The gray-haired boy stepped off the plane's staircase onto the tarmac and breathed deeply, savoring the smells of the city's airport. The air was heavy with the smell of rubber, exhaust, and jet fuel, but his senses were beyond those of ordinary men. He could smell the earth beneath the asphalt, the far-off sea, the clouds, and the sunshine. He could smell a thousand different people, their stink lingering in his nose like a perfume. But he also smelled their souls, each one flickering like a candle, their light pale and wan compared to the star burning within him. He smiled dreamily, lost in his own world, caught up in the exquisite sensation that was the Lilium.
Kaworu Nagisa had arrived in Japan but was not yet in Tokyo-3. The Fortress City had no public airport, the only one present belonging to NERV. The boy's presence was not official, so he was forced to fly using the civilian airliners, but it was of no concern to the young man. He was on his own time and cared nothing for schedules or delays. After all, what was a few hours or days to a being untouched by time? His smile deepened.
He looked south, past the city and hills, out towards Tokyo-3. If he concentrated, he could hear a faint song, a melody of untold beauty, that spoke of many things. Kaworu's smile seemed to stretch from ear to ear as he began to walk, ignoring the insects around him.
"I am coming, dearest Shinji," he whispered in an almost inaudible, breathy whisper.
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Crimson eyes snapped open, staring past an errant lock of azure hair towards the ceiling. While it was still an unfamiliar ceiling, Rei paid it no mind as she sat up in her new bed, mindful of her bandages and still sensitive skin. Blowing the hair away from her eyes with an absent-minded puff of breath, she slid her feet into her slippers. She gingerly wrapped her bathrobe around herself before venturing from her new bedroom to the bathroom she shared with the Horaki sisters. As it was still early, even for the ever-diligent class representative, she encountered no one as she traveled down the hallway, scanning the framed pictures hanging on the walls, noting once again the general happiness of the somewhat standard nuclear family.
As she prepared for the day, plodding through her routine on autopilot, her mind ran ahead, working through the puzzle the photos presented. The four members of the household seemed to exude a sense of belonging, a sense of contentment, and an easy familiarity that was alien to her.
Not even at Major Katsuragi's apartment have I experienced anything like the bonds these four share. Not even with the Commander. Spitting toothpaste out into the sink, she frowned slightly as she continued brushing, staring at herself in the mirror as she did so. Not even with my connection to Unit-00, to my sister, have I felt as connected to another person on such a level. Such are the bonds of family- and in them, the secret to controlling the Evangelions.
She felt a faint stirring in the back of her mind as Unit-00 threw its groggy conscience towards her, summoned by the girl's errant thoughts.
What do you want? I'm trying to sleep, the irate cyborg thought at her, its tone growing caustic as it continued; sleep and heal up, you psycho.
I want nothing from you, Rei sent back, pausing, toothbrush unmoving in her mouth, seemingly staring vacantly at her reflection; I was thinking about an uninteresting problem. Nothing that requires your experience or input.
An uninteresting problem that makes you think about me. Unit-00's response was curt and flat, the behemoth not believing its pilot. Well, keep your thoughts to yourself because of all the things I want to talk to you about, Sister dearest; your thoughts are most certainly not one of them. And I'm serious- regeneration cycles are a pain, and my skin hasn't completely grown around the new armor plates, so it itches.
I apologized for this already, the girl retorted, although there was no need for me to do so other than to soothe your injured ego. There was nothing anyone could have done about the lava. I, too, was injured by my chosen course of action. We suffered together.
Yes, but you have your little friend to talk to about it all. Unit-01 is-
"Rei? Rei, are you alright?" Hikari's worried voice snapped Rei back to the bathroom, her fingers tightening around the toothbrush as she looked at the other girl.
"I am fine, Hikari." Rei turned back to the sink to finish up, only partially paying attention to the fretting brunette behind her.
"Are you sure? You were just standing there, staring off into space! You scared me for a second. I thought the bathroom was empty; you were so quiet."
Dropping her toothbrush into the cup on the shelf next to the sink, Rei turned to leave. "I apologize. It was not my intention to frighten you."
"Is it your bandages? Are they bothering you? You never did say when Dr. Akagi was going to give you a clean bill of health. Oh- hold on a second." Hikari grabbed a washcloth and rubbed it at the corner of Rei's mouth. "You drooled some toothpaste. But how was your appointment yesterday? Did you get any good news?"
Rei blinked, wondering why her classmate was so interested in her physical well-being and if it was residual concern over her previous living quarters. "The appointment was not about the injuries I sustained in the last battle; it was a routine examination."
"Oh." Hikari paused for a moment, searching for something to say. She plucked the girl's toothbrush out of the cup and rinsed it off, but no more information was forthcoming from the girl. "Are you looking forward to tonight, then?"
"You are referring, of course, to the Christmas party at Major Katsuragi's?" Thoughts, plans, and possibilities flashed through the girl's head. "Yes. And you?"
Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Hikari grabbed her own toothbrush, motioning to the girl to sit down and stay to chat. "Of course!" she responded cheerfully, talking around the cleaning implement. "You know that Shinji went on a city-wide search for a present for you, right?"
"He has not mentioned anything of the sort in our conversations, no," Rei said, her curiosity piqued. While the matter of the upcoming party had been brought up over the past few days, both at school and NERV, the boy had not mentioned having looked for a gift for her, nor had he brought up the social custom of gift-giving for discussion. Her cheeks tinged a faint rosy color, and her eyes widened as she realized she hadn't gotten him anything; it was a gross breach of custom if she understood things correctly. While it was certainly an interesting variable in the experiments with Shinji, she was confident it could only negatively impact things. Wheels began to turn as she frantically started to plan, acutely aware she had perhaps ten hours at best to locate a suitable gift. Wrapped up in her thoughts as she was, it took the exasperated girl shaking her to snap her back to the present.
"Rei! Are you okay? Did you hear anything I just said?" Hikari worriedly asked her friend, staring into her unsettling crimson orbs. "Should I call Dr. Akagi or your-" she trailed off as she saw the normally tranquil eyes flood with worry before shifting back to a strange calm. "Um..."
"I need to go," Rei said as she stood back up from the edge of the tub. "I must secure a gift for Shinji."
Hikari's jaw dropped open, not quite believing what she was hearing. "You what?"
"I neglected to obtain a gift for Shinji. I must correct this oversight."
"But... it's the day of the party!" Hikari protested. "It's Christmas Eve!"
"Yes." Rei bit her lip. "I must hurry."
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Rei glared at the crowds, the faint frown marring her otherwise calm features. The source of her displeasure was not, as Hikari might have thought, not knowing what to get the boy of her affections but rather the presence of the large crowds. She felt that all the extra duties and miscellaneous things that took up her time gave her a perfectly reasonable excuse to be out shopping on the day of the expected revelry, but for everyone else for whom this was not their first real Christmas, there was no such reason. The crowds were simply in her way, and she was late enough as it was.
