Chapter 18 – The Party
Misato awoke in her futon in a cold sweat, her heart racing and her breath coming in fast gasps. She'd been having a nightmare, the same nightmare that she'd had for years since that fateful day, the day of Second Impact... In her waking life she'd been able to compartmentalize those memories but in her sleep sometimes they often couldn't be kept at bay. She sat up and ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to get the images out of her mind, the visions of the wreckage in the ice, the giant of light, the glowing wings, the sight of her father before his death when he put her in that capsule... It was a burden she would always have to bear, those bitter and painful memories...
The past few days had been quite interesting. She'd done her best to avoid Kaji after the embarrassing time in the elevator during the blackout. That whole ordeal had been intensely uncomfortable, especially considering their history together. It sucked that even now there was an... inkling of intimate feelings that remained in her heart for him. She hated that, was afraid of that, and would do anything she could to squash them. He reminded her too much of her father whom she'd hated right up until... No. She wouldn't even give those thoughts the time of day. Slowly she lifted herself from her futon and stepped over to her dresser to begin getting dressed.
She'd made sure to give the pilots a thorough talking to after they'd all gone AWOL after the last Angel's defeat, specifically Asuka who had been the mastermind behind their excursion to the hills outside Tokyo 3. Despite her stern words, she didn't fault them too much for their actions. They were just kids after all and they certainly needed moments of levity.
In the wake of recent operations, she'd also received unexpected news. She'd been promoted to the rank of Major in response to her handling of the Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth Angels. Though she was thankful for the bump in pay, it also meant even more responsibilities and pressure from the commanders. That made her quite apprehensive. She could only hope that she'd prove to be up to the task...
She stared at her reflection in the mirror on her dresser as she clipped on her bra, her eyes homing in on the jagged scar that crossed her abdomen just beneath her ribs. It was a permanent reminder of the horrors of Second Impact that she would never escape. No matter what, she would rise to whatever challenges that would come, she had to. She owed that to herself and to her father who had died to save her the day that she'd received that scar. Somehow though, the more she fought against the otherworldly threat, revenge began to be less important than justice and moving forward. She had risen so far above the circumstances she was cursed with.
Her eyes drifted to the cross necklace that she always wore that sat on her dresser table. It had belonged to her father before Second Impact and he'd given it to her when he'd placed her in that escape capsule right before the final blast when Adam had annihilated the continent of Antarctica. She'd worn it every day since then and even now she questioned why... She'd despised her father but she'd always hoped that their relationship could be better... Maybe that was why she kept wearing it, to keep his memory alive...
Well... no use reminiscing on the past when the present loomed over her. Time to get ready, face the day ahead of her, and put the past to rest for now...
The sudden rain had come as a surprise to Rei. When she'd awoken and gotten dressed the sky had been somewhat overcast but there had been no indication of the deluge that she was now caught in. From what she'd heard the previous day, it wasn't supposed to rain until later in the day. Then again, according to Misato, the weatherman was always wrong... Even in the perpetual summer of the post Second Impact Japan the rain was still cold and she shivered as she walked to Shinji's residence. She hoped that she'd have a chance to try off before heading off to school. Maybe after drying off she'd get an chance to share an umbrella with Shinji on the way afterward. That was certainly an appealing thought...
She rounded a corner on the street and as she did she took note of footfalls at a running pace. She turned to see both Aida and Suzuhara dashing along the sidewalk towards her. Even though they were running full force their heads were down to shield their faces from the rain. It would seem they were in a similar predicament to her.
"Man! This rain came out of nowhere!" She overheard Suzuhara yelping. "Why didn't I think to bring a damn umbrella!"
"The forecast didn't say anything about this! It's not either of our faults, we just got caught in it!" Aida exclaimed.
"Still!" Suzuhara moaned. "This sucks! Wait, what?"
The two of them ground to a halt right in front of her, Suzuhara even putting his arm out to help arrest Aida as they both struggled to stop. "Oh hey, Ayanami," Aida said, panting. "Fancy seeing you here. What brings you out this way?"
"I was going to Shinji's residence to walk with him to school," she replied flatly.
"Oh cool," Suzuhara returned. "Think he might let us dry off if we tagged along?"
Surely Shinji wouldn't turn his two friends away, especially considering how heavily it was pouring rain. "I do not think he would mind," she replied.
"Oh, thank heavens!" Aida exclaimed. "I'm soaked to the bone!"
The three of them resumed walking down the sidewalk under the deluge of torrential rain. Rei shivered as they drew closer their destination. Her clothes were beginning to cling to her body and her hair was matting to her head and getting a chance to dry off was quickly becoming the only thing on her mind. Though she knew there wouldn't be time to do so, getting to sit in the living room at Misato's underneath her kotatsu table with a cup of tea sounded like the most wonderful thing in the world...
"So, Ayanami..." Aida spoke up, shaking her from her fantasies. "Do you usually walk to school with Shinji-kun and Soryu-san?"
She nodded. "Yes," she replied softly.
Suzuhara chuckled. "The three of you must be close," he mused.
Rei nodded. That was a perceptive assumption on the athletic boy's part. "Yes..." she replied. "I would like to think we are..."
Shinji sipped his coffee at the kitchen table and listened to the rain pattering against the veranda outside. So far the morning had been pretty uneventful other than Asuka stealing his bagel out of his hand the minute she entered the kitchen before he had a chance to even take a bite. She'd done so with a playful smirk and a glib remark before stalking off back to her room. He had a feeling that she was doing it to screw with him for whatever reason but that still meant he had to toast another one before he could sate his morning hunger. Other than that, the morning was nothing special, and it seemed that today would be one of those days where Misato would be sleeping in...
The doorbell rang just as he was finishing his morning coffee. He smiled. It seemed like Rei had arrived early. Hopefully she hadn't gotten too soaked on her walk. Shinji stepped down the hallway and opened the door but when he did a wave of surprise crashed over him. Rei was there, as expected, but just behind her were Kensuke and Touji. All three of them were positively soaked to the bone.
"Hey, Rei," he greeted, confused as to why Rei had brought them with her. "Touji-kun, Kensuke-kun, what are you doing here?"
"Good morning, Shinji," Rei returned with a soft smile. "I ran into Aida-san and Suzuhara-san on the way here."
"Yeah, Shin-man, you mind if we step in for a minute?" Touji asked. "We're soaked!"
Shinji nodded in affirmation but if he was being honest with himself, he was just a little uncomfortable with the idea. He didn't mind Rei coming in but who knew if he would ever hear the end of it from any one involved if Touji and Kensuke caught Misato being a slob in the morning... "Sure," he replied. "Just try not to be to loud, Misato-san isn't up yet."
"No worries," Kensuke returned. "We'll behave, so long as you've got dry towels."
Shinji smiled softly. Hopefully they would be true to their word. "Okay, come on in then," he stated before gesturing for them all to come inside.
Rei, Touji, and Kensuke filed in to the apartment and Shinji went about grabbing them towels from the wash room. As soon as he handed them their respective drying cloths each of them began running them over their heads to sap the moisture that clung there with differing amounts of gusto. Rei dabbed at her hair lightly and tried her best not to get water everywhere but Touji and Kensuke more or less ran their towels over their heads like angry cats trying to get dry.
"Thanks so much for letting us step in," Touji said as soon as he finished scrubbing with his towel, letting it rest atop his head.
"Yeah!" Kensuke added, his voice coming out just a bit louder than necessary and doing the same thing with his towel as Touji had. "Thanks Shinji-kun, this rain came out of nowhere!"
Rei folded hers neatly and placed it on the kitchen table before issuing a soft smile. "Thank you, Shinji," she softly replied. "Indeed, the rain did start rather suddenly."
"Hopefully we don't catch a cold," Touji commented. "That would really suck."
"Man, the fact that you're the toughest athlete in school and you can be laid low by a cold is a mystery to me!" Kensuke teased.
"Me too, honestly," Touji replied. "But I guess everyone has to have a weakness, like you with your otaku hobbies!"
