Status update on NME:
Yes, this is an update after 6 years (god, where does the time go...), a previously unpublished chapter from back then. There will be another one in a week or so, consisting of what little scenes I still wrote afterwards. But don't expect immediate updates after that.
Rather, I have decided to finally do my NME Redux plan, "starting over" (but with most material kept intact) after Chapter 28, after Leliel. The fic is not dead, I swear! If people wish to discuss NME and the future restart, and maybe help me in reorganizing things, then you can find a discord server at discord. gg / XzSbedufht (remove the spaces obviously).
When Mana opened her eyes, she saw sunrise coming from the glass balcony door. She wasn't surprised. After years of military drill she needed no alarm to rise with the sun, no matter how tired she had been. She laid her back onto the futon again… and saw an unfamiliar ceiling above her. Fighting down a wave of panic, it took her semi-conscious mind a moment to realize where she was. Major Katsuragi's apartment… For reasons unknown to Mana the woman had decided to take her in in her hour of need.
Mana was unused to kindness. She had been fooled before, used before, so she was apprehensive of the prospect of placing her life in this stranger's hands – no matter how kind she seemed. And it had been people like Major Katsuragi who had used her before.
This Major was a strange one. The previous day, Mana had gone to bed early. It had been a long and exhausting day for her, with more surprises than her mind had been able to take. They all had been positive, but there were only so many emotional twists and turns a person could endure in a single day. After the big talk, after the others had left, she had just wanted to sleep. And Major Katsuragi had been very accommodating. Not only had she shown her a room she could use, she even had let Mana borrow one of her shirts to use as impromptu pajamas. It was an oversized Yebisu t-shirt emblazoned with the company's logo. She had apparently gotten it per mail order from some contest or other.
This was generally not the sort of behaviour Mana associated with military officers, but she was still on guard.
There had been a moment of panic when she had realized the room Major Katsuragi was giving her had used to be Shinji's – that had seemed like taking something away from the boy to her. However, in the end, sheer exhaustion had won out, and so she had dropped onto the futon and then fallen asleep immediately. But now that she was awake again, questions haunted her mind. How long would this last? Was she really free? What would the JSSDF do to find her? And of course, what about Kieta and Musashi? What would happen to her fellow pilots now that she had run?
She wiped those questions away from her mind… or at least, tried to. They still remained, somewhere in the back of her head, constantly nagging. But she didn't have the luxury to indulge them. Major Katsuragi had taken her in, and she didn't want to disappoint her – feared disappointing her. Katsuragi still was a military officer, after all. She would not be okay with laziness. Hastily, Mana got up and got dressed.
When she left the room, she could see the clock on the living room's wall. Nearly half past six already… That was bad. She was running late. Surely, the Major, as a successfully military woman would already be…
Mana heard snoring. She stopped in her tracks.
Following the sound, she ended up in front of the Major's sleeping room. The noise definitely came from beyond the door. But… but… but… Now Mana was truly lost. But she is a military officer, isn't she? The girl had no idea what to do now. After awkwardly standing in front of the door for several minutes and doing nothing, she slightly opened it – an act of pure desperation: Spying on a superior officer was unthinkable… but so was being without orders. Mana was literally lost.
A quick, guilty peak into the room revealed a woman in a loose shirt lying all sprawled out on a futon, snorring heavily, with beer cans littered all around her.
Wat.
Mana managed to beat a hasty, yet still silent retreat. Her heart was racing. Okay. Definitely not like my old Major… Not knowing what else to do, she walked into the kitchen, sat down at the table and just did nothing.
After a few minutes, she noticed that the place wasn't in tip-top shape. It was mostly clean, overall, but it would never have survived a military inspection. Patches of dust were easily spotted, there were some unwashed dishes on the kitchen counter, a half-opened box in the corner… Captain Kaneko would have chewed her out if he had ever found any quarters of hers like that. Maybe even more than that. Maybe even… Mana breathed out. That was over now. It had to be.
Slowly, she got up again. Even if Major Katsuragi was nothing like that, she felt she shouldn't disappoint her. She feared that prospect, even. So, after some searching, she found a broom and a duster and set out to work. Unfortunately, she could only do so much – dust off the surfaces, sweep the floor, throw away any pieces of obvious trash she found. She didn't want to do such things as open the cupboards or clean the coffee machine without the Major's permission. So when she was finished, the kitchen probably still wouldn't stand up to a military inspection, but at least it wasn't obvious anymore.
Unfortunately, she still heard snorring from the Major's room. Mana again had nothing to do. She hesitated for several minutes. The Major had said she would live here now, but she didn't want to be presumptuous. Still, if she had the time, she should use it. So, finally, she decided she might as well use the shower.
000000
The white giant of light… towering skywards… blurry lines, a shape like an… like an…
Misato's dreams were immediately forgotten when she heard a scream. Before she was even fully awake she had jumped to her feet already. She noticed something was missing. Oh, right. No headaches. She hadn't drunk before going to bed – for the first time in weeks, as the beer cans around her attested to.
