Anrui / Kanrui: Chapter 04

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion. Please don't sue.

A/N: Ugh. Nothing flows right, but I can't give up. I've written and re-written things so often in the past that I finally give up on them. I'm trying to force myself through. It'll never be nearly as good as I want it to be, but unless I make it happen I'll never write anything. Hopefully I can re-write it later... or I'll just go get myself a Fribble and call it a day. Mmmm... Fribble...

Disclaimer Deluxe: I don't own Friendly's, Fribble or enough money to buy one. Don't sue.

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Katsuragi Misato had things on her mind, this was evident in the fact she found her way to Dr. Akagi Ritsuko's office without getting lost. Somehow, without her mental processes getting in the way, she naturally, nay, subconsciously found her way with no problem. If she had been paying attention she might have been disturbed by that fact. Or perhaps enlightened to her reasons for constantly being inebriated.

Two soft knocks on the door announced her arrival to Ritsuko who was poring over a computer terminal, seemingly in a trance. "Come in." Ritsuko said quietly, replacing what was on the screen with meaningless files.

"Ritsuko." Misato greeted, stepping into her office and closing the door behind her. The tone of her voice indicated something was troubling her. Dr. Akagi wasn't in the mood for idle chat about most things that would get Misato in the assumed state she was in.

"Misato, if this has anything to do with Kaji, beer or your lack of either I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Misato's eyes went wide, "Ritsuko!" she shouted. At the doctor's sigh Misato calmed slightly and then with an air of having been severely insulted she continued in a lower voice, "Don't talk to me about Kaji."

Ritsuko leaned back in her chair and swiveled it to face her friend, "Alright, so then what has you so touchy?"

Misato leaned against the table nearest her, "Shinji and Asuka are having a problem. Or... problems... I don't know. It just started this morning."

Ritsuko smirked slightly, "I suppose motherhood does not suit you."

Misato frowned, and not in a playful manner. Ritsuko noticed this and thought it better to keep any teasing to a minnimum. This seemed serious.

"So, what happened?" Ritsuko asked, her tone indicating she was indeed concerned and listening.

Misato thought for a moment, staring at her hands. She recalled what she noticed of the morning and the strange behavior of the two pilots. "Well, it's not just one big things... it's a bunch of little things."

Ritsuko "hmm'd?" quietly prompting her to continue.

"When I got up Asuka was shouting at Shinji, which I know isn't new behavior, but the way Shinji took it was... disturbing."

"How so?" The blonde woman asked, concerned about any change in the mentality of the pilots. 'Commander Ikari will have to know of this. I'm not looking forward to it.' she thought dismally.

"Well, normally Shinji just backs down and does whatever Asuka says. If she yells at him he apologizes and scampers to do what's needed to clear it up. When confronted he... waffles."

She took a deep breath and continued, knowing Ritsuko already understood that but felt she needed to point out what struck her as bizarre by way of comparison.

"This morning while she was screaming at him he just... ignored her. I don't mean he hummed to himself and looked away. I mean he..." she almost shivered at the thought. "...he didn't even acknowledge she was there, all through breakfast. He made enough food for us, but didn't make breakfast for each of us separately... and he didn't bother making Asuka's lunch for her."

Ritsuko frowned slightly. It was well out of Shinji's normal behavior but it didn't seem dangerous. "Why did he do that?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know." Misato said with a sigh, "They were getting along so well for a couple of weeks. You saw how they were, even in here. It's like they were childhood friends."

Ritsuko nodded, remembering how the two had seemed to enjoy each other's company. It had seemed a bit strange to her at first, she thought it was some kind of joke. On whom, she had no idea. After two weeks of it though she had grown used to their changed attitudes. Their synch ratios had gone up so she didn't feel the need (or desire) to interfere.

Misato continued, "What I saw this morning... it didn't seem like a fight two friends who were hitting it off so well would have. It seemed so much deeper. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Shinji's attitude towards me was completely normal and then it was as if he had wiped his life completely clean of Asuka. The intensity of it was... shocking."

Ritsuko stated quietly, "Maybe that's it."

Misato quirked her brow at the blonde doctor, "What?"

"You said yourself, 'it didn't seem like a fight two friends who were hitting it off so well would have.' Maybe they are not the kind of friends who were hitting it off so well."