Shinji winced at how the volume of the voices continued to rise. From the slight wrinkling of her brow, she could tell that Rei was also not used to things being so loud in the Katsuragi living room at this hour... "Guys... keep it down..." he murmured, hoping to shush them.
"Hey! Who's there!" A sharp voice sounded from the direction of the living room. Seconds later in burst Asuka. "Oh hi there Rei," she greeted, slipping into a friendly tone before turning a glare towards Touji and Kensuke. "What are Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee doing here?"
Touji glared back at her, clenching his fist. "I'll show you Tweedle Dum!" he spat.
Asuka snorted. "As if, what are you doing in my home?"
"Shinji let us dry off from the rain," Kensuke stated.
"Why didn't you grab umbrellas before leaving your houses?" Asuka scoffed. "The weatherman said it was going to rain later today."
"Exactly," Kensuke countered. "Later today, none of us were expecting it this early."
Shinji glanced over at Rei once more who appeared ever more off put by the boisterous conversation currently happening. He couldn't help but sympathize with her. This was too much activity this early in the morning...
"Well it's certainly rowdy in here this morning..."
The banter in the kitchen ceased instantly and all eyes turned to the doorway to the living room. In stepped Misato who was, surprisingly, dressed to perfect NERV regulation standard in her uniform. Rei immediately greeted her with a soft bow. "Good morning, Misato-san," she said.
Misato acknowledged her with a nod. "Morning Rei, good to see you as always," she replied cheerfully before turning to regard Touji and Kensuke. "Good morning you two, it's been a while. Surprised to see you here."
"Shinji invited us in from the rain," Touji replied, a stupid, wistful grin taking shape on his face. Shinji scowled. The fact that Touji still, after him explaining to them numerous times by now that she was a total slob, was so infatuated by his guardian was sickening...
"Oh I see," Misato replied with a smile. "By the way, there's another harmonics test scheduled for this afternoon. Don't forget, alright?"
"We won't," Shinji and his two fellow pilots replied in unison.
As if possessed, Kensuke suddenly snapped into a deep bow. "C- congratulations on your promotion, Katsuragi-san!" he exclaimed.
Misato smiled warmly. "You're too kind, Aida-san," she returned.
Shinji looked at him with a puzzled expression. Misato hadn't mentioned anything like that to him or anyone for that matter... what on earth could Kensuke be talking about? "Promotion?" he asked.
Kensuke stood upright and adjusted his glassed before looking at him with a perplexed expression. "Can't you see the badge on her jacket!?" he exclaimed. "She's been promoted to Major!"
"Wait, when were you going to tell us?" Asuka inquired.
Misato laughed nervously. "Well... it happened just a day ago so... It's really not a big deal," she replied sheepishly.
"It is... good... to be recognized for one's service," Rei stated softly. "You deserve that recognition."
Misato gave Rei a warm look. "I'm glad you think so," she replied before starting toward the entrance hallway. "I've got to run. See you guys later." Shinji watched as she disappeared down the hallway. After a moment he heard the front door open and close again.
The mood in the room seemed to shift in a way Shinji couldn't fully place. "Well... we should probably get going for school," he stated softly.
"Oh, relax, Shin-man, we still have a few minutes before we need to get moving," Touji replied.
"Excuse me, who are you to tell us what to do?" Asuka retorted. "Right now we're in my house which means you have no authority on what we do."
"Actually, I believe you share it with Shinji-kun and Major Katsuragi," Kensuke interjected.
"I agree with Shinji," Rei stated in that hushed but firm way that she sometimes did. "We shouldn't risk being tardy."
"For once, I also agree with Shinji," Asuka added. "Three to two, you're out voted."
Touji and Kensuke both sighed. "Whatever..." Touji huffed. "Gonna suck going back out in the rain... but we're just gonna end up getting soaked again before we get to school."
"Yeah..." Kensuke grumbled. "Nothing's worse than sitting in class all day in a soggy uniform."
Shinji cringed at the thought of that. Sitting at his desk with a damp uniform was indeed not a very pleasant feeling...
Rei had to confirm what Aida had said shortly before the group had left Shinji's home, sitting all day in class in a damp uniform was indeed very unpleasant. It wasn't perhaps the worst thing in the world as Aida had implied but it was certainly not pleasant. Even though she'd managed to dry off quite a bit before the final walk to school commenced she was still rather damp for the first hour of two of class. She was rather grateful that Shinji had found a pair of umbrellas to use for the trip in but she hadn't gotten to share one with him. Instead, he'd shared his with Aida and Suzuhara while she'd huddled under the second with Asuka. She didn't mind this detail, it was the most efficient way of keeping everyone dry without causing complaints, but... it would have been pleasant to be in such close proximity to Shinji for reasons she could not place.
Now it was lunch time and she was sitting around in the back of the class room with everyone from the morning plus Horaki. It was the usual gathering that she had by now gotten used to during the reprieve from their teacher's lecturing. At present, she was eating the meal that Shinji had so kindly prepared for her and listening to the conversations going on around her as was usual. She didn't have much to add but... listening to what was spoken about within the group was enjoyable in it's own right.
"Say... what do you guys think about throwing a party tomorrow for Katsuragi-san in honor of her promotion?" she heard Aida ask, arresting her full attention.
Rei faintly remembered getting an invite to a party from Asuka when in the original timeline when Misato had received her promotion to Major. At the time she had declined the offer as she'd not been very close with Misato and definitely had not shared any friendship with Asuka. This time... she wouldn't be so opposed to attending such a gathering.
"Y'know, that's not such a bad idea," Asuka replied. "She has been working pretty hard so why not. Still, parties are usually pretty stupid."
Touji chuckled. "Definitely Katsuragi deserves it," he stated. "It's the least we could do for her, considering she's been working so hard to fight the Angels and all."
Asuka snorted. "Hey, Shinji, Rei, and I are the ones who are really risking our necks to defeat them!" she huffed. "Where's our thanks?"
"Hey, I'm for it," Horaki said. "I think it would be fun."
Asuka nodded and gave a lopsided grin. "Yeah, I guess," she replied. "Rei, Shinji, what do you guys think?"
Rei smiled softly. The more she thought about it, taking a chance to decompress and relax after all the stress of the recent Angel encounters did sound quite appealing. "I think it would be enjoyable," she returned.
"I'm not used to big gatherings but... I don't mind," Shinji stated. "But I don't know the first thing about putting a party together."
Asuka snickered. "Of course you don't," she teased.
Rei's eyes narrowed at the comment toward her closest friend. She disliked how despite things being overall better between herself, Shinji, and Asuka, the redhead still seemed to take pleasure in making comments at Shinji's expense. Then again, that was just the kind of person Asuka was. She teased. She used condescension to conceal her insecurities. Rei closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the negative feelings dissipate like a puff of smoke. Shinji didn't seem to let her words effect him so why should she let a backhanded insult that wasn't even directed her way effect her?
"It's settled then!" Aida chirped. "I'll organize this thing! It'll be the best night of all our lives!"
"Ha!" Suzuhara laughed. "I'll believe it when I see it!"
Aida crossed his arms and looked down his nose at the athletic boy. "You doubt my organizational skills?" he grumbled.
"Outside of playing role playing games, yes," Suzuhara replied with a grin.
Aida scowled momentarily but took a deep breath and smirked. "Fine then," he replied. "I'll show you. I'll get everything worked out by the end of tonight."
"I'll help," Horaki stated with a warm smile. "I've had a lot of practice planning parties for my sisters."
"I'll help too then," Suzuhara hastily added.
Aida gave Shuzhara sly glance. "And what's your motivation, after questioning my skills?" he inquired with a grin. "Would have thought that you'd prefer to watch me crash and burn..."
Suzuhara tensed up and looked away. "No reason..." he grumbled.
Asuka crossed her arms. "Well, if we're having a party, there had better be pizza," she stated softly.
"Cool," Aida replied. "What toppings."
Rei remembered the last time she'd had the dish and a smile came over her, it had been really quite tasty. Still, she knew that meat was par for the course when it came to that particular food and she had no desire to break from her vegetarian diet. "I would enjoy a vegetarian pizza," she stated softly.
