(OOC: I am taking a short break from his studying for his finals.

I can say that Rei has changed and is changing, following the Third Impact. The same goes for Kaworu as well, which I will do later. I will not say if Rei likes or dislikes Asuka right now, because that'll just take away what I am building. Where I will point to you to help you with this question is to this excerpt.

TheAyanamiOtaku wrote:She cannot look away anymore.

)

"To....Toji. You...you're okay??" the brown-haired boy gulped.

"I...I'm sorry about not visiting you in the hospital, but I was afraid you'd be mad at me because of what happened to you...And I have to do something right now. But I promise I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Dumbfounded, Toji watched as Shinji went back to her--to Soryu, better known to him and Kensuke as the 'Red Devil'. He gaped silently at the pair.

What...what?! A'ight, looks like the world's really been fucked up...how long's it been...?!

He turned around, taking in the rest of the bizarre beach. Again, his gaze was caught by the strangely-attired figure with its face covered by a white mask.

Damn, know I've seen that somewhere...

He cautiously stepped towards the young man, who, unknown to him, was once the Angel Sachiel.

It's gone...it's all gone.

He didn't know how long he'd been walking. But it was a long time since he saw anyone.

He was kind of sad. He missed THE TALL GIRL and THE BOY. (THE RED GIRL...not so much.)

Most of all, he missed the beer.

I need a drink thought Pen-Pen as he walked along the beach.

Sachiel watched the first boy made short communication with the other boy than quickly ran back to the girl in red, who was sitting, facing the ocean. What's up with him? Such an odd soul...Are all Lilin this way?

Then he noticed the second boy in the black jacket coming towards him. Uh-oh, I wonder what he wants. He didn't have a look of hostility, but more of confusion and curiosity towards him. And Sachiel, too, was curious about the boy staring at him.

Sachiel stood there, letting the other boy make the first move.

Twisting her head sharply to glare at the boy while he was in her ear, she tried to restrain herself.

"Us? What us? Find a way to convince me this is about us and not you. And for that matter, what about me? Are you doing this because it's convenient for you? Because I'm the closest one?"

Pushing him away, she looked around at all the others who were arriving and approaching.

"I know all you want to do is try to continue from everything by picking up wherever it was you left off, but right now that isn't possible... I don't want to think about us, you, or anything... I'm still pissed off at you in case you haven't noticed! My arms... I don't know what's going on with them, I can move them, I can feel them, but it seems like it was just hours ago that I also felt them being ripped apart!"

She moved her shaking hands up and touched the bandage covering her eye.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what's going to happen to me... Right now I just don't know anything... I don't want to have this conversation. Right now I can't talk to you. I refuse to!"

Taking long, deep breaths to try to remain calm and pushed at him even harder.

"Take your damn hands off me... Don't you see your friends? You barely even acknowledged Suzahara... If you came back to this world to live, then you should start now instead of expecting me to do all the work for you..."

(OOC: Me thinks Shinji is finally starting to grow up. Also, I made a slight reference to the EYED lyrics just 'cause it fits. And no way in hell is Manga-Shinji's attitude gonna surface.)



"Take your damn hands off me... Don't you see your friends? You barely even acknowledged Suzahara... If you came back to this world to live, then you should start now instead of expecting me to do all the work for you..."

"......................"

At Asuka's words, Shinji reluctantly removed his hands away from her back, ending his second feeble attempt to simply hold her.

He was at a total loss of what to say, mostly because Asuka's words had a tendency to always carry the weight of truth in them.....

The boy let out a loud, tired, sigh.

"You...you're right, Asuka. About everything. I really do care for you, but...maybe it is just because you're closest to me. I guess my falling in love with you doesn't have much to do with it, after all."

Shinji couldn't help but feel depressed at that thought, despite his best efforts of ignoring the sudden pain in his heart.

He cleared his throat and sadly continued.

