartment. Her couch is really soft.

Pink Mouse: I've never been invited to visit, so you're super lu

The way the line terminated oddly brought a frown to Shinji's face. While the way Maya spoke over the MAGInet was unique, she always spoke in full sentences.

Pink Mouse: Shinji, you need to get here ASAP. Grab Ayanami-chan and tell your security to ignore all alarms and alternate directions. GO!

Without replying, Shinji slapped the notebook shut and hopped to his feet. Rushing over, he motioned for Rei to stand as well. "We've got to get to work, Ayanami-san. Ibuki-san ordered me to grab you."

Rei, much the same as Shinji, wasted no time in getting to her feet. She was surprised, after a fashion, when Shinji grabbed her hand and half-dragged her out of the classroom. Bemused, but not necessarily upset, she toddled behind him as best she could.

"Nana-chan," Shinji was out in the hall now, ignoring everyone's questions and concerns, "NERV, now."

Unlike everyone else nearby, Nanako had received many years of training in crisis response. Pulling her sleeve up to her mouth as she pushed Shinji towards the exit, she whispered, "Code Purple. All units this net, Code Purple. Am plus two, en route to secondary rally point."

Appearing from around corners, or behind trees and pillars, nine people dressed similarly to Nanako took up positions around Shinji and Rei, herding them by proximity towards a vehicle that had just rolled up to the front gates. Stepping out of the vehicle, Yasuji Suzuhara opened the passenger door and rolled his hand and wrist to urge Shinji to move faster.

Helping Rei up first, Shinji clambered in behind and hurriedly put on his seatbelt. Once Yasuji was back in the front passenger's side seat and Nanako was racing them towards their destination, he gave the necessary information to a man he knew he could trust, "Maya-san hasn't struck me as the panicky type, Yasuji-san. I'm worried it might be-" Rei's hand laid gently over his mouth, preventing further speech.

"They are not cleared for knowledge of Evangelion operations, Pilot Ikari." Giving him a calm, significant look when he turned to eye her, she shook her head. "I apologize, but I am still under orders to maintain operational security."

"It's ok, son," Yasuji motioned blandly. "We're aware of what's happening. Focus on your breathing. Keep a steady rhythm, slow and steady. You are prepared for whatever it is they wish to throw at you. Twice now you have won, and each time you have come out more experienced in combat than before. Trust your instincts, trust your mind, do not let the enemy defeat you before you reach the field of battle." He gave Rei a side-eye. "Remove your hand from his face."

Deliberately taking a few seconds to comply, Ayanami spoke only to Shinji, "His advice is sound. Our union with the Eva requires a clear mind and a steady heart. We cannot succeed with emotional flotsam in the way."

The strange sensation of familiarity that had perked up in Shinji's mind on contact with Rei was mixed with a surprising scent. "The vanilla soap you use smells nice on you, Ayanami-san." He was more confused by the sudden confusion on her face than he was by the aching familiarity he felt.

"…Thank you." With a small hint of rose around her cheeks, she looked back towards the window and the world outside of it.

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3. Wednesday +8.

Shinji wasn't exactly surprised to see Misaki Masaki Jurai and Minaho Masaki arrive on the bridge once Unit-01's HUD came online. He was slightly surprised to see his father sitting on what he'd learned was called 'The Throne of God' up above everyone else on the bridge. He hadn't known his father had returned, and he didn't think that his father would have allowed 'strangers' such as the two Juraians to exist on the bridge during combat operations, if ever. Not that it truly mattered to him that the man had come back, since the important people were all standing on the lower portion of the bridge talking through the scenario they faced.

"Look at the size of that thing," Misato muttered suspiciously. "I don't like it, Rits. Do we have anything from your sensors, Lieutenant?"

Maya shook her head slowly, "I'm sorry ma'am. We just have what we can see visually at the moment. The red orb that we've seen twice now is floating inside that…big octahedron."