Asuka sighed. "You really should broaden your horizons, Wonder-girl," she said. "I'm telling you, sausage is by far the superior pizza."
"I dislike the taste of meat," Rei replied softly.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Rei, there are some things about you that I will never understand..."
Soon enough, lunch ended and the tedium of the school day resumed. Rei couldn't help but feel... a bit excited for whatever the gathering the next day would be like. At the very least, it would be nice to spend time with Misato, Asuka, and Shinji outside of school or NERV...
After school Asuka had called Kaji and let him know about the party that would take place after school the next day. He'd told her during that call that he wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it but he would try his best which had certainly been good to hear. She never got to see him enough. After that call, she'd had a pleasant walk with fellow pilots on the way to NERV for the harmonics test they'd been scheduled for. Shinji and Rei weren't the most talkative people in the world but still, they made for somewhat interesting idle conversation.
Said harmonics test had finally at long last wrapped up. Asuka had long grown tired of of these routine procedures, she'd been doing them for years, ever since she'd first sat in the entry plug of her Unit 02. As much as she hated the tests themselves she did relish in the debrief after they were over. The debrief was where she got to be informed of her score, where her superiors lauded her abilities and recognized her as the best of the best. She was the best, the best Evangelion pilot in the world, and hearing it made all the suffering and frustrations that came with that position worth it. She stood before Misato, Dr. Akagi, and the rest of the usual crew as the debrief began with Shinji and Rei beside her.
"All of you did very well," Dr. Akagi stated. "Especially you Shinji, you did excellent today."
"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.
"Your harmonics values have increased by eight points since the last test," Dr. Akagi stated. "That's very good."
Asuka crossed her arms. How could he have improved so fast? It was incredible... Maybe he was actually worthy of her attention? No! That was stupid as hell. He was a total wimp outside of his Eva, there was no way she would let herself feel admiration let alone anything more in regards to him. Sure, they were friends but nothing more, never anything more. So... best to shut that out by playing up her own prowess as pilot. So long as she could focus on her job and continue being the best then that was all that mattered. She wasn't about to let him think he'd have a chance at surpassing her one day. She was the top Eva pilot in the world, the best, and the best didn't settle for... someone like Shinji. "It's still fifty points behind my score," she stated with a smirk.
"Even so, eight points in ten days is quite an achievement," Dr. Akagi replied.
Asuka grit her teeth. It was like the faux blonde scientist had read her mind regarding how impressive it was... Still, she didn't want to give Shinji that victory lap. "I guess it is..." she bit out, trying not to sound too displeased. "Considering you're still a rookie..." she added under her breath.
Dr. Akagi spoke once again. "Rei, your score has also gone up noticeably," she said. "It's only a slight improvement since last time we were here but it's the highest your score has ever been. Good job."
Rei issued a slight nod of her head. "Thank you, Dr. Akagi," she replied.
Asuka fought not to show the growing frustration she was feeling. She found herself in such a conflicted state. She was happy that her friend had made an improvement but at the same time, why couldn't anyone seem to notice her own? Everyone else was getting attention and she wasn't! She hated being left out of praise, especially when she deserved it all he same. Her score continued to rise, so why didn't she get recognized for that? Not getting praise for her achievements was the same as rejection...
"Alright the three of you, you're dismissed," Dr. Akagi stated. "Enjoy your evenings."
Asuka wasted no time in stalking out of the debriefing and headed directly to the locker rooms. At least she had the next day and the party to look forward to. She just hoped that Kaji would be able to make it...
She'd nearly gotten finished changing back into her school uniform when Rei entered the locker room. Instead of going to her locker and retrieving her clothes to change out of her plug suit, the blue haired girl just stood there a few feet away looking at her with a somewhat strained expression. Asuka scowled. She liked Rei, she really did, but the fact that she was so timid when she obviously had something to say was so annoying. "What?" she asked flatly, perhaps a bit more aggressively than she'd intended.
Asuka watched as Rei flinched ever so slightly. "What about the results of our harmonics test upset you?" the blue haired girl asked.
She turned away and slipped her shoes on, her scowl deepening. "What makes you think I'm upset?" she grumbled.
"You left in a hurry," Rei replied, shifting on her feet. "And before that you seemed... displeased with the how Dr. Akagi reviewed our results."
Asuka fought back the urge to snarl and clenched her fists at her side, looking back at her blue haired friend. "What if I am?" she asked. "What difference does it make?"
Rei's eyebrows knit up and her lips curved downward into a frown. "I did not mean to upset you further," she stated. "I simply what occurred that caused your frustration."
Correction, you want to know why I almost snapped at Shinji... Asuka thought. This conversation was getting more annoying by the minute. Truth be told, it wasn't just the fact that Shinji had received praise, it was... jealousy that had caused her anger. She'd had to struggle and fight and train from a young age to become the Eva pilot she was today, to become the best in the world. But him... he'd never even seen an Eva until a few months ago. With the way things were going, he was on track to overtake her in harmonics and sync ratios... She hated that. All her hard work would be for nothing! But... she also admired that, was infatuated with that. That was part of why she'd caught this stupid crush on him, that and his cooking. There! She'd admitted it to herself, she had a crush on Shinji Ikari, that stupid idiot! But she didn't want to have a crush on him... Besides, Rei so obviously had a crush on him too but either didn't realize it or was just too timid to act on it, either one of those options would be in line with how she was... Asuka knew that acting on the moronic crush she had for Shinji would cause problems no matter how she sliced it. She didn't want her friend to get hurt but... if she couldn't be the best Eva pilot then why not be the girlfriend of the best Eva pilot?
No! Stop thinking these things! Asuka internally screamed. She was so very confused... "I'd... prefer not to talk about it," she bit out after a long pause, staring at the metal lockers and avoiding looking at the blue haired girl.
Rei nodded but her look of concern didn't dissipate. "I will listen without judgment," she replied. "Should you desire to speak on the matter in future..."
Asuka couldn't help but feel the compassion in her voice and her scowl began to lift. Rei was really too damn kind for her own good. "Thanks," she replied without meeting her gaze. "I'll keep that in mind..."
Ritsuko sat at her desk in her office typing away, a cigarette clenched between her teeth as she worked away at the mysteries of the data she'd collected during the initial Dummy Plug experiment. She was hard at work modifying the input parameters for the corrupted memory data she'd extracted but no matter how many ways she seemed to change things the memory data could not be deciphered. The new cataloging parameters that would do it seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. She was certainly not the type to howl in frustration but it was seriously beginning to piss her off. At least she could console herself with the other tests for the system that were coming up, like the cross synchronizations and the dummy body pilot profiling tests. Those she were sure would be successful but Rei's memory data was still the key to everything... If she couldn't unlock that and integrate it then the Dummy System would remain a pipe dream and Gendo would be very disappointed.
She leaned back in her chair and plucked the cigarette from her mouth, blowing a large plume of noxious smoke into the air with a sigh. Her thoughts drifted to the three pilots that she constantly had to run experiments on. Even though Misato had told her many times that Shinji didn't really have his heart in being and Eva pilot he was certainly impressive and she would stand by that. He was certainly on track to surpassing Asuka and speaking of Asuka it was quite... concerning her attitude regarding Shinji's continuous improvement as a pilot. The last thing that the pilot corps needed was discontent among the ranks...
Then there was Rei, the key to the future of the Evangelion project... More and more the girl had become a source of curiosity for the faux blonde doctor. When she'd first met the blue haired girl she'd been nothing but a lifeless husk, a clone, a pale imitation of humanity but now... she was more than that. Ever since she'd become friends with Shinji she'd changed. Ritsuko had grown to see the pale girl as more than just a lifeless doll that stood in the way of her receiving Gendo's affection. As stupid as it was, she had really begun to view the girl as a real person ever since She'd started to display a will of her own. Having to perform such invasive tests on her were becoming less and less something she had the stomach for, considering she was acting more and more human. The more she acted like a person the more Ritsuko viewed the blue haired girl as such and that made things more difficult. It was strange. A part of her was actually starting to like the girl...
