Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its
creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations,
themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax
or Hideaki Anno.
Last time on The Last Gift She Expected... Asuka finds Shinji (or is it the other way around?) and tells him of Ritsuko's roving fingers. Meanwhile, the party guest have arrived, the food is set up, the music is all hooked up and ready to go, but where's the birthday girl? Right around the corner! SURPRISE!
And without further ado...
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 6: Karaoke, NERV Style : Unwanted Memories
------------
A few minutes later, the party was in full swing. Kaji was back to chatting with Asuka's friends, and Ritsuko was enjoying a drink with Maya. Misato was kicking back, collecting money from Aoba and Hyuga to divvy up between her, Ritsuko and Rei later.
Shinji sat back, sipping at an Illusion, waiting for Asuka to change into something "a little more appropriate for a party". [Well, that went well, all things considering...I wasn't expecting a lead-up like that, though...]
"There he is! Hey, Shinji!"
Shinji turned around and saw Toji and Kensuke. Shinji almost smiled until he saw the looks of dissapointment and anger on their faces.
"Hey, what's the matter, guys? It's a party!..." Shinji knew he was about to be told off. He took a large gulp of Illusion...
"What's your deal, huh?"
"You're sleeping with the devil!"
Shinji went a bright shade of red. "Sleeping!? No! We're just going out..."
"Oh really? Misato just gave us this!" Toji held a polaroid to Shinji's face.
Shinji looked at it closer. He almost choked on the Midori cocktail. The picture showed Shinji and Asuka, clear as day, snuggling with each other in Asuka's futon. Shinji's face went a much deeper shade of red.
"...oh shit." [Misato will die for this...]
Toji held Shinji up against the wall, while Kensuke just stood there in a menacing pose, their faces ripped with anger. Shinji looked at the pair of his friends, beginning to fear for his safety. Slowly, Toji's face split into a smile, as did Kensuke's.
"SCOOOOOOOORE!" they both shouted, with the clear intention of embarrassing Shinji as much as possible.
Shinji breathed out a sigh of relief with a smile. [Thank God they didn't find out about Asuka's panties...]
Elsewhere in the room, Ritsuko was talking to Maya.
"So, are you going to have a shot at the karaoke later?" Ritsuko asked.
"Yeah, maybe later...ooh, excuse me for a minute." Maya walked off.
Ritsuko watched her special friend walk off toward the toilet block, and sipped her Long Island Tea. Only then did she notice that Shinji was walking toward her, with Toji and Kensuke watching him walk off, Shinji's face deadpan, with kind of the same look that the Commander had when he was pissed off.
[Why's he so pissed off? Oh shit...] Ritsuko remembered her idle hands while injecting Asuka. Ritsuko went to move, but Shinji picked up the pace, raising his forearm and pinning Ritsuko to the wall by the neck rather roughly.
"Good evening, Dr. Akagi," Shinji said innocently.
"Listen, I - "
"Shut up, Ritsuko. Now, Asuka told me what you did to her," Shinji's voice began to take on the same coldness as his father's. "If you do it again..."
He jolted his arm, pressing Ritsuko's neck harder against the wall behind her. "I won't be so lenient," Shinji's gaze pierced Ritsuko's very soul.
Almost instantly, Shinji reverted back to normal. "Have a fun night!" he said cheerfully as he walked off. Ritsuko watched Shinji off, warily.
At that time, Hikari walked up to Toji. "Hey Toji," she said.
"Huh? Oh, hey, Hikari. I didn't see you there..."
"Hmm." They shot each other a devilish look. Hikari instantly doubled over, clutching her stomach.
"Oh. My stomach. I need medical attention quickly." Hikari said with all the conviction of a two-by-four.
"Yes. I think so too. I'll help you there." Toji and Hikari winked at each other. The pair walked off, holding each other, leaving Kensuke in disgust.
"Love...who needs it?" Kensuke felt someone's eyes on him, and he turned around. Across the room, Rei jolted her head to the side, pretending to look at something else.
[Was she checking me out? No...]
At that time, Asuka entered the room, dressed in an eyecatching red and black satin dress, and attached herself to Shinji.
"Hey handsome," Asuka said, "Fancy meeting you here."
Shinji laughed. "Yeah, fancy that."
Asuka walked Shinji over to Caspar, where the drinks were. On the way there, Shinji saw the montage board, and noticed that his picture was replaced. Shinji scowled, and made a mental note to get rid of it.
Misato was watching Shinji eye off the montage board. [Hmm, so he noticed. No problem...]
Misato felt a hand reach around her shoulder. "Get you arm off me right now, Ryoji Kaji, before I shoot you."
"Oh, just as feisty as ever, eh Misato?"
Misato shrugged off Kaji's arm. "Look, don't you ever give up?"
Kaji grinned. "No, especially if you're gonna be shitfaced later on in the evening." [Just give her time, Kaji, then she'll come back. Heh, what a pun, 'come'...]
Kaji turned around. Misato readied a right hook for Kaji's cheek. Just as she swung, Kaji ducked to the ground, Misato's wild swing going over his head.
"Oh look, a yen..." Kaji said so that Misato could hear, "You know, I just know you too well to fall for that now..."
Misato growled and stormed off. Kaji stood back up, shrugged and walked off to the schoolgirls again, only to notice Rei was with them now.
Shinji, on the other hand, kept a lookout for Misato as he snuck toward the montage board. Carefully removing the incriminating photo, he walked away, as if nothing were done. Looking back at Misato, who looked like she was going to hit someone across the head, he crumpled the photo up and threw it over the edge into the seemingly bottomless pit below the catwalk. Shinji started whistling, happy with his work.
It was at about this time that Maya returned and was eager to test out the karaoke machine.
