Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ All That I Am ❯ Ninth Refrain ( Chapter 9 )

Evangelion Fanfiction

By Otaku D-Man

Standard Disclaimer.

Refer to the First Refrain

Author's Pre-Rant -

#Medical Warning#

Those with diabetes should avoid this episode. The WAFF and saccharine content is fairly high. You have been warned. (This means you, Sake Girl Duellist Miko. Although she may have OD'd during the last chapter)

But there is a reason. (Mainly the author just rambling, but that's a given) This is just fleshing out the relationship stuff. With the bland sort of things actual kids do. (It's been a number of years since I was a 14 year old, so bear with me. And remember this is rated PG!)

The real stuff starts with the Tenth Refrain. (Angst/Pain/Gendou etc)

All That I Am

Ninth Refrain - Expressions of Interest

NERV Headquarters - Cafeteria

Closing her eyes in frustration, Ritsuko suppressed the urge to inject her colleague and best friend with one of the many deadly toxins she had at her disposal. "Misato, just what the hell have you done? Commander Ikari is furious." Her eyebrow twitched furiously at the memory of her most recent conversation with the frightening individual known as Gendou Ikari.

Oblivious to the very real, palpable aura of rage surrounding the blonde scientist, Misato affected her best, 'Kami I'm Good and Don't I Know It', smile. "Not much. I just convinced the people holding the purse strings to spend some of it on upgrading Rei's apartment. I mean, have you seen that dump she was living in?"

Realising even direct interrogation was fruitless, Ritsuko slumped down into the cafeteria chair moaning dejectedly. "Misato, I would like to consider myself one of the few people willing to endure your periodic bouts of spontaneous insanity for the sake of our friendship." Continuing to frown, Ritsuko twirled her hand in the air. "But at some point you're going to cross the line and I won't be there to help you." She warned.

Misato simply chose to ignore her friend's concern. "It's not like they're having sex Ritsuko. Shinji and Rei are just sharing the same room." Looking back on it, Misato still couldn't fathom how two teenagers could share such a small, cramped room and still have spare closet space. <It's just not natural.>

Groaning at the obscene imagery her mind decided to provide, Ritsuko immediately began thinking of the possible ramifications to Pilot Synch scores and a certain Commanders reaction to the significant drop in performance. "Please tell me they're not sleeping together, please?"

"Jealousy's a terrible thing Ritsu-chan." Misato's frown was ruined by the sparkle of amusement twinkling in her eyes.

Ritsuko's eye's narrowed. "What are you implying Misato?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Misato replied a little too quickly. "Look, I solved that particular problem. Makoto-kun delivered the bunk beds yesterday." Her eyes glazed over slightly as she reminisced. "It was so cute. You should have seen how Shinji offered Rei the first pick of which bed she wanted. Didn't think she was the type that liked to be on top?" Misato stifled a laugh at her own double entendre.

Trying to change the subject, especially as their conversation was attracting a crowd of eavesdroppers, Ritsuko steered the conversation towards something that did interest her more than which sexual positions the Children enjoyed. "Just how did you manage to convince those tight-fisted, anal retentive bastards to cough up the cash? I have to fight tooth and nail to get what I want."

"I know." Leaning back, Misato looked off to the side. "I heard all about how the guys rejected your request for increased funding. How you went down there personally to," She tapped her chin." now how did he put it," Leaning over the table, Misato grinned. " see what arrangements could be made."

Ritsuko's face shifted through the colour spectrum, settling firmly in the scarlet section. "Lies! All lies I tell you!" She cried furiously.

Misato's index finger waved slowly in front of Ritsuko's emerald eyes. "That's not how I heard it. And apparently there are quite a number of witnesses that can verify it."

"Shut up Misato." She muttered, hoping that perhaps something rather unfortunate and painful would befall the rather smug Major.

"If you keep frowning like that, you'll get even more wrinkles." Misato cautioned. "And at your age you need to take care of yourself."

Ritsuko made a grab for her coffee mug, needing the reassuring flavour to settle her frazzled nerves. "What are you insinuating? I'm only a year older than you."

"Exactly." Misato replied, clinically inspecting her fingernails.

Misato's casual manner only further infuriated Ritsuko. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Older is older and unlike a fine wine, some things don't improve with age." Misato paused and reached out to touch Ritsuko's blonde hair. "Is that a grey hair?"

Slapping her hand away, Ritsuko stomped back towards her office. "Don't you have any real work to do?"

