Everything's Relative
WHO: Asuka Langley, Misato Katsuragi, Rei Ayanami, Shinji Ikari
WHEN: A few days ago.
WHERE: NERV Headquarters - Hospital Ward
WHAT: Our favorite surrogate dysfunctional family goes to check in on little Maggie Simpso-err, on Rei, who was wounded by the infamous Dr. Viral. Nothing horrifing happens. One of these sentences is a lie.
Rei Ayanami has returned to her natural habitat - the hospital bed!
Fortunately, they're getting this whole 'get the patient to recuperate in peace' thing down to a science. Down in the cranial nerve unit, Rei is laying in a bed with only a rather thick-seeming set of dressings over the eyes and a single IV to indicate that she's something other than well.
Voices echo distantly in the empty hallways, transmitted themselves from the public address system, calling a doctor to rounds half a mile away. The air conditioning hums faintly and monotonously in the coldly lit room. It is not, perhaps, the most theraputic of places.
Shinji Ikari thought Rei's natural habitat was a studebaker.
"This place is colder than my evil dad's ice encrusted heart!" Shinji does not say, but he sure thinks it. Instead, Shinji says, "Not very theraputic, is it...?" awkwardly as he walks down the hall, checking room numbers. He's got a bouquete of flowers in his hand, and a wrapped package under his arm.
I don't remember what flowers mean 'get well soon' but Shinji's enough of a nerd to know this.
How many times has it been? How many times down these long white hallways with the beds and the wheelchairs and trays of half-eaten food along the walls, along with muted voices and footsteps but, oddly enough, less crying than one might imagine. Misato is upset, and it shows on her face as she walks toward Rei's room.
Damn that Viral, damn those Evangelions, damn me too just to make it complete. She saw Rei very briefly on her way in after the fight, but couldn't really even ride with her on the transport to the hospital. Nor was she able to visit before today. That just compounds everything, of course.
Still, this is not a place to let it out. So, as the little troop draws near the room, she takes a few deeper breaths and tries to smooth her face over. "Thanks for coming along," she tells the others with her. "I should have come earlier, but...."
Asuka is holding up a piece of paper with a humanoid figure drawn on it. It seems to be a sketch for a Halloween Costume she's planning to wear. What is she planning to go as? Well, the only costume piece on this drawing seems to be a bandage over the left eye.
She keeps the drawing to herself so Shinji doesn't get too fretful.
"Nothing's colder than your dad's ice encrusted heart, Shinji." Asuka says.
When footsteps come closer, in some quantity, Rei seems to gain a little alertness. She reaches over with a fingertip to push that fun automatic control upwards, moving to a slightly upraised position and turning her head to look (well, as best you can with funky head bandages) towards the approaching footsteps.
It may be a credit to how much she's changed that she actually says, "Hello," before being spoken to.
"...I just wish I had been there..." Shinji mutters, shame-faced and scowling. He raises an eyebrow at Asuka, wondering for the nth time if the woman really hates Rei as much as she acts, or if she acts this way because she just can't figure out any other way of saying she gives a crap. Or if it's a little of both.
And then-"Asuka, are you taking those telepathy fruit snacks again?" Shinji asks warily, knowing full well he didn't say that one bit out loud. He's about to say something to throw off her clever reading of his mind when...
Oh, Rei's awake. "Hey, Ayanami." Shinji says only a little nebbishly, stepping inside and, perhaps, showing his character development by presuming to put the flowers in some water. "Um, sorry if you're allergic to these, I tried to ask what your health files were, and then Section 2 gave me the stink eye all day..."
"So do I, Shinji." Not that Misato would have been much help, except to call out a few commands.... The door swings open, Misato puts on a smile that is just a little bit strained (but still genuine), and--
Wait, Rei said hello? First? Without prompting? This gives her a moment's pause, as she blinks, her own greeting momentarily stopped. But then the smile eases, and takes on added warmth. "Hello, Rei," she finally does say. She forgets, perhaps, that people grow and change. Maybe she's just been too caught up in paperwork lately.
She steps aside to make room for Shinji as he deals with the flowers, then moving over to the bedside. "How are you feeling?" Perhaps the most-often asked question in this place.
