Fr3quency
By ArchangelUK
Apologies for the delay, what is it? A year? Meh. Anyway I've been most impressed by the continual badgering over that period as to when this chapter would appear. Well here it is! Hope it meets everyone's satisfaction. In this chapter Hikari loses it big time (so OC criticisms accepted) but it was about time someone did with Asuka. Speaking of, now don't you S/Rers worry but there is some S/A in this... well that only leaves me to say:
I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion. However, I do own this very impressive collection of Evangelion Dance Lesson books, 'learn to annihilate you enemies with the Charleston or vanquish your foes with a quick foxtrot. Yes, you too could be dancing your enemies down a foxtrot to oblivion' only $99.99.99! (And I don't own Reboot either)
Fr2qeuncy: Static
Shinji Ikari looked upwards at his blue haired coworker and she in turn down on him, his eyes are full of wonderment whilst hers were full of confusion.
"Ayanami." Shinji repeated, almost to himself.
" Pilot Ikari, what are you doing here?"
"I'm not entirely sure," he admitted, " I just seem to have ended up here outside your apartment."
Shinji paused for a moment, it was quite impressive when he thought about it. Ayanami was at least four floors up while he was on ground level and yet he could hear her as easily as if she was standing right next to him. It really put into perspective how quiet it was, bearing in mind the distance and Ayanami's usual quiet voice the silence seemed almost unnatural in its existence - perhaps such silence wasn't what Shinji was looking for either.
"Why?"
"Um…" Shinji stammered, taken aback as usual by Ayanami's abrupt, short and to the point questioning. Taking this as Shinji not understanding her question Rei asked again.
"That explains to me how you came to be here, however that does not tell me why."
Rei looked suspicious; Shinji was getting to feel quite uncomfortable under her gaze. In the back of his mind he was wondering when she had ever said so much to him in one go; Rei in some ways frightened Shinji, not in the same way Asuka did sometimes. There was something about Rei that Shinji could sense was very dangerous indeed, not that he ever intended to betray the girl whom he considered a highly valued friend even if she did not feel anything like that towards him other than co-worker. He swallowed, trying to bring some saliva to his rapidly drying mouth
"I think I just needed some air, it was kind of stuffy in the apartment you know?" Shinji reached behind his back and laughed nervously, Rei shifted her gaze back upwards. After a few minutes Shinji began making his way up the flights of stairs and roughly a further five minutes later found himself next to Rei on the balcony.
"Misato was having a party to celebrate her promotion."
Rei closed her eyes briefly, "I'm aware of that."
"Why didn't you come?" Shinji realised he sounded a bit annoyed and in truth he was slightly, Rei's presence at the party would have been a boon for him. "You were invited weren't you?"
"Yes." Rei stretched her arms out behind her slightly, flexing her shoulders. "However, Pilot Sohryu can be…"
"Irritating?" Shinji muttered.
The First Child look somewhat surprised by Shinji's comment, a ghost of a smile appeared on her face. "I would have said somewhat loud."
Shinji chuckled despite himself, "Yes, I can empathise with that."
"You still have not answered my question as to why."
Shinji frowned, "No, I don't suppose I have really."
"Then please would you?"
"Peace… Ayanami." Shinji sighed and leaned heavily on the rail. "Peace and quiet."
Asuka's futon was much better than hers, Hikari had decided. The filling was softer, the length ideal, the height just right for her and it molded itself to a new owner without any qualms. Hikari had been laying on said futon for about twenty minutes, (a glance at her watch confirmed this to be true) and for those twenty minutes she'd been diligently listening to Asuka bad mouth the following.Shinji.
The weather.
Japanese furniture.
Shinji.
Touji.
Shinji.
Ayanami.
Shinji.
Misato.
Shinji again.
And then Kensuke.
Now Asuka was coming back around to Shinji again… Hikari rolled her eyes.
"I mean what is that idiot Shinji's problem, yelling at us all like that? What is he some kind of freak?"
Had Hikari spoken immediately her response would probably have been "No, just an atypical Evangelion pilot." Thankfully she bit her tongue, literally as it happens, preferring instead to sigh and attempt to back their absent friend up. "I think it's just he's very sensitive and doesn't like it when people he considers his friends are fighting. Think about it, we came into his house-"
"-My house." Asuka snapped.
"Your house." Hikari insisted, "And proceeded to make him miserable."
"There's no need for him to act like that though." Asuka scoffed and tossed her hair, "What a loser."
Something inside Hikari snapped and she had to restrain herself from getting up and yelling at the redhead. How could she just dismiss him like that? It was so unfair; Shinji had never done anything against her apart from being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being forced into becoming a pilot. She remembered all too well Touji's all too quiet account of what happened with the fourth angel, what Shinji went through to protect them all. It had been several days before she had seen him anywhere near as boisterous and fun loving as he normally was. She pursed her lips together; sometimes Asuka could be so stubborn it seems it even tried her colossal patience.
Then it happened: she made a decision.
