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Evangelion / Re: Ghosts of Evangelion - a post-EoE fic by Bagheera
« on: 27 Jun 2017, 23:42 »
Oh wow, I actually worked on what I planned to for a change. Here's Shinji and Asuka on Kaworu, take two:
November 23, 2018
Next up will be Asuka's first session with Dr. Okada.
November 23, 2018
(click to show/hide)
November 23, 2018
"I'm home," Shinji said.
Asuka looked up from her manga as Shinji entered the apartment. "Welcome home," she said.
Shinji dropped his backpack by the door, then shuffled into the living room. He crossed to within a few feet of her, then slumped to the floor, back to the wall.
She frowned. "How was therapy?" she asked.
He shrugged.
"Not good, huh?" she said.
It took a few moments for Shinji to answer. "We talked about Kaworu," he said.
"Who?" she asked. Then she nodded and said, "Oh, right. Homo-boy."
Shinji scowled at her. "Don't call him that!" he snapped.
Asuka flinched, startled. "What's your problem?" she fired back.
"He was my friend!" he said. "Don't make fun of him like that."
"Don't be stupid," she said. "He was an Angel, he--"
"I don't care!" Shinji yelled.
She opened her mouth, ready to chew him out, but she held her tongue.
"It doesn't matter," he went on, his voice subdued. "If he was my friend, he died, and you shouldn't talk about him like that." He swallowed thickly. "And if he wasn't, if he was my enemy, he . . . hurt me." His voice was shaking now; he was on the verge of tears.
Asuka's lip curled, a mixture of sympathy and disgust marring her pretty features. She stared at him for a moment, then blew out a breath, deciding the argument wasn't worth the effort. "Whatever," she mumbled.
Shinji ground the heel of his palm against his forehead, forgetting about her for the moment. Asuka frowned, then sighed. She stood and made her way to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and retrieved a plate of rice balls, then returned to Shinji's side and sat down, placing the plate between them. She picked up a rice ball and held it out to him. "Here," she said.
Shinji blinked in surprise, then accepted the snack. "Th . . . thank you," he stammered.
She shrugged. As he started to eat she said, "I bought some stuff at the store today, fixings for stir fry. I'll make some later."
Shinji shook his head. "You don't have to," he said. "I can--"
"Stupid Shinji!" she spat. "You think I like being a leech all the time? I can do my share, same as you!"
"N-no, I--"
"Shut up!"
"I didn't mean--" he began. He broke off, sighing. "Sorry, Asuka," he said. "I didn't mean anything by it, really. Thank you."
"Tch," she mumbled. "Idiot."
Shinji lay in his room, staring at the ceiling. "Asuka?" He asked. "Are you awake?"
"Stupid Shinji," she grumbled. "If I wasn't before I would be now."
"Sorry," he said.
Her lip curled up in a sneer. That damn word! She sighed, willing herself to calm down. "Well?" she asked. "What do you want?"
Shinji chewed his lip for a moment, then asked, "Do you really think Kaworu was my enemy?"
"Tch. Why are you asking me?" she asked. "I never even met the guy."
"I know. But even so . . . " he began.
Asuka was silent for a few moments. Eventually she said, "I used to think the Angels were monsters. Terrible, alien beasts bent on destroying everyone. But Misato says they're human beings, like us. That their souls are the same as ours."
"Yeah," Shinji said. "She told me that once, too."
"If that's true," she went on, "maybe he was just lonely. Maybe he didn't know anything about being human, and just told you what he thought you wanted to hear. Or maybe he was your enemy, and changed his mind after talking to you. If he really was a person he could change his mind, just like anyone else."
"Heh. I thought only girls could do that," Shinji said mildly.
She scowled at him. "Are you looking for a beating, Third?"
"Sorry, sorry," he said, laughing. "I'm just kidding."
"Tch," she said. "Go to sleep, stupid Shinji. I've had enough irritation for one day."
"Alright," he said. He was quiet for a moment. Then, "Asuka?"
She ground her teeth in irritation. "Whaaaat?"
"Thanks," he said. "Sometimes, you're really nice."
