Okay. So. The first thing you've gotta know is that everyone, everyone, is wrong about Rei Ikari. Wrong, ignorant, dismissive, shallow and wrong.
I mean, except for Shinji, but he's her brother so he doesn't count.
Everyone else is wrong – everyone who calls her quiet, or timid, or frigid or shy or dull. I heard some idiot at school say she's practically mute and I laughed in his idiot face. Could not be more wrong.
Trust me, I'd know. We've been neighbours with the Ikaris forever. Which means I've been hearing Rei yammer on about whatever book she's reading, or just read, for exactly for. Ever.
Well, as long as she's been able to read, anyway.
At least she has the decency to still yammer on when it's a book I've lent her.
...Actually, I think that usually makes it worse.
Anyway! So, first thing to get straight – Rei Ikari is no wallflower.
Second thing – Shinji Ikari is not just a domesticated pushover, he's a survivor. He had to learn to cook for his and Rei's health, have you met their parents? —No, I know you just moved here, shut up. Mister Gendo thinks that instant curry in a cup noodle is the height of culinary sophistication, while Doctor Yui can't prepare a meal without causing an explosion, or accidentally Frankensteining sentient vegetables, or dismantling three appliances to use their parts for some new invention. She set their kitchen on fire twice last year.
So somebody had to make sure the family was fed with real food, and Shinji got the protective-brother instinct even though he's younger.
—Yes I know I said they're twins, he's the younger twin, duh. Did you think they came out at the same time, stupid?
—How much younger? Uh, an hour or something? Whatever, you can ask them yourself if you're so interested.
—Yeah, we all walk to school together every day, so you're going to as well. Which means you need to stop being such a weirdo around my friends, if that's even possible for you!
And remember what I said. People talk all kinds of crap about the Ikaris, but that's just ignorance. I kick a lot of ass about it, and don't think you'll get a free pass just because we're somehow related.
Asuka folded her arms and nodded emphatically, her speech concluded. Its audience blinked slowly, blood-red pupils catching the sunlight – Asuka was used to the colour, after knowing Rei for so long, but like everything he came into contact with, Kaworu made it weird.
"Does Miss Rei talk as much as you do?" he asked.
Asuka scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He smiled, though Asuka knew it was a smirk in disguise. "I'm sure you're capable of grasping the full nuance – I've heard so much of your intellect."
"Oh really?" Despite her suspicion, Asuka couldn't resist preening. "Heard from who? Mama, right?"
"You, mostly." The smile-smirk didn't flicker, even as he ducked to avoid Asuka's schoolbag swung at his head.
"That's enough out of you!"
Kaworu hummed smugly to himself as they put their shoes on, but was obviously too cowed to comment further.
Before opening the front door, Asuka stuck her head back down the hall. "Bye, Mama! We're leaving now. I'll take care of Kaworu, you have a good day!"
"See you later, Auntie," Kaworu added.
Silence trickled from the home office. As usual, the treacherous thought crept in, but Asuka squashed it.
"Mama's very busy," she explained to Kaworu, and ushered him outside. "She's head of the whole research department, after all – she does really important and complicated work."
"It seems to occupy her attention," Kaworu agreed.
Asuka nodded. "So that's why we have to be good and not make any trouble for her. Got it?" She poked his nose.
"Ja wohl, Mein Vetter."
The poke changed to a flick. "Not funny."
As she reached the elevator, a thought occurred to Asuka. "Wait, 'ja wohl' be good or 'ja wohl' make trouble?"
Kaworu had fallen behind already, distracted by the recycling chute of all things. "Hm?" His prying finger activated the auto-flap, but he pulled it back just before it snapped shut and pinched him.
Asuka rolled her eyes. Today was going to go so well. "Never mind."
Outside the apartment building, the footpath crossed a small stream on its way to the main road, morning sun glinting off the water's rippling surface. Asuka resumed explaining to Kaworu the important orientation data for his transfer to Tokyo-3 First Junior High.
"The best club is music recital, obviously – that's mine, I'm first violin – but there's also music-modern – they play a lot of jazz – and light music – they do mostly pop, but the arrangements are weird because thy have too many guitars and vocalists, and not enough of anything else.
"Rei's in the movie club at the moment but she just sleeps through all the screenings – she was the only member of the literature club, so it didn't meet the minimum member requirements and got disbanded. Shinji isn't in a club full-time because he's always looking after the house, but he sometimes plays cello with recital – he's actually not half-bad."
At a brisk walk Asuka rounded the corner, and suddenly a figure loomed up before her.
"Wahh!" A collision was narrowly avoided with Asuka's extremely agile and graceful recovery.
"Soryu."
"—Rei! Don't startle me like that!" Wincing, Asuka attempted to disentangle her bracelet from the overhanging branch that had snagged it.
"Here, let me." Shinji, never far from his sister's side, stepped up to help.
"Ow—"
"Hold still—"
"It's scratching—"
"There!"
Free at last, Asuka inspected her wrist for injury. Squeezing and stretching the reddened skin caused several beads of blood to appear, but nothing worse. Good thing I kept calm and didn't lose my head.
Shinji, apparently undamaged himself, peered close. "Oh – you're hurt. I'm sorry..."
Rei spoke up. "I am the one who caused your hand to become stuck, Soryu. Your injury is not Shinji's fault."
"He chose to put his hands in that tree," Asuka pointed out. She turned to Shinji. "You have a band-aid, right?"
