ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.....................
The phone rang on Misato's office desk, as she sat slumped in her chair.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....................
She snored right through it.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....................
The answering machine turned on, and the speaker began to spit out its prerecorded message.
CLICK "Hey, this is Misato Katsuragi's office. I'm not here right now, so why don't you leave a message and I'll get back to you, OK? Ja!" BEEP
"Major. I wish to speak with you about something important. Contact me when you are available." CLICK
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....................
]|[
Misato wasn't the only one sleeping.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............
Shinji's face was resting on his keyboard. His snores were almost inaudible.
Almost.
"Mister Ikari. Mister Ikari!"
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............
A dusty eraser hit him rather forcefully. He coughed a bit in his sleep and turned to face the other direction.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............
The teacher scowled. It was unacceptable to be interrupting his lecture on Second Impact. He looked for the next convenient object to throw....
Ah, there.
The teacher raised the notebook, and hefted it at the unsuspecting Ikari with a slight smirk. This would surely be interesting....
]|[
CRUNCH
Asuka blinked, and looked down at the broken video game controller in her hands. "Scheisse, there goes the other one. Hikari's gonna kill me..."
She idly tossed the broken plastic to the side, stood, and stretched. "Damn it, it's so boring here. There's nothing to do here... but then again, it's better than school..."
As if answering her call, the doorbell rang on cue. A pause. Again. A pause. Again. A pause. Knocking. A pause. Knocking...
"There's no one else here, is there...?" Her fists clenched as the knocking continued. "ALL RIGHT, SHUT THE HELL UP!!!! I'LL GET THE DAMN DOOR!!!" she screamed at no one in particular.
She stomped over to the door. "SHUT UP, I GOT IT!!!!" she shouted through the door at the visitor. It seemed to have an effect, as the person stopped knocking.
Asuka grumbled as she fumbled with the door. "Stupid... idiots... shit..." Finally, she was able to pull the damned thing open.
She blinked once at the visitor. Rei blinked back.
Without a second thought, she made sure to slam the door in her face...
]|[
SLAM
That hurt. Shinji blinked, and looked at the door in front of him. Oh yeah. He was supposed to open it first.
The students began to laugh again. Or rather, they had never stopped. They started when the relatively thick notebook knocked him out of his chair, and out of his slumber. Then they saw the obvious keyboard impression in his face, and laughed harder. And now this.
Normally he would be blushing at the embarassment, but today he was just too tired. 'Mental note: get some damned sleep,' he told himself.
Finally through much effort, he was able to make his way out of the room, and grab a couple buckets. He heard the laughter die out, and he assumed the teacher was continuing his lecture.
Not that anyone really listened to that guy.
Shinji sighed. He wondered how Asuka was doing. He wondered where Rei had gone off to. He wondered...
]|[
Asuka froze in her tracks. As soon as she had turned around, the knocking started again. This time it was incessant. She scowled, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
"This is not my house. Must not break anything. Hikari's house. Don't... break... Hikari's... stuff..." she told herself, as she clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.
Furiously, she spun around and yanked the door open. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!" she screamed at Rei.
Rei's arm was still raised in a knocking position. She blinked once, and lowered her arm back to her side. "I wish to speak with you. The Major told me that I would be able to find you here, at class representative Horaki's residence."
Asuka scowled. "Yeah? OK, so what does NERV want now?"
"I did not come to speak about NERV business."
Asuka paused, and blinked. "You... weren't ordered to come here...?"
"No."
"You... are here of your own will."
"Yes."
"To talk to me."
"Yes."
"About something other than NERV business."
"Yes. Is this a particularly hard concept for you to grasp, Pilot Soryu?" asked Rei, in a completely innocent manner, as she tilted her head slightly. There was no trace of sarcasm or insult in her voice.
Asuka squinted at the figure in front of her. "You ARE Rei, right? First Child? Wondergirl? A doll? No emotions? Takes orders without question from her beloved commander? You are, right?"
Rei paused for a second, and blinked at her. She actually seemed to be considering her response. "Yes, I am the First Child. But no, I am not a doll."
"Yes you are."
