Sekhmet: So originally all these epilogues were going to be in a separate story called The Inbetweens. Susano-o convinced me to make them epilogues instead to bridge the gap better. On another note, it's funny. We never had one cursed chapter in the story that you'd expect, we had a Cursed Man who turned every scene he was in into a suffocating, totally heart pounding ordeal. I feel lucky I didn't have to write it, because otherwise they would be nothing.
Susano-o: No they just pushed it all on me -_-
Sekhmet: You think I could have handled that creep? Cause I couldn't have. I wouldn't have even gotten anywhere near this far on my own, it's that very cursed energy that's keeping me from progressing in the AU, despite the fact that I have the script for the first six episodes in front of me.
Susano-o: Blah, well anyway, everyone's grown up now!
Sekhmet: Yes! Everyone paired up and married offscreen after college. As you can see, it's not long before the yearning sets in.
Susano-o: Kinda will happen when they're the only ones that show each other affection and can handle each other.
Sekhmet: They're ferrets now. Did anyone guess who gets with who? It's still a surprise :) But it's revealed in this epilogue, so here we goooOOOOOO!
Epilogue Two: Reunion
(2023 AD)
"Guten tag everyone!" Asuka said with a cheerful tone over their conference call. She had changed little over her years, hitting her final growth spurt and leading to her having a knockout figure that turned heads just like her adoptive mother whenever she wore a suit, the biggest changes to her look was she had cut her long hair down to a shoulder length bob that she pinned up somewhat with her signature red A10 nerve clips and the fact she now needed reading glasses, her current pair was pale almost pink red in a rectangular frame.
"Yo," Mari said. "Everyone get on already." Mari had grown as well into more of an hourglass shape that was much softer due to her years of inactivity as a housewife and scaled down workout routine, not that anyone would complain. She let her hair grow out and stopped braiding it, letting it rest down at her lower back and exchanged her glasses for ones without top rims.
"Hello friends," Rei responded. Rei was the same as ever, looking more like her genetic donor with each passing year. She had however, in an effort to distance herself from Yui, grew her hair out as well to a giant spiky mass that hung down to her butt and with two strands hanging over her shoulder.
"Yes good afternoon sister Rei," Ray said making Adelise giggle. Ray was arguably the most same, still looking like a male Rei but he had gone the opposite way when it came to his hair, cutting it as an undercut closely shaved on the sides and slightly slicked back on the top.
"Honey! You know that makes her blush!" Adelise hadn't changed too much over the years, besides getting taller. She still had the red and blue stripes in her blonde hair, which hung behind her ears and over her navy blue dress. The modeling life had been almost too kind to her, as she retained her shapely figure earned in college.
"That's why I do it," Ray said with a straight face, but everyone could see the mirth filling his eyes as he watched Rei turn red.
"Hey everyone!" Isabelle yelled. "Gonna have to make this quick, being chased by an Amazon tribe!" Isabelle was still Isabelle, lanky with tight muscles from years of climbing and running and scars all over herself, her long hair was still a mess with pink stripes running through it, though she now had a strip of blue the same shade as Rei's that hung down the left side of her temple.
"Wife Isabelle," Rei said with a warning tone. "What did you do?"
"Well I found an undiscovered tribe," Isabelle said blushing. "And I tried to show them how an IPad worked, and then they started screaming something I didn't understand and chased me with spears, and now I'm up in a tree!"
"...You will be the death of me," Rei sighed. "Friends Mary and Shinji are you on?"
"Well I heard you loud and clear!" Mary said in an over the top old radio voice. Mary was built like a giant. The height she had inherited from her father had finally kicked in, and she shot up to a good 6'0" over a few years. Farm work had also given her a more muscular figure than most women, but not so much that she looked like a bodybuilder. Her tan hadn't faded at all, and her brown hair hung in a huge frazzled ponytail, her pinned up bangs out of her green eyes. She and her husband had gotten in from the day's work, and she was still in a tank top and shorts.