"I guess you are still pissed off, considering you even kicked down that grave marker of yours after returning... Anyway, I think you're probably okay in terms of those injuries. It looks like Touji has his leg back, for one thing. And when you caressed me to stop....."

He trailed off at that, not wanting to remember what he had tried to do to her not even an hour ago.

When he was so bitter and upset--to the point of wanting sweet revenge-- for Asuka leaving him all alone, for her not returning sooner, for forcing Shinji to rely on himself and only himself...

"I....I'm obviously not a doctor or anything, but the fact that you could even move your right arm to begin with...I think that means your okay."

Noticing how Asuka was still glaring coldly at him, Shinji suddenly felt angry. Remembering everything he learned about her in Instrumentality and knowing she learned everything about him, the boy scowled at the redhead.

Damn it.....

"And Asuka, cut the perfectionist crap already! Don't you dare try to act innocent now. In case you forgot, how you treated me in the past doesn't help matters currently! Yes, I'm at fault for a lot of things, but so are you! BOTH of us need to do a hell of a lot of growing up and inner work if we want to become better people! But if you don't want to, that's your loss, I guess!"

After silently, angrily, staring at her for a moment, Shinji suddenly blinked in surprise as his eyes widened.

Wait...what just brought THAT on? That...that's not like me at all!

Troubled, Shinji managed to regain his composure, mindlessly fingering Misato's pendent inside his pocket. Without thinking, Shinji suddenly put it back on his neck for the first time since rejecting Instrumentality as he spoke. I can't give up with things, now or ever. Misato-san and the others wouldn't want that, they don't want that....

"No...I can't stay angry at you. I know that in general, feeling angry provided you deal with it properly is normal. But regardless of everything that's happened, you were simply doing what you could given the circumstances. And so was I. So now, we both need to--or at least should--try to do what we can to become better people. I know you don't want to talk to me right now, and I know you didn't want to hear that, but. It, it needed to be said by somebody. That's all I wanted to say."

Sighing again, he briefly wondered just where his suddenly mature words came from. On the plus side, at least all this meant he hadn't gone completely insane from isolation and that he was still in there somewhere.

Standing up to go properly greet the others, Shinji calmly added, "And though I've been mostly staying out here each night, keeping vigil, there are some slightly demolished and abandoned but safe apartments in the next town. It's a few miles north of here. I was able to find food and water up there, and it seems the electricity works, too."

She was still giving him the silent treatment, glaring coldly.

His voice and his expression became gentle, not wanting to give up on the girl. "I know you're still upset, but I just hope this isn't a final goodbye for us. If it's possible, I'd like us to be room mates again. Take care, okay, Asuka? I'll see you around."

Finding himself looking at the petrified, split in half head of Lilith far beyond the gravemarkers, Shinji frowned. Shaking his sudden thoughts to clear it, the brown-haired boy went to go greet his friends and let them know the situation of surviving.

It would be daybreak soon.

This is your idea of maturity? Of becoming a better person? You expect things to just get better because you've been in my head and know what strings of mine you can pull...

Roommates, what a joke. I know what you really want...

Still, if I sit here alone I might end up as crazy and pathetic as you. If I follow you, then I won't become you and I won't have to be alone... The lesser of two evils it is....

Putting her hands down and pushing hard to stand, Asuka sprang to her feet suprisingly easy. Even though it felt like years had passed and like her own body was an unfamiliar vessal, it still moved and was just as strong as it ever was.

She pointed at him and yelled after him, "Hey, you can't get out of this so easily, Third Child! I may be a genius, but with your half-assed directions, there's no telling where I might end up. Why don't you do something right for once and lead me there?"

Suddenly, she felt much better about everything, her voice was just as commanding as it ever was and best of all, she had Shinji at a point where he had to do what she said.

"We need to elect a leader if we're going to try to survive out here!"

Looking around quickly she smirked and let out a sharp, hard "Hah!"

"I suppose I'll just have to lead us since no one else is as well fit for the job... We all saw what happened last time you were in charge of something, Third Child!"