"No, I am not."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I am not.
"Yes, you are."
"No, I am not."
Asuka sighed. This wasn't getting them anywhere. She put her hands on her hips and looked at the blue-haired girl in an arrogant manner, with a small smirk. "OK, what do you want?"
"I wish to speak with you about Pilot Ikari."
The arrogant expression on her face dropped. She looked down for a second as she thought, and seemed focused on something invisible to everyone else.
Suddenly, she snapped back to reality, a bit more aggressive than before. "Why?! Did he tell you to come here?!"
"No."
"Then why are you here?"
"To speak with you. May I enter?" Rei asked, gesturing to the area behind Asuka.
Seeing as her tone indicated there was really no more room for argument, Asuka sighed, glanced behind herself, and then turned back. "No. It's not my house. We can talk while we walk or something." She smirked. "Besides, I don't think Hikari would want a doll like you in her house."
"I am not a doll."
"Yeah, whatever you say," the red-haired girl said, pulling the door shut. "Come on, Wondergirl."
]|[
Shinji gave a sigh of relief as the dismissal bell sounded. This one was probably one for the books; he had gone outside to hold buckets at least three times today. It was a new personal record.
He trudged down the hallway, holding his bookbag. People pretty much got the idea and stayed out of his way.
That is, except for a certain duo.
By the clamor, he could tell that they were rapidly approaching. They were around him and talking before he knew it.
"Yo, Shinji, what's up, man?"
Kensuke adjusted his glasses slightly, and peered through them at Shinji. "Yeah, man, you look like shit today."
"Not to mention you were acting like shit all day," Touji continued. "Was Asuka keepin' you up all night?" he asked, which elicited a chuckle from the two oblivious friends.
Shinji stopped walking for a second and frowned, causing the other two to stop and backtrack a few steps. "Not exactly," he said as he continued out of the school.
"Well, if you want to talk about it, we're here," Touji mentioned, a bit more seriously. "Like why you have a big fuckin' gash on your face."
"It's nothing, really..."
"We're not really trying to pressure you, Shinji," Kensuke said, "but we're concerned, and it is good to talk to somebody if something's bothering you."
Shinji sighed. "Fine, fine, fine. Come with me to the apartment, I guess..."
"Will Misato be there?" Touji asked brightly.
"No, she'll probably still be at work."
"Damn!"
]|[
It was a sight that would have made Shinji freak out and cry. Whether they would be tears of joy or pain, well... who knows.
Asuka and Rei were walking. They were walking next to each other. And they were not heading towards NERV. They were having a casual conversation. At least... what passed as casual for those two.
"OK. Now that you've dragged me out walking with you, what do you want?"
"I believe you were the one who requested that we go for a walk."
"Oh, shut up. What do you want, Wondergirl?"
"I wish to know why you injured Pilot Ikari as you did."
Asuka paused a moment, thinking, before continuing. "He was being an asshole, and he said something mean. Very mean..." she said, drifting off slightly.
"From what I have observed of Pilot Ikari's behavior, I do not think it would be characteristic of him to do something like that. Are you sure he was not somehow provoked into it?"
The red-haired German girl had to stop staring and scratch her head. That was the most she had ever heard the girl say at once. Then again, this was also the first time Rei had tried to initiate and hold a normal conversation.
"Um... no, I didn't do anything to him..."
"Are you certain, Pilot Soryu?"
Asuka turned and half-lidded her eyes, giving the girl a tired look. "Yes, I'm pretty damn certain."
Rei paused a moment, and seemed to think. "Perhaps there was something that was viewed differently from his viewpoint."
"What, did you come here to accuse me of a bunch of stuff?" Asuka asked angrily, bristling at the girl's previous comment.
"No, Pilot Soryu. I am merely trying to reconstruct the events and the reasons behind them. I have not accused you of anything; you are just accusing yourself in you mind."
"I never expected to hear that kind of psychological crap from you, of all people."
Rei ignored her last comment. "Second Child. I would like for you to explain to me what happened."
"Why are you so interested in what happened, huh?"
"I am... curious?... as to what happened during that time. It is obvious what you are doing; please stop trying to avoid the question."
