"We're the Band"
Chapter 26: Transients
Morning – Tokyo-3 Airport
Shinji sat in his usual spot next to Asuka, but in stark contrast to her, Shinji was a nervous, fidgeting wreck. Asuka sat quietly, legs crossed, reading a business journal. Shinji sat with his knees bouncing up and down, fingers twitching on his legs, and his breathing slowly but steadily increasing in rapidity and shallowness. Outwardly, he just looked like someone who didn't like to fly. Inwardly, it was a radically different story.
The decision to go to Germany came when the school had to shut down for some emergency maintenance – a recently found structural problem left over from the Angel Wars – and with classroom space at a premium, they were just delayed and the educational system had decided to extend their classroom hours once the fix was made. Rei was actually overjoyed to be able to take a true trip as a tourist. Misato was overjoyed to be able to drink German beer and reconnect with some old acquaintances from her time at NERV Germany. Shinji looked at this trip with dread.
While Shinji had learned enough German to get by from Asuka, his real anxiety source was the fact that he was meeting her parents. It was a significant step in their relationship, and he desperately wanted it to go well. Lurking in the back of his mind, he also wanted Asuka's reunion with her parents to go well. She'd worked very hard over the past months at patching up the relationship via phone and webcam, but those vehicles just didn't have the same impact as being there. To crown this tower of anxiety, his subconscious was quietly hinting that this would be a good opportunity to ask Asuka's father an important question, but Shinji's consciousness refused to even acknowledge that possibility with everything else that had to happen before then. The only saving point in all of this was that at the very least, Shinji wasn't sweating heavily with all of the nervousness and the prospect of a long flight ahead of them.
A warm hand gently stilled Shinji's twitching fingers. Looking over at the hand's owner, Shinji saw that she had a small smile on her face as she continued to read her magazine.
"Just relax. It will all be fine."
Still a little wild around the eyes, Shinji could only blurt out "But, how do you know?"
"Because, I am omniscient and omnipotent."
"But . . . how can you be so certain?"
Closing her magazine and lightly bonking him on the head with it like a puppy, "Baka Shinji. They will love you just like I love you and for the same reasons. If they don't, they will just have to endure it because I love you. You will be fine because I, the Great Asuka, will protect my poor Invincible Shinji from the dreaded parents. Now, leave it alone before I get mad and have to beat you severely."
She had easily defused the bundle of anxious energy that was threatening to boil over. She entwined her fingers in his, and the safety pin in the grenade was again in place. She could feel the calm from her hand engulf him like a warm blanket. His grip on her hand firmed up as if it was his only anchor in the bubble of calm that Asuka had created for them. Shinji's eyes glanced away from her face and saw the hustle and bustle of an airline terminal as if through a haze, shut away in a harmless place. As his eyes returned, he at once took in her slightly amused expression and the depths of the well of her self-confidence.
Shinji stretched out on his side across a couple of seats and, with Asuka's encouragement, used her lap as a pillow. Asuka unrolled her journal with her free hand. The other was clutched to Shinji's chest like a teddy bear against the fears of the unknown. Shinji lay there for what felt like the passing of ages. The shadows of turning pages periodically crossing his vision as the music from his player drowned out the white noise of the terminal. His introspection traversed the major flow of his life and how he never could have imagined finding friends or family or love in what had been such a cruel world that had crushed all but a tiny spark of his faith in the possibility of happiness. The winter sunshine was bright but not terribly warm and a little voice in the back of his head started whispering that Asuka's birthday was rapidly approaching. He'd been spared much of the gift giving as the world restarted itself after 3I, but birthdays were the one thing that demanded observance. As his mind drifted, his subconscious began working on the problem of what to give Asuka. Knowing her personality, the key characteristics were quickly established: highest quality, direct from the heart, meaningful, personal instead of generic. Not an easy task when she had the financial means to buy whatever she wanted.
