Layra-chan here. I get to write this chapter because it involves a
carnival, and carnivals mean cotton candy, which means SUGAR! And carnivals
mean rides, which mean roller coasters, which mean nausea and stumbling
around trying not to look drunk! And carnivals mean games, which mean
prizes, which mean STUFFED ANIMALS! All of my specialties.
Mostly I get to write this chapter because I hit Drey-chan too hard and he
can't see straight, but that's beside the point.
Now, some of you may be wondering, how can crazy, sugar-high psycho with a
no-track mind like me possibly add to DreyonLegacy's glorious work? I don't
know, he's going to hurt me as soon as he finds out what I did to his fic,
and most importantly, There's no one who can stop me!
Disclaimer: Do you think I would get in trouble if I skipped this one? I mean, would Gainax come after me if I forgot to say that they owned Neon Genesis Evangelion? I'll find out in a few days, then, eh?
Fourth Impact Chapter 14: Carnivals and Lights
"Are you sure you want to wear that?" Adamu asked his sister. "It is a tad."
"Provocative?" Lilliko supplied. "Noticeable? Scene-stealing?"
"I was thinking tight and short," replied Adamu. Lilliko looked down at her kimono. Or at least the slightly-too-small piece of flower-patterned cloth that passed as a kimono.
"Of course." Said Lilliko. "I want to make a good impression at the carnival after all."
He sighed. She smiled at him. "How sweet, your overprotective older brother instincts are kicking in."
Rolling his eyes, he replied, "despite the fact that I'm younger than you by an hour."
Misato glanced around, then saw Lilliko's blue kimono flashing in the sun. "Lilli-kun!" she called out. Lilliko turned to face her.
"Misa-chan!" The two girls ran over to each other, noting how scandalous the other's kimono was. "I've got my brother along. Want to torture him?"
Misato looked over to where Adamu was standing, bored in green and black. She grinned.
"There is a ride over toward the back. They only open it once a year because it's so dangerous." She told Lilliko. "My mother said that she helped build it, and my father freaks out every time he sees it. Let's see if he can take it."
"I've piloted an Eva." Replied Adamu. "I can take it." Misato grinned.
"It's your skull." She replied. She led them over to the ride. A pair of columns rose high into the sky from the middle of the ground. They extended far down into a huge hole too deep to see the bottom of. A group of riders were strapped onto a contraption on one of the columns. "It's called the Abyss."
Adamu peered at the ride. "This is an old Eva catapult, isn't it." He said. Misato nodded.
"They've modified it so that it goes just as fast down as it go up." She told them. "And if you're brave enough, they strap you in upside down."
The trio heard screams as the catapult rocketed downwards into the hole. Several tense seconds later, more screams were heard as the catapult flew back up, coming to an abrupt halt at the top of the other column. The riders hung in the air for about a minute, then suddenly fell again, coming to a stop at ground level.
"And the best part is that you can see everything." Said Misato. "You can see the ground rushing up at you, the walls flying past as you descend into the darkness. I've only been on it a few times, but I need to go on it again." Lilliko and Adamu were staring at the Abyss. "Of course, if you two are too scared to go on it, that's fine with me."
Lilliko looked down at Misato. "Count me in." She grabbed her brother's hand and the three of them got into the short line.
Before they knew it, it was their turn. Misato insisted that they all get in upside-down. As soon as they were strapped in they were flying upwards, the two girls screaming wildly. Adamu didn't scream, as he didn't see the point of doing so. He thought it made them look stupid.
They slammed into the top of the left tower, the sudden stop jarring the three of them. In the brief moment of respite, Adamu could hear Lilliko say to Misato, "I bet I can scream louder than you." Adamu groaned silently. He just had to be put in between them.
"You're on!" shouted Misato, and the two began screaming as the ride went back down.