Her smile quickly dropped as she felt what could best be described as guilt.

"Just so you don't start crying and getting over-emotional on me, that was supposed to be a joke..."

What do I care if he gets upset? I shouldn't let that bother me... Maybe he got to me more than I realized.

Sachiel_13 wrote:I don't see how the sachi mask only covers half his face. The circle part covers all his face, the beak goes starts at his chin and goes about half-way down his rib

(Sorry about that. ^^; I assumed he was lifting up the mask when he was touching his mouth)

Kaji lay on a bed in an abandoned apartment, not far from where everybody else was. One leg crossed the other. One hand behind his head, the other was tossing a ball up and down. Wearing his typical work clothes, a blue button-down and a red tie, Kaji seemed to be thinking intently about something, yet not thinking at all at the same time. He had been in this apartment for a few days after waking up on the beach.

The apartment wasn't much. It looked like it had been deserted long before Third Impact, most of it's content was taken, but the resident must have been in a hurry to leave, because some stuff was left behind, some even in boxes ready to go.

Seems to me that not everybody wanted to return from nothingness. Do they really prefer being one in mind and body than to live in a world with people? Kaji sure didn't. Being separated from others was the only way Kaji wanted to live and he'd rather be dead than stay in nothingness. Which had been granted to him, getting the chance to return like this was a surprise.

Kaji got up and looked out of the cracked window facing the sea of red. I shouldn't be alive. I died. I wonder who I have to thank? Then he noticed some movement on the beach. He recognized Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryu, Toji Suzahara....

"Aw, so Shinji Ikari. I thank you. And congratulations."

His eyes spotted something on separate corners of the beach. A man in shiny blue armor, a white figure in the water, and a masked enigma dressed in mostly black.

So the Angels have come back too, I wonder what goal they have this time around.

" 'ey. You alright?" Toji stood away a bit from the boy in black. He knew that, that--face?--from somwhere.

"You gonna take that thing off your face? Eh?"

Of course, he WAS still freaked out by the giant half-a-head on the horizon, but it was better not to show those things.

"Look, if you're just gonna stand 'round all day--"

Wait.

The mask--the face?

An...an Angel's face? No--!

Toji stumbled back, his mind caught somewhere between fear and anger. If this was an Angel, then--hadn't THEY caused this?

(EDIT: DURR HURR Asuka AGE FIX.)

"Hey, you can't get out of this so easily, Third Child! I may be a genius, but with your half-assed directions, there's no telling where I might end up. Why don't you do something right for once and lead me there?"

Shinji stopped in his tracks when he could hear Asuka calling after him.

"Huh?"

He turned back to face her, noticing the redhead had that typical smirk on her face.

"We need to elect a leader if we're going to try to survive out here!"

Looking smug, Asuka flipped back her hair and thrust out her chest, adding a "Hah!" for good measure.

Shinji couldn't help but smile at that. It was nice to see Asuka back to normal.

"I suppose I'll just have to lead us since no one else is as well fit for the job... We all saw what happened last time you were in charge of something, Third Child!"

As soon as those words left Asuka's lips, Shinji felt himself grow somewhat sad at that.

An unusual expression crossing over Asuka's features--guilt?--the 14 year old girl quickly added: "Just so you don't start crying and getting over-emotional on me, that was supposed to be a joke..."

He smiled weakly at that. "Oh. I see. A...anyway, Asuka, if you want to be the leader, that's fine. Now come on, let's go talk to the others and figure out what to do!"

Shinji subconsciously took hold Asuka's bandaged hand as they suddenly walked together--rather, her dragging him along--as she lead the way in that over confident manner of hers.

" 'ey. You alright? You gonna take that thing off your face? Eh?"Sachiel stood there, not knowing what to say. Of course he didn't. Talking was a new thing to him. "Look, if you're just gonna stand 'round all day--"

Then the boy froze up, fear struck his face and he stumbled backwards. Sachiel blinked at the boys sudden wave of terror, not knowing what he had done to scare the almost tough-looking boy in front of him. What did he mean? Angel? Is he frightened by me?? Am I scary? Sachiel's heart skipped a beat. Are the Lilin still frightened of me? Are they gonna attack me again? He, after not moving a muscle in that short period of time, took a step forward to help the Lilin, to show that he wasn't dangerous.

