Prelude
Day 1
I´m writing this in an emergency shelter. Plenty of food, and away from that giant eye that stared at me wherever I went. Getting to the shelter after waking up on the beach wasn´t the hard part. Keeping my sanity was. Red waters. Smell of blood. Horrid crucified silhouettes in the distance. Maybe I´m in hell. Was the first thing I thought: death took the shape of my ex-wife, and I died after embracing her. On my way to the shelter, I passed by several apartment blocks. Not a single soul. No fighting over loot, no desperate calls from mothers searching for their children, no groans from the wounded. Just silence. It chills my heart to think I´m the only one left.
I wonder what happened during the assault on Nerv HQ to cause such a cataclysm. Maybe it was an act of God. Punishment for our sins. I´ll probably never know. For now, I just want to rest. There´s a whirlwind of images and voices going through my head from my waiting in the Purgatory. But I can´t seem to focus on any of it. Must sort out my current situation first. Then I can find answers.
Maybe if I fall asleep, it´ll all be OK again.
Day 3
Finally met another human. Two to be exact. Don´t think I´ve ever felt so glad at seeing people. A young man, goes by the name of Michishige Kazuma. Looks like a civilian to me, not a JSSDF or NERV crew. Tall, jet black hair and keen eyes. Keen but not sly. I like that. Says he used to be a paramedic (very valuable!). The little girl that always holds his hand can´t be older than 6. Doesn´t speak. Kazuma says he found her wandering through the docks. Interesting fact, he also woke up at the beach. Doesn´t remember jack shit either of what happened, just memories of before the Rapture.
We decided not to venture deeper into what´s left of Tokyo 3, and stay close to the beach. Hopefully we find more people in the next few days. We set camp in the shelter I´ve been staying in. There´s still enough tinned food and bottled water to last us for a good four months.
Day 4
Kazuma and the girl found another two, I found an old man at the beach. Dr. Barry, engineer at NERV. Saw my uniform and freaked out. I finally managed to calm him down, showed him I wasn´t armed and had no intention to harm him. The man´s mind has been severely scarred. Completely paranoid. Still, he´s staying with us. The two Kazuma found were a woman in her 40s and a teenager. I don´t think the woman has come to terms with what has happened yet. Refuses to believe this is the new world. Doesn´t talk to us, just sits there and smiles and mumbles to herself. The kid is called Fujimoto Tadayoshi. Bright lad, very helpful. Has an impressive ability to adapt. Told him to take care of the woman and Dr. Barry at the shelter while Kazuma (and his inseparable girl) and myself keep looking for more people on the beach.
Day 7
I heard gunshots in the distance today. Our little group is now 13 strong. During the last couple of days, we´ve found more people at the beach. A JSSDF special forces commando and a captain on day 5. They both outrank me, but the commando seems to have lost the will to thrive in this post apocalyptic world. The captain, Matsuo, seems happy to leave me in charge. The man reminds me of my 1st lieutenant. Green as grass, but humble. Fast learner too. Day 6, we picked up two NERV personnel and a civilian male. The NERV people might be a problem. They aren´t armed but they aren´t cooperative with anyone wearing a JSSDF uniform. Would probably be a good idea to get all JSSDF to change into civilian clothes. One of the NERV people, Nakamura Miharu, punched Matsuo when he tried to help her up. Whether it´s because she didn´t want to be touched or because he was JSSDF, I don´t know. Probably both. The man we didn´t find at the beach, he stumbled into the shelter. Tadayoshi brought him to me in a terrible state. Dehydrated, malnourished and confused. I guess not everyone can survive on their own in a world like this. By the end of today, we found another NERV personnel and a woman. Both are in good state, both physical and mental.
With our increased numbers, the food and water in the shelter won´t last for long. I´ve grouped people into a couple search parties hunting for food, water, and basic needs. Dr. Barry suggested it´d be a good idea to stock medications and clothing. The man seems to feel a lot more comfortable around me now he´s convinced I´m not going to execute him. I also indicated Matsuo and one of the NERV personnel, Ishimaru, to search for weapons and ammunition. Not sure it´s a good idea to stockpile weapons with tensions between the NERV and JSSDF crew, but today´s gunshots don´t make me feel safe.
Day 8
Matsuo brought me a couple of teenagers today. Told me they were the VIPs. Didn´t realise what he was talking about until I recognised their faces. The boy seems OK, very shy. Won´t make eye contact with me. The girl seems slightly catatonic. Only talks with the boy, and that rarely. Spends most of her time staring into the emptiness, barely eats. They are being taken care of by the Nerv people. I want answers, but in their current state, I don´t think they can give any.
[Fic] The Rapture - CHAPTER 4 UP
Moderators: Derantor, Board Staff
[Fic] The Rapture - CHAPTER 4 UP
Last edited by Voland on Sun Dec 05, 2010 8:15 am, edited 3 times in total.
CHAPTER 1
Proverbs 13:20
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
“Aren´t you going to eat anything?”
Asuka snapped out of her trance and looked down. A tray with some baked beans, spam and preserved peaches lay at her feet, untouched.
“I´m not hungry,” she mumbled, without looking at the boy. “You can have it”.
“But Asuka...you have barely eaten anything for a week!”
The redhead finally looked at the source of that annoying voice. Shinji Ikari. The idiot. The moron that should´ve been the first to die. Asuka couldn´t remember what she saw in the frail teenager sat next to her. Probably just hormones.
“Why did you bring me back?” she asked. The boy flinched at her accusing tone, as if slapped. “Why didn´t you pick the doll instead?”
“I...Asuka...” the Shinji stuttered, “You were the first person I thought about!”
***
Matsuo observed the teenage couple bickering in the distance. It was the first time he´d seen the girl talk loud enough for someone aside the boy to hear. He sat back against the wall and smiled. To think that, a week or two ago, he´d have shot both of them point blank without even blinking. Them, and any of the Nerv people. Yet now, they slept and ate under the same roof. The irony. The captain glanced at Nakamura. His jaw still hurt when he chewed, and the girl had yet to attempt and apologise to him. Their trips to the geofront had mostly been silent. She´d point at an area and suggest searching there, and he´d agree. The rest of it would be in complete silence, each immersed in their own thoughts. Matsuo couldn´t help thinking back to his days in West Point, 2 years ago. Only now did he appreciate what he had back then.
The captain finally stood up and made his way towards the kids, zig zagging salvaged mattresses and futons. In the dim light, he could see the girl had turned her back on the boy, who was still attempting to get her to eat her meal. Matsuo didn´t like the boy. He was one of those he´d class as “spineless”.
“Looks like you two are better now,” he said as he stood by the boy. “Time for you to meet Gunny.”
“Gunny?” the boy asked startled. A feeling of disgust ran through Matsuo as he heard that voice filled with insecurities.
“Yes, Gunny. The gunnery sergeant. The man in charge.” Matsuo paused for a moment, looking at the redhead. She showed no signs of hearing a word of what he just said. “Help your friend up, will you?”
At this, the girl turned around and glared at Matsuo. For a second the captain felt threatened, suppressing an urge to reach for his sidearm.
“I don´t need no help from that idiot,” she snapped as the boy attempted to grab her arm. “I´m perfectly capable myself.”
Matsuo lead them outside the shelter, walking in front of the girl while the boy trailed behind her. As the captain stepped outside, he remembered how he still wasn´t used to this new world. The sky was no longer dark at night, but a scarlet colour, the stars decorating this red mantle. In the horizon, the giant eye in a sea of red stared at Matsuo. Sat in leather armchairs, Dr. Barry, the Nerv engineer, and Gunny were silhouetted against the sky.
“Hope I´m not interrupting,” Matsuo said as he approached the two men. Gunny looked up, and Matsuo saw the assault rifle in his lap. Dr. Barry was fast asleep, head resting on a fist.
“Not at all,” Gunny answered. He was in his late 30s, in excellent shape. Tanned skin, and the wrinkles appearing on his face made him look a lot older. The man sported a shaved head. Although he had told Matsuo it was his “prefered” haircut, the captain suspected it was more due to the fact that he was balding.
“Looks like these two are ready to have a little chat with you,” Matsuo nodded at the two children.
“Let´s have the introductions first. I´m Gunny. JSSDF, 4th Rocket Artillery Dvision, 11th Brigade, Havok battery. I´m the man that runs things around here. Mastuo, who you´ve already met, is my 2nd in command.” Gunny paused for a moment, looking at Shinji and Asuka. “Now you”.
At this, Shinji opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Asuka.
“I´m Hikari Horaki, and he´s Toji Suzuhara.”
An awkward pause followed as Shinji stared at Asuka in disbelief, not understanding why she´d say such a thing.
“Uh...yeah,” Shinji finally managed to babble. “We are middle school students.”
“I see...” Gunny gave a slight smile and stood up. “Welcome to our group, Toji Suzuhara and Hikari Horaki. Head back and get some rest, tomorrow you will start your duties within the group. Matsuo here will assign you later on.”
The captain and Gunny watched the children walk away and head back inside the shelter, the red sky casting an unnatural shadow after the couple. Finally, Matsuo broke the silence.
“They are lying,” he said. “Trying to hide their identities from us.”
“Indeed,” Gunny replied, “and I don´t blame them. The answers will have to wait.”
The man turned around to gaze at the nine mutilated corpses crucified along the coast. He was getting used to the smell of blood, but he´d never get used to that giant staring eye.
“Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu...they know a lot more than we ever will.”
