Guten tag and welcome to the weather report, with Meteorsome Asuka! It's a beautiful day here in our little sub-suburb of Tokyo-3 – the sun's shining but not too hot, there's a southerly breeze kicking the humidity's ass, and best of all, my new dress with the sunflower print looks super cute! And it has pockets!
...Yes, pockets are unusual for girls' clothing, because sexism. Fix your ignorance, schnell.
Anyway! It's a perfect day for a picnic, especially one with the cool people – that's Rei and Hikari, eff why eye – and I'm so inspired by the niceness of the weather that I'll be nice enough to tolerate the presence of such undeserving dorks as yourself and the Stooges.
Not that I'd choose to invite the dweeb contingent, but (sigh) Hikari finally made a move – or what amounts to one, by her standards, Miss I-Put-All-My-Social-Confidence-Into-Being-A-Bossy-Pants – and Meteorsome Asuka is nothing if not a supportive friend.
...What's that look for? Actually, shut up and hold this.
Yes, you're going to help me mix the iced tea. I asked Mama, but she – she didn't even … I mean, she's busy. Really busy! They're seconds away from a major breakthrough, I'm sure of it. No time for – for silly things like little picnics.
Ahem. Anyway. Shinji and Hikari will probably bring enough food for a million people, so I'm on drinks duty.
–Did you just say 'poison'?
Oh, 'poisson'. No it's not fish-flavoured, you weirdo! What do you think the fruit stickers are for? Here – put one on each of these empty bottles, and then add just a dash of syrup – that's too much, idiot! Pour some into another bottle and put a mango sticker on that as well! Go slower next time. …That's better.
And now that all the flavours are ready, we're going to add the brewed tea base that I made this morning, while you were sleeping in like a lazy slug. What time did you even go to bed last night? We finished homework and rehearsal way earlier – were you staring at the moon again? Weirdo.
All right! Don't forget to put all the lids on really tightly so they don't spill – I'll open Rei's for her later, she has zero wrist strength – chuck 'em in the bag here, and we're ready to go!
–Of course you're carrying them, I already did most of the work. Time for you to contribute something.
Asuka hummed happily as they left the apartment, accompanied by the percussion of the bottles clanking together as Kaworu lugged them, and his complaints about the weight.
She ignored him, same as she was doing her best to ignore the impending presence of the repugnant Suzuhara and Aida. There were much nicer things to think about anyway – the weather report hadn't mentioned it, but the actual best thing about the upcoming picnic was that Rei was feeling better and could join them.
There she was (sigh again, but happy this time), waiting at the Ikaris' front gate with her brother. Asuka's step lightened more the closer they approached.
"Hey guys!" Shinji called, waving.
"Hello Soryu, Nagisa," said Rei. She was wearing a blue gingham tunic and a straw hat pinned with a ladybug brooch, and she was smiling softly, and Asuka felt her actual, literal knees go actually, literally weak.
Are you kidding me? she fumed at herself. Am I a total cliché or just a goddamn joke?
"Hi," she croaked. —Oh god, I'm pathetic.
Luckily Shinji had started rambling – talking – and provided a distraction.
"I brought a soccer ball," he was saying, as the four began walking together. As usual, the resident mother hen was loaded with bags and baskets of supplies, though he'd grudgingly allowed Kaworu to take the lightest one. "And a frisbee, and a kite, and lawn bowls..."
"Lawn bowls?" Asuka snorted. "Just because Kaworu's got grey hair doesn't mean he's actually a geriatric."
Rei peered closely at Kaworu. "There are no wrinkles on Nagisa's face."
Shinji urked. "I didn't mean that," he apologised to Kaworu.
Kaworu had pulled a handful of fringe forward to examine it at close range, as though noticing his own hair colour for the first time, but he spared a blithe smile for Shinji. "It's all right. I am the oldest here, after all."
"Oh – really?"
"There is a year and three months between my birth and Asuka's."
"Oh," said Shinji, "you're older than me?" Colour started on his cheeks.
God, anything sets him off. Asuka sidled closer to him. "Don't worry," she whispered, "he's definitely not more experienced than you."