The scream had turned into loud noises of confused. Whatever it was, it seemed to come from the kitchen. Misato grabbed the gun she had, quite stereotypically, placed next to her futon and rushed there…
...only to find a naked, wet, wide-eyed girl standing at the kitchen table, trying to form words. She lowered her pistol again.
"Pah… Peh… Pen… Penguin!" Mana tried to articulate herself, her arms flailing wildly.
The door to Pen-Pen's freezer opened, and the animal stuck out his head. The look he gave Misato… even though he was just a penguin, Misato could only describe it as a flat, somewhat annoyed look.
Mana screamed again. Pen-Pen shut the door again.
Deja-vu…
"That's just Pen-Pen," Misato explained. "My pet." An annoyed Wark! came from inside his freezer. "...my animal companion," she corrected herself. "Yes, he's a penguin, but don't worry, he's harmless. Friendly, even."
"A… penguin… pet." Another Wark! "Penguin.. animal companion..."
"Didn't Kaworu get a kitten?" Misato asked and shrugged. "No different from that." Her lips curled up. "I assume he disrupted your shower?"
"Yes, why?" Mana answered.
Now Misato grinned. "Because it still shows." She gave Mana a pointed look. This time, there were no strategically placed beer cans nearby.
"Oh!" Mana exclaimed. All in all she took it better than Shinji had, but then, she was a girl. "Ah… sorry. I… I'll just..." She disappeared into the bathroom again on small steps.
Misato chuckled, then sighed. After that adrenaline rush, it was unlikely she could go to sleep again now – and that even though it wasn't even eight and she didn't have an early shift at NERV! It was dismaying, but she could as well start her day now. Which of course meant going over to the fridge, taking out a beer can and opening it.
After some more minutes, Mana came out of the bathroom again, this time clothed.
Misato raised an eyebrow. "We'll need to get you some new clothes."
"Ah, sorry," Mana apologized again, still standing near the door to the bathroom. "All my clothes are with..."
"...your handler," Misato finished the sentence for her. Her voice got darker. "Your former handler. I know."
It seemed there were also other institutions using child soldiers, which treated them even worse than NERV did theirs. Not that this excused anything Misato had done, but the Major was now very sensitive about this stuff. What had happened to Mana was inexcusable.
Still, that was no reason to be so gloomy. The kid deserved a brighter atmosphere. So Misato waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. We'll get you new ones. And don't just stand there, sit down!" Somewhat hesitantly, Mana did so. "We need to talk about what to do now, anyway." She fought down another sigh. Now that I'm awake, anyway.
"I'm… I'm sorry for being a burden," Mana apologized. "But I… I won't go back to the JSSDF. I can't."
This sobered Misato up. Her voice became stern – the same voice she used in angel battles. It was unfriendly, maybe, but she needed to bring her point across, almost like a tactical aim. "Nobody is going to send you back there, do you understand? We'll keep you secure from those monsters in t he JSSDF. That's no burden." This is a chance for me to finally do good to a child…
Mana smiled very, very faintly. "But I still have no idea what to do now."
"That's alright," Misato told her. "There isn't much you can do right now anyway!" Mana lowered her head at that announcement. Ah, damn, I didn't mean it like that. "Hey, see it as an opportunity for a vacation! But right now, you can't leave this apartment anyway. The JSSDF will be searching for you."
"I know," Mana answered, barely above a whisper.
"Still, some things need to be taken care of," Misato continued. "You do need new clothes. I guess I can send Asuka shopping for some; she'll love the excuse to hit the shops. In the meantime, I'm sure you can borrow some stuff from her and Rei."
"Asuka?" Mana asked hesitantly. "I mean… not that I'm..."
Misato chuckled. "It's alright. But yes, your wardrobe will soon depart from here at a relativistic speed." Mana looked confused. Misato winked at her. "It will have a red shift."
Mana carefully maintained a blank expression. Misato grumbled silently. You just can't please everybody...
Eventually, she continued, "Also, you can't stay inside forever. We'll need to change your appearance. At the very least, we'll need to dye your hair. Your hair colour is very pretty, but a boring black or brown that doesn't make you stand out would be better suited for our needs. You should also let it grow out… hm. We could even give you hair extensions, but that might be unnecessary. Also, cosmetic glasses, maybe…"
"That sounds reasonable," Mana agreed. Her voice sounded very… neutral.
"Ah come on!" Misato tried to cheer her on. "What girl wouldn't like to explore a new look now and then? And you have the perfect excuse for that!"
That still got no reaction. It really is deja-vu… just like with Shinji when he first came here… a pang of guilt hit Misato. Back then, Shinji had been traumatized from his fight with Sachiel, a fight she sent him out to, and she had had tried her best to ignore that fact. She had taken in Shinji, and then failed him. She just had to do better with this flatmate and now probably de facto ward.
She winked at her. "After all, you need all your female guile." She bent over the table and lowered her voice. "So that Kensuke and Kaworu won't just look at each other."