***
Michishige Kazuwa sat in a sofa atop the ruins of a house, watching the waves roll in. He was a man in his early twenties, and his body reflected the fact he was in the prime of life. Unlike many of his friends, he didn´t dye his hair or wear contacts in an attempt to look more caucasian. Lying next to him, a little girl, his companion, was fast asleep curled up holding his free hand. His other hand was around the barrel of his assault rifle, propped against the sofa. It was his turn to stand guard, and the girl would not allow him to leave her with anyone else.
Kazuma stared into the distance as he pondered how drastically everything had changed. A week ago he was still driving his ambulance through Tokyo-3, getting payed for his services as paramedic. Life was different from what he could remember as a child, before Second Impact. But it was still routine. And routine took things off his mind. Now, the world had changed. Again. His mind was in turmoil, and he couldn´t even get his thoughts straight. Before, there was no need to think about a future. He had his job, he could support himself, he could go back home visit his parents every now and then. That was all he needed to think about. In this new world, there were so many unanswered questions, matters which worried him and scared him. He admired Gunny for his ability to put things aside and focus on their present situation. He admired Matsuo for his ability to plan ahead with a clear mind, without fear of failure. However, he, Michishige Kazuwa, did not have such gifts. What troubled him even more, were the two days of time he seemed to have simply lost. The two days prior to waking up were completely blank except for some voices he was unable to understand. Whenever he looked back and tried to remember, all he´d get was an unintelligible jumble of voices overlapping each other.
The young man eventually looked away from the hypnotic rolling of waves, and looked down at his companion. He still knew nothing about her. The girl wasn´t deaf, and he was pretty sure she wasn´t mute. However, she still hadn´t spoken a single word, or made a single sound. The girl had never let go of his hand, from the moment he found her lying next to him on the beach. Kazuwa himself had gradually grown fond of her during the course of the week, taking care of her as if she was his little sister. Gently squeezing her tiny hand inside his, Michishige Kazuwa continued watching the waves roll in.
***
Asuka and Shinji sat back down on their mattresses, Asuka going back to her isolation. For a while, the couple sat in silence, until Shinji could no longer keep his questions to himself.
“Why did you lie to them?” he asked the redhead. Shinji felt guilty for lying to the people who had given them food and refuge, but not guilty enough to refuse playing along with Asuka.
“You really are stupid, aren´t you?” Asuka replied in a flat tone. Deep down, Shinji missed her temper, her outbursts of shouting and rage. Now, she´d still insult him, but the insults hurt a lot more when they were so emotionless. “Why did you think I changed out of my plugsuit into normal clothes? We can´t let people know we are Eva pilots.”
“Asuka?”
“What?” she answered slightly irritated.
“I need you” Shinji cleared his throat, at this point, voice slightly trembling. “I brought you back because I need you.”
Asuka´s silence prompted Shinji to add a quiet “Don´t leave me,” after which he lay down in his own mattress. Behind him, silent tears slowly ran down Asuka Langley Soryu´s cheeks.
============================================
Edit: feel free to add suggestions and corrections for typos. Also, if you think this fic is a load of dung, please say so. That way I won´t write 30 chapters only to find no one likes it :P
Edit 2: added quote
Proverbs 13:20
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
“Aren´t you going to eat anything?”
Asuka snapped out of her trance and looked down. A tray with some baked beans, spam and preserved peaches lay at her feet, untouched.
“I´m not hungry,” she mumbled, without looking at the boy. “You can have it”.
“But Asuka...you have barely eaten anything for a week!”
The redhead finally looked at the source of that annoying voice. Shinji Ikari. The idiot. The moron that should´ve been the first to die. Asuka couldn´t remember what she saw in the frail teenager sat next to her. Probably just hormones.
“Why did you bring me back?” she asked. The boy flinched at her accusing tone, as if slapped. “Why didn´t you pick the doll instead?”
“I...Asuka...” the Shinji stuttered, “You were the first person I thought about!”
***
Matsuo observed the teenage couple bickering in the distance. It was the first time he´d seen the girl talk loud enough for someone aside the boy to hear. He sat back against the wall and smiled. To think that, a week or two ago, he´d have shot both of them point blank without even blinking. Them, and any of the Nerv people. Yet now, they slept and ate under the same roof. The irony. The captain glanced at Nakamura. His jaw still hurt when he chewed, and the girl had yet to attempt and apologise to him. Their trips to the geofront had mostly been silent. She´d point at an area and suggest searching there, and he´d agree. The rest of it would be in complete silence, each immersed in their own thoughts. Matsuo couldn´t help thinking back to his days in West Point, 2 years ago. Only now did he appreciate what he had back then.
The captain finally stood up and made his way towards the kids, zig zagging salvaged mattresses and futons. In the dim light, he could see the girl had turned her back on the boy, who was still attempting to get her to eat her meal. Matsuo didn´t like the boy. He was one of those he´d class as “spineless”.
“Looks like you two are better now,” he said as he stood by the boy. “Time for you to meet Gunny.”
“Gunny?” the boy asked startled. A feeling of disgust ran through Matsuo as he heard that voice filled with insecurities.
“Yes, Gunny. The gunnery sergeant. The man in charge.” Matsuo paused for a moment, looking at the redhead. She showed no signs of hearing a word of what he just said. “Help your friend up, will you?”
At this, the girl turned around and glared at Matsuo. For a second the captain felt threatened, suppressing an urge to reach for his sidearm.
“I don´t need no help from that idiot,” she snapped as the boy attempted to grab her arm. “I´m perfectly capable myself.”
Matsuo lead them outside the shelter, walking in front of the girl while the boy trailed behind her. As the captain stepped outside, he remembered how he still wasn´t used to this new world. The sky was no longer dark at night, but a scarlet colour, the stars decorating this red mantle. In the horizon, the giant eye in a sea of red stared at Matsuo. Sat in leather armchairs, Dr. Barry, the Nerv engineer, and Gunny were silhouetted against the sky.
“Hope I´m not interrupting,” Matsuo said as he approached the two men. Gunny looked up, and Matsuo saw the assault rifle in his lap. Dr. Barry was fast asleep, head resting on a fist.
“Not at all,” Gunny answered. He was in his late 30s, in excellent shape. Tanned skin, and the wrinkles appearing on his face made him look a lot older. The man sported a shaved head. Although he had told Matsuo it was his “prefered” haircut, the captain suspected it was more due to the fact that he was balding.
“Looks like these two are ready to have a little chat with you,” Matsuo nodded at the two children.
“Let´s have the introductions first. I´m Gunny. JSSDF, 4th Rocket Artillery Dvision, 11th Brigade, Havok battery. I´m the man that runs things around here. Mastuo, who you´ve already met, is my 2nd in command.” Gunny paused for a moment, looking at Shinji and Asuka. “Now you”.
At this, Shinji opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Asuka.
“I´m Hikari Horaki, and he´s Toji Suzuhara.”
An awkward pause followed as Shinji stared at Asuka in disbelief, not understanding why she´d say such a thing.
“Uh...yeah,” Shinji finally managed to babble. “We are middle school students.”
“I see...” Gunny gave a slight smile and stood up. “Welcome to our group, Toji Suzuhara and Hikari Horaki. Head back and get some rest, tomorrow you will start your duties within the group. Matsuo here will assign you later on.”
The captain and Gunny watched the children walk away and head back inside the shelter, the red sky casting an unnatural shadow after the couple. Finally, Matsuo broke the silence.
“They are lying,” he said. “Trying to hide their identities from us.”
“Indeed,” Gunny replied, “and I don´t blame them. The answers will have to wait.”
The man turned around to gaze at the nine mutilated corpses crucified along the coast. He was getting used to the smell of blood, but he´d never get used to that giant staring eye.
“Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu...they know a lot more than we ever will.”
***
Michishige Kazuwa sat in a sofa atop the ruins of a house, watching the waves roll in. He was a man in his early twenties, and his body reflected the fact he was in the prime of life. Unlike many of his friends, he didn´t dye his hair or wear contacts in an attempt to look more caucasian. Lying next to him, a little girl, his companion, was fast asleep curled up holding his free hand. His other hand was around the barrel of his assault rifle, propped against the sofa. It was his turn to stand guard, and the girl would not allow him to leave her with anyone else.
Kazuma stared into the distance as he pondered how drastically everything had changed. A week ago he was still driving his ambulance through Tokyo-3, getting payed for his services as paramedic. Life was different from what he could remember as a child, before Second Impact. But it was still routine. And routine took things off his mind. Now, the world had changed. Again. His mind was in turmoil, and he couldn´t even get his thoughts straight. Before, there was no need to think about a future. He had his job, he could support himself, he could go back home visit his parents every now and then. That was all he needed to think about. In this new world, there were so many unanswered questions, matters which worried him and scared him. He admired Gunny for his ability to put things aside and focus on their present situation. He admired Matsuo for his ability to plan ahead with a clear mind, without fear of failure. However, he, Michishige Kazuwa, did not have such gifts. What troubled him even more, were the two days of time he seemed to have simply lost. The two days prior to waking up were completely blank except for some voices he was unable to understand. Whenever he looked back and tried to remember, all he´d get was an unintelligible jumble of voices overlapping each other.
