The Holiday Writing Challenges Part 4: Happy Birthday, Shinji!

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The Holiday Writing Challenges Part 4: Happy Birthday, Shinji!

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Postby Derantor » Sun Jun 06, 2021 3:27 pm

God damn, I'm late! I almost didn't make it, but here it is: the latest small writing prompt. As you probably gathered from the title, it's Shinji's birthday today, and that's the also the only limitation storywise for this challenge: it must contain the sentence "Happy Birthday, Shinji." Who says it to whom, when and why, is all up to you! Other than that, the same rules as always apply:

  • The word limit is 400 words or less.
  • The time limit is 7 days!
  • No limits on your PoV character, if you have one!
  • The scene must contain the sentence: "Happy Birthday, Shinji!"
  • Everything else is up to you - let your imagination fly! And as always: the most important thing is that you're having fun!
  • Once you're done, post your story here in a spoiler, with the wordcount as the spoiler title, like this: [*spoiler="Word count xxx"]TEXT[/spoiler]. Simply remove the * for it to work. The title of your work doesn't count towards the wordcount and can be mentioned outside the spoiler!
  • Discussion, feedback and critique goes here: Discussion and Feedback Thread

Good luck, everybody! I'm looking forward to reading your stories! ^_^
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Re: The Holiday Writing Challenges Part 4: Happy Birthday, Shinji!

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Postby Kendrix » Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:05 pm

Before and After, 400 words

SPOILER: Show
Before

I knew that father wouldn’t come.
He didn’t show up last year, or the year before that, or any time at all, ever since that last time – almost three years ago now… it’s not like I saw him often even before that. He’d only come a short while. He’d barely say anything. One year, he only sent a card.
Sometimes I want to rip it up, but it’s still there in a drawer in my desk.
I mean, I get it – my teacher tells me he’s doing really important work, saving humanity and all that, and I get that I’m not more important than saving humanity, but…
It’s supposed to be my birthday.
I know how silly that sounds. I must sound very spoiled.
I know that. I know it, and yet -
I keep flinching when I see a black car passing outside the window, even just from the corner of my eye. I keep expecting to see that black sedan. I keep rushing out of the house first thing in the morning, to see if I got another post card to stuff away so it could collect dust along with the other one.
...I mustn't complain. I know that my teacher is probably gonna buy me something – He gets enough money for that, after all. He’s asked me many times now what I want, but I don’t really know what to ask for… no, even if I knew, that would be no good, since I’m imposing enough on him as it is… a pointless, unneeded burden that can’t carry its own weight.
Something forgotten, stashed away, incidental, no different than that post card…
And even if I dared to ask for it, it’s not like I could get what I really want.
What I really want can’t be bought with money.
It may not exist anymore at all, except maybe in the past.
I ought to be glad if I get anything at all.

After

“SURPRIIIISE! Happy Birthday, Shinji-kun!”

Out of all the bright noisy voices, Misato-san’s is probably the loudest.
Even the operators came, and the class rep, and every single one is holding some package, each of different sizes, different wrapping papers…
I don’t understand. Why would they even do this for someone like me?
I think I should be happy but, before I know it, streams of tears are dripping off of my chin.
I wanted to try harvesting the rice

I wanted to hold Tsubame more

I wanted to stay together forever with the boy I like

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Re: The Holiday Writing Challenges Part 4: Happy Birthday, Shinji!

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Postby Blockio » Mon Jun 07, 2021 4:43 pm

400 Words
SPOILER: Show
„I’m back.“
Shinji opened the door to the back section of the hobby shop, careful to not kcock over any of the giant stacks of boxes stored in the hallway leading to the back room with the benches. His train had run late, so the others were already well absorbed into their work. „All your kits always look the same! Where’s the variation? I’m telling you, you need to use some more decals to differentiate the units.“ Rei sighed and pulled up her respirator. „They are mass production units, Asuka. They are meant to look the same.“
Shinji gently smiled at the scene; it might be his special day, but it was also calming to see everyone being their usual self. He looked around the room; Rei had gone back to airbrushing, Asuka was placing decals on a JSSDF Type while Kensuke and Toji were bent over sheets of paper sprawled across a table.
„Huh? Where’s Kaworu and Mari?“ Shinji asked „they said they’d be here, right?“ Without looking up, Toji answered „Kaworu ran out to buy some glue, Mari said she had to do something or other, dunno what.“ „We were looking for a reference for the MD-160, so she went to check with Mr. Kaji if he has the book, but I think that one was back here“, Hikari shouted from the storage room in the back.
Shinji was just going over to his rack to pull out his Sachiel and some putty to finish up the sculpting of the arms when the door flew open and sent the stacks of boxes tumbling down to the floor, and in marched Mari and Kaworu, carrying with them an enormousblock of a model kit.
„I was out for a bit more than just glue. “ Kaworu’s grin spanned from ear to ear. The two heaved the amalgamation of plastic and resin onto the table. It was a representation of Cage 01; 1/100 scale, intricately detailed with warning labels around every edge of the restraining gear, the waves of the tinted resin that made up the LCL gently splashing against the massive body of Unit 01 submerged in it, the foam at the tips carefully handbrushed on. This must have taken multiple people months to complete. Standing on the umbilical bridge were about a dozen figurines, and in between the shoulder pylons spanned a banner that simply read:
„Happy Birthday, Shinji“
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Re: The Holiday Writing Challenges Part 4: Happy Birthday, Shinji!

