: A New Tenant :
by
- GlazedAndConfused -
"..." - denotes speech.
"(...)" - denotes whispering.
Italics denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.
Chapter Three : Kaworu's Theory
Room 302; early morning.
Motoko lay on her futon; her arms, legs and hair sprawled out unceremoniously with cold beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. The cover of her futon was barely covering her legs and stomach. Her eyes were wide open, her face showing no signs of tiredness. No matter how many times she tossed and turned, she just could not get comfortable or sleepy. Only one thing was on her mind; the enigmatic new resident, Kaworu.
She looked at her clock. It read 2:03 am.
Why can't I get Nagisa out of my head? She mused, a look of mild agitation on her face. He is a typical, perverted male... I should not even be wasting my time thinking about him.
Her mind flashed back to dinner time the previous day. Seeing Kaworu and Shinobu make contact when reaching for the soy sauce and misunderstanding the situation. Her attack not having any effect on the young teenager; instead, coming into contact with a sort of invisible barrier that flashed with an orange light. Her face switched from an expression of agitation to one of rage as she recalled possibly the only time one of her attacks had landed a near-direct hit with it's target, yet still managed to inflict no damage.
What was that 'AT-Field' of which he referred to? I must confront him tomorrow about it when I have time. He must obviously be a demon of some sort; no ordinary person can muster a shield like that out of thin air.
Shivering due to the cool night air, she pulled the cover of the futon back over her, and tried to get some sleep once again.
Five hours later.
The Aoyama girl was on the laundry deck of the old dorm, sitting in her meditative pose, having woken up only a matter of minutes ago. Not that she managed to get back to sleep anyway. Ever since she woke up in the early hours of the morning, she continuously drifted in and out of sleep. Once she had woken up, she would remain that way for longer than she was asleep. The young swordswoman eventually decided - after five hours - that staying in bed would be useless if she could not get back to sleep, so she got up and went to the roof to start her daily meditation. Nothing could be heard except for the occasional chirping of the birds and the last remaining sakura petals slowly drifting past her, the scent of the said petals making one's aura a lot more calm and soothed.
Almost as if all their problems would be swept away in one calm, swift breeze.
But even this couldn't make Motoko concentrate entirely on her meditation.
Room 304.
Naru Narusegawa was angry. Not that it really came as much of a surprise to everyone in Hinata Sou since they were so used to seeing her that way every so often each day - usually with the kanrinin being on the receiving end of her fiery temper. Not that she always got away with it, of course. Her hot-headedness would occasionally be rewarded in the form of being given a brain-rattling slap right across the cheek by Kanako. The other reward she would receive would be a threat that would shake her to the core.
The auburn-haired Toudaisei fumed as she paced up and down her room, angrily pulling on her orange turtleneck sweatshirt. It had been three days since the arrival of the enigmatic and puzzling Kaworu Nagisa. Three days, and she still hadn't come up with a suitable enough reason to make him leave, other than the usual 'he's a pervert and a peeping tom' routine which she used so often that it was eventually worn out. At least, it was to the other residents except Motoko, who was practically the only one who agreed with her.
It wasn't like he was a bad person, though. He was very amicable and polite around them all even when under scrutiny. He was particularly friendly towards Shinobu and Su. The previous night, he had helped an inebriated Kitsune make her way back to Hinata Sou, knowing that she would have fallen asleep in the middle of the street or even in an alleyway had she tried making her own way home. At least the auburn-haired girl was thankful for that. But despite all of these endearing qualities, she simply could not understand the boy. The albino was very much like a series of complex riddles, unable to be solved at all. She wouldn't go so far as to say that he was a Pandora's Box; he did not seem to have a bad bone in his body, plus that would be more a term which Motoko would be more likely to use than her. Yet the problem that he was a male still remained. To her, the equation was simple; male plus all-girls dorm equals no chance in hell. While Keitaro was an exception to the rule seeing as he was the kanrinin by way of inheritance - and also her (unfortunate) boyfriend - Kaworu was certainly fitting of this very equation.
She would find a way to get him out of Hinata Sou. But she would need help. Even if he was three to four years younger than her, she could - and would - punish the albino boy at any opportunity that presented itself.
Placing these thoughts aside for the time being, she shifted the board covering the hole in the floor that joined her room and Keitaro's room. She noticed the kanrinin sitting at the kotatsu table, a book in hand.
"Good morning, Keitaro," she greeted, a smile on her face that was uncharacteristic for her at this particular time of morning. Normally, she would be bleary eyed and irritable - nothing that a good cup of coffee wouldn't remedy.