A thought hit Misato: What am I doing here? She was doing the very same thing she had done with Shinji. Making light of the situation, teasing, as if Shinji hadn't had enough problems already, and now the same with Mana…
She straightened up. "Ah, I mean, not that this is my b..." She stopped when she saw Mana chuckling. She exhaled in relief.
"The two sometimes really are like that," Mana told her. "So maybe you have a point."
Misato smiled at her. "It seems we have a plan then. Shall we make breakfast?"
"Sure," Mana answered. Then she hesitated. "Uh… we'll probably do a household plan for who does which activities later on?"
Misato shrugged. "Best way to handle such things. Why?"
"It's just..." Mana still sounded hesitant. "Before I went to bed yesterday, Shinji warned me. He told me not to agree to using rock-paper-scissors for that."
Misato made a glum face. But only because it seemed it would be expected of her.
For the first time since Touji became a pilot did Kensuke understand what he meant when he said that his life was schizophrenic. After all that had happened yesterday, all the danger and the emotions and the revelations, he was now coming to school to find that absolutely nothing was different.
He got a lecture from Hikari, but it was difficult to care. Given everything else that was currently happening in his life, avoiding Hikari's wrath seemed trivial. His teacher on the other hand seemed much less enthused. The old man didn't even bothering to mention Kensuke's, Kaworu's and Mana's absence the previous afternoon.
Kensuke was glad Mana was in good hands, or at least in better hands than his own. He admitted that he didn't know the Major well. In his mind she was just Shinji's hot guardian who occasionally picked him up from school. He mentally slapped himself at the thought. How much did he miss and ignore? She was also the officer who sent Shinji and now also Touji into battle.
Still, the woman seemed kind, all in all. If she weren't, she wouldn't have stuck out her neck for Mana at all, would she? But she was NERV, a part of the same group of people who blackmailed his friend into piloting. The same people who had made Kaworu... Gods that's a weird thought.
Kensuke admitted that while the circumstances of his boyfriend's origin didn't make him stop loving him, it was certainly not something he was prepared to think about. Mana deserved to know, though; that imbalance needed to be corrected as soon as possible. As for the other imbalance? Kensuke was satisfied to take it as slow as needed there, after all that Mana had gone through. The last thing Kensuke wanted was to pressure her into something. On the other hand, Kensuke didn't want to give the impression that Mana was damaged or tainted in his eyes, that she was less of a person because of what had happened to her.
Kensuke smacked his head against his desk with a solid thunk. When did this all become so complicated? His talk with his father about the situation last night had spelled out precisely how off the rails all of this was. He hadn't told him everything – Kaworu's nature was a whole can of worms to deal with by himself. But after Kensuke had come home escorted by a shady U.N. agent with a pistol in a holster, he had felt some further explanations were warranted.
His father had seemed far too overwhelmed to focus on anything in particular, bouncing back and forth between trying to be supportive while also expressing his deep concern and fears. One moment he had been terrified his only son would be killed by soldiers, the other he was telling him to be careful and always use prophylactics. Kensuke admitted that in retrospect it was a good indicator of where his life was going that he had reacted much stronger to the latter concerns than the former.
"You okay there, Ken?" Kensuke heard Touji's voice behind him. Turning around while wiping his glasses he saw his tall friend look slightly concerned. "Hikari's little rant earlier didn't shake you up too bad, did it?"
Kensuke shook his head. "Nah, just a lot going on. Hikari isn't too mad, is she?" In truth Hikari's pontificate on the values of hard work, dedication and the duty of the student body affected him little. However, he couldn't exactly tell Touji half of what was going on in his mind, so he left it at that.
Kaworu had objected heavily when Kensuke had told him earlier that he had filled in his father. The grey-haired boy was adamantly against extending the circle of people in the know, arguing that the more people knew about it, the more it put all of them at risk. Kensuke knew about 'need to know' doctrines and secrecy concerns, but he had argued that his father was already involved, after he had told them about the M200 implant, and therefore had a right to know.
Touji shrugged. "She just feels like it's her job to do that kind of thing, especially when the teacher seems much less interested in the task. And…" Touji looked around for a moment. Confirming that Hikari was on the other side of the room, deep in conversation with Mayumi, he went on in a hushed voice, "I think she really likes being in charge. Heaven help us if or when she gets her hands on any real authority. I already have enough women yelling at me at work. I don't need it at school too."
Kensuke imagined Hikari working at NERV. He imagined her sitting in an EVA, bossing around the pilots, just like she did students in class. That mental picture made him chuckle. "She's certainly something."
A goofy smile passed Touji's face as he seemed to think of the girl. "She really is." He shook his head before he got back to the subject. "But I wouldn't worry about it. Compared to me you're a model of academic achievement. One afternoon with friends will hardly change much anyway. Gods know I'd indulge like that more often if I could get away with it." Touji then seemed a bit nervous. "You went to the arcade?"
Kensuke wondered where this was coming from "No we... we mostly just hung out you know?"