"Yeah, we can hear you fine." Shinji agreed. In contrast, Shinji was built more like a beanpole, tall and thin. Farm work had given him a swimmers body, and his brown hair was pinned back in a smaller ponytail just to get it out of his pale blue eyes. A small amount of stubble had grown back since he had shaved it that morning, and he scratched at it, a look of frustration at its very existence crossing his face.
"Perfect we're all here," Asuka said smiling. "So how has everyone been? Any new stories to tell, Isabelle if yours involves being attacked or nearly dying please wait till the end," She finished leaving Isabelle pouting as she swayed in her tree.
"This year's harvest is finally over. Well, the harvesting part at least. We still have to finish fruit deliveries, canning orders, and dig up the dying trees to plant new ones before winter." Shinji said.
"Aww, you were paying attention." Mary cooed, causing him to flush. "But yeah, it's just been business as usual otherwise."
"Glad you two are living the dream," Mari said smiling.
"We have started to reclaim the Antarctic from the remnants of the second meteor impact," Rei explained.
"Yes Sister Rei and I saw a leopard seal swimming near the edge of the area last week," Ray added.
"Oh it was adorable!" Adelise interrupted. "He sent me the photo while I was in the middle of a show and the expression I made was so cute they're using it as the cover of the catalogue!"
"Leopard seals are my favorite seals." Mary said.
"Why do you have a favorite seal?" Mari asked.
"Why DON'T you have a favorite seal?" Mary replied.
"A fair point," Mari said shrugging. "I've been housewifing, tried a new recipe for tempura that didn't go so well."
"You tried to deep fry a frozen turkey, not make tempura!" Asuka accused.
"Tempura turkey," Mari giggled, Asuka threw a pillow offscreen that smacked into Mari's face on screen a second later.
"To your credit Mari, tempura can be anything in light batter. But I would have at least defrosted and pat down the thing before deep frying it, oil must have sprayed everywhere." Mary said.
"No it exploded in our garage!" Asuka answered. "Took out the automatic door opener."
"-But it was cool," Mari giggled before another pillow hit her face. "You'll run out of those soon enough Queenie~."
"Well I found a few ancient ruins and a new tribe," Isabelle shrugged. "Only got one new cut though," She said lifting up her arm to show the gash in her shirt and the bandages peeking out of it. "Did you know those traps in Indiana Jones aren't just hollywood BS after all?" Rei just sighed and shook her head.
"Anything that was archaeologically significant?" Shinji asked.
"Yeah I found the original carving dimensions for the Nazca Lines!" Isabelle said happily.
"Oh damn, that IS pretty big." Mary said.
"Yep!" Isabelle said smiling brightly. "Well that just leaves you Asuka."
"Yeah," She said softly adjusting her new glasses. "Well you all know how I'm working at the UN right?"
"Yeah." A bunch of responses trickled in.
"Well after a lot of back and forth about my worth," She said with a small grumble that made Mari snicker. "They decided to make me the representative of Japan, due to my ties with NERV."
"Oh! Congratulations Madame Asuka!" Adelise yelled while clapping and speaking rapid French.
"Yeah, congrats man." Mary said in her impressed tone. Chatter and congratulations flooded the lines.
"Yes well, since I'm representing Japan, they thought it would be a good idea for me to move back as well," Asuka continued.
"Yes, your arrival came through on the traffic reports," Rei said.
"Yes she saw it there, and not because she has tabs on all of you at all times," Ray added.
"Hey Blue worries," Isabelle responded jumping to the defense of her blushing wife.
"Ok, Asuka go on." Shinji said.
"Yes well," Asuka said calmly. "Since the two of us have a bit of money saved, we bought out the old apartment complex Misato lived in."
"The apartment itself or…?" Mary asked.
"The entire building," Asuka clarified.
"The whole thing?!" Mary balked. "That has to be hella expensive!"