The young man eventually looked away from the hypnotic rolling of waves, and looked down at his companion. He still knew nothing about her. The girl wasn´t deaf, and he was pretty sure she wasn´t mute. However, she still hadn´t spoken a single word, or made a single sound. The girl had never let go of his hand, from the moment he found her lying next to him on the beach. Kazuwa himself had gradually grown fond of her during the course of the week, taking care of her as if she was his little sister. Gently squeezing her tiny hand inside his, Michishige Kazuwa continued watching the waves roll in.
***
Asuka and Shinji sat back down on their mattresses, Asuka going back to her isolation. For a while, the couple sat in silence, until Shinji could no longer keep his questions to himself.
“Why did you lie to them?” he asked the redhead. Shinji felt guilty for lying to the people who had given them food and refuge, but not guilty enough to refuse playing along with Asuka.
“You really are stupid, aren´t you?” Asuka replied in a flat tone. Deep down, Shinji missed her temper, her outbursts of shouting and rage. Now, she´d still insult him, but the insults hurt a lot more when they were so emotionless. “Why did you think I changed out of my plugsuit into normal clothes? We can´t let people know we are Eva pilots.”
“Asuka?”
“What?” she answered slightly irritated.
“I need you” Shinji cleared his throat, at this point, voice slightly trembling. “I brought you back because I need you.”
Asuka´s silence prompted Shinji to add a quiet “Don´t leave me,” after which he lay down in his own mattress. Behind him, silent tears slowly ran down Asuka Langley Soryu´s cheeks.
============================================
Edit: feel free to add suggestions and corrections for typos. Also, if you think this fic is a load of dung, please say so. That way I won´t write 30 chapters only to find no one likes it :P
Edit 2: added quote
Last edited by Voland on Sat Dec 04, 2010 8:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Chapter 2
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope...
Nerv´s geofront resembled a giant ulcer Tokyo 3 suffered from. At least, that´s the first comparison Misato Katsuragi came up with as she looked through the car window. It was the first time she saw it like this, hard to believe that this was where she used to work at. Most of the geofront was exposed, and what was once green and peaceful was now ash gray and dead. Debris littered the area, and a circle of ruined buildings stood looking into the geofront, witnesses to the horrors of the massacre that took place at Nerv HQ.
Misato, like everyone else going through the Awakening, could barely remember a thing of her personal Rapture. When trying hard to remember, all that would come was strangely, Rei´s image along with nonsense whispering. The major soon gave up trying to remember, prefering to avoid seeing the ghostly image of Rei, even if it meant staying in the dark. More pressing matters were at hand, and different to thousands of others, Misato wasn´t just going to give up and die.
Unlike Gunny´s group, she had woken up on the other side of lake Ashinoko, closer to what once was Togendai. Tokyo 3 was largely vaporised by the N2 mine, but Misato managed to find refuge and nourishment in a nearby village. The Japanese government had recommended civilians to stockpile whatever food they could, and Misato was glad most people had followed said recommendation. Can upon can of spam, beans, fruits and other preserved foods could be found in the basements of most houses, and water purification tablets weren´t scarce either. But as the major swallowed the first mouthful of food, gag reflexes kicked in. She didn´t know exactly how long she´d been lying unconscious on the beach, but it was obviously long enough for her to be unable to eat normally.
“Can´t you drive faster?”
“This is as fast as we can go.”
Misato groaned and sat back, stealing a glance at the driver through the rearview mirror. A young man in his early 20s, dark brown hair and eyes. Had he worn a Nerv uniform, Misato would´ve mistaken him for Aoba. She ran into him just a day after her awakening, while scavenging through the village. The man, Tatsu Koyashu, had surprised Misato from behind. Luckily for him, she wasn´t carrying her side arm, and his hand suddenly landing on her shoulder was answered by a quick elbow to the stomach, followed by the major´s fist making contact with the side of his head. However, Misato´s reaction wasn´t over the top; she was lucky Tatsu wasn´t a trigger happy freak sneaking up on her.
Tatsu told the major very little about his past. The man wasn´t exactly a role model to follow, but he wasn´t a sociopath either. He had told Misato that he grew up rough on his own, and had managed to make it until now, working several different jobs. What he didn´t tell Misato, is exactly how rough it was.
Tatsu had grown up with his mother, having never met his biological father. At the age of 8, his mother remarried to a man named Nakajima Tomohisa. What his mother saw in that man, Tatsu still didn´t understand. Tomohisa had no job and spent all day at home, drinnking cheap beer and watching TV while his mother worked two jobs. From the day he stepped into the Koyashu home, Tatsu had started to have rather peculiar “accidents”. The boy would go to the doctors with his stepfather, who´d say he´d “accidentally tripped and fallen down the stairs” or “was playing and ran into the corner of the table”. Tatsu always suspected his mother and the doctors knew, but would turn a blind eye. His mother was too scared of the man she´d let into home, and was powerless to make him leave. The doctors however, followed the idea that “if I can´t see it, then it ain´t happening”.
This continued until Tatsu reached the age of 13. One afternoon, upon arriving home from school, he heard the muffled sobs of his mother as he stood outside the door to his own home, now turned into a hellhole. That night he did not come home, calling his mother to tell her he´d stay at a classmate´s.
The next day, as Tatsu´s mother came back from work, she found the apartment door locked, much to her surprise. As she entered, there was no TV at full blast with the game on, no beer cans littered around the floor, the flat sparkling clean. More importantly, Tomohisa was nowhere to be seen. She never saw that man again, and she never saw her son again. But month after month, she´d receive a letter from him, a letter asking her how she was, and along with it, whatever amount of cash the boy could send home.
Tatsu drove the 4x4 through the ruins and rubble, Misato in the backseat holding on to the handles to avoid bumping her head against the ceiling. She had been driving for most of the morning, and now Tatsu had taken over the wheel to give her a break. According to him, she could “take a little nap in the backseat. it´s comfy enough there”, ignoring the fact that what was most likely to happen is Misato bouncing off the seats every few seconds. The 4x4, a Toyota Land Cruiser, wasn´t exactly latest generation, but it had a full tank and was still functional. Tatsu was careful driving over the debris of what once was the heart of Tokyo 3, avoiding areas where the vehicle could be potentially trapped. The man obviously knew what he was doing, so Misato soon let her mind wonder.
It had been 6 days since she met Tatsu, 7 days since she woke up on the beach. They had started moving towards the geofront two days after meeting, first on foot and then by car. She thought about the children. She didn´t know what happened to Shinji and Asuka, and she still didn´t know where Rei was at the time of the attack. She thought about the commanders and Ritsuko. She didn´t know their fate either. She thought about Kaji.
Kaji.
The man she had loved and still loved disappeared from her life just as he walked into it, leaving a hole where Misato´s heart should be. Just like her father.
“Misato”
The major snapped out of her thoughts, just then realizing that they had come to a stop. Tatsu had stopped the car at a crossroad littered with debris, nothing which the SUV couldn´t easily overcome.
“Why are we stopping?” she asked Tatsu as the man slowly climbed out of the vehicle.
“Look ahead”
Misato looked beyond the crossroad, but could only see a white van parked by the road. It wasn´t blocking, and she wondered why Tatsu would be so bothered by a vehicle parked at the side of the road. Then she spotted the problem.
Behind the van, amongst a couple of crates, stood two individuals, rifles trained on the oncoming SUV.
Misato slowly got out of the vehicle, hands up palms facing forward, showing she wasn´t armed. Tatsu followed in manner.
The two riflemen slowly advanced towards them, weapons still raised. Misato soon saw that they were a man and a woman, both wearing armour over their clothes. The woman was wearing a pair of jeans over her boots, while the man wore fatigues tucked into army boots.
“Hands over your heads,” the man ordered. Misato detected a tinge of anxiety in his voice, but she was unable to see the man´s eyes which were behind sunglasses.
As Misato did as told, the woman slung her rifle around her back, unholstered a revolver and began searching her thoroughly, after which she began searching Tatsu, all while the man kept his rifle on them. After verifying that both were unarmed, the man lowered his rifle as Misato and Tatsu lowered their hands.
"We are very sorry about that," the woman said while holstering her revolver, "but we can´t take our chances." She smiled at Misato and Tatsu, a heartwarming smile that soon broke the tension between the two groups.
"I´m Nakamura Miharu. This here is Matsuo"
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope...
Nerv´s geofront resembled a giant ulcer Tokyo 3 suffered from. At least, that´s the first comparison Misato Katsuragi came up with as she looked through the car window. It was the first time she saw it like this, hard to believe that this was where she used to work at. Most of the geofront was exposed, and what was once green and peaceful was now ash gray and dead. Debris littered the area, and a circle of ruined buildings stood looking into the geofront, witnesses to the horrors of the massacre that took place at Nerv HQ.
Misato, like everyone else going through the Awakening, could barely remember a thing of her personal Rapture. When trying hard to remember, all that would come was strangely, Rei´s image along with nonsense whispering. The major soon gave up trying to remember, prefering to avoid seeing the ghostly image of Rei, even if it meant staying in the dark. More pressing matters were at hand, and different to thousands of others, Misato wasn´t just going to give up and die.
Unlike Gunny´s group, she had woken up on the other side of lake Ashinoko, closer to what once was Togendai. Tokyo 3 was largely vaporised by the N2 mine, but Misato managed to find refuge and nourishment in a nearby village. The Japanese government had recommended civilians to stockpile whatever food they could, and Misato was glad most people had followed said recommendation. Can upon can of spam, beans, fruits and other preserved foods could be found in the basements of most houses, and water purification tablets weren´t scarce either. But as the major swallowed the first mouthful of food, gag reflexes kicked in. She didn´t know exactly how long she´d been lying unconscious on the beach, but it was obviously long enough for her to be unable to eat normally.
