At the Circus, Part 1
Note, the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English, German.
Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).
Tokyo-3
First Municipal Junior High School
Outside Classroom 2-A
Thursday.
"On second thought, Hikari. I think it will be best for me to keep an eye on you. I won't leave my friend surrounded by stooges." The redhaired pilot said quickly, thinking '(Isn't her sister in college? I am a college graduate, and I still remember those creeps who wanted to score with the resident genius. I would only accept such an invitation from a real man, like Kaji. He wouldn't try to take advantage of me. That's for sure.)'
"Oh, well… Maybe some other time?" Hikari asked. "Kodama is going to be disappointed. His friend had been begging her to meet you."
Asuka winked. "I'll let you know when I'm that desperate!"
Both girls laughed.
Tokyo-3
First Municipal Junior High School
Classroom 2-A
The rest of the class was busy cleaning and ordering the room. While Shinji swept, Rei squeezed a cloth to clean the floor.
For a moment, Shinji looked at her, a half-forgotten memory almost surfacing. He shook his head, he would try to remember that later. He had a feeling it was, perhaps, important.
"Hey! Get back to work!" Toji raised his voice, hitting Kensuke on the head with his own broom.
"Ow, man!"
Tokyo-3
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Synch Test Secondary Room
Two Hours Later
"Microsis Operation, complete." Lt. Ibuki reported. "Everything normal."
"That's a relief. If everything keeps going well, we will be able to take tomorrow afternoon off after all." Dr. Akagi watched the graphs over Ibuki's shoulder. "Which dress will you wear for the happy occasion, Misato?"
A few steps behind the consoles, Major Katsuragi studied a summary set on a clipboard. It was nice to have some normalcy again, after Unit-00's spectacular breakdown. "For the wedding? Ah… I wore the pink suit for Kiyomi's wedding, and the dark blue dress to Kotoko's shower."
"What about the orange one?"
"You know, I think it's a good choice. Shinji has been cooking some tasty low-calorie dishes. I honestly thought I would have to buy a new dress, but I tried it on last week, and it fits me perfectly!"
Maya interjected, "Low-carb cuisine too? Really? And he makes such a delicious triple chocolate cake."
Misato laughed, "That kid is a box of surprises."
Ritsuko adjusted a couple of dials on Maya's console. "You think you could loan him to me for a few weeks? I'll have to buy a new dress, and with so many weddings lately… the cost of gifts and clothes is piling up."
Acidly, Misato commented, evading the real question, "Yeah, everybody is just rushing to get married before they're thirty."
"Of course, no one wants to be a Christmas Cake."
Misato simply huffed.
Dr. Akagi took the mike from its stand, "Okay, we're done, you three. You can take off now. Well done."
From her simplug, Asuka gnashed her teeth. "I'm tired of so many tests!" Shinji heard her, and shook his head.
"Shinji looks a bit… distracted, don't you think?" Dr. Akagi commented
"Well, I guess he has good reason for it. Tomorrow is a conflicted day for him. Turns out he didn't check the date for his circus outing when he bought the tickets. He asked me for a permission slip for school tomorrow."
"True… I… I forgot."
Tokyo-3
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Lift to the Surface
Shinji and Rei stood in comfortable silence in the lift to the surface. He was planning his schedule for the next day. It was weird to know he had to play a charade, honoring the dead who were not dead. He wasn't looking forward to the unavoidable awkward talk with Commander Ikari.
Good thing he already had a plan to avoid that awkward talk.
Meanwhile, Rei simply enjoyed the ride. For some reason, the ticking of the mechanism marking the floors relaxed her.
Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment
Living Room
"Hey, Misato!" Asuka chirped happily when her superior officer entered the apartment.
"Isn't it a bit late for a visit, Asuka? You should be getting ready to bed. Tomorrow is the great day, isn't it?"
The pilot turned the TV off with the remote control, and set it on the coffee table. She walked around the major. "Well, actually, I wanted to ask you a favor."
Misato entered the closet, and began to change into comfortable clothes. For a moment, she looked at the orange dress. It was perfectly clean and pressed. She smiled, thinking of the faces her old college classmates seeing her still looking great!
"Misato?" Asuka's voice brought her out of her thoughts "Hmm?"
"Would you let me use your lavender perfume?"
"No way! Don´t even think of it!"
"Himmel, don't be such a cheapskate." Asuka pouted.