"Shut up!" Shinji hissed back, as the colour took over his whole face. Asuka cackled.
They soon reached the park Hikari had chosen for the picnic, and spotted her on a low hill overlooking the pond. A rug was spread on the grass, and a basket open next to it, filled with containers of food.
So many containers of food.
"You went into anxiety-cooking mode again, didn't you," said Asuka as they reached her.
"How could you tell?" Hikari giggled nervously, and opened an insulated carry-bag, letting out a waft of steam. The hot-food courses, apparently. "I didn't want to underdo it..."
Asuka jerked her thumb at Shinji, currently unloading with Kaworu's help like a pack mule and its driver. "You two should start a club."
Together they set the rug with wrapped trays and boxes of picnic fare. Rei spent some time inspecting the lawn bowls, stacking them in pyramids until they fell apart and rolled away, endangering the food as they passed. Shinji tried to distract her with the frisbee, but instead of throwing it to him she lay back, put it over her face, and apparently went to sleep.
Asuka didn't realise she was staring, or that her mouth was making a fondly baffled smile, until the clink of plates stacking jolted her back to the present.
She cleared her throat and said, with forced casualness, "Well, at least her face won't get sunburned."
Shinji and, surprisingly, Kaworu at once produced tubes of sunscreen, though Kaworu handed his to Shinji.
"SPF 90," he said wisely. "I have reserves."
Shinji's eyebrows rose. "I didn't know it came in 90."
"The professional albino at work," Asuka said, then as Shinji approached his sister, "You can let her snooze for a bit, she won't go lobster in five minutes." And she looks so cute – I mean funny – with a frisbee on her face. (Could it be an undiscovered Magritte, maybe 'Daughter of Man'?)
As it turned out, even five minutes' rest didn't happen.
"Hey! Sorry we're late!"
Rounding the bank of the pond came Aida and Suzuhara. Aida carried a rolled-up picnic rug, while Suzuhara had a folded beach chair and shade tent.
As Rei sat up, rubbing her eyes, Asuka scowled at the new arrivals for disturbing her.
"Tch, a beach chair? Doesn't he know we're at a park?" she sneered. Out of habit she looked at Hikari to share an exasperated look, but the other girl was getting to her feet, face already turning pink.
"H-hi," she stammered, as the boys arrived.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Suzuhara mumbled, and Asuka's jaw dropped at this politeness from the monkeyest monkey to ever fall out of the primate family tree straight onto his head.
Her jaw dropped further when he held out his beach chair to Hikari. "Here. 'S more comfortable than the rug."
"Nothin' wrong with the rug," Aida muttered, spreading it on the grass to adjoin the one already set up. There were eight food stains and a squashed bug on it.
Hikari's eyes were shining. "Oh – are you sure? I mean, if nobody else has one..."
"Nah, it's fine," he said, and half-turned to address the rest of them imploringly. "Right, guys?"
"Yeah, for sure," Shinji said supportively, and Asuka and the others made noises of agreement.
"O-okay," said Hikari, and waited for Suzuhara to set it up before gathering her skirt and sitting carefully. "Thank you, Toji!"
"'S nuthin'," he said to his shoes.
Asuka had a very clear vision of her future, third-wheeling Hikari and her chosen monkey, and sighed with resignation. Takes all types I guess...
...But if he hurts her, he's dead verdamnt meat!
Thankfully, food was soon distributed, and Asuka reflected that being friends with both Hikari and Shinji had some pretty excellent upsides.
"Fried noodle cakes and pepper squid? Klasse!" She tipped the shaved curls of squid onto one cake, squashed another on top, and bit into her sandwich with a decadent sigh.
From the corner of her eye she saw Aida staring, and scowled. "Got a problem?"
"...That's a really good idea," said Aida, and did the same.
Soon the rest of the picnic attendees were following Asuka's lead and making noodle-cake sandwiches – even Rei their token vegetarian, who used a miso-marinated boiled egg and declared it "very agreeable".
She held out her construct to Asuka. "Soryu, would you like to try? Since it exists thanks to your original idea."