"Good morning, Naru," he reciprocated, smiling back at her. The kanrinin was the complete opposite to his auburn-haired counterpart at this time of morning. He was fairly amicable and pleasant, hardly needing anything to help recharge him for the day. On his kotatsu table was a kettle with steam coming ou of the spout, a fresh cup of tea in front of him with the twig floating upright. "Would you like a cup of tea?" he asked.
"I could do with one, arigato," Naru replied, taking a seat at the kotatsu table opposite her partner. "So, how do you feel this morning?" She asked, taking his hand and intertwining her fingers with his.
"Well, my head's still a little bit achey after that trip you sent me on yesterday," he said, rubbing his temple to emphasise that point, "and after I tried to get in by climbing up the tree and jumping through the window, I sprained my ankle after missing the window and falling to the ground."
"Wow. I hit you that hard?"
"Yeah... still got two souvenirs."
Naru barely suppressed a light giggle. "Hehe... gomen."
Keitaro poured the tea from the kettle into the spare cup and handed it to his auburn-haired girlfriend, who gratefully accepted it. "So, what're you thinking of doing today?"
Naru took a sip of her tea. "Going into Toudai to get some textbooks for the upcoming semester," she replied. "Then that's it. What about you?"
"Nothing, really. I've got all I need for my next semester."
A thoughtful look appeared on the younger girl's face. "You know..." she spoke, leaning forward slightly, "we both have nothing much to do today. Why don't we spend a bit of time by ourselves today?"
"R-Really?"
"Of course..." she teased with a wink, slowly placing her free hand underneath the kotatsu table. She used the same hand to slip one of her socks off and began to run her bare toes up and down the hapless kanrinin's leg, raising an eyebrow coyly as she noticed him stiffen up upon the contact.
"Um..." For a few moments, he babbled out a string of incoherent 'er's, 'um's and 'ah's as Naru continued to stroke his leg with her toes, even going as high as his inner thigh, which would have made him shoot through the roof if he were not sat at the kotatsu table. While some men, namely Kentaro Sakata, Haitani Masayuki and Shirai Kimiaki, would have jumped at the chance of a woman like Naru teasing them in such a way, Keitaro was entirely different. Despite all of her and Motoko's claims that he was a pervert, the younger Toudaisei knew that he definitely wasn't one, although the string of accidents would have suggested otherwise if seen by an outsider. Though, with that said, there was a certain part of the kanrinin's anatomy that would also have suggested otherwise, too...
And it wasn't as if Naru was entirely blameless. After being friends with Kitsune for so long, it made people wonder if she would eventually adopt some of her fox-eyed friend's tricks. If she did, then she hid it very well, showing only Keitaro after the time they came back from the little fiasco in Hokkaido.
Yep, she mused, Kitsune's definitely been a bad influence on me.
Deciding that she had tortured him enough, she withdrew her foot and put her sock back on, leaning forward and giving her boyfriend a gentle kiss on the tip of the nose.
"I love you Keitaro, you know that?"
"Hai. And I love you too."
With that, they both shared another kiss before Naru broke it off after a few moments. "Hey, we'd better go down for breakfast," she spoke, "Shinobu-chan will probably have it ready."
Keitaro finished what was left of his tea and stood up, stretching his legs while brushing his clothes off. He was about to walk out of the room before Naru placed a hand on his shoulder. Turning around to see what she needed, she leaned forward again and gave him a gentle kiss on the temple.
"What was that for?" He asked, a slight blush on his cheek.
"That was my apology for yesterday," she replied, winking.
The two then left the room and proceeded downstairs, hand in hand.
Kaworu's room.
The red-eyed boy was wide awake, lying on his futon with his hands behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling in a ruminative silence, his crimson orbs unblinking. The cover of the said futon was neatly folded up beside him. Lying on his stomach was his CD player, with the harmonic sounds of soft, classical playing from the small device down to his ear drums, as he found himself unconsciously humming to the soft melody. But such is life at Hinata Sou, a peaceful moment like this would not last.
"Kaworuuuuuu!" came the unmistakeable yells of the hyperactive partners in crime, Kaolla Su and Sarah McDougal. His door burst open to reveal them both running into his room and skidding in front of him, the dark-skinned girl kneeling down beside him and ruffling his hair playfully, a beaming grin on her face that matched the sparkling in her emerald green eyes. He had to wonder how two early risers could be so active - especially at that time of morning
Kaworu gave a light chuckle. "Good morning Su-chan; Sarah-chan."
"Shinobu said breakfast is ready! Let's goooooooo...!" The young Molmolian finished, springing to her feet once again and sprinting out of the room, with Sarah never too far behind. The albino boy slowly stood up and stretched his arms and legs, before walking out of the room.