"Hey! How about we crank this machine up, huh?" she shouted, possibly in a drunken state.
Cheers of approval greeted the suggestion, and Maya fiddled with a few of the buttons on the system console. The guests formed a circle around Maya as she picked up the mike. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her to sing.
"What? I wasn't going to sing!"
Shouts and heckles came from the crowd, along with a couple of laughs. Maya smiled, and offered the mike to some others in the crowd. Finally, a hand reached up. By now, everyone was used to Rei acting normally, so there weren't so many collective gasps.
"Well, first up tonight, Rei Ayanami!" Maya handed Rei the mike and applauded, stepping back into the crowd. Rei said something to Hyuga, sitting by the console, who nodded and brought up the song that Rei had requested. The strange thing is that no one knew what to expect from Rei's taste in music, so everyone waited in anticipation. Soon the music started, but the song wasn't familiar...
Rei lifted the mike to her mouth, as the singing part started.
"There's something inside me that pools beneath the surface,
Confusing...consuming...
The loss of self control I fear is never ending,
Controlling...I can't seem
To find myself again, my walls are closing in..."
At this time, Kensuke recognised the song. "Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take..."
Rei looked at Kensuke, and smiled. [It appears I'm not the only Linkin Park fan here...]
"I've never felt this way before, SO IN-SE-CUUUURE...."
The two performers sang in unison:
"Crawling in my skin,
These wounds, they will not heal...
Fear is how I fall,
Confusing what is rea-ah-allll..."
The crowd around the duet began to clap, then the second verse began.
"La da da da has pulled itself upon me..." Rei blushed at the only line of the song she didn't know.
"Distracting, reacting...
Against my will I stand beside my own reflection,
It's haunting, how I can't seem,
To find myself again, my walls are closing in..."
Kensuke joined in with the brief rap: "Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take..."
"I've felt this way before...SO IN-SE-CUUUURE..."
"Crawling in my skin,
These wounds, they will not heal...
Fear is how I fall,
Confusing what is rea-ah-allll...", once again in unison.
The crowd listened in amazement as these two people who had never really talked to each other before in their lives were singing in perfect harmony. When the end of the song came, the whole Bridge erupted with applause. Rei and Kensuke bowed in appreciation, as they handed the mike back to Maya, who had one word to say... "Wow..."
At this moment, Toji and Hikari came back into the room unnoticed, looking a little less tidy than when they left. Kensuke took one look at Toji. [Score one for Mr. Suzuhara...]
"Okay, who's next?"
Asuka walked forward, raising her hand. "Well, seeing as I'm the birthday girl, I better get up and have a sing," she explained.
The crowd clapped her up to the makeshift stage, Shinji a little more enthusiastic than most.
"Okay, this song is what goes through my head everytime I step into a certain 50-foot red biomechanical weapon of mass destruction...I want to sing it to try and give you people a little idea what it's like to pilot an Eva into battle...not meaning to sound full of myself or anything..."
A few mutters and nods of approval later, and Asuka chose the song. A loud rock song proceeded to play, Asuka headbanging and all. The less mature of the crowd joined with the NERV staff who were already drunk (Misato) joined Asuka with the headbanging. Finally the lyrics started appearing.
"We're face to face,
Loyalty is what I need to see from you...
You're insecure,
I feel the fear that breeds in your heart...
Where will you run? Where will you hide?
I see the blood drip from your eyes,
Who will survive? Let's get it on
And we'll fight..."
The music picked up. "I know who you are...
The leader of lost souls...
You can't kill me, I'm immortal...
I'm not afraid to die,
My soul will travel on,
You can't kill me, I'm immortal...Immortal..."
The song continued on, as did the headbanging. When Asuka finished, everyone under eighteen cheered and whooped Asuka as she bowed and accepted applause from the older people.
Asuka stepped toward the crowd around her. Maya picked up the mike.
"Whoa! Who knew these Eva pilots had it in them!?" Maya stirred up the crowd. Shinji's felt his ears perk. [Oh crap. They'll want me up next...]
Sure enough, everyone's eyes focused on the Third Child. [Yep, they want me up next...]
"Come on, Shinji!" "Don't be a wuss!" "Show us what you got!" Shinji shrugged and walked forward. The crowd cheered, Asuka and the Two Stooges whooping and clapping madly. Shinji didn't have any idea what song to sing. He leant over to Hyuga.
"I don't know what to sing!" he whispered hoarsely to Makoto.
"Aw, don't worry, Shinji!" Hyuga said, smiling, while he chose a song.
Shinji turned back to the crowd, waiting for Hyuga's selection to come on. When the music faded in, and the crowd died down, Shinji recognised the song as one in Misato's collection, therefore he knew the words. [Thank God for that...] He closed his eyes, and the first verse began.
"And I'd give up forever to touch you," he began,
Coz I know that you feel me somehow,
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now..."
Shinji's eyes opened, and they scanned the crowd for Asuka. She was in the front, hands holding her new pendant, eyes fixed on Shinji.
"All I can taste is this moment,
All I can breathe is your life,
Coz sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight...
And I don't want the world to see me," Shinji's voice wavered at the start of the high notes, but flattened itself out over time,
"Coz I don't think that they'd understand,
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am..."
Shinji's eyes were still on Asuka. Asuka's eyes were still on Shinji. They stayed like this until the next verse.
"And you can't fight the tears that aren't coming,
Or the moment of truth in your lies,
When everything feels like the movies,
And you bleed just to know you're alive..."
"And I don't want the world to see me,
Coz I don't think that they'd understand,
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am..."