“Can´t you drive faster?”
“This is as fast as we can go.”
Misato groaned and sat back, stealing a glance at the driver through the rearview mirror. A young man in his early 20s, dark brown hair and eyes. Had he worn a Nerv uniform, Misato would´ve mistaken him for Aoba. She ran into him just a day after her awakening, while scavenging through the village. The man, Tatsu Koyashu, had surprised Misato from behind. Luckily for him, she wasn´t carrying her side arm, and his hand suddenly landing on her shoulder was answered by a quick elbow to the stomach, followed by the major´s fist making contact with the side of his head. However, Misato´s reaction wasn´t over the top; she was lucky Tatsu wasn´t a trigger happy freak sneaking up on her.
Tatsu told the major very little about his past. The man wasn´t exactly a role model to follow, but he wasn´t a sociopath either. He had told Misato that he grew up rough on his own, and had managed to make it until now, working several different jobs. What he didn´t tell Misato, is exactly how rough it was.
Tatsu had grown up with his mother, having never met his biological father. At the age of 8, his mother remarried to a man named Nakajima Tomohisa. What his mother saw in that man, Tatsu still didn´t understand. Tomohisa had no job and spent all day at home, drinnking cheap beer and watching TV while his mother worked two jobs. From the day he stepped into the Koyashu home, Tatsu had started to have rather peculiar “accidents”. The boy would go to the doctors with his stepfather, who´d say he´d “accidentally tripped and fallen down the stairs” or “was playing and ran into the corner of the table”. Tatsu always suspected his mother and the doctors knew, but would turn a blind eye. His mother was too scared of the man she´d let into home, and was powerless to make him leave. The doctors however, followed the idea that “if I can´t see it, then it ain´t happening”.
This continued until Tatsu reached the age of 13. One afternoon, upon arriving home from school, he heard the muffled sobs of his mother as he stood outside the door to his own home, now turned into a hellhole. That night he did not come home, calling his mother to tell her he´d stay at a classmate´s.
The next day, as Tatsu´s mother came back from work, she found the apartment door locked, much to her surprise. As she entered, there was no TV at full blast with the game on, no beer cans littered around the floor, the flat sparkling clean. More importantly, Tomohisa was nowhere to be seen. She never saw that man again, and she never saw her son again. But month after month, she´d receive a letter from him, a letter asking her how she was, and along with it, whatever amount of cash the boy could send home.
Tatsu drove the 4x4 through the ruins and rubble, Misato in the backseat holding on to the handles to avoid bumping her head against the ceiling. She had been driving for most of the morning, and now Tatsu had taken over the wheel to give her a break. According to him, she could “take a little nap in the backseat. it´s comfy enough there”, ignoring the fact that what was most likely to happen is Misato bouncing off the seats every few seconds. The 4x4, a Toyota Land Cruiser, wasn´t exactly latest generation, but it had a full tank and was still functional. Tatsu was careful driving over the debris of what once was the heart of Tokyo 3, avoiding areas where the vehicle could be potentially trapped. The man obviously knew what he was doing, so Misato soon let her mind wonder.
It had been 6 days since she met Tatsu, 7 days since she woke up on the beach. They had started moving towards the geofront two days after meeting, first on foot and then by car. She thought about the children. She didn´t know what happened to Shinji and Asuka, and she still didn´t know where Rei was at the time of the attack. She thought about the commanders and Ritsuko. She didn´t know their fate either. She thought about Kaji.
Kaji.
The man she had loved and still loved disappeared from her life just as he walked into it, leaving a hole where Misato´s heart should be. Just like her father.
“Misato”
The major snapped out of her thoughts, just then realizing that they had come to a stop. Tatsu had stopped the car at a crossroad littered with debris, nothing which the SUV couldn´t easily overcome.
“Why are we stopping?” she asked Tatsu as the man slowly climbed out of the vehicle.
“Look ahead”
Misato looked beyond the crossroad, but could only see a white van parked by the road. It wasn´t blocking, and she wondered why Tatsu would be so bothered by a vehicle parked at the side of the road. Then she spotted the problem.
Behind the van, amongst a couple of crates, stood two individuals, rifles trained on the oncoming SUV.
Misato slowly got out of the vehicle, hands up palms facing forward, showing she wasn´t armed. Tatsu followed in manner.
The two riflemen slowly advanced towards them, weapons still raised. Misato soon saw that they were a man and a woman, both wearing armour over their clothes. The woman was wearing a pair of jeans over her boots, while the man wore fatigues tucked into army boots.
“Hands over your heads,” the man ordered. Misato detected a tinge of anxiety in his voice, but she was unable to see the man´s eyes which were behind sunglasses.
As Misato did as told, the woman slung her rifle around her back, unholstered a revolver and began searching her thoroughly, after which she began searching Tatsu, all while the man kept his rifle on them. After verifying that both were unarmed, the man lowered his rifle as Misato and Tatsu lowered their hands.
"We are very sorry about that," the woman said while holstering her revolver, "but we can´t take our chances." She smiled at Misato and Tatsu, a heartwarming smile that soon broke the tension between the two groups.
"I´m Nakamura Miharu. This here is Matsuo"
Last edited by Voland on Sat Dec 04, 2010 2:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Chapter 3
Isaiah 40:30-31
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Birds sang as the first rays shone across what little was left of Tokyo-3, the sky an unnatural crimson. As the hours went by, the light slowly crept through the ruins, shining through cracks and fissures. One such ray of light managed to find it´s way through the door hinge of a tool shed, onto the face of a man called Matthew Stewardson.
Matthew had come to Tokyo from the US four years ago, when he accepted a job as english teacher at a primary school. A man in his early 30s, the promise of exotic Japan and a decent wage had prompt him to leave his old teaching job back in Philly to start a new life in Tokyo-3. And even with the coming of monstrous creatures less than a year ago, the man still didn´t regret his decision. Brown hair, green eyes, and a charming smile had won him over the love of his life, a college named Satomi Hiroe.
Satomi, the reason for which Matthew lived.
Satomi, also the reason why Matthew wanted to die.
A pistol in his hand, the man had finally decided a world in which he was alone was a world not worth living in. Sitting with his back comfortably against the wooden wall of the shed, he closed his eyes and put the gun against his temple.
Click.
The english teacher, inexperienced with firearms, had forgotten to cycle a cartridge into the chamber. Cold sweat ran down his back, and Matthew, although not conscious of it, had a growing wet patch between his legs. Nevertheless, he continued with the present task. Pull the slide. Release safety. Pull the trigger.
Matthew died on the third day of his awakening, a slight hint of a smile on his face.
* * *
Sakai Yorie, mother of three, walked down an empty road of what once was the main street of peaceful little village. A perfect location for tourists, the village was built with the Kami-Yama behind it, and the Ashi lake bathing it´s shores. Now, still beautiful, the village was eerily quiet, only sounds being the footsteps Sakai made.
A casual observer would not have guessed Sakai to be in her mid 40s, more thinking her to be well into her 60s. Time had not been fair with her, and wrinkles already covered an extensive network of what once was smooth, white skin. Sakai had divorced herself from her husband, after finding he was having an affair with a younger woman, a waitress who he met in a bar.
After a short legal battle, she soon received custody of all three sons. She took this as a miracle, and was grateful. But she soon realized her ex-husband was only playing along; shortly after the second monthly bank deposit - which he made as required by law – was in, the man had left the country along with his new lover. Sakai was left with three boys to maintain on her own.
The eldest, Mizoguchi Yorie, managed to help as much as he could. Although in high school, the boy found time to not only help at home and take care of the younger two, but also whatever part time jobs he could find. His younger brothers however, were less aware of the delicate situation their family was in. They can´t be blamed, the youngest being a mere 6 years old, the older 10.
Sakai continued walking along the pavement, a rucksack on her back. The weight slowed her down, but years of experience told her to carry as much food and water as she could. Just in case.
As she crossed an intersection, movement on the side street caught her attention. She wasn´t sure if it was movement, or just her imagination. Maybe both.
“Hello?” she called out, looking into the street. “Anyone there?”
A young man came out from one of the many houses on either side of the street. He couldn´t be over 25. Sakai recognized the JSSDF uniform only from the boots and combat fatigues; the soldier had stripped the armour and instead wore a plain white T shirt, dogtags gently balancing left and right as he moved.
Sakai´s heart brightened as the young man walked out of the house. It was the first person she´d met so far, and seeing another fellow human brought her endless joy. Dropping her rucksack, she walked towards the young man, a smile on her face.
The smile soon froze as the soldier pulled out an automatic handgun, and then became a mask of horror as he pointed it at her.
Sakai hit the floor before she could utter a sound, her expression a mixture of surprise and terror as she attempted to scream for help. The gunshots resonated through the ruins of Tokyo-3, it´s usual silence suddenly pierced. The soldier lazily strode over to where her rucksack lay, inspected it´s contents, and took it with him back inside the house, leaving the woman´s corpse outside to rot.
In her hand was her wallet, opened to the picture of her three sons.
