Rule 1 of the playhouse: This is a benign ginger dictatorship.
Rule 2: 'Benign' is at the dictator's discretion.
—Ugh, "not how that works", I just said your opinion doesn't matter.
Rule 3: If you make a mess, clean it up! Shinji knows where all the stuff is, ask him. (And he'll usually just end up cleaning it for you, anyway.) Do not ask Mister Ikari to clean it, he'll come up with some 'genius housekeeping hack' that'll just make it worse, and stink out the place as well.
Rule 4: If something breaks, only ask Doctor Ikari to fix it if you don't need it to come back exactly the same. Mechanical stuff will get upgraded, but you might not recognise it or know how to use it anymore.
...That flying cyborg armour she made for my doll was pretty cool, though.
...Wonder where it ended up landing...
Ahem. Rule 5 of the playhouse: No stealing cushions. This is mine, and that's Rei's. You can share Shinji's for now. —Waddya mean, "unfair to Shinji"? Do you hear him complaining? Exactly.
Rule 6: Interrupting Rei's quiet reading time carries the death penalty, unless it's for food. The forfeit for unwarranted interruptions is to go get snacks for everyone.
Rule 7: All hail Tutu.
"Tutu?" Kaworu repeated.
"Tutu," Asuka confirmed.
From the top of the bookcase she grabbed a four-eyed plush frog twice the size of her head (including pigtails) and held it out for his inspection and worship. "Tutu."
"That's a very bright red," he observed. "Are they a poison dart frog? There are speckles on the limbs in approximately the right places."
"Those are chocolate stains," Rei said.
"I see."
Shinji spoke up, "Tutu was Asuka's toy from when she was a baby. It's why she likes the colour red so much."
Asuka's eyes slid over to Rei's, and she looked away quickly. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Tutu."
Her gaze returned to Kaworu, and to the other newcomer to the playhouse in the Ikari's backyard, seated on his lap. It went 'reeehkkk'.
"Anyway! Rei and Shinji's parents never come in here, so it's the perfect place to stash this freaky thing."
Shinji had been emptying toys (Tutu's subordinate minions) from the plastic toddling pool that took up a quarter of the cubby's floorspace. "I can get the hose extension and fill this with water."
"It might splash," said Rei.
"Hm, good point." Shinji tapped a finger on his chin. "A towel might not be enough. I'll see if Dad has any tarp leftover from the Marinade Event."
"'Marinade Event'?" Asuka repeated dubiously.
"Don't ask," the siblings chorused. Asuka exchanged a bemused look with Kaworu while Shinji went to search the shed.
Of course, it couldn't all go smoothly – when the tarp was collected and arranged, and the hose fed into it and turned on, despite Asuka's excellent and timely advice and instructions, the pool got warped or bent somehow, and a huge amount of water sloshed onto the floor.
"This is your fault!" Asuka stormed at Shinji. She was almost too busy wringing out her skirt to smack him. Almost.
"Mine?" he bleated. "You were telling me two different things and you couldn't even see—"
"How clumsy can you get? It's a pool, it's meant to have water in it—"
"Well if you hadn't been sticking your nose in—"
"Don't argue," Rei interrupted, her voice weirdly tight. "We – I – it can be fixed. Shinji – don't … argue with Soryu."
Shinji deflated immediately, as his 'keep-Rei-happy' programming kicked in. "Sorry, Rei. I'll get some more towels." He dashed from the cubby, the door banging behind him and hanging ajar.
Rei turned to Asuka, and her expression made something weird happen in Asuka's stomach. "Whatever," she muttered. "Who cares whose fault it is?"
"You did," Kaworu pointed out mildly, as he put the Gaghiel in the restored pool.
As Asuka whirled angrily on him he continued, "Now aren't you going to let them in?"
"Huh? Let who...?"
He nodded at the playhouse door.
Despite herself, Asuka, distracted, went and opened it.
Nothing.
She stuck her head out and looked around the backyard. Lawn, shed, patio, path – huh?