His ears began to hurt as the ride shot through the catapult tunnels, weaving and twisting underground, then coming back up on the other tower. They slammed to halt again. They stayed there, forty stories above the ground, looking down at the specks below them. And then they fell. Back through the tunnels, through sections of light and dark, through twists and turns and past old wreckages. Back into the light, back into the air, another abrupt halt, and then the final descent. (AN: Okay, who /doesn't/ want to go on that? I mean, an Eva catapult turned into a ride! How much fun is that!)
Adamu tapped at his ears slightly as he got off. His sister and Misato were both laughing maniacally. "That was so much fun!" Lilliko exclaimed. "I want to pilot now!"
Misato grinned. "Adamu? Do you have anything to say?"
"Interesting." He said quietly.
"Interesting?" she asked.
"We accelerating faster than the acceleration of gravity almost the entire time." He explained.
Misato rolled her eyes and muttered, "Weirdo," to Lilliko.
They wandered around the carnival, visiting the stalls, buying way too much candy, and generally having fun at Adamu's expense.
Then she saw it. A big purple stuffed bear, with big blue eyes and a red heart on its tummy. It was holding a balloon in one hand and had an adorable little hat on its head. (AN: Kawaii!) As she got closer, she realized that it was huge, almost as big as her. "I want that bear!" she exclaimed.
Adamu watched as his sister and his new friend stared at each other after shouting in unison. They began to bicker over who should get the chance to win the bear. He rolled his eyes. It was only a stuffed bear. (AN: Bad Adamu. "Only a stuffed bear." Hmph.)
"I am willing to win that bear for one very special girl." Announced Takoru's voice. Both Misato and Lilliko turned to him. "Any takers?"
Lilliko was the first to reach him. "Win it for me?" she begged, giving him big, watery doe-eyes. "Please?"
Misato pushed her out of the way. "Please, Takoru-kun? I've been your friend since we were infants. Win it for me?"
Takoru glanced over at Adamu and winked mischievously. "I'll do it for.a kiss." Both girls pulled back.
"Pervert!" exclaimed Misato.
Lilliko grinned. "Unlike Misa-chan, I have less scruples." She pulled Takoru into a fervent kiss, knocking the wind out of him. She pulled back, smiling evilly as the stunned Takoru got his bearings. "Now win me that bear."
Takoru sauntered over to the stand, picked up the ball, and hurled it at the target. A perfect hit. He grabbed the next ball and hurled.
Misato glared at him. How dare that girl steal her best friend away from her. She frowned as Takoru hit the third target, accepted the prize, and gave it to squealing Lilliko.
Lilliko stuck her tongue out at Misato. "You need to loosen up." She said to Misato. Misato glared at her. Then she smiled.
"And that's why my Angel count is 1 to your 0." She replied. Lilliko's smirk faded. She shoved the bear into Takoru's arms and stomped over to Misato.
"You and me, one on one." Said Lilliko in a deathly quiet voice. "Every game here."
Misato nodded. "You're on." (AN: Cat-fight! Cat-fight! Get your tickets while they last!)
They battled all over the carnival, from the ring-toss to the go-carts to dancing, to even who could eat more candy. By the time the sun began to set the both of them were stuffed, tired, and more than a little confused.
"What haven't we done?" said Misato, sounding a bit drunk. The two boys followed the girls, dragging their cart of prizes behind them. Suddenly everything went black. Lights began to appear around the stalls. The four of them looked around in awe as the lights flared into life everywhere. Lights of every color, from candles to small torches to little lamps appeared. Then a single word lit up huge above everything else.
"KARAOKE!"
(AN: Drey-chan's really going to hurt me now. He might even take away my candy *shudder*)
Misato got to the stage first, grabbing the microphone and waiting for the song selection. She grinned when she saw what it was.
The music started out soft and slow, a gentle tune from a harp.
"It was a sunny day in heaven, Bright, and warm and infinitely fine, It was glorious and beautiful, But down here we had." The lights flared. A loud drumbeat roared into life behind the harp along with a rippling guitar. Misato's red kimono caught the glare and shot it out at the audience.