Asuka stared at the bite already taken out and tried, tried, tried so very, very hard to say literally anything other than 'indirect kiss'. "...Guh."
"Is that a 'yes'?" Rei asked, and lifted the sandwich closer to Asuka's face.
Oh god. Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact, don't make—
—Scheisse!
Asuka chomped into the sandwich, eyes squeezed shut but knowing from the -crunch- that crumbs were flying everywhere, and chewed furiously. She avoided looking at Rei's face as she made a thumbs-up.
She focused on her own food, hearing in the background Rei pass the sandwich to Shinji to try. Got away with it. ...Maybe.
Someone touched her leg, and she jumped about a metre into the air. "What?"
"Sorry!" said Hikari, "didn't mean to startle you." She was brushing down Asuka's skirt. "Just clearing up a bit."
"Right!" blurted Asuka, heart thumping. "Fine! Thanks for that!"
Hikari shook her head. "No, thank you, Asuka."
"You're welcome," automatically; then, "Huh? Fwuh?" Geez, get it together, Soryu!
Hikari leaned closer. "For today – for coming along, and helping get stuff organised. For being civil to Toji." She picked a fragment of fried noodle off the rug. "I know you and him don't get along, so I really appreciate you making the effort."
"Well." Asuka blew out a steadying breath. "I won't pretend it's not an effort, but it's worth it for you – to not make trouble for Hikari. Of course I want you to be happy, silly." They shared a smile, and Hikari squeezed Asuka's hand.
"You're such a good friend, Asuka." She laughed lightly, and her voice turned self-deprecating. "Actually … y'know, for a while there, I thought that … maybe … he liked you."
Asuka choked. "Huh?!"
"Well, you're so pretty, and you two always seem to be having fun together..."
The entire world was seasick green. "That is not fun." Asuka shuddered, transfixed by the world's most horrible hypothetical. "No way never."
She took a swig of tea (fragrant cherry blossom, I beseech you – soothe my shattered nerves!), and cleared her throat. "Really. I'd only ever like someone I actually enjoy spending time with. Someone who gets along with me, someone nice to be around."
Hikari nodded, smiling wisely. "Someone named Ikari, maybe?"
A shiver ran down Asuka's spine, but unlike with Shinji's accusation the other day (was it just the other day?), she couldn't lash out.
Her voice was barely audible. "...Maybe."
Hikari took her other hand and squeezed again. "I always thought you were a good match with him."
...'Him'? oh, crud— "Ah! Um – that's – I mean, n-not … um … I…"
Hikari giggled. "It's okay, Asuka, I won't say anything. These things bloom in their own time, like a flower."
Asuka buried her face in her hands. Wrong Ikari...
She peeked at Rei from between her fingers, and nearly fainted when she saw Rei was looking at her, expression thoughtful. She must've overhead – damnit, now they were both going to get the wrong idea! —if they didn't already have it...
Rei's eyes moved away – Asuka followed her gaze to see Shinji getting to his feet. His empty plate and bowl were stacked on a tray and he was putting his shoes back on.
He was also smiling like a total sap, and Asuka guessed why even before she heard Kaworu's voice.
"Shall we?"
Her cousin entered Asuka's field of view, holding the kite Shinji had brought.
Shinji nodded nervously. "Sure! I – I've never done this before..."
"It's easy, I'll guide you," Kaworu said.
"I'm in your hands, Kaworu."
Asuka's imagination leapt to a horrible, awful, evil place and she cringed. Why didn't anyone bring brain bleach to this picnic?
The boys started down the hill, wandering until Kaworu, testing the wind with an upheld wet finger, picked a spot. He demonstrated to Shinji how to launch the kite, then directed him into place.
Obviously, even with the breeze helping, it took a couple of tries before the thing actually got airborne – Shinji reserved all his motor control for the kitchen, so sports weren't really his skill centre.
Asuka suppressed a giggle at his flailing, then noticed that Rei was watching her and looked away (Hikari, thankfully, had managed to start an actual conversation with Suzuhara, and was occupied and pie-eyed with that).
Her eyes were eventually dragged back, though – the kite, shaped like a ringed planet and bright pink, looked so nice contrasting against the clear blue sky. Down below, Kaworu paid out a little more strong and it climbed higher.