Asuka says, "Hey." to Rei. "And of course not, Shinji." She adds, sticking another watermelon flavored brain into her mouth, and swallowing.
She pulls the Rei costume behind her back a moment too late.
Shinji's curiosity may be availed by a thick binder on a nighttable some distance away, which is sitting next to a couple of foil packets of pills and a water pitcher.
She doesn't really look after Shinji, although she does sniff at the air. This may just be to verify the flowers. She then answers Misato: "My head hurts." She says it fairly calmly and clearly, so it can't be that bad.
She doesn't seem to react to Asuka being present. Maybe she can't sense her. The Rei costume might be responsible.
"Okay, um." Shinji pauses.
He thinks something for a few moments. Heh heh heh.
Then he steps towards the desk, "Um, I got a few of your, ah, t-things. Some books, and, um, Hikari wrote down what work you missed, and..." And this is when Shinji abruptly trips, stumbling /into/ the desk and falling back with a BOUNCE onto the floor.
Groaning, Shinji sits up. "nyrgh, i'm sorry." he groans, quickly leafing through the papers to make sure he didn't rip one...
Offhandedly, from the one (questionable) adult in the room: "What's that you're holding, Asuka?"
But back to our guest of honor. Misato nods and reaches out toward Rei. "I can imagine," she says, voice soft again, and slightly thick with shame. "I hope you can get out of here soon, hmm?" Her fingers find a stray lock of pale blue hair, which brush it lightly. "I wish I could have come earlier, but--" She sighs. "You know how it is, with the Commander and all...."
She winces slightly when Shinji takes his pratfall, and moves over to help him up. Though with a small, fond smile on her lips. "Aside from this, all, Rei, is there anything else you might want us to bring to you?"
"Paper?" Asuka offers (un)helpfully, "You know, it comes from dead trees. Or something."
The papers seem intact. A lot of the early ones are largely either blank or have 'no data' on them, although later on it starts to get into things which Shinji might recognize if he looks at the date! Remember that time you put her in the hospital, Shinji? Of course you do.
Rei considers in silence for a long few moments, before saying, "I would like pickled vegetable sushi, I think. When it is available." This one, Sanger Zonvolt can be blamed for.
Shinji Ikari has stopped moving.
He has not stopped staring at a certain paper, a violation of privacy Shinji Ikari would normally never commit, for a while now.
The only sign that he's still...conscious is the slow, slow, painfully slow crinkling of the paper, as his fingers begin to curl...
Just you wait, you red-headed Teuton, your guardian will get you one day. Such cheek!
But yeah, later. Misato absently sweeps back her own hair out of her face as she straightens up. "Pickled vegetable sushi. Check," she says, without even a hint of bemusement. "I think we can--"
Something is wrong, isn't it. She cuts off, detecting a hint of disquiet from the Third: even if he hasn't said anything, she's known him too long, too well not to be able to read him. "Shinji?"
Rei's head turns slightly to look over towards where Shinji had been standing, although she doesn't say anything. Perhaps Ikari has injured himself, she thinks, with faint concern.
"'Daughter of an aquaintence.'" Shinji murmurs, softly, standing back up with his traditional softness. "'Parents died in an accadent.'"
Shinji then returns Rei's medical papers to the desk. The way he does this is somewhat questionable, as he rears his arms up over his head and SLAMS the papers against the desk as hard as he can, causing the wooden legs to shudder and the pill bottles to go flying.
But before whatever it is that is bothering Shinji can be made known, there is a trilling from Misato's pocket. Ugh. She rolls her eyes, digs her phone out and stares at the screen. "Oh, for the love of...can't it wait? Just for one visit?" She gives Rei a sickly sort of smile, and says, "It's the Commander, so I probably should take this." She glances over to Shinji and Asuka with a look that suggests: you two behave.
What timing. "Yes, Commander," she says, now striding out of the room. The door opens, shuts, and there is one less person within now.
As soon as the door closes, Shinji puts his cell phone back in his pocket. "'Daughter of an aquaintence.'" The Third Child murmurs, softly, standing back up with his traditional softness. "'Parents died in an accadent.'"