"Actually not," Asuka said. "When giant monsters attack a city, you'd be amazed how much it drives down the housing market," She said then cleared her throat. "Moving on from that, we realized we have a lot of extra space in this loft once we tore down some walls, so...umm...we were wondering if…" She stumbled and stuttered.
"Jeez Queenie I told you you should have let me handle this," Mari said chuckling. "What my tongue tied wife is trying to say is, we miss you all, and want you to move back here with us."
The entire line went silent. After a few seconds, Mary burst into tears.
"Fucking-of course!" Mary shouted. "I'll start packing!"
"Y-Yeah, how could we refuse?" Shinji agreed, much more reserved but no less emotional about it.
"Oh I have missed you all so much!" Adelise said sobbing over the line. "I will book my flight for tomorrow!"
"...I will send chartered planes to get you all here tonight," Rei said grabbing another phone offscreen and shouting something into it while Ray smiled.
"Friends Asuka and Mari I will be over soon to help set up," He said while packing up his briefcase.
"As soon as I get to a city I'll be there!" Isabelle shouted as she slid down her tree, only to see a NERV jet appear from behind a mountain. "Rei...How long has that been following me?"
Rei blinked. "...Yes."
Isabelle blinked. "Ok then...I'll be there in a few…"
"Shinji! Tape this sign to the back of my coat so they know where I am!" Mary shouted from somewhere offscreen.
"Dear, I don't think that'll be an issue…" Shinji replied. A clinking of jars and a thump of a box followed.
"The planes will be at your houses in an hour with a moving crew," Rei said finally hanging up the other phone.
"I am on my way to help," Ray said as his screen went black. "Sister you need to get packed too!" Was the last thing he said before shutting off the line.
"...Damn it," Rei said before her line cut off as well.
"Of course, we live out of NERV, we don't even know where half our stuff is," Isabelle explained with a laugh as she climbed into her jet.
"Dad, I'm moving out! Don't wait up!" Mary said, which was weird because her dad wasn't even there, he was in Japan, visiting work friends. Shinji sighed and hung up the line to go help, because Mary was so excited she would lose her head if it weren't attached to her.
…
Mary and Adelise's planes landed at the same time and the french girl practically flew as she jumped into Mary's arms shouted rapid french as she kissed both her cheeks before jumping into Shinji's arms and doing the same thing. "Oh I missed you so much!" She yelled jumping up and down.
Mary laughed. "I missed you so much too! I feared I had almost forgotten your face!"
"Dear, we video conferences only two hours ago…" Shinji said, though he was no less excited to see her.
Adelise giggled and grabbed Shinji. "Oh your hair has grown out so long!" She said messing it up with her hand. "Yet you don't style it, we will have to fix that!"
"We work on a farm, refined grooming kind of goes to waste." Shinji laughed.
"Well we're gonna have to fix that," Adelise said nodding.
"Yo! Peaches! Aqua! Shin man!" Isabelle yelled jumping from the plane into their arms, taking them all to the ground in the process.
"Isabelle! It's great to see you!" Shinji said, hugging her tightly.
"I missed you man!" Mary said.
"Oh this is ze best!" Adelise said kissing Isabelle's cheeks repeatedly.
"Yes yes yes now come on!" Isabelle yelled scrambling to her feet. "We're keeping Red, Glasses, Blue, and Blue Two waiting!"
…
"Oh wow this is magnifique!" Adelise said as she looked around the renovated loft they would all be living in from now on.
When Mari and Asuka said that they took out walls, they really weren't kidding. The entire top floor of apartments had been merged into one huge mansion of an apartment. The entire portion of the apartment that they used to call home was just the foyer and mudroom now.
Branching beyond that in an almost labyrinthian manner were rooms of all kinds, most of them empty for now, full of possibilities. The kitchen was industrial sized and outfitted, like the one you'd see in a restaurant. The attached dining room was home to a large, almost banquet-like table and a huge number of chairs. The load bearing walls and bathrooms were the only things that hadn't moved, but they had been improved upon greatly, and were luxuriant and spacious beyond any single apartment's dreams.