Touji nodded sagely. "How is Mana, by the way? She didn't show up to class this morning."
"She was still a bit sick, coming to school was more taxing than she anticipated," Kensuke explained. A lie, but a plausible one, and not far from the truth anyway. Mana was exhausted and sick, it just wasn't the thing keeping her from class.
"Well I hope she gets better soon, you two seemed pretty close. I'd hate it..." Touji stopped as he saw Kaworu enter the classroom, no doubt coming straight from the cafeteria since he carried a veritable pyramid of hamburgers.
"That is a lot of food," Kensuke said matter-of-factly.
Kaworu smiled at the two and then at his bounty. "I like hamburgers."
Touji raised an eyebrow. "Well good, because you have a lot of them."
Kensuke chuckled. "You're a regular Jughead." The other two gave him odd looks. "He's from a comic... he likes hamburgers, is what's important here."
Touji was silent while Kaworu shrugged and took a seat next to Kensuke. Eventually he seemed to remember what he was thinking. "I just looked at the calendar earlier, and feel free not to say anything, but… I was wondering if you two had any plans for Ken's birthday."
Kensuke gave Kaworu a look and then shot another one to Touji, who seemed slightly anxious. In truth, his birthday was a date that had completely escaped his mind. Not that the event was usually an auspicious one, far from it. It usually consisted of him and Touji playing video games or seeing a movie. The only difference from any other get together was the cake at the end. Kensuke looked at Kaworu. Touji meant like a date right? That did seem like a normal thing to do.
And unsurprisingly the idea of a proper date did sound good. Unfortunately, Misato had mad eit very clear that for the time being, Mana couldn't leave the apartment unless it was absolutely vital. And gallivanting arm in arm with him and Kaworu could hardly be called such. He could go out just with Kaworu but... so close to Mana's rescue they'd probably just spend the whole thing worrying about her. "I uh... I don't think so, Touji. I guess it kinda got away from me."
Kaworu looked surprised "Your birthday is soon, Kensuke? I apologize for not noticing. When is it?"
Kensuke realized how, even though in some ways the two had become quite close, in others they still had much to learn about each other. "It's the fourteenth."
Kaworu raised an eyebrow "That's odd, one day after mine."
Touji seemed shocked. "Two in two days? Now you have to do something. Though I admit the date is a little unfortunate. No offense, Kaworu."
Touji didn't have to explain himself. The thirteenth of September was a date of infamy. Even fifteen years later, the world was still reeling from the shock and horror of Second Impact. Its presence loomed like a spectre over so much of their everyday life. Over the years, Kensuke had gotten used to the collective dread that swept through the nation on the anniversary of the disaster. The day was usually marked with mournful, gloomy assemblies in the gym or long television specials urging the public to never forget and to honour the spirits of those lost. It was almost enough to put one off the idea of a party at all but…
A thought crossed Kensuke's mind. Kaworu seemed rather blase over the whole affair. At first Kensuke had put this down to his fears over Mana but then again… remembering what Kaworu had told him of his life in Germany, it was very possible that Kaworu was simply used to not having a birthday party, or indeed celebration of any kind at all. He certainly had seemed a bit lost when they had gone to that karaoke place for the Major's promotion. And Mana would be much the same, Kensuke realized after a moment. Both were probably starved of normal social and friendly experiences.
Kensuke felt a growing resolve well up within him. After all that had happened recently they deserved something, some celebration. "Yeah, we really should, maybe just a small get together. I mean with everything going on… I think we could all use a break."
Kaworu shot him a look of concern. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" His words spoke volumes. Ever since he had taken point on Mana's rescue, Kaworu had become more and more concerned over information and safety. That occasionally annoyed Kensuke. He was unused to these things but there was no need to treat him like a child.
Kensuke was about to open his mouth to address Kaworu but Touji interupted. He was nervously scratching the back of head and kicking his foot on the ground. "That, uh, brings us to a thorny point. If you do have a party or something… I was wondering… well, Hikari was wondering if she'd be welcome?"
Kensuke looked at his nervous friend, unsure exactly what to say. Instead he shifted his attention to Kaworu and sighed. "I think we need to talk stuff over with people before we make any hard decisions." It was in part a concession to Kaworu's concerns.
Touji nodded glumly and walked off. Clearly, that wasn't the answer he had been looking for. Kensuke wished he could be more honest, but Kaworu was right: It was better to keep this close to the chest. And besides despite everything, Kensuke had mixed feelings at the idea of inviting Hikari over for a party. Ideally it would be a place where he could relax and be himself, along with Mana and Kaworu. The thought of her over his shoulder and sticking her nose up whenever they did anything untoward didn't appeal.
"I really want to do something," he told Kaworu. "If not for me or you, then at least for Mana. I feel like this is something to be celebrated."
Kaworu nodded, a smile creeping on his face "I suppose something small would probably be fine. We should talk about this with Misato and Mana, though. It is important to get their view on the matter, and their approval."