Shinji then returns Rei's medical papers to the desk. The way he does this is somewhat questionable, as he rears his arms up over his head and SLAMS the papers against the desk as hard as he can, causing the wooden legs to shudder and the pill bottles to go flying.
"How long." Shinji speaks in the terrible, icy tone that comes from desperately clinging to self-control, as his bangs hide the state of his gaze, "Did you know?"
Rei jerks visibly at the abrupt slamming noise. It's hard to read her face; the lack of visible eyes is something that takes a great deal of the human warmth from someone, even in theory. It's why policemen favor it, and why a tinted window can lead to rear-ending.
Rei doesn't answer, although her mouth does open, slightly. Her breathing gets faster, although no alarms are triggered. She doesn't have any sensors on her, beyond the IV drip in the left arm.
Asuka glances towards Misato and waits until she is gone. Very gone. Very super gone. And then she mumbles something about 'deadbeat mom!'. This is punishment for bible study?! Well no, Asuka would say that even if Misato was just going to the bathroom or something. It's not her fault. Asuka is just simply mean.
She looks at Shinji blankly, not seeming to understand the latest disruption to the social order.
"...Is she pregnant?" Asuka blinks.
"That's not." Shinji's left hand is squeezing in and out like a vice, as he takes one shaking step closer to the bed and, finally, tilts his head up so that both girls can see just what kind of mood he's in.
His eyes are shaking, pupals and irises tiny with some terrible emotion, his mouth twisted downward in the likeness of an animal's snarl; all of this serves to lengthen and accentuate his narrow face, which, despite being smooth and soft most of the time, is easy recast into something twisted and feral in the right light.
"An answer." Shinji finishes grating out, taking another step closer-holy shit, is he goung to take a swing at her?
Asuka may not like Rei Ayanami in certain ways and probably gets aggravated by her a lot too. However, there is one thing that Asuka has yet to do to the First and that's to beat her up like Shinji seems to do a lot. She just says mean things about her! And she does that to everybody. Clearly, Asuka truly adores Rei Ayanami and wants to give her hugs.
Well maybe not, but Asuka has some redemptive qualities! Like...well...uh... um. She thinks beating up a person in a hospitable bed is a bad idea? Yes, we'll start with that and figure out the rest later. She moves quickly, steps right in front of Shinji, and...
BEATS HIS CHEEK!
"Cut it out Shinji! Now's not the time for any of that stuff! Whatever you read, wait till you calm down!"
Asuka Langley hits Shinji Ikari with her And a little rose dies jab.
Rei doesn't have much that she can do. She can hear Shinji's voice, and makes a smaller noise, more of a gasp than anything else. She starts to press back against the bed.
Then the unexpected happens. Rei's mouth stays slightly open, albeit, perhaps, for different reasons.
One of Asuka's redemptive qualities is that, despite how tough she talks, she's always willing to show a little tenderness and decency when the crap really hits the fan and someone she cares about is going to do something stupid. Normally, Shinji appreciates this-more than he can say, because no one's ever cared enough about him to lower /their/ defenses to try and keep him from doing something horrible.
Right now, he just wants to punch her in the face. The slap knocks Shinji backwards, stumbling, a red, hand-shaped welt on his face...that's gonna bruise later. Ow.
"Nephrolithiasis." Shinji spits out, looking Asuka in the eye. "A genetic illness, rare, exclusivly passed down the XX-Chromazone. Even rarer is when you have a case that's inert-the damaged genes are there, but the illness doesn't take hold for whatever reason. Here's what Rei and I have in common: Both of our mothers died in mysterious NERV-related 'accadents'. Guess what Rei and my mother have in common, Asuka?"
CLONE OF SHINJI'S MOM is a little beyond Asuka's understanding of the universe which is something you see more in a Getta Robo video. "Uh." She says, a little thrown off by this relevation. "Um." She looks over to Rei, and then back over to Shinji. "I don't even know your mom, how would I know? They both have that... Necrophiliasis thing? Does it really matter? So she's like your mom in some ways, that's no reason to flip out just because she didn't tell you. It's not really your business."
Rei still isn't saying anything. She may be too shocked or astonished by being yelled at, or perhaps she's simply afraid that she'll be torn open and eaten or smashed or something else. Not being able to see what's coming is anxiety-inducing.