The Christmas holiday, according to Major Katsuragi, was a day for spending with one's family. There would be no mad party at the apartment building, just a 'small, quiet affair'. Rei had accepted this news as she did most things, but knowing the sizes of the past events hosted by her direct Commander, the young girl had severe doubts about the metric used by the woman to measure such things.
While she had planned to arrive late to the Halloween party, she did not intend to do so today. The experiments she had planned had nothing to do with gauging people's reactions to any manner of costume. Anyway, if her research was to be trusted, people got into many interesting activities while following the archaic traditions of the holiday. There were also numerous misunderstandings and opportunities for mischief that could occur, and Rei trusted Shinji's redheaded roommate as far as she could throw her. Every moment Shinji was alone with the girl was intolerable.
Seeing a small gap in the crowds, the lithe girl slipped in, crimson eyes tracking the flow of people as her hand closed in on her quarry. Feeling the box pull free of the display stand, a faint smile of victory appeared on her face.
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Kodama grinned from behind a glass of eggnog at Shinji as he kept glancing warily around him, expecting a wild party to ambush him out of nowhere.
She certainly couldn't blame the boy though, as the relatively calm environment was entirely at odds with how his guardian usually celebrated the holidays. If she were him, she'd also be waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sipping her drink, she glanced at the clock, wondering when her sister and their new roommate would arrive.
The strange girl had dashed out of the house early in the morning, already dressed in the cheerful holiday attire her sister had most certainly forced her into. Hikari had followed close behind, struggling to keep up with the injured girl, shouting at her that they would meet at Misato's.
It was the first time Kodama had seen the girl move at a pace that was more than a measured walk. Her fears that an Angel Attack was imminent were allayed somewhat by Hikari following the girl out the door and then by Nozomi, who had been snooping and overheard the older girls' conversation.
It had taken a few moments for the reason behind all the rush and commotion to sink into her head. As she palmed her face, she had to admit it wasn't something that couldn't have been expected of the strange new addition to their family.
It wasn't that Rei was forgetful or flighty. Once she had learned something, she could regurgitate the information up on command, as she had proven when Hikari hadn't been satisfied she had mastered the lessons assigned in class. It was that she was woefully ignorant of the various aspects of living. Whoever had been responsible for raising her had done a horrible job. Very little held the laconic girl's attention or interest, it seemed.
But as she had witnessed this morning, if anything elicited a response in the young woman, the boy was puttering about nervously in the kitchen, checking and rechecking the game hens in the oven.
Asuka walked into the kitchen, shooting Shinji a look of exasperated annoyance.
"The stupid birds will be fine, Idiot, unless you keep opening the oven to check on them," she said, pulling the carton of eggnog from the refrigerator and refilling her glass. "You need to calm down and chill out." She shook her head with a snort. "Not that I ever thought I'd need to say that to you."
"I guess... Well..." the boy trailed off as he went back to pacing, seemingly unable to sit down, his rolling gait more pronounced than it usually was. Besides drunken sprees at past parties, Kodama hadn't seen him this full of energy before.
"Jeez, Shinji!" Asuka said irritably, "Go and pace outside if you can't sit still! You're worse than the twin terrors out there. You're making it all stuffy in here."
The boy silently complied, leaving the girls in the kitchen. Kodama chuckled into her glass as the younger woman frowned.
"What's so funny?" she demanded, tones of outrage barely audible in the question.
"You," Kodama said as she sipped the rich drink. "What's got you all on edge? Surely an Evangelion pilot can handle babysitting a pair of elementary schoolers without getting snippy with her teammates."
Asuka snorted derisively as she poured the eggnog into her glass and nearly drained it in a single draft. "That big oaf is what's got me irritated," she said, pointing to the boy on the porch, pacing back and forth. "He's being completely impossible!"
"Well, if you keep poking at him the way you do," Kodama said sagely, "he's going to poke back."
"Good!"
"Good?" Kodama repeated, obviously puzzled. "The way you act towards him, he's liable to try and smack you." She paused for a moment, considering things. "Well, if you were a boy, he might."
"Good," Asuka said, even more firmly than before. "And I'd like to see him try it. It would be an improvement!"
Thoroughly confused now, Kodama pointed to the boy. "I don't know how it's escaped your notice, Asuka, but he's gotten quite a bit bigger than he used to be. I don't know if he's still behind you in those fighting classes they make you three do, but all the training in the world only goes so far against a bigger opponent. You could get hurt."
Asuka shook her head dismissively. "First off, he's nowhere close to wanting to take a swing at me," she said, pouring more eggnog into her glass. "But he might just say something back, and that's good! Once that happens, we can get started!"
Realization began to dawn on the older woman, and she set her glass down on the table, her face serious. "Get started? Asuka, are you talking about what I think you're talking about?"
"Yes, Asuka," Misato's quiet voice chimed in, startling both her ward and her guest, "Are you?" Her arms were crossed in front of her as she leaned up against the door frame, one eyebrow quirked in curiosity.
Raising an eyebrow of her own, Asuka shrugged. ""I'm talking about making the boy grow a spine and then a pair of balls. Isn't it obvious?" Seeing no answer from either woman, she raised her hands in disbelief. "Oh, come on! Why do you think that I'm so hard on him? He acts like a scared little girl half the time! He needs to be a warrior both in and out of the Evangelion! We can't work together reliably if he's a completely different person during a battle than during training!"
Misato sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Well, honestly, I thought you had a crush on him."
"What?" Asuka shrieked, eyes wide.
"Yeah, I thought that was why you and Rei had that little scuffle."
"We had that 'little scuffle' because she's a crazy bitch! Why the hell would you think I have a crush on that miserable excuse for a boy, especially when Kaji's around? He can't compare! A girl's got to have some standards, you know."
"Well, for starters, he's your age and fights Angels..."
Shaking her head, Asuka began counting points off on one hand. "One," she said, holding out a thumb, "He's not my type. I'm trying to make him a better pilot, not a better boyfriend! Wondergirl is welcome to him. Two, he's not good-looking! Even the geek is better-looking than he is! Finally, his only redeeming qualities are that he's killed Angels and he's not terrible with his cello."
"So you admit that he does have redeeming qualities."
Glowering at the pair of grinning women, Asuka shook her head again and left the kitchen to return to her babysitting duties, muttering darkly under her breath in German.
"All joking aside," Kodama said, serious again, "I don't think what she's doing is very smart. Either he or Rei is going to react badly- and what's this about her and Rei fighting?"
Misato shook her head as she sat down. "They got into it a while ago. I don't think it was related to this as much as other issues. But she and I will have a long talk later about team building and how being a jerk isn't going to help. Anyways," she said, her face brightening as she changed the subject, "how are you and Aoba getting along?"
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Kaworu Nagisa smiled, as he almost always did, as he watched the crowds of people obstructing the path of his sister and her friend. His puppets were not getting in their way, but they were making it difficult for them to do their business.