* * *
On an empty beach, away from the piercing stare of The Eye, were two men. The first lay on the sand, staring into the sky. Dressed in a dark NERV uniform, sand spilt into his unzipped jacket and into his shoes, but he seemed to not care. The second sat next to him, silent as he watched the first lie immobile except for the rhythmic breathing. He was getting old, but was still in good shape. No wrinkles, no spots, no malaise. His carefully combed gray hair was the only thing that gave away his age, now creeping past 60. However, he still felt young, and he wasn´t going to let that feeling go to waste. Passing nervously between his hands was a NERV standard issue .45 ACP sidearm. The chrome body reflected the moonlight as the man continued fiddle with it. He didn´t like the cold metal – it made his hands sweat and sent shivers down his body.
“You failed?”
The first man turned his head slightly away from the second. With a near lethargic motion, he slowly brought a gloved hand to his face, and removed the amber specs he was wearing. Still not looking at his companion, he took a deep breath in and grunted in response.
“Ikari, did you see Yui?” the second man asked. The question lingered in the air, the silence slowly settling back as he waited an answer.
“Fuyutsuki,” he replied in a slow, emotionless voice. “she isn´t coming back.”
“Answer my question, Ikari.” Kozo Fuyutsuki shifted uncomfortably where he sat, pistol still in hand. “Did you see her?”
The commander, lying motionless staring at the stars, said nothing. He was beyond caring and beyond this world which he was to blame for. Gendo Ikari remained silent until he suddenly felt the cold steel of the gun against his head.
“You will be doing me a favour, Fuyutsuki,” he said calmly.
“I´ll be doing everyone a favour...”
“You will never find Yui.” At this, Ikari turrned to fully face Fuyutsuki, coming to a stop with the muzzle between his eyebrows. “Even if you do find her, she won´t come back. I think you know this better than I do.”
Upon hearing this, Fuyutsuki lowered the gun and carelessly tossed it into the sand between his feet. Letting out a sigh, the old man leaned back, propping himself on his elbows and stretched his legs. The two men returned to their silence, one immersed in thought, the other blankly staring at the stars.
“You´ve had your chance, Ikari,” Fuyutsuki finally spoke. “I think it´s only fair now I get mine.”
And with that, Kozo Fuyutsuki, sub-commander of the now destroyed NERV organisation, stood up and quietly walked away, into the outskirts of Tokyo-3. In the sand, still half buried, gleamed the pistol he had left behind.
"Good bye, Gendo Ikari.”
Isaiah 40:30-31
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Birds sang as the first rays shone across what little was left of Tokyo-3, the sky an unnatural crimson. As the hours went by, the light slowly crept through the ruins, shining through cracks and fissures. One such ray of light managed to find it´s way through the door hinge of a tool shed, onto the face of a man called Matthew Stewardson.
Matthew had come to Tokyo from the US four years ago, when he accepted a job as english teacher at a primary school. A man in his early 30s, the promise of exotic Japan and a decent wage had prompt him to leave his old teaching job back in Philly to start a new life in Tokyo-3. And even with the coming of monstrous creatures less than a year ago, the man still didn´t regret his decision. Brown hair, green eyes, and a charming smile had won him over the love of his life, a college named Satomi Hiroe.
Satomi, the reason for which Matthew lived.
Satomi, also the reason why Matthew wanted to die.
A pistol in his hand, the man had finally decided a world in which he was alone was a world not worth living in. Sitting with his back comfortably against the wooden wall of the shed, he closed his eyes and put the gun against his temple.
Click.
The english teacher, inexperienced with firearms, had forgotten to cycle a cartridge into the chamber. Cold sweat ran down his back, and Matthew, although not conscious of it, had a growing wet patch between his legs. Nevertheless, he continued with the present task. Pull the slide. Release safety. Pull the trigger.
Matthew died on the third day of his awakening, a slight hint of a smile on his face.
* * *
Sakai Yorie, mother of three, walked down an empty road of what once was the main street of peaceful little village. A perfect location for tourists, the village was built with the Kami-Yama behind it, and the Ashi lake bathing it´s shores. Now, still beautiful, the village was eerily quiet, only sounds being the footsteps Sakai made.
A casual observer would not have guessed Sakai to be in her mid 40s, more thinking her to be well into her 60s. Time had not been fair with her, and wrinkles already covered an extensive network of what once was smooth, white skin. Sakai had divorced herself from her husband, after finding he was having an affair with a younger woman, a waitress who he met in a bar.
After a short legal battle, she soon received custody of all three sons. She took this as a miracle, and was grateful. But she soon realized her ex-husband was only playing along; shortly after the second monthly bank deposit - which he made as required by law – was in, the man had left the country along with his new lover. Sakai was left with three boys to maintain on her own.
The eldest, Mizoguchi Yorie, managed to help as much as he could. Although in high school, the boy found time to not only help at home and take care of the younger two, but also whatever part time jobs he could find. His younger brothers however, were less aware of the delicate situation their family was in. They can´t be blamed, the youngest being a mere 6 years old, the older 10.
Sakai continued walking along the pavement, a rucksack on her back. The weight slowed her down, but years of experience told her to carry as much food and water as she could. Just in case.
As she crossed an intersection, movement on the side street caught her attention. She wasn´t sure if it was movement, or just her imagination. Maybe both.
“Hello?” she called out, looking into the street. “Anyone there?”
A young man came out from one of the many houses on either side of the street. He couldn´t be over 25. Sakai recognized the JSSDF uniform only from the boots and combat fatigues; the soldier had stripped the armour and instead wore a plain white T shirt, dogtags gently balancing left and right as he moved.
Sakai´s heart brightened as the young man walked out of the house. It was the first person she´d met so far, and seeing another fellow human brought her endless joy. Dropping her rucksack, she walked towards the young man, a smile on her face.
The smile soon froze as the soldier pulled out an automatic handgun, and then became a mask of horror as he pointed it at her.
Sakai hit the floor before she could utter a sound, her expression a mixture of surprise and terror as she attempted to scream for help. The gunshots resonated through the ruins of Tokyo-3, it´s usual silence suddenly pierced. The soldier lazily strode over to where her rucksack lay, inspected it´s contents, and took it with him back inside the house, leaving the woman´s corpse outside to rot.
In her hand was her wallet, opened to the picture of her three sons.
* * *
On an empty beach, away from the piercing stare of The Eye, were two men. The first lay on the sand, staring into the sky. Dressed in a dark NERV uniform, sand spilt into his unzipped jacket and into his shoes, but he seemed to not care. The second sat next to him, silent as he watched the first lie immobile except for the rhythmic breathing. He was getting old, but was still in good shape. No wrinkles, no spots, no malaise. His carefully combed gray hair was the only thing that gave away his age, now creeping past 60. However, he still felt young, and he wasn´t going to let that feeling go to waste. Passing nervously between his hands was a NERV standard issue .45 ACP sidearm. The chrome body reflected the moonlight as the man continued fiddle with it. He didn´t like the cold metal – it made his hands sweat and sent shivers down his body.
“You failed?”
The first man turned his head slightly away from the second. With a near lethargic motion, he slowly brought a gloved hand to his face, and removed the amber specs he was wearing. Still not looking at his companion, he took a deep breath in and grunted in response.
“Ikari, did you see Yui?” the second man asked. The question lingered in the air, the silence slowly settling back as he waited an answer.
“Fuyutsuki,” he replied in a slow, emotionless voice. “she isn´t coming back.”
“Answer my question, Ikari.” Kozo Fuyutsuki shifted uncomfortably where he sat, pistol still in hand. “Did you see her?”
The commander, lying motionless staring at the stars, said nothing. He was beyond caring and beyond this world which he was to blame for. Gendo Ikari remained silent until he suddenly felt the cold steel of the gun against his head.
“You will be doing me a favour, Fuyutsuki,” he said calmly.
“I´ll be doing everyone a favour...”
“You will never find Yui.” At this, Ikari turrned to fully face Fuyutsuki, coming to a stop with the muzzle between his eyebrows. “Even if you do find her, she won´t come back. I think you know this better than I do.”
Upon hearing this, Fuyutsuki lowered the gun and carelessly tossed it into the sand between his feet. Letting out a sigh, the old man leaned back, propping himself on his elbows and stretched his legs. The two men returned to their silence, one immersed in thought, the other blankly staring at the stars.
“You´ve had your chance, Ikari,” Fuyutsuki finally spoke. “I think it´s only fair now I get mine.”
And with that, Kozo Fuyutsuki, sub-commander of the now destroyed NERV organisation, stood up and quietly walked away, into the outskirts of Tokyo-3. In the sand, still half buried, gleamed the pistol he had left behind.
"Good bye, Gendo Ikari.”
Last edited by Voland on Sat Dec 04, 2010 2:28 pm, edited 3 times in total.
- esselfortium
- Angel
- Posts: 3392
- Joined: Aug 21, 2009
I've read through the prelude and first chapter, and a little bit of the second. A few assorted thoughts so far:
I like the concept, and I think you've executed it quite well overall. The first-person journal entries in the prelude are nice.
There are some bits of awkward dialogue here and there; I'm not sure if it might help to try reading dialogue out loud and see how it sounds coming out of your mouth, but it could be worth a shot. It can be difficult to get right, sometimes.
The use of ` instead of ' in contractions makes it a bit sloppy to read, as does the lack of spacing between paragraphs. In a book, you can get away with that because paragraph starts are indented, but on a computer screen, lack of a blank line between paragraphs makes things a bit difficult on the eyes.
What is the status of the geofront, that's been mentioned? While you're open to creative license (IMO you can fudge around with the setting a bit as long as the characters themselves feel right), I'm pretty sure the geofront shouldn't exist at all anymore, given that (I think) in EoE it left the Earth completely, leaving a giant crater in its place.