She keeps breathing in that quick, tense way, which may not help matters. Is she avoiding something? Is she honestly just /defective/ in the head and unable to answer a direct question?
Asuka Langley says, " I am...a potato?"
Rei Ayanami says, "DIGGING MY POTATO"
"If it were that, she'd have said as much." Shinji takes another step forward, the edge in his voice increasing, his anger at ANOTHER GODDAMN LIE filling his entire body, "The fact that she's /emoting/ instead of just /answering the question/ is, really, an answer in and of itself, right?"
"This just being a concidence is a one in a million chance." Shinji continues, "And do you really think my folks wouldn't think to save an egg or some sperm, in case I turned out not to have the knack? Do you really think its a /concidence/ that the first two Children lived their entire lives under the supervision of NERV, Asuka?!"
"Ayanami's related to me. Somehow. A cousin, or maybe Father fertalized one of Mother's eggs with a geneticly enhanced sperm sample..." Shinji concludes, breathing heavily, turning another baleful, Gendoesque glare towards the First Child. "Father had time to raise a child. She's right in front of us. She knew. She knew this /whole time/ and neither of them /bothered to Goddamn tell me/! It all makes sense-Asuka, she looks /just like my mom/. I haven't been able to figure out /why/ since Goddamn Unit-01 made me see what happened to her-how her 'accadent' wasn't an accadent at all, it was damn /suicide/-and..."
"GAH!" Shinji screams, savagly kicking at the poor, abused desk!
Rei still doesn't say anything. She doesn't protest or argue any other case when Shinji rants and expostulates, although she does jump, visibly, when he kicks at the desk again. She presses back against the far end of the bed, fingers knotting in the edge of the bedsheet.
"I dunno," Asuka admits, "Usually she's all quiet about everything." She looks over to Rei, "Are you a part of a corn conspiracy to take over humankind?" She waits a moment and looks back to Shinji, "And then no go."
The desk takes some damage, but it has like 5000 hp and that's a lot in City of EVAs. "And, like, my parents totally worked for NERV too so..." She is starting to look worried. She steps back a little, closer to Rei, and then Shinji mentions Mommy Suicide.
Asuka's body tightens and she lowers her head, her eyes water just a little as her bangs foof over her eyes and she stares at the ground silently. She breathes out tensely, and then slowly breathes in. Her fists clench briefly and then she spreads out her fingers into a palming motion. She then clenches her fists again.
"I'm sorry, Rei." Asuka says slowly, "For disrupting your rest."
She advances towards Shinji slowly, keeping her head down. "So we've got a lot in common. But it's not Rei's fault. You're scaring her. Let's talk it outside."
Shinji Ikari pants, breathing, just wanting to BREAK something or TEAR IT APART or...
...oh god. Asuka's reaction. Oh /crap/.
...oh /God/ what did he just do?! Ayanami couldn't have known...it's be, well, so very dad not to tell her who her own mother was.
Shinji deflates, visibly, his shoulders slumping and his head hanging. "...you're right. I'm..." Shinji trails off, again, not really sure what to say. Is he sorry? Angry? Happy? Worried? More ashamed of a few of his dirtier dreams than he already was?
Slowly, Shinji kneels down, picking the packages he's knocked over up and, carefully, placing the flowers back into their little water-container. It's like a vase's skinny baby brother. This being the only way Shinji can think of to convey his feelings without starting another shouting match, the Third Child limps out of the room.
This, unsurprisingly, doesn't get the First Children to speak up - though her tense posture does fade, slightly, if Shinji looks back on the way out the door. Maybe it blew over, or the apology worked, or perhaps she's simply feeling safer now that he is not near her.
Which is it? Well... he may have to decide which option he likes best.
Asuka just keeps her head lowered like an abused kitten...WITH RAZOR SHARP CLAWS...but abused. Kitten. Sniffle. Snoffle. Sad German In Snow. It's always bad when Asuka isn't in Rage Mode and is, in fact, in Sad Mode. The Rage is so much more fun.
"Um." She says, "I'm glad you're okay, Rei." She then slumps out after Shinji, possibly to look for a bathtub.
Shinji Ikari likes where that thought is going!