"Fire! Flame! Inferno! Burning! Destruction! The screaming fury of the beast, Fire! Flame! Inferno! Chaos! And Light! And the power of Life and Death."
She grinned as she manifested her AT field, too weak to be noted consciously but spreading a red-orange tinge across the lights.
"And it was a cloudy day in hell,
Dark and cold and infinitely harsh
It was deadly and disgusting,
But up here we had.
Fire! Flame! Inferno!
Energy! Heat! The elemental roar,
Fire! Flame! Inferno!
Light! And Chaos! And the power of Life and Death."
She watched as the crowd stood mesmerized. She loved this song. It reminded her of her mother. She didn't want to admit it, but she was also a bit over- fond of fire. (AN: Fire! Woohoo! Fire!)
She spun back and forth across the stage, showing off to the crowd. She glanced at Adamu, who was staring at her. She smirked.
".And that was just another day on Earth."
She stepped down from the stage and handed the microphone to Lilliko, listening to the clapping. Lilliko graciously accept the mike and smiled her approval.
This time the music started out with a quick dance beat that had everyone clapping in time with it. She didn't know the song, but the beat spoke to her as if telling her everything it knew. She stood absolutely still, listening as the lights flashed on and off.
"All my life they said slow down
All my life they said take a minute to breathe
All my life they said that you can stop whenever you want
But I'm still going at more than top speed."
She began to move sensuously, still standing in one place.
"I can't think of the past
can't think of the future, just now.
I live for the moment when I'm on the edge of the cliff."
She moved to the edge of the stage, posing as if she were about to leap onto the crowd. Suddenly she pulled back as the beat sharpened and the lights all focused on her.
"I live my life on the edge
In the center of the dance-floor,
I live for the moment,
When I can be me,
The beat of the music to the beat of my heart
To the beat of the world.
And I fall."
She began to dance, dirty club dancing that fit the pounding music perfectly.
She caught a glimpse of Takoru as she went into a low contortionist dip. He was gaping at her. It was funny watching him as the lights flashed on and off around her, total blackness one moment, the sight of the boy staring her the next.
She finished up the song, tossed the mike to the host and flung herself off the stage, screaming, "Life on the edge!" A bunch of people caught her and she crowd surfed for a minute, then was set down on her feet. She swished over to her friends.
"So," she asked the group. "Who was better, me or Misa-chan?"
"Do you really expect me to answer that?" asked Takoru. "I mean, both of you are well within slapping range of me, and I don't want to get hurt."
The girls glanced at Adamu. He didn't answer.
AN: So, ppls, how was that? Any good? I tried to push the rivalry into ridiculousness. If I didn't get there, I'll get there with the omake. The songs "Fire, Flame, Inferno," and "Life on the Edge" are owned by.guess who. That's right, /not/ yours truly! They belong to, of all people, Drey- chan! Really! I'm not kidding! He made them up specifically for the inevitable karaoke contest that would have to appear in this fic somewhere. For the entire songs.wait a few months, by then he might have actually finished them. Buy the as-yet non-existent CD.Um, it doesn't have a name yet. Oh well, *pouts*
The Omake will be a bit dirty, so be warned.
Omake: "What haven't we done?" said Misato, sounding a bit drunk.
Lilliko, sounding even drunker, said, "I bet I'm better in bed than you are."
"You're on." Replied Misato. "Takoru!" they grabbed the helpless boy and dragged him away into the darkness. Adamu went and got quietly drunk. Wait, he has an S2. How can he get drunk?
The next day Takoru appeared late at school. He was limping, his arm hung uselessly, and his clothing was bloodstained. He was covered in bandages, and countless small cuts lined any unclothed skin. "Class-representative," said the teacher worriedly. "What happened?"
"Angel attack." He replied, and fainted.