Asuka sighed. "All right, all right!" She paused to think for a little bit, trying to recall yesterday. Not that she had to try very hard. "We were walking back from the school... and Shinji was trying to ask me something, but he kept mumbling and I had to prod him to get it out of him... so finally, the little wimp asked me out!" she exclaimed indignantly.
Rei blinked. "Today you asked me to go out with you for a walk. You did not seem to have a problem then..."
The German girl stared. Her sweatdrop grew so large that it pulled her down to the ground.
Her blue-haired peer looked down at her. "Are you injured, Pilot Soryu?"
Asuka struggled, but finally got up. She brushed herself off, and took a deep breath to calm herself.
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" she shouted.
"No."
"Out! Ask out! On a date! Not just 'out!' In this case out to a dance, but it's the same thing! Out?! Date?! Get it?!"
"I do not understand," Rei replied, tilting her head as she tried to comprehend the Second Child's words.
"You need to get out more," Asuka sighed. "A date. When a guy and a girl go somewhere and do some stuff together. Like eat. And watch a movie. And walk and talk and that kind of thing. Get it?!"
"I still do not understand. How is it different from two friends going to a restaurant?"
"Not friends. Date. Romantic. Love. That sort of thing. Is any of this getting through that thick skull of yours?!"
"My skull is the same average thickness as everyone else's."
Asuka slapped a hand onto her forehead. "All right," she declared, exasperated. "We'll do this the SLOW way."
Rei blinked.
"OK, Wondergirl. You know what a marriage is, right?! Wedding?! Sound familiar?!"
"Yes, I am aware of the concept."
"GOOD!" Asuka said sardonically. "Now... those two people love each other enough to get married, right?!"
"I am not certain because I have never been married. I would assume so."
"Of course you haven't been married yet, you nitwit! We're too young! Anyway... they love each other, right? How do you think they figured that out?"
"Coincidence allowed them to be in the same place at the same time, and caused them to be introduced to each other."
"Uh... right... well, they didn't know that instant that they were meant to be together, right?"
"Of course not. That would be impossible."
"Good, you actually can learn," Asuka mumbled sarcastically. "So how do they find out that they love each other? They go on dates. The more dates they go on, they more they like each other. Of course, they could go on dates with other people than each other. But usually they won't like it as much, because they don't like that person. They'll like going on dates with the person they like. Get it now, Wondergirl?"
Rei's head tilted. "Though it is a strange concept, I believe I understand what you are trying to convey. Essentially, two people go out on a date to discover if they like or love each other – or not."
Asuka blinked and scratched her temple. "Yeah, pretty much... "
"So Pilot Ikari... asked you out on a date. Correct?" she asked, frowning slightly.
"Yeah."
"What was your response?"
"I... uh... fell on the ground and laughed..." Asuka replied, blushing slightly.
"I do not understand why the concept would be humorous. You are not laughing now."
"Well it was funny at the time!" she snapped back.
"Would you explain why it was at the time, but not now?"
"Uh... well, I guess it was funny because he was the last person I expected to be asking me. Cause he's a wimp. And it was funny because he actually thought I might possibly have wanted to go."
"I do not understand why you would not want to go."
Asuka stared at Rei for a bit. "Because an idiot, and a wimp, and a pervert, and a jerk!"
"Pilot Ikari is not unintelligent. What is a wimp?"
"Wimp. Wuss. Weakling. Pathetic. No willpower. Etc. etc."
"Pilot Ikari is also not a... 'wimp.' He would not have defeated as many angels as he has if he was. What is a pervert? I have never had a use for the term."
"Er... someone who likes to do disgusting sexual things... like peek at girls and touch girls without their consent and sick stuff like that. All boys are perverts."
"I do not believe that Pilot Ikari would be one to do those sorts of things. And males are only... 'perverts'... because of their development into and out of adolescence. Males reach the peak of their sexual development as they leave adolescence. Therefore, the desire manifests itself as much as possible, and becomes the focus. It is a part of the primal urge to produce offspring, passing on your genetic code as well as prolonging the life of your species. It is a normal urge, and it does not exclude females from feeling the same thing."
