The Way I Am
Chapter 2: Watch the Weather Change
Commander Ikari was poised behind his desk, staring intently at the computer screen before him. It was small, and if standing opposite him, appeared nothing more then a small round contour upon his otherwise vacant black desk. It had a network link with the three ultra-computers as well as the central dogma. Everything could be accessed from the comfort of his cool, dry office.
"...This cannot be correct." He said in bland disbelief, gloved digits raising to adjust the lens that sat upon his short nose.
His arms slowly slid back upon the rests of his chair, which he gripped tightly afterwards. He swiveled to the right, shooting his icy glare out the picture windows which lined his office. He reclined and a sigh escaped his lips. "But, it must be so. They are never incorrect."
---------
The days seemed to have absolutely no end and no beginning. Regardless if the scorching sun was blinding into his room, or the moon portrayed it's elegance above him, Shinji Ikari did not venture from his room. Save, of course, for bathroom needs, as far and few as they had become.
Adorning his small frame were a pair of loose navy blue shorts. Usually when lounging about, he liked clothes that obscured exactly how scrawny his undeveloped form was. ...Yet another reason the plug suit was awkward. A bandage encircled his torso, ending precisely where his ribs did internally. Another bandage was situated upon his left shoulder. His injuries were more serious then a simple dislocation.
'Misato would say, 'You can't stay here forever, Shinji.' But... She doesn't. I don't understand her at all. It's better this way, though... I'll... I'll go back when I'm ready... Not like it matters, though.'
Dark cobalt eyes stared absently at the ceiling. Stereophones snaked across his bandaged body, leading up, and then splitting to each ear.
'I remember this song... I mean... I remember where I was when I first heard it... I..' He thought for a moment until it popped in his head. 'In the grocery store... before I moved into the apartment.'
'Then...'
---------
'His door... That baka.' She stared quietly at the door, sitting cross-legged. Those small green shorts softly creeping up vanilla thighs as she shifted, and slowly got up to her feet.
She trudged into the kitchen, a few glasses by the sink clinking from each thud of a rather heavy footstep. She gripped the handle of the fridge tightly, and swung it open, causing the various bottles of condiments as well as the exuberant amount of beer canisters to rattle. From the wide variety of beverage choices (Actually, there was only beer, water, and juice.) she plucked a can of fruit punch from within.
It was popped open, a gulp was taken, and then it was slammed on the counter. She huffed and leaned against the fridge, fiddling furiously with her yellow tank top before shooting a glare at her guardian seated at the table. "What are you looking at?"
"...You should be lucky you aren't seriously hurt. Shinji wasn't even attacked by that... that freak... and he walked away with a cracked rib and a dislocated shoulder.." She seemed almost melancholy, very uncharacteristic of the somewhat bubbly alcoholic.
"Don't even talk about that baka! ...It wasn't anything... Just the Unit 2's superiority on the battlefield." She was still glaring, though it let up. She stepped over to the table, sat down on the floor beside Misato. The woman and the girl.
"Why aren't you making him go to school? ...Tomorrow will be his sixth day absent this week." She asked, wishing she had remembered to bring her drink, though she was too lazy to retrieve it.
"He's earned it... Sometimes I forget what you kids are going through... It just happens when things heat up. I forget that you actually are children."
"Don't make excuses for him..." She said, turning her head took look at her. Misato's hands were on her knees, soothing the smooth skin, her eyes tracing over the intricate grains on the low table idly.
"I'm not... He's just trying to juggle so many things right now. He broke down when he was in the ambulance after we recovered him with Rei. ..I...I've never..." She trailed off. She couldn't tell Asuka that. 'I've never seen him cry before...'
She ignored the fact that Misato just trailed off. "Oh right, I forgot that he was such a great student." She rolled her eyes, hands folded on the table in front of her.
"I've seen your recent report card, too, Ms. University." Misato smirked, feeling a little bit better now.. 'Maybe I should talk to Shinji... I usually do, don't I?'
"Ugh! So this is what your like when you're not plastered!?" She yelled, standing up from the table, exiting the room. She walked briskly to her door and slammed the door shut. The sliding paper door nearly bounced off it's track, coming partly ajar after ramming into the pane.
Truth was, she was always like this. "Asuka... You don't have to be so emotional..." She grumbled softly. She sighed and hunched over, placing an elbow on the table while propping her chin up on an opened palm.