The door to her office opened, and she took another puff from her cigarette, leaving her thoughts about the pilots she helped oversee for another time. "Who is it?" she called out, unwilling to turn away from her computer monitor.
"So dedicated to your work..." rang the silky reply through her office. "You really should take up a hobby, Dr. Akagi."
Ritsuko knew that voice oh so very well. "Kaji, to what do I owe the honor?" she replied, playing along with his silliness.
He stepped over to her desk and leaned up against it. "Oh nothing," the scruffy man replied with a smirk. "Just came by to say hello."
Ritsuko smirked back. "You without an ulterior motive? I Doubt that," she retorted.
Kaji chuckled. "You got me," he replied. "Actually, I came to extend an invitation."
Ritsuko raised an eyebrow. "An invitation?" she inquired. "For what?"
"Yes," Kaji returned. "Asuka informed me of a surprise party tomorrow night at Katsuragi's place in honor of her promotion. Since we're all friends I thought you'd want to come along."
Ritsuko pondered the idea of going. She had indeed been very much overworked lately so... why not? After struggling with the stupid auto pilot programs for as long as she had a nice evening among friends and colleagues sounded like a welcome reprieve. "Sure, why not," she replied. "Sounds like a fun time."
Kaji snickered. "I'm surprised," he said. "It's rare to be able pull you away from your work."
Ritsuko sighed. "Sometimes I need to be pulled away," she replied.
Kaji's smirk faded into a softer smile. "Don't we all," he returned.
Shinji stood in the hall outside the locker rooms after changing out of his plug suit. The debrief after the harmonics test had left him somewhat perplexed. He could tell that Asuka had been upset about something and he couldn't help but sense that he was partially at fault, or at least things pertaining to him were the root cause. He might not be the best with people self admittedly but he wasn't completely stupid... Asuka seemed bothered by the fact that he'd shot up so much since the last time they'd had a routine test. Personally, he didn't really care that he was doing so well, he never did, but it seemed to be a point of contention for Asuka. Why that was was quite honestly a mystery to him. What was it about the arbitrary scores related to piloting and Eva that mattered so much to her.
The door to the women's locker room flung open and Asuka burst into the hallway. As soon as she laid eyes on him he tensed up when she glared at him. "Hey," he spoke softly. "Something bothering you?"
Her eyes flashed with anger for just a moment before she drew a deep breath. "It's nothing," she grumbled as she stalked past him. "I'm heading back to the surface. Tell Misato that I'm going to Hikari's place for a little while."
"Oh, okay..." Shinji murmured in response. He watched as she passed him by. Even though he couldn't place the source of her distress he couldn't help but feel responsible. He was her friend after all..
"Shinji.?" rang out a familiar calm and level voice. "You look troubled."
Shinji turned his head in the direction of the female locker room and saw Rei standing there at the doorway in her school uniform, eyeing him with a somewhat concerned look. He lent her a smile in response. He disliked seeing her worried, especially about him. "Hey Rei," he replied. "I'm fine. I was just... wondering why Asuka looked so upset, that's all."
Rei moved closer to him until she stood just a few feet away. "She seemed upset about the results of the harmonics test," she replied somewhat timidly, as if she was unsure how to phrase her statement. "Your score... seemed to disturb her..."
Shinji frowned. He knew that Asuka put quite a lot of her self worth on her abilities as a pilot but... it was kind of a shock to think that was at the core of the displeasure she displayed during the debriefing session. "My score?" she asked. "Why would my score bother her?"
"Asuka... puts great stock in her personal achievements," Rei replied. "It would stand to reason that she feels... threatened by your recent drastic improvements."
Shinji's eyes widened as those words sank in. Did Asuka really feel that way about things? He frowned and looked away. Why would she care so much about something so trivial? Why put so much pride in something as arduous and painful as piloting Eva? But... Rei's words sounded truthful and Asuka was a very prideful person... "Oh, I see... Then there's nothing that can be done..." he murmured. That was quite uncomfortable to admit. Even though it wasn't his conscious fault, he still didn't like that Asuka was upset because of him. All he ever did was hurt and get hurt, every time he was ever close to anyone...
"No," Rei returned. "Asuka's problem is Asuka's to solve."
Shinji scowled. "Even so," he muttered, casting his gaze downward. "I can't help but feel a bit guilty if that's the case."
Rei's took a step closer to him. "It is not your fault," she said. "Asuka's own insecurities are to blame. She needs to come to terms with those and overcome them on her own. You needn't feel guilt."
Shinji chuckled wryly. The blue haired girl had a very good point and yet there were so many complexities that made that simple task herculean. "Well, I can't help it if I feel that way," he muttered. "And that's easier said than done, what you said she needs to do... It's not easy to stand up to your shortcomings and hangups and move forward."
He could see in his peripherals Rei stiffening up. After a moment she broke the awkward silence that was growing between them. "And yet... you still try to keep going in spite of them," she said, her voice coming out even softer than usual. "You keep moving forward."
Shinji wasn't used to hearing things like that from anyone. Deep within his chest he felt a warmth swelling up. It was different feeling than what had been stirred when his father had praised him for his actions in the Eva. No, this was very a very different feeling but stellar all the same. Rei wasn't giving him praise for some accomplishment. Instead, she was just... giving him a compliment. Even so, it was so wonderfully reassuring to know that his best friend saw such admirable traits in him. Why she saw him in such a positive way was beyond his comprehension but he would take it. "Thanks," he replied, regarding her with a lopsided grin. "I... try."
Rei stepped closer to him. "You do, Shinji," she stated. "I wouldn't lie to you."
There was an awkward pause between the two of the. After a moment, Shinji broke the silence with a question. "So... what should we do?" he asked. "Do we just... ignore it? Aren't friends supposed to lend support?"
"I told her if she wanted to talk about it she is welcome to," Rei returned. "That seemed like the best course of action."
Shinji couldn't help but smile. Yes, that sounded like a good course of action. Even when it wasn't directed his way, he always appreciated Rei's kindness. "Okay," he replied. "Makes sense. I guess I'll just try not to upset her. You're... very kind, you know that?" That sentence slipped out before he could stop himself.
Rei turned her head away, and even though her hair blocked his view of her face he could see her cheeks getting pink. "You... flatter me," she replied.
Well... this was getting awkward... Shinji scratched the back of his head as his own cheeks got a bit warmer. Time to change the subject. "Well, it's gonna be a while until Misato finishes her shift..." he murmured. "I think I'm gonna get a soda down in the staff lounge... want to come with?"
Rei turned her gaze back to him and offered him that lovely smile of hers. "I would enjoy that," she replied.
The pair began walking towards the staff lounge. Shinji knew that Rei had a point but still the feelings of self doubt and loathing remained. They would always remain. He hated how all he could seem to do was cause pain for others just by existing. He wanted to change that, but he had no idea how. Confrontation of any kind, whether it be with the Angels on the battlefield, the people in his life, or within his own psych had never been the easiest thing for him to handle...
Misato sat in the driver's seat of the Renault Alpine, silently driving towards the lifts that would take her and Shinji back to the surface of Tokyo 3. Asuka had decided to go to her friend the class representative's place for a little while and so had left for the city as soon as she'd gotten changed while Shinji had stayed behind at NERV, presumably to spend some time talking with Rei, before she'd finished her shift. She couldn't help but smile at the thought Misato knew that their friendship had helped both of them a lot and they were rather adorable when they were together.
Her smile faded as her thoughts drifted back to the tests. Ritsuko had been so happy about her ward's performance but seeing that had just served to remind her of the weight that he carried. Even though Shinji had been improving so much in all the numerical metrics regarding to being a pilot she knew that Eva was still not something he enjoyed. Shinji hadn't chosen the life of an Eva pilot and probably would ran away from it if it hadn't been for Rei's friendship with him. In almost every way, he'd been forced into the life he was now leading, and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd have been happier if he'd never come to Tokyo 3. That brought her back to thoughts of the Second impact and whether or not she would have been happier if that disaster, the reason why the Evas existed now, never happened...