Blink.
"Pilot Soryu. I have read your profile, and was under the impression that you are a college graduate. Certainly, you should have learned this concept already?"
Asuka glared at her. "Hey. I didn't come out here to be insulted."
Rei was unfazed. "Continue speaking about what happened after your reaction."
She averted her eyes. "... He said something mean. Very mean. It was... about my parents. I'm... kinda sensitive when it comes to them, and I don't like it when people talk about them."
"I have not had biological parents, so unfortunately, I cannot relate. However, I understand the concept that biological parents are quite close to their offspring."
Asuka's eyes glazed over again. "Usually, Wondergirl... usually..."
"Pilot Soryu. Did something traumatic happen with you and your parents?"
"Yeah... but I don't like to talk about it..."
"I... understand? Continue where you left off."
"Uh... well Shinji said something about them that kind of set me off. So I... kinda... beat him up..."
"... That still does not explain the large laceration on his cheek."
Asuka sighed, looked down, and played around with a ring on her finger. "I hit him in the face... and this ring... cut him."
]|[
"Shit man, that had to have hurt," Touji said, wincing as he thought about it.
"Yeah," Shinji sighed. "But she was beating the crap out of me pretty badly, so I didn't really notice the pain of the cut until afterwards..."
"Damn... why'd she react that way?"
"I... um... insulted her parents. I didn't learn until later that she's had a really bad history with her parents."
"You're the last person I'd expect to insult her. Why'd you do it?" Kensuke asked, as he messed with his camera.
"Well... I... um... asked her out-"
Touji and Kensuke jumped up and screamed the same thing. "AAAAUUUGH!!! TRAITOR!!!!"
He waited until they were done screaming, before giving them a tired look. "Touji? Kensuke? Sit down and shut up."
They did as they were told.
"But after I asked her... she fell on the ground and was laughing at me. It seemed like the funniest thing she had ever heard in her life..."
"What a bitch!"
"Yeah... she easily just crushed my self-esteem. And threw my feelings back in my face. It sucked."
]|[
"I what?!" Asuka asked incredulously.
Rei repeated the same exact thing she said. "I said that by reacting in the manner that you did, you destroyed his self-esteem. He probably felt quite unworthy after that. In addition, if he wanted to ask you out on a... 'date'... then he must have had some sort of feelings for you already. It was probably painful for him to be rejected so blatantly. Therefore, he was provoked into making that comment."
Asuka bristled. "So you're saying that it's all my fault?!"
"No, I am not. Though I am saying that you both made errors, you are the one who is the most at fault."
The redhead blinked, and then scowled. "Shit! I don't even know why I listened to you in the first place!" With that, she turned around and stomped back in the direction of Hikari's house.
Rei stood for a few moments, staring at the departing form, before turning around and walking in the opposite direction.
]|[
"Shinji, man, don't blame yourself for this."
"But I said that horrible stuff about her parents!"
Touji sighed. "First of all, the stuff you said wasn't very bad. Her reaction to it was; and you had no way of knowing how she would react. Secondly – you politely asked her out. Though we still don't see why you would want to. But she was the one who reacted like a bitch first, by throwing it back at you like that. So it's not your fault; just let it go."
Shinji's eyes drifted back to the floor. "Yeah... but regardless, I still feel bad for making her feel like that. Even under the circumstances."
Touji stood up and put a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Man, you're too sensitive for your own good. Just relax and sleep on it. Don't think about it and don't worry so much."
"Yeah, I guess..."
"Well we've gotta go, Shinji. The photo sales business awaits us..." Touji said with a grin.
Shinji chuckled. "You know, if you're caught by Hikari, or Asuka, or... anyone, then you're screwed."
"Which is why we don't get caught," Kensuke said, as he pushed Touji out of the door. "Later, Shinji," they said as they left.
Shinji flopped back down onto his bed, determined to get some rest.
]|[
Rei approached the Major's apartment purposefully. It was not quite clear to her what she had to do – but she intended to find out.