***

Streets of Tokyo-3

Asuka shook her head as she watched her two companions. "So explain to me just what we're doing again?"

"Teaching Rei-chan to ride a bike." Concentrating on keeping the bike steady, Shinji missed the wistful expression on Asuka's face while she watched him holding the bike that Rei was sitting on. "We've been over this a few times already Asuka." He said, gently guiding Rei along.

Having witnessed others utilising similar devices to journey from location to location, Rei had originally thought it a simple matter to master. "Shinji-kun and I have agreed to share new experiences together, Pilot Sohryu." While she was naturally gifted athletically, the infernal contraption, as she was now referred to it, appeared to have a mind of its own.

"And just why am I here?" Asuka asked no one in particular, her face turned to the sky.

"You wanted to come." Shinji replied. "In fact, you insisted."

"Gott, what was I thinking. Next time, tell me to reconsider." Asuka complained, remonstrating her decision to keep an eye on the young couple.

"Bored already?" Shinji absently wondered. Asuka had been spending a great deal of her free time with both himself and Rei. <She must still be upset with how Kaji-san is avoiding her.> He couldn't really blame the man. Having experienced Asuka's temper first hand, he suspected it was just one of the reasons he hadn't seen Ryouji loitering around the apartment lately. <Misato-san's still annoyed with him to.> He wondered what would be worse. Having to deal with an angry Asuka or a vengeful Misato. <I suppose once they killed you, it wouldn't really matter.> He mused, knowing full well that both women were capable of inflicting serious collateral damage.

"Watching you and Wonder Girl mooning over each other isn't my idea of a great time, you know." Looking out over the parkland, Asuka watched some of the other citizens of Tokyo-3 enjoying their precious free time. Seeing young couples wandering around, enjoying themselves only heightened the empty feeling inside.

Releasing his hold on the bike now that he was confidant that Rei was stable enough, Shinji turned to talk to Asuka. "Riding a bike's pretty exhilarating. You could always give it a try."

"Shinji-kun?" Rei said as she fought to maintain both her own balance and control over the handlebars.

"Why should I need to learn how to ride a bike?" Asuka flicked her hair back and then rested her hands on her hips. "It won't be long before I have a drivers licence." Then she'd have true freedom. Real independence.

"Shinji-kun?!" Rei repeated, a slight sense of urgency in her voice as the front wheel began wobbling.

Shinji recalled some of the tracks and trails he had encountered the first time he had run away after coming to Tokyo-3. "There're places you can go on a bike that you can't get to in a car." He smiled. "Besides, it's something fun to share with others. We could all go out for a day, you, me and Rei-chan, Ken, Touji and the Class Rep." He offered, hoping she'd take the opportunity to see something of the city they lived in. <Maybe it'll help take her mind off Kaji-san.>

"SHINJI-KUN!!" Rei called, her voice significantly louder than either Shinji or Asuka could ever recall hearing before.

Spinning around, Shinji looked for his girlfriend. "Yes Rei-chan. Rei-chan? Rei-chan!" Spotting the blue haired young girl gradually disappearing over an embankment, Shinji ran as fast as he could to catch up to her.

Running was something of a specialty for Shinji. In no time at all, he caught up to the wobbly, out of control bike and managed to catch Rei as she fell. Wrapping his arms protectively around her, he braced for the impact.

Opening her eyes, Rei found herself lying on top of Shinji, firmly embraced in his arms. She decided that she enjoyed this experience far more than attempting to ride a bicycle. "You did not have to that Shinji-kun. I nearly had it under control." Instead of extricating herself from the rather indiscrete position, she shifted to maximise their mutual contact. <Yes. Much more enjoyable than riding.>

Wincing as the resulting pain from his actions kicked in Shinji waited for Rei to move. "Nearly and actually are worlds apart Rei-chan." Shinji responded, praying his body didn't respond as well. "I just didn't want you to get injured." He whispered, eliciting a small smile from her as she rested comfortably against him.

"Thank you Shinji-kun." <Thank you for caring about me. For someone who is only a replaceable shell.>

Walking over to where the pair lay, Asuka nudged Shinji with her foot. "Jeez Baka, look at yourself. You're all messed up. Just think how Misato's going to react when we bring you back all bruised and cut up." Asuka thought back to each and every instance where their irresponsible guardian had practically groped the boy whenever he was even slightly injured or upset. <Who knows how she'll react if he ever actually died?> The thought of Shinji no longer being there, actually being gone for good, disturbed her. <Why should I care? Why do I care?>

"Misato-san will think you have simply taken offence when he has spoken out of turn." Rei opened her eyes to gaze up at German Pilot. "Again." She added with a tiny smirk.