"Now come on, let's go talk to the others and figure out what to do!" Shinji had said as he started walking.

Taking control of the pace, she began dragging him along and pressed on towards Suzahara and the boy he was standing with.

"Who's that weird kid in the mask that Suzahara is talking to?" she half-said to Shinji, half-said to herself.

Stomping up to the pair, a coy smile crawled across her face.

"Glad to see you've decided to remain a part of the human race, Suzahara! Huh...?"

She saw his leg had been bandaged up, but not only that, he was standing on it!

Did he get his leg back? I'm sure it's only natural, after having a leg so long, to imagine yourself having both legs... Then can anyone with any injury come back? I wonder if the dead can come back... Mama...?

Quickly wiping the expression from her face and returning back to her smirk.

"So! You've got your leg back! That's great! Who's your friend? Someone you met during Instrumentality?"

(OOC: Writing Shinji as a few DVDs short of a Boxset isn't as easy as it looks. Edits: I *hate* typos with a passion!)


"Who's that weird kid in the mask that Suzahara is talking to?", Asuka had said.

Shinji shrugged as he stared at that boy, blinking out of confusion. That mask he had on...it seems familiar....

The sudden look of sadness and confusion on Asuka's face didn't go unnoticed by Shinji. However, it went away before the boy could say anything.

Probably...She's probably wondering if her Mother can return. Mother, huh? But...didn't Soryu-san go insane? Doesn't that mean her soul would still be mentally unstable if she returned? And I wonder how mine is. I wonder, just what is Mother doing out in space? Can...Can she find happiness too even though she's all alone? ...Mother...

Shinji felt sad at thinking about Yui, but tried to shrug such thoughts away and focus on what was happening in front of him.

Shinji heard Asuka tease Touji about something, then suddenly say:

"So! You've got your leg back! That's great! Who's your friend? Someone you met during Instrumentality?"

Lost in his own thoughts, the 14 year old tried to remember just where he'd seen the boy wearing all black before.

Suddenly, Shinji's eyes grew wide with remembrance.

My first battle.

The Angel Sachiel.

The one who unintentionally hurt a lot of people, including Touji's sister...

"To...Touji. This is the Angel Sachiel. He's...the one who hurt all those people including your sister. But..but he didn't mean it! Right?"

In an instant, before Touji could even blink, Shinji was in between Touji and the Angel so there wouldn't be a fight.

Although Shinji managed to gain some physical strength with all his running around due to being alone for a month, he was currently more concerned about the Angels and Lilim.

Feeling himself panicking, Shinji began shouting loud enough for ALL on the Beach to hear.

"STOP! Please, none of us should be fighting! We're all the same! Angels and humans are the SAME species! It's just that we're born from Lilith while they're born from Adam! They didn't want to intentionally hurt us, they're simply children that wanted their mother! I can't even begin to describe how HORRIBLE I still feel from having to kill their mother who was the last Angel even though I had no choice! 3rd Impact was inevitable, which is why my Mother and Lilith and Adam simply got it over with! So please! DON'T FIGHT ANYMORE!!"

Slowly walking away from the two and standing alone as well as lost in thought, Shinji felt himself shaking again, his eyes watering again.

Damn it!! I HATE feeling this way!

He hoped that he wouldn't start crying for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. Or rather, dawn as the sun was starting to rise.

Sachiel's eyes went up and down the boy as he explained to the other boy what was going on."This is the Angel Sachiel. He's...the one who hurt all those people including your sister. But..but he didn't mean it! Right?"

Now Sachiel was really confused. How does he know me? Do I know him? Why do they call me an Angel? I hurt people? Sachiel didn't even have time to react before the boy in the white shirt jumped in between him and the boy in the jacket and began shouting so loud that it scared the birds of their perches.