As Shinji began to stow their luggage in the overhead bins, he was suddenly disoriented. It was like the effects of Instrumentality flickering in and out of his consciousness. The narcotic and seductive cocoon of what he'd always wanted in stark contrast to what his life was with the sudden fear that he was still in Instrumentality. He heard a baby cry further back in coach and was relieved. This was real. Babies didn't cry in Instrumentality because everyone was one gooey blob of happiness and satisfaction. Shinji had to admit that his life was light years beyond what he would have hoped for but that pain and risk were still there.
"Baka, sit down, already. You're blocking the aisle."
Startled out of his reverie, he automatically sat down at Asuka's order eliciting a snicker from Rei on the other side of the business class aisle with Misato. Rei leaned towards him to softly say, "You're whipped."
If Shinji needed proof that he was not in Instrumentality, that was it. Being teased by Rei was not on anyone's "must have" list.
"Whipped? Where'd you even hear that phrase?"
"Asuka's right. You're a baka. Girls talk, Shinji-kun. You have company you know. Toji and Kensuke have also reached 'whipped' status."
Just as Shinji was going to deliver his rebuttal, Asuka garnered his attention with a hand on his knee.
"See? Whipped."
"Rei?" queried Misato as she settled into her seat.
"Yes, Mom?"
"Let's have détente between you and your brother for, say, the next twenty thousand kilometers. A full blown argument would probably get us sent back to coach."
"okay," sighed Rei as her primary entertainment was suddenly taken from her.
Many hours and connections later – Evening in Berlin
It had been a fairly low-key, almost perfunctory family reunion at the airport. Their plane had been delayed by weather and everyone was tired. In the ride to the Soryu residence the conversations started to liven up as the extended family whipped down the autobahn. Asuka's father and Misato began to catch up on common acquaintances. Asuka and her mother had progressed passed awkward into normal mother / daughter "what have you been doing" and "why have you been doing that" patterns. Shinji and Rei were plastered against the windows drinking in the sights of a brand new country. Everything was new: street signs in German, driving on the other side of the road, fashion, architecture, cars, people, and most of all - scale. Things were bigger in Europe. Not a lot bigger, but still bigger than in Japan with the newness of the experience amplifying the differences.
It was exciting. Rei and Shinji were like blank sketchbooks that the images of a new adventure were rapidly trying to imprint themselves on. The fatigue of the journey was washed away in the excitement. Even little things like how people stood and looked around showed up as different and were noted by the two teens.
They pulled into a nice neighborhood with trees, kids playing, and neat townhouses. Pulling into the driveway, the car was unpacked of both luggage and people in short order. Reconvening in the house, Rei followed Asuka to Asuka's room to unpack and change. Misato and Shinji headed to the guest room to also get cleaned up as Asuka's mother began the makings of a light meal.
It was late evening. The remains of dinner were quietly being cleaned up by Misato and Asuka's mother. Rei was engrossed in German television – rapidly filling in her German slang and enraptured by the sheer difference from Japanese TV. Asuka's father was reading a paper. The gentle noise of the turning pages passing through the open window to the patio where, on the patio swing, Asuka had snuggled up to Shinji to enjoy the afterglow of the day.
"This is almost better than sitting on our park bench," ventured Shinji.
"Just 'almost'?"
"Well, it's hard to fit a whole lake with a sunset into a suburban backyard. But, I do like the swinging bench."
"Maybe we'll donate one with our company name on it for advertising as well."
"I can feel them watching us."
"They're probably gossiping madly about us."
"Really?"
"Baka. You can be so gullible at times. They're probably talking about us, but it's probably more parent stuff than gossip, but with Misato, you never know. But, they're parents Shinji. They'll want to all get on the same page. Besides, you know that they'll all need to be comfortable with each other, eventually."
Leaning his head back and staring straight at the sky, Shinji could only mumble his agreement. His mind threatened to whirl off on a thousand different subjects, but it was ultimately corralled by the warm presence on the swing with him.
A comfortable silence descended on the pair. The creaking of the swing mingled with the evening birdsongs and the awakening of other night noises. Their conversation continued across the multiple topics of small talk and onto their business venture.