"Hey, uh... congratulation on your promotion once again," Shinji said, breaking the silence between them.
A wan smile came across her features."Thanks, Shinji-kun," Misato replied. "But to be honest I'm not really all that thrilled about it."
"I think I understand," Shinji returned. "I'm not used to getting praise and adoration either, especially in public, like earlier today."
What exactly did he mean? "Earlier today?" Misato asked.
"Well... it was nice that Ritsuko-san gave me those compliments but... all it did was make Asuka upset," he replied softly, timidly even. "Rei mentioned that she puts a lot of herself into being the best and that it wasn't me that upset her but... I still feel can't help but guilty despite that."
Misato chuckled wryly. "Rei has a point, you really shouldn't feel guilty for that," she stated.
"I know..." Shinji replied with a sigh. "But I can't help how I feel..."
Misato stared ahead down the road. "That's because you care too much about what other people think," she said softly.
Shinji crossed his arms and stared down at his knees. "I... I just don't want to be a burden..." he muttered. "On you, on Asuka, on Rei... on anyone."
Misato frowned. She never had thought of him as a burden on her or anyone else. He might be a bit of a brat at times and too timid for his own good but he was never a burden. Honestly, her life would be a lot more boring without him around to talk to, tease, and keep her company... "You're not a burden, Shinji," she said softly. "The sooner you realize that yourself, the better off you'll be."
Shinji tensed up. "R- really?" he stuttered.
Misato could practically smell how shocked he was. She wished he could just... see how much he mattered to the people around him. She put on a friendly smile. "Serious as a heart attack," she replied with a grin, playful laughter in her voice. "Don't be so hard on yourself."
Shinji adjusted himself in his seat and looked out the window. "I- I'll try not to be..." he murmured softly.
Silence fell between the two of them but for the sounds of the voices on the radio in the car. Misato could tell that the general vibe in the car had shifted as Shinji mulled over her statement. Things were getting awkward in the cabin of the car very quickly... Misato had never been good with awkward situations and so she pondered how to break the sudden dour mood. She smirked as she chose her course of action. "So..." she drawled. "On the bright side of things, I bet it was nice getting to spend some time alone with your girlfriend."
Shinji sputtered and cringed. "G- g- g- girlfriend!?" he stammered. "W- wha- what are you talking about!?"
Misato laughed. "Didn't you go and hang out with Rei after the tests?" she asked.
Shinji tucked his chin and crossed his arms tighter, glowering out the window away from her. "She's not my... girlfriend..." he muttered. "Why would you assume that?"
"Well, the two of you are always hanging around each other," Misato teased. "What else am I supposed to assume?"
Shinji scowled. "Rei's my best friend..." he grumbled. "Don't tease me like that..."
Misato's teasing smirk shifted into a genuine warm smile. Shinji might be an easy target for teasing but she knew when to lay off him. On a side note, it was rather heartwarming to hear him describe Rei as his friend. When she'd first taken him in he'd had no one and seemed like he would never make any friends. It was evidence of how much he'd grown. "Sorry," she said with a hint of laughter remaining. "But you're just too easy to mess with, y'know?"
Shinji huffed in annoyance and just glared out the window. Misato's smile shifted into a frown. The rest of the ride to the surface passed in silence.
Rei lay in her bed in her spartan apartment, staring up at the ceiling and pondering would was soon to transpire. The party would be happening tomorrow and this time she would be there. It would be an experience that she'd never had before. What did one do at parties? What could she expect to transpire during one? She didn't know... That stirred feelings of sadness, of longing. What lonely lives she'd lived in her past... Even now with the people in her life being closer than they'd ever been she still had to contend with the fact that her experiences deviated vastly from theirs. She had developed in isolation without close bonds to others, her entire life built around the task of piloting the Eva and being the key to the commander's schemes. She had been nothing but a lifeless marionette, only moving with the pull of her strings. The anguish over this sometimes threatened to overwhelm her, especially at moments like this where she was alone in the night in her miserable apartment.
But now things were different and reminding herself of that fact filled her with hope...
Every day she reminded herself that these things were in the past thanks to the opportunity she'd received. Ever since she'd begun her new lease on living she'd done so much to adapt and be... normal, just a normal girl. Due to her genetic makeup she would never fully be human that wouldn't stop her from trying to be. Over time, if she could manage to survive long enough, she'd learn even more about what it meant to be just a normal person and doing normal things people did would feel less alien. If she struggled and stumbled then the people close to her, those she considered friends, would certainly help her keep moving forward. A smile began to take shape on her lips. Yes... that was certainly a pleasant thought...
Even so, a part of her felt just a little bit of anxiety regarding being around her friends and superiors in a social setting. Sure, she sat with her friends during lunch at school, listened in on their conversations and occasionally contributed to the discourse thereof, but from what she understood a party was... special. It was a social gathering to celebrate a milestone and relish in the company of others. Even if she was getting better at it and she now had a support network, social interaction with others was still a bit daunting.
Rei rolled over on her side and stared off at her closet and the meager clothing that she possessed. Her mind drifted to the shopping trip that she'd gone on with Asuka just a little while back. Perhaps the party would be a time for her to wear one of the outfits that the redhead had encouraged her to purchase. From what she understood of such situations it would seem logical. It would be somewhat of a chore to go past the Katsuragi residence after school to change at her apartment and then come back there but... perhaps it would be worth it. For some reason that she could not place, the idea of being seen in something other than her plug suit or her uniform by Shinji sounded... strangely appealing.
"Alright, looks like we've got everything set and ready to go!" Kensuke declared, crossing his arms triumphantly.
"Yeah, now all we have to do is wait," Horaki replied.
"Wonder how long it will be until Katsuragi is off her shift?" Touji asked. "Either of you guys know?"
"Beats me," Asuka replied. "I don't keep track of her schedule."
Touji turned to him. "Any idea, Shin-man?" he asked.
"I'm not sure either," Shinji replied. "But considering how she's been working, probably no later than eight."
"Oh man..." Kensuke whined. "That's still a couple hours from now! How are we gonna keep all the food warm?"
Asuka snickered. "Should have thought about that before your ordered it at this hour," she snapped.
Shinji couldn't help but be a little impressed at what Kensuke had managed to put together in such a short time. On the living room table sat enough soda for twenty people and enough fried chicken and pizza that he'd be munching on leftovers for at least a couple days. Thankfully he'd been mindful enough to remind everyone to grab a vegetarian pizza for Rei otherwise she wouldn't be able to enjoy much of the culinary aspect of the gathering.
Speaking of Rei, she was absent from the group at present. She'd mentioned that she'd desired to go home for whatever reason before coming back. Shinji didn't quite understand why she would choose to do that considering she'd have to double back across town but it was not his place to question. It was strange how even though she was going to be back soon it felt like something was missing. Where as everyone else in his little group of friends was somewhat high energy she was more like him, more demure and quiet. When things got raucous he could always retreat of with her and just... enjoy each other's company without having to talk at length about trivial things or expend all his energy reserves on the nuances of how people communicate. Introverts like the two of them could get burnt out on those kinds of things.
His mind drifted back to his conversation in the car with Misato the previous night. For some reason the quip she'd made about Rei being his girlfriend refused to leave his mind. When he thought about it, it probably did look that way from the outside looking in considering how much time they spent together. Still, the insinuation made him feel... uncomfortable. He could admit to himself that he found Rei attractive but... no... he didn't want to open that can of worms. Rei was just a friend and he was lucky enough to have her as that. He was too pathetic, weak, and useless to deserve more than platonic friendship with anyone... Besides, it wasn't like Rei was interested in those kind of things, right?
"Hey! Earth to Shinji!" Asuka broke him from his trance, waving a hand in front of his face.
He snapped himself back to reality and out of spiral his mind was flushing him down. "Huh?" he blurted in a daze.
"I've been trying to get your attention, dummy," the redhead huffed, crossing her arms. "You just started staring off into space. What gives?"
