Crying Man
泣いて男(ヒト)
This is a story about Misato's father, the mysterious Dr. Katsuragi. To make the story practical to tell, he shall be appointed a personal name: Akira.
Akira Katsuragi is a brilliant, but sensitive to a fault, man who for years has evaded his emotional obligations to his wife and daughter, escaping into the controversial physics research that has maintained an obsessive hold on his mind. After a decade of grueling work, he has finally published his magnum opus, a massive paper forwarding the Super Solenoid Theory, a potential final solution to humanity's energy crisis. Despite a frustrating initial reception, financial backers eventually emerge... but the blessing is a mixed one, and Akira quickly finds that he is in far over his head. You probably know where things go from here. (...or do you?)
The prelude chapter offers a taste of what is to come, but we're in no rush to get there. Expect a slow burn. Although Crying Man will eventually deal quite heavily with NGE's greater mysteries, this is a character piece first and foremost.
CONTENTS:
UPDATE 8/2016: For the most up to date versions of the chapters, along with all future story updates, please follow this link:
Crying Man @ Archive of Our Own
In-thread links to older chapter edits, along with a disowned Prelude chapter, follow:
PART I
DTNI 1999 Conference, Aachen, Germany
July 17, 1999
Ch.01
Ch.02
Ch.03
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
July 19, 1999
Ch. 04 (A) (B) (Katsuragi Household)
Ch. 05 (Kyoto University, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics [YTD])
Ch. 06 (YTD & Katsuragi Household)
September, 1999
Ch. 07: Enter the Dragon (9/11, YTD)
Ch. 08: Temptation (A) (B) (9/17; Guren no Fukuryū & Katsuragi Household)
Ch. 09: The Crossroads (A) (B) (C) (9/18; Katsuragi Household, Yoshida Shrine, & Around Town) {M; S}
Ch. 10: The Wall (A) (B) (C) (9/18; Katsuragi Household, Outside a School, & Local Arcade) {S; M}
Ch. 11: High Times (MIA) (9/19; Katsuragi Household & Mountains over Sakyo-ku) {S}
October, 1999
Ch. 12: The Dragon & The Fox (UN CfS, HR Office, Tokyo) {Tatsuta}
Ch. 13: Old Pain (A) (B) (Various locations) {A; S}
NOTE: Curly brackets { } denote POV other than Akira.
M = Misato
S = Sayaka
CHARACTERS:
Katsuragi Akira (葛城アキラ): The main character. Husband of Sayaka, father of Misato. A theoretical physicist at Kyoto University's Yukawa Institute (High Energy Physics research group) who spent a decade of his life perfecting and finally (in April 1999) publishing the Super Solenoid Theory. Unusually tall, chronically underweight, and blessed/cursed with youthful biseinen looks. Has a highly sensitive nature and, more than likely, some long-undiagnosed mental health problems. Wears a Greek cross, but claims to not be Christian. Left-handed. 40 y.o. at the time the story begins. Named for Kaworu's voice actor, Akira Ishida (see this old thread). However, unlike Ishida, Katsuragi's name would probably use the kanji 明.
Dr. Amagiri (天霧博士): Initially mentioned in a citation during Akira's lecture. The supervisor of the High Energy Physics department prior to Okadome, now retired to Melbourne, Australia. Akira and Haru are his proteges.
Soryu-Zeppelin, Kyoko (惣流・キョウコ・ツェッペリン): Wife of Langley. Eccentric geneticist currently stationed in Germany who designs custom proteins and breeds mutant terrors. Outgoing and spirited, but somewhat overbearing. Assists Akira via e-mail in his perpetual search for grant money.
Langley, Adrian (エードリアン・ラングレー): Husband of Kyoko. Commercially-funded prosthetician of northeastern US extract, currently stationed in Germany. A bit sardonic, but not unfriendly. Distinguished by his red hair and blue eyes.