Asuka's eyes never left her heart's desire as the chorus repeated over. There was no doubt who the song was for. Her heart melted, her legs almost giving way. [Shinji...] When the song ended, no one could believe how brilliant Shinji's voice was, considering his adolescence. The applause went a while after Shinji had rejoined the crowd. Asuka went up to him after his impromptu performance.
"Shinji..." Asuka said, "That was beautiful..."
"Thanks," Shinji said.
Misato watched the pair walk off, only to have her eyes drawn away for a brief moment. Her eyes were drawn to a big black gap in the montage board.
[Argh! Bloody Shinji!] Misato grinned, and walked up to the platform. Reaching behind the board that was mounted above Balthasar, she found a large, yellow envelope. Delving a hand inside it, she pulled out a large glossy of Asuka and Shinji, the Third Child in one of the Second's suits.
[Wonder if he knows how many of these I have?] Misato grinned wider as she stuck the picture over the black gap. After this was done, she walked off to find another can of Yebisu.
By now, Maya had unplugged the mike and put it away, deferring all song requests to Hyuga. He let out a cry of protest, but was drowned out by a mob of schoolkids requesting different songs.
"Play Immortal again!" "No, I wanna hear T.a.T.u!" "Get stuffed, put on N.E.R.D!"
[Who the hell are all these bands!?] Hyuga groaned, and compiled a playlist.
At this time, someone flicked off the lights as someone else replaced the now-disabled Ocean display with Hyuga's Visual Music program. Hyuga designed the program to respond with certain sound waves in the music to create visual patterns on the holographic monitors. When the music started. the combined effect of the lack of regular lights and Hyuga's program was that of a disco.
Kensuke was running around with a regular camera (his camcorder was out of batteries and film), taking snapshots of people enjoying the party. Well, that was his cover story, anyway... [Now, where are some couples?] Kensuke asked himself, as he went into 'hunting' mode. It didn't take him long before someone asked him for a picture.
"Alright, just stand right there for a sec," Kensuke said, as he took a few steps backward, "You're gonna have to move in a bit, uh, Maya, was it? Yeah, nice and close to Ritsuko...and..."
The camera let out a flash. Kensuke lowered the camera. "All done!" The couple went back to their own business. Kensuke held up the camera again. The camera's shutter went down, taking a picture of Maya and Ritsuko in a deep pash.
[God, I can be a prick sometimes!] Kensuke had wired the camera with a five second timer, giving his photo subjects five seconds to make a complete ass of themselves before the photo was taken. [Kensuke Aida, you're a friggin genius! Now, where's Shinji and Asuka...?]
Shinji was walking back past the montage board, and looked up at it.
[Oh, son of a bitch!] The photo was back up. Shinji took the photo back off, and ripped it into shreds, dropping them off the nearest ledge. He then went over to Caspar to retrieve his drink.
Kensuke was still looking around for compromisingly drunken partygoers to take pictures of. Suddenly, Rei appeared in front of him.
"Oh, hey Rei," Kensuke said.
"Um, Kensuke, would you mind taking a photo of me?"
"Oh, sure." Kensuke leveled the camera at Rei, making sure to get all of her in the shot. He pressed the button. The flash showed up early, just as his timer had rigged it to. Rei assuming the picture was taken, walked closer to the bespectacled one. Kensuke should've known something was going to happen. In a very short space of time, Maya had come up to him, in a bid to examine his camera, at the same time as Rei put her hand on his shoulder.
"That's a pretty good looking camera," Maya declared, as she reached for it. Kensuke made a grab for it, but he was too late. Kensuke looked up at Rei, who was motioning for a kiss, and she wasn't going to be denied any time soon. Maya examined the camera, while Kensuke counted the last two seconds on the fuse.
"It looks like it's been modified," Maya noticed, as she aimed the camera at Kensuke, involved in mouth-to-mouth relations with the First Child. The timer ran out, and Maya heard a click in the camera. "Oh, that's odd..."
Kensuke's heart plummeted. [She just took a picture...of me and Rei...]
"Thanks," Rei said, as she turned around.
"I think something's wrong with your camera..." Maya said as she handed it back. Kensuke stood there, stunned, his lips still moist due to Ayanami.
[Damn...]
Meanwihle, Shinji was looking around for Asuka. As he walked by the door leading to the corridor, he felt his arm being grabbed, and pulled into the corridor.
"Gaah!" was all he managed to say, as he was confronted by Asuka.
"Follow me, Third Child." Shinji was still trying to process what was happening.
"Huh?"
"It's nothing to be worried about, I just want some private time..."
"Oh..." Shinji got the idea, and followed Asuka to the elevator around the corner.
Just as they had cleared the corner, Toji ducked his head out of the door.
"Shinji?" he said, inaudible to the young Ikari. Toji had seen Shinji be pulled behind the door.
[Maybe he went to the elevator...] Toji said, as he went round the corner.
He was just in time to see the elevator doors close on two people, one a young man with a white shirt and dark trousers, the other a redhead wearing a scarlet satin dress.
[Asuka! I knew it!] Toji found himself in a moral dilemma. [Should I follow them? I wonder where they're going...]
Toji looked at the elevator floor indicator, then cross referenced the floor number to the directory beside the elevator. [The Cage...what the hell? What kind of name for a floor is "The Cage"?] He pressed the "Call Lift" button...
----------
Hikari walked around amongst the other party members, and noticed that many of her friends were missing.
[Where's Asuka? Or Toji? Maybe if I ask Shinji...hang on, where's Shinji?] She felt something push into her from behind. Letting out a gasp, she turned around to see Maya being chased by Ritsuko, both of them out of their minds with alcohol.
"Hey look, Shempai," Maya slurred, "It's another one of Ashuka's friends..."
Ritsuko tried to focus her eyes. "Hey, it looksh kinda like that Shuhuzara kid's girlfriend..."