"Ok…what's Unit-00's status?"

"Ten, maybe fifteen minutes until we can deploy her," Ritsuko estimated. "At the rate of travel, that Angel will be right on top of us by then."

A new voice spoke into the discussions, seeming almost bored, "Deploy Unit-01, Captain. Unit-00 is not combat proven, as of yet." When most of the bridge looked to Gendo, the Commander of NERV Tokyo-3 simply added, "You have your orders."

Looking as if she'd swallowed an unripe plum, Misato turned back to face Shinji inside of Unit-01. "Ok, Shinji. We're going to deploy you at a distance from the Angel, at a vertex that should draw the Angel off of the direct course to us here. Try to approach enough to get attention, but don't directly engage until we have a better idea of what this big boy's capable of, ok?"

"Understood." Shinji did, in fact, understand. She didn't want to deploy him without more information. She didn't want him to be hurt pointlessly. She was, however, being forced by his father to do what she was doing. "I'm ready as I'll ever be."

"Unit-01, launch."

On the way up to the surface, Misaki's voice touched his mind, My assumption is that this Adamite has incredibly thick armor. That…blue mass surrounding what is in truth the Adamite itself is preventing our own scanners from sensing anything. If it can block what we see, your technology stands little chance.

While not exactly inspiring, the knowledge made the gravity of the situation quite clear. Following the breathing technique he'd been shown before his first fight, he was both physically and mentally poorly prepared to react with great volume to what happened as he reached the surface.

Maya cried out, "Energy spike, centered on the Angel!"

The next thing Shinji heard was the sound of his own voice struggling to scream out in agony. A purple lance of pain and misery briefly connected him with the Angel floating over a hundred kilometers away. Each micrometer of the plating between the entry plug and the Angel's death laser carved a near-artisanal degree of pure anguish into Shinji's soul. For five seconds that felt like five millennia, he was at the mercy of a being that lacked any degree of understanding of the concept. Even when the attack halted, the pain remained. Oblivion, whether through death or unconsciousness, was the only salvation left to him.

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3. Wednesday, +8.

Shinji awoke, inhaling deeply as the echoes of trauma loitered in his mind. Before he could scream out in remembered horror, he felt a familiar touch stroking his cheek.

"Shh, shh, shh," Minaho urged him. "You're safe. You're safe."

His situation began to gain clarity, his presence in a hospital room slowly washing away the lingering impressions of LCL fluid and nuclear flame. The cool air of the room replacing the thick warmth of the entry plug. The scent of cleaning solutions scrubbed out the scent of blood. He was bandaged, connected to medical paraphernalia, and being held by one of the women he would die for. One of the women he'd failed.

"I assure you, Shinji of the Ikari Clan, we do not see your tactical loss as a strategic failure," the powerful voice of Empress Misaki Masaki Jurai left no room for alternate explanations or positions. She spoke as a warrior, a ruler, and a woman who was proud to know him. "You survived. You gained the information necessary to know what your allies now face." Setting one hand on his chest, over his heart, she asked gently, "Do you still stand ready to serve?"

He would burn a million times for them. He would die a million times for them. Swallowing hard, he tried to get enough moisture in his mouth to respond. All that he managed was to croak out a dry, "Yes."

"Then sleep, for now." She patted his chest, a great smile warming her face. "There is time yet before you will be needed again."

When oblivion claimed him once more, it was not the cold dread of the grave that rode with it.

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3. Wednesday, +8.

"This has got to be the most insane idea I've ever heard," Ritsuko chuckled, going over the numbers she'd been given by Misato and Maya. "I don't know what's more horrifying: that you came up with this, or that I think it might actually work."

"Little from column 'A', little from column 'B'." Misato yawned, stretching out her aching limbs. "That asshole is taking its sweet time drilling down here, which gives us just enough time to get everything we'll need together. If I handle the acquisition of the shielding, Ibuki-kun handles setting up the power relays, and you sell the commander on the plan."