Room 205.
Kitsune was laid at an odd angle on her futon, her head resting on the floor and her feet poking out the opposite side of the makeshift bed, the covers laying across her body. Morning had come far too early for her liking. She slammed her eyes shut tightly as quick as she opened them, wishing that it was still night time as she tried to block out the sun's glaring rays that were entering through the window and spilling across her face. To her, it felt like her head was a building being demolished by sledgehammers - from the inside. For every time her heart beat, her head throbbed in perfect synchronisation, and not even the fact that it would wear off in an hour or two seemed to make the fox-eyed woman feel any better about waking up.
"I shouldn't have drank so much last night..." she murmured, her voice barely even coherent as she held her hand to her head. "Agh... where's that damn aspirin when it's needed...?"
Kitsune grimaced at the sour, sickening taste in her mouth that was one of the few unpleasant reminders of her saké frenzy from the night before, making her want to throw up there and then. Her head also felt like it was removed from her head and used as a spinning top, the feeling of dizziness only adding to the discomfort. Her body felt as if it were wrapped in layer upon layer of blankets, and she noticed that her clothes were soaked with a cold sweat, sticking to certain parts of her body. She took a sniff of her shirt, grimacing at the smell of stale sweat. The fox-eyed woman didn't really want to get up and out of bed since sleep was usually the best method for a hangover, yet she didn't particularly want to sleep in a bed that also had been soaked in sweat.
"Ugh... I need a good soak in the onsen."
Any other words Kitsune was about to speak were suddenly cut short by a feeling that was all too familiar to her bubbling in her stomach and making it's way towards her throat. Nausea. Holding her hand to her mouth, the fox-eyed woman dashed out of her room and ran to the toilet at a speed that would have put even Dwayne Chambers to shame. With mere seconds to spare, Kitsune dropped to her knees, opened the lid up and - like many people around the world nursing a hangover that morning - emptied most of what she drank the previous night, as well as what she had eaten hours before going out, via her mouth.
In the kitchen...
Everyone, minus the self-proclaimed slacker, was sat at the breakfast table. While listening to the fox-eyed woman's heavy footfalls coupled with the sounds of her stomach contents being ejected into the toilet on an almost-daily basis was practically a regular occurrence, it was still no less disgusting to listen to, especially during breakfast time.
"She really shouldn't let herself go like that..." Naru said, shaking her head in disapproval.
"I agree," Keitaro concurred, "it's not nice having to listen to that noise near enough every morning."
"Is Kitsune-san always like this?" Kaworu asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Yeah!" Su replied, cheerfully. "Nearly every week she drinks like a fish and wakes up the next morning, puking her guts out! She sounded like a -"
"Su, please... stop," Shinobu interrupted, looking green around the gills at Su's running commentary.
Naru also looked a bit queasy. "Su-chan, we could do without that explanation at breakfast time."
"Sorry!" The young gaijin then continued eating. It came as a wonder to the rest of the residents how she could instil such sickening images into not only everybody else's mind, but also into her own, and still continue to eat as if nothing was ever said.
Kaworu simply chuckled softly and returned to his breakfast, taking a bite from the last piece of food that was suspended between his chopsticks, then placed the two sticks in his bowl and stood up, proceeding into the kitchen but stopping just as he was about to go past the Shinobu. "Thank you for the breakfast, Maehara-san; it was exquisite as usual," he spoke, his endearing smile still on his face. "For one of such a young age, you are a very talented and accomplished cook."
Shinobu blushed a fierce hue of crimson, almost to the point where it matched the colour of the slightly older boy's eyes, after placing her bowl down on the table. "A-A-Arigato..." she replied, averting her eyes so they did not meet his. "Just call me Shinobu please, Nagisa-sempai."
The albino simply ruffled her hair playfully with his pale, slender fingers, making the violet-haired girl blush to the point where her face resembled a traffic light. "Please, just Kaworu. Calling me Nagisa-sempai makes me feel older than I actually am," he continued with a wink.
Naru looked up and glared at him as if to say 'do that again and you're dead'. This did not have the desired effect, as Kaworu was largely unfazed. In fact, the older girl found herself unable to maintain her scowl, her face softening as she saw the expression on his face. She wanted to go on a tangent at him, to stand up and lower him with another glare hard enough to shatter diamond while warning him of the consequences if he ever did anything like that again to the petite cook. The problem was that whenever she opened her mouth to try and speak, or try to glare at him again, she'd find herself looking at the earnest, friendly face of Kaworu's, and find that her anger had melted away as quick as it came as she stared into those mysterious crimson orbs. That, and it was almost as if that gentle smile of his had disarmed her of a weapon.
