New Perspective Evangelion
I don't own NGE, someone else does,
Some stuff might be mentioned that's copyright,
Don't bug me about it.
It's just in the name of fun anyway.
'The Fourth Children'
I…I
It was something I just didn't want to do. God help me I wanted to avoid it for as long as possible. Of course, therein lay the problem. What I wanted to do, was the exact opposite of what I had to do.
"You need to wear something other than a paper hospital gown when Captain Katsuragi picks you up," Doctor James had said.
Okay, I could agree with that.
But still, it was what that 'something' was that was the problem.
Either the Doctor or the Captain, I didn't know who, had kindly provided me with some simple clothes to wear for the day. The loose white t-shirt wouldn't be a problem. Neither would the cheap jeans and narrow false leather belt, or the white tennis shoes and socks.
My problem was the otherwise innocuous white cotton bra and panties combination that lay beside my clothes on my bed.
It was one of those lines that, once I crossed it, there'd be no going back. 20 years of conditioning by society told me that women's underwear was a 'no'. If any psychiatrist ever found out about this, I'd bet it'd make a fascinating paper. Of course, I'd expect it to be worth a Nobel prize.
"She'll be here in a minute," The doc knocked on the door. "Hurry up!"
"Em…." I stuttered, "Just a minute!"
There really was going to be no avoiding this. I couldn't exactly just wear my other clothes, with no underwear beneath. I really had no other choice with this.
My dirty blue gown was dumped in the bin, and I stood naked, still trying to work up some amount of courage to step into the delicate white cotton smalls.
Just get on with it! Stop stalling and just put them on. They won't kill you.
They seemed a bit too small anyway, my mental body image still being of someone twice my actual size. But, there was nothing else coming
Embarrassment twisted my stomach as I finally worked up the courage to at least try them. One leg in, followed by the other. Snug and tight, and wrong as everything else. Comfortable when I could put that out of my mind, though I was ashamed to admit that to myself. Somehow, I knew there was a group of security guards watching me over CCTV, laughing at me, or worse.
"This is so embarrassing." I mumbled shamefully, struggling to fit myself in the brassiere.
My only experience with that particular piece female underwear was taking the thing off. And I was sure that any minute the wall could drop away and reveal some hidden camera crew, and the fact that the shame rushing through my body and heating my face was being broadcast live to millions of viewers.
Eventually, I struggled my way into the supporting garments.
At least with some proper clothes on I could feel almost normal. God help me though if someone decided I had to wear a skirt, or worse, a bikini.
"Miss Katsuragi'll be here soon" The doctor called in. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Yeah!" I shouted out, quickly tying my shoelaces, any semblance of shame melting away by the thought of seeing Misato again. "I'm ready now,"
Dr. James guided me to the front door where I bade him goodbye and thanks for his kindness.
With the dressings taken off my leg and arm I could walk easier, but it was still hard. Supposedly, I hadn't walked for around seven months so some of my muscles had begun to atrophy. The underwear felt a still bit weird as well, but like the Borg, I could adapt.
Eventually, nearly an hour late, Misato's distinctive sports car skidded to a halt opposite me, the Tokyo-3 sunlight glittering off the gloss blue paint, as well as every single dent, ding, scratch and chip.
The passenger door swung open with a squeak, Misato's sunny face beckoning me inside.
Judging by the rather dilapidated state of her car, that might not be the safest move. The entire front bumper looked as if it was being held on just by a few strips of sellotape. The whole vehicle looked like someone had dropped an atom bomb on it.
Which, in Episode One, they had.
The thing was probably a bloody deathtrap. But, like everything, it wasn't as if I really had a choice in the matter. I didn't have any money for public transport, or anywhere to go if I did.
So, I quietly slipped down into the passenger seat beside the cheerful Captain and closed the door with a terminal 'thunk'. Inside, the lavender smell of Misato's perfume mixed with the scent of the little paper pine tree hanging from the mirror and what might've been leaking exhaust fumes. The upholstery was faded and worn, the dashboard sun cracked and the carpets scuffed and muddy. A pile of old batteries on the back seat covered by a dirty white sheet did little to inspire confidence in the machine.