-TBC
TT
xiphux@planetjurai.com
The phone rang on Misato's office desk, as she sat slumped in her chair.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....................
She snored right through it.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....................
The answering machine turned on, and the speaker began to spit out its prerecorded message.
CLICK "Hey, this is Misato Katsuragi's office. I'm not here right now, so why don't you leave a message and I'll get back to you, OK? Ja!" BEEP
"Major. I wish to speak with you about something important. Contact me when you are available." CLICK
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....................
]|[
Misato wasn't the only one sleeping.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............
Shinji's face was resting on his keyboard. His snores were almost inaudible.
Almost.
"Mister Ikari. Mister Ikari!"
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............
A dusty eraser hit him rather forcefully. He coughed a bit in his sleep and turned to face the other direction.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............
The teacher scowled. It was unacceptable to be interrupting his lecture on Second Impact. He looked for the next convenient object to throw....
Ah, there.
The teacher raised the notebook, and hefted it at the unsuspecting Ikari with a slight smirk. This would surely be interesting....
]|[
CRUNCH
Asuka blinked, and looked down at the broken video game controller in her hands. "Scheisse, there goes the other one. Hikari's gonna kill me..."
She idly tossed the broken plastic to the side, stood, and stretched. "Damn it, it's so boring here. There's nothing to do here... but then again, it's better than school..."
As if answering her call, the doorbell rang on cue. A pause. Again. A pause. Again. A pause. Knocking. A pause. Knocking...
"There's no one else here, is there...?" Her fists clenched as the knocking continued. "ALL RIGHT, SHUT THE HELL UP!!!! I'LL GET THE DAMN DOOR!!!" she screamed at no one in particular.
She stomped over to the door. "SHUT UP, I GOT IT!!!!" she shouted through the door at the visitor. It seemed to have an effect, as the person stopped knocking.
Asuka grumbled as she fumbled with the door. "Stupid... idiots... shit..." Finally, she was able to pull the damned thing open.
She blinked once at the visitor. Rei blinked back.
Without a second thought, she made sure to slam the door in her face...
]|[
SLAM
That hurt. Shinji blinked, and looked at the door in front of him. Oh yeah. He was supposed to open it first.
The students began to laugh again. Or rather, they had never stopped. They started when the relatively thick notebook knocked him out of his chair, and out of his slumber. Then they saw the obvious keyboard impression in his face, and laughed harder. And now this.
Normally he would be blushing at the embarassment, but today he was just too tired. 'Mental note: get some damned sleep,' he told himself.
Finally through much effort, he was able to make his way out of the room, and grab a couple buckets. He heard the laughter die out, and he assumed the teacher was continuing his lecture.
Not that anyone really listened to that guy.
Shinji sighed. He wondered how Asuka was doing. He wondered where Rei had gone off to. He wondered...
]|[
Asuka froze in her tracks. As soon as she had turned around, the knocking started again. This time it was incessant. She scowled, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
"This is not my house. Must not break anything. Hikari's house. Don't... break... Hikari's... stuff..." she told herself, as she clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.
Furiously, she spun around and yanked the door open. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!" she screamed at Rei.
Rei's arm was still raised in a knocking position. She blinked once, and lowered her arm back to her side. "I wish to speak with you. The Major told me that I would be able to find you here, at class representative Horaki's residence."
Asuka scowled. "Yeah? OK, so what does NERV want now?"
"I did not come to speak about NERV business."
Asuka paused, and blinked. "You... weren't ordered to come here...?"
"No."
"You... are here of your own will."
"Yes."
"To talk to me."
"Yes."
"About something other than NERV business."
"Yes. Is this a particularly hard concept for you to grasp, Pilot Soryu?" asked Rei, in a completely innocent manner, as she tilted her head slightly. There was no trace of sarcasm or insult in her voice.
Asuka squinted at the figure in front of her. "You ARE Rei, right? First Child? Wondergirl? A doll? No emotions? Takes orders without question from her beloved commander? You are, right?"
Rei paused for a second, and blinked at her. She actually seemed to be considering her response. "Yes, I am the First Child. But no, I am not a doll."
"Yes you are."