"Yeah, of course," Kensuke agreed. That wasn't what his mind was focused on…
Kaworu looked at his boyfriend and seemed to sense his frustrations, something Kensuke admitted he was very good at. "You are thinking about Hikari."
"I don't know what to do," Kensuke admitted. "Even if we have a party, I'm not sure I want her there. She has been good these past few days after Touji talked to her…" Kensuke hushed his voice "He says he didn't but I have known him a long time and one thing that kid just can't do is lie convincingly. I mean she has been much nicer but..."
Kaworu raised an eyebrow "But?"
"But there's a difference between school and a party you know? I don't want to do anything… you know. But I don't want to be afraid to show I love you either." Kensuke felt exhausted.
"I don't want you to be uncomfortable," Kaworu told him. "And as for myself, I hold some reservations about how much we can trust her. But I think giving her a chance is the right thing to do. It does seem that she's trying to be considerate. I think that when someone takes the first step you should reach out to meet them. And after all, it was not long ago Touji was the same way."
Kensuke sighed. "That's true I guess. Still it's a big risk."
Kaworu nodded. " There is always a risk whenever you open yourself up. But I think if there is anything our experiences thus far indicate, it is that taking a chance on a person who wants to do good is a chance worth taking."
Kensuke agreed. If recent weeks were anything to learn from sometimes you just had to trust and hope.
"Your enthusiasm seems disproportional," Rei commented.
Asuka's grin stretched over her whole face. "Officially Misato-sanctioned shopping! And we got money for it!"
"For Mana's clothing," Rei reminded her.
"That just means she will get the second most fashionable wardrobe in town!" Asuka exclaimed. "It'll still be fun doing it." She looked at the boy sitting between them. "Are you alright, Shinji?"
Shinji himself had brought up the idea that he could come along. He was basically testing himself, trying to gauge how resilient he had gotten again. This was a perfect opportunity: He would go out into the city, but accompanied by both his girlfriends.
The boy smiled at her. "Right now, I think I'll be okay wherever you two are as well."
Asuka looked around. The three were sitting on a bench on a train. Nobody else seemed to be around. Then she kissed Shinji's cheek. "Even if we won't be able to do this?"
Shinji blushed. Asuka loved how she was still able to do that. They had kissed a lot over the past days, and there really was nothing that could come close to Shinji kisses, except of course Rei kisses, which were just as magnificent. But it had always been inside the apartment.
As the three left the train, for a moment Asuka allowed herself the indulgence to fantasize how things could be if they were not forced to maintain secrecy. If they were a completely normal… well. A completely normal three-way relationship? But then, she didn't worry about social shunning, only about Rei's safety. If they weren't forced to maintain secrecy due to her nature… all three walking hand in hand, exchanging displays of affection… She smiled at the thought, but for now, it was not to be.
She knew Section 2 was always watching. It was a fact that she had never given much thought to, as it had just been part of her life since she was four. Whatever she did in public, Section 2 would see it; that was just how it was. But now that the fact had become so very inconvenient, it also began to annoy her. How was she repaid for saving the world again and again? By being under constant surveillance.
So the three had to get creative. Staying that close to each while walking could maybe give clues to the spooks, but it wasn't like they did anything untoward in plain sight. And suddenly, there was nothing bad about crowds and people shoving and being packed tightly together. It meant so were they. They quickly held each other's hands and let go again as they moved through the crowds, they pushed against each other, they touched each other's faces as if by accident.
Oh, and along the way, they also bought some clothes.
It was a bit inconvenient they couldn't be tried on. Mana had a similar stature to Asuka, but was a bit smaller, so Asuka had to rely entirely on what Misato had told her were Mana's clothing sizes. Still, she had experience and an eye for those matters, so it surely wouldn't be too bad.
In the back of a large store, she held up a summer dress she had just pulled from the rack. "What do you think, Shinji? Would that suit Mana?"
"Err..." the boy tried to reply. "Why are you always asking me?"
"I daresay of all people here you know her best!" Asuka answered. After learning why Mana had done it, she didn't hold her attempt to kiss Shinji against either of them, but damnit, at least Shinji could turn this incident into something useful now!
"Well… uh…" Shinji stammered. Asuka sighed. The boy was probably still taking that comment of hers as a snide remark. Understandable, given my tendencies… But his anxiety about such matters was just so damn annoying at times!
…she looked at his confused face. Annoying maybe, but also so damn cute at other times…
Trying to make it easier on him, she got a second dress and now held them both up. "Okay then. Which of those two dresses do you think would suit Mana better?"
"Hmmm..." Shinji voiced and looked at the dresses. He tilted his head and seemed to seriously consider the question.
…but before he could answer, Rei kissed his cheek. Hastily Asuka looked around. Nobody seemed to be nearby.
Seeing her two partners' surprise, Rei commented, "Now we're even, Asuka."
The German girl laughed. "Oh, it's on, Rei!" She took a step forward, the two dresses held at her sides, and almost manically kissed the blue-haired girl on the forehead.