Was that a worn big end knocking I could hear behind me? A con-rod ready to make its bid for freedom through the crankcase in a shower of shattered steel and overworked oil.
Misato said something to me, a direction to do something, but all I could do was blink in confused ignorance. A gentle tap on the seatbelt buckle told me exactly what she meant.
"Right, Okay," I nodded my understanding. "Em…Hai!"
'Hai' Was Japanese for 'Yes', or something like that right? It seemed to be. She understood what I meant anyway.
A grey dossier, tape sealed with my name written on it, had been left on top of the glove compartment, something to read on the journey. With a squeal of tortured tyres, the car shot off, pushing me hard back into the seat.
Occasionally, the Captain would try and break the silence with some small conversation, but the only response I could give her was an ignorant smile. Eventually, she just gave up, the two of us continuing our journey in silence.
I had a more distracting problem though.
It wasn't that Misato was driving fast per se, it was just the way she had a tendency to hit just about any bump in the road at full speed, jolting me uncomfortably each time. Another item added to the list of things I had to get used to about my body was what the bustgunner effect.
Suffice to say, it wasn't just the car's suspension that was bouncing off the bumps.
I tried holding things steady with for a while, before giving up when Misato laughed at me. How the hell could she tolerate it, she was even bigger? Groaning, I shifted and fidgeted constantly in my seat, searching for some hidden place of relative comfort, despite my underwear trying to work it's way into ever more uncomfortable locations. With my new body, everything just felt strange, weight and sensation shifting unpredictably with even the smallest jolt.
Eventually I settled down somewhat, just watching out the window, still fascinated by the remains of the Angel and now all the shining fifty story glass and steel skyscrapers as well.
I'd never seen a building taller than ten.
I think, judging by the way Misato was waving her arm, she was trying to explain to me that the buildings could be raised and lowered. I just boggled at how the entire city was designed and constructed in only fifteen years, as well as the machinery below ground required to move it and operate it.
Finally, after maybe an hours journey through traffic we pulled up outside a familiar looking apartment block. My heart skipped a beat as I realised just why we were stopping there.
The Katsuragi apartment was likely to be my new home.
It made sense I suppose. I couldn't exactly live by myself, and the other two EVA Pilots already lived there, so it was the logical choice. I swallowed a sudden surge of nervous excitement, knowing that I'd probably be meeting Asuka and Shinji in a few minutes.
With a simple gesture Misato indicated that I should follow her. She quickly led me to a lift which took me ten stories up.
I took special care as we walked to the apartment to keep away from the railing that looked out over a fall of at least ten stories, down to a small atrium garden and playground inside the rectangular building.
And a single grey steel door directly in front of me with a brass plate marked 1014, and a series of Kanji I couldn't read.
She opened the apartment door but allowed me to enter first. Curiously, I stepped into what would be my home for the foreseeable future, a small tiled floor before a step up into the kitchen. Quickly, I was stopped by a tap on shoulder before I could get too far in.
Misato just smiled and pointed to my feet, before slipping out of her own high heels.
"Right, Okay," I nodded.
"Tadaima!" she announced, deftly tossing her jacket onto a hanger by the door.
I quickly shuffled out of the shoes that I had been given in the hospital and stepped up into the hallway. I couldn't help but feel like I was an intruder sneaking into somewhere he didn't belong.
"Em…Tadoyma." I copied her as best I could, following her in.
We were answered by a single lonely penguin, waddling his way to his owners arms, and silence.
If this was Misato's apartment, then where were Asuka and Shinji?
Stupid question.
They had to be at school, or training at NERV. I couldn't expect them to be here all the time. Misato cuddled and cooed at the penguin in her arms as if the bird was her own young baby, kissing the lucky bird as I began to explore my new residence.
It was just like the apartment from the series, a dead match, from the television and video set by the glass balcony doors, a cheap wooden table and chair set in the kitchen, to a short hallway and three doors, a fourth opening into what looked like a small hot press with a bed on the floor, a heart shaped sign hanging on the door.
I swallowed a building lump in my throat as I found a set of pair red plastic clip on the table in the kitchen, a few strands of rusty hair caught in them
They were Asuka's.