"It's not that, Asuka. It's just that you don't want to bring out the big guns for a first date." She winked, and with a conspiratorial smile, put a little bottle into her ward's hands. "This is much better."
"Oh, really?" Asuka looked at the bottle with some incredulity. Its shape was a prism, reminiscent of a woman silhouette or an hourglass, with a golden cylinder at the top.
"Really. They don't make this brand anymore. I have one other bottle, well hidden somewhere safe."
The German-raised pilot examined the label. "Strange name for a perfume." Asuka had opened the bottle and sniffed lightly. "Hey, it smells really fresh!"
"Oh, yes. For the girl who's tired of waiting, that was the slogan."
"Petrichor." Asuka whispered, reverently. (1)
"Now, I want that one back after tomorrow, understood? Don't put too much on, or you will just waste it. You gotta be subtle with it, got it?"
"Yeah, I know. Just a bit."
Misato put the orange dress back in its place, and put on the ratty t-short and shorts she preferred to sleep.
"Is Shinji here?"
"Yeah, in his room. He's been there since we came back from the synch test. What's his problem?"
"Well… He has a difficult conversation tomorrow. With his father."
"The Commander? Is it official stuff?"
"No, just personal. But it's hard for them to even try to connect."
"So why doesn't he just tell him and be done with it?"
"I've asked myself that same question. But you know we put a lot of stock in tradition, and visiting the graves of our families in the anniversary of their death is a very important one."
Asuka looked pensive for a couple of seconds.
Tokyo-3
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment
Shinji's Lovely Suite
The young pilot sat at the desk, his computer was on, but he wasn't working on any homework, watching a movie or any other activity that could be expected from a teenage boy.
No, he was talking with a friend. As he wasn't alone in the apartment, he typed his answers.
"Is she better?"
"I hope so. She's been alone for far too long. I've been at this business for a very loooong time (sad face). And I feel alone most of the time. Normally, I get in a situation, hijack somebody, solve the problem, and go away without no one really knowing I was there. I had few friends back when I was alive, and after I got this gig, well… even less chance to make friends but a lot to influence people. Well apart from the Phantom Stranger, I think the closest would be the Bat, and some kids from another world, kinda hippie-like, very nice too. The Forever People (2). I wonder where they might be…"
"The Bat? The Batman?"
"The very same. Scary guy, but only if you were a bad guy. He died a while after Second Impact along with most of his companions. I escorted them to the After place. You know? So many people died back then that the Great Beyond had traffic problems. Pantheons of old had to take people from other belief systems. The Bat and a few of his friends were taken in by the Greek Pantheon, if you can believe it. I myself escorted them into Hades' domain."
A knock on the door prompted Shinji to erase the text. It was Misato. "Shinji? Can I come in?"
Once he was sure the text had been completely erased, he answered, "Sure, come in."
"Are you… you know, scared of seeing your father by yourself?"
Shinji's brow furrowed, scared? No, reticent, yes, but not for the reason Misato surely thought. "A bit, I guess. He has never been a good father. I realize that now, but please, keep it between us, okay? I'll go, stay for a while, remembering what little I can of my mother, leave some flowers, and that's it. If he wants to talk, I will. If not…" he shrugged.
She sighed. "I guess that's the best he could expect. Just don't be disrespectful, even if he hasn't really earned your respect."
"I respect the rank, if not the man." Shinji nodded to himself. "I won't give him any problems."
"Good. I count on you to be the mature one." She closed the door, biting her lip. 'If only I could follow my own advice…' she thought.
Tokyo-3
Second Impact Memorial Cemetery
Friday
Row after row of identical metal markers, each one engraved with name, date of birth and death. Most of the markers shared the same year, the year Second Impact wiped out half of the world's population. Almost all the tombs were empty. Not even a casket or an urn in the ground.
Shinji Ikari stood respectfully in front of one of those markers. A simple engraved text: "Ikari Yui; 1977-2004". The marker stood in a section at the very outskirts of the immense cemetery, a place for those who had died after Second Impact. In this area, urns were common, but visitors were very rare. Most survivors of Second Impact preferred to mourn and remember in private, at their own homes.
He had arrived early. Very early. He set the bouquet of flowers at the ground. Arranging them carefully on the bare floor.
'I know you are not here. You are not even dead. But I have to keep appearances.' He thought.