"It was merely an act of politeness, Narusegawa-san," Kaworu spoke, still smiling.
"Just as long as it was that and nothing perverted," Naru replied, unable to meet his gaze, a slight rosy tint highlighting her cheeks.
The albino then walked into the kitchen and washed up his bowl, placing it back into it's designated cupboard after drying it. After helping Shinobu with the washing up once everybody else had finished with their breakfast, he walked back into the living room with the young girl.
"Arigato for helping me with the dishes, Kaworu-san," Shinobu spoke, "but you didn't have to."
"It was my way of repaying the favour for such a wonderful breakfast, Shinobu-chan," Kaworu replied, chuckling lightly.
"Shinobuuuuu! Kaworuuuuu! Time to go to school, lovebirds!" Su yelled as she shot down the stairs past Kaworu and Shinobu, her petite form appearing as a nondescript blur as she dashed out of the front door and skipped merrily down the large stone steps that led to the town below them.
"Su! Wait for me and Kaworu!" Shinobu yelled, grabbing her bag and trying to exit the building while also trying to put her shoes on at the same time. Kaworu simply slipped on his converse shoes and took his duffel bag, calmly walking out of the building while chuckling at the exchange between the two girls.
"Well, I'd best be off," he told Keitaro as he checked his watch and headed for the door.
"Okay," the kanrinin replied. "Have a good day."
"Likewise." He then closed the door behind him and ran down the steps to catch up with Su and Shinobu, slipping on his light jacket at the same time.
Three-quarters of an hour later...
Shinobu and Kaworu were walking side by side down the streets of the small hot spring town, with the hyperactive gaijin bouncing around wherever she could within the vicinity. Somewhere along the way, the young cook couldn't help but sneak a sideward glance out of the corner of her eye at her slightly older male friend, more fascinated about his physical features than anything else. Not exactly flustered, as while she did have to admit he was fairly good looking, it wasn't to the point that her pulse would begin to go through the roof whenever she saw him. He's so pale, she thought. And his hair is so light. He looks as if he's just very delicate.
But what fascinated her the most about him was his red eyes. Those deep, blood-red orbs that only added to the veil of mystery that already surrounded him.
Unfortunately for her, Kaworu noticed; the grey-haired boy's mouth broadening into a smile. "Is there something you want to tell me, Shinobu-chan?"
The petite girl's gaze snapped away from her albino counterpart, a heavy blush on her face that made the pale boy chuckle lightly. "Auuuuu! N-No, Kaworu-san! I-I-I..."
Kaworu chuckled lightly. "You're very shy, aren't you?" He reached over and ruffled the younger girl's hair again, making her blush even heavily. That was the only answer he needed. "You need not be," he continued, smiling politely. "Tell me, why do you get embarrassed around me?"
Shinobu didn't reply for a few moments, gathering up the courage to speak. "I-I'm just not v-very good around boys..." she spoke in a whisper-like tone.
The albino nodded his head in understanding. "I see."
The violet-haired girl's head snapped up. She raised her hands, waving them in front of them. "Auuuuu! I d-don't mean any o-offence to you, Kaworu-san!"
The red-eyed boy chuckled again. "None taken, Shinobu-chan." He sighed. "You really should not be very uptight. If you feel this way around boys in general, what is it going to be like when you get a boyfriend later in life? My advice is to just act like yourself."
Shinobu nodded her head. "Ano... Kaworu-san?"
"Hai?"
"Have you... ever had a girlfriend?" The blush that was fading from her cheeks flared up again as she finished the question, averting her gaze again.
Kaworu simply shook his head. "No. To be honest, I was flattered that so many girls liked me back at my old schools. But... I was not interested in having a relationship just yet. Most of them liked me for what I looked like, rather than just for who I was. They were shallow. Plus, I did not particularly enjoy the attention. I preferred to be alone. I grew used to it eventually. Never having a place to call home. Not knowing my parents."
"It must have been so hard for you..."
"If there were any pressures, I certainly didn't feel them." He turned to face her as they walked. "So, what are your parents like?"
Shinobu froze. This was not a topic she particularly liked talking about, seeing as she was not in what one could call a happy household. Her parents being at odds with one another forced her out of the household and into Hinata Sou, where she could live without having the responsibility of choosing between her parents. She would try day after day to force the issue into the back of her mind. Having it brought up around her made that hard to do. The petite girl was about to speak, but paused just as she opened her mouth. She turned away so that he could not see her face.
"That's... something I'd r-rather not talk about, Kaworu-san."
"I won't ask you to say anything you do not wish to say."
"A-Arigato."
Lunch time.
The albino boy was sat on the branch of a lone tree that stood proudly outside the main building of the school. All the other students were either playing or just hanging around with each other, talking leisurely. He looked out into the distance, at the hilltops that faced the north. A brown bag was resting on his lap as he took a few bites out of his sandwich, his leg swinging back and forth in tune with the music he was listening to. His face was contented, neither a smile nor a frown on his lips, but instead a calm look in his eyes. He then spotted Akiko, Su and Shinobu appearing from the main double doors with another girl in company. The young Molmolian spotted Kaworu up in the tree, and pointed up at him, letting Shinobu and the others know where he was.
"Heeeeyyyy! Kaworuuuuuuuu!" Su called up at him, the cheeriness in her voice never seeming to disappear.
Kaworu looked down and laughed. "You're still very cheerful, aren't you Su?"
"Yup!" The dark-skinned girl then stood on one leg and jumped backwards so she was standing between Akiko and another girl with them who had brown hair. This girl in particular had brown hair that was a slightly lighter shade of brown than that of Akiko's, and tied back in two pigtails. She had three freckles on each cheek, making her seem a lot more cute than she already was. "By the way," Su continued, pointing at the second girl. "Here's another girl we want you to meet!"
The albino boy removed his earphones and placed them in his pocket. Removing his bag from the tree branch it was hanging off, he hoisted it onto his back and jumped off the branch, landing with gracefulness that would have made Su jealous. He then walked over to the four girls, bowing politely at the girl Su was pointing at.
"Konnichiwa," he introduced. "My name is Kaworu Nagisa. Pleased to meet you."
"Likewise," the girl replied, a smile forming on her face as well as a slight rosy hue in her cheeks. "My name is Hikari Horaki."
"Ooooooh..." Su cooed, nearing her face to Hikari's. "Hikari's blushing! She fancies Kaworu too!"
"S-Su-chan! We've only just met!"
The young Molmolian hopped over to Shinobu, prodding the younger of the four girls teasingly. "You've got competition for Kaworu's heart, Shinobu..."
"Suuuuuuu!" Shinobu yelled, another heavy blush forming on her face as she started chasing the older girl around the building. The remaining three people just laughed heartily at the display between the two young friends. Kaworu turned back to Hikari, whose blush had faded.
"I don't know where Su-chan gets all that energy from," the albino boy spoke, his smile widening.
"Me neither. She eats almost her own body weight in food yet can still run fast," Hikari replied, looking at the two as the violet-haired girl continued her pursuit.
"Does she do gymnastics?"
"Hai. Why?"
"Because she could be a brilliant gymnast one day."
Hikari giggled lightly, turning to see the two girls return. Shinobu was standing with her knees bent slightly, her hands placed on them as she tried to get her breath back. Su, meanwhile, looked as if she was just about ready for a second lap around the school building.
"Oh yeah," Su spoke, holding her hand up and snapping her finger. "Hikari, Kaworu is great at playing the piano! Have you heard him playing yet?"
"No, I don't think I have."
"Let's go to the music room, then! Kaworu can play there!" The dark-skinned girl grabbed Hikari and Shinobu by the arm and more or less dragged them to the music room with her. Kaworu and Akiko sweatdropped as they followed the three to the music room.
A few moments later, Kaworu was sat on the stool in front of the piano, with Hikari, Su and Shinobu sat on chairs that were beside him. Cracking his fingers, the young albino then started playing. The soothing melody of 'Moonlight Sonata' rang through the ears of the four girls and made them feel relaxed as his slender fingers pushed the correct ivory and ebony keys without even so much as looking at them, his eyes closed as if he were in heaven. As if it were only him and them four in a separate world of their own for the time being, with no interference from the outside world.
As if they were enclosed in their own special AT-Field.
Once he had finished playing, the four girls applauded politely.
"That was beautiful, Kaworu-san," Hikari spoke, smiling. "Su-chan was right when she said you were good at playing the piano."
"Arigato, Hikari-san." The grey-haired boy replied. "Music has always been one of my greatest joys. It soothes the soul and brings joy to everyone around the symphony."
"I agree there."
The shrill cry of the bell indicating the start of the next lessons interrupted them as Hikari was about to speak once more. The five picked up their respective bags and walked out of the room to their lessons.
"Kaworu-san?" Hikari spoke again before going into her own lesson.
"Hai?"
"Would you like to walk home with me, Su-chan, Akiko-chan and Shinobu-chan?"
Kaworu smiled. "Of course. I would love to."
The brown-haired girl reciprocated the smile. "Okay, see you after school."
Later that evening...
Kaworu was stood on the laundry deck, the breeze slightly stronger than it was during the early hours of the morning, a few strands of his grey hair being blown back as he listened to his CD player. His crimson eyes stared out at the sea before him in silent contemplation, his face wearing a neutral yet calm look rather than the polite smile that the residents of Hinata Sou had grown so accustomed to since his arrival. The fact that he wore the smile so often was strange in itself. Any normal person would have been grimacing every time Naru or Motoko came within eyeshot, if the said person was male. And that was just in public. Seeing them near enough every five minutes within Hinata Sou would make any normal man fear for their personal safety and look over their shoulder every ten seconds in case a raging redhead or a sword-wielding teenager suddenly happened to be tailing them.
Such a beautiful place, he mused. If I lived here forever, I could never leave even if I wanted to.
He was not alone on the decking, however. Although not specifically trained in martial arts, his senses were sharper than those of a typical teenager, and thus he could hear things from a certain distance away. His sharp senses also enabled him to read the ki of other people around him. It was this ability to read ki that alerted him to the presence of a person approaching the balcony, making their way up the steps. From the strength of the said person's ki, he could tell that it belonged to Motoko, the young swordswoman. His smile broadened slightly.
"I was waiting for you, Motoko-chan," Kaworu spoke placidly, the expression on his face the epitome of ethereal calmness. "Good afternoon."
Motoko stopped in her tracks, stunned at the fact that he was able to detect who she was before she was even within eyeshot. H-How did he know it was me coming up? She thought, shocked at the fact that he knew who it was without even turning around to acknowledge her. He could not have heard me, as he had his earpieces in... She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and stared at him with an antagonising scowl. "Since when did I say you could refer to me as 'chan', Nagisa? What is it you want?"
"I thought I might be able to offer you some advice." He replied, smiling lightly.
"What advice could somebody like you offer me?"
"Advice that may help you throughout life."
"Enlighten me."
Kaworu sighed and turned to face Motoko, shutting off his CD player and placing it in his pocket. "Watch and learn from those who are around you, be it when you are here and when you are out. You will learn more about humanity. How it lives... how it adheres to society... how it matures through life."
"What is this nonsense you are talking about!" She unsheathed her katana and pointed it at him, the cold steel of the blade glimmering ominously in the sunlight that tried forcing it's way through the edges of a cloud. "I know enough about those who live around me without needing to take advice from the likes of you!"
The gray-haired boy shook his head and tutted in disapproval. "I pity you," he retorted, closing his eyes and turning around to face the scenery once again.
"What!"
"You cannot face the reality of life, so you resort to hiding behind the cold blade of steel that is your katana. Yet, where would you be if you did not have it at hand? In reality, although you claim to be so strong-willed, traditional and rule-abiding, you are weak and helpless deep within the surface when you are perceived to be. For you to be so full of hate for the male populace of this township, something must have happened to either you or someone else that you know and love at a younger age."
Motoko had heard enough. She readied herself in her attacking stance. "You will pay for that, Nagisa!" The tenants of Hinata Sou - Keitaro in particular - knew that whenever the Aoyama girl got angry, it would often result in injury. The glare on her face would have been able to shatter the most brilliant diamond. Many people recoiled in fright whenever this glare was directed towards them; those who got on the wrong side of her knew just how frightening she could really be. She even took a little pride in her own intimidating nature.
But she noticed the expression on the grey-haired teenager's face. He did not look frightened at all; in fact, he looked as calm as ever, which perplexed the kendo girl. While preparing to attack, she couldn't help but wonder whether he was either insane or was willing to die - either way, she kept her composure but felt slightly unnerved. There was something about Kaworu. Something that she could not put her finger on.
"Hiken..." she growled, beginning to summon up the right amount of ki needed to execute the attack. Kaworu still stood there, his hands in his pockets while smiling at her as if this were a formal meeting between the two. "...ZANKUSEN!" She finally bellowed her war cry as she leaned forward with one leg bent at the knee and the other one straightened at the back, and swept the blade downward effortlessly. The ki she had mustered was released in a visible gale that threatened to flatten anything that stood in it's destructive path. And even then, Kaworu still stood there calmly.
It wasn't until a split second before the wave of ki collided with it's intended target that it soon spread out in all directions after rebounding off the same geometric distortion in the space between the wave and the young teenager that she had witnessed the previous day in the kitchen. It would have been a complete understatement to say that Motoko was shocked that her attack had, yet again, not caused any damage whatsoever. The kendo girl felt her knees begin to go from under her with the shock at what she had just witnessed, and rested against the railing adjacent to the one Kaworu was leaning against.