Misato frowned at the thought.

"Or," Ritsuko continued, "It's a fight that people as close as they seemed to have become would have... because the root of it means so much to both."

Misato didn't like either case. "I see what you mean. I think Asuka may be to blame though... when I spoke with her this morning she got very defensive and acted guilty when I brought up Shinji's time with her."

Ritsuko mulled that over quietly, leaving the room silent.

"I don't have to tell you what would happen if all this affected their ability to pilot." Ritsuko stated matter-of-factly.

Misato nodded, hoping whatever had happened would be resolved... and soon.

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Within the class containing three eva pilots, a handful of pilot-to-be's and one very boring teacher, there was a brown haired girl whose elected job it was to keep the peace. The class representative, who arrived after all the excitement, was wishing she was not responsible for getting the supplies the teacher needed for the science lesson. Instead she wished she had been here, in class, when whatever happened... happened. Not only for her own curiosity, and not so she was "on top of things" going on in class. Rather, she wished she had been here for her friends.

One friend in particular was sitting in her seat with her leg spasming slightly. Her hands were clenched at the sides of her desk until her knuckles were white. Hikari, the class moderator, representative, and all around Nice Girl found herself staring unabashedly at her redheaded friend. She stared out of sheer confusion at what could cause said friend to have the look that was currently on her face.

Asuka was staring straight ahead, at least towards the front of the class, but was not paying attention to anything. Her face was a mixture of pure hatred and somewhere in there... terror. Worry. Hikari didn't know what happened before she arrived but whatever it was had shaken her friend terribly.

The other friend involved, who deserved equal concern was sitting at his desk as he did every other day. He was paying attention as much as he could, just like every other day. He took notes and kept his focus on studies, just like most other days. Today, however, he had a severe bruise on his cheek and a couple of spots of blood on his shirt. If things hadn't felt so wrong already Hikari might have dismissed it as over zealous flirting on Asuka's part. Instead, after seeing what transpired after she arrived, she knew things weren't so easily explained.

When the class representative had arrived she was greeted by her friends quietly, as if they didn't want attention drawn to themselves. She made her way over and placed the box of science supplies on the teachers desk and then cautiously approached Ikari's desk... where everyone's attention seemed to be focused.

The first thing Hikari noticed when she got close enough was Asuka's face. She had worn much of the same terror as she did now, as the class representative watched her, but the anger at the time had been replaced by fright. Hikari had never seen Asuka frightened since she had met her and it somehow seemed unbelievable. The scared look in her eyes was pained with deep rooted fears and feelings, that much she could tell. Before Hikari knew it Asuka had spun on her heel and marched past her, not even saying "Good morning" before sitting down in her desk and assuming the position she sat in throughout the day.

The second thing Hikari noticed was the darkening mark on Ikari's face. He was listening to Suzuhara and Aida as they assaulted him with questions about it but he only seemed to watch them, not actually listening to the words. When Aida asked about it he didn't get an answer. It didn't look as though he was ignored, more like he had never asked the question. When Suzuhara asked about lunch Ikari spoke up as though everything was normal and answered promptly.

Throughout the day Hikari had been replaying everything over in her head trying to make out what had happened. She wished she had gotten a chance to speak to Asuka before the teacher had arrived but it was only a matter of moments before he had come in. Hikari would have to ask Asuka about it during lunch.

Watching her friend with a worried brow, Hikari dreaded the coming of noontime.

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A/N: A quick note about Shinji's mental exhibitionism (HENTAI!) *ahem* yes, anyway... there are reasons for it. It gave a bit more background to what happened, for one (can't make this thing TOO long... even though I want to. ^_^) and it showed he was in his right mind. I understand letting people believe otherwise would be fun, but I'm concentrating on other, more eeeeeevil things. Eeeeeevil... EEEEEVIL!

Ok, not so evil. More... butterscotchy.

Thank you, everyone who has read, and thank you EXTRA SPECIALLY (and you know what I mean, *wink* *wink*) those of you who reviewed. You lift my spirits, you give me hope, you make me talk like I inhaled helium... you, you are special to me. I love you.

Let me know if I should do some Omake. I'm... torn, whether I should or not. *ponder pose*