The two girls never spoke to each other again, and Takoru became a celibate monk. And Adamu laughed his ass off at them.inside. He was still an emotionless jerk on the surface.
AN: well, that was fun. Sorry to everyone I offended with that, but it seemed like possibly the ultimate battlefield for two insecure adolescent girls. I certainly went/am going through that stage. Uh-oh, Drey-chan got out of the cage-I mean woke up again. I have to go.
Disclaimer: Do you think I would get in trouble if I skipped this one? I mean, would Gainax come after me if I forgot to say that they owned Neon Genesis Evangelion? I'll find out in a few days, then, eh?
Fourth Impact Chapter 14: Carnivals and Lights
"Are you sure you want to wear that?" Adamu asked his sister. "It is a tad."
"Provocative?" Lilliko supplied. "Noticeable? Scene-stealing?"
"I was thinking tight and short," replied Adamu. Lilliko looked down at her kimono. Or at least the slightly-too-small piece of flower-patterned cloth that passed as a kimono.
"Of course." Said Lilliko. "I want to make a good impression at the carnival after all."
He sighed. She smiled at him. "How sweet, your overprotective older brother instincts are kicking in."
Rolling his eyes, he replied, "despite the fact that I'm younger than you by an hour."
Misato glanced around, then saw Lilliko's blue kimono flashing in the sun. "Lilli-kun!" she called out. Lilliko turned to face her.
"Misa-chan!" The two girls ran over to each other, noting how scandalous the other's kimono was. "I've got my brother along. Want to torture him?"
Misato looked over to where Adamu was standing, bored in green and black. She grinned.
"There is a ride over toward the back. They only open it once a year because it's so dangerous." She told Lilliko. "My mother said that she helped build it, and my father freaks out every time he sees it. Let's see if he can take it."
"I've piloted an Eva." Replied Adamu. "I can take it." Misato grinned.
"It's your skull." She replied. She led them over to the ride. A pair of columns rose high into the sky from the middle of the ground. They extended far down into a huge hole too deep to see the bottom of. A group of riders were strapped onto a contraption on one of the columns. "It's called the Abyss."
Adamu peered at the ride. "This is an old Eva catapult, isn't it." He said. Misato nodded.
"They've modified it so that it goes just as fast down as it go up." She told them. "And if you're brave enough, they strap you in upside down."
The trio heard screams as the catapult rocketed downwards into the hole. Several tense seconds later, more screams were heard as the catapult flew back up, coming to an abrupt halt at the top of the other column. The riders hung in the air for about a minute, then suddenly fell again, coming to a stop at ground level.
"And the best part is that you can see everything." Said Misato. "You can see the ground rushing up at you, the walls flying past as you descend into the darkness. I've only been on it a few times, but I need to go on it again." Lilliko and Adamu were staring at the Abyss. "Of course, if you two are too scared to go on it, that's fine with me."
Lilliko looked down at Misato. "Count me in." She grabbed her brother's hand and the three of them got into the short line.
Before they knew it, it was their turn. Misato insisted that they all get in upside-down. As soon as they were strapped in they were flying upwards, the two girls screaming wildly. Adamu didn't scream, as he didn't see the point of doing so. He thought it made them look stupid.
They slammed into the top of the left tower, the sudden stop jarring the three of them. In the brief moment of respite, Adamu could hear Lilliko say to Misato, "I bet I can scream louder than you." Adamu groaned silently. He just had to be put in between them.
"You're on!" shouted Misato, and the two began screaming as the ride went back down.
His ears began to hurt as the ride shot through the catapult tunnels, weaving and twisting underground, then coming back up on the other tower. They slammed to halt again. They stayed there, forty stories above the ground, looking down at the specks below them. And then they fell. Back through the tunnels, through sections of light and dark, through twists and turns and past old wreckages. Back into the light, back into the air, another abrupt halt, and then the final descent. (AN: Okay, who /doesn't/ want to go on that? I mean, an Eva catapult turned into a ride! How much fun is that!)