---------
Misato's daydreaming was interrupted by a faint knock at the door, followed by the buzzer sounding. She got up, cleaning off invisible dirt from her shorts, and walked to the door. She gripped the handle, and pulled the door open.
"Rei? What're you doing here?" She questioned in surprise, standing there, slightly shiver from the sensation of her bare feet on the cool tiled floor.
"I came to see Ikari-kun. The Second Child forgot to return with his work. I have the printout presently." She spoke quickly. Well, quickly for Rei, that is. The paper was held between both her hands in front of her stomach.
"Oh... Well, I'll give it to him." She said slowly, reaching her hand out to accept the paper.
"I would like to give it to him myself, if that is all right." Rei answered, ignoring the outreached hand.
"I don't know.. He's..Well, I suppose he could use a visitor. Come in." Misato smiled and stepped out of the way, allowing the girl to enter. '...She's acting strange. Strange for Rei, at least.'
"Thank you." She stepped inside, slipping off her shoes next to the others. She looked up at Misato with some uncertainty.
"Oh! It's right down the hall. The door with the plaque." It was a good thing she said that, as Asuka would not appreciate a visit at the moment. Or no time soon if it was anyone other then Kaji, for that matter.
---------
Shinji sat up when he heard the soft knock, a sharp pain generated by his ribs caused him to wince. He pulled the headphones out of his ears. The SDAT played without a listener.
'Should I answer it...?'
He wasn't sure what possessed him to, but he forced himself to his feet and stepped and opened the door. "Rei?"
Rei gazed at his face for a moment, then took note of his bandages. "May I come in?"
"Uh... Yes! Come in." His eyes were squinted, as he was not used to the bright light which resided in the rest of the house. He opened the door wider for her, though she could have easily passed at the degree it had been open anyway.
In place, she stepped a small circle, taking time to briefly look at everything that occupied his dark room. "Your homework assignment." She said, walking to his desk. She placed the piece of paper there, and turned to him.
"Oh. Thanks." He nodded, walking over to his desk as well. He turned the paper to better suit his view, two fingers skimming over the brief outline.
"It is nothing." And that was left at that.
His face began to grow warm, as he could feel those red eyes on his face. He peeked out of the corner of his eye, and then slowly turned his head to look at her. "Ah..! .. er.. I.." He was surprised at how close she was now, as she had apparently moved while he was reading. His eyes locked with hers, stunned as if a deer in headlights. He moved his gaze quickly, looking at her face before looking down to study the now amazingly interesting floor.
"What is wrong?" She asked, looking to his face in apparent puzzlement.
"Nothing.. Just surprised, that's all." Rouge rushed to the crests of each of his cheeks, standing out in contrast to his somewhat tan skin.
She reached up and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her four fingers were on the bandage, while her thumb was brushing against the crook of his neck and shoulder. Her eyes sought out his reaction. She studied his face, and then averted her gaze down to the shoulder itself, to examine the bandage.
He jumped when she touched him, though not out of pain, but out of surprise. 'She's.. She's never touched me before.' She had struck him once and he had fallen on her... But never had her skin came in gentle contact with his. His cheeks burned now, his eyes shakily looking at her face.
"It does not hurt?"
"No..."
"Why were your ribs attended to? You injured them as well?"
"Yes... They don't hurt much, either." He lied... But he really had no control of what he was doing now anyway.
Her hand slowly left, falling down to her side. She stepped backwards, eyes consciously on his face the whole while. "Will you attend school tomorrow, Ikari-kun?"
"...I think I'm ready." He said, watching her. 'She's acting so strange... Well, for her.' He sat on the lip of his desk, his cheeks starting to calm since she was no longer so close.
"I'll see you then." With that she turned around, opening the door and closing it gingerly behind her.
"All right then..." A little late.
---------
He sat on his desk for sometime, discussing in his mind the reason for Rei's odd behavior. After twenty minutes, still with no conclusion, he crawled into his bed. He thought, while staring at the ceiling, of how she looked in the dark lighting of his room. Her and hair almost had a silver glow to them. 'She looked like a ghost... No... an... angel.' He could still feel her soft touch on his neck. Even if it was accidental, he still felt it.
"I'm ready."
---------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note
Touching in Japan is usually reserved only for lovers. That's why you usually won't see a lot of hugging at the gates of their Aiports. Anyway. This chapter doesn't have as much action as the first, and I don't think the third chapter will, either. Remember to review.