[What the...] Hikari tried to find a way to get away from the pair of creepy NERV tech-heads. Before she could move, Ritsuko blocked her path. Hikari turned the other way, only to be cut off by Maya. Hikari was more than a little nervous now.
"What'sh your rush, kid?" Ritsuko grinned evilly through her seemingly drunken state, "Haven't you ever had a threeshum before?"
Hikari almost choked. [Threesome!? What are they gonna do with me!?] She tried to push Maya out of the way, but she held her ground. At this point, Hikari felt a sharp pain in her arm. She turned her head to see a blue liquid flow through a syringe into her arm.
"Hey! What was that for? Why...ugh..." Hikari's head spun.
"This sedative goes directly to your brain, or more accurately the part that controls...well, self control. From now until the sedative wears off in about two hours you'll find that you'll do whatever comes into your head..." Ritsuko explained. Hikari could only manage a slow nod.
"Aww, you look a little queasy," Ritsuko said, in a fake-caring manner, "Why don't you let Maya and I take you to the restrooms?"
"Ooh...yes..." Hikari staggered after the pair of NERV staff.
[Looks like that sedative did its job,] Maya though, glancing at the stupored class rep.
"I still don't feel right about this, sempai..."
"Listen, did you want to try a threesome tonight or not?"
"Yes, but not like this..."
----------
The lift opened for Asuka and Shinji. "The cage?"
"This seems secluded enough for now. Cmon!" Asuka grabbed Shinji's hand and led him across the catwalk. The sight was truly amazing, especially for a tech-head like Kensuke, who was still taking pictures for leverage upstairs. The pinkish red coolant fluid filled most of the gigantic room, with a metal catwalk creating a bridge to a makeshift-looking elevator, which in turn led up to access points to the mighty creatures themselves; the Evangelion. Eva Unit One was closer to their position, and Unit Two was on the other side of the catwalk.
Asuka pulled Shinji into the elevator and pressed the "Up" button. Shinji looked back at the main elevator. From the distance he was at, he couldn't notice that it was headed back up, and if he did, failed to make the connection that it meant that someone else was coming down here.
The cage lift reached its destination. Shinji walked Asuka a few steps onto the bridge above the coolant pond. They stood there, looking at their respective robots of destruction, memories of previous battles against the Angels flooding back to them. They broke eye contact to look at each other. Asuka smiled warmly at Shinji.
[This...] Was this the first time that Asuka had smiled that way at Shinji? He couldn't remember. Whichever way, Shinji smiled back.
"Shinji..."
"Yes?"
"Do...do you want to become one...with me?"
[Aagh!] Shinji's mind slipped on Asuka's words, causing a little deja vu.
"One in mind and body..." Shinji muttered to himself, nodding lovingly at Asuka.
Shinji turned toward Asuka, and gently placed a hand around her back. He then led her to Unit Two's entry plug access point. Asuka leant over and pulled the Emergency Release lever, force-ejecting Unit Two's entry plug. Shinji opened the hatch, and gave Asuka a boost into it. Shinji followed her in, shutting the hatch behind him.
Down below, the elevator had just returned, carrying Toji. He rushed out of the elevator.
"Shinji!" Toji shouted. He looked out across the Cage. A pool of pinky- red water was on the right side of the catwalk, and on the left, a giant structure, housing...
"Huuuhgh!" Toji gasped as he saw Evangelion Unit One. Suddenly, he fell backward, collapsing back into the elevator. Disturbing images filled his head.
"No...please, Shinji...don't...it hurts!" he cried, cowering in the corner of the elevator, clutching his waist and neck...
---------
Almost as soon as Shinji closed the hatch, he turned to find himself embraced by the Second Child. Asuka's eyes engaged Shinji's, filled with lust. Shinji leant in as the two kissed deeply, leaning back in Asuka's seat. Their hearts beat faster, the sheer passion and lust making the air electric, making every touch between the lovers electric. The two lovers found that this new activity was just as exciting and pleasant as many of their older associates testified. Soon, Asuka's mind registered a strange, ecstatic force building in her depths. Every touch, every thrust fuelled this feeling, gradually growing this warm feeling into an inferno of the senses, every nerve tingling in a genetically imprinted anticipation. The redhead felt the full force of this wave of sensation building inside of her, waiting for release. When it did, Asuka's pleasure sensors went off the scale.
"Agh, agh-AAAAAAHHHHH!" she shouted, as a tsunami of euthoria washed over the young Eva pilot. Shinji moaned shortly and was soon also spent.
Shinji withdrew himself from Asuka's most private parts. They lie completely still in each others' arms, gazing contently into each other's eyes.
"Shinji...a few days ago, we hated each other's guts, but inside, I knew I saw...something between us..." Asuka closed her eyes. "I can't believe that I spent two years shutting out the one person I cared about in the world..."
"Asuka, I've...loved you...ever since the seventh Angel. I...just never had the guts to admit it to myself, let alone you...you made it that much harder..."
"But then..." they had both said it in unison.
"I finally realised what I saw in you to begin with..."
"I finally stood up for what I believed in..."
"You." they looked at each other.
"You gave me the best present I could have got from anyone...your heart..."
"No, I couldn't have given it to you," Shinji replied, "because you had already stolen it."
Asuka smiled. "That...has got to the the worst line I've ever heard..."
They both laughed in each others' arms. They smiled, and closed their eyes, succumbing to the temptation of rest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
Why did Toji flip out at the sight of Unit One? What vile intentions are running through Ritsuko's mind this time? How meny copies of THAT picture does Misato have? Find out in the next chapter of The Last Gift She Expected...
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.
The songs Crawling by Linkin Park, Immortal by Adema, Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls, and the bands T.a.T.u and N.E.R.D are all used without permission from their respective recording labels.