"STOP! Please, none of us should be fighting! We're all the same! Angels and humans are the SAME species! It's just that we're born from Lilith while they're born from Adam! They didn't want to intentionally hurt us, they're simply children that wanted their mother! I can't even begin to describe how HORRIBLE I still feel from having to kill their mother who was the last Angel even though I had no choice! 3rd Impact was inevitable, which is why my Mother and Lilith and Adam simply got it over with! So please! DON'T FIGHT ANYMORE!!"

Mother? Sachiel looked towards Lilith's petrified half-a head. Mother...Adam?

Sachiel then looked to the boy walking away, noticing that he was tougher than he looked, but still as if he were about to cry. Then Sachiel looked back to the boy in the jacket, who looked pissed, he was clenching his fists, trying to hold back. Sachiel blushed and looked down, sorry for causing so much trouble. He didn't mean to, but it was just because of who he was. An Angel. In this context, it made it seem like a bad thing.

"An... Angel...?"

Slowly walking after Shinji in disbelief, Asuka clenched her fists tight and felt anger slowly begin to overcome her.

"When you said 'anyone' could come back I thought you meant anyone human, idiot! What if you've damned us all over again?!"

Turning to face the human-looking Sachiel, she rushed towards him.

"If you can come back, then couldn't the others come back? Couldn't the same ones responsible for Second and Third Impact return and cause a potential Fourth Impact?! Are you really even human or is this some kind've sick 'AT Field' image you've created?"

After pinching the boy's skin, she exhaled, exhausted.

"I thought it was over... I thought we were safe now. Obviously if you haven't killed Suzahara yet, then you must be pretty harmless... I know he's been lucky I didn't have deathbeams at my disposal on a few occasions."

Rolling her eyes and walking back to Shinji again, she stood behind him and crossed her arms and tried to regain her commanding stance.

"Listen up, Shinji. If you told everyone they could come back, but if they do you only cry, freak out, or try to strangle them, then why invite them back at all? Pull yourself together, we don't even know if anyone else has bothered to come back..."

[OOC: Sorry about my entries being few and far between, guys...I'm a little overloaded from school right now... ><]

"I thought it was over...I thought we were safe now. Obviously if you haven't killed Suzahara yet, then you must be pretty harmless...I know he's been lucky I didn't have deathbeams at my disposal on a few occasions."

Toji gave Asuka an agitated look as she went to bring Shinji back again.

"Shit, Soryu...you ever gonna give 'im a break?" he muttered under his breath.

He looked warily at Sachiel from the side, giving a very 'I'm-watching-you-punk' sort of impression. After all, Toji did have both his legs now, and he'd put them to good use if the Angel tried to pull anything.

"Let's go." he grunted to Sachiel "Might as well make sure the Red Devil doesn't try to crown herself queen of the world or somethin'."

(OOC: I drew a quick doodle of my take on Sachi using only pencil and black pen, I drew it in about 20 min during art class, i rushed the his hair, his shoes, the shadow and the detail in his hands because the bell was about to ring. Don't worry this is just a preview, I will draw a better, cleaner sketch and you can expect it to be up in the next few weeks. I hope you like!)

"When you said 'anyone' could come back I thought you meant anyone human, idiot! What if you've damned us all over again?!"

The redhead girl, who was now back and on her feet, forced herself to him, showing a lot of intimidation, which threw Sachiel off-guard.

"If you can come back, then couldn't the others come back? Couldn't the same ones responsible for Second and Third Impact return and cause a potential Fourth Impact?! Are you really even human or is this some kind've sick 'AT Field' image you've created?"

Sachiel kept his thoughts to himself. Perhaps we can all come back. I've already felt the presence of a sibling. Could it be true?