Adamu tapped at his ears slightly as he got off. His sister and Misato were both laughing maniacally. "That was so much fun!" Lilliko exclaimed. "I want to pilot now!"
Misato grinned. "Adamu? Do you have anything to say?"
"Interesting." He said quietly.
"Interesting?" she asked.
"We accelerating faster than the acceleration of gravity almost the entire time." He explained.
Misato rolled her eyes and muttered, "Weirdo," to Lilliko.
They wandered around the carnival, visiting the stalls, buying way too much candy, and generally having fun at Adamu's expense.
Then she saw it. A big purple stuffed bear, with big blue eyes and a red heart on its tummy. It was holding a balloon in one hand and had an adorable little hat on its head. (AN: Kawaii!) As she got closer, she realized that it was huge, almost as big as her. "I want that bear!" she exclaimed.
Adamu watched as his sister and his new friend stared at each other after shouting in unison. They began to bicker over who should get the chance to win the bear. He rolled his eyes. It was only a stuffed bear. (AN: Bad Adamu. "Only a stuffed bear." Hmph.)
"I am willing to win that bear for one very special girl." Announced Takoru's voice. Both Misato and Lilliko turned to him. "Any takers?"
Lilliko was the first to reach him. "Win it for me?" she begged, giving him big, watery doe-eyes. "Please?"
Misato pushed her out of the way. "Please, Takoru-kun? I've been your friend since we were infants. Win it for me?"
Takoru glanced over at Adamu and winked mischievously. "I'll do it for.a kiss." Both girls pulled back.
"Pervert!" exclaimed Misato.
Lilliko grinned. "Unlike Misa-chan, I have less scruples." She pulled Takoru into a fervent kiss, knocking the wind out of him. She pulled back, smiling evilly as the stunned Takoru got his bearings. "Now win me that bear."
Takoru sauntered over to the stand, picked up the ball, and hurled it at the target. A perfect hit. He grabbed the next ball and hurled.
Misato glared at him. How dare that girl steal her best friend away from her. She frowned as Takoru hit the third target, accepted the prize, and gave it to squealing Lilliko.
Lilliko stuck her tongue out at Misato. "You need to loosen up." She said to Misato. Misato glared at her. Then she smiled.
"And that's why my Angel count is 1 to your 0." She replied. Lilliko's smirk faded. She shoved the bear into Takoru's arms and stomped over to Misato.
"You and me, one on one." Said Lilliko in a deathly quiet voice. "Every game here."
Misato nodded. "You're on." (AN: Cat-fight! Cat-fight! Get your tickets while they last!)
They battled all over the carnival, from the ring-toss to the go-carts to dancing, to even who could eat more candy. By the time the sun began to set the both of them were stuffed, tired, and more than a little confused.
"What haven't we done?" said Misato, sounding a bit drunk. The two boys followed the girls, dragging their cart of prizes behind them. Suddenly everything went black. Lights began to appear around the stalls. The four of them looked around in awe as the lights flared into life everywhere. Lights of every color, from candles to small torches to little lamps appeared. Then a single word lit up huge above everything else.
"KARAOKE!"
(AN: Drey-chan's really going to hurt me now. He might even take away my candy *shudder*)
Misato got to the stage first, grabbing the microphone and waiting for the song selection. She grinned when she saw what it was.
The music started out soft and slow, a gentle tune from a harp.
"It was a sunny day in heaven, Bright, and warm and infinitely fine, It was glorious and beautiful, But down here we had." The lights flared. A loud drumbeat roared into life behind the harp along with a rippling guitar. Misato's red kimono caught the glare and shot it out at the audience.
"Fire! Flame! Inferno! Burning! Destruction! The screaming fury of the beast, Fire! Flame! Inferno! Chaos! And Light! And the power of Life and Death."
She grinned as she manifested her AT field, too weak to be noted consciously but spreading a red-orange tinge across the lights.