The centerpiece of the apartment was a huge master bedroom itself the size of an entire apartment. Most of the floor had been turned into memory foam mattress, and a seemingly endless supply of blankets and pillows were stored in cubbies above. Of course, attached was another high luxury spa bathroom, complete with large octagonal shower and attached deep bathtub, almost reminiscent of a jacuzzi, and a huge walk-in closet that seemed to be a pocket dimension in and of itself. Relievingly, there was a laundry room that seemed ripped directly from a laundromat, minus the pay to use aspect.
Though not a cellar per say, one of the smaller rooms was a wine cupboard. The roof was the same, though it had a ladder for access, and Mary was already starting to make plans to turn it into a rooftop garden. A portion of the walkway around the floor had been screened in to form a sunroom, and another section around the corner had been glassed in as another sun room. An indoor pool complete with deck furniture took up a huge chunk of the northwest corner of the mansion. Hell, there was even a secret stress relief room with a bookcase for a door. But the piece de resistance was this: with a flick of a switch, the floors heated.
The interior decoration though, was clearly a battle between Asuka and Mari that ended in a draw, with different rooms having different styles depending on who won. The kitchen was a modern dream, high tech stainless steel appliances with black granite countertops and pure white cupboards complimented a light gray tile floor perfectly, while the living room was an explosive bomb of color with yellow carpet, blue walls, and red furniture with mahogany fixtures and features, the furniture was a random jumble of mishmashed pieces, yet it all seemed to fit together well. The bathrooms were split down the middle with half being light blues and seafoam greens with white fixtures making them nice and relaxing, while the other half were red and gold with giant shower curtains that looked like they belonged in an opera house rather than a bathroom. Finally the master bedroom was broken up between the two, the walls were chocolate brown and the furniture was vanilla white, yet half the furniture was Victorian style and the other was in a modern style.
"I love this so much!" Mary said, nearly breaking down crying again.
"Yes, it's very nice dear." Shinji agreed.
"Yes it is, well most of it," Asuka said sending a glare at Mari, who just cat smirked back. "Come on Shinji! You've got to see the kitchen!" She said happily grabbing his hand to take him there. "You and Mari could be cooking for twenty people and still have room for Mary to make everyone dessert."
"Oh, ah right!" He said, a bit flustered but still excited to be there.
Mary smiled. "I'm so putting a garden on the roof."
"No that's for my exotic pet terrarium!" Isabelle's voice called out from the balcony.
"It can be both, I'm just putting flowers and peaches up there." Mary replied.
"-But then my alligators will eat them," Isabelle said opening the balcony door and walking inside. "Also which one of you put a crow's nest on top of the building?" Mari giggled and raised her hand, bracing herself to catch a flying Isabelle that wanted to hug the stuffing out of her. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Alligators are carnivores, they'll leave my plants alone." Mary said, and couldn't help but smile at Isabelle hugging Mari.
"Blah!" Isabelle shouted before disengaging and running down the halls to look at other rooms.
"I can hear my wife is here," Rei sighed from the entryway.
"Yes, and I can tell by those shoes mine is here too," Ray added before Adelise flew into his arms with rapid French and kisses. "I missed you too mon amour," He said returning her affection.
"Blue!" Isabelle shouted sliding out of the hallway in her stocking feet, and crashed into a potted plant. Rei smiled as she watched Isabelle untangle herself before going over and pulling her into a bone crushing hug.
"Yeah! Pete Townsend! Risky Business! End of Platoon! Risky Business again!" Mary shouted.
"Aww those two are adorable," Ray said putting Adelise on his back and walking into the living room.
"You two are too." Mary giggled, and went to find her darling.