It wasn't pettiness or spite that drove him to act in such a manner towards the irritating girl who would try to usurp Shinji's affections, for the Nephilim was beyond the limited scope of human emotion. His philosophy was far beyond the ken of mortal man, the Lilim born of the red clay of the base earth. Even his sister, tainted with such humanity as she was, could not hope to understand him. But that was the burden of being the MASTER, after all. But amongst all the little ones, Shinji-kun would come to love him, even if he didn't understand. He had foreseen it, after all.
His smile lessened slightly but did not completely vanish as he ducked behind a column, evading the thief's gaze. The upstart girl had no way of knowing he was here, but she had been looking around as if she suspected that someone's invisible hand was at work here, a slightly cross look on her face. Still, while it should not be possible for her to detect him, there was no point in taking chances. Drawing his soul back into his mortal body, he released his hold on the crowds of people and slipped away into the milling mass of humanity. It was not yet time to reveal himself to her. Soon, yes, but not yet.
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Nozomi and Mari looked up from the television when the doorbell rang. Springing up from their spots on the couch to either side of Asuka, they raced each other to be the one to answer the door. Throwing it open, twin faces of excitement fell as the pair saw Rei and Hikari standing there.
"Aww... It's just Rei and Hikari." Nozomi complained, turning back towards the living room.
"What do you mean, 'Just Rei and Hikari?" the middle sister asked indignantly, her hands on her hips, looking cross. "That's incredibly rude!"
"Miss Asuka was telling us about the Krampus!" Mari explained, excitement sparkling in her eyes.
"The what?" Hikari asked, trying the foreign word as she hung up her jacket. "Krampus?"
"The Krampus!" the young girls cried out in unison. Giggling madly, they tore back into the living room, leaving the older girls alone in the hallway.
"Hikari, what is a Krampus?" Rei asked, checking to ensure the wrapping on her small box remained intact. "I have not encountered any reference to this Krampus in my research of the holiday."
Shrugging, Hikari motioned for the girl to lead the way into the apartment. "I haven't heard of it before. I guess we'll have to ask Asuka."
Misato waved at the girls as they entered the living room, her face alight with good cheer and beer. "Oohh, Rei! Is that a present for Shinji?" The older woman grinned. "I heard you almost didn't have one."
Nodding slightly in agreement, Rei set the small box at the foot of the decorated tree in one corner of the living room. "It was a distinct possibility. I was able to secure an appropriate gift, however."
With a naughty wink at Hikari, Misato nonchalantly shrugged. "Well, I suppose if you hadn't been able to get him something, you could have always just put a bow in your hair and told him that he should unwrap you."
Hikari's jaw dropped as Rei tilted her head to one side in concentration. "I do not understand," she said as Asuka hurriedly told the younger girls to put on earmuffs, "Why would he unwrap me? I am not wearing wrapping paper. I was unaware that..." The girl trailed off as understanding hit her. Still kneeling by the tree, she turned to look at her red-faced roommate. "Hikari, do you think that there is time to return the-"
"NO, REI." Hikari said forcefully, glaring at the laughing officer, "There is not enough time to return the gift."
"In that case, do we have any extra-"
"No, Rei," Hikari interrupted the girl again, sending the giggling redhead a warning look, "That would be inappropriate." Looking around in vain for another mature adult figure, she noticed her sister's absence. "Hey, where's Kodama?"
Misato, still chuckling, called back to them as she walked down the hall towards her bedroom to grab her camera. "Kodama took the boys with her to pick up a few last-minute things. They should be back any time now."
As if summoned by Misato's words, the door to the apartment opened, and Toji and Kensuke's voices added themselves to the hubbub. Shooting a final glance at Asuka, silently warning the girl to behave, Hikari went to meet the others.
Her sister waved in greeting at her as the boys trooped past her towards the kitchen, each carrying a large bag in their hands. "So you two finally made it, then." Kodama ducked her head in close next to her sister's. "What'd she end up getting him?"
Quickly shushing her sister, Hikari peeked suspiciously into the small bag she carried. "Please don't tell me it's alcohol..." She said exasperatedly. "I thought this was going to be a low-key event?"
Kodama took the bottle of wine out of the bag. "Oh, come one, Hikari!" she complained, passing the bottle to her younger sister. "A single bottle of wine isn't going to cause any problems; besides, it's traditional!"
"For some reason, your assurances fail to comfort me," Hikari said dryly. "What all were the boys bringing in, then?"
"Just some snacks and things," Kodama said with a smile. "Nothing to get all worked up over." Suddenly serious, she shook her head. "You do need to stop and relax, girl. I promise you nothing bad will happen if you loosen up a little."
"Hey, Hikari!" Asuka's voice drifted in from the living room. "Come here, I want to show you something!"
Sparing her sister a last glance, she moved back into the living room. The younger girls were sandwiching Shinji between them on the couch, explaining the intricate plot of the Christmas special on television. Rei sat on the far end of the sofa, Pen-Pen in her lap, looking forlorn at the seating arrangement. Asuka stood in the hallway, hands on her hips, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Jerking her head back towards her room, she turned and walked down the hallway, leaving her door open. Hikari slid it shut after she entered, leaning up against the wall, watching her friend start to peel off the red sweater she wore.
"So," Auska's voice came from within the wooly depths of the holiday garment, "how are things on the Ayanami front? I like her outfit." Asuka shucked off the sweater and ran a hand over the scars running down her front. "Check out my scars!" she said proudly, gesturing with one hand at the three pale lines. "How'd you manage to get her into it?"
Wincing at the marks on Asuka's body, Hikari sat down on the girl's bed. "It took some convincing, but I managed to get her to take some of mine and Kodama's old things. Did you know she barely had any clothes besides her school uniforms?"
"I thought it was like that. She's never really worn anything else." Asuka threw her sweater back on. "Shinji's been impossible to deal with today- I think he's worried she won't like whatever it is he got her." She shook her head with a huff. "Every time he starts to show some improvement, he backslides just as quickly! I seriously don't know what his issue is." Walking over to her dresser, she pulled a small bag from the top drawer and held it up with a grin. "But I do, as always, have a plan. The best thing is this won't only be good for Wondergirl and the Idiot, but also for Kaji and me!" Taking the small package from the bag and tucking it into a pocket, she shook her head again, "I suppose that you and Toji might get some holiday smooches out of it as well, but I honestly don't get what you see in him."
Giggling, Hikari blushed as they left Asuka's room. "Well, I guess you just have to know him, right? He's got such a sensitive, romantic side!"
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Sure he does. But anyway, you'll have to distract everyone while I get things set up, alright? Neither of them will be able to weasel their way out of it."
"I don't think that you'll have much of a problem with Rei," Hikari whispered to the other girl as they rejoined the party. "She was all too interested in Misato's suggestion earlier."
Asuka smirked. "You do have a point. He'd probably have a heart attack, though, if she went through with it."
Hikari looked around at the group, counting. "Is this all who's coming? Where's Dr. Akagi? What about the bridge workers?"
"Well, Kaji said he'd try to make it but had some things to take care of. I heard the bridge bunnies are going bar hopping. I don't know what Sempai's doing, but she said she was busy with something at NERV."