"No, I am not."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I am not.
"Yes, you are."
"No, I am not."
Asuka sighed. This wasn't getting them anywhere. She put her hands on her hips and looked at the blue-haired girl in an arrogant manner, with a small smirk. "OK, what do you want?"
"I wish to speak with you about Pilot Ikari."
The arrogant expression on her face dropped. She looked down for a second as she thought, and seemed focused on something invisible to everyone else.
Suddenly, she snapped back to reality, a bit more aggressive than before. "Why?! Did he tell you to come here?!"
"No."
"Then why are you here?"
"To speak with you. May I enter?" Rei asked, gesturing to the area behind Asuka.
Seeing as her tone indicated there was really no more room for argument, Asuka sighed, glanced behind herself, and then turned back. "No. It's not my house. We can talk while we walk or something." She smirked. "Besides, I don't think Hikari would want a doll like you in her house."
"I am not a doll."
"Yeah, whatever you say," the red-haired girl said, pulling the door shut. "Come on, Wondergirl."
]|[
Shinji gave a sigh of relief as the dismissal bell sounded. This one was probably one for the books; he had gone outside to hold buckets at least three times today. It was a new personal record.
He trudged down the hallway, holding his bookbag. People pretty much got the idea and stayed out of his way.
That is, except for a certain duo.
By the clamor, he could tell that they were rapidly approaching. They were around him and talking before he knew it.
"Yo, Shinji, what's up, man?"
Kensuke adjusted his glasses slightly, and peered through them at Shinji. "Yeah, man, you look like shit today."
"Not to mention you were acting like shit all day," Touji continued. "Was Asuka keepin' you up all night?" he asked, which elicited a chuckle from the two oblivious friends.
Shinji stopped walking for a second and frowned, causing the other two to stop and backtrack a few steps. "Not exactly," he said as he continued out of the school.
"Well, if you want to talk about it, we're here," Touji mentioned, a bit more seriously. "Like why you have a big fuckin' gash on your face."
"It's nothing, really..."
"We're not really trying to pressure you, Shinji," Kensuke said, "but we're concerned, and it is good to talk to somebody if something's bothering you."
Shinji sighed. "Fine, fine, fine. Come with me to the apartment, I guess..."
"Will Misato be there?" Touji asked brightly.
"No, she'll probably still be at work."
"Damn!"
]|[
It was a sight that would have made Shinji freak out and cry. Whether they would be tears of joy or pain, well... who knows.
Asuka and Rei were walking. They were walking next to each other. And they were not heading towards NERV. They were having a casual conversation. At least... what passed as casual for those two.
"OK. Now that you've dragged me out walking with you, what do you want?"
"I believe you were the one who requested that we go for a walk."
"Oh, shut up. What do you want, Wondergirl?"
"I wish to know why you injured Pilot Ikari as you did."
Asuka paused a moment, thinking, before continuing. "He was being an asshole, and he said something mean. Very mean..." she said, drifting off slightly.
"From what I have observed of Pilot Ikari's behavior, I do not think it would be characteristic of him to do something like that. Are you sure he was not somehow provoked into it?"
The red-haired German girl had to stop staring and scratch her head. That was the most she had ever heard the girl say at once. Then again, this was also the first time Rei had tried to initiate and hold a normal conversation.
"Um... no, I didn't do anything to him..."
"Are you certain, Pilot Soryu?"
Asuka turned and half-lidded her eyes, giving the girl a tired look. "Yes, I'm pretty damn certain."
Rei paused a moment, and seemed to think. "Perhaps there was something that was viewed differently from his viewpoint."
"What, did you come here to accuse me of a bunch of stuff?" Asuka asked angrily, bristling at the girl's previous comment.
"No, Pilot Soryu. I am merely trying to reconstruct the events and the reasons behind them. I have not accused you of anything; you are just accusing yourself in you mind."
"I never expected to hear that kind of psychological crap from you, of all people."
Rei ignored her last comment. "Second Child. I would like for you to explain to me what happened."
"Why are you so interested in what happened, huh?"
"I am... curious?... as to what happened during that time. It is obvious what you are doing; please stop trying to avoid the question."