Last time on The Last Gift She Expected... Asuka finds Shinji (or is it the other way around?) and tells him of Ritsuko's roving fingers. Meanwhile, the party guest have arrived, the food is set up, the music is all hooked up and ready to go, but where's the birthday girl? Right around the corner! SURPRISE!
And without further ado...
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 6: Karaoke, NERV Style : Unwanted Memories
------------
A few minutes later, the party was in full swing. Kaji was back to chatting with Asuka's friends, and Ritsuko was enjoying a drink with Maya. Misato was kicking back, collecting money from Aoba and Hyuga to divvy up between her, Ritsuko and Rei later.
Shinji sat back, sipping at an Illusion, waiting for Asuka to change into something "a little more appropriate for a party". [Well, that went well, all things considering...I wasn't expecting a lead-up like that, though...]
"There he is! Hey, Shinji!"
Shinji turned around and saw Toji and Kensuke. Shinji almost smiled until he saw the looks of dissapointment and anger on their faces.
"Hey, what's the matter, guys? It's a party!..." Shinji knew he was about to be told off. He took a large gulp of Illusion...
"What's your deal, huh?"
"You're sleeping with the devil!"
Shinji went a bright shade of red. "Sleeping!? No! We're just going out..."
"Oh really? Misato just gave us this!" Toji held a polaroid to Shinji's face.
Shinji looked at it closer. He almost choked on the Midori cocktail. The picture showed Shinji and Asuka, clear as day, snuggling with each other in Asuka's futon. Shinji's face went a much deeper shade of red.
"...oh shit." [Misato will die for this...]
Toji held Shinji up against the wall, while Kensuke just stood there in a menacing pose, their faces ripped with anger. Shinji looked at the pair of his friends, beginning to fear for his safety. Slowly, Toji's face split into a smile, as did Kensuke's.
"SCOOOOOOOORE!" they both shouted, with the clear intention of embarrassing Shinji as much as possible.
Shinji breathed out a sigh of relief with a smile. [Thank God they didn't find out about Asuka's panties...]
Elsewhere in the room, Ritsuko was talking to Maya.
"So, are you going to have a shot at the karaoke later?" Ritsuko asked.
"Yeah, maybe later...ooh, excuse me for a minute." Maya walked off.
Ritsuko watched her special friend walk off toward the toilet block, and sipped her Long Island Tea. Only then did she notice that Shinji was walking toward her, with Toji and Kensuke watching him walk off, Shinji's face deadpan, with kind of the same look that the Commander had when he was pissed off.
[Why's he so pissed off? Oh shit...] Ritsuko remembered her idle hands while injecting Asuka. Ritsuko went to move, but Shinji picked up the pace, raising his forearm and pinning Ritsuko to the wall by the neck rather roughly.
"Good evening, Dr. Akagi," Shinji said innocently.
"Listen, I - "
"Shut up, Ritsuko. Now, Asuka told me what you did to her," Shinji's voice began to take on the same coldness as his father's. "If you do it again..."
He jolted his arm, pressing Ritsuko's neck harder against the wall behind her. "I won't be so lenient," Shinji's gaze pierced Ritsuko's very soul.
Almost instantly, Shinji reverted back to normal. "Have a fun night!" he said cheerfully as he walked off. Ritsuko watched Shinji off, warily.
At that time, Hikari walked up to Toji. "Hey Toji," she said.
"Huh? Oh, hey, Hikari. I didn't see you there..."
"Hmm." They shot each other a devilish look. Hikari instantly doubled over, clutching her stomach.
"Oh. My stomach. I need medical attention quickly." Hikari said with all the conviction of a two-by-four.
"Yes. I think so too. I'll help you there." Toji and Hikari winked at each other. The pair walked off, holding each other, leaving Kensuke in disgust.
"Love...who needs it?" Kensuke felt someone's eyes on him, and he turned around. Across the room, Rei jolted her head to the side, pretending to look at something else.
[Was she checking me out? No...]
At that time, Asuka entered the room, dressed in an eyecatching red and black satin dress, and attached herself to Shinji.
"Hey handsome," Asuka said, "Fancy meeting you here."
Shinji laughed. "Yeah, fancy that."
Asuka walked Shinji over to Caspar, where the drinks were. On the way there, Shinji saw the montage board, and noticed that his picture was replaced. Shinji scowled, and made a mental note to get rid of it.
Misato was watching Shinji eye off the montage board. [Hmm, so he noticed. No problem...]
Misato felt a hand reach around her shoulder. "Get you arm off me right now, Ryoji Kaji, before I shoot you."
"Oh, just as feisty as ever, eh Misato?"
Misato shrugged off Kaji's arm. "Look, don't you ever give up?"
Kaji grinned. "No, especially if you're gonna be shitfaced later on in the evening." [Just give her time, Kaji, then she'll come back. Heh, what a pun, 'come'...]
Kaji turned around. Misato readied a right hook for Kaji's cheek. Just as she swung, Kaji ducked to the ground, Misato's wild swing going over his head.
"Oh look, a yen..." Kaji said so that Misato could hear, "You know, I just know you too well to fall for that now..."
Misato growled and stormed off. Kaji stood back up, shrugged and walked off to the schoolgirls again, only to notice Rei was with them now.
Shinji, on the other hand, kept a lookout for Misato as he snuck toward the montage board. Carefully removing the incriminating photo, he walked away, as if nothing were done. Looking back at Misato, who looked like she was going to hit someone across the head, he crumpled the photo up and threw it over the edge into the seemingly bottomless pit below the catwalk. Shinji started whistling, happy with his work.
It was at about this time that Maya returned and was eager to test out the karaoke machine.