A digital tape player lay on the kitchen counter beside the cooker, headphone leads coiling and snaking around the little black box. I'd owned one just like it once, nearly ten years ago.
It probably belonged to Shinji.
In the wash basket were a few sets of dirty leotards, some underwear and other odds and ends.
A sudden rush of excitement. They were here. They were real people. I was there. I really was there.
I almost expected the two Pilot's to appear at the door arguing with each other. It was a strange feeling, bubbling in the pit of my stomach, a sensation that they'd just left the room and would be back any minute.
And what would Asuka think of me?
I know it was just fanboyish immaturity, and I kicked myself for it, but I just wanted to know what the German girl thought of me. Would she see me as a rival, something to be crushed and ground down into the ground?
Shinji, I was sure he'd be kind, but what could I say to him without accidentally hurting him, or poking at some raw nerve?
Christ, I knew so much about these people. More than I probably had a right to anyway. Asuka's mother, Misato and Second Impact, even Shinji's first meeting with Unit 01. One wrong word, a stupid slip of the tongue and I could find myself in hot water, or worse.
I could see the interrogation. The darkness, and a hot bright light burning in my face, hiding my inquisitors from view.
'Now tell us, just how did you know I had a boyfriend named Ryoji Kaji in college? And that we'd spent a week working on 'extra curricular activities'?'
'Um….'
Thank God for the language barrier is all I can say. I couldn't say something stupid if I couldn't speak the language, could I?
"Noriko." The Captain called for me.
She'd found a fresh towel, a selection of toiletries and some nightclothes for me to wear.
"Em…shower?"
I made the universal 'shower' gesture, sweeping my hand over my head to make sure she understood. I felt I looked like a right idiot doing it, but, I think she understood what I meant. Crazy hand gestures really were a universal language in themselves.
As the door slid shut behind me, I was confronted with the realisation that I'd have to undress myself again, then wash my naked body.
Maybe if I just closed my eyes and pretended nothing was different, I could do it.
I could take my clothes off, drop my underwear on the floor, run the shower and wash myself without ever noticing my current biological situation, or the fact that, in all fairness, I had quite a nice figure.
Nope, no chance of that.
My subconscious was having no small difficulty coming to terms with the obvious fact that the attractive female who was supposedly showering with me and gently lathering my body up with lavender soap was in fact just myself.
That, and I was getting …ahem…'ticklish' again.
Looking down at the results, I felt nauseous, strangely giddy and more than a little embarrassed and red faced at the effects. I tried to shake it off, but I found myself almost wanting to laugh at my own stupidity.
My brain, unsure what to make of the confusing sensations it had been receiving all day finally came to the conclusion that I was somehow sick, or had accidentally poisoned myself.
I threw the entire contents of my stomach up into the toilet, retching painfully until it was empty.
Good God would I ever get used to this?
Just get this done and carry on from there.
I finished cleaning my hair, which was a chore considering it now hung well below my shoulders. A small leaflet mixed in with the toiletries told me exactly what special hygiene needs EVA Pilot's had. As I took the razor to my legs, I consoled myself with the knowledge that even Shinji had to shave his body hairless.
And there was something soothing about shaving my legs, that I couldn't quite place. Until my shaven legs began to itch terribly.
I could deal with it. I could get used to it. Eventually.
Sliding the bathroom door open again, I was greeting by two words. A phrase I knew well from the poor quality fansubs that had first introduced us.
"Anta Baka."
The voice was too shrill to be Misato's, so it had to be someone else. And only one member of the Katsuragi household sounded like the BR announcer girl. Naturally.
With her rust coloured hair and turquoise school uniform, Asuka Langly Soryhu was standing beside the living room couch, radiating her natural pride and self confidence. It was enough to make me want to hide back in the shower before she noticed me.
"Gomen Nasai."
Small and meek, almost hiding from the teuton's accusations, it didn't take a genius to figure out who it belonged to. Searching for something in his white shirt pocket was Shinji Ikari.
Sitting cross legged at the table, nursing a can of beer was Misato, grinning right at me.
She hadn't told them yet, had she?
A shrill demand from the German redhead gave my answer.