A decision that on the face of it not only seemed foolhardy but to many completely suicidal, but she was determined to go ahead and see it through. It might damage their friendship true, but in the end it might be for the greater good. A decision then, that would make anyone else balk at the prospect – she challenged the viewpoint of Asuka Langley Sohryu.
"You know, for someone who apparently you don't like you sure do talk about Shinji a lot Asuka." A sly grin crept out on Hikari's lips, the younger girl blinked in disbelief.
"Excuse me?"
"Just an observation." Hikari put up her hands in innocence, "But come on though you sure do seem to like saying his name Asuka."
"That's because I'm trying to make you understand what an abject nightmare it is to live with the dork." Asuka gestured erratically with her arms and began stomping up and down the room, though if you'd asked Asuka she would have said she was simply 'pacing'.
Hikari when Asuka had her back to her allowed herself a small smile. She's taken the bait! The class rep thought. Okay Asuka, let's see how you really feel about Shinji.
Steeling herself for what she was about to do Hikari took a deep breath and stood up before walking over to Asuka's note board. Trying not to look at all the sickeningly obvious photos of Kaji and the persistent (to the point of pornographic on occasions) attentions of the Second Child. Hikari gently pulled off a timetable of household chores.
"A nightmare? Really…"
Asuka spun around, "Yes really! If you want to swap him for those two sisters of yours be my guest."
Hikari laughed, but sympathetically. "Even if I wanted to I couldn't because of NERV and I wouldn't want to anyway."
"Not surprising." Asuka snorted, "The baka's useless."
Hikari looked up from the chore list and raised a sarcastic eyebrow, "If he's so useless why is he down to do most of the household chores?"
Asuka scoffed, "Because he's useless at scissors paper stone that's why."
Hikari didn't have a readily available response to that and so she took a couple of paces away from Asuka then returned to her position. "Hmm, Monday – cooking Shinji, cleaning Shinji, washing up Shinji, rubbish Shinji."
The leader of the anti-Shinji faction blinked, "So?"
Hikari continued, "Tuesday. Cooking Shinji, cleaning Shinji, washing up Shinji, rubbish Shinji, laundry Shinji."
"Hey! I do more around the house than he does."
Hikari went along the planner and after a couple of Misato's and a few dozen more Shinji's came to Friday morning. "Ah, here we go, Friday: Laundry Asuka, rubbish Asuka, cooking Asuka."
"There, there – you see? That laundry's the worst of the lot."
"I can imagine; there's just one thing that confuses me Asuka. Now Fridays I thought you said you had music practice?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So… you don't get home until late." Asuka's brow knotted in a mixture of anger and frustration, Hikari continued regardless. "So how do you do the laundry?"
"I… Um, that is to say I-"
"-let Shinji do it as always?" The Second Child's jaw dropped, the reply as stinging as and as real as though Hikari had slapped her in the face. The younger girl took a pace forward, her anger growing with each passing second. "When are you going to get it into your thick skull that he cares about you and stop treating him as though he's something on your shoe you dip?!"
Asuka was reeling; this was Hikari, this was her loyal friend who could not hurt a fly and was as kind as the day is long. The one person she could unequivocally count on to share and keep her secrets with and here she was not only defending Shinji but practically yelling at her. She had never known Hikari this angry about anything and though she hated to admit it this new Hikari terrified her. This all did not compute in Asuka's confused brain and so, lacking a proper response or course of action it did the most sensible thing. It waived a little white flag and shut down for the rest of the evening.
"You've got the world at your feet, a multi-trillion pound organization at your back ready to do anything for you, the job you claim you've always wanted to do. A steady family dynamic if you would believe it and a friend who goes through torture day after day just trying to make your life better!"
"You don't-"
"NOT ME - SHINJI!" Hikari roared, "It's about time you got to listen to a few home truths Asuka, you see I know what goes on it those Evangelions, Touji told me and he was pretty specific on the details. Shinji hates piloting and only pilots to protect us and you and what happens? He just gets shot down whenever he tries to be nice to you because your damned ego can't stand for it!"
Out in the living room a lot of this was very audible, paper walls had a habit of being very flimsy you see. Touji munched on a riceball seemingly oblivious on the outside. What he was actually thinking was - Kami-sama she's flipped!
"I'm fed up with you treating Shinji like trash; like he's your personal slave any girl would be damned lucky to have a caring, sensitive and loyal guy like him."
"Oh yeah!" Asuka yelled, finally recovering from the shock. "Who'd want the big dork? He wouldn't know how to relate to anyone if you gave him a MANUAL!" Actually that's not entirely true as what Asuka actually said was 'if you gave him a' then a string of three swear words in German (on reflex), English (on secondary reflex) and finally Japanese before coming to the wall shakingly loud 'MANUAL!'.
"Who? WHO?" Hikari's eyebrow twitched, well beyond the point her normal reserve nature could reign in her surprisingly large pent up rage. Internally she was in turmoil, her mouth seemingly was no longer controlled by her brain which was desperately trying to get her to stop. "I'll tell you who would want that dork. EVERYONE!"