He nodded and dug in his satchel. "Yeah." Rei's health was fragile, so Shinji carried a first-aid kit and selection of meds wherever he went. Now he retrieved a plaster and quickly applied it to her damaged hand. "Sorry, Asuka."
She rolled her eyes. "You and your constant apologising. Accepted, okay?"
He smiled. "Okay."
Rei nodded, apparently mollified enough to change the topic. "Soryu, I finished the book you lent me."
"Oh?" Asuka perked up. "That was quick. You liked it, right?"
"It was interesting. The ending was contrived, and the prose flat. But I liked the lead character."
"Really? She's so annoying, though!"
"She is opinionated, bossy, pretentious, and often impolite."
"Exactly!"
(Shinji muttered something like 'pot, kettle', but Asuka ignored him.)
Rei continued, "She is also brave, earnest, kinder than others realise, and holds herself to high standards before anyone else."
Asuka was taken aback. "...Huh. I … guess you're right. I hadn't thought about it like that."
"Thank you for lending it to me." Rei collected the book in question from her schoolbag and held it out in both hands.
"It's fine. Glad you liked it – and her." As Asuka took the book their fingers brushed and she nearly dropped it. Clumsy!
"Yes. I liked … it. And … her." Rei's voice had gone quiet and stilted.
Feeling suddenly awkward, Asuka cleared her throat. "Anyway! I haven't introduced you to my cousin yet. Say hi, Kaworu, stop being rude and silent!" She gestured imperiously back over her shoulder.
The rude silence continued.
"Uh, Asuka?" said Shinji. "Who're you talking to?"
"Huh?" Asuka blinked. She whirled.
There was a conspicuous empty space where Kaworu should have been.
"Um. He was right there a minute ago..."
Face heating with anger (not embarrassment!), Asuka searched around, then when this turned up nothing, retraced her steps back around the corner. The footpath was empty, but—
—There! Beside the bridge, below ground level, a familiar mop of grey hair.
She marched over to the stream and nearly tripped over Kaworu's schoolbag, abandoned on the bank with his shoes and socks. "Damn it!"
The weirdo himself was wading, pant legs rolled up to his knees, bent over as he peered into the water.
"Kaworu!" Asuka snapped. Behind her she heard Rei and Shinji hurrying up. "What're you doing? Get out of there!"
Ignoring her (so rude!), Kaworu stepped into the middle of the stream, then with deceptively smooth movement reached both hands quickly into the water, and grabbed and pulled out—
—a something.
"What the hell is that?" Asuka said flatly.
"Gaghiel." —said as if that explained anything.
"What the hell is a 'Gackyer'?"
"They are." Kaworu began to wade back towards the bank. Cradled in his hands was the weirdest … fish? … Asuka had ever seen – the size of a small dog and rough shape of a dumpling, hooked beak at the front and long tail at the back, cream-coloured with red and black accents. It sat calmly in Kaworu's hands, fins swishing and dorsal spines weaving.
At Asuka's side, Shinji leaned forward, gawking, but jumped when Kaworu held out the 'Gaghiel' to him.
"Here."
"Whuh?" Polite reflex apparently took over, and Shinji found himself with a double handful of what-the-fuck. "For … me?"
The Gaghiel's beak opened a fraction, almost like a weird-fish-thing version of a smile. At the back of its mouth shone a tiny red ball.
Kaworu picked up his schoolbag and dumped the contents on the grass.
"What is going on?" Asuka demanded, then something else caught her eye. "—Rei? Not you too!"
The other girl had discarded her own footwear and waded into the stream, a hand shading her eyes as she examined her watery surrounds. "Perhaps there are more." (Shinji squawked, and the Gaghiel echoed him brightly.)
"Why would that be a good thing?" Asuka asked. "What even is this freak of nature?"
"They are Gaghiel," repeated Kaworu, putting his shoes back on, "and it isn't nice to call them 'freak'."
"The other freak defends it," Asuka muttered.
Her subject disregarded or didn't hear her, instead holding his empty bag open towards Shinji. "Tail first, please."
"In there? Uh. Okay?" Too confused to argue (the pushover!), Shinji carefully deposited the freaky-but-surprisingly-chill thing into the bag. "Will it … be okay?"
"As a short-term measure, this will do," said Kaworu. "The bag is mostly waterproof," and emptied his drink bottle into it.
The Gaghiel went 'waaarrrk'.
"You're not taking that thing to school?" Asuka said, without hope.
Kaworu slung the bag over his shoulder with an accompanying 'wrrrkff' noise.
"...What about your books?" she tried. "Your lunch?"
He cast them an unconcerned glance. "Hm."
"I can take them," offered Shinji, "I've got room."
"How?" Asuka snorted. "You're always carrying Rei's stuff."
In answer he undid a zip around the base of his satchel, and a layer of folded fabric popped out to form an additional compartment. Kaworu's things fit comfortably, and Shinji only winced a little at the extra weight.
"Thank you, Mister Ikari," Kaworu said, smiling. "You are very considerate."
Shinji blushed. "Oh, you can call me Shinji," he stammered. "It's, um, nice to meet you, Mister Nagisa."
"Please – Kaworu."
"O-okay."
Rei suddenly appeared at Asuka's side, making her jump. "There are no other Gaghiels in the stream." (Annoyingly, but unsurprisingly, her pronunciation was perfect.)
"Good," said Asuka, and grabbed her wrist. "Now let's get out of here before we catch weirdo."
She set off for school again. Yes, today was definitely going so well.