That was a 'no' then.
Shinji nearly dropped the notepapers he was holding when he discovered the reason why she was shouting.
Another demand from Asuka, this time directed to the NERV Captain sitting at the table, grinning like a Cheshire cat at her. How long was Misato going to hold out on an answer? How long would it take for me to run to the door and avoid a violent confrontation?
"Nagato Noriko, Fourth Children," The dark-haired beauty finally introduced me.
"Fourth Children?" Shinji parroted. "Ikari Shinji," He bowed politely
Asuka was stunned for a moment, giving quick, sharp glances between myself, the future Major and the third Children. I could see it, the realisation working it's way into the deepest reaches of her mind, slowly insinuating itself into her consciousness.
A little unsure what to do myself, I could only bow like I'd seen in so many television shows.
With a snort and a prideful toss of her hair, I knew whatever Asuka'd said had been to cover her ass, and hide the fact that Shinji'd caught on well before her.
"Soryhu Asuka Langley, Second Children."
That much I understood at least, the fast paced monologue that followed shooting clear over my head.
I stared blankly, not having the foggiest idea what she was on about. Damn it, she probably already thought I was an idiot the way I was staring at her. If there was one memory of Noriko's I desperately wanted, it was her language skills.
Eventually Misato thankfully explained to her that I couldn't understand a word she was saying.
"So why can't you speak Japanese anyway, Fourth Child?"
"Em, I don't know."
"How can you not know if you'd ever been taught Japanese?" she asked in that colour of arrogance I knew she reserved for especially stupid statements.
I couldn't answer her. I just couldn't. I couldn't physically force the words out. There was something about her presence, the way she was standing that made her seem to tower over me, despite the fact that I was damned sure I had a few inches on her. Asuka's ice blue eyes studied me intently, as she clearly gauged my potential as a rival.
I had to say something.
I had to.
Anything.
Just to show I wasn't an idiot.
"I don't know," I squawked.
Cue sarcastic clapping, ringing in the back of my mind.
"What are you, stupid? Can't you say anything else?"
"I…."
Don't say it. Please don't say it. For the love of God don't say it.
"….don't know."
And I'd laughed at Shinji for being spineless. There I was, standing, acting with as much backbone as your average jellyfish. God, she probably thinks I'm such an eejit now.
"Now you're just annoying me. One last chance Fourth Child. Why weren't you taught Japanese?"
Okay, focus. Just tell the truth.
"I was in hospital for seven months. My memory's been damaged, so I can't remember."
It was an improvement anyway.
"There," she smiled. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Not really."
Shinji was already getting dinner ready as Asuka changed her clothes. I just found place to hide on the couch. I'd been such an idiot I wanted to kick myself for it, bury myself in the grey pages of my Pilots manual and hide from my embarrassment and shame over my own stupidity.
Honestly though, could anybody else say they would've done any better?
The words in front of me blurred into single black lines while I tried to pretend I wasn't interested in the attractive German who'd dropped into the chair beside me.
I wasn't interested in her pale green T-shirt.
I wasn't interested in her tight fitting denim shorts.
Or her long, rust red hair for that matter.
Damn.
I just pushed my head deeper into the dossier and tried to let on I wasn't too concerned at all. It told me exactly how my short life would end anyway. Crushed by Unit 01 it was going to be.
"So you're the Pilot of Unit 03 then?"
Just focus on the words on the page, and not on who's asking the question
"Em…That's what it says here,"
"Nothing but a Yank Tank," she huffed. "It's much too complicated."
"It's a production model, similar to Unit 02." I said, reading from the dossier.
"It's nothing like MY Unit 02…"
"It says here it's supposed to be better," I interrupted, blissfully ignorant of the immediate danger, still reading the specifications. "Because of the degree integration of computer control into the firing system, it has a faster target acquisition time, as well as a higher hit ratio with standard weaponry,"
I should've really remembered who I was talking to.
"An EVA can only be as good as the Pilot, Fourth Child," Asuka finally snapped. "I'm still the number one Pilot with the highest synchronisation scores. You haven't even performed your activation tests yet have you Fourth?"