Oh, wait, you mean that kind of bathtub.
WHEN: A few days ago.
WHERE: NERV Headquarters - Hospital Ward
WHAT: Our favorite surrogate dysfunctional family goes to check in on little Maggie Simpso-err, on Rei, who was wounded by the infamous Dr. Viral. Nothing horrifing happens. One of these sentences is a lie.
Rei Ayanami has returned to her natural habitat - the hospital bed!
Fortunately, they're getting this whole 'get the patient to recuperate in peace' thing down to a science. Down in the cranial nerve unit, Rei is laying in a bed with only a rather thick-seeming set of dressings over the eyes and a single IV to indicate that she's something other than well.
Voices echo distantly in the empty hallways, transmitted themselves from the public address system, calling a doctor to rounds half a mile away. The air conditioning hums faintly and monotonously in the coldly lit room. It is not, perhaps, the most theraputic of places.
Shinji Ikari thought Rei's natural habitat was a studebaker.
"This place is colder than my evil dad's ice encrusted heart!" Shinji does not say, but he sure thinks it. Instead, Shinji says, "Not very theraputic, is it...?" awkwardly as he walks down the hall, checking room numbers. He's got a bouquete of flowers in his hand, and a wrapped package under his arm.
I don't remember what flowers mean 'get well soon' but Shinji's enough of a nerd to know this.
How many times has it been? How many times down these long white hallways with the beds and the wheelchairs and trays of half-eaten food along the walls, along with muted voices and footsteps but, oddly enough, less crying than one might imagine. Misato is upset, and it shows on her face as she walks toward Rei's room.
Damn that Viral, damn those Evangelions, damn me too just to make it complete. She saw Rei very briefly on her way in after the fight, but couldn't really even ride with her on the transport to the hospital. Nor was she able to visit before today. That just compounds everything, of course.
Still, this is not a place to let it out. So, as the little troop draws near the room, she takes a few deeper breaths and tries to smooth her face over. "Thanks for coming along," she tells the others with her. "I should have come earlier, but...."
Asuka is holding up a piece of paper with a humanoid figure drawn on it. It seems to be a sketch for a Halloween Costume she's planning to wear. What is she planning to go as? Well, the only costume piece on this drawing seems to be a bandage over the left eye.
She keeps the drawing to herself so Shinji doesn't get too fretful.
"Nothing's colder than your dad's ice encrusted heart, Shinji." Asuka says.
When footsteps come closer, in some quantity, Rei seems to gain a little alertness. She reaches over with a fingertip to push that fun automatic control upwards, moving to a slightly upraised position and turning her head to look (well, as best you can with funky head bandages) towards the approaching footsteps.
It may be a credit to how much she's changed that she actually says, "Hello," before being spoken to.
"...I just wish I had been there..." Shinji mutters, shame-faced and scowling. He raises an eyebrow at Asuka, wondering for the nth time if the woman really hates Rei as much as she acts, or if she acts this way because she just can't figure out any other way of saying she gives a crap. Or if it's a little of both.
And then-"Asuka, are you taking those telepathy fruit snacks again?" Shinji asks warily, knowing full well he didn't say that one bit out loud. He's about to say something to throw off her clever reading of his mind when...
Oh, Rei's awake. "Hey, Ayanami." Shinji says only a little nebbishly, stepping inside and, perhaps, showing his character development by presuming to put the flowers in some water. "Um, sorry if you're allergic to these, I tried to ask what your health files were, and then Section 2 gave me the stink eye all day..."
"So do I, Shinji." Not that Misato would have been much help, except to call out a few commands.... The door swings open, Misato puts on a smile that is just a little bit strained (but still genuine), and--
Wait, Rei said hello? First? Without prompting? This gives her a moment's pause, as she blinks, her own greeting momentarily stopped. But then the smile eases, and takes on added warmth. "Hello, Rei," she finally does say. She forgets, perhaps, that people grow and change. Maybe she's just been too caught up in paperwork lately.
She steps aside to make room for Shinji as he deals with the flowers, then moving over to the bedside. "How are you feeling?" Perhaps the most-often asked question in this place.