Then she pinched him, making sure he was real, causing Sachiel to wince in pain. "Ow..." Ow...that hurt? This is pain.... Sachiel held his arm where she pinched and sat there, still soaking in all that was going on. It was all a big rush for the 3rd Angel, not knowing what to even say back to them as they addressed him.

"I thought it was over... I thought we were safe now. Obviously if you haven't killed Suzahara yet, then you must be pretty harmless... I know he's been lucky I didn't have deathbeams at my disposal on a few occasions."

Deathbeams? Lilin have deathbeams? Do I have deathbeams?

"Let's go." the jacketed boy grunted to Sachiel. Sachiel was surprised, the boy in the jacket kept his cool better than expected. "Might as well make sure the Red Devil doesn't try to crown herself queen of the world or somethin'."

Sachiel decided that he needed to say something in response to everything going on, so he simply said "Ok." Sachiel followed him to the boy in the white shirt and the girl in all red, still not knowing what he was doing, or where he was going, or even who he was with and why...

(I apologise for my abscence these last few days - I was attending a family get together)

Kensuke was awoken Imediately when Shinji shouted his' dissaproval for further Angel/Human fighting.

Shinji's here? oh thank god! I wonder If Touji and Hikari are safe too?

However, just as he was about to shout back he noticed he had a more pressing matter. For a tall, fully armoured man was standing but a few yards from him "Huh? who are you?"

(OOC: It's okay, I'm sure we've all been busy lately. I know I've been! Also, this thread needs more Ayanami so she can help pull Shinji together. Also, I made a possibly obscure reference to the Eva2 game just because. Probably because Fading will get the reference I'm making lol.)

"When you said 'anyone' could come back I thought you meant anyone human, idiot! What if you've damned us all over again?!"

Shinji found himself lost in thought about that.

That can't be...could it?

The boy heard her words to Sachiel, as well as

"Listen up, Shinji. If you told everyone they could come back, but if they do you only cry, freak out, or try to strangle them, then why invite them back at all? Pull yourself together, we don't even know if anyone else has bothered to come back..."

His eyes angrily met hers. "But that's EXACTLY why---" Blue eyes wide, he abruptly stopped talking.

Shinji frowned; he was ashamed for getting so easily upset after everything. He found himself staring at the LCL waves lapping as the sun slowly rose over the horizon.

He took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then sighed.

The brown hair boy mumbled to himself: "I have to remain calm. I can't keep acting like this! There's no need for me to get so worked up. Not when everybody's here now. Asuka's right, as always, of course."

Opening his eyes, he slowly began speaking, feeling calm again.

"In terms of a 4th Impact or anything like that happening, there's just no way! Both Adam and Lilith physically died after Instrumentality was rejected. That's also part of the reason the MP Eva Series ended up petrified as they are. I was there, I saw it happening. Mother was setting things right, and making sure that nothing like this could ever happen again. In terms of any bad people returning, although Ayanami and probably Kaworu-kun too only have their souls....I, I don't think they'd allow anybody with bad intentions to come back. And I'm pretty sure all the flora and fauna have returned. Unlike humans, they don't really have to think about living. They just do so. And in that case, I wonder if we'll see Pen-Pen again?"

Turning his head to start at the blue-haired girl slightly in the distance, Shinji said, "Speaking of Ayanami, I am seeing things, or is that really her over there?"

Joking to lighten the atmosphere, Shinji laughed, saying, "Hey, if my emotions are gonna continue to be so off-the-wall, I need a large helping of Prozac. Or maybe I just need some testosterone shots to keep my estrogen levels in check."

Smiling at Asuka, he gave the redhead a soft kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. And because it looks like it will be a nice today, that'll probably help my mood."

Suddenly feeling happy, Shinji giggled out, flirting, "Of course, the fact that you're so cute, Asuka, helps my mood, too. You have really nice legs. Are you sure you were never a model or anything?"

Leaving the stunned girl to her thoughts, Shinji quickly walked over Touji and Sachiel, pointing at the blue-haired girl in the distance. "Guys! Isn't that Ayanami over there? We should see if she's alright!"