'Chup.'
"Waagh!" —as she fell backwards on her butt.
"Soryu?" Rei gasped.
A THING at Asuka's knee level said 'chup' again. It was two-legged with two arms, three claws on its hands and feet, and solid black except for a grey mask like a plague doctor, and grey patches on its shoulders and hips. —Oh, and a shiny red orb in its middle.
"What the hell, there's more of them?" Asuka shrieked.
"Sachiel is not the same as Gaghiel," Kaworu corrected her, "any more than you are."
The thing – the 'Satchee-ehr' – toddled past Asuka and over to the pool. It raised its arms so Kaworu could pick it up like a tiny, freaky child and put it in, next to the Gaghiel.
The two little creatures sat side-by-side in the rising water, paddling arms and fins contentedly.
Asuka stared at them, then crumpled to the floor. "Why is this my life?"
From beneath her fringe she saw Rei approach the pool and inspect the new-newcomer. "There is only one Sachiel and one Gaghiel?" she asked Kaworu, who nodded.
"Yes. Gaghiel of Fish, and Sachiel of Water."
"But what are they?" Asuka burst out. "And why do you know about them? And how many are there?"
"One of each," Rei told her, in a 'weren't-you-paying-attention' voice.
Asuka turned to glare, but couldn't seem to summon it. Her oldest and best friend (Sorry, Hikari! and Shinji too, I guess) seemed so chill with these things, so … satisfied with them, that Asuka's totally justifiable freakout just … faded.
A bit, at least.
"Can you at least tell us if there'll be more?" she demanded of Kaworu, who shrugged.
"I can't predict the future."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course not." Reluctantly, she sidled over to kneel next to Rei, who had put her hand in the water.
The Sachiel and Gaghiel looked at it, and Asuka's own hand shot out and snatched Rei's back.
"Soryu?" Rei stammered.
"I – they were – what if they – they're carnivorous? Or territorial?" Asuka fumbled. She realised she was still holding Rei's wrist, and dropped it abruptly, her face heating.
"I think it will be all right," Rei said. Her own face had gone just-a-tiny-bit-pink. "Thank you for worrying about me."
"Well. I mean. These things. Y'know." She folded her arms, but when Rei reached out again uncrossed them, just in case rescue was needed.
Rei drew a circle in the water with her fingers. The Sachiel and Gaghiel watched – were they curious? wary? hungry? it was impossible to tell – then resumed their previous paddling.
Shinji's voice from the door made Asuka jump – she hadn't even realised he was back. "They're kind of … cute?"
As he applied towels to the puddles on the floor, Asuka stared at him in disbelief. "Cute? These weird little … creatures?"
He shrugged. "I mean, they're just … hanging out. Just because something's different, or strange, doesn't make it bad."
"That is very wise, Shinji," Kaworu said. "You truly have a kind heart." He was smiling at Shinji so warmly that Asuka squirmed in embarrassment. Shinji also squirmed, but happily.
"Oh, I don't know about that," he mumbled. "Um, Rei's also being really kind to them. And – and Asuka arranged this setup for – well, for the Gaghiel. Did this one show up while I was out?"
"Sachiel," shared Rei. She wiggled her fingers, making tiny ripples, and the Sachiel wiggled the three claws on each of their own hands like it was copying. It then flopped over onto its face.
"Oh!" exclaimed Asuka, at the same time as Rei and Shinji.
"Is it okay?" Shinji asked.
"They're fine," said Kaworu breezily.
The Sachiel's wiggling claws (on its feet now as well) seemed to agree. Beside it, the Gaghiel squashed itself below the water's surface to blow bubbles.
Against her will, Asuka felt a corner of her mouth curl up. "I guess … they're not completely un-cute." She leaned over the pool.
A tiny jet of water hit her cheek, shot by the Gaghiel.
"—Ugh! I take it back!"
A chorus of 'werrrrk' and 'chupuppp' followed her as she huffed out of the playhouse.
Why is this my life?