He forced a smile. "It's nothing," he replied.
Kensuke snickered. "Heh, the way you say that makes it sound like you really have a lot on your mind," he stated.
"Yeah, bro, what gives?" Touji added.
"Yeah, cut the crap!" Asuka added.
"Guys, maybe he doesn't want to talk about it," Horaki stated firmly.
The class representative was right, he didn't want to talk about the things he'd been contemplating... but what excuse could he make up to get out of it? It was times like this he wished he was just a bit more clever... What to say? What to say!? He thought back to the conversation with Misato the previous day once more. Yes... that would be a good topic to defer from what he was really thinking about... "It's just that... yesterday when Misato-san was driving me home she mentioned she wasn't all that thrilled with her promotion," he murmured. "Should we really be having this party?"
"What are you stupid!?" Asuka exclaimed. "Of course we should!"
Shinji blinked and stood staring at his redheaded friend with a slack jaw. Even though it had been a question to distract from what he'd really been thinking about Asuka's reaction had been surprising. "What do you mean?" he asked timidly.
Asuka leveled a accusatory finger at him inches away from his face. "Don't you know that parties are just as much for other people as the person being celebrated?" she huffed.
Touji laughed. "Soryu's right you know," he stated. "For once."
Shinji couldn't help but think on those words. They certainly did have a point. The party they were throwing was as much a needed thing for him and Asuka, even Touji, Kensuke, Horaki, and Rei as it was for Misato. Sometimes people just needed times to connect and have a good time after all... That put a genuine smile on his face. Thinking about things that way, he was glad he could have a chance to be a part of something like that... "I guess you're right," he murmured.
The doorbell rang and Shinji immediately moved to answer the door. Considering Misato owned the apartment it could only be a select few people. Either it was someone named Kaji who Asuka had invited or it was Rei coming to join them. With haste he opened the door and he froze upon opening it.
There stood Rei wearing a dark blue dress that reached just bast her knees. Her outfit was quite similar to the yellow dress that Asuka had changed into for the party but considering it was Rei who was wearing it, it was quite a surprise. Shinji's breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight. He'd never seen her in anything else other than her school uniform or her plug suit. She looked... beautiful. There was no other word that could better describe the blue haired girl before him. "H- hey," he stammered. "What took you so long?" Shit, he sounded pathetic... Why did his cheeks suddenly feel so hot?
"Good evening, Shinji," Rei greeted with that soft smile of hers. "I wanted to change clothes before coming."
Shinji stood there unsure of what to say. Should he compliment her outfit? Considering she usually didn't normally wear such nice things, wouldn't it be rude not to say anything? Hopefully he didn't come off sounding like a moron... "It looks... nice," he murmured weakly.
This time Rei's cheek began turning a little pink. "I figured... one of the outfits I purchased when I went shopping with Asuka would be appropriate for the occasion."
Shinji swallowed the growing lump in his throat. Why was he freezing up? Why was his heart beating so fast? It was just Rei, there was no need to be so nervous... "C- come on in," he stammered.
"Thank you," Rei replied with a smile.
She stepped inside the apartment and Shinji closed the door behind her before the both of them made their way to the living room where their friends were waiting.
"Hey, Rei," Asuka greeted with a smirk. "You decided to finally wear one of those outfits we picked up at the mall I see."
"I thought this was a good occasion for it," Rei replied, looking unsure. "Was I mistaken?"
Asuka laughed. "It looks good, Wonder-girl," she returned with a smile. "And you don't need an occasion to dress nice!"
It was after dark when Misato made the final turn into the parking lot of her apartment. Her day was finally over... She was quite drained after the shift she'd had at NERV. She'd spent the majority of it dealing with paperwork and insurance claims related to the last Angel which was definitely not a pleasant way to spend one's day. Her back and neck hurt from hunching over at her desk nearly all day and she groaned as she got out of the car once she'd parked it. Having a beer and retiring to her futon sounded like such a wonderful idea...
It seemed like the building's elevator took forever when she was tired but soon enough it arrived at her apartment's floor. She made haste to the entrance to her apartment and stepped inside. Immediately the pleasant aroma of fried food entered her nose and elicited a smile. Asuka must have convinced Shinji to order out, hopefully they'd been kind enough to get something for her. "Shinji-kun, Asuka, I'm home!" she called down the hall as she pulled her shoes off at the door.
"Welcome home, Misato!" she heard Asuka call from the living room.
Misato shrugged off her jacket at slung it under her arm as she started down the hall. "Something smells good," she said as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. "did you guys order something or-"
"Congratulations on your promotion!" a chorus of voices cut her off followed by a round of applause.
Misato stood in the entrance to the living room in wide eyed surprise. There stood Shinji, Asuka, and Rei along with their friends with smiles on their faces and clapping their hands. On the table was a veritable feast and numerous two liters of soda. If their intention had been to throw her a surprise party then they'd definitely been successful. Even though she wasn't all that excited about her promotion, it was still a touching gesture. "Wow, you guys went all out, didn't ya?" she said with a smile.
"I hope all this isn't an imposition..." Shinji said, shuffling his feet and smiling nervously.
"Once again, congratulations," Rei added with a soft bow.
It was honestly a bit striking seeing her in the blue dress she was wearing. In all likelihood it was probably something Asuka had helped her pick out. At the very least it showed that Rei was broadening her horizons. "It's certainly a surprise but who am I to turn down a party?" Misato replied with a smile.
"Only the best for you, Major!" Aida stated with a wide grin.
Asuka stepped over to her and shoved a beer in her hand, a playful smirk on her lips. "Now sit down and have a toast," she practically ordered.
Misato laughed. "I thought I was the one who gave the orders," she teased, planting a hand on her hip. "I'm the one who just got promoted, right?"
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Just take the damn beer," she huffed. "We both know you've had a long day."
Well... she certainly couldn't say no to that... She reached out and grabbed the can. "Thanks," she replied warmly. "The paperwork never ends. You'll understand when you get older."
Asuka snickered. "You think I'd ever let myself have a boring desk job?" she shot back.
Misato smiled knowingly. Alas, there had been a time when she'd thought about things like that. The arrogance of teenagers was certainly something else... "Oh, we'll see about that," she returned with a smirk.
"Well now that you're here Major, we can have a proper toast!" Aida declared.
"Sounds good, I'm itching to start eating," Suzuhara stated.
Horaki rolled her eyes. "Suzhara, can you be a little more polite?" she huffed.
"Hey, I can't help that I'm starving!" the jock declared indignantly.
Misato laughed. Seeing how carefree that these kids could be was pleasant but also bittersweet. She'd never had a chance to just enjoy her teenage years after what she'd experienced in that hell at the south pole... It was amazing honestly how quickly things had gone back to normal after that event for so many people, except her and her generation. The people of the world that came of age around the time of the second impact had no chances to be normal. Every part of their lives would be stamped with the memory of that experience. Oh well, it didn't matter that she'd missed out of a normal adolescence, it was in the past. There was no use dwelling on it, just put on a grin and keep moving, right? "Sounds good to me, I'm hungry too," she said with a smile.
Everyone seated themselves around the table in the living room and Shinji poured everyone a cup of soda. As soon as he sat back down, Aida raised his glass. "To Major Katsuragi and all she's done to keep our city safe!" he declared. "And to her forgiving me and Touji-kun for nearly causing Shinji to lose against that one Angel! Kanpai!"
"Kanpai!" Everyone at the table chorused, clinking their glasses together.
Misato tapped her can of beer against their glasses before cracking it open and taking a sip. "Thanks guys," she replied. "It really means a lot. So, who was the mastermind behind this little gathering?"
Instantly Aida shot to his feet. "It was I, Kensuke Aida!" he declared proudly. "I was the mastermind behind this gathering!"
"Hey, what about me and the class rep?" Suzuhara asked, folding his arms and playfully pouting. "We helped too."
Horaki sighed. "Suzuhara-kun, all you did was help carry things," she stated.
"That counts for something though," Suzuhara countered.
Misato chuckled softly. "Well then thank you both," she stated, taking another sip of her beer.