"Eh…"
I don't know why I hadn't expected it. Had I still been a guy, chances are I'd have gained a stinging red hand print across my cheek for the trouble. As it was, the Second Child was staring my accidental challenge down, daring me to counter attack.
"Well, I've been in a hospital, I can't synchronise when I'm in hospital, can I?"
Maybe surrender would've been the better choice.
"Of course not. It's a wonder they even selected you as Pilot after being injured like that,"
Asuka blitzkrieged my token challenge to her personal superiority. The final assault was broken only by a voice calling us to the kitchen. All hostility's were to be ended by a plate of fried fish and rice.
At least dinner was quiet.
My first meal ended and time passed with Misato trying to teach me some basic Japanese from a battered old phrasebook. My accent butchered her native tongue, but learning enough Japanese to tell people I couldn't speak Japanese gave me a fine sense of accomplishment anyway.
An argument between the two Pilots was passed by me quietly reading my manual, ducking beneath the flying German and Japanese insults, Shinji giving back most of what he took.
Was I going to have to listen to this all the time?
Or could I just move in with Rei?
She'd be a nice, quiet person to live with, wouldn't she?
The argument died down, as what sounded like a shower began to hum in the background.
Pen-Pen arrived, demanding my attention, staring at me with his beady little green eyes, just waiting for me to do something. It was almost like he knew something wasn't right about me.
He just stared.
"Waark!" he announced, before waddling away to Shinji, cleaning the dishes.
It was almost disappointing. I'd been expecting something more substantial, 'Nevermore' perhaps.
"Weird Bird."
It's because of all the beer Misato feeds him." Asuka explained. "He's gone funny in the head with it."
"Beer?" My eye's widened and my lips went dry. It'd been a while since I'd had a drink. That, and I just wanted to know how the hell a penguin could drink from a can.
"If you can even call it that. It's nothing but swill compared to German beer."
I quite like Yebisu. A restaurant back home sold it.
"Gomen, Gomen, " Shinji stammered, before almost running through the hall to his room while holding his nose.
"What was that about?"
Misato came from the hall behind him wearing a towel, and not much else.
"Deviant probably peaked at Misato in the shower, not that she makes much of an effort to hide herself."
She said something in German that didn't sound to friendly before returning to the television.
A documentary about the Second Impact War in Europe was on. Asuka took great pride in explaining the various victories of the German Federal Army against the Eastern Communist Coalition, despite the fact that during the war all the armies of the former European Union had been united into one common army.
She also was quick to warn me about 'Any rookie behaviour getting in her way' during the next Angel battle.
Misato said something to Asuka, something she didn't sound too pleased about either.
"You're sleeping in my room tonight Fourth Child."
That was it.
I would've preferred somewhere on my own, the couch perhaps. Even Shinji's room would be better.
The Pilot's room was small, and a little messy, with some clothes and underwear thrown around, mixed with clothes catalogues and copies of German magazines piled haphazardly in the corner, heavy with the scent of perfumes, deodorant and sweat.
A small white rectangular mat on the floor, squeezed between the bed and the closet space.
Quietly, I just slipped between my lightweight bedsheets, cowering while Asuka got ready for bed beside me.
While she was getting changed I tried my absolute best to avoid seeing her naked. It just wasn't right to look at her, or even share the same bedroom as the Second Child.
If I was lucky, maybe I might even wake up in my own bed. This was my third night's sleep as Noriko so, third time lucky, right? I could wake up in my own bed, maybe with some new pointers on characterisation, or a fanfic idea.
Somehow that didn't exactly seem like a going possibility. For one thing, my maths were wrong...
"I want to go home," I mumbled to myself. "I just want to go home."
"Where're you from anyway?" Asuka cut in.
"Em….I don't know."
Asuka gave a grunt of annoyed frustration before turning over in her bed, muttering something to herself.
She probably hated me now, or at least thought I was an idiot. That was just perfect. I just rolled over, curled up into myself and tried to get some sleep. Eventually, I was successful.
I ended up keeping Misato's nightdress. It smelt faintly of beer and lavender, and I had no problems feeling attracted to her
I...I
Thank you to Jabberwok for his help writing this.
Edited 2010. Still way too bloody short
Dartz