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Ritsuko looked at the scene before her with a bemused expression. The cavernous office was lit with candelabras, their light filling the room with a warmth it usually lacked. Green and red bunting lined the walls, and in one corner sat a small tree, modestly decorated, its lights twinkling away with holiday cheer. The windows were set to dim transparency, letting them see out over the forest and lake, and the overhead lights were set to replicate the moonlight up above.
Gendo had also gotten another small table from somewhere, and on it sat a small dinner for two, with a small box, expertly wrapped, sitting before her seat. Music played softly in the background, and her cat lounged on the couch facing the tree.
"You know," she said conversationally, "I don't remember any of this being here a few hours ago when I gave that report."
"That's because none of this was here a few hours ago," Gendo remarked, pulling her chair out for her. "I don't decorate my office for just anyone, you know."
"Gendo Ikari doesn't celebrate Christmas," Ritsuko grinned. "He called the Ghostbusters when the ghost of Christmas Past showed up."
"I haven't seen that one yet. Where's it posted?"
"Nowhere, yet."
"We might have to go change that, won't we?"
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Dinner had gone without a hitch, the home-cooked meal being demolished by all present. Kaji, who had shown up right after they had finished, was munching off a plate of the last remnants of the food, sitting on the couch between Asuka and Misato, one who kept trying to feed him and one who kept shooting him unpleasant looks.
"So," Misato grinned, "what shall we do next? Watch a movie or open presents?"
"Open presents! Open presents!" cried Nozomi and Mari, jumping up and down excitedly.
"You realize all your presents are back home, right, Nozomi?" Hikari asked, an amused look on her face. "What are you going to open?"
Both girl's faces fell in unison as they belatedly remembered that all of their presents were indeed back at home.
"Well, why'd you even say something about it then?" Mari asked, a little put out with their exuberant hostess.
Misato winked at the girl and pointed at the tree. "Why don't you two go take a look at the tree? Maybe there's something there for you."
The girls spun around and dashed for the tree, skidding to a halt to inspect the various packages beneath it. Sure enough, each soon found a box with their name. Not wasting a moment, they tore into the packaging, sending scraps of wrapping paper in all directions to reveal a stack of books. Some were coloring books, and others were storybooks, and there was a diary apiece.
"Books, Misato?" Kaji asked, a bemused expression on his face. "A very... responsible gift."
Misato smiled at the girls, snorting but otherwise ignoring the man's comments. "Can you find out if there's anything down there for Asuka, Shinji, and Rei? From me, I mean."
Nozomi dutifully turned from flipping through her stack to take another look through the presents, and sure enough, when she sat up again, she held three envelopes in her fist. "I found them!" she announced proudly, standing up to deliver them to the pilots.
Both Asuka and Shinji began to laugh as they opened the envelopes, and even Rei managed a look of amusement at their gifts- coupons good for a favor from the woman and Ritsuko to be provided in the future, not including getting out of previously scheduled tests or training.
There were still a few things under the tree, and Mari began looking at the labels. She cried out in her sing-song voice when she found one for Hikari from her brother, prompting Toji to snatch it away from her, his face burning red as the rest of the group laughed.
Still red-faced, Toji held the small box out to Hikari, trying to ignore that Kensuke was busy photographing everything. "Here, Hikari- Merry Christmas."
Red-faced herself, the brunette carefully opened the wrapping paper and the box, revealing the small necklace within. It wasn't anything spectacular, being a modest affair of silver and a red stone cut into the shape of a heart. It was, however, something that she had seen while the class had been on vacation and gushed over but hadn't bought, deciding to spend her money on more practical things. She shot a glance at her friend which said 'I told you so' as she put it on and then hugged her boyfriend, kissing him on the cheek.
"I thought we were going exchange gifts tomorrow at my house," she said, gently poking him in the ribs. "What happened to that?"
"Gotta keep you on your toes," he replied, grinning at her.
Narrowing her eyes in steely resolution, she went in for a full-on kiss on the lips- just to keep him on his toes, of course.
Opting to give the pair of lovebirds a modicum of privacy, Misato looked back at the tree and frowned as she counted the presents still beneath the tree. Pointing at the small stack of presents off to one side, she looked around with narrowed eyes at the others.
"Where did those come from?" she asked. "I don't remember seeing those there before."
"A mystery!" Kaji exclaimed, his voice full of surprise. "Quickly, girls- who are they from?"
Mari and Nozomi grabbed at the boxes, giggling, searching for the tags.
"They're from you!" Mari exclaimed, her voice just as surprised as Kaji's had been.
"Mystery solved!" Nozomi added, handing the small box she had been holding off to Asuka. "This one's for you!"
Mari handed a similar box to Misato and the third one to Rei. "These are yours!"
All three women exchanged looks and stared at the spy, who shrugged nonchalantly.
Nozomi then handed the fourth and largest box to Shinji. "This one's yours!" she cheerfully commented.
The three ladies' presents were all similar, being a silver necklace with a trio of rectangular stones set into them. Asuka's were red garnets, Rei's were blue, and Misato's jet black. Asuka gushed enthusiastically about the gift as she instructed the man to put hers on around her neck, while Misato snorted good-naturedly as she put hers on. Rei merely looked over at Shinji, who was staring a bit wide-eyed at his gift, which was vastly different from the ones the man had given to the others.
It was a Sig Saur P220R Compact, a small pistol designed for concealed carry. Toji and Kensuke's jaws dropped as Shinji pulled the box from the paper.
"It's a dependable piece, Shinji," Kaji said conversationally, ignoring the stares of shock and disbelief from the others. "I carried that for a few years, and it's never let me down. It's a .45, so it'll have more of a kick than your 9mm, but I know you've shot .45s before, and I think you can handle it."
"Th-thanks..." Shinji breathed out, opening the box to take out the small manual and paging through it.
"You can keep the lock that's on it too-" Kaji continued, fishing the keys for the lock out of his pocket and tossing them to the boy, who caught them one-handed as he looked up, "but you'll have to get yourself a storage box for it. All I had on hand was that shoebox."
"Heheh.. thanks, Kaji!" Shinji said again, this time with more conviction.
Misato, deciding to keep the evening's festivities rolling, shook her head. "Alright then, I still see some presents underneath-"
"There's three more for you, Misato!" Mari cut the woman off mid-sentence, hauling one of another trio of identical packages over to where she sat.
Checking the tag, Misato glanced at Shinji, who had suddenly turned red. "From Shinji!" she beamed at the boy. "Let's see what you got me-" she said, unwrapping the package, which caused everyone to laugh, as it was a six-pack of the Yebisu beer the woman constantly drank. "I'm not going to ask how you got this," she said with another look at the boy, "but thanks!"
Nozomi handed the second one to her, grinning. "This one's from Asuka!"
"Turning to the redhead as she unwrapped the package, "Thank you, Asuka! What..." She trailed off as another six-pack of beer was revealed.
"You're welcome!" Asuka said sweetly, without any hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Mari brought over the last present. "This is from Rei!" she announced.