Three adults quietly observed the pair from the kitchen table over ice cold German beer. Asuka's father quietly closed the window. "Misato, I originally thought you had pickled your brain when you asked to allow Asuka to stay in Japan. But, seeing her like this: happy and finally connecting with people her own age has certainly changed my opinion."
"I would agree," added Asuka's mother. "Over these last months, conversations with her have actually gotten closer instead of always having that distance."
"I would love to say that it was me, but I think there was Third Impact and Shinji, of course."
"I had my doubts about her seeing the late Commander's son. A father always wants what's best for his daughter and to protect her, and I'm glad that he's more like his mother than his father. He's actually more mature than I had imagined, and I only see hints of the personality outlined in his Pilot dossier. I'm pretty thankful for that since it seems that he and Asuka are now together."
"Exactly, how serious are they, Misato? I'm sure I'll get the scoop from Asuka at some point during this week, but what do you think?"
Misato studied the top of her beer bottle after a short sip. Looking back up at Asuka's parents, she set her bottle down mostly still full. "At first, I was really worried that it wouldn't last and that they'd both be hurt – maybe damaged is a better word. They are both young and very vulnerable. The more I saw them together, the more I suspect that something happened during 3I to the two of them. As you saw, they're more mature, more open. When I see them separated, I watch them grow agitated as the duration of separation drags on only to be wiped away once they see each other. I don't see that teenage, breathless passion, though. I notice that most when I see them with their friends. Their friends are mostly normal for teens, but Shinji and Asuka look like 16 going on 30 in comparison to their friends."
She took a small sip more to moisten her mouth than to actually drink before continuing. "The preliminary psych reports show that if one lost the other, they would be practically incapacitated. But, on a more human note, they're good for each other. Shinji acts as a gentle buffer for Asuka's personality, but she pushes him out of his shell and fuels ambition where he didn't have any before. It's like they have real life goals now that intertwine replacing the artificial goals we had given them from NERV. Because of that, I wouldn't be surprised if they're married as soon as they are of age. I've noticed that they have next to no interest in other boys and girls near their own age. They're pretty committed to each other."
Both Asuka's mother and father were a little startled at that. They had just gotten their daughter back only to be told that they would be giving her away soon. It was a natural step in life but not one they had really prepared themselves for given Asuka's lack of social ties in Germany.
"Misato, how close are they?" asked Asuka's mother implying the question mothers have dreaded for millennia as her gaze went to her step-daughter currently in quiet conversation outside.
"Now that's a loaded question," responded Misato more to herself than to the other adults around the table with a rueful glance at her bottle of beer. "I guess there's no other way than to just come out and say it. They're about as close as two people can get. They've had sex, and they spend large amounts of time together. On the positive side, Asuka's nightmares and Shinji's, for that matter, have mostly subsided. We've had 'The Talk', and they understand the physical and emotional implications as near as I can tell. They've been pretty open with me about the level of their relationship."
Silence reigned at the table. All three parents sat quietly thinking about the conversation that just happened and they all glanced out the window multiple times at the subjects of that conversation.
Town Square Bier Garten – mid-Day
Shinji and Asuka's father sat on the patio of the town's Bier Garten overlooking the square. They had arrived early to get this choice seat in preparation for the performance by the town's Gothic Cathedral clock – complete with mechanical soldiers, dancers, and other clockwork animations. The lunch getaway had spared them from following the women-folk on reunions with NERV-Germany personnel and Asuka's shopping trip into the heart of the city for her favorite toiletries and other hard to get items.
Asuka's father also took the opportunity to bond a little with Shinji. The previous hour in the car had allowed him to get the young man to open up and was more than a little surprised at how easy it had been until he considered Shinji's situation. Shinji was in desperate need of positive male role models. His tai chi instructor and the Section 2 agents had performed well as stop-gap measures, but it was very apparent that Shinji needed someone to confide in. It was also apparent to Asuka's father that Shinji had rapidly assumed the position of 'son' in his mind.
As expected, their conversation eventually found its way to Asuka.
"So, Shinji, I hear that you and Asuka are pretty serious."