-Albedo
Chapter 2: Watch the Weather Change
Commander Ikari was poised behind his desk, staring intently at the computer screen before him. It was small, and if standing opposite him, appeared nothing more then a small round contour upon his otherwise vacant black desk. It had a network link with the three ultra-computers as well as the central dogma. Everything could be accessed from the comfort of his cool, dry office.
"...This cannot be correct." He said in bland disbelief, gloved digits raising to adjust the lens that sat upon his short nose.
His arms slowly slid back upon the rests of his chair, which he gripped tightly afterwards. He swiveled to the right, shooting his icy glare out the picture windows which lined his office. He reclined and a sigh escaped his lips. "But, it must be so. They are never incorrect."
---------
The days seemed to have absolutely no end and no beginning. Regardless if the scorching sun was blinding into his room, or the moon portrayed it's elegance above him, Shinji Ikari did not venture from his room. Save, of course, for bathroom needs, as far and few as they had become.
Adorning his small frame were a pair of loose navy blue shorts. Usually when lounging about, he liked clothes that obscured exactly how scrawny his undeveloped form was. ...Yet another reason the plug suit was awkward. A bandage encircled his torso, ending precisely where his ribs did internally. Another bandage was situated upon his left shoulder. His injuries were more serious then a simple dislocation.
'Misato would say, 'You can't stay here forever, Shinji.' But... She doesn't. I don't understand her at all. It's better this way, though... I'll... I'll go back when I'm ready... Not like it matters, though.'
Dark cobalt eyes stared absently at the ceiling. Stereophones snaked across his bandaged body, leading up, and then splitting to each ear.
'I remember this song... I mean... I remember where I was when I first heard it... I..' He thought for a moment until it popped in his head. 'In the grocery store... before I moved into the apartment.'
'Then...'
---------
'His door... That baka.' She stared quietly at the door, sitting cross-legged. Those small green shorts softly creeping up vanilla thighs as she shifted, and slowly got up to her feet.
She trudged into the kitchen, a few glasses by the sink clinking from each thud of a rather heavy footstep. She gripped the handle of the fridge tightly, and swung it open, causing the various bottles of condiments as well as the exuberant amount of beer canisters to rattle. From the wide variety of beverage choices (Actually, there was only beer, water, and juice.) she plucked a can of fruit punch from within.
It was popped open, a gulp was taken, and then it was slammed on the counter. She huffed and leaned against the fridge, fiddling furiously with her yellow tank top before shooting a glare at her guardian seated at the table. "What are you looking at?"
"...You should be lucky you aren't seriously hurt. Shinji wasn't even attacked by that... that freak... and he walked away with a cracked rib and a dislocated shoulder.." She seemed almost melancholy, very uncharacteristic of the somewhat bubbly alcoholic.
"Don't even talk about that baka! ...It wasn't anything... Just the Unit 2's superiority on the battlefield." She was still glaring, though it let up. She stepped over to the table, sat down on the floor beside Misato. The woman and the girl.
"Why aren't you making him go to school? ...Tomorrow will be his sixth day absent this week." She asked, wishing she had remembered to bring her drink, though she was too lazy to retrieve it.
"He's earned it... Sometimes I forget what you kids are going through... It just happens when things heat up. I forget that you actually are children."
"Don't make excuses for him..." She said, turning her head took look at her. Misato's hands were on her knees, soothing the smooth skin, her eyes tracing over the intricate grains on the low table idly.
"I'm not... He's just trying to juggle so many things right now. He broke down when he was in the ambulance after we recovered him with Rei. ..I...I've never..." She trailed off. She couldn't tell Asuka that. 'I've never seen him cry before...'
She ignored the fact that Misato just trailed off. "Oh right, I forgot that he was such a great student." She rolled her eyes, hands folded on the table in front of her.
"I've seen your recent report card, too, Ms. University." Misato smirked, feeling a little bit better now.. 'Maybe I should talk to Shinji... I usually do, don't I?'
"Ugh! So this is what your like when you're not plastered!?" She yelled, standing up from the table, exiting the room. She walked briskly to her door and slammed the door shut. The sliding paper door nearly bounced off it's track, coming partly ajar after ramming into the pane.
Truth was, she was always like this. "Asuka... You don't have to be so emotional..." She grumbled softly. She sighed and hunched over, placing an elbow on the table while propping her chin up on an opened palm.