"Well, looks like the only one missing is Kaji," Asuka stated with a sigh.
Misato tensed as the name rolled off the redhead's lips. Of course Asuka had invited that man over... Why couldn't the girl just let that stupid schoolgirl crush of hers go? Why couldn't she herself just... figure her shit out in regards to that man?
"Kaji?" Horaki asked. "Who's that? Is that that guy you're always talking about who never shaves?"
"That's the one," Asuka chirped. "After hanging around dorks like Kensuke and Touji all day it's good to know what a real man is like."
"Real man!?" Suzuhara spat. "How dare you!"
The conversation began escalating into a full blown argument and Misato couldn't help but sigh. It was just like Asuka to say something so provocative, she wasn't surprised by that at all... She turned toward Shinji and Rei who were sitting just to her left. Shinji seemed like he was just staring off into space and Rei looked like she was doing much the same. She nudged Shinji with her elbow gently. "Hey," she spoke softly. "Do you still find it hard to be in situations like this?"
"I'm okay," Shinji murmured. "It's just... still a little hard being around so many people at once. It would be nice if they weren't so noisy."
Misato took another sip of her beer and watched as the argument between Asuka and Suzuhara escalate. By now both Horaki and Aida had gotten involved...
"By the way," Shinji spoke again. "Your promotion... that means that someone must appreciate you for all you've been doing, right?"
"Yeah..." Misato replied with a sigh. "I suppose so..."
"That's why their all so happy for you," he continued. "But... you don't look happy at all."
Misato took another swig off her beer. The buzz was finally rolling on, allowing her to numb herself to all the invasive thoughts that his words elicited. "No, I'm happy," she replied. "But that's not the reason I do what I do."
"Then... why was it that you joined NERV?" Shinji asked.
She forced a smile. "Oh, I don't know," she lied through her teeth. "It's been a long time since I signed up."
"Your efforts are very appreciated, Misato-san," Rei's soft voice caught her attention. Misato turned to look at the shy blue haired pilot. The girl's crimson eyes stared back at her with sincerity. "At the very least, all of us appreciate you."
Misato couldn't help but smile in response to those words. Even though she had her own reasons to do what she did and being promoted had so far been more of a headache than a boon, it was still quite nice to know that the people around her recognized her for her accomplishments. "Thanks, Rei," she replied. "And thank you, Shinji. As long as you two think I'm doing something right that's enough..."
"You are very welcome," Rei stated.
"Yeah, what Rei said..." Shinji added.
Before Misato had a chance to say anything the doorbell rang and Rei stood from where she sat. "I'll get it," she stated and made haste to the door...
Kaji removed his finger from the doorbell and took a step back to stand beside Ritsuko. "Time to play the waiting game," he stated with a grin.
Ritsuko smiled. "I wonder what Asuka's friends have planned for this event," the faux blonde mused.
"We'll see soon enough," the scruffy spy replied.
If he was being honest with himself, he had been very much looking forward to attending this little party, if only for the fact that he would get a chance to be near Misato... If there was anything besides finding out the truth of the what and why of Second Impact that he wanted it was... to be with her again. It had taken quite a bit of soul searching after running into her again and maybe a kiss that had been a bit too forceful, but that was how he felt. He'd admit it, at least to himself. Considering Misato continued to rebuff his attempts to reconnect, he would settle for being close to her. That would be enough...
He hated that feeling, being so unabashedly in love... Was he really such an emotional idiot? If so, it would do nothing to help him in his chosen profession. Being a spy and all, it would probably get him killed one day...
The door to Misato's apartment opened and revealed Ayanami who was wearing a navy blue dress. "Good evening, Kaji-san," she greeted. "You as well, Dr. Akagi."
He glanced over at Ritsuko who seemed quite surprised by something. "H- hello, Rei," the faux blonde stammered. "What's that you're wearing?"
The blue haired pilot tilted her head downward. "Asuka and I went shopping a little while ago... Is my outfit... displeasing?" she returned.
Ritsuko blinked rapidly. "N- no, it looks good, it's just... I didn't expect you to dress up is all," she replied.
Kaji smiled. "It's good to see you again, Ayanami-san," he stated. "May we enter?"
Ayanami nodded. "You may," she replied, stepping back and allowing them to step inside. The both of them kicked off their shoes and followed Rei to the living room where they could hear the voices of all the people who were already in attendance.
Despite his desire to have a moment of reverie, his own curiosity and devotion to his goals weighed heavy on him. This would be a big moment, the first time that he would meet the legendary pilot of Unit 01 outside of the debriefing he'd attended. The professional that he was would love to hear first hand accounts of his exploits to better understand the nature of the Evangelion...
He stepped into the room and everyone stopped their conversation and looked over at them. Asuka and Misato both glared up at him and Ritsuko. Well... time to put on a playful facade... "I came directly from headquarters," he lied. "We just happened to meet on the way."
"Unlikely story..." both Asuka and Misato groaned in unison.
"What? Are you jealous?" Ritsuko asked in a playful tone.
Misato gulped down a drink from her beer can. "Absolutely not!" she retorted.
Kaji issued a deep bow. "I'd like to give you my sincerest regards, Major Katsuragi," he said before standing tall once more and smirking as he delivered his oh so ironic stinger. "So... I guess I'll have to be polite to you from now on."
Misato glared at him. "And just what does that mean?" she huffed.
"Well you do know that commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki have never left Japan at the same time before," Kaji replied. "I guess they see you as reliable."
"That's right..." the dark haired boy beside Misato murmured. "My father did say that he was leaving on business..."
Instantly Kaji set his eyes on him. Yes... this was him, the famous Shinji Ikari. He looked every bit what the rumors had described him like, thin and somewhat timid looking, bereft of the fire he'd seen him display when they first met. Still, he knew from the stories and from witnessing the battle against the Seventh Angel that he did posses valor and other admirable traits. The stories of how he'd pulled Ayanami out of her entry plug and burned his hands in doing so had made his way to his ears after all. Perhaps that was why Rei had been so quick to defend him when Asuka had been berating him aboard the aircraft carrier some weeks ago... "Shinji Ikari, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, outside of work at least," he stated with a grin.
The dark haired boy regarded him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, have we met?" he replied.
Kaji smirked. "What? You don't remember me?" he replied in a playful tone. "I'm Kaji, Ryouji Kaji. I was there at the debriefing when you and Asuka lost your first fight against the twin Angel, remember?"
The young Ikari's eyes widened and his face turned a bit red. "Oh yeah..." he returned, sounding a bit embarrassed. "I- I'm sorry, Kaji-san... it's been a little while..."
Kaji laughed cheerfully. From what Ayanami had told him, he was rather humble. This appeared to be true to a fault. "I'm not offended," he stated. "I'll admit that I have a habit of blending into the background."
"As if!" Misato snorted, sipping her beer.
"I'm honestly surprised you remembered me..." the boy replied softly.
Kaji smirked and ignored Misato's comments. He was curious to get to know the famed pilot of Unit 01 and see what insights he could potentially glean from him. It was "Why wouldn't I remember you. You're pretty famous in the defense business," he returned. "The famous Third Child... the pilot of Unit 01 who defeated an Angel the first time he ever piloted an Eva."
The dark haired boy nodded and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, that's me," he replied sheepishly. "But that was mostly pure luck..."
"In my experience there's no such thing as luck," Kaji replied with a grin. "It's a talent that you have, a gift!"
the Ikari boy smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... thanks I guess," he replied. "But I still think I just got lucky. Half of the battles I've been in wouldn't have been won without Rei or Asuka there too."
"And don't you forget it!" Asuka chided.
Kaji turned to Ayanami and smirked. "I can see why you're such good friends, Ayanami-san," he stated. "The both of you share the same humility."
Kaji watched as both Ikari and Ayanami turned a light shade of pink and his grin grew. "Perhaps..." the blue haired girl murmured, looking away from him.
"Kaji, aren't you being a bit too forward?" Ritsuko scolded.
"Yeah," Misato growled. "Stop embarrassing them."