He beckoned Shinji over. "Your turn."
"Uh, can you show me...?"
They slotted side-by-side, Shinji taking the kite-string reel and Kaworu's hands settling on top of his. Even from the top of the hill, Asuka could see Shinji's blush.
"Let me, to start with – you can get the feel of it this way first, before taking control."
"Hngh," responded Shinji. His knuckles on the reel handles were white.
Kaworu either didn't notice or didn't care about the effect he was having. "It gets easier with practice," he said cheerfully, while Shinji had a nervous breakdown one centimetre away. "Mostly it's muscle memory and cultivated reflexes. You learn to anticipate, and go with it, when the wind varies. —Like that!"
"Whoa!"
The kite jerked, dragging them forward – Shinji stumbled, but Kaworu kept his feet, and by hooking Shinji's elbows with his, held them both upright. When the gust slackened, and the kite returned to tugging gently, the two boys were closer then ever.
"There!" said Kaworu. "You're getting the knack of it."
He smiled at his melting captive. Shinji's returning smile was wobbly, but sincere, and his eyes dropped to Kaworu's mouth.
"K-Kaworu...?"
Oh god, he's not going to actually—
"Yes, Shinji?"
Here? Now? Right in front of my noodle cakes?
A pause.
Then Shinji looked down and away. "...Thank you – for this, teaching me – this."
...Coward, Asuka thought, and didn't feel any better for knowing that Shinji was probably thinking the same thing to himself, or for sharing his cowardice with her own crush.
"You're welcome, Shinji." Still smiling serenely (seriously, what even goes on in that guy's head?), Kaworu let go of Shinji's hands and stepped back. "Go on."
"Ah!" Shinji's eyes widened, and he immediately wobbled two steps forward.
"Stagger your footing," Kaworu advised. "Lean back only a little – loosen your shoulders, but strengthen your grip – watch the trees as well as the kite, to see what the wind's doing..."
"Uh, I'm trying!" Shinji stammered. "That's – a lot of instructions—"
Kaworu laughed, hands in pockets as though nothing could need his intervention. "The most important instruction is 'relax'. You can trust yourself. I do."
Shinji melted again. "O-okay."
But just as he faced the battling kite with a look of renewed determination, it gave the biggest jerk yet, and facedown into the pond-edge mud he went.
"Shinji!" Asuka and Rei exclaimed in chorus.
Hikari and Suzuhara looked up from their conversation, and Aida from his food. "Ikari?" "Shinji?" "You okay, dude?"
"I'm fine," came the squelchy reply. "I – I held on!"
Sure enough, the kite string was still gripped between his fingers, arms outstretched but holding.
"Nice one!" cheered his friends.
Kaworu knelt at Shinji's side, and took the reel from his hands. "Well done, Shinji." Without obvious effort, he held the kite one-handed to help Shinji sit up.
Mud-covered but proud, Shinji grinned. "That was a rough one!"
"They were just playing," said Kaworu.
"Playing? Who—?"
Asuka looked up, following the kite string, and jumped again.
Three flat orange blobs, linked in a line by stubby arms, and each framed by pairs of smaller bumps. So far, so weird – but each of the three blobs was almost completely filled by a giant staring eye.
"What the hell is that?" yelped Suzuhara.
"My scarf," Kaworu said. "I thought it might make a nice kite tail – took some time to unfurl though." Asuka had to admire the total calmness with which he lied his damn face off.
The others seemed unconvinced though, and she inwardly cursed Kaworu, the Angels, and herself in quick order. "The design is from a German folk tale," she spoke up.
When everyone turned to stare at her she panicked, but forced it down. "Yeah, it's called Himmeläugig, from, uh, the Tale of the … the … Clever … Princess. She's scared of it at first, but it's actually a friend. ...Under an enchantment."
Slowly the listeners began nodding, and watched as Kaworu reeled in the kite string, looping it around the handle expertly. When he reached the end, he draped the Angel over his shoulders – more like a shawl than a scarf, but whatever—
"Did it just blink?" Aida demanded.