Asuka says, "Hey." to Rei. "And of course not, Shinji." She adds, sticking another watermelon flavored brain into her mouth, and swallowing.
She pulls the Rei costume behind her back a moment too late.
Shinji's curiosity may be availed by a thick binder on a nighttable some distance away, which is sitting next to a couple of foil packets of pills and a water pitcher.
She doesn't really look after Shinji, although she does sniff at the air. This may just be to verify the flowers. She then answers Misato: "My head hurts." She says it fairly calmly and clearly, so it can't be that bad.
She doesn't seem to react to Asuka being present. Maybe she can't sense her. The Rei costume might be responsible.
"Okay, um." Shinji pauses.
He thinks something for a few moments. Heh heh heh.
Then he steps towards the desk, "Um, I got a few of your, ah, t-things. Some books, and, um, Hikari wrote down what work you missed, and..." And this is when Shinji abruptly trips, stumbling /into/ the desk and falling back with a BOUNCE onto the floor.
Groaning, Shinji sits up. "nyrgh, i'm sorry." he groans, quickly leafing through the papers to make sure he didn't rip one...
Offhandedly, from the one (questionable) adult in the room: "What's that you're holding, Asuka?"
But back to our guest of honor. Misato nods and reaches out toward Rei. "I can imagine," she says, voice soft again, and slightly thick with shame. "I hope you can get out of here soon, hmm?" Her fingers find a stray lock of pale blue hair, which brush it lightly. "I wish I could have come earlier, but--" She sighs. "You know how it is, with the Commander and all...."
She winces slightly when Shinji takes his pratfall, and moves over to help him up. Though with a small, fond smile on her lips. "Aside from this, all, Rei, is there anything else you might want us to bring to you?"
"Paper?" Asuka offers (un)helpfully, "You know, it comes from dead trees. Or something."
The papers seem intact. A lot of the early ones are largely either blank or have 'no data' on them, although later on it starts to get into things which Shinji might recognize if he looks at the date! Remember that time you put her in the hospital, Shinji? Of course you do.
Rei considers in silence for a long few moments, before saying, "I would like pickled vegetable sushi, I think. When it is available." This one, Sanger Zonvolt can be blamed for.
Shinji Ikari has stopped moving.
He has not stopped staring at a certain paper, a violation of privacy Shinji Ikari would normally never commit, for a while now.
The only sign that he's still...conscious is the slow, slow, painfully slow crinkling of the paper, as his fingers begin to curl...
Just you wait, you red-headed Teuton, your guardian will get you one day. Such cheek!
But yeah, later. Misato absently sweeps back her own hair out of her face as she straightens up. "Pickled vegetable sushi. Check," she says, without even a hint of bemusement. "I think we can--"
Something is wrong, isn't it. She cuts off, detecting a hint of disquiet from the Third: even if he hasn't said anything, she's known him too long, too well not to be able to read him. "Shinji?"
Rei's head turns slightly to look over towards where Shinji had been standing, although she doesn't say anything. Perhaps Ikari has injured himself, she thinks, with faint concern.
"'Daughter of an aquaintence.'" Shinji murmurs, softly, standing back up with his traditional softness. "'Parents died in an accadent.'"
Shinji then returns Rei's medical papers to the desk. The way he does this is somewhat questionable, as he rears his arms up over his head and SLAMS the papers against the desk as hard as he can, causing the wooden legs to shudder and the pill bottles to go flying.
But before whatever it is that is bothering Shinji can be made known, there is a trilling from Misato's pocket. Ugh. She rolls her eyes, digs her phone out and stares at the screen. "Oh, for the love of...can't it wait? Just for one visit?" She gives Rei a sickly sort of smile, and says, "It's the Commander, so I probably should take this." She glances over to Shinji and Asuka with a look that suggests: you two behave.
What timing. "Yes, Commander," she says, now striding out of the room. The door opens, shuts, and there is one less person within now.
As soon as the door closes, Shinji puts his cell phone back in his pocket. "'Daughter of an aquaintence.'" The Third Child murmurs, softly, standing back up with his traditional softness. "'Parents died in an accadent.'"
Shinji then returns Rei's medical papers to the desk. The way he does this is somewhat questionable, as he rears his arms up over his head and SLAMS the papers against the desk as hard as he can, causing the wooden legs to shudder and the pill bottles to go flying.