Far away, the whine of a VTOL was his cue to leave. Without hurry, he walked back to the visitor entrance. He never looked back.
Gendo Ikari had expected to meet the Third Child here. Deliberately, he walked to the place he had set for appearances sake.
A bunch of fresh flowers lay on the ground. Shinji had been there, and left before meeting him.
'Good. He is afraid to meet me.' He smiled crookedly for a brief moment.
He stood there, alone, for a socially acceptable length of time. No more, no less than needed. Without a look back, he returned to the waiting VTOL, where Rei waited for him to finish his yearly ritual.
Tokyo-3 Auditorium
C.C. Haly and Norton Bros. Circus
05:48 PM
The group of students walked hurriedly into the circus grounds, followed by a small group of bodyguards on loan from Section-2.
Colors and sounds surrounded them, as the smell of the food stalls pervaded the air.
All around colorful posters proclaimed the amazing acts the circus offered. From the traditional clowns to the spectacular death defiance of the performers.
Shinji smiled widely, as a local barker used a megaphone to invite the public to watch this or other sideshow. Magician, fakir, fortune teller, strong man and even stronger girl, and multiple skill games. Popcorn, pancakes and corn dogs stalls shared the space with local snacks and candies.
It was a cacophony of sight, sound, and smell. For the kids, it was a novel experience. Slightly overwhelming in intensity, especially for Rei Ayanami, who had never been to any kind of public entertainment. She looked around once and again, taking everything in and trying not to miss anything. Kensuke Aida was at her side, as they had paired almost by default, and the bespectacled boy answered her questions with amused patience.
Just as overwhelmed, but due to a very different emotion, a floating ghost took the sights and sounds around them. Almost losing himself in his memories. A big smile appeared on his ghostly face. Every chance Deadman had to visit a circus, he took it. It was a return to his roots.
"Oh, look at that, Toji! A stuffed panda! It's so fluffy I could die! (3) Can you win it for me?" Hikari asked her companion, as they passed in front of a stall.
The carny in charge, an old carnival hand, recognized the moment for a chance to win some money. "Win a pretty plushie for a pretty lady, my friend! Just knock down three piles of cans! Easy for a strong lad like you, I'm sure!"
Toji looked at Hikari's big brown eyes, full of hope and trust, and found he was unable to resist the challenge. "You're on, buddy!" He put a bill on the counter, and received three balls.
"Knock the piles, my friend! For each pile you bring down, you earn a ticket! Exchange your tickets for prizes! Knock down three piles, you get an extra ball! But if you want to get a good prize, you'll need more than four tickets!" With his cane, the smiling man pointed at the toys and keepsakes hanging from the walls of his stand. Meaningfully, he stopped right at the panda plushie that had caught Hikari's eye. '25 tickets?' Toji tought, as he weighted the ball in his hand. 'Gonna take a while…'
Cheered by his friends, he took careful aim. Though he was more of a basketball player, he was familiar with baseball too. He threw the first ball, and was rewarded with a pile of cans falling down.
"Good shot! Good shot!" The man announced enthusiastically. "Next one!"
Three shots later, Toji received the four promised tickets. Looking at Hikari, he put another bill on the counter.
Tokyo-3
Outskirts of the City
Cherry Flower Party Hall
6:08 PM
"Now, dear friends, time to enjoy dinner!" The proud father of the bride announced, once the maids of honor had finished singing the popular song played at uncounted weddings, "The Ladybug's Samba". (4)
'At last! I'm starving' Misato thought while she knocked down the card at Kaji's place at the table.
"Little Ryoji is late." Ritsuko observed.
"Ha! That fool is never on time! He would be late to his own funeral!"
"Let's not put that to the test, okay? I've found he is quite formal and punctual for work."
The man arrived just at that moment. "Hello, girls. You look marvelous today." As he pulled his chair, he smiled, "I'm sorry, I got a bit stuck at work. I swear Murphy (5) has it against me!"
"Excuses, excuses. You just pass your work to your juniors." Without giving him time to protest, Misato adjusted the knot of his tie. "At least you should take a minute to make sure you look presentable! Get a portable electric razor or something and keep it in your car! That stubble is awful."
Amused, Ritsuko commented, "You two fight like an old married couple."
"Is that envy I hear in your voice, Ritsuko?" Kaji countered, leaving Ritsuko speechless.
Misato looked at him, raising an eyebrow. A moment later, both snickered.