"Hey! How about we crank this machine up, huh?" she shouted, possibly in a drunken state.
Cheers of approval greeted the suggestion, and Maya fiddled with a few of the buttons on the system console. The guests formed a circle around Maya as she picked up the mike. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her to sing.
"What? I wasn't going to sing!"
Shouts and heckles came from the crowd, along with a couple of laughs. Maya smiled, and offered the mike to some others in the crowd. Finally, a hand reached up. By now, everyone was used to Rei acting normally, so there weren't so many collective gasps.
"Well, first up tonight, Rei Ayanami!" Maya handed Rei the mike and applauded, stepping back into the crowd. Rei said something to Hyuga, sitting by the console, who nodded and brought up the song that Rei had requested. The strange thing is that no one knew what to expect from Rei's taste in music, so everyone waited in anticipation. Soon the music started, but the song wasn't familiar...
Rei lifted the mike to her mouth, as the singing part started.
"There's something inside me that pools beneath the surface,
Confusing...consuming...
The loss of self control I fear is never ending,
Controlling...I can't seem
To find myself again, my walls are closing in..."
At this time, Kensuke recognised the song. "Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take..."
Rei looked at Kensuke, and smiled. [It appears I'm not the only Linkin Park fan here...]
"I've never felt this way before, SO IN-SE-CUUUURE...."
The two performers sang in unison:
"Crawling in my skin,
These wounds, they will not heal...
Fear is how I fall,
Confusing what is rea-ah-allll..."
The crowd around the duet began to clap, then the second verse began.
"La da da da has pulled itself upon me..." Rei blushed at the only line of the song she didn't know.
"Distracting, reacting...
Against my will I stand beside my own reflection,
It's haunting, how I can't seem,
To find myself again, my walls are closing in..."
Kensuke joined in with the brief rap: "Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take..."
"I've felt this way before...SO IN-SE-CUUUURE..."
"Crawling in my skin,
These wounds, they will not heal...
Fear is how I fall,
Confusing what is rea-ah-allll...", once again in unison.
The crowd listened in amazement as these two people who had never really talked to each other before in their lives were singing in perfect harmony. When the end of the song came, the whole Bridge erupted with applause. Rei and Kensuke bowed in appreciation, as they handed the mike back to Maya, who had one word to say... "Wow..."
At this moment, Toji and Hikari came back into the room unnoticed, looking a little less tidy than when they left. Kensuke took one look at Toji. [Score one for Mr. Suzuhara...]
"Okay, who's next?"
Asuka walked forward, raising her hand. "Well, seeing as I'm the birthday girl, I better get up and have a sing," she explained.
The crowd clapped her up to the makeshift stage, Shinji a little more enthusiastic than most.
"Okay, this song is what goes through my head everytime I step into a certain 50-foot red biomechanical weapon of mass destruction...I want to sing it to try and give you people a little idea what it's like to pilot an Eva into battle...not meaning to sound full of myself or anything..."
A few mutters and nods of approval later, and Asuka chose the song. A loud rock song proceeded to play, Asuka headbanging and all. The less mature of the crowd joined with the NERV staff who were already drunk (Misato) joined Asuka with the headbanging. Finally the lyrics started appearing.
"We're face to face,
Loyalty is what I need to see from you...
You're insecure,
I feel the fear that breeds in your heart...
Where will you run? Where will you hide?
I see the blood drip from your eyes,
Who will survive? Let's get it on
And we'll fight..."
The music picked up. "I know who you are...
The leader of lost souls...
You can't kill me, I'm immortal...
I'm not afraid to die,
My soul will travel on,
You can't kill me, I'm immortal...Immortal..."
The song continued on, as did the headbanging. When Asuka finished, everyone under eighteen cheered and whooped Asuka as she bowed and accepted applause from the older people.
Asuka stepped toward the crowd around her. Maya picked up the mike.
"Whoa! Who knew these Eva pilots had it in them!?" Maya stirred up the crowd. Shinji's felt his ears perk. [Oh crap. They'll want me up next...]
Sure enough, everyone's eyes focused on the Third Child. [Yep, they want me up next...]
"Come on, Shinji!" "Don't be a wuss!" "Show us what you got!" Shinji shrugged and walked forward. The crowd cheered, Asuka and the Two Stooges whooping and clapping madly. Shinji didn't have any idea what song to sing. He leant over to Hyuga.
"I don't know what to sing!" he whispered hoarsely to Makoto.
"Aw, don't worry, Shinji!" Hyuga said, smiling, while he chose a song.
Shinji turned back to the crowd, waiting for Hyuga's selection to come on. When the music faded in, and the crowd died down, Shinji recognised the song as one in Misato's collection, therefore he knew the words. [Thank God for that...] He closed his eyes, and the first verse began.
"And I'd give up forever to touch you," he began,
Coz I know that you feel me somehow,
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now..."
Shinji's eyes opened, and they scanned the crowd for Asuka. She was in the front, hands holding her new pendant, eyes fixed on Shinji.
"All I can taste is this moment,
All I can breathe is your life,
Coz sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight...
And I don't want the world to see me," Shinji's voice wavered at the start of the high notes, but flattened itself out over time,
"Coz I don't think that they'd understand,
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am..."
Shinji's eyes were still on Asuka. Asuka's eyes were still on Shinji. They stayed like this until the next verse.
"And you can't fight the tears that aren't coming,
Or the moment of truth in your lies,
When everything feels like the movies,
And you bleed just to know you're alive..."
"And I don't want the world to see me,
Coz I don't think that they'd understand,
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am..."
Asuka's eyes never left her heart's desire as the chorus repeated over. There was no doubt who the song was for. Her heart melted, her legs almost giving way. [Shinji...] When the song ended, no one could believe how brilliant Shinji's voice was, considering his adolescence. The applause went a while after Shinji had rejoined the crowd. Asuka went up to him after his impromptu performance.