Shinji's confession to Asuka felt premature to me, and I think that she wouldn't have been in any real condition to accept it. I'm not saying that they shouldn't talk, but Shinji seems awfully pathetic in his "don't leave me" scene here, and I can't imagine Asuka going for it. In addition, those two have a lot of trust issues to work out between them at this point in the NGE timeline, and in leaving it out you've just skipped past a whole lot of potentially interesting development.
I like the concept, and I think you've executed it quite well overall. The first-person journal entries in the prelude are nice.
There are some bits of awkward dialogue here and there; I'm not sure if it might help to try reading dialogue out loud and see how it sounds coming out of your mouth, but it could be worth a shot. It can be difficult to get right, sometimes.
The use of ` instead of ' in contractions makes it a bit sloppy to read, as does the lack of spacing between paragraphs. In a book, you can get away with that because paragraph starts are indented, but on a computer screen, lack of a blank line between paragraphs makes things a bit difficult on the eyes.
What is the status of the geofront, that's been mentioned? While you're open to creative license (IMO you can fudge around with the setting a bit as long as the characters themselves feel right), I'm pretty sure the geofront shouldn't exist at all anymore, given that (I think) in EoE it left the Earth completely, leaving a giant crater in its place.
Shinji's confession to Asuka felt premature to me, and I think that she wouldn't have been in any real condition to accept it. I'm not saying that they shouldn't talk, but Shinji seems awfully pathetic in his "don't leave me" scene here, and I can't imagine Asuka going for it. In addition, those two have a lot of trust issues to work out between them at this point in the NGE timeline, and in leaving it out you've just skipped past a whole lot of potentially interesting development.
Chapter 3 complete (updated), will start working on chapter 4.
Again, sorry for stopping...i´m currently snowed in, so it´s this and studying :P
Esselfortium: the geofront is not completely destroyed, but it has been left wide open after it got nuked. If you look at the end of EoE, there´s no hole left in the ground as the black moon leaves tokyo 3. But of course, it won´t be intact (hinthint, still lots of dark secrets to discover in there).
And spaced out between paragraphs, hopefully it´s easier on your eyes ^^ Again, typos, suggestions, dodgy writing bits, storyline problems, don´t hesitate to tell me! I´m not writing this in a single stretch, so it might be inconsistent where I forget what I was writing before (hopefully doesn´t happen)
Again, sorry for stopping...i´m currently snowed in, so it´s this and studying :P
Esselfortium: the geofront is not completely destroyed, but it has been left wide open after it got nuked. If you look at the end of EoE, there´s no hole left in the ground as the black moon leaves tokyo 3. But of course, it won´t be intact (hinthint, still lots of dark secrets to discover in there).
And spaced out between paragraphs, hopefully it´s easier on your eyes ^^ Again, typos, suggestions, dodgy writing bits, storyline problems, don´t hesitate to tell me! I´m not writing this in a single stretch, so it might be inconsistent where I forget what I was writing before (hopefully doesn´t happen)
Chapter 4
John 4:12-13
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
Misato forced a smile throughout the entire journey. It wasn´t easy to feel at ease with someone who had just held her at gunpoint, but at least she´d try. They didn´t seem like bad people. In fact, the couple seemed perfectly normal, except that the girl kept stealing glances at Misato through the rearview mirror. When their eyes met, Nakamura quickly dropped hers and continue fumbling through the pile of maps she had in her lap.
On the other side of the backseat, Tatsu was slumped against the door, eyes closed, fast asleep. How he managed was beyond Misato, but the man had fallen no more than 10 minutes after they got into the van. They´d been driving west, bordering the lake for nearly an hour now, and conversation had thinned to a trickle. Matsuo would make a passing comment as he drove, usually talking about things that had changed. Misato would agree, and Nakamura would then point out something else different, and Matsuo would agree. Then the three would fall back into silence, only broken by Tatsu´s snoring. They are probing me, Misato thought. An hour together, and I still know nothing about them. However, it didn´t bother her. She had given them a false identity, and not much else.
“We´ll be there in 5 minutes, Maya.” Matsuo´s eyes flickered at the mirror, then focused on the road. “I´m sure you´ll appreciate hot chow and a good coffee.”
“I´d appreciate a beer more than both of those things” Misato replied, smile still fixed on her face. The major contemplated for a moment, before adding, “Although in our current situation, I guess we should be grateful we have anything at all.”
The van started to slow down, and Misato looked out of the window. They had come to a stop next to an apartment block, the road in front of them barricaded with two cars. Misato could spot silhouettes of guards on the roof, and the flicker of candle light in many of the windows. The buildings itself was largely undamaged, but all the windows were broken. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted two men emerging from behind the vehicle barricade, rifles in their hands.
“SUN!”
“NIPPON!” Matsuo shouted back. At this, the two guards lowered their rifles and proceeded to push the vehicles, making a space wide enough for the van to drive through.
“Welcome back, Captain,” the man on the left leaned onto the open driver´s window, and whispered, “Tomorrow, question will be SHOTGUN. answer JERK.”
Matsuo nodded and drove on, parking the van behind two SUVs outside the apartment block. From inside came three men, who immediately went on to unload the cargo they had brought: assault rifles, handguns, boxes of ammunition and what seemed to be half a dozen jerry cans filled with petrol. Matsuo got out and began helping move the items into the building, while Nakamura held the door open for Misato.
“We will go see Gunny first and introduce you to him,” she said. Looking at the sleeping Tatsu, she leaned closer towards Misato. “Uhm...Major Katsuragi?”
Misato bolted upstraight in her seat, hand tightly gripping the seatbelt she was loosening. Smile forgotten, her eyes narroved as she stared hard at Nakamura, She had no weapon on her, alone amidst an unknown number of heavily armed strangers. What was worse, she had no identity to hide behind anymore.
“How do you know my name?”
“Well...I...I just...” Nakamura blushed and looked away from those piercing eyes, trying to find the right words. “We all know you, ma´am. You are an idol to most of us who work at NERV.”
“You...wait – what?” Misato exclaimed. Nakamura was blushing furiously now, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Which sector did you work in?”
“Ordenance Corps, ma´am. I´ve never worked directly under your command, but I´ve seen you in the canteen.” Nakamura paused, eyes bright with admiration. “It´s strange I´ve finally met you in these circumstances.”
“Strange indeed...” Misato sat back and smiled, this time a genuine smile. “Let´s go meet this Gunny you were telling me about.”
* * *
After finally managing to wake Tatsu up – a procedure involving Misato shouting, then shaking - Nakamura led the two up the stairs towards the top of the apartment blocks. They passed by Matsuo and the men still moving weapons and ammunition into an apartment on the first floor, which Matsuo lovingly referred to as “The Armoury”. Doors opened revealing curious faces as they made their way up to the 9th floor, where Gunny´s quarters were located. Misato calculated there must be at least fifty people living in these apartments, a mixture of male and females of all ages.
“We´ve had a steady influx of people stumbling into the camp,” Nakamura said, as if reading her mind. “Or in your case, our scavenger parties finding them.”
“And you greet everyone with the business end of a gun?” Tatsu asked politely.
“We´ve had to shoot quite a few people. Some have lost their minds. Some, murderers. Others, preying on their fellow men. We have to be careful.” Nakamura paused, thoughtful. “I guess the Rapture has brought out the worst of some people.”
“The Rapture?” Misato asked curiously. It was the first time she had heard such a term being used, and wasn´t sure exactly what Nakamura meant.
“Yes, the Rapture. Do you not know?” Nakamura was astonished; how could one not know what was going on? “We have been rejected from Heaven, and left behind here in this hellish world.”
Misato remained silent as Nakamura continued talking. However, she didn´t hear much of what the girl was saying, trying to analyze the situation. She knew the truth. But what about sharing the truth? It was a hard decision to make.
“Alright, this is it.” Nakamura said, stopping at door of an apartment. From the metal sliding door, hung a simple “9B”. Beneath it, scribbled with permanent marker, read “Gunny´s quarters. Please knock.”
Nakamura did as told, and was instantly greeted by the deep voice of a man.
“It´s open.”
The girl slid the door open for Misato and Tatsu, and the three entered the apartment. Candles were everywhere, the dim light shimmering as the door closed. Removing their shoes, Nakamura led them towards the room at the end of a short corridor, flanked by more sliding doors. It reminded Misato of her own apartment, only a lot cleaner and without the stench of stale beer. Gently sliding the door open, Nakamura stepped into the bedroom, also illuminated with candles. Misato squinted to make out the details of the room; on the far side was a simple bed, the covers neatly rolled into a cube with the pillow square on top. All around, the walls were covered with pictures and maps, their shadows coming to life in the flickering candlelight. Misato squinted, trying to read the writing on them without much success. The dimness of the room made her uncomfortable, being someone who had grown up used to the bright light from xenon bulbs. Next to the bed, crudely hammered into the plastered wall was some sort of homemade rack, holding several rifles and carbines. Straight ahead of them, leaning back against a desk, a smiling man greeted them cordially.
“Welcome. Let me introduce myself. I´m Gunny.” the man moved forward to shake Misato and Tatsu´s hands. As he did so, the major caught a glimpse of what was sitting on his table: books, more papers and maps, and a rather large combat pistol. “Pleased to meet you.”
“The pleasure is ours,” Tatsu politely replied, “I´m Tatsu, and this is-”
“Misato Katsuragi.”
Misato studied the man´s face after she spoke, but could read nothing. The man looked genuinely suprised and kept his smile, a smile which reached his eyes.
“Major Katsuragi?” he asked, in the exact tone as Nakamura had asked just a mere 10 minutes ago, “NERV´s Major Katsuragi?”
Misato smiled and nodded, to which Gunny smiled back and turned around to his desk. Opening a drawer, he reached inside and brought out a pistol. Misato´s smile slowly faded as she tensed up, ready to spring at any threat. However, as Gunny turned around again, instead of her looking at the black hole of the muzzle, the man was holding the gun by the front, offering the handle to her.
“I think you´ll want this. Might not be yours, but it´ll have to do.”
Confused, Misato looked down at the pistol, and burst out laughing. Engraved on the gun read the description “USP .45”.
John 4:12-13
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
Misato forced a smile throughout the entire journey. It wasn´t easy to feel at ease with someone who had just held her at gunpoint, but at least she´d try. They didn´t seem like bad people. In fact, the couple seemed perfectly normal, except that the girl kept stealing glances at Misato through the rearview mirror. When their eyes met, Nakamura quickly dropped hers and continue fumbling through the pile of maps she had in her lap.
On the other side of the backseat, Tatsu was slumped against the door, eyes closed, fast asleep. How he managed was beyond Misato, but the man had fallen no more than 10 minutes after they got into the van. They´d been driving west, bordering the lake for nearly an hour now, and conversation had thinned to a trickle. Matsuo would make a passing comment as he drove, usually talking about things that had changed. Misato would agree, and Nakamura would then point out something else different, and Matsuo would agree. Then the three would fall back into silence, only broken by Tatsu´s snoring. They are probing me, Misato thought. An hour together, and I still know nothing about them. However, it didn´t bother her. She had given them a false identity, and not much else.
“We´ll be there in 5 minutes, Maya.” Matsuo´s eyes flickered at the mirror, then focused on the road. “I´m sure you´ll appreciate hot chow and a good coffee.”
“I´d appreciate a beer more than both of those things” Misato replied, smile still fixed on her face. The major contemplated for a moment, before adding, “Although in our current situation, I guess we should be grateful we have anything at all.”
The van started to slow down, and Misato looked out of the window. They had come to a stop next to an apartment block, the road in front of them barricaded with two cars. Misato could spot silhouettes of guards on the roof, and the flicker of candle light in many of the windows. The buildings itself was largely undamaged, but all the windows were broken. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted two men emerging from behind the vehicle barricade, rifles in their hands.
“SUN!”
“NIPPON!” Matsuo shouted back. At this, the two guards lowered their rifles and proceeded to push the vehicles, making a space wide enough for the van to drive through.
“Welcome back, Captain,” the man on the left leaned onto the open driver´s window, and whispered, “Tomorrow, question will be SHOTGUN. answer JERK.”
Matsuo nodded and drove on, parking the van behind two SUVs outside the apartment block. From inside came three men, who immediately went on to unload the cargo they had brought: assault rifles, handguns, boxes of ammunition and what seemed to be half a dozen jerry cans filled with petrol. Matsuo got out and began helping move the items into the building, while Nakamura held the door open for Misato.
“We will go see Gunny first and introduce you to him,” she said. Looking at the sleeping Tatsu, she leaned closer towards Misato. “Uhm...Major Katsuragi?”
Misato bolted upstraight in her seat, hand tightly gripping the seatbelt she was loosening. Smile forgotten, her eyes narroved as she stared hard at Nakamura, She had no weapon on her, alone amidst an unknown number of heavily armed strangers. What was worse, she had no identity to hide behind anymore.
“How do you know my name?”
“Well...I...I just...” Nakamura blushed and looked away from those piercing eyes, trying to find the right words. “We all know you, ma´am. You are an idol to most of us who work at NERV.”
“You...wait – what?” Misato exclaimed. Nakamura was blushing furiously now, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Which sector did you work in?”
“Ordenance Corps, ma´am. I´ve never worked directly under your command, but I´ve seen you in the canteen.” Nakamura paused, eyes bright with admiration. “It´s strange I´ve finally met you in these circumstances.”
“Strange indeed...” Misato sat back and smiled, this time a genuine smile. “Let´s go meet this Gunny you were telling me about.”
* * *
After finally managing to wake Tatsu up – a procedure involving Misato shouting, then shaking - Nakamura led the two up the stairs towards the top of the apartment blocks. They passed by Matsuo and the men still moving weapons and ammunition into an apartment on the first floor, which Matsuo lovingly referred to as “The Armoury”. Doors opened revealing curious faces as they made their way up to the 9th floor, where Gunny´s quarters were located. Misato calculated there must be at least fifty people living in these apartments, a mixture of male and females of all ages.
“We´ve had a steady influx of people stumbling into the camp,” Nakamura said, as if reading her mind. “Or in your case, our scavenger parties finding them.”
“And you greet everyone with the business end of a gun?” Tatsu asked politely.
“We´ve had to shoot quite a few people. Some have lost their minds. Some, murderers. Others, preying on their fellow men. We have to be careful.” Nakamura paused, thoughtful. “I guess the Rapture has brought out the worst of some people.”
“The Rapture?” Misato asked curiously. It was the first time she had heard such a term being used, and wasn´t sure exactly what Nakamura meant.
“Yes, the Rapture. Do you not know?” Nakamura was astonished; how could one not know what was going on? “We have been rejected from Heaven, and left behind here in this hellish world.”
Misato remained silent as Nakamura continued talking. However, she didn´t hear much of what the girl was saying, trying to analyze the situation. She knew the truth. But what about sharing the truth? It was a hard decision to make.
“Alright, this is it.” Nakamura said, stopping at door of an apartment. From the metal sliding door, hung a simple “9B”. Beneath it, scribbled with permanent marker, read “Gunny´s quarters. Please knock.”
Nakamura did as told, and was instantly greeted by the deep voice of a man.
“It´s open.”
The girl slid the door open for Misato and Tatsu, and the three entered the apartment. Candles were everywhere, the dim light shimmering as the door closed. Removing their shoes, Nakamura led them towards the room at the end of a short corridor, flanked by more sliding doors. It reminded Misato of her own apartment, only a lot cleaner and without the stench of stale beer. Gently sliding the door open, Nakamura stepped into the bedroom, also illuminated with candles. Misato squinted to make out the details of the room; on the far side was a simple bed, the covers neatly rolled into a cube with the pillow square on top. All around, the walls were covered with pictures and maps, their shadows coming to life in the flickering candlelight. Misato squinted, trying to read the writing on them without much success. The dimness of the room made her uncomfortable, being someone who had grown up used to the bright light from xenon bulbs. Next to the bed, crudely hammered into the plastered wall was some sort of homemade rack, holding several rifles and carbines. Straight ahead of them, leaning back against a desk, a smiling man greeted them cordially.
“Welcome. Let me introduce myself. I´m Gunny.” the man moved forward to shake Misato and Tatsu´s hands. As he did so, the major caught a glimpse of what was sitting on his table: books, more papers and maps, and a rather large combat pistol. “Pleased to meet you.”
“The pleasure is ours,” Tatsu politely replied, “I´m Tatsu, and this is-”
“Misato Katsuragi.”
Misato studied the man´s face after she spoke, but could read nothing. The man looked genuinely suprised and kept his smile, a smile which reached his eyes.
“Major Katsuragi?” he asked, in the exact tone as Nakamura had asked just a mere 10 minutes ago, “NERV´s Major Katsuragi?”
Misato smiled and nodded, to which Gunny smiled back and turned around to his desk. Opening a drawer, he reached inside and brought out a pistol. Misato´s smile slowly faded as she tensed up, ready to spring at any threat. However, as Gunny turned around again, instead of her looking at the black hole of the muzzle, the man was holding the gun by the front, offering the handle to her.
“I think you´ll want this. Might not be yours, but it´ll have to do.”
Confused, Misato looked down at the pistol, and burst out laughing. Engraved on the gun read the description “USP .45”.
Last edited by Voland on Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:05 pm, edited 4 times in total.
- esselfortium
- Angel
- Posts: 3392
- Joined: Aug 21, 2009
Yay! I'm glad you're still working on this :)
I noticed a couple of minor things I would've done a bit differently, take them or leave them:
I'd add something along the lines of "She contemplated for a moment, before adding" prior to the second bit of dialogue here, to more logically depict the thought process connecting the two quotes. As-is, the turnaround in the second sentence felt a bit sudden and unnatural to be.
Awkward phrasing here around the dashes and commas. Maybe something like, "After a procedure involving Misato first shouting, then shaking, Tatsu was finally woken up. Nakamura then led the pair upstairs towards the top of the apartment blocks."
Minor typo on "writing," but I think you can do better than "bad lighting" to set the atmosphere of the scene. Like, maybe... "Sharp, jagged shadows unevenly brushed across the maps and photos adorning the walls as the candles' flames flickered, creating a dim and uncomfortable contrast that Misato found difficult to acclimate herself to." Or maybe that'd be a bit much. I dunno.
Also, it'd be better to use ' instead of the ´ you've been using for apostrophes. In addition to ´ creating an unnecessary amount of spacing around the surrounding letters, it also doesn't play nicely with word wrap at the ends of lines, as it's treated as a word separator. If you really want a fancy apostrophe, try ‘ and its brother ’.
Looking forward to more :)
I noticed a couple of minor things I would've done a bit differently, take them or leave them:
“I´d appreciate a beer more than both of those things” Misato replied, smile still fixed on her face. “Although in our current situation, I guess we should be grateful we have anything at all.”
I'd add something along the lines of "She contemplated for a moment, before adding" prior to the second bit of dialogue here, to more logically depict the thought process connecting the two quotes. As-is, the turnaround in the second sentence felt a bit sudden and unnatural to be.
After finally managing to wake Tatsu up – a procedure involving Misato shouting, then shaking -, Nakamura led the two up the stairs towards the top of the apartment blocks.
Awkward phrasing here around the dashes and commas. Maybe something like, "After a procedure involving Misato first shouting, then shaking, Tatsu was finally woken up. Nakamura then led the pair upstairs towards the top of the apartment blocks."
Over the walls were pictures and maps, the writting on them unreadable in the bad lighting.
Minor typo on "writing," but I think you can do better than "bad lighting" to set the atmosphere of the scene. Like, maybe... "Sharp, jagged shadows unevenly brushed across the maps and photos adorning the walls as the candles' flames flickered, creating a dim and uncomfortable contrast that Misato found difficult to acclimate herself to." Or maybe that'd be a bit much. I dunno.
Also, it'd be better to use ' instead of the ´ you've been using for apostrophes. In addition to ´ creating an unnecessary amount of spacing around the surrounding letters, it also doesn't play nicely with word wrap at the ends of lines, as it's treated as a word separator. If you really want a fancy apostrophe, try ‘ and its brother ’.
Looking forward to more :)
Thanks for the feedback esselfortium, will get to work on those bits tomorrow...tbh, I kinda rushed chapter 4, feel a bit guilty not writting up anything at all in so long and leaving it half dead.
Chapter 5 should be up by next weekend ^^
EDIT: made most of the changes suggested
didn´t take away the dashes, just removed the comma for easier reading...also, just realised my keyboard is in spanish xD the ´ is actually an accent...will be using ' from now on :P
Chapter 5 should be up by next weekend ^^
EDIT: made most of the changes suggested
didn´t take away the dashes, just removed the comma for easier reading...also, just realised my keyboard is in spanish xD the ´ is actually an accent...will be using ' from now on :PIncomplete 1st half of chapter 5. I promised to upload this weekend, but I haven't managed to finish...and I don't want to rush things :(
Chapter 5
Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Shinji sat up in his bed, blinded by the slowly growing sun in the horizon. Birds chirped in the early morning, the sound so unfamiliar Shinji found it hard to identify. It was a strange feeling, hearing the call of another life form break the heavy silence that permanently wrapped Tokyo-3.
On the other side of the room, a sleeping Asuka rolled over and pulled the blankets over her head. The two of them were assigned the same apartment, and to Shinji's surprise, Asuka didn't mutter a single word of complaint. Shinji was still worried about her, but the redhead getting better ever since the training sessions started. However, Shinji's attempts at engaging conversation outside of training resulted in Asuka letting out a sigh and looking away, going as far as turning her back to him. What was worse, he didn't know what to say.
The only person in this world who will understand me...and yet I can't talk with her
Stretching as he got up, Shinji tiptoed over to Asuka's bed; she was awake, but barely acknowledged his presence. Shinji felt a stab in his heart as he looked at her. Asuka's hair was dry as straw, the usual gleam gone from the once beautiful red hair. Her eyes were bloodshot and watery, the redness starkly contrasting with her blue pupils.
“Asuka,” Shinji said. He didn't wait for a response before continuing; he knew there wouldn't be one, “I´m going down to get breakfast. I´ll bring yours as well."
“I'll come with you.”
Shinji stood speechless as Asuka kicked off her blankets and sat on the side of her bed. She wore only her underwear, but did not seem to be bothered by the staring boy in front of her. Quickly slipping into her jeans and blouse, Asuka started towards the door, still avoiding Shinji´s eyes.
* * *
Shinji took a deep breath, trying to keep his breakfast down - he could feel the powdered milk and bread churning inside. Picking up the rifle again, the boy continued sprinting towards the end of the road, zig-zagging between vehicles and makeshift barricades.
“MOVE UP YOU IDIOT!”
Asuka was down on one knee behind a van, nearly twenty meters ahead of him. Rifle in hand, she glared at Shinji as he scrambled to get to her, running as fast as he could.
“You just made me lose nearly ten seconds!” she scowled Shinji as he dropped next to her. Without another word, the girl got up and dashed towards the two men at the end of the road, an exhausted Shinji behind, trying his best to keep up with her.
“Fifty-three seconds,” Matsuo said as Shinji collapsed at his feet, gasping for air.
“Under thirty if I had done it on my own,” Asuka quickly replied. She was fuming over their bad times. Yesterday she had achieved the best results, even beating the trained NERV and JSSDF personnel, receiving Gunny's praise. Today however, she was paired with Shinji. And stupid Shinji was, in Matsuo's words, “the most useless kid I'd ever met”.
“Never mind that,” Gunny took Asuka and Shinji's unloaded rifles, swinging them over his shoulder. “Go ahead and get some rest. Live firing is in one hour, exact same location as last time. You two are up first.”
Asuka gave Gunny and Matsuo a mock salute and stormed off without waiting for Shinji, who quickly got up and followed. However, he didn't make it past the fifth stride when he gave off a loud belch, very much to Matsuo and Gunny's amusement. The two men watched as Shinji doubled over, hands resting on his knees, mouth half open. Moments later, the now half-digested breakfast came back up, splattering his shoes and the hems of his trousers. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Shinji looked up to see a repulsed Matsuo and a frowning Gunny.
“You better get some rest kid, don't over exercise yourself,” Gunny growled. Looking Shinji up and down, he added “And clean yourself up, Suzahara!”
At this the boy bolted upright, face red with embarrassment. Avoiding the two men's gaze, he gave a shy nod and continued after Asuka.
Chapter 5
Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Shinji sat up in his bed, blinded by the slowly growing sun in the horizon. Birds chirped in the early morning, the sound so unfamiliar Shinji found it hard to identify. It was a strange feeling, hearing the call of another life form break the heavy silence that permanently wrapped Tokyo-3.
On the other side of the room, a sleeping Asuka rolled over and pulled the blankets over her head. The two of them were assigned the same apartment, and to Shinji's surprise, Asuka didn't mutter a single word of complaint. Shinji was still worried about her, but the redhead getting better ever since the training sessions started. However, Shinji's attempts at engaging conversation outside of training resulted in Asuka letting out a sigh and looking away, going as far as turning her back to him. What was worse, he didn't know what to say.
The only person in this world who will understand me...and yet I can't talk with her
Stretching as he got up, Shinji tiptoed over to Asuka's bed; she was awake, but barely acknowledged his presence. Shinji felt a stab in his heart as he looked at her. Asuka's hair was dry as straw, the usual gleam gone from the once beautiful red hair. Her eyes were bloodshot and watery, the redness starkly contrasting with her blue pupils.
“Asuka,” Shinji said. He didn't wait for a response before continuing; he knew there wouldn't be one, “I´m going down to get breakfast. I´ll bring yours as well."
“I'll come with you.”
Shinji stood speechless as Asuka kicked off her blankets and sat on the side of her bed. She wore only her underwear, but did not seem to be bothered by the staring boy in front of her. Quickly slipping into her jeans and blouse, Asuka started towards the door, still avoiding Shinji´s eyes.
* * *
Shinji took a deep breath, trying to keep his breakfast down - he could feel the powdered milk and bread churning inside. Picking up the rifle again, the boy continued sprinting towards the end of the road, zig-zagging between vehicles and makeshift barricades.
“MOVE UP YOU IDIOT!”
Asuka was down on one knee behind a van, nearly twenty meters ahead of him. Rifle in hand, she glared at Shinji as he scrambled to get to her, running as fast as he could.
“You just made me lose nearly ten seconds!” she scowled Shinji as he dropped next to her. Without another word, the girl got up and dashed towards the two men at the end of the road, an exhausted Shinji behind, trying his best to keep up with her.
“Fifty-three seconds,” Matsuo said as Shinji collapsed at his feet, gasping for air.
“Under thirty if I had done it on my own,” Asuka quickly replied. She was fuming over their bad times. Yesterday she had achieved the best results, even beating the trained NERV and JSSDF personnel, receiving Gunny's praise. Today however, she was paired with Shinji. And stupid Shinji was, in Matsuo's words, “the most useless kid I'd ever met”.
“Never mind that,” Gunny took Asuka and Shinji's unloaded rifles, swinging them over his shoulder. “Go ahead and get some rest. Live firing is in one hour, exact same location as last time. You two are up first.”
Asuka gave Gunny and Matsuo a mock salute and stormed off without waiting for Shinji, who quickly got up and followed. However, he didn't make it past the fifth stride when he gave off a loud belch, very much to Matsuo and Gunny's amusement. The two men watched as Shinji doubled over, hands resting on his knees, mouth half open. Moments later, the now half-digested breakfast came back up, splattering his shoes and the hems of his trousers. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Shinji looked up to see a repulsed Matsuo and a frowning Gunny.
“You better get some rest kid, don't over exercise yourself,” Gunny growled. Looking Shinji up and down, he added “And clean yourself up, Suzahara!”
At this the boy bolted upright, face red with embarrassment. Avoiding the two men's gaze, he gave a shy nod and continued after Asuka.
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