"Thank you, Rei," Misato said, looking at the girl who sat next to Shinji, now no longer the same height but several inches shorter than the tall boy. "I'm sure that this will be..."
Whatever the raven-haired woman thought the girl's gift would be would remain a mystery as she trailed off again as a third six-pack was unwrapped to a new bought of laughter.
"You three? Really?"
"We asked Dr. Akagi what she thought would be an appropriate gift for you," Rei explained. "She also procured them for us after we pooled some money."
Asuka sighed as she palmed her face. "You're not supposed to explain it, Wondergirl! Sheesh..."
Setting the beer aside, Misato shook her head. "Well, now that that's been taken care of, I see two presents left!" A crafty grin crossed her face as she eyed the two pilots sitting on the smaller couch. "I wonder who those belong to?" Her grin grew wider as Shinji squirmed under her glance, but Rei remained as stoic as ever.
Grinning their mischievous grins, Mari and Nozomi grabbed at the last presents and dutifully brought them over to the pair. There was a large box for Rei and a much smaller one for Shinji. Both stared in silence at the gift that sat in their lap.
"Ladies first!" Misato said after a few moments of a complete lack of movement from them, prompting Rei to look up at her before moving to open her present.
As the others waited with bated breath to see what manner of romantic gift Shinji had gotten her, she slowly and precisely removed the wrapping paper and ribbon. Soon enough, however, the box sat unadorned in her hands.
"What." Asuka stared at the box, not wanting to believe that it was what Shinji had gotten his pseudo-girlfriend.
"Is that..."
"Really?"
No one saw Kaji's face turn several shades paler for a few moments before returning to normal.
"It's a good, practical gift!" Shinji protested, clearly worried about how Rei might take the gift if the others weren't impressed. "She can use them every day, and-"
"They are perfect," Rei said quietly, opening the box to inspect its contents. Carefully setting the top aside, she lifted a filleting knife from the set of chef's knives to inspect it.
"Good knives are essential for any chef," Shinji said, wanting to be sure that Rei was really happy with her present. "It's all about using the right tool for the job."
Carefully setting the knife back in the felt-lined box, Rei turned to look at him, smiling. "They are beautiful knives, Shinji. Thank you."
Blinking rapidly as his face burned red, Shinji managed to sputter out a few incoherent syllables before Toji, taking pity on his friend, bailed him out by throwing a wad of crumpled-up wrapping paper at his face. "So, are you going to open your gift, or what?"
Snapping back to the real world, Shinji jerked in his seat, turning a deeper shade of red, which was impressive. Working almost as carefully as Rei had, he opened the small gift. As he held up the now unadorned box, the others murmured in admiration and slight envy, for while most knew little about high-quality cutlery, a passing familiarity with high-level electronics was much more accessible. The SDAT player was a high-end model, capable of holding more music than the boy probably had. Perhaps in recognition of this, several gift cards to various online music stores were taped to the backside of the box. Shinji turned to look at Rei, who, at the time of actually getting the small MP3 player, had been entirely certain this was the best gift available to give him. However, she had been feeling stirrings of trepidation over whether or not Shinji would like his gift. Their faces, mere inches away from each other, filled their eyes, and the only sounds they could hear were the thunderous rush of blood in their heads as their hearts pounded away like the Spanish Gypsies in the Anvil Chorus, which was softly playing in the background on Misato's stereo system.
"Oh, man! You scored big time with that!" Kensuke commented, completely ruining the moment and drawing dark looks from Hikari, Toji, and Asuka, all of whom he ignored or didn't notice, caught up as he was with Rei's aptitude for purchasing high-end consumer electronics. "That's the latest model- and the largest version too! Good eye, Rei!"
As the rest of the room broke out into different conversations, some on just where the spy had gotten three similar but expensive necklaces and others focusing on the relative densities of depleted uranium and Kensuke's head, Shinji whispered a heartfelt thanks that only Rei heard.
Asuka, deciding now was the best time to strike, stood up, left the room, and walked towards the kitchen. Unnoticed by all, she deftly placed the sprig of mistletoe into the doorway's frame as she passed. Grabbing a plate of cookies, she moved back into the living room, catching Hikari's eye as she put the plate down on the small coffee table and slightly nodded towards the strategically emplaced decoration. Hikari nodded her understanding.
Disengaging herself from Toji's arms, she gathered some discarded wrapping papers. After moving to the kitchen to throw them away as Asuka got the movie started to occupy everyone else's attention, she managed to non-verbally communicate to Toji that he should help her tidy up with a finger jab to the ribs.
After another trip to collect trash and throw it away, Hikari felt confident that the movie had everyone's attention and the lights were dimmed enough to risk it. Stopping her boyfriend underneath the red and green plant, she silently pointed up. Confused, he momentarily looked up at the plant before understanding dawned on his face.
With a smile that matched hers, they kissed in the doorway briefly before returning to their seats. Their absence and activity were not commented on, but there were sly grins from her friend and her older sister, who welcomed Hikari back to the living room. Sitting with her back to the kitchen as she was, Rei had not witnessed the carrying out of the tradition she had read about. She knew something had occurred but was unable to determine what had transpired.
About halfway through the movie, Asuka got up to use the bathroom and refill her drink. As she passed behind her teammates, who had been just sitting there watching the film, hands in their laps, causing the redhead almost as much aggravation as Kaji's low-level flirting with Misato, she 'accidentally' bumped into the loveseat, causing the girl to fall against the boy. Feeling the girl's eyes on her, she casually stretched as she passed into the kitchen, hoping the girl would see the plant.
Asuka's theatrics were not wasted in the slightest, and Rei's eyes widened as she spied the plant hanging invitingly above the doorway; as she settled back, leaning up against Shinji, the wheels in her head started to turn again.
The turning of the gears that composed her mind ground to a screeching halt shortly after the movie ended as Kaji looped an arm around Misato's waist as they walked into the kitchen and brought her in for a kiss underneath the plant. After pushing herself out of the sudden embrace, she looked irately at the plant.
"I can't believe you!" she grumbled, reaching up and pulling the plant down, swatting at the grinning man. "Is there no depth to which you'll stoop?" Still grumbling, she strode angrily into the kitchen, tossing the plant into the trash, still muttering under her breath as Kaji followed close behind, protesting her harsh treatment of him and proclaiming his innocence.
Kodama smiled as she shook her head, standing up. "Alrighty, it looks like it's time for us to head home." She winked at the young girls as they sleepily argued and pleaded to remain at the house. "If you don't get home and into bed, you won't be able to open any presents!"
After sneaking a last hug and kiss from Hikari, Toji shouldered his younger sister, leaving with Kensuke for their homes. As the Horaki sisters gathered up the last of their things, Shinji and Rei hugged each other goodbye with whispered thanks.
It would be a while before Shinj fell asleep, plagued by vague notions that he had missed some opportunity but couldn't figure out what it was. He was certain, however, that this party had been much more enjoyable than the previous ones, even if the lack of raucous drunken shenanigans would keep him from waking up in the same bed as Rei. As he closed his eyes for the last time before falling asleep, he wondered if this constituted a third date.