Asuka involuntarily took a step back, Hikari involuntarily took a step forward.
"You wonder why Shinji never gets any attention in class from the girls while you get so much from the guys? Even Ayanami gets attention and yet he doesn't don't you think that's odd especially when you're all Eva pilots. You're heroes to this city."
"Because they're perverts like Shinji is."
"Wrong answer Asuka." Hikari spat, "It's because since you came here and the way you acted towards him all the girls have deemed him off limits. That he belonged to you."
"He does belong to me!" Asuka's chin wobbled slightly, her eyes were watery but she would not cry. I promised I would not cry…
"No. He. Doesn't. All he is to you is some kind of possession, something you can use as you see fit and put down to improve your own opinion of yourself." Hikari began to feel her anger trickle away, giving way to a new emotion entirely. "Do you even care about him Asuka?" The emotion was pity.
"Of course I don't!"
"Do you?"
"I… I…"
"It's a simple question Asuka – do you care about Shinji?"
Her face a picture of turmoil Asuka shook her head only to then nod before shaking her head once more vigorously. Hikari sighed sympathetically and grabbed Asuka's wrist with her right hand, gently, at first Asuka shook her away but Hikari just reapplied the grip. It was soft yet she could not muster the strength to break it again, the redhead collapsed onto her knees. Hikari followed her.
"I…" Asuka tried again, with the same level of success.
"You do don't you."
"No I don't!" Asuka cried, her voice cracking. Hikari just gave a small sad smile and the final bastion of emotional defense so carefully honed and crafted over seven years by Asuka was breeched. Her sanctum, her citadel, rendered obsolete by a smile of disappointment.
"Yes." She whispered, as Asuka involuntarily collapsed onto her shoulder, her body quaking with loud sobs. "Yes you do Asuka, and what's worse you may have already lost him. The girls are queuing up to take him off of you and I don't exaggerate, you're going to have to do something pretty quick and change your attitude towards him otherwise-" She broke off for a moment and looked up towards a picture on Asuka dresser, it was a photo of Major Katsuragi, herself, Suzahara and Aida with all three Eva pilots at a school evening not long back. As usual Touji was showboating in front of camera, while Asuka favoured the viewer with the dazzling but false smile she always rolled out for such pictures. She found herself though looking at Shinji and Ayanami, Shinji's face wore the same reserved smile as Ayanami. The thing that caught her glance though was Rei's red eyes, though the rest were looking at the camera, Rei was surreptitiously looking at Shinji. She blinked then continued. "Otherwise you're going to lose the best thing that ever happened to you Asuka."
She swallowed, and though it pained her knowing that it was her that caused her suffering with her goal achieved Hikari gently rocked her friend back and forth.
And tried to stop the tears that would not stop falling.
Rei looked somewhat skeptically at Shinji, "Peace and quiet?" She asked, "And you can find peace and quiet in this void?"Shinji blinked, "I suppose."
Rei looked out over the city. "I do not treasure silence or emptiness. Emptiness is sorrow, how can you feel fulfillment in nothingness? It is the same nothingness that will be if Third Impact takes place, a void of death and of absolution."
"Then, why am I compelled by what symbolizes lack of life?"
She cast her red eyes over his form, as if searching for something. "Pain, your life is so full of pain you can no longer distinguish that which is physical and that which is mental."
Shinji allowed himself a rueful smile, "I'm running away aren't I?"
Rei nodded, "That is why you run, that is why…" She looked troubled and turned away from him. "That is why I run too."
"You don't run away Rei." Shinji frowned, she bit her lip.
"I too know the comfort of the darkness, of the quiet. I yearn for that peace too Shinji. To return to the void from which I came, to be once again – nothing. But I cannot."
"Because of the responsibility, the responsibility to those who seek life."
Rei was silent for a moment, "It is selfish to run away, it makes easier the goal of our enemies."
"It defeats purpose correct?"
"Our purpose is what makes us individuals, I am I, you are you."
Shinji grinned suddenly, "You called me Shinji."
Rei blushed lightly, "You called me Rei."
"No one's ever explained it like that to me before you know." Shinji said, tapping a finger against his chin and apparently oblivious to Rei's reaction. "It's… nice to know that someone understands Rei. I - didn't think that would be possible for me."
Rei looked up at the sky, "It's getting late."
"And cold." Shinji muttered, wrapping his arms around him.
"I don't feel the cold." Rei stated matter-of-factly.
"No." Shinji smiled, "You're heart is too warm to feel it."
Rei blushed profusely at that and this time Shinji did notice. "So, what now?"
"I'm not sure." Admitted the Third Child, "Perhaps I'll stay here a while longer."
"As you wish." Rei inclined her head and went to move back inside her apartment but stopped just in the doorway. "Shinji?"
"Yes Rei?"
"Remember when I said I didn't have anything else?"
"Of course."
"I was incorrect, I know what else I have now."
"Oh?"
"You Shinji-kun."
And Rei left it at that.
To Be Continued...
Pleaaaaase review!
ArchangelUK 0:o)