When the three entered a small alley around the corner of the clothing store, Asuka kissed Shinji again. When they passed through an almost wild-growing park, it was Rei again who kissed Shinji. When they went to to the changing rooms of another store, Asuka took the lead again. Rei looked disgruntled… though one wouldn't know it from her facial expression if one was unaccustomed to it. Then she darted forwards and kissed Asuka now, right on the mouth.
The redhead laughed as they parted. "I think that way we both win."
Shinji chuckled. "So, Asuka, do you think we have enough stuff..." He held up two large bags filled to the brim. "...or will you let this game flare up again?"
She grinned. "The latter is a tempting option. But I think we have enough for Mana. So now it's your turn, Mister Ikari."
Shinji looked surprised. "My… turn?"
Asuka made a frustrated gesture with her arms. "Just look at the belt you're wearing, it nearly reaches your knees! And those trousers surely are two sizes too large as well. We need to get you some proper clothing that actually fits."
"But I have clothing!" Shinji protested.
"And now, we will get you proper, fitting clothing," Asuka dismissed the protest.
"Rei!" Shinji turned to his other girlfriend. The blue-headed girl was looking Shinji up and down. Then she tilted her head. "Rei?"
"I am just imagining you in tighter clothes..." Rei admitted.
Shinji sighed, now resigned to his fate. "More clothes shopping it is then."
Shinji didn't seem too depressed about this fate, though. And why should he be? Just as he had predicted, the game did flare up again. And Asuka supposed there was something to be said for not being a contestant but the contested object in this sort of game…
Ryoji Kaji had been a fool.
Ever since that fateful day during his childhood, there had been only one thing on his mind: To find out how it could have come to that. A reason why he had been forced to choose between his life and the lives of his brother and his friends. A reason why they had been forced to live on the street and steal from the military. A reason the military would kill street kids in cold blood.
A reason for Second Impact.
Of course, part of that had been searching for an excuse. If Second Impact could be blamed for all of this, then he would be absolved of his sin. And if someone could be blamed for Second Impact, then that person would carry the sin, not him. And now it seemed this was so. Now it seemed he could safely lay all guilt to the feet of 'SEELE', this shadowy secret organization.
He should have stayed in Germany.
The decision to come back to Japan had appeared easy to him. Being named a U.N. inspector had meant having extra authority to snoop around. And it had always been clear that there was something in the Japan branch of NERV, something he had found in the vast and secret tract of the facility called 'Terminal Dogma'. Most importantly of all, he had been convinced he needed a powerful sponsor and ally to uncover the truth, somebody high up in the hierarchy but still not beholden to the powers that be. Even before Kaworu had told him about how the world worked, it had been clear to Kaji that Gendo Ikari was such a man, so the two had allied.
However, coming to Japan had also meant removing himself from SEELE's domain. Whoever they were, they knew Ikari was not fully trustworthy. They used NERV Japan to ward off the angels, but it was NERV Germany which was their pet branch. The branch Kaji had left. That seemed like a bit of a problem now.
Smoke filled the air of his kitchen as Kaji tried to rectify his mistake now. He had never been a heavy smoker. Two packs could usually last him a week. But now he went through one cigarette after another and his pack was coming dangerously close to depletion.
He found that quite many of his contacts inside NERV Germany had gone silent. It took little imagination to conclude what had happened to them. For the first time in years, Kaji felt a pang of regret. During those years, he had been too obsessively concerned with finding out things about Second Impact; now that he knew the truth he had the luxury to look at those things and reflect. There was the vague notion in his mind that he had sold out those contacts the same way he had sold out his brother, but he squashed those notions.
The loss of his contacts didn't mean a dead end for him, though. He had gotten some very nifty access codes out of his alliance with Ikari, and after his findings inside NERV Japan and after his talks with Kaworu he now had a very much clearer idea what to search for. For the time being he concentrated his search on Kaworu. He knew there was much the grey-haired boy wasn't telling him. Kaworu was a mystery, and considering how much Kaji depended on this mystery for information, he was sure he had to solve it.
Just as he had expected, there were in fact files about Kaworu in the databases of NERV Hamburg. But just like with Mana's records in Kitakyushu, the question was how genuine those files were. Unlike the JSSDF, SEELE probably wouldn't do a hack job at inserting fake files into a database. What eventually caught Kaji's interest were the files about medical check-ups on Kaworu. They went back to a time before NERV had even been founded.
Now, this wasn't unusual per se. Rei had come over to NERV from GEHIRN, NERV's predecessor organization. However, GEHIRN's centre had been the Geofront, while it hadn't had a facility in Hamburg. That facility had been completed only some months after NERV's establishment. Which led to the question of where Kaworu's check-ups had happened before. Since those check-ups couldn't have happened at Hamburg, maybe none of them had?
And it was clear that Kaworu definitely knew too much for a simple pilot, even one that had been part of the program his whole life the same way Rei had been. I would bet D-Mark against yen that you never lived at the Hamburg facility, Kaworu Nagisa.