Maya pointed to herself. "…Me?"

"Yes, you." Gesturing to the three of them, she continued, "You know the numbers better than the others. You don't have the pull Rits does with the boss. You also aren't high ranking enough to bulldoze the JAXA brass for the bottom of that lander we need. Connecting the entirety of Japan's power production to a single point of access? I've got complete faith that you can handle that in your sleep."

Nodding in approval and agreement, Ritsuko patted Maya on the shoulder. "She's right. Time to earn your stripes, Maya-kun." Gripping that shoulder and turning her about, she urged her towards the lab door. "Make me proud!" After the mousey lieutenant stumbled her way through the door, Ritsuko's mood shifted noticeably towards serious concern. "I'm not certain that Shinji is going to be able to deploy. He has second degree burns over eighty percent of his chest, all caused by the parasympathetic connection with Unit-01 during the attack. Combined with the already existing scar tissue, the healing process is going to be slow. He's not going to be awake for at least half a day, which means I won't know how he's holding up mentally for at least that long."

"That's why I'm giving him the easier job," Misato shrugged. "This is a two-person lift. Ayanami-chan will play defense, Shinji-kun will smoke the bastard. All he has to do is lay down, let the MAGI lock on, and squeeze the death trigger. I'm sure he can manage it. He's tougher than I thought he was, and I really do have confidence in him to pull this off." She pushed her lips off to the side in a half smile. "If he needs some motivation, we could always just get the girls out and give 'em a shake?"

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Ritsuko rolled her eyes and pointed to the door. "Get out of here before I take a rolled-up newspaper to you."

Misato snorted out a laugh, raising her hands up to her shoulders and backing away. "I'm just saying, the two of us could be pretty compelling for him." When Ritsuko reached for a nearby stack of reports, she scooted a little faster out of the room.

+++++ Author's Notes:

Author0fntent: RE: Jingles.

"I want chicken, I want liver, Meow Mix, Meow Mix, please deliver."

cortana5:

RE: Self-improvement.

It's not easy, trying to be better than you were. Trying not to accept the first opinion of something that hurts, annoys, or bothers you. It takes effort to look past that impression, to see the struggle the other party is going through. I laud you, and anyone, who tries to reach just that little bit further. Nothing we face as a species, a nation, a people, is insurmountable so long as people are willing to reach outside of their siloed viewpoint to see the potential for compromise with 'alien' viewpoints.

RE: Telomeres.

So...to avoid going hyper-science here, telomeres are responsible for protecting certain areas of chromosomal DNA from becoming degraded while DNA repairs itself. As a way that might be easier for people to understand, if you take a photograph and put it on a copier, that copier will only be able to replicate so much of the original photograph because certain areas of the photograph itself (around the edges) have a bit more depth where the picture ends and the glass plate begins. The light that copies the original sees that edge as 'the end', and so you get what you get which is only fifty percent (at most) of the original. If you copy that copy, you end up with more 'artifacts' that are detrimental to the intent of replicating the original itself. Errata that take it further and further away from what it was supposed to be. A telomere (a portmanteau of télos and méros, meaning 'end' and 'part') helps DNA avoid this problem by serving as a sort of glue between the 'original' and the 'copy' so that there is no edge to confuse the 'copier', the DNA polymerase.

Another, maybe easier, way to think of it is in the old MODEM-based data transfer systems. Each packet of data would begin and end with a code that specifically tells the demodulation program on the receiving end that 'Here there be nothing'. That 'code', in the DNA system, is the telomere. It's purpose is to stop the polymerase from meandering off course and ceasing to effectively replicate the stuff that makes us what we are. In this case, if Shinji's telomeres were modified, that would mean that instead of 'Here there be nothing' could become 'Here, add this', and a new 'packet' becomes appended to the existing code. Now, your question becomes, "What is the new packet?"

Not saying.