"Come on, let's get everyone together for a sappy hug fest then dinner," Mari said grabbing the two couples and pulling them to the kitchen where Shinji was already laying out the beginnings of what looked to be a massive feast as Asuka set the table.
"Come on you two, it's sappy hug time!" Mary said, pulling the two away to join the hug ball that was slowly swaying in a circle around the room.
"I can't thank you two enough for this. I missed all of you so much." Shinji said, a few tears in his eyes.
"It," Asuka started before sobs cut her off. "It just didn't feel right without you all," She cried.
"Don't cry. If you start crying, I'm gonna cry, and we'll never get through this…" Mary whimpered before getting consumed by tears again.
"Too late," Isabelle sobbed, the blue twins had tears running down their faces as well, Adelise was letting out these small squeaking hiccups as she cried as well.
"Look at us. We're a ball of tears." Mary sniffed.
"Yeah, but we can kick the ass of anyone who says anything about it," Mari said rubbing her teary eyes.
"Of course we can." Shinji said, rubbing the tears from his eyes.
….
"So hey," Isabelle said kicking her feet as she watched Shinji, Mari, and Mary move around the kitchen so efficiently it made the EVA crewman look like a bunch of kindergarteners. "I got an idea."
"Oh no," Asuka joked, not looking up from her book.
"What do you mean oh no?" Mary laughed.
"The last time she had an idea she burned down a strip club on my birthday," Rei deadpanned.
"That wasn't my fault," Isabelle insisted. "-But seriously, how about we call Misato, Kaji, Ritusko, and Maya over for a welcoming dinner?"
"Oh! That is perfect!" Adeilise exclaimed. "I will go call them!"
"I will," Ray said, taking his wife's hand. "You have a tendency to go into French mode when excited," He said smiling, Adelise agreed and quickly scrambled to set out more dinner plates.
"I haven't seen them in a while." Shinji said.
"None of us have," Asuka added. "At least in person, damn hedgehog dilemma."
Mari scratched her nose. "So if we aren't hedgehogs anymore, does that make us another animal?" That led to what felt like an hour of silence while they all debated internally.
"Turtles maybe." Mary suggested.
"Opossums," Rei suggested.
"Dogs!" Isabelle and Adelise shouted.
"Cats," Ray disagreed.
"Pangolins?" Shinji suggested.
"No we are all clearly Ferrets," Asuka said setting down her book. "We will literally die without each other around."
"Sounds about right for you kids," Kaji joked from the doorway as Misato walked in carrying a small bundle of blankets in her arms.
"Shut up dear," She said with a smile. "And how are my kids today? Housewarming party and I'm the last to know?" She said with a fake pout.
"Sorry Misato. We kind of became a ball of tears for a hot second." Mary said.
"Well that sounds accurate," Misato said smiling as she went over to the table and sat down. "Hey Yua, come on your brothers and sisters want to say hi," She said softly to the bundle as she took off Yua's hat to reveal her growing purple hair. Yua opened her big brown eyes with a yawn as she scanned the room with a curious look, then made some happily gurgling sounds while clapping her hands. "There you go," Misato cooed.
"Aww, that's really cute." Mary said.
"She's adorable," Isabelle said getting closer to Yua's face, where she grabbed Isabelle's nose with a giggle. "And a little scamp," Isabelle joked rubbing her nose.
"Oh wow, she's a bundle of joy." Shinji said, peering over the bundle.
"Babies are gifts from above," Adelise cooed crushing Ray's hand between her own as she made funny faces at Yua, who started giggling up a storm.
Asuka reached out and rubbed Yua's cheek almost in a trance, Mari giggled and started whispering things in Asuka's ear.
"Aww you're taking all the attention again," Kaji said smiling as he wrapped his arms around Misato's shoulder. "So Shinji."
"Yeah?" Shinji replied.
"When are you two gonna have a kid for us to spoil?" He asked, turning everyone red faced.
"Well-uh-I-" he stammered, not getting any sort of concrete answer out.