"Don't be stupid," Asuka stammered, and Kaworu lied, "A fold in the fabric."
"What is the fabric?" asked Hikari, drawing closer, and – yep, she's touching it. "It's so unusual!"
"Hm," said Kaworu.
Guess we've reached the limits of his bullshit capacity. It's up to me, then. Asuka steeled her stomach and reached out.
The Angel was smooth and very pliable – like the Arael, it reminded her of silicone. "Microfibre," she announced, "for water resistance, and insulation against wind."
Hikari nodded. "Good choice for a scarf."
"Still a weird design," Aida muttered.
"Don't be culturally insensitive," she snapped at him, and he retreated.
Danke Gott, the damn thing stayed put for the rest of the picnic (and didn't fucking blink again), though Aida kept looking at it suspiciously.
When they eventually packed up ready to leave, Asuka dragged Kaworu and the Ikaris away around the pond edge to give Hikari and Suzuhara some privacy, and was relieved that Aida came with them rather than having to actually be collected. Enough people had the wrong idea about her and Shinji, imagine anyone thinking she was interested in Aida – horrifying!
Actually without the catalytic combo of him and Suzuhara it wasn't too aggravating – he chatted with Shinji and Kaworu about video games, and Asuka tried to be normal at Rei.
"So," she attempted, "not sunburned at all?"
"It seems not," Rei said, lightly touching her face and shoulders. "The sunscreen and frisbee were effective."
She looked over at Kaworu and his (currently) docile passenger. "Do you know what the Himmeläugig's real name is?"
Asuka sighed. "Oh, enough about those things! Seems like they're all we talk about lately. Tell me – tell me what you're been reading lately. Like always." Super smooth, Asuka – same topic we've always talked about, but if she wants to bring up that book … and I can show her I accept that kind of thing...
"Oh. All right." Rei seemed surprised at the change of topic, and Asuka scolded herself for letting the other girl think Asuka had lost interest in their regular conversations.
Just because there's something new going on, doesn't mean I'd drop my best friend so easily. Do better, Asuka! Your … otherfeelings aren't an excuse to let Rei feel ignored, or unwelcome.
It was easy to summon a smile for Rei. "If you want to, of course."
"Of course," said Rei quickly, smiling back. "It's a contemporary retelling of The Sleeping Beauty, set in rival legal firms, and the princesses are—"
"Wait what?" Did I hear that right?
"Um. The … princesses."
"Plural? They're – both—"
Rei nodded. "They're both."
Asuka's head felt as fuzzy and light as cotton wool. "And they're – true love?"
Rei nodded again.
"And … they … kiss about it?"
Nod. Two intense spots of colour high on her cheeks.
say something say something say something say anything!
Rei's expression was blank and voice quiet. "It's a good book."
"I'm sure! It is!" To her own ears, Asuka's voice squeaked like a rusty lock. "That's – interesting! Different. Uh. Hey, two princesses means more fancy dresses, right? That's fun!"
"...One of the princesses wears pants."
"Ah, okay. Pants are good." Oh my god Asuka what is wrong with you—? "I mean they're, y'know, practical..."
Lamely she trailed into silence. Rei nodded again, and to her dismay Asuka recognised the shade of disappointment Rei wore when an interaction with another person left her regretting a moment of honesty.
No no no! I'm not supposed to get that look! Rei should never feel like she shouldn't have shared with me, I'm supposed to be safe for her!
"Um," she struggled, "it sounds like a really fun read, I'm glad you like it." She pushed aside her own awkwardness, focusing only on how happy she was – how lucky – to hear Rei's thoughts. "Thanks for talking to me about it."
Rei's eyes lifted to meet hers again. Asuka hoped her sincerity was visible.
A soft smile, and Asuka's heart soared. "Thank you for listening."
Asuka unstuck her tongue from the roof of her mouth. "Always. I always want to listen to you."
Clumsily she leaned and pressed her shoulder against Rei's, sun-warm contact. "You can tell me anything, you know."
"I know, Soryu."
And Asuka felt so sure in that moment that, whatever happened, in the end, they would be all right.