Katsuragi Misato (葛城ミサト): Akira and Sayaka's adolescent daughter, 12 years of age when the story begins. Stalwartly devoted to her mother and her well-being, while inwardly loathing her father for his complete emotional unreliability. Once a very mild-mannered and well-behaved girl, now sprouting into a fiery and independent adolescent. A cursing, skateboarding tomboy who flirts with danger through the company she keeps, while paradoxically attempting to avoid "trouble" herself. Participates in multiple sports after school, including martial arts. Likes video games, anime, and European cars.
Katsuragi Sayaka (葛城サヤカ): Akira's wife and Misato's mother. Younger sister of Yura. A small woman, mild of manner and temperament, with dark eyes, swarthy skin, and raven-black hair (normally braided) that extends to the bottom of her back. Studied medicine in college and now holds a part-time job at a clinic. A devoted practitioner of Shinto. Approximately Akira's age. Still loves and desires her husband, despite the pain that his emotional and physical distance brings. Maiden name Katori.
Tanikoshi Hiroshi (谷越ヒロシ): A junior researcher in YTD's High Energy Physics group; one of Akira's kouhai.
Yakumo Haru (八雲ハル): Akira's same-age peer and good friend, also in YTD's High Energy Physics group. Husband to Risa and father of two children. A plain-looking, bespectacled man with a colorful personality. Has known Akira since college and looks out for his well-being. Enabled Risa to pursue a career by gradually reducing his own work load and sharing equally in domestic responsibilities.
Igara Kaworu (伊賀良かをる): Akira's maternal great-aunt, who died of illness in 1935 at the tender age of 19, and to whom Akira bears an incredible resemblance. Raised as an Orthodox Christian, but, while devout, was rather liberal. Possessed extraordinary innate proclivities for both the arts and the sciences. Her Greek cross necklace is now worn by Akira, who idolizes Igara as something akin to a "muse" (as Haru puts it). Akira keeps an old tinted photograph of her on his office desk.
Okadome Senzo (岡留センゾウ): The fellow currently in charge of Akira's department at YTD. Apparently doesn't like Akira very much.
Yakumo Risa (八雲リサ): Wife of Haru and mother of two children. Recently obtained her "dream job", a full-time position as a pharmacologist. Wants her husband to quit smoking. Maiden name Etajima.
Nishikado Suomi (西門スオミ): One of Akira's grad students. Friends with Hanako.
Domyoji Hanako (道明寺ハナコ): One of Akira's grad students. Friends with Suomi.
Yamagiri "Sei-Sei" (山切"セイセイ"): Junior researcher in Akira's department. Works with Tanikoshi.
Yoshida; Ando; Iso; Kosaka; Yamashita; Kio: Akira and Haru's peers at the High Energy Physics group.
Tatsuta Chiyoe (龍田チヨエ): Highly professional woman working as an ISTAA recruiter for the United Nations' Commission for the Sciences. Approaches Akira after he presents at a YTD convention and offers him a job within ISTAA over dinner a week later.
Takanashi Taro (高梨タロウ): An old friend of Akira's currently living in San Francisco.
Shimomura (霜村): A young man of college age working at the Guren no Fukuryū.
Katori Yura (香取ユラ): Sayaka's older sister, a well-to-do accountant who owns her own firm. A socially liberal rebel despite her very traditional upbringing. Partnered with a man named Tatsuya. No children.
Etajima, Mr. & Mrs. (江田島夫妻): Risa's parents, who live down in Osaka.
Eri (エリ): A friend of Sayaka's whom she knows through work. A skilled gardener who helps Sayaka with the plantings in the yard.
Tatsuya (タツヤ): Yura's domestic partner and co-owner of their accounting firm. Described as quiet and hard to read, but a good match for Yura. Comes from a family background in construction and has some skill working with wood, stone, etc. Called "Takkun" by Sayaka.