"And it was a cloudy day in hell,
Dark and cold and infinitely harsh
It was deadly and disgusting,
But up here we had.
Fire! Flame! Inferno!
Energy! Heat! The elemental roar,
Fire! Flame! Inferno!
Light! And Chaos! And the power of Life and Death."
She watched as the crowd stood mesmerized. She loved this song. It reminded her of her mother. She didn't want to admit it, but she was also a bit over- fond of fire. (AN: Fire! Woohoo! Fire!)
She spun back and forth across the stage, showing off to the crowd. She glanced at Adamu, who was staring at her. She smirked.
".And that was just another day on Earth."
She stepped down from the stage and handed the microphone to Lilliko, listening to the clapping. Lilliko graciously accept the mike and smiled her approval.
This time the music started out with a quick dance beat that had everyone clapping in time with it. She didn't know the song, but the beat spoke to her as if telling her everything it knew. She stood absolutely still, listening as the lights flashed on and off.
"All my life they said slow down
All my life they said take a minute to breathe
All my life they said that you can stop whenever you want
But I'm still going at more than top speed."
She began to move sensuously, still standing in one place.
"I can't think of the past
can't think of the future, just now.
I live for the moment when I'm on the edge of the cliff."
She moved to the edge of the stage, posing as if she were about to leap onto the crowd. Suddenly she pulled back as the beat sharpened and the lights all focused on her.
"I live my life on the edge
In the center of the dance-floor,
I live for the moment,
When I can be me,
The beat of the music to the beat of my heart
To the beat of the world.
And I fall."
She began to dance, dirty club dancing that fit the pounding music perfectly.
She caught a glimpse of Takoru as she went into a low contortionist dip. He was gaping at her. It was funny watching him as the lights flashed on and off around her, total blackness one moment, the sight of the boy staring her the next.
She finished up the song, tossed the mike to the host and flung herself off the stage, screaming, "Life on the edge!" A bunch of people caught her and she crowd surfed for a minute, then was set down on her feet. She swished over to her friends.
"So," she asked the group. "Who was better, me or Misa-chan?"
"Do you really expect me to answer that?" asked Takoru. "I mean, both of you are well within slapping range of me, and I don't want to get hurt."
The girls glanced at Adamu. He didn't answer.
AN: So, ppls, how was that? Any good? I tried to push the rivalry into ridiculousness. If I didn't get there, I'll get there with the omake. The songs "Fire, Flame, Inferno," and "Life on the Edge" are owned by.guess who. That's right, /not/ yours truly! They belong to, of all people, Drey- chan! Really! I'm not kidding! He made them up specifically for the inevitable karaoke contest that would have to appear in this fic somewhere. For the entire songs.wait a few months, by then he might have actually finished them. Buy the as-yet non-existent CD.Um, it doesn't have a name yet. Oh well, *pouts*
The Omake will be a bit dirty, so be warned.
Omake: "What haven't we done?" said Misato, sounding a bit drunk.
Lilliko, sounding even drunker, said, "I bet I'm better in bed than you are."
"You're on." Replied Misato. "Takoru!" they grabbed the helpless boy and dragged him away into the darkness. Adamu went and got quietly drunk. Wait, he has an S2. How can he get drunk?
The next day Takoru appeared late at school. He was limping, his arm hung uselessly, and his clothing was bloodstained. He was covered in bandages, and countless small cuts lined any unclothed skin. "Class-representative," said the teacher worriedly. "What happened?"
"Angel attack." He replied, and fainted.
The two girls never spoke to each other again, and Takoru became a celibate monk. And Adamu laughed his ass off at them.inside. He was still an emotionless jerk on the surface.
AN: well, that was fun. Sorry to everyone I offended with that, but it seemed like possibly the ultimate battlefield for two insecure adolescent girls. I certainly went/am going through that stage. Uh-oh, Drey-chan got out of the cage-I mean woke up again. I have to go.