"Tch. I'm always nice," she grumbled.
He laughed at her, his mood noticeably improved. She frowned at him, then turned on her side, facing the wall. "Idiot," she mumbled.
"I'm home," Shinji said.
Asuka looked up from her manga as Shinji entered the apartment. "Welcome home," she said.
Shinji dropped his backpack by the door, then shuffled into the living room. He crossed to within a few feet of her, then slumped to the floor, back to the wall.
She frowned. "How was therapy?" she asked.
He shrugged.
"Not good, huh?" she said.
It took a few moments for Shinji to answer. "We talked about Kaworu," he said.
"Who?" she asked. Then she nodded and said, "Oh, right. Homo-boy."
Shinji scowled at her. "Don't call him that!" he snapped.
Asuka flinched, startled. "What's your problem?" she fired back.
"He was my friend!" he said. "Don't make fun of him like that."
"Don't be stupid," she said. "He was an Angel, he--"
"I don't care!" Shinji yelled.
She opened her mouth, ready to chew him out, but she held her tongue.
"It doesn't matter," he went on, his voice subdued. "If he was my friend, he died, and you shouldn't talk about him like that." He swallowed thickly. "And if he wasn't, if he was my enemy, he . . . hurt me." His voice was shaking now; he was on the verge of tears.
Asuka's lip curled, a mixture of sympathy and disgust marring her pretty features. She stared at him for a moment, then blew out a breath, deciding the argument wasn't worth the effort. "Whatever," she mumbled.
Shinji ground the heel of his palm against his forehead, forgetting about her for the moment. Asuka frowned, then sighed. She stood and made her way to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and retrieved a plate of rice balls, then returned to Shinji's side and sat down, placing the plate between them. She picked up a rice ball and held it out to him. "Here," she said.
Shinji blinked in surprise, then accepted the snack. "Th . . . thank you," he stammered.
She shrugged. As he started to eat she said, "I bought some stuff at the store today, fixings for stir fry. I'll make some later."
Shinji shook his head. "You don't have to," he said. "I can--"
"Stupid Shinji!" she spat. "You think I like being a leech all the time? I can do my share, same as you!"
"N-no, I--"
"Shut up!"
"I didn't mean--" he began. He broke off, sighing. "Sorry, Asuka," he said. "I didn't mean anything by it, really. Thank you."
"Tch," she mumbled. "Idiot."
Shinji lay in his room, staring at the ceiling. "Asuka?" He asked. "Are you awake?"
"Stupid Shinji," she grumbled. "If I wasn't before I would be now."
"Sorry," he said.
Her lip curled up in a sneer. That damn word! She sighed, willing herself to calm down. "Well?" she asked. "What do you want?"
Shinji chewed his lip for a moment, then asked, "Do you really think Kaworu was my enemy?"
"Tch. Why are you asking me?" she asked. "I never even met the guy."
"I know. But even so . . . " he began.
Asuka was silent for a few moments. Eventually she said, "I used to think the Angels were monsters. Terrible, alien beasts bent on destroying everyone. But Misato says they're human beings, like us. That their souls are the same as ours."
"Yeah," Shinji said. "She told me that once, too."
"If that's true," she went on, "maybe he was just lonely. Maybe he didn't know anything about being human, and just told you what he thought you wanted to hear. Or maybe he was your enemy, and changed his mind after talking to you. If he really was a person he could change his mind, just like anyone else."
"Heh. I thought only girls could do that," Shinji said mildly.
She scowled at him. "Are you looking for a beating, Third?"
"Sorry, sorry," he said, laughing. "I'm just kidding."
"Tch," she said. "Go to sleep, stupid Shinji. I've had enough irritation for one day."
"Alright," he said. He was quiet for a moment. Then, "Asuka?"
She ground her teeth in irritation. "Whaaaat?"
"Thanks," he said. "Sometimes, you're really nice."
"Tch. I'm always nice," she grumbled.
He laughed at her, his mood noticeably improved. She frowned at him, then turned on her side, facing the wall. "Idiot," she mumbled.
Next up will be Asuka's first session with Dr. Okada.