When Asuka finally went to bed, calling it quits long after Shinji had made his sleepy exit from the small after-party, it didn't escape her notice that Misato and Kaji's conversation was nothing but poorly veiled innuendo at each other, and both seemed to expect her to go bed soon.
It was with a foul taste in her mouth and bitter tears on her pillow that she drifted off into sleep, mutely cursing them and the others.
Floating outside the fifth-floor apartment, a boy, invisible to all who might be watching, including old men on missions of merry-making and toy delivery, narrowed his crimson eyes in fury, face twisted in a scowl.
He no longer cared about waiting for the right time. He was confident he could fix things if they broke. He was an Angel, after all. He would make the darling boy's acquaintance and install himself into his life.
His face twisted from the horrific grimace, the too-large mouth going from its frown back into a smile, but not his usual easy and carefree smile. This was a sharp and tight one that did nothing to quell the raging inferno still burning in his eyes.
He would make her pay.
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Asuka glared at the sleeping boy before shutting her eyes and massaging her temples with one hand. His sheets were twisted up around his waist, showing off his bare chest, which she had to admit wasn't entirely not worth looking at. But that wasn't the issue at hand- she had no idea if he was wearing anything underneath the covers, and she had no desire to find out what he looked like au natural. But it wasn't as if she could back down now- even if she was the only one who knew about it, she would know that she, the Great Asuka Langley Sohryu, Evangelion Pilot and Warrior Extraordinaire, had turned tail and fled from a mission.
That was something she could not bear. That was something that could not come to pass, for there was nothing she could not overcome, no puzzle she could not solve, and no enemy she could not defeat. Was she not the Drachentöter? Did she not have amongst her weapons the sword Gram, Dragonsbane? Was she not the captain of the elite Evangelion Corps?
She was. She was, and so she could not back down from this measly test, just as she would never willingly yield ground or give way to any foe. There could be no surrender, no failure. There was no other path but forward.
Shinji woke up with a start as Asuka clamped one hand over his mouth and used the other to hold his nose. He surprised the both of them as he threw her off, but the intended effect was achieved- he remained quiet as he propped himself up on his elbows to look at her.
Scrambling back to her feet from the heap the big oaf had sent her tumbling down into, she put a finger to her lips as she hissed at him.
"Hurry up and get dressed, Third! Wear dark clothing and don't make any noise."
Not waiting for a response from the boy, she spun on her heel and left the room, sliding the door shut as silently as she had opened it. A moment later, she heard the soft sounds of the boy moving about in his room, and she nodded in satisfaction. A few more moments later, the door slid open from the inside; the boy moved out into the hall, dressed in a dark gray sweater and one of his numerous pairs of black slacks, prompting the girl to shake her head in irritation. Whatever else the boy might be, he was no ninja. Silently, she motioned at him to follow her down the hall to the entryway. After slipping into their shoes, they left the apartment with their commanding officer none the wiser. Shinji impressed her by managing to contain his curiosity until after the elevator door slid shut.
"Asuka, what's happening? Where are we going?"
"Stop." She held a hand up to forestall any more questions. "I'm not going to explain anything more than I have to, so you'll have to wait until after we pick up Wondergirl. I'm sure that I'm going to have to explain it at least twice to you dolts anyways." She crossed her arms and leaned against a wall, glaring up at the boy, daring him to argue with her.
Shinji wisely decided not to risk pointing out that no matter how clandestine their exit from the apartment had been, they were surely still under observation. Opting to wait until the fiery-tempered pilot decided to explain whatever it was she had in mind, he remained silent for the rest of the trip, walking beside her, trying to keep pace with her but failing, as his rolling, long-legged gait constantly shifted him ahead several steps, much to his companion's ever-increasing ire.
Asuka threw her hands up in disgust at finding the gate to the Horaki household locked. Grumbling under her breath, she waved Shinji to the high wall separating their yard from the sidewalk.
"Alright, Third. Give me a boost over the wall," she paused, poking him in the chest, "but don't get all excited and try to cop a feel."
Shinji's face screwed up in uncertainty. "Asuka, really, what are we doing? I don't think sneaking into their home is-"
Asuka slapped him suddenly, shocking him into silence.
"Now listen here, Third. We're on a mission, a holy quest, and we are not going to be stopped by a measly wall or any silly girlish thoughts you might have about what you think or don't think. Got it?"
Shinji nodded silently, cupping his hands to provide her with a foothold. Working together, she effortlessly cleared the wall. Sitting on the thin ledge, she looked down at him, jerking her head toward the house.
"Hurry up and climb over. I doubt she'll listen to just me." With that, she slipped over into the yard.
Staring at the wall, he sighed to himself, prompting a hissed warning from the other side to hurry up and stop dawdling. Taking a few steps back, he ran towards the wall and jumped up, grabbing the top. With much kicking and flailing of his legs, he managed to heave himself over.
Satisfied, Asuka picked up a pebble and tossed it at the ,guest room window where she was sure Rei had been installed. Frowning at the lack of response, she picked up a few more pebbles and threw them, a ringing staccato sounding out into the night air. Still, there was no response. Growling, Asuka picked up a rock. Tossing it up in the air experimentally, she grinned, and ignoring the worried look from the boy, she flung it just under the window, eliciting a dull thunk as it impacted against the siding. A moment later, the window opened, and a head of tousled blue hair appeared, sleepy red eyes peering out into the dark.
"Rei! Get dressed in dark clothes, and get your ass down here! No time for questions; we're on a mission, and we're burning darkness!" Asuka hissed up at the girl, who looked from her to the boy, who shrugged, trying to communicate how lost he was with the whole thing. Rei disappeared but didn't close the window. Asuka began to pace back and forth, muttering to herself in German. Hearing Shinji gasp, she spun around in time to see Rei's lithe form drop down from the window, the girl rolling back up to her feet.
As ninja-like as the girl's reflexes seemed to be, her choice of clothes was just as abysmal as the boy's, as she was wearing a pair of slacks that looked suspiciously like Shinji's and a faded black sweatshirt that had to be one of Hikari or Kodama's old things. Shaking her head, Asuka turned with a sigh, waving at the two to follow her. As they started down the street, she cleared her throat.
"Alright, you two, listen up. We're on a timeline, and the way before us will not be easy. Here's what we're going to do..."
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
"I don't see the need for all this sneaking around," Shinji sighed as the trio crawled through the air ducts. "I mean, we do have passes, and it's not like Section 2 doesn't know where we are. We could just walk there."
"Fuck Section-2 and what they know," Asuka said sharply. "We're on a covert mission. Plus, this is a teamwork exercise. You two have gotten to an acceptable level of skill in the Evangelions, so now we can focus on working as a unit."
"Don't we work as a team during-"
"We are working as a team towards a goal of our choosing rather than a scripted task assigned for us to accomplish," Rei said, interrupting the boy, to both her teammates' surprise. Pausing for a moment to calculate their location, she continued. "We are doing this of our own volition, and we are forced to evaluate each other's skills and shortcomings if we are to succeed."