Asuka's jaw dropped slightly. "Was that a joke First Children?"

Katsuragi/Ikari/Sohryu/(Ayanami) Residence

Standing in the bath anteroom, Shinji peeled off his clothes and threw them into the laundry basket. <Nothing like a hot bath to wash away the general aches and pains.> Just as he was about to grab his towel the sliding door to the bathroom flew open causing him to freeze in place.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Asuka screamed hysterically. "HENTAI! ECCHI! GET OUT, GET OUT!" Storming in, clad in her familiar red towel, she grabbed the poor boy and began ejecting him forcibly from the room.

Realising that he was completely bereft of clothing, Shinji struggled, albeit in vain, to somehow remedy the situation. "But Asu-. Hey watch where you're-"

"OUTOUTOUTOUTOUT!!!" Without realising she was doing so, Asuka gave Shinji a cursory once over, twice in some places. A warm sensation slowly began tickling her chest and began spreading throughout her body.

"Okay, I'm leaving already. Can I at least get dress-" Knowing Asuka had both the size and strength advantage, Shinji tried to reason with the now heavily blushing girl. <Why's she getting all flustered? I'm the one that's naked.>

Not believing him, regardless of the circumstances, Asuka shoved Shinji, none too gently, through the open doorway into the kitchen. "And stay out you pervert!"

Stumbling backwards, Shinji bumped into the table. Glancing up he found Asuka staring at him, her expression unreadable. As soon as she became aware that he was watching her she stuck her tongue out at him and closed the door. The lock clicking audibly.

"Now what am I supposed to do?" Shinji turned around, absently rubbing his rear where it had struck the edge of the table. He came to a complete standstill finding that he was not alone.

Misato had been sitting at the table going over her latest reports concerning the emotional and mental stability of her young wards when her train of thought was derailed by Asuka manhandling a very naked Shinji. "Shinji-kun, haven't we had this discussion before?" Her eyes dipped down, Shinji's eye's followed. "I thought you were going to start wearing a towel when you came out of the bathroom?" A broad smile lit her face as Shinji tried to preserve his remaining dignity by covering himself as best he could.

"But Asuk-" Shinji struggled to explain his predicament. Unfortunately, being naked in the kitchen with Misato wasn't helping his situation.

Misato simply continued, not allowing him to defend himself. "I wonder what Rei would say if I told her that her boyfriend likes to run around the apartment buck naked." Her eyes eventually lifted to look Shinji straight in the face. A face that was burning an almost incandescent crimson.

"Misato-san!" Embarrassed beyond imagining, Shinji stalked back to his room muttering about crazed redheads and lecherous old women.

Misato's eyes followed the firm posterior until it disappeared around the corner. "Maybe I should have told him that Rei is waiting in his bedroom." Shaking her head, Misato lifted her beer to polish it off. "Nah!"

Moments later a piercing shriek ruptured the silence. "AAAHHH!! Rei-chan!"

Misato raised an eyebrow as a flushed Rei stumbled into the kitchen, her eyes wide in amazement and her chest heaving. "What's the matter Rei? You look a bit out of sorts."

<I have witnessed Shinji-kun's naked body before. Why does it produce this tingling sensation?> Fighting to regather herself, Rei waited, catching her breath before replying. "That was most………….interesting." Pausing for a few seconds, she turned around and headed back towards hers and Shinji's room.

"Where are you going Rei?" Misato asked, interested in the girl's actions.

Without stopping, Rei answered. "I wish to confirm that reaction."

"Poor Shinji-kun." Misato shook her head, sympathising with a Fourteen Year old boy that was, for all intents and purposes, forced to live with three women, one of whom was his girlfriend.

"REI-CHAN!?" Shinji's voice reverberated through the apartment.

"A girlfriend who sees nothing wrong with sleeping with him and walking around the apartment naked." Misato chuckled, imagining just how Shinji was reacting to Rei's inquisitive nature.

"You do not have to get dressed for my benefit Shinji-kun, you are pleasing to look at." Rei's voice, while muted was still discernable through the walls.

"And now she finds she enjoys seeing him in the raw." Misato scribbled a few more comments down before closing the report. Leaning back, she spied Pen-Pen staring expectantly at his food dish then in the direction of Shinj's room. "You might want to give him a while Pen-Pen. Besides, Rei might take offence if you interrupