Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis: Evangelion or All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku.
Some problems prevented me from uploading this latest chapter, so please excuse the lateness.
All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Rei-Rei
By Crimson Arrow
Chapter Three
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Unshaken after a fall that should have killed them, the figure calmly stood up and revealed themselves to be a young girl. A very peculiar young girl to be precise, for apart from making a crater in the ground, she had the strangest of appearances.
Looking to be the same age as Shinji, the girl wore a tight, mostly white rubber outfit that showed off her slim figure. Quickly looking away to avoid a nosebleed, Shinji focused his eyes a little higher, and found some unusual features.
For one, this girl had pale skin. Very pale skin; it looked like she had never seen the sun. She also had blue hair. Short, feathery blue hair that framed her face in a wolfish manner. But most disconcerting of all were her piercing red eyes. Eyes that seemed to bore right through you, but at the same time were so very distant.
She looks like a porcelain doll…
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Although enchanted by her, Shinji could not get one question out of his mind.
Has she ever smiled?
He could swear the girl in front of him was the meaning of the word stoic. She gave off an aura of apathy so strong Shinji thought any kind of emotion would be sucked away; negated just by her presence.
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And that expression… so cold, so… indifferent. Who is she? What's happened to make her so?
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The VTOL had disappeared during Shinji's musings. Moving to be beside her, Gendou introduced the newcomer.
"Meet Rei. Rei Ayanami."
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Yui was more wary than she had ever been. Who was this girl that was beyond ordinary? What had her former husband been up to?
"Gendou… what have you done?"
"You don't know, Yui? You should recognise your work when you see it… even if it was never put into practice."
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"No… you didn't… but how?"
"Naoko told me everything. All it took was some persuasion and she even agreed to head the project."
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"You… I guess you're not a successful businessman for nothing. But this… to do something like this, it's – it's wrong!"
"You forced me to, Yui… I had to fight fire with fire. Don't you see the resemblance?"
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Perplexed, Yui turned her eyes towards the girl… if that's what she really was. At first she thought she was mistaken, worn out by the events of the night, but there was no denying it.
That cute button nose.
The shape of the eyes.
Those soft lips.
The heart-shaped face.
Even that bob-like hair style.
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…This girl had her face.
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"H-How…? Why? What is the meaning of this?"
"Stop the charade, Yui. You know very well why…"
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"Wait, you mean… oh, you have got to be kidding me."
"What better way to fight an Oedipus complex? With your looks, there's no way Shin-chan can resist Rei. Not to mention her… other abilities. I'm sure you're well aware that you're no match for her."
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Yui did not seem to hear this last part… she was too busy muttering to herself about 'divine punishment', 'for the good of human kind', and something about her 'alibi'. Apparently, she did not think much of Gendou's now evident plan of attack. Not much at all.
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Shinji however, wasn't so sure. Continuing to peer out from behind his mother, he had been unable to take his eyes off the one called Rei Ayanami. For some curious reason he felt that if he looked away she would disappear. While still being entranced by those crimson orbs, he asked the question that had been racking his mind all night.
"Kaa-san… do I really have an Oedipus complex?"
"No! No you don't, son! You may have hedgehog's dilemma, self-worth issues, and a fear of fatherly figures, but you do not have an Oedipus complex! Okay?"
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"Oh… okay."
Giving Shinji a queer look, Yui raised an eyebow.
"Don't sound so disappointed, Shinji…"
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"Enough. Oh, Shin-chan…"
Despite Gendou's best intentions, his sing-song voice was no where near soothing. Far from it – it was plain frightening. Next to bearded men, white gloves, and the time his father dressed up as Santa Claus, a sing-song voice was one of Shinji's worst nightmares.
"Shin-chan, do you want to come home with your rich, loving father? Or do you want to go with that vile woman? I've got cookies baking in the oven!"
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With his legs bent and his hands on his knees, Gendou was in the classic father-tries-to-win-son-over pose. He was even rocking back and forth on his heels. Holding back their urge to retch, mother and son gave the father a blank stare.
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"Um, Otou-san… listen… you're my father and all, and… and you'll always be my father no matter what, but… but…"
"But what, Shin-chan?"
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But you scare the b'jesus out of me... No, I better lay him down gently.