Rei's interest and mild enthusiasm for the mission had startled Asuka, who had expected the girl to be the biggest obstacle in getting anything done. Instead, it was Shinji who was being the pain, arguing and complaining about things instead of simply doing what he was told to do. It wasn't that he was entirely against the idea, but he didn't feel like crawling through the ventilation ductwork.
The plan, as had been explained so far, was for the three to sneak into NERV Headquarters and gain access to the Evangelion Cages without being caught or noticed. Once there, Asuka would explain their follow-on mission, citing operational security as why she was withholding information. If they got caught, she didn't want what she had planned to be leaked to the enemy. Shinji surprised her by asking what they were supposed to do if she got caught, but they made it to the cages. While she commended his dedication to the mission, she explained that what was planned would not work without all three of them.
There was no room for failure. Either they would win and be remembered forever in glorious victory, or they would fail and be thrown onto the waste heap of history.
Asuka had effortlessly imposed herself as the team leader, with no arguments from Rei or Shinji. Rei's place as their navigator for the mission had been secured when she suggested using the ventilation system to gain access to the cages. The girl did not mention how it was that she was familiar enough with the system's layout to guide them, but she had not led them astray yet, bringing the trio through the tight and cramped maze.
Shinji followed behind Rei in the middle of the group to serve as the group's muscle, putting his larger frame and increased strength to work by opening the manual access doors and gates. While Asuka disliked taking up the rear of their formation, she disliked the notion of having the boy crawl over her to clear some obstruction in their path even more.
So far everything had been going smoothly, but the redhead wished Shinji would hurry up and get on board with the whole clandestine nature of their mission. Why couldn't he get into the spirit of things?
Asuka's internal thoughts vanished as Rei spoke up from the front.
"We are at the male pilot's locker room," she announced, lying as flat as she could in the narrow space. "You will need to remove the grate."
As Shinji climbed over Rei's prone form to get to the last thing standing between them and the ability to stand up properly, it didn't escape Asuka's notice the way the girl's hand seemingly slipped up to trace down the boy's leg.
Rolling her eyes at the amateur display, she shook her head and sighed. But as amateur as the girl might be, it didn't matter because the boy was oblivious to the touch, focused entirely on removing the grate.
Shinji exited the vent first, hitting the floor with a decidedly awkward thump. But he was no worse for wear, turning around to help them out of the narrow opening, and after her exit, she had to admit that the whole thing wasn't exactly set up to be an easy egress point.
As they stretched out the kinks their travels had put into their bodies, Asuka looked around the room, mildly disappointed that it looked the same as the girl's locker room. She had seen the insides of more than a few locker rooms on a smattering of military bases throughout Germany, and the men who used them had left a mark on them. Pushing the matter from her mind, she got back on track, all too aware they didn't have much time left. Clearing her throat, she clasped her hands behind her back, a satisfied smile on her face.
"Now that we have successfully infiltrated the NERV, it's time I explained the second part of our mission. We will secure paint from the supply closet down the hall, and then-"
"Put up graffiti?" Shinji asked, thoroughly confused and earning himself a punch in the arm from the irate leader.
"No, Idiot!" Asuka snapped, "We will customize the paint jobs of our Evangelions! We will mark them so that there will be no doubt about who we are, that we were here, and that no one can stop us!"
"You wish us to inscribe insignia on the Evangelions?"
"Exactly, Rei! Yes! Our heraldry, our marks, symbols, like those of military units and warriors of old, to let the enemy know just who it was that they were trifling with! And like the Jolly Roger of the pirates of old, our symbols will leave them quivering in fear at our might, at our terrible reputations! They will endure for all time, carried on the wings of our legends!"
Both Shinji and Rei nodded once she was done, but they weren't entirely certain if the girl had expected them to burst into cheers and applause. It was odd, but they could see the reason for all the sneaking around. Also, the more they mulled it over, the more they liked it, even if it seemed silly.
"So..." Shinji began as they started throwing cans of spray paint into a couple of trash bags, "What are you putting on Unit-02, Asuka?"
"You have to ask?" Her response was immediate, and her tone suggested it really should have been obvious to the boy. "If you can't figure it out, you'll just have to wait and see for yourself."
"I have no idea what to put on Unit-01," he confessed, throwing a bag over his shoulder and heading for the door. "What about you, Rei?"
She didn't immediately answer, instead walking silently with her bag as the trio entered the Cages.
"I am also unsure," she said as she began to move up the catwalk that led to Unit-00, "but I believe I have an idea."
As she neared the cyclopean giant, she felt the faint tugging at her mind as the cyborg focused on her.
So what mark do you have in mind, sister? How will you signify yourself? How exactly do you plan on distinguishing yourself from the thousands of clones? Roman Numerals come to mind for a bit of exoticism and western classicism.
You are missing the point. I know who I am, but others do not. I am separate from them, distinct and individual. I am myself and no one else. I do not need to enumerate myself anymore. Besides, I have something else in mind.
The Seven-Eyed Mask? Perhaps the Lance? If you are looking to install fear into the enemy, I doubt little else will work on the Angels. Of course, that's if they are even capable of feeling fear.
My enemies are not just the Angels. Human agents seek to work against the will of the Commander. I must strike fear into them as well.
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Ritsuko yawned as she exited the elevator and walked into the cages, mentally running through all the tests and checks she had to take care of before she got into her research projects. Once she was done with the Evangelions, she would have to check on the spare clones, but once she had handled those things, the day was completely free, which was a bit of a rarity these days. Lost in her thoughts, she weaved through the unusually crowded platforms and walkways, ignoring the mass of people and the dull roar of dozens of hushed conversations. Walking into another elevator, she took the lift up to the control room overlooking the cages, humming a Christmas carol to herself, her mind now wandering back a few days to Christmas Eve. Grinning, she topped off her coffee mug and moved over to the central control bank, surveying the myriad readings with an expert eye. She nodded in approval at the systems and moved to the secondary bank, tracking the muscle growth on Unit-02's lower torso.
Hearing the elevator's doors open again, she turned and nodded to Gendo as he strode into the room, alone for once, the Sub-Commander not shadowing him as he usually did. He walked over to the main window silently, staring at the sleeping war machines. She turned back to check on the monitors, and they remained in an easy silence for a few minutes.
"I think, Dr. Akagi," he said in his dry, uninterested tone, "that the Pilots are getting restless. You may want to consider developing more engaging simulations for them to run through."
Frowning but not looking at the man, she made a few notations on her tablet computer, copying down some of the readings and tagging them for her to follow up on later. "What makes you say that?"
"Just a feeling. Intuition, even, perhaps," the bearded man said, allowing the faintest undertone of amusement to enter his voice, "but I think the evidence speaks for itself, don't you?"
Tucking the tablet into the pocket of her lab coat, she walked over to join him by the main window.