"Shinji..." Asuka said, "That was beautiful..."
"Thanks," Shinji said.
Misato watched the pair walk off, only to have her eyes drawn away for a brief moment. Her eyes were drawn to a big black gap in the montage board.
[Argh! Bloody Shinji!] Misato grinned, and walked up to the platform. Reaching behind the board that was mounted above Balthasar, she found a large, yellow envelope. Delving a hand inside it, she pulled out a large glossy of Asuka and Shinji, the Third Child in one of the Second's suits.
[Wonder if he knows how many of these I have?] Misato grinned wider as she stuck the picture over the black gap. After this was done, she walked off to find another can of Yebisu.
By now, Maya had unplugged the mike and put it away, deferring all song requests to Hyuga. He let out a cry of protest, but was drowned out by a mob of schoolkids requesting different songs.
"Play Immortal again!" "No, I wanna hear T.a.T.u!" "Get stuffed, put on N.E.R.D!"
[Who the hell are all these bands!?] Hyuga groaned, and compiled a playlist.
At this time, someone flicked off the lights as someone else replaced the now-disabled Ocean display with Hyuga's Visual Music program. Hyuga designed the program to respond with certain sound waves in the music to create visual patterns on the holographic monitors. When the music started. the combined effect of the lack of regular lights and Hyuga's program was that of a disco.
Kensuke was running around with a regular camera (his camcorder was out of batteries and film), taking snapshots of people enjoying the party. Well, that was his cover story, anyway... [Now, where are some couples?] Kensuke asked himself, as he went into 'hunting' mode. It didn't take him long before someone asked him for a picture.
"Alright, just stand right there for a sec," Kensuke said, as he took a few steps backward, "You're gonna have to move in a bit, uh, Maya, was it? Yeah, nice and close to Ritsuko...and..."
The camera let out a flash. Kensuke lowered the camera. "All done!" The couple went back to their own business. Kensuke held up the camera again. The camera's shutter went down, taking a picture of Maya and Ritsuko in a deep pash.
[God, I can be a prick sometimes!] Kensuke had wired the camera with a five second timer, giving his photo subjects five seconds to make a complete ass of themselves before the photo was taken. [Kensuke Aida, you're a friggin genius! Now, where's Shinji and Asuka...?]
Shinji was walking back past the montage board, and looked up at it.
[Oh, son of a bitch!] The photo was back up. Shinji took the photo back off, and ripped it into shreds, dropping them off the nearest ledge. He then went over to Caspar to retrieve his drink.
Kensuke was still looking around for compromisingly drunken partygoers to take pictures of. Suddenly, Rei appeared in front of him.
"Oh, hey Rei," Kensuke said.
"Um, Kensuke, would you mind taking a photo of me?"
"Oh, sure." Kensuke leveled the camera at Rei, making sure to get all of her in the shot. He pressed the button. The flash showed up early, just as his timer had rigged it to. Rei assuming the picture was taken, walked closer to the bespectacled one. Kensuke should've known something was going to happen. In a very short space of time, Maya had come up to him, in a bid to examine his camera, at the same time as Rei put her hand on his shoulder.
"That's a pretty good looking camera," Maya declared, as she reached for it. Kensuke made a grab for it, but he was too late. Kensuke looked up at Rei, who was motioning for a kiss, and she wasn't going to be denied any time soon. Maya examined the camera, while Kensuke counted the last two seconds on the fuse.
"It looks like it's been modified," Maya noticed, as she aimed the camera at Kensuke, involved in mouth-to-mouth relations with the First Child. The timer ran out, and Maya heard a click in the camera. "Oh, that's odd..."
Kensuke's heart plummeted. [She just took a picture...of me and Rei...]
"Thanks," Rei said, as she turned around.
"I think something's wrong with your camera..." Maya said as she handed it back. Kensuke stood there, stunned, his lips still moist due to Ayanami.
[Damn...]
Meanwihle, Shinji was looking around for Asuka. As he walked by the door leading to the corridor, he felt his arm being grabbed, and pulled into the corridor.
"Gaah!" was all he managed to say, as he was confronted by Asuka.
"Follow me, Third Child." Shinji was still trying to process what was happening.
"Huh?"
"It's nothing to be worried about, I just want some private time..."
"Oh..." Shinji got the idea, and followed Asuka to the elevator around the corner.
Just as they had cleared the corner, Toji ducked his head out of the door.
"Shinji?" he said, inaudible to the young Ikari. Toji had seen Shinji be pulled behind the door.
[Maybe he went to the elevator...] Toji said, as he went round the corner.
He was just in time to see the elevator doors close on two people, one a young man with a white shirt and dark trousers, the other a redhead wearing a scarlet satin dress.
[Asuka! I knew it!] Toji found himself in a moral dilemma. [Should I follow them? I wonder where they're going...]
Toji looked at the elevator floor indicator, then cross referenced the floor number to the directory beside the elevator. [The Cage...what the hell? What kind of name for a floor is "The Cage"?] He pressed the "Call Lift" button...
----------
Hikari walked around amongst the other party members, and noticed that many of her friends were missing.
[Where's Asuka? Or Toji? Maybe if I ask Shinji...hang on, where's Shinji?] She felt something push into her from behind. Letting out a gasp, she turned around to see Maya being chased by Ritsuko, both of them out of their minds with alcohol.
"Hey look, Shempai," Maya slurred, "It's another one of Ashuka's friends..."
Ritsuko tried to focus her eyes. "Hey, it looksh kinda like that Shuhuzara kid's girlfriend..."