Kaji could only laugh at the statements of Misato and Ritsuko. "Alright," he replied. "So... shall we eat?"
"Yes!" rang the voices of nearly everyone in the room...
Ritsuko stood on the balcony of Misato's apartment having a smoke and reflecting on the party which was currently winding down. Shinji and Asuka's friends had left about thirty minutes prior to her stepping outside and Kaji had also taken off. Shinji was currently trying to clean things up with Rei helping him do so while Misato and Asuka remained in the living room watching the television which she could hear through the glass sliding doors.
Overall, she'd enjoyed the party. It had been a relatively pleasant reprieve from the stress of the office. She still had much to do to get the Dummy System ready for action but it was nice to take a moment to relax every once in a while. Besides, with how exhausting things were she deserved a momentary break.
This all said, the party had provoked certain uncomfortable thoughts, something that might even cause a problem in future... It was certain now that Rei, the primary subject she had to experiment on, to poke and prod and analyze, had changed quite a bit in the last few months. That stirred many mixed emotions...
One the one had she was happy for the girl, that she was no longer the apathetic marionette she'd long known. Sure, Rei was an artificial creation but she still was outwardly, and for the most part genetically, still a normal teenage girl. She would have to admit that to herself after she'd struck up friendships, partaking in normal conversations even if she was still rather quiet, and actually dressing like a normal girl... This empirical fact, though heartwarming, was beginning to cause no small amount of discomfort for her.
She hated to even think it, but after seeing how much Rei had grown, Ritsuko could no longer despise the blue haired girl just because Gendo cared about her. She'd been easy to hate when she acted like a lifeless little puppet but not now. It made those invasive and exploitative experiments and procedures she'd performed and would still have to continue performing seem... perverse. This said, there was no way she could disappoint Gendo, she still had feelings for him and wanted him to notice her. The conflict that was sowing was painful...
"I'm such a pathetic woman..." she muttered to herself and took another puff off her cigarette.
Ritsuko turned her head at the sound of the door behind her opening. "Hey, sumethin on yur mind?" she heard Misato slurred, stepping out onto the balcony.
Ritsuko sighed. It was clear that her friend had indulged a bit too much with the beers. "I guess you could say that," she replied. "I'll be fine though, it's just work stuff."
"I can relatee," Misato replied tipsily. "Just try to relaz onze in a while, like me right nao."
Ritsuko raised an eyebrow and snickered. "Perhaps you're too relaxed," she replied.
Misato's eyes narrowed as she stood there swaying on her feet and took another sip of her beer. "Aw, shaddup..." she grumbled in response.
Rei yawned and her eyelids were getting heavy as she stood beside Shinji putting the last of the dishes away. It was getting rather late, usually by this hour she was beginning her usual routine before bed. She hadn't expected the party to last this long. Then again, she didn't know what to expect at all from these kinds of social gatherings. One thing was certain however and that was that she'd very much enjoyed herself despite how loud and obnoxious everyone was at times. She'd enjoyed the conversations at the table even if she'd not contributed much to them. Even Dr. Akagi had been friendly with her which had come as quite a pleasant surprise. She felt accepted. It made her feel... warm to be accepted by others.
"You look tired," Shinji stated softly.
Rei nodded. "I am," she replied. "I'm not used to being out this late."
"I guess parties are like that," he returned. "Not that I have much experience."
"Neither do I," she replied.
There was a pause as they continued putting things away and cleaning up. Rei enjoyed these comfortable silences, just being near Shinji. After a moment he spoke up again. "I wonder why Misato-san kept giving Kaji-san the cold shoulder the entire time he was here," he mused. "He doesn't seem all that bad."
"I believe they have some history between them," Rei replied. "What that history is I do not fully know."
"Oh," Shinji returned softly. "I guess that would make sense then."
It was then that Asuka joined them in the kitchen. "Misato stepped out on the balcony with Dr. Akagi," she stated. "I'm bored. Need any help with anything?"
Rei looked over what little remained to tidy up. There really wasn't much left to clean. "I think we have it handled," Shinji replied. "Thanks though."
Asuka frowned. "Whatever, just trying to be considerate," she huffed. "I'm going to bed. Rei, are you staying over tonight? You look exhausted."
Rei shook her head. Even though it was quite a tempting offer, it was a weekday. She'd just have to go back to her apartment early in the morning to change into her school uniform. "No," she replied, barely suppressing another yawn.
Asuka shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself," she returned, turning and marching out of the kitchen toward her room.
"I don't mind you staying over," Shinji stated after a moment's pause. "Are you sure you'll be able to make it home with how tired you are?"
Shinji did have a valid point. She could feel her energy diminishing with every passing minute. It would also be nice to have a repeat of the late night conversation from the only prior time she'd stayed over... Most likely Asuka would let her borrow sleepwear again but she'd still have to go back to her apartment for her uniform. She could borrow one of Asuka's perhaps but she knew that would be a lot to ask. Perhaps in future she'd pack a bag before staying this late at Misato's apartment... "I am certain," she replied with a soft smile. "Thank you both... for the offer."
"Okay..." Shinji murmured softly.
The two of them went about finishing the dishes in comfortable silence. It was settled, if Misato was fine with it, should there be another event like tonight's she would certainly bring an overnight bag...
Asuka lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling. Despite her desire to, she found it difficult to fall asleep. The party had been somewhat enjoyable but it had also forced her to evaluate a good number of things...
She'd invited Kaji hoping to spend some time talking with him but it was clear that he continued to just see her as a kid and not a woman. He'd spent a good amount of time trying to inch himself into Misato's good graces instead of paying attention to her. That had been quite upsetting to say the least. It pissed her off that she just couldn't get him to look at her the way she wanted him to. It made her blood boiling mad to think that she might never get him to see her how she wanted him to. It was something she didn't want to accept but... it was looking like she'd have to eventually. She hated that. She really hated that...
Then there was her conflicted feelings for Shinji in the mix of things. Seeing him being so hospitable and humble in the best of ways serving all the guests had done nothing to ease the turmoil she was feeling in regards to him. If anything, it just fueled it. The fact that he was such a fierce warrior in his Eva juxtaposed with his ability to be so helpful around the house was actually kind of endearing even if she outwardly said otherwise. It had been so strange sitting there at the table and being near a guy who she knew she had feelings for and one she didn't want to have feelings for but was developing them all the same.
Then there was the dilemma of Rei... Whether the blue haired girl wanted to admit it, she obviously had a crush on that stupid Shinji... As jealous as it made her to see the two of them together even she had to admit that the two looked sickeningly cute together. It was such a harsh thing, a part of her wanted Shinji but a part of her wanted Rei to be happy... Obviously she couldn't talk to anyone about these kind of thoughts but it would have been nice if Rei had stayed over so she could perhaps vent about Kaji to her. Maybe the blue haired girl would have said something to help put things into perspective and help her move on from both him and Shinji. Rei was good at that kind of thing, philosophical commentary that helped one center themselves...
Asuka scowled and turned over in bed, wrapping her blankets tighter around herself. "Fuck this..." she grumbled to herself.
Author's Notes
-edit. Major shout out to Richard Ryley for pointing out the continuity error between chapter 12 and this update. It has been fixed, and if I may say so, in a bit of a humorous way.
Well, our cast dynamic continues to shift slowly but surely. Shinji and Kaji finally meet for the first time, Rei continues developing, Ritsuko continues contemplating, and Asuka is getting more and more confused... In the next installment we'll see a bit more action with the arrival of Sahaquiel and the events surrounding that. I do apologize if this chapter seems like filler, that is not my intent in the slightest. My forte in writing (if I may be so bold) is character drama so... sometimes that can run away from me. My apologies.
If there's a singular scene that I found myself most proud of it's probably Asuka's little inner debate in the locker room. Her inner conflict is certainly growing... Aslo Kaji's first meeting with Shinji was quite a bit of fun to write.
I'm so thankful for the continued interest in this story, it's very encouraging. Thank you all for sticking around this far! Please continue to read and review!
Regards,
A.F.