Tokyo-3 Auditorium
C.C. Haly and Norton Bros. Circus
06:24 PM
While Toji carried the big stuffed panda he had won for Hikari, the girl hugged his arm, chatting happily. Asuka and Shinji exchanged a significant look.
A gruff voice coming from a megaphone captured Shinji's attention. The Japanese language sounded formal and stilted, but the meaning was clear. "Ladies and gentlemen! Girls and boys! Gather round and watch, this is but a mere sample of the skill of the greatest escape artist this world has ever seen! I need a volunteer to test the handcuffs, you, young man! The one with the lovely red headed gal! Come up here!"
Shinji's mouth hung open. He recognized the man, his short stature and white sideburns were unmistakable. Behind him, a tall and lanky man waved at the public, he was dressed in a garish costume, red, yellow and green, with a long green cape hanging at his back. The yellow section on his chest looked reminiscent of a stylized "M" letter.
He stammered, "Uhm yes, sir!" he answered respectfully, as he climbed the stairs to the stage.
"What's your name, son?" The dwarf stepped on a stool, and put the megaphone in front of the pilot. "Uh, Ikari, Shinji Ikari."
"Well, young Ikari, I am Oberon, Mr. Miracle's aid. Here I have three sets of hardened steel handcuffs, these are high grade steel, with triple German locks!" He showed the handcuffs to the public.
The red headed girl whopped in delight "Best locks in the world! German made!"
Oberon smiled at her, "That's right, young lady! Best in the world! Notice please that the handcuffs are designed to restrict the movement of the whole arm, not only the wrists. Now, chose one, my young friend."
Shinji picked one set. Oberon proceeded to put the other two sets in a glass box, right at the sight of the gathering crowd.
"Now, everybody! Our friend here is gonna try to escape the cuffs!" He snapped the handcuffs closed over Shinji's wrists. Unlike other models of handcuffs, these had no chain joining the rings. The two rings were joined by a single hinge. As an additional feature, the handcuffs could be stacked. The original design had been made to contain strong metahumans. Not on Superman's level, of course, but more at Blockbuster (6) level.
Shinji began to struggle with the handcuffs, but he couldn't really even try to force them. His arms were locked in a fixed position. The crowd laughed at his futile efforts. He found himself smiling at his own predicament.
"Well, would you say these are good handcuffs?" Oberon asked, rhetorically.
"Yes, could you take them off? Please?" Shinji answered, to general laughter.
"Sure! Here we go." Oberon chose a key from a stereotypically big ring. A moment later, Shinji was free. At a gesture from Oberon, he descended from the stage and rejoined his friends.
"Now, as a warm-up exercise before the main act, Mr. Miracle will free himself! Not from one, nor two, but all three handcuffs!"
The crowd clapped with enthusiasm, none more enthusiastic than Shinji.
Author Notes
(1) A Doctor Who reference. I don't know much of perfumes, but I think this one would be the kind of perfume Misato would get. BTW, Petrichor is the smell for the rain on dry ground.
(2) The Forever People have already been in this story. Curiously, back when Kirby was still setting up the Fourth World mythology, there was a couple of issues of their title featuring Deadman (Issues 9 and 10; July and Sept 1972), these two issues are not considered canon, as they changed too much of Deadman's story. So, for this story, the Forever People did not create a body for Deadman, nor he was murdered by a high-tech criminal cartel. However, I took a character from this story for a throwaway comment from Deadman himself. The medium who traveled with the circus back before Deadman was murdered, was based on Trixie McGruder. However, for her act, she performed as Madame Olga. And indeed, her tent smelled to incense and tobacco.
(3) Fluffy unicorns are reserved for Agnes, from Despicable Me! I couldn't resist imagining the straight laced Hikari flipping over a stuffed toy just like Agnes.
(4) A bit of trivia I found in the Eva Wiki.
(5) The one with a Law named after him.
(6) Mark Desmond, a scrawny chemist, invented a serum to grow stronger. It did work, turning him into a mountain of muscle, at the cost of his intelligence (about the size and strength of the TV version of the Incredible Hulk). He debuted in Detective Comics issue 345 (Nov, 1965). He won't figure in this story, except as an example of the kind of criminal who would need the kind of handcuffs Shinji gets in chapter 19. BTW, in that episode, Shinji is spparently dangerous enough to warrant three sets pf handcuffs. and they are indeed, stacked.