Asuka sighed. "All right, all right!" She paused to think for a little bit, trying to recall yesterday. Not that she had to try very hard. "We were walking back from the school... and Shinji was trying to ask me something, but he kept mumbling and I had to prod him to get it out of him... so finally, the little wimp asked me out!" she exclaimed indignantly.
Rei blinked. "Today you asked me to go out with you for a walk. You did not seem to have a problem then..."
The German girl stared. Her sweatdrop grew so large that it pulled her down to the ground.
Her blue-haired peer looked down at her. "Are you injured, Pilot Soryu?"
Asuka struggled, but finally got up. She brushed herself off, and took a deep breath to calm herself.
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" she shouted.
"No."
"Out! Ask out! On a date! Not just 'out!' In this case out to a dance, but it's the same thing! Out?! Date?! Get it?!"
"I do not understand," Rei replied, tilting her head as she tried to comprehend the Second Child's words.
"You need to get out more," Asuka sighed. "A date. When a guy and a girl go somewhere and do some stuff together. Like eat. And watch a movie. And walk and talk and that kind of thing. Get it?!"
"I still do not understand. How is it different from two friends going to a restaurant?"
"Not friends. Date. Romantic. Love. That sort of thing. Is any of this getting through that thick skull of yours?!"
"My skull is the same average thickness as everyone else's."
Asuka slapped a hand onto her forehead. "All right," she declared, exasperated. "We'll do this the SLOW way."
Rei blinked.
"OK, Wondergirl. You know what a marriage is, right?! Wedding?! Sound familiar?!"
"Yes, I am aware of the concept."
"GOOD!" Asuka said sardonically. "Now... those two people love each other enough to get married, right?!"
"I am not certain because I have never been married. I would assume so."
"Of course you haven't been married yet, you nitwit! We're too young! Anyway... they love each other, right? How do you think they figured that out?"
"Coincidence allowed them to be in the same place at the same time, and caused them to be introduced to each other."
"Uh... right... well, they didn't know that instant that they were meant to be together, right?"
"Of course not. That would be impossible."
"Good, you actually can learn," Asuka mumbled sarcastically. "So how do they find out that they love each other? They go on dates. The more dates they go on, they more they like each other. Of course, they could go on dates with other people than each other. But usually they won't like it as much, because they don't like that person. They'll like going on dates with the person they like. Get it now, Wondergirl?"
Rei's head tilted. "Though it is a strange concept, I believe I understand what you are trying to convey. Essentially, two people go out on a date to discover if they like or love each other – or not."
Asuka blinked and scratched her temple. "Yeah, pretty much... "
"So Pilot Ikari... asked you out on a date. Correct?" she asked, frowning slightly.
"Yeah."
"What was your response?"
"I... uh... fell on the ground and laughed..." Asuka replied, blushing slightly.
"I do not understand why the concept would be humorous. You are not laughing now."
"Well it was funny at the time!" she snapped back.
"Would you explain why it was at the time, but not now?"
"Uh... well, I guess it was funny because he was the last person I expected to be asking me. Cause he's a wimp. And it was funny because he actually thought I might possibly have wanted to go."
"I do not understand why you would not want to go."
Asuka stared at Rei for a bit. "Because an idiot, and a wimp, and a pervert, and a jerk!"
"Pilot Ikari is not unintelligent. What is a wimp?"
"Wimp. Wuss. Weakling. Pathetic. No willpower. Etc. etc."
"Pilot Ikari is also not a... 'wimp.' He would not have defeated as many angels as he has if he was. What is a pervert? I have never had a use for the term."
"Er... someone who likes to do disgusting sexual things... like peek at girls and touch girls without their consent and sick stuff like that. All boys are perverts."
"I do not believe that Pilot Ikari would be one to do those sorts of things. And males are only... 'perverts'... because of their development into and out of adolescence. Males reach the peak of their sexual development as they leave adolescence. Therefore, the desire manifests itself as much as possible, and becomes the focus. It is a part of the primal urge to produce offspring, passing on your genetic code as well as prolonging the life of your species. It is a normal urge, and it does not exclude females from feeling the same thing."