[What the...] Hikari tried to find a way to get away from the pair of creepy NERV tech-heads. Before she could move, Ritsuko blocked her path. Hikari turned the other way, only to be cut off by Maya. Hikari was more than a little nervous now.
"What'sh your rush, kid?" Ritsuko grinned evilly through her seemingly drunken state, "Haven't you ever had a threeshum before?"
Hikari almost choked. [Threesome!? What are they gonna do with me!?] She tried to push Maya out of the way, but she held her ground. At this point, Hikari felt a sharp pain in her arm. She turned her head to see a blue liquid flow through a syringe into her arm.
"Hey! What was that for? Why...ugh..." Hikari's head spun.
"This sedative goes directly to your brain, or more accurately the part that controls...well, self control. From now until the sedative wears off in about two hours you'll find that you'll do whatever comes into your head..." Ritsuko explained. Hikari could only manage a slow nod.
"Aww, you look a little queasy," Ritsuko said, in a fake-caring manner, "Why don't you let Maya and I take you to the restrooms?"
"Ooh...yes..." Hikari staggered after the pair of NERV staff.
[Looks like that sedative did its job,] Maya though, glancing at the stupored class rep.
"I still don't feel right about this, sempai..."
"Listen, did you want to try a threesome tonight or not?"
"Yes, but not like this..."
----------
The lift opened for Asuka and Shinji. "The cage?"
"This seems secluded enough for now. Cmon!" Asuka grabbed Shinji's hand and led him across the catwalk. The sight was truly amazing, especially for a tech-head like Kensuke, who was still taking pictures for leverage upstairs. The pinkish red coolant fluid filled most of the gigantic room, with a metal catwalk creating a bridge to a makeshift-looking elevator, which in turn led up to access points to the mighty creatures themselves; the Evangelion. Eva Unit One was closer to their position, and Unit Two was on the other side of the catwalk.
Asuka pulled Shinji into the elevator and pressed the "Up" button. Shinji looked back at the main elevator. From the distance he was at, he couldn't notice that it was headed back up, and if he did, failed to make the connection that it meant that someone else was coming down here.
The cage lift reached its destination. Shinji walked Asuka a few steps onto the bridge above the coolant pond. They stood there, looking at their respective robots of destruction, memories of previous battles against the Angels flooding back to them. They broke eye contact to look at each other. Asuka smiled warmly at Shinji.
[This...] Was this the first time that Asuka had smiled that way at Shinji? He couldn't remember. Whichever way, Shinji smiled back.
"Shinji..."
"Yes?"
"Do...do you want to become one...with me?"
[Aagh!] Shinji's mind slipped on Asuka's words, causing a little deja vu.
"One in mind and body..." Shinji muttered to himself, nodding lovingly at Asuka.
Shinji turned toward Asuka, and gently placed a hand around her back. He then led her to Unit Two's entry plug access point. Asuka leant over and pulled the Emergency Release lever, force-ejecting Unit Two's entry plug. Shinji opened the hatch, and gave Asuka a boost into it. Shinji followed her in, shutting the hatch behind him.
Down below, the elevator had just returned, carrying Toji. He rushed out of the elevator.
"Shinji!" Toji shouted. He looked out across the Cage. A pool of pinky- red water was on the right side of the catwalk, and on the left, a giant structure, housing...
"Huuuhgh!" Toji gasped as he saw Evangelion Unit One. Suddenly, he fell backward, collapsing back into the elevator. Disturbing images filled his head.
"No...please, Shinji...don't...it hurts!" he cried, cowering in the corner of the elevator, clutching his waist and neck...
---------
Almost as soon as Shinji closed the hatch, he turned to find himself embraced by the Second Child. Asuka's eyes engaged Shinji's, filled with lust. Shinji leant in as the two kissed deeply, leaning back in Asuka's seat. Their hearts beat faster, the sheer passion and lust making the air electric, making every touch between the lovers electric. The two lovers found that this new activity was just as exciting and pleasant as many of their older associates testified. Soon, Asuka's mind registered a strange, ecstatic force building in her depths. Every touch, every thrust fuelled this feeling, gradually growing this warm feeling into an inferno of the senses, every nerve tingling in a genetically imprinted anticipation. The redhead felt the full force of this wave of sensation building inside of her, waiting for release. When it did, Asuka's pleasure sensors went off the scale.
"Agh, agh-AAAAAAHHHHH!" she shouted, as a tsunami of euthoria washed over the young Eva pilot. Shinji moaned shortly and was soon also spent.
Shinji withdrew himself from Asuka's most private parts. They lie completely still in each others' arms, gazing contently into each other's eyes.
"Shinji...a few days ago, we hated each other's guts, but inside, I knew I saw...something between us..." Asuka closed her eyes. "I can't believe that I spent two years shutting out the one person I cared about in the world..."
"Asuka, I've...loved you...ever since the seventh Angel. I...just never had the guts to admit it to myself, let alone you...you made it that much harder..."
"But then..." they had both said it in unison.
"I finally realised what I saw in you to begin with..."
"I finally stood up for what I believed in..."
"You." they looked at each other.
"You gave me the best present I could have got from anyone...your heart..."
"No, I couldn't have given it to you," Shinji replied, "because you had already stolen it."
Asuka smiled. "That...has got to the the worst line I've ever heard..."
They both laughed in each others' arms. They smiled, and closed their eyes, succumbing to the temptation of rest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
Why did Toji flip out at the sight of Unit One? What vile intentions are running through Ritsuko's mind this time? How meny copies of THAT picture does Misato have? Find out in the next chapter of The Last Gift She Expected...
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.
The songs Crawling by Linkin Park, Immortal by Adema, Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls, and the bands T.a.T.u and N.E.R.D are all used without permission from their respective recording labels.