"What are you going on about-" she trailed off into an inarticulate shriek of rage, dropping her coffee mug as she stared at the shoulder fins of the three Evangelions.
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
The three pilots trooped out of the briefing room, their heads held high and not looking as if they had received a severe dressing down from three of the four highest-ranked people in NERV. Despite the harshness and length of the lecture, they were unbowed, unmoved, and unfazed- a fact that had not gone unnoticed by their superiors. Ritsuko scowled as Misato pointed it out with a chuckle.
"It's not funny, Misato!" the doctor snapped at her friend. "They could have gotten contaminants into the regenerating flesh! That alone-"
"They know better than that," the operations commander said, waving off Ritsuko's complaints. "Asuka wouldn't do anything that would compromise the operational abilities of Unit-02, and Unit-00 is sealed up tight as a drum. All the replacement armor is installed, and all that's left is for the bonding to take place. Besides, it's a pretty neat idea, don't you think?"
"No," Ritsuko replied, shooting her friend a flat stare, clearly not impressed with the idea or the pilot's artistic abilities. "I'm going to make them clean it off with toothbrushes."
Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, who had been watching the back-and-forth banter with a smile, coughed into a fist. "That won't be necessary, Doctor. Commander Ikari is going to have the shoulder fins repainted, with the, ah, embellishments included."
"He what," Ritsuko said, not as a question, but a statement, as she stared incredulously at the man who had even more doctorates than herself, not wanting to believe what he had just said. Misato wasn't able to make a verbal statement, unable to keep her jaw from dropping.
"He doesn't want their insignia to be so messily done." Kozo elaborated, his face and voice completely serious, showing no sign of what he thought of the matter. "We are a professional organization, after all." He made a show of looking at his watch before pushing back from the table. "Well, I have to meet with the Tokyo-3 City Council again." He nodded goodbye to the still-shocked woman. "Ladies."
As the door slid shut behind him, Ritsuko buried her head in her arms on the table, trying to find some spot of stability in a world gone mad. Misato picked up the pictures of the children's paint jobs, leafing through them to take another look at the Evangelions' shoulder fins.
"It is kind of like bomber nose art, I suppose." she mused. "Plus, it's not like they put anything obscene on them, so no one can complain about that, even if they might be a little... undiplomatic, I guess? I mean, Shinji could have done a pin-up piece of Rei."
Ritsuko groaned from underneath her arms. Tossing the photos back onto the table, her friend leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling.
"Or, you know," she continued, a wicked grin on her face, "Rei could have done a pin-up piece of Shinji."
"Misato."
"Yes, Rits?"
"Stop. Talking."
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!
Hikari looked at her friends in horror. "You did what?"
Asuka shrugged, flipping her long mane of hair back over her shoulder. "We snuck into NERV headquarters, stole some paint, and decorated the shoulder fins of our Evangelions."
"We then returned to our homes and got called in shortly before school began. We were verbally reprimanded," Rei added, taking a small bite from the boxed lunch she was sharing with Shinji. "That was why I was unable to prepare myself a meal." She paused for a moment before nodding at her friend. "Thank you for bringing this."
Kensuke interrupted Hikari's assurances that Rei's thanks were unnecessary, prompting a look from her he ignored. "What did you guys paint on the Evangelions? You know that I'm going to have to repaint my models, right?"
"A fierce, rampant dragon stands on my Unit-02 now," Asuka said proudly. "Everyone will know that not even dragons can stop me! I have bathed in the blood of the wyrm, and I fear nothing!"
"I suppose that makes sense." the boy said uncertainly before looking at the other pilots. "What about you guys?"
"I inscribed a mushroom cloud upon Unit-00," Rei stated calmly in between bites of rice, causing looks of horror to dawn on the faces of the three non-pilots and uneasy grins on Asuka and Shinji's. "Apart from the Evangelions, the mushroom cloud is the most evocative symbol of war that mankind knows. While more destructive weapons are at our disposal, none are as immediately recognizable or as terrifying as you have just demonstrated." She popped a piece of fish into her mouth.
Shinji chuckled nervously as the table's focus shifted to him. "Ah, well... Mine isn't as impressive as theirs," he said, rubbing the back of his head.
Asuka snorted. "It's not half bad looking," she said as Rei nodded in agreement.
"It is... striking," the girl commented before consuming another sliver of fish. "Subtle and appropriate."
"Well, what is it?" Toji asked, "Don't keep us in suspense, man!"
"Well, the faces of most of the Angels are these weird things that look like bird skulls, right? So, I put one of those over a pair of crossed bones, like on a pirate's flag."
Kensuke began to laugh. "You put a Jolly Roger on your Evangelion?"
"Dude, that's awesome!" Toji exclaimed. "Whose idea was to do all this, anyway?" he asked, looking around the table as he took another mouthful of his food.
"Mine, of course," Asuka said, digging into her bag for her phone. "I took pictures because you know they'll paint over them later if they haven't done it already." She saw the look that the other pilots shared before they stared at her in upset shock. "What, you think they are just going to ignore the fact that we tagged a trio of multi-billion dollar weapons and let us keep them like that?"
"I suppose not.." Shinji said, his brow furrowed. "But I'm going to sneak back in and repaint it!" he exclaimed forcefully, to the surprise of the others.
"I will repaint Unit-00 as well." Rei put in. "No matter how many times I have to do so."
"That's the spirit!" Asuka said, her face alight with infectious enthusiasm. "See, this is why we did this in the first place! No one can trifle with us! We're Evangelion Pilots!"
"Not to ruin the mood or anything," Hikari said cautiously, "but what did they say when they yelled at you this morning? You were gone the entire time!"
"Oh, just the usual nonsense about defacing government property, being more responsible, and bluh bluh bluh. Nothing important." The redhead's face twitched in annoyance. "As if I would do anything that would endanger my Unit-02." She leaned back in her chair, stretching her legs out, still slightly sore from the night's escape. "They're still trying to decide what our punishment should be, but it's not like they can do all that much to us. There isn't exactly a surplus of pilots hanging around, you know. We don't grow on trees, after all." She shrugged, popping a potato chip into her mouth. "Maybe tell these two that they can't date, I suppose. You know, around us with a curfew and all that."
Shinji blushed a bright red as three sets of eyes swiveled to stare at him and Rei, the others just now realizing how close the pair were to each other. Rei put a hand over the top of his.
"There is no power on Earth that can tear us apart," she stated flatly as Shinji turned a deeper shade of red but nodded in agreement.
Jaws dropped as Hikari shook her head, fishing around in her bag for her phone, intent on getting a picture of the newly official couple. "When did this happen?" she asked, snapping the picture, "Was it at the party?" she sounded a little hurt. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"It was this morning," Asuka said before the other could answer, looking inordinately pleased with herself. "It was after I called Wondergirl out for copping feels on the Idiot here."
Energy drink shot out of Kensuke's nose and mouth as he started to choke, while Toji and Hikari stared at Rei, who blankly looked back at them.
"I like the way his butt feels," she said, as completely deadpan as she usually was. "He has a nice butt."