Kaji decided to take a look at NERV Berlin instead. It was a long shot, but maybe they would have something more substantial on Kaworu. Ultimately, he found nothing there. However, looking at pilot information, he found a veritable wealth of information about Asuka that he hadn't had access to before – not even as her official guardian. Given NERV's secretive ways, this didn't surprise Kaji, but the new data did pique his interest.
There was a surprisingly long correspondence concerning Asuka, between NERV Germany and… Frank Jack Langley? In front of his laptop, Kaji raised an eyebrow. Asuka's deadbeat father. After his wife, Asuka's mother, had fallen mentally ill, Langley had basically abandoned her on the spot and had started a relationship with one of her doctors. He had even divorced Ms Soryu and married the doctor. And after Ms Soryu's suicide, the two had basically cast off Asuka, unwanted by either of them, to NERV.
So why then was Langley showing such an interest in NERV now? Kaji blinked. No… not 'now'. The correspondence reached back a decade. And over the last seven years, Langley's e-mails had been sent from American IPs. Kaji couldn't open the individual mails, but it was clear something wasn't adding up.
Mana had never owned a television, or had regular access to one. But now, after an entire day wth nothing to do than watch TV, she found she hadn't missed out on much.
How many soap opera series does the audience need? Seriously…
So she was glad when Major Katsuragi returned home. She still was on guard around the woman, but her worst fears had been alleviated, and at least there now would be someone to talk and interact with in the apartment. That must be how Hope feels whenever Kaworu returns home from school…
Mana was surprised to see Misato being followed. Shinji, Rei and Asuka entered the apartment behind her, all of them carrying large shopping bags.
"The clothing problem is solved for now!" Katsuragi beamed as she removed her shoes and stepped into the kitchen.
Mana just looked in confusion as the three EVA pilots piled the bags onto a heap in the living room. That's all for me? It was unbelievable how fast Katsuragi had acted. And it was even more unbelievable that she would finance a whole new wardrobe for her.
"Th… thanks… Major Katsuragi..." she managed to stutter.
Katsuragi waved her hand dismissively. "It's not like this is a present. It's a necessity. You can't just walk around in the same clothes every day, and this way you don't even need to borrow something from Asuka or Rei. Oh and also, please, I'm not at work. Call me Misato."
Mana looked at her with hesitation. Misato? That just seemed entirely inappropriate to call a military officer to her. Military discipline and etiquette had been drilled into her for years and years now.
But so had been social adaptability, as part of her mission training. "Ah… okay. Thank you, Misato." She giggled, like she had been trained to.
"Why don't you try on the clothes?" Asuka suggested. There was an odd gleam in her eyes.
"Ah..." Mana hesitated.
"You should," Shinji suggested. He grinned faintly. "Asuka won't be content until she sees the success of her little project. I'll start making dinner in the meantime."
"Dinner?" Mana asked.
"Ah… yes?" Shinji answered. "Something to eat. In the evening."
Again Mana giggled, but Shinji looked so confused that this time it was almost genuine. "I know what dinner is. But why would you have it here?"
Misato smiled. "Shinji always prepares dinner for us. Asuka, Rei, me… and now you. You live here now, after all."
"Shouldn't we be helping him then?" Mana asked.
Asuka sauntered over to Shinji and laid an arm around his waist. "Do you really think we would leave him alone?"
"If we try to help too much, he just gets exasperated," Rei commented in her usual monotonous, matter-of-factly voice.
Misato laughed. "Even now, the kitchen is still his domain." She smiled at him. "It's something he's really good at. And I like the common dinners he enables."
"I like them very much," Rei added in a quiet and very serious voice. Asuka grabbed her wrist and dragged her to her and Shinji.
Shinji was blushing heavily now. Mana could understand what the Major was trying to achieve with her veritable flood of praise, but this was not for everyone. She could most certainly sympathize with Shinji not really wanting to be in the centre of attention.
"Well, that sounds great!" she exclaimed with her best trained chirpy school girl voice. "I'm looking forward to the dinner. I guess I'll try the clothes on, then."
She carried the bags into the room reserved for her… Shinji's room… her room? Well, into the room she was using currently. She half-assumed that Asuka, who seemed so intent to see her project come to fruition, would follow her, but thankfully, nobody did. She had the room for herself so she could change.
After a while, Asuka yelled from the outside, "So, do they look okay?"
Mana sighed. Then she went outside and presented new trousers, skirts, blouses, shirts… all in all, she had to admit Asuka hadn't chosen badly. There was maybe indeed a bit too much red in the new clothes, and she missed her white summer dress, but those really were secondary concerns.
And every time she went outside, the smell coming from the kitchen grew in volume and became more delicious.
Still, it was sort of exhausting. To present oneself here, to be seen as an object of fashion… it kinda reminded her of her training – particularly,the worst parts of her training. So she was thankful when Misato, to her surprise, eventually intervened, out of the blue, saying that apparently Asuka had chosen well and the clothes were all fitting, thus ending the whole affair.