---------
Misato's daydreaming was interrupted by a faint knock at the door, followed by the buzzer sounding. She got up, cleaning off invisible dirt from her shorts, and walked to the door. She gripped the handle, and pulled the door open.
"Rei? What're you doing here?" She questioned in surprise, standing there, slightly shiver from the sensation of her bare feet on the cool tiled floor.
"I came to see Ikari-kun. The Second Child forgot to return with his work. I have the printout presently." She spoke quickly. Well, quickly for Rei, that is. The paper was held between both her hands in front of her stomach.
"Oh... Well, I'll give it to him." She said slowly, reaching her hand out to accept the paper.
"I would like to give it to him myself, if that is all right." Rei answered, ignoring the outreached hand.
"I don't know.. He's..Well, I suppose he could use a visitor. Come in." Misato smiled and stepped out of the way, allowing the girl to enter. '...She's acting strange. Strange for Rei, at least.'
"Thank you." She stepped inside, slipping off her shoes next to the others. She looked up at Misato with some uncertainty.
"Oh! It's right down the hall. The door with the plaque." It was a good thing she said that, as Asuka would not appreciate a visit at the moment. Or no time soon if it was anyone other then Kaji, for that matter.
---------
Shinji sat up when he heard the soft knock, a sharp pain generated by his ribs caused him to wince. He pulled the headphones out of his ears. The SDAT played without a listener.
'Should I answer it...?'
He wasn't sure what possessed him to, but he forced himself to his feet and stepped and opened the door. "Rei?"
Rei gazed at his face for a moment, then took note of his bandages. "May I come in?"
"Uh... Yes! Come in." His eyes were squinted, as he was not used to the bright light which resided in the rest of the house. He opened the door wider for her, though she could have easily passed at the degree it had been open anyway.
In place, she stepped a small circle, taking time to briefly look at everything that occupied his dark room. "Your homework assignment." She said, walking to his desk. She placed the piece of paper there, and turned to him.
"Oh. Thanks." He nodded, walking over to his desk as well. He turned the paper to better suit his view, two fingers skimming over the brief outline.
"It is nothing." And that was left at that.
His face began to grow warm, as he could feel those red eyes on his face. He peeked out of the corner of his eye, and then slowly turned his head to look at her. "Ah..! .. er.. I.." He was surprised at how close she was now, as she had apparently moved while he was reading. His eyes locked with hers, stunned as if a deer in headlights. He moved his gaze quickly, looking at her face before looking down to study the now amazingly interesting floor.
"What is wrong?" She asked, looking to his face in apparent puzzlement.
"Nothing.. Just surprised, that's all." Rouge rushed to the crests of each of his cheeks, standing out in contrast to his somewhat tan skin.
She reached up and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her four fingers were on the bandage, while her thumb was brushing against the crook of his neck and shoulder. Her eyes sought out his reaction. She studied his face, and then averted her gaze down to the shoulder itself, to examine the bandage.
He jumped when she touched him, though not out of pain, but out of surprise. 'She's.. She's never touched me before.' She had struck him once and he had fallen on her... But never had her skin came in gentle contact with his. His cheeks burned now, his eyes shakily looking at her face.
"It does not hurt?"
"No..."
"Why were your ribs attended to? You injured them as well?"
"Yes... They don't hurt much, either." He lied... But he really had no control of what he was doing now anyway.
Her hand slowly left, falling down to her side. She stepped backwards, eyes consciously on his face the whole while. "Will you attend school tomorrow, Ikari-kun?"
"...I think I'm ready." He said, watching her. 'She's acting so strange... Well, for her.' He sat on the lip of his desk, his cheeks starting to calm since she was no longer so close.
"I'll see you then." With that she turned around, opening the door and closing it gingerly behind her.
"All right then..." A little late.
---------
He sat on his desk for sometime, discussing in his mind the reason for Rei's odd behavior. After twenty minutes, still with no conclusion, he crawled into his bed. He thought, while staring at the ceiling, of how she looked in the dark lighting of his room. Her and hair almost had a silver glow to them. 'She looked like a ghost... No... an... angel.' He could still feel her soft touch on his neck. Even if it was accidental, he still felt it.
"I'm ready."
---------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note
Touching in Japan is usually reserved only for lovers. That's why you usually won't see a lot of hugging at the gates of their Aiports. Anyway. This chapter doesn't have as much action as the first, and I don't think the third chapter will, either. Remember to review.
-Albedo