"um, yes, sir," came the immediate reply causing Asuka's father to more once more regard the young man across the table from him. Shinji had devoured his lunch, and the two of them were enjoying drinks and dessert. To Asuka's father, Shinji was still a little closed. His body language was shuttered with hunched shoulder, head down into the food, and a nervous fidgeting below the table.
Taking a sip of his beer, Asuka's father decided that the boy needed the direct approach – something not consistent with his upbringing.
"Shinji, look at me."
A startled Shinji looked up and straightened his back a little.
"Shinji, let's just cut to the chase, as we used to say in America. I know you want my approval regarding Asuka. Let's also just say, that you and your sister have charmed my wife and she's already on your side, but you and I need to have a conversation about you."
"About me? I don't think I understand."
"Well, then, let's start with my current observations about you, and we can go from there. I think you're a nice boy. You're a good influence on Asuka. You've helped soften some of her rough edges. I know that I wasn't around enough to do that for her and the death of her mother just widened the rift between us on many levels."
In the pregnant pause, Asuka's father took a quiet sip of beer as the reminder of those horrible events threatened to take him again. Shinji merely waited quietly for the man to continue.
"Anyways, I do understand that you're both happy now. But, life and love is about growth. I think there are parts of Asuka's personality that you need to acquire and make your own. First and foremost, I think you need her ambition."
"Her ambition?"
"Shinji, you've done well, but only when people push you to do well. You need to strive to be excellent. I don't see you doing that on a consistent basis. Your successes are driven by the desires of others and not your own. Do you want to the best husband to Asuka? Then, drive yourself to be the best. Do you want to sit first chair? Then, prepare for the battle. Do you see what I mean? You need to build that picture of who Shinji is and drive towards that. Just, don't forget what the rules of the game really are, like your father did. Second, you need to be more sociable."
"Now, I don't mean that you have to be the life of the party like Misato or anything like that. What I mean is that you need to learn how to relate to people and how to be a part of the flow of people. For example, think about how you were sitting before. You were all sunken in. Everything about you said, 'Don't talk to me and don't look at me because I'm not here.' Be a part of life, Shinji. Relate to people.
"Before you go off and think that you need some sort of transformational event to turn this around, you don't. These are things that I think you'll be working on your whole life with Asuka. But, you need to start. If you don't, you'll always live in Asuka's shadow, socially, and that could become very corrosive to your relationship. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Shinji?"
"I . . . think so."
"Good. Finish your ice cream before you lose it because I hear the women approaching."
Shinji was lost in the ice cream and the words of Asuka's father. Just as Asuka gave him a little kiss on the cheek, it dawned on Shinji that Asuka's father already thought of him as a son and had given tacit approval. Asuka, of course, took the big smile on Shinji's face as being for her. It was, in a way, but Shinji saw no reason to alter her thinking.
The girls had arrived just in time. As their drinks arrived, the clock tower began to chime and the throngs of people all stilled. On the face of the enormous Gothic church, little doors opened and mechanical minstrels marched to the bells and drums hidden deep within the church. An army of dancers, animals, and toy soldiers took to the stage to perform to the music box of the church.
During the entire performance, Rei just sat entranced. The intricate choreography and the precision of the mechanisms and the order of the little performance just tickled a child-like joy within Rei. It was so powerful, that the camera sat unnoticed in her hands as she totally focused on the performance in front of her. She was still staring at the church façade as the performance ended and the crowds began to move off.
"Rei-chan. Rei-chan, Earth to Rei-chan," teased Misato.
"um . . . oh . . . I didn't get any pictures," pouted Rei as the group laughed and Asuka's mother gently patted Rei's hand.
"It's ok, Rei. We can come back tomorrow and get some pictures for you."
Author's Parting Shots: Well, my wife went and bought DDR for the Wii and is it just me or does one of the characters look like a dead-ringer for Rei? I've never laughed so hard watching the Rei-like character dance to high speed hip hop. I need to work that into the story somehow . . .
The Church Clock in the town square is what I remember of the big clock in Munich when I was there a long time ago.
Also, sorry about the delay. I went and ruptured my Achilles tendon playing flag football. Between that, surgery, and starting recovery, it hasn't left much time for writing.