Katori, Mr. & Mrs. (香取夫妻): Parents of Yura and Sayaka, still alive and well in Tamba. A very conservative couple who attempted to raise their daughters on traditional Japanese social values, and only partially succeeded with Sayaka. They apparently find Akira to be "a pathetic excuse for a man".
Kimiko (キミコ): Female Akita whom Akira discovered as a half-starved stray puppy and nursed back to health. Killed by a car when she was no older than two. Named for a childhood friend of Akira's.
Kei (ケイ): Misato's best friend, a fellow skateboard-riding tomboy. A well-meaning girl who seems burdened by a troubled home life. Already smokes, has apparently given up on extracurricular activities, and described by Shima-kun as "kind of a klepto". Likes Sanrio, Pokemon, and Fatal Fury.
Ryusaku (リュウサク): Kei's cousin, whose father was diagnosed with depression, and whom Kei claims is better at Daytona USA 2 than Misato.
Katsuo (カツオ叔父ちゃん): Kei's uncle and Ryusaku's father. A melancholic who missed considerable amounts of work and was eventually sent to a mental institution. After being diagnosed with depression there, he now takes medication and sees a psychiatrist and is apparently a changed man.
Kiyoko (キヨコ): Friend of Misato and Kei's, distinguished by her bleached-white hair. Keeps the boys Takashi and Masaru close, supposedly for three-on-three "snogging".
Takashi & Masaru (タカシとマサル): Friends of Misato and Kei's who associate more closely with Kiyoko. Have been inseparable for years, and rumored to be a bit closer than just friends.
Shima-kun (島君): Older friend of Kei's, around 16. Like Kei, comes from a troubled family background, with parents recently divorced. Considers himself a punk and lowlife, and plays the part by hitting on underage girls, but this might just be a cover for a vulnerable and perceptive personality. Spikes his hair, smokes, and has a huge forehead. "Shima" is his surname.
NOTES, DISCLAIMERS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
- Crying Man is based on a story and characters copyright Khara/Gainax. All original content is copyright Rachel K. Clark.
- IMPORTANT: I have privately discussed CM with many people between 2006 and now. If you think you know something about how the story will unfold, and this either (A) is not predetermined by the show (e.g.: the divorce; Akira's death) or (B) has not obviously been publicly posted somewhere (e.g., Akira is Adam's baby poppa), please keep it to yourself.
- Content advisory: If you were fine with NGE, then CM should pose no problems. Depictions of sex won't always be off-camera, and my own translation convention allows for harsh language, but that's about it.
- By necessity, most of the cast is comprised of original characters. You'll naturally see some familiar faces along the way, but I'll be approaching the matter of who to include somewhat conservatively. Hopefully the OCs will be interesting enough that CM will do just fine without backup from several of NGE's more popular characters.
- Any deviations from canon you may encounter (and there will be quite a few) are almost certainly deliberate artistic/narrative choices on my part. Where the show has left things open to interpretation… well, if you have any familiarity with my posting history, you probably know what to expect here. Which is to say: Reichu's head canon will be distinctly her own, so make sure your body can take it.
- While I'm attempting to get as many of the cultural, location, and period details correct as possible, my own cultural background has the anticipated effect of making most characterizations ... regrettably American. It's far too late to make significant chances, though, so just be warned to not expect, say, my take on the Katsuragi marriage to be a critique of Japanese cultural norms in quite the way Anno likely intended.
- Both honsou and Seele00TextOnly for beta reading and listening to my incessant ramblings.
- Magami no ER for her vital role in Akira Katsuragi's original creation.
- BobBQ for providing the template for Adrian Langley, inspiring the creation of a now-critical original character, and much more.
- Sailor Star Dust and the other folks of both the post-3I RP thread and #egf-rpg for indulging my use of Akira (and Kyoko, for that matter).
- Bagheera for inadvertently triggering me into getting off my ass and undertaking this project (that is, actually writing CM start to finish). Also inspired me to associate fixed dates with chapters.
- Everyone who's been reading and commenting!