"…But… ah… um… ahem… screw it. You scare the b'jesus out of me, Otou-san."
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Straight-faced and silent, Gendou slowly took his hands away from his knees and stood upright. A chill went through Shinji's spine. His father had gone into business mode and even the air changed with him. Pushing his glasses up with his middle finger, Gendou spoke.
"I see. Your mother's hold over you is stronger than I had hoped. You leave me no other option, Shinji. Rei?"
"Sir?"
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"Proceed with the Operation."
"Yes, sir."
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What happened next was a blur in Shinji's memory. One moment his mother was telling him to run and the next she was lying on the ground. Behind him. Halfway down the road.
"Kaa-san!"
"Stage One complete. All obstacles removed."
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The low voice, almost akin to an automated response, made Shinji jump. The girl called Rei was right behind him; right where his mother had been standing. She was so close that an inch more and their noses would touch… prompting Shinji to fall clumsily on his behind. While on the ground, Shinji put two and two together.
…Eskimo kiss? No! How can I be thinking about that at a time like this! This girl… she… and Kaa-san… in one blow! But she looks so fragile… so delicate, so slender, so soft, and those legs and that ches – aargh! I do not have an Oedipus complex! I don't!
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"Proceeding with Stage Two."
Finished with wiping his strangely spontaneous nosebleed, Shinji perked up his head. He thought for sure that Stage Two meant the girl beating him senseless so he could be taken away.
How wrong he was. How very wrong.
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"H-Hey! W-What are you doing!"
"Proceeding with Stage Two."
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"No! D-Don't do that!"
"Do not fear. Trust in your father's plan."
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"Aargh! What in God's name is Stage Two!"
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Stepping out of the white mound that was her rubber suit, Rei left nothing to the imagination wearing her see-through, body-hugging, black dress. The flowing skirt with its slit up the side bared willowy thigh and a daring 'V' cut on the front made a mockery of 'overexposure'.
Dark cloth against pale skin was hauntingly sensuous. Even more so the longer you stared, Shinji noted, blinded as he was by the sight. Quite literally – the helicopter's spotlights had been activated and were reflecting off strategically placed mirrors onto Rei, and its propellers were spinning. Not fast enough to lift off, but enough to make a gentle breeze.
The overall effect was striking. There lay Shinji on the asphalt, shielding his eyes from what can only be described as the vision of an Angel. Light did not touch her – it shone from her. Her radiance was divine; her strange features suddenly noble. Wind brushed through her wispy hair.
The moon shimmered in the darkness.
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Under her breath, she answered Shinji's question.
"Stage Two complete. Seduction successful."
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The scene was so picturesque, so unreal, so…
"Bwahahahaha!"
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…so ruined.
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Speaking through a mircophone, Gendou decided to coax his son a little more – ironically bringing Shinji out of his stupor. Recalling that his father wanted him to come live with him, Shinji did what he did best.
He ran away. He got up and he ran away like his life depended on it – which it did. Life with his father did not seem to be the most promising prospect, especially when you considered the wardrobe Gendou had been laying out for his son… and himself.
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"Rei, proceed with Stage Three – and quickly now. I need to take Shinji's measurements for our matching clothes."
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Finding a new fear to spurr him onwards, Shinji ran like the wind. His father's voice continued to boom behind him – continued to give him more reason to run.
"Resistance is futile, son. Rei has been fine-tuned to your needs – intellectually and physically. See how she looks like your mother? Do you see, Shinji? Look at her! You love that face, don't you? Don't you! Give in to the Oedipus Complex, Shinji! Give in to the Oedipus side! Bwahahahaha!"
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It pained Gendou's heart to say such things, but he knew deep down it was the only way. If he could win Shinji over like this, there would be nothing Yui could do. Nothing. Oh, she thought she was so smart giving his son an Oedipus Complex, but he had made a fool-proof plan to render it useless. The look on her face will be priceless when she sees that Shinji wants to be with Rei – and therefore him.
Yes. He was just too good.
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Elsewhere, further down the highway, Shinji was expressing his distress – physically and vocally.
This was not in the briefing... Thought Rei.
Thanks again to Lone Wulffe, EvaontheRocks, and Wanderer.
Chapter 4 coming up.