"How long." Shinji speaks in the terrible, icy tone that comes from desperately clinging to self-control, as his bangs hide the state of his gaze, "Did you know?"
Rei jerks visibly at the abrupt slamming noise. It's hard to read her face; the lack of visible eyes is something that takes a great deal of the human warmth from someone, even in theory. It's why policemen favor it, and why a tinted window can lead to rear-ending.
Rei doesn't answer, although her mouth does open, slightly. Her breathing gets faster, although no alarms are triggered. She doesn't have any sensors on her, beyond the IV drip in the left arm.
Asuka glances towards Misato and waits until she is gone. Very gone. Very super gone. And then she mumbles something about 'deadbeat mom!'. This is punishment for bible study?! Well no, Asuka would say that even if Misato was just going to the bathroom or something. It's not her fault. Asuka is just simply mean.
She looks at Shinji blankly, not seeming to understand the latest disruption to the social order.
"...Is she pregnant?" Asuka blinks.
"That's not." Shinji's left hand is squeezing in and out like a vice, as he takes one shaking step closer to the bed and, finally, tilts his head up so that both girls can see just what kind of mood he's in.
His eyes are shaking, pupals and irises tiny with some terrible emotion, his mouth twisted downward in the likeness of an animal's snarl; all of this serves to lengthen and accentuate his narrow face, which, despite being smooth and soft most of the time, is easy recast into something twisted and feral in the right light.
"An answer." Shinji finishes grating out, taking another step closer-holy shit, is he goung to take a swing at her?
Asuka may not like Rei Ayanami in certain ways and probably gets aggravated by her a lot too. However, there is one thing that Asuka has yet to do to the First and that's to beat her up like Shinji seems to do a lot. She just says mean things about her! And she does that to everybody. Clearly, Asuka truly adores Rei Ayanami and wants to give her hugs.
Well maybe not, but Asuka has some redemptive qualities! Like...well...uh... um. She thinks beating up a person in a hospitable bed is a bad idea? Yes, we'll start with that and figure out the rest later. She moves quickly, steps right in front of Shinji, and...
BEATS HIS CHEEK!
"Cut it out Shinji! Now's not the time for any of that stuff! Whatever you read, wait till you calm down!"
Asuka Langley hits Shinji Ikari with her And a little rose dies jab.
Rei doesn't have much that she can do. She can hear Shinji's voice, and makes a smaller noise, more of a gasp than anything else. She starts to press back against the bed.
Then the unexpected happens. Rei's mouth stays slightly open, albeit, perhaps, for different reasons.
One of Asuka's redemptive qualities is that, despite how tough she talks, she's always willing to show a little tenderness and decency when the crap really hits the fan and someone she cares about is going to do something stupid. Normally, Shinji appreciates this-more than he can say, because no one's ever cared enough about him to lower /their/ defenses to try and keep him from doing something horrible.
Right now, he just wants to punch her in the face. The slap knocks Shinji backwards, stumbling, a red, hand-shaped welt on his face...that's gonna bruise later. Ow.
"Nephrolithiasis." Shinji spits out, looking Asuka in the eye. "A genetic illness, rare, exclusivly passed down the XX-Chromazone. Even rarer is when you have a case that's inert-the damaged genes are there, but the illness doesn't take hold for whatever reason. Here's what Rei and I have in common: Both of our mothers died in mysterious NERV-related 'accadents'. Guess what Rei and my mother have in common, Asuka?"
CLONE OF SHINJI'S MOM is a little beyond Asuka's understanding of the universe which is something you see more in a Getta Robo video. "Uh." She says, a little thrown off by this relevation. "Um." She looks over to Rei, and then back over to Shinji. "I don't even know your mom, how would I know? They both have that... Necrophiliasis thing? Does it really matter? So she's like your mom in some ways, that's no reason to flip out just because she didn't tell you. It's not really your business."
Rei still isn't saying anything. She may be too shocked or astonished by being yelled at, or perhaps she's simply afraid that she'll be torn open and eaten or smashed or something else. Not being able to see what's coming is anxiety-inducing.
