On his birthday, 2014, Shinji received a message from his father. Now he must decide whether he'll respond to it.

It wasn't enough to scribble out the words with the first red sharpies he could find. No, he had to destroy it.

Shinji tried to imagine his father in effigy between his hands as he angrily shredded the document with his fingers. Every tear wasn't a satisfying break though, each separation was too quick or too awkward.

So he gathered up the shreds and crumpled them before throwing them into the trash basket by his desk. The card and envelope went with it. Then he huffed once and went to the other corner of the room, sat, and buried his head behind his knees.

His father was the last person on earth he wanted to hear from on his Birthday.

Favored Son

Norsehound

The aged voice asked, "What did the letter from your father say?"

Shinji glowered and turned his head away angrily as they sat on the train.

"I see."

The rythmic clicking of the train was usually pretty relaxing on their morning ride into the center of town. Shinji, dressed in his proper school uniform with book bag at his side, sat beside his Sensei. One could easily assume they were grandfather and grandson were it not for an obvious lack of a family resemblance.

Leaving his Sensei's question unanswered bothered Shinji. Not as much as the letter still searing in his waste basket back home, but enough to finally prompt an answer. "I don't know what the letter said. Most of it…. All of it was blocked out."

"Your father is a very influential person, if he comes from Tokyo-3 with his letters blocked out."

A natural deduction, but one that had escaped Shinji until just now. He had to be reminded a lot when it came to some matters concerning his Father.

His Sensei adjusted his seat on the train, gripping a cane a little differently. "But why send a letter if it has nothing substantial to say?"

"It wasn't. He wrote something else… and then signed his name."

"What did he write?"

It suddenly occurred to Shinji that if his Sensei knew Shinji was being recalled… he may no longer be welcome to stay. Shinji closed up. "I'd.. Rather not say."

"I see." His Sensei said and left it at that. The ride continued quietly. Shinji was greatful at that moment that his Sensei was never one to pry, especially when it concerned family.

The school in town Shinji attended was not big, but not sparse. It had the kind of density where students knew they could get away with pranks and a lax attitude, but not to the degree of utter lawlessness.

Shinji was watching a prank unfold out of the corner of his eye as he sat in the back of his classroom with the SDAT quietly rolling. It was the time before class, as students were filing in and talking.

Shinji had already established his reputation as being someone… boring. He had been hazed by his classmates early in the year but they already concluded that he wasn't fun when tormented. His quiet acceptance of the shame heaped on him was unsatisfying, and a little disturbing. He didn't seek friendships either, preferring only to do as he was told and stay out of everyone's way. Nobody knew much about him, and none were curious.

It had been this way for a long time.

Class started as it usually did and Shinji was forced to put away the SDAT. At least class could take him away from thinking about that damned letter. Shinji desired nothing more than for life to return to normal, and himself to return to utter unimportance.

"Our lesson today includes a group activity." The instructor spoke at one point. "You will pair up with another student for small group discussion. The subject will be the matter of family upheaval since the second impact. No person in this room has been unaffected by it, your assignment is to probe each other's histories for why your partner was affected by this event."

Shinji bowed his head. He hated group assignments for many reasons. Usually he was paired with a slacker student who was inevitably pissed that Shinji didn't do the work, or someone who treated Shinji like a useless intern for drudgery work, or just pushed them out entirely. That he was on either extreme informed Shinji that partnering with him was one of the last options.

"Ikari Shinji? You'll be partnered with Mirai Yubari."

It surprised Shinji that he was called upon so early. The girl he was partnered with approached, and Shinji sized her up. She was also dressed in the school uniform, which for girls meant a white shirt, plaid skirt, and a necktie. Her slick, dark hair was pulled into a simple ponytail. She seemed plain looking if it wasn't for the pair of red rimmed glasses on her face.

When they broke into groups, Mirai came to his desk. "Mr. Ikari?" She asked to clarify.

Shinji offered up a thin smile. "Yes, Miss Yubari?"

Mirai smiled with a small bow in return. "I'm pleased to meet you. May I sit?"

"Of course!"

a/n: this was going to be Shinji's 2022 birthday fix before I changed gears to do the much more successful Sunspot. I share this one because it's the only time I've written Shinji's sensei and described his life from before Eva. it feels good enough of a placementbin time.

why it died I think is because it's going to deal a lot with OCs and there's no suspense because we know Shinji will leave it all behind and go to Tokyo-3.