"Wh-What the... how did I not manage to hit you?"
"My, my. I do not mean to sound rude," Kaworu spoke, shaking his head with a slight frown on his face. "but why do you not want my advice? It could be very beneficial to your development as a woman."
"What was that!" Motoko cried, the disbelief in her voice hardly concealed as she ignored what the albino said. "What kind of inhuman being are you!"
"The AT-Field."
"What is this... AT-Field?"
"The Absolute Terror Field," Kaworu recited. "Surely you know about the light of the soul? The sacred territory where nobody may enter unless they have my invitation." His smile broadened. "And you, Motoko Aoyama of the Shinmei Ryu School of Martial Arts..." he continued, "...are most definitely not invited."
All of a sudden, a powerful shockwave that seemed to appear from nowhere caused the balconies on either side of him to give way, including the one Motoko was leaning on. The Aoyama girl, having placed all her weight on one of the said balconies, fell and landed on one of the slanted points of the roof - the wooden posts that made up the balcony sliding down the roof and into the onsen with a series of splashes. A split second before she rolled off the roof and landed into the onsen below them, she grabbed onto the guttering that ran along the outside of the building - largely due to the sharpened reflexes she developed from her years of training at the Shinmei Ryu. Grimacing as a jolt of pain shot through her back, she looked up and saw Kaworu staring down at her, his patented smile no longer on his face; instead, it was replaced with one of mild concern for the slightly older girl.
"Do you need assistance, Motoko-chan?" Kaworu asked, his soft voice with a tone of concern.
"Assistance!" the kendo girl spat. "From you! I would rather fall than accept your help!"
The albino sighed and ran his slender fingers through his grey hair. "Well, I'm going to help you anyway. It would go against my conscience to leave you in such a state."
Climbing onto the roof from where the balcony had broken, Kaworu positioned his body so he could safely advance down the slippery surface. Offering Motoko a hand, he smiled gently as the two made eye contact. Unfortunately for him, the young swordswoman glared at him before averting her gaze, the faintest traces of a blush on her cheeks. He frowned slightly as the guttering could be heard beginning to creak.
"Motoko-chan..." the young teenager spoke again, "you should not be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help. Even the strongest swordsmen and women in the world today have asked for assistance wherever or whenever they have needed it. That doesn't give them reason to be embarrassed, because their pride still remains intact. Now, are you going to accept my offer or am I going to have to help you up regardless of what you say?"
Motoko didn't reply. The creaking sounds beginning to get louder was the only answer Kaworu needed. The albino then grabbed her hand and hoisted her up and over the guttering and back onto the roof, just as a few rusty screws had begun to fall loose and to the onsen below them.
For a few moments, nothing was said between the two teenagers until Kaworu stood up and walked over to the opposite side of the roof, sitting down.
"Now, are you willing to listen to my advice?" He spoke, looking over his shoulder as a few strands of his hair blew across his face slightly in the gentle wind. "It could help you."
Motoko grunted as she stood up and walked back over to him, sheathing the katana that had dropped onto the ground. For the briefest of moments she considered drawing it again and preparing to attack, but the AT-Field that surrounded him would only make attempts at any conventional means of attack useless. "It would seem that I do not have a choice in the matter."
Kaworu smirked. "Then so be it." He cleared his throat. "My advice is this. You are still maturing. Bearing such a hatred towards the male populace will only hinder your maturity. Humanity matures because it is the only way they can survive in life. Take, for instance, Kitsune-san. The oldest of us. Despite her age, she still acts as if she were trying to recapture her adolescence. This is her own way of dealing with her problems. Then, observe the emotions of the other residents in this building. Shinobu-chan's innocence. Su-chan and Sarah-chan's cheeriness. Naru-san's anger. Do these displays of emotion evoke some sort of feeling from deep inside you, Motoko-chan? Everybody has their own ways of dealing with the problems that act as barriers throughout the course of life. Besides which, if you continue to bear these feelings of anger, you will never trust men again."
"And that is bad because? Men are only perverts who have one thing in mind; the corruption of innocent females. You are no different."
The albino's eyes widened slightly. "Do you not realise how your lack of trust in men can harm the development of the Shinmei Ryu School?"
Motoko scowled slightly. "What are you talking about?"
"How do you expect to continue the tradition of the dojo if you choose not to marry and give birth to children?"