Mana was glad when she could finally sit down for dinner. And truth be told, she was hungry, even though she hadn't done anything at all the whole day. But then, now she wouldn't need to watch her weight anymore, right? In the JSSDF, her nutrition had been carefully watched, so that her body would be slim and attractive. But that was over now, right?
As soon as Shinji had called that the food was ready, Rei had hurried over to the kitchen in order to help set the table. Asuka had followed her with a tolerent smile on her face, apparently willing to help but not willing to appear all too eager about it. Though when Mana had come into the kitchen, she had noticed half the 'helping' seemed rather about catching quick touches from one another than anything else.
When the meal began, there were several more things Mana noticed:
Rei was getting a separate, vegetarian dish. Mana was surprised Shinji was taking even more work upon himself, but it didn't seem to bother him. And in her quiet and focused way, Rei actually seemed to be the most enthusiastic fan of his food. She ate with a sort of mechanical precision, but also with a speed that made it clear how much she enjoyed it. And whenever her and Shinji's gazes met, her lips curled up.
In general, Mana noticed how different the three pilots acted around each other here. They already kept close to one another while outside, of course. But here they didn't have to hide. They smiled at each other, touched each other whenever they could, were just so tender towards each other. Asuka even gave Shinji a thank you kiss before sitting down. It wasn't much different to how Kensuke, Kaworu and Mana acted when they were alone, but Mana remembered that the three pilots shared an apartment. She was somewhat envious.
Another thing she noticed was how Misato and the pilots spoke to each other. Acording to Kaworu, the tone between them had become very cold and tense… but nothing of that was apparent here. They talked to each other in warm, even cheerful voices… well, except maybe Rei, but she was Rei. Mana realized she didn't mean anything by that. Asuka and Misato sometimes teased and sounded glum in turn, but this all seemed to be in good spirits.
A rather peculiar thing Mana noticed was how Asuka and Misato addressed each other. At first, she was even shocked by it, but she figured she had no standing here to comment on such things. Whereas Shinji and Rei consistently called the Major 'Misato-san', Asuka didn't ever use any honorifics with her… however, Misato did with her. It was a complete reversal of social status, but whenever Misato would address Asuka as 'Asuka-san', that was something that seemed to please the redhead. Mana found that very odd.
And finally, she noted how delicious the food was. This was very unlike the food, or one should rather say, the nutrition in the barracks, unlike the uninspiring cafeteria food at school and unlike the microwaved food Captain Kaneko and also Kensuke preferred. The last time she had eaten that well was when Mr Suzuhara had invited Kensuke, Kaworu and her to a restaurant – and that had been a sorta upper-class restaurant. It seemed Shinji's talents were almost wasted as an EVA pilot.
"Are you enjoying your meal, Mana?"
Mana was dragged out from her quiet observation mode. Misato had asked her something. "Ah… it's delicious, it really is. I mean, I've seen how you're always making lunch boxes for Asuka and Rei, but still… you're quite a good cook, Shinji."
The boy blushed slightly, but smiled at the compliment.
Mana felt weirdly relaxed and open. This was so different from anything she was used to. Living in the barracks, meals had either been quick snacks alone or eating in the big mess hall under the strict supervision of the officers. She had assumed this dinner would feel like the latter, as it was again eating together with others, and again under the supervision of a military officer… but there was none of the oppressive atmosphere she had come to associate with that here. This here was warm and friendly and infectious with cheerfulness.
So she felt compelled to go on, "I think I've missed out on good food most my life." That realization nearly made her depressed again. It was true. After all, before the JSSDF had picked her up, she had been living on the street. "But maybe, if I stay here, I'll get amply compensated for those lost opportunities."
"You're really lucky, you know?" Asuka told her. It sounded somewhat aggressive. When Mana looked at her with some confusion, Asuka explained, "That you get access to Shinji food like that."
Now Mana blushed. "I didn't mean to intrude, but…"
Asuka forcefully rolled her eyes. "Relax. Of course you'll stay here, and of course you'll be part of our dinners then. Now we know that you won't do anything untoward anymore." She paused. "…right?"
"N-no!" Mana protested. "I… I'd never… I mean…"
Asuka sighed, while Misato intervened. "We know, Mana. Don't worry."
"And I'm sure we'll find something useful for you to do," Shinji added.
Mana smiled at him. He had realized what had bothered her. Asuka was right: Mana was in fact damn lucky to just have stumbled into all of this. She would feel like a useless parasite if she couldn't somehow repay any of this.
"Ah, of course Shinji would say so," Misato commented, a certain tone in her voice. All the pilots sighed. Even Rei emitted such a sound, albeit tiny in comparison. "Look at him! The only boy among four beautiful girls!"
"Girl?" Asuka asked flatly, looking at Misato and raising an eyebrow.
"Well, Asuka, I'd be careful!" the Major continued. "If you aren't, Shinji could..."
Three pairs of eyes looked at her. The woman sighed and stopped. After a while she chuckled, though. "You know, you three are quite eerie when you do your concerted action things."
Asuka grinned. "Put that down as another advantage of our sort of relationship."