"Actually when are any of you gonna have kids?" He continued, making Misato giggle at the reactions. "There's enough of you here."
"Ok that's enough out of you mister," Misato warned with a teasing smirk.
"Oh so mean," Kaji smiled as he took Yua while Misato started making them each a plate of food. "Yua here is the only one that likes me," He said cooing at the tiny baby who just laughed.
"I-Uh, I wouldn't mind kids, but not right now." Mary said. "We all just got here, we've gotta find new jobs, save up some money…"
"You all have enough money to not work for the rest of your lives, and your kids' lives, and your grandkids," Misato chuckled setting two plates down and taking Yua to feed, making everyone blush when she pulled her shirt up and her breast out.
"Oh great the party just started and Mistao is already striping," Ritsuko chuckled as she and Maya came into the kitchen.
"Still though." Mary said, passing around a side dish. "At least for me, it'll probably be a bit."
"Y-yeah me too." Shinji agreed. "Though I always did want a big family…"
"Well considering there's like five of us that can have kids I think you'll get it," Mari said popping open a bottle of wine. "Now come on, it's time to get wine drunk!"
…
"Well this has been fun," Isabelle giggled as she put away their game of pictionary. "-But I think it's time we all get some sleep."
"Yeah," Asuka yawned stretching herself out. "If you guys don't want to drive home tonight we have plenty of rooms."
"I think we'll take you up on that," Ritsuko said as she tried to keep a giggly Maya sitting up in her seat. "Neither of us are in a position to walk up stairs tonight."
"Awww…" Maya whined. "I wanted to have some fun tonight~" She cooed rubbing Ritsuko's face in a way she thought was sexy, but ended up more like light slapping.
"The rooms are soundproofed for that reason," Mari said laughing.
"We'll stay too," Misato said as she and Kaji went to set up Yua's crib.
"So who gets which room? This place is a maze and I love it." Mary asked.
"Well I thought that since it's the first night, we'd stay in the master bedroom. Not that you have to or anything but…" Asuka pouted.
"Translation, please stay with me I crave affection," Mari answered taking another sip of her wine while smacking the pillow Asuka threw at her away.
"Yeah, sure that sounds great." Shinji said, and Mary slid an arm over his shoulder in agreement.
"I'm still sleeping naked," Isabelle mumbled curling up against Rei.
"Alright," Rei said picking up Isabelle, who sighed in happiness and cling to her like a sloth.
"Yay a sleepover!" Adelise chirped. "Just like when we were teens!"
"Yes, just like the old days." Ray agreed.
"Well, come on then!" Asuka grumbled, grabbing as many hands as possible and dragging them to the master bedroom. As the several blankets and pillows of many colors were dug out and layered up, they settled in one by one.
"These we go," Isabelle mumbled cuddling up to Rei and Mari. "Just like the old days."
"Yes. I love it. And I love all of you." Mary sighed, cuddling up between Shinji and Asuka like a snake seeking heat.
"Oh ok, thought we'd wait a few days before this becomes a poly relationship but, ok," Mari joked as she wrapped herself around Asuka.
"I'm not opposed to it," Ray said as he and Adelise spooned with Rei, leaving Adelise giggling as she was sandwiched between the blue haired duo.
"Oh this will be most fun," She sighed as she nuzzled her face into Rei's hair.
"...Very well," Rei said as she kissed Isabelle goodnight before rolling over and doing the same to Adelise, making the french girl giggle even more. "Goodnight everyone."
"Good night." The others crowed, and they all drifted off into a new life together.
Preview: Epilogue 3: Much to do about Something and Nothing
"Hey dear?" Mary asked. She and Shinji were relaxing after a long day at work. Both were exhausted from rush hours.
"Hm? Shinji replied. His head was in his hand, and he was resting his eyes.
" I want a baby." Mary said, pink dusting her cheeks.
Shinji's eyes snapped open. "...what?"