Then it all fell into place. It was now Motoko's turn to be surprised as she eventually realised that if she were not to marry and raise children with her future husband, then once the Shinmei Ryu school was handed down to her it would not be passed on to anyone else come the day of her death. How ironic for her it was that she hated men with every fibre of her being, yet she would have to rely on one if she were to keep the dojo running once she had taken responsibility of it from her sister. She would rather commit seppuku on the spot than rely on a man. But then that would only be the coward's way out, refusing to see that she cannot maintain and inherit the kendo school all by herself. Tsuruko was a prime example of true strength, telling her younger sister many times that the well of strength from which she drew her power was not only from her blade, but also from her husband. While this may not have been physical strength, it was something that could be more powerful than that; emotional strength.
"I... I never thought about that."
Kaworu walked over to the young swordswoman and stood beside her. "I understand how hard it must have been for you. Seven years old, and you had the responsibility of becoming the next heir of the Shinmei Ryu school of Kendo... you grew up, forced to bear the responsibilities of a fully-grown adult at an age that could be damaging to any child. You have no pieces left of your childhood because you were blinded by your ambition to fulfill your sister's promise, and along the way you convinced everybody around you that you wanted it that way."
"What!"
"Do you understand what I mean?" Kaworu continued. "You grew up too fast. You weren't given the time to mature slowly, and as a consequence of being forced into adulthood you have no sense of what you should have learnt at that age. Such an experience has left you psychologically scarred; scars which can heal when given the time to do so. You can still learn what you never did at that age. But even when you do become an adult, you will still be learning."
Motoko had no answer to that theory. In fact she could not argue against it, because she knew that Kaworu was right. Having been handed a responsibility with such a high level of importance had caused her to miss out on learning some of the things she should have learnt as a child that would have been beneficial towards her blossoming as an older girl and eventually an adult. As a result of this, she - indeed - grew up at too early an age.
"I hope you bear my advice in mind, Motoko-chan," Kaworu concluded. "Like I said, it could be highly beneficial to you." He then started walking towards
"One more thing, Nagisa."
Kaworu stopped walking. "Hai?"
"How did you know that I was part of the Shinmei Ryu? And how did you know of my past?"
The albino sighed, a whimsical smile on his face. "Everybody has heard of them. Surely you do not underestimate your own position and importance in such a manner?"
Motoko remained silent for a few more moments, before an indignant scowl appeared on her porcelain like features, with the faintest traces of a competitive grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "Hmph! Just because you have given me advice does not mean that I will see you in a different light," she spoke, pointing the hilt of her sword towards him. "I will still be keeping my eye on you, Nagisa, and if you step out of line I shall see that the blade of my katana brings you to justice, one way or another. It would be best if you kept that in mind."
Kaworu simply smirked in response. "Then so be it, Motoko-chan."
He made his way down the steps leading from the balcony to back inside the dorm, leaving the young swordswoman on the balcony, her face showing no signs of emotion.
: END CHAPTER THREE :
: AUTHOR'S NOTES :
My my, it's been a little bit since I last updated this, hasn't it:P
Woo. First ever chapter I have written that has exceeded 7,000 words. Go me! Ahem...
And now, a few messages:
urmomlolz: There'll be some spicy conflict between Motoko and Kaworu in time - this chapter was only a taster.. ;)
Liber Logaeth: You'll have noticed that I introduced Hikari Horaki as a friend of Su, Shinobu and Akiko. I had that one planned from the start too. Although I brought her into the story too, I won't bring Kensuke, Touji or Asuka into the fray... that'd really be pushing it. :)
Chris Oddland: I agree with you there. Kaworu will pretty much have the same personality in this fic as he did in NGE. He'll be treating all the other residents with respect, but Keitaro and Shinobu in particular. He'll also be a 'playmate' for Su... what am I letting him in for? Motoko and Naru... well, let's just say they won't be lightening up to the poor boy anytime soon... :D
Zefrn: Glad you like it so far, but the spacing errors aren't down to me. Whenever I type it out in WordPad, there are no words joined together, e.g. 'surelyyou', 'howdid'. These errors seem to crop up whenever I use that damned QuickEdit to use the horizontal rule tool.
Godsbane: I'm pleased you like it, though I wouldn't go so far as to say it was excellent. I'm nowhere near that good. ;)
If Kaworu seems a bit too knowledgeable and OOC, let me know. The only reason I've made him the way he appears in this chapter is because of the way I have perceived him to be from the anime, and from other Evangelion fics I have read, e.g. 'Chances Taken' by Random1377 and 'Divided We Fall' by Hotwire. Also, if you've ever seen the Director's Cut of Episode 24, you'll see the part where Kaworu is talking to the black monoliths that make up the people of SEELE. After they disappear, you'll see Misato watching him through a pair of binoculars - from about two miles away or something like that - and he still sees where she is by turning around and looking in her exact direction.
All feedback is welcome.