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Postby cyharding » Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:37 pm

391 Words.
SPOILER: Show
“Happy Birthday Shinji.” Shinji himself murmured those words as he laid in his bed, staring at the clock, which read 00:02, June 7th. He understood. Misato had been busy at Headquarters for the past several days, there was no sign that was going to change. Asuka, he didn’t think she even knew it was his birthday. It didn’t come to mind to tell her. She wouldn’t have cared. Rei didn’t know it either, and she didn’t seem to enjoy things like parties. He had hoped Toji and Kensuke would be there to do something, but they both had last minute things that they couldn’t get out of.

He turned on his side facing the wall and tried to sleep, but couldn’t. He then heard the door to his room open. Shinji then felt as if someone was stroking his hair. Shinji then felt himself being shaken as he heard a voice saying his name.

“Come on, wake up Shinji,” he heard Misato say.

“I’m up, I’m up,” Shinji sat up on the bed and looked at his clock, which now read 03:30. “What’s going on? Is it an Angel?”

“Nope,” Misato replied. “We’re going to celebrate.”

“Celebrate what?” Shinji asked.

“Your birthday, of course,” Misato said. Shinji looked again at his clock.

“But it’s no longer my bir-” he tried to say, but she interrupted him

“I know it was yesterday, but it’s not too late. I didn’t forget about it.”

“Okay, then what do you have in mind?” Shinji asked.

“We’re going to make day of it, just you and me,” Misato said. “So we need to start early.”

This early, Shinji thought. “What if an Angel attacks?”

“Asuka and Rei will be on standby,” she replied. “Besides, we wouldn’t be more than 30 minutes away from Tokyo 3 by helicopter. Depending on the situation, it might even be easier for them to send Unit 01 to us.”

“You thought this through,” Shinji said as he got up from his bed.

“Planning against giant monsters gave me good training,” she said.

“Then, where are we going?” Shinji asked.

“Several places,” she said, “and they’ll all be surprises.” Shinji saw a wink paired with a demented smile on her face.

“Okay…” Shinji said.

“I’ll let you get dressed,” Misato said.

“Thank you,” Shinji said.

“Sure thing,” Misato said closing the door.
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Re: The Holiday Writing Challenges Part 4: Happy Birthday, Shinji!

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Postby Derantor » Sun Jun 13, 2021 2:27 pm

Until Then ...

Wordcount: 391  SPOILER: Show
A man sits in his cabin. He holds a photograph in one hand, a glass in the other. The picture shows a boy, fourteen years old; the glass contains Whiskey. Some of the good stuff. Vintage. Almost impossible to get your hands on nowadays, but just right for the occasion.
A small sip fills his mouth with flavor, and his mind with memories. The call to Tokyo 3 – Misato and the battle against Sachiel. The aircraft carrier; a struggle beneath the waves. Israfel and Zeruel and Arael. Kaworu. And then, the last stand of Unit 02, and the final decision.
A beep announces a visitor, and he calls out that the door is open, aware that it's Kentaro the moment he hears his gait.
"Muller needs your help", Kentaro says. "He thinks the crops in sector three are infected."
"I'll be right there."
He leans in to take a look. "That picture again?"
"Yeah."
Kentaro hums, and straightens himself out. "Don't take too long, Shinji."
The man named Shinji Ikari waits until his friend has left, then he stands in front of the window, photograph still in hand. It's dark outside, but he can see the stars. So many of them, impossible to count. He wonders if she's near one of them, or still drifting in between. They say they received a signal, but that they couldn't confirm it with any certainty.
His fingers touch the dataport behind his ear, and he wishes again that he had the memories of that time digitized. But they couldn't record those, back then. Written records and film just won't do it justice.
A smile touches his lips as the Soryu slowly drifts by. Seems like they fixed their problem with the S2 drive.
He raises his glass in salute, and before he downs the rest of the drink, he says "Happy Birthday, Shinji!" Soryu and Katsuragi – maybe they'll name a ship after his great grandfather, too, but it's still too early for that.
As he takes a ride down to hydroponics, he asks himself if it will ever be the right time. But no matter what, he promised Shinji to keep a lookout for Yui as he helps humanity build a home among the stars. And who knows – maybe she will be right there, to hear the stories of her children.
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Re: The Holiday Writing Challenges Part 4: Happy Birthday, Shinji!

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Postby Derantor » Sun Jun 13, 2021 7:07 pm

And again, the seven days are over! Thank you to everybody who participated! :shinjismile:
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