Blink.
"Pilot Soryu. I have read your profile, and was under the impression that you are a college graduate. Certainly, you should have learned this concept already?"
Asuka glared at her. "Hey. I didn't come out here to be insulted."
Rei was unfazed. "Continue speaking about what happened after your reaction."
She averted her eyes. "... He said something mean. Very mean. It was... about my parents. I'm... kinda sensitive when it comes to them, and I don't like it when people talk about them."
"I have not had biological parents, so unfortunately, I cannot relate. However, I understand the concept that biological parents are quite close to their offspring."
Asuka's eyes glazed over again. "Usually, Wondergirl... usually..."
"Pilot Soryu. Did something traumatic happen with you and your parents?"
"Yeah... but I don't like to talk about it..."
"I... understand? Continue where you left off."
"Uh... well Shinji said something about them that kind of set me off. So I... kinda... beat him up..."
"... That still does not explain the large laceration on his cheek."
Asuka sighed, looked down, and played around with a ring on her finger. "I hit him in the face... and this ring... cut him."
]|[
"Shit man, that had to have hurt," Touji said, wincing as he thought about it.
"Yeah," Shinji sighed. "But she was beating the crap out of me pretty badly, so I didn't really notice the pain of the cut until afterwards..."
"Damn... why'd she react that way?"
"I... um... insulted her parents. I didn't learn until later that she's had a really bad history with her parents."
"You're the last person I'd expect to insult her. Why'd you do it?" Kensuke asked, as he messed with his camera.
"Well... I... um... asked her out-"
Touji and Kensuke jumped up and screamed the same thing. "AAAAUUUGH!!! TRAITOR!!!!"
He waited until they were done screaming, before giving them a tired look. "Touji? Kensuke? Sit down and shut up."
They did as they were told.
"But after I asked her... she fell on the ground and was laughing at me. It seemed like the funniest thing she had ever heard in her life..."
"What a bitch!"
"Yeah... she easily just crushed my self-esteem. And threw my feelings back in my face. It sucked."
]|[
"I what?!" Asuka asked incredulously.
Rei repeated the same exact thing she said. "I said that by reacting in the manner that you did, you destroyed his self-esteem. He probably felt quite unworthy after that. In addition, if he wanted to ask you out on a... 'date'... then he must have had some sort of feelings for you already. It was probably painful for him to be rejected so blatantly. Therefore, he was provoked into making that comment."
Asuka bristled. "So you're saying that it's all my fault?!"
"No, I am not. Though I am saying that you both made errors, you are the one who is the most at fault."
The redhead blinked, and then scowled. "Shit! I don't even know why I listened to you in the first place!" With that, she turned around and stomped back in the direction of Hikari's house.
Rei stood for a few moments, staring at the departing form, before turning around and walking in the opposite direction.
]|[
"Shinji, man, don't blame yourself for this."
"But I said that horrible stuff about her parents!"
Touji sighed. "First of all, the stuff you said wasn't very bad. Her reaction to it was; and you had no way of knowing how she would react. Secondly – you politely asked her out. Though we still don't see why you would want to. But she was the one who reacted like a bitch first, by throwing it back at you like that. So it's not your fault; just let it go."
Shinji's eyes drifted back to the floor. "Yeah... but regardless, I still feel bad for making her feel like that. Even under the circumstances."
Touji stood up and put a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Man, you're too sensitive for your own good. Just relax and sleep on it. Don't think about it and don't worry so much."
"Yeah, I guess..."
"Well we've gotta go, Shinji. The photo sales business awaits us..." Touji said with a grin.
Shinji chuckled. "You know, if you're caught by Hikari, or Asuka, or... anyone, then you're screwed."
"Which is why we don't get caught," Kensuke said, as he pushed Touji out of the door. "Later, Shinji," they said as they left.
Shinji flopped back down onto his bed, determined to get some rest.
]|[
Rei approached the Major's apartment purposefully. It was not quite clear to her what she had to do – but she intended to find out.
-TBC
TT
xiphux@planetjurai.com