She keeps breathing in that quick, tense way, which may not help matters. Is she avoiding something? Is she honestly just /defective/ in the head and unable to answer a direct question?
Asuka Langley says, " I am...a potato?"
Rei Ayanami says, "DIGGING MY POTATO"
"If it were that, she'd have said as much." Shinji takes another step forward, the edge in his voice increasing, his anger at ANOTHER GODDAMN LIE filling his entire body, "The fact that she's /emoting/ instead of just /answering the question/ is, really, an answer in and of itself, right?"
"This just being a concidence is a one in a million chance." Shinji continues, "And do you really think my folks wouldn't think to save an egg or some sperm, in case I turned out not to have the knack? Do you really think its a /concidence/ that the first two Children lived their entire lives under the supervision of NERV, Asuka?!"
"Ayanami's related to me. Somehow. A cousin, or maybe Father fertalized one of Mother's eggs with a geneticly enhanced sperm sample..." Shinji concludes, breathing heavily, turning another baleful, Gendoesque glare towards the First Child. "Father had time to raise a child. She's right in front of us. She knew. She knew this /whole time/ and neither of them /bothered to Goddamn tell me/! It all makes sense-Asuka, she looks /just like my mom/. I haven't been able to figure out /why/ since Goddamn Unit-01 made me see what happened to her-how her 'accadent' wasn't an accadent at all, it was damn /suicide/-and..."
"GAH!" Shinji screams, savagly kicking at the poor, abused desk!
Rei still doesn't say anything. She doesn't protest or argue any other case when Shinji rants and expostulates, although she does jump, visibly, when he kicks at the desk again. She presses back against the far end of the bed, fingers knotting in the edge of the bedsheet.
"I dunno," Asuka admits, "Usually she's all quiet about everything." She looks over to Rei, "Are you a part of a corn conspiracy to take over humankind?" She waits a moment and looks back to Shinji, "And then no go."
The desk takes some damage, but it has like 5000 hp and that's a lot in City of EVAs. "And, like, my parents totally worked for NERV too so..." She is starting to look worried. She steps back a little, closer to Rei, and then Shinji mentions Mommy Suicide.
Asuka's body tightens and she lowers her head, her eyes water just a little as her bangs foof over her eyes and she stares at the ground silently. She breathes out tensely, and then slowly breathes in. Her fists clench briefly and then she spreads out her fingers into a palming motion. She then clenches her fists again.
"I'm sorry, Rei." Asuka says slowly, "For disrupting your rest."
She advances towards Shinji slowly, keeping her head down. "So we've got a lot in common. But it's not Rei's fault. You're scaring her. Let's talk it outside."
Shinji Ikari pants, breathing, just wanting to BREAK something or TEAR IT APART or...
...oh god. Asuka's reaction. Oh /crap/.
...oh /God/ what did he just do?! Ayanami couldn't have known...it's be, well, so very dad not to tell her who her own mother was.
Shinji deflates, visibly, his shoulders slumping and his head hanging. "...you're right. I'm..." Shinji trails off, again, not really sure what to say. Is he sorry? Angry? Happy? Worried? More ashamed of a few of his dirtier dreams than he already was?
Slowly, Shinji kneels down, picking the packages he's knocked over up and, carefully, placing the flowers back into their little water-container. It's like a vase's skinny baby brother. This being the only way Shinji can think of to convey his feelings without starting another shouting match, the Third Child limps out of the room.
This, unsurprisingly, doesn't get the First Children to speak up - though her tense posture does fade, slightly, if Shinji looks back on the way out the door. Maybe it blew over, or the apology worked, or perhaps she's simply feeling safer now that he is not near her.
Which is it? Well... he may have to decide which option he likes best.
Asuka just keeps her head lowered like an abused kitten...WITH RAZOR SHARP CLAWS...but abused. Kitten. Sniffle. Snoffle. Sad German In Snow. It's always bad when Asuka isn't in Rage Mode and is, in fact, in Sad Mode. The Rage is so much more fun.
"Um." She says, "I'm glad you're okay, Rei." She then slumps out after Shinji, possibly to look for a bathtub.
Shinji Ikari likes where that thought is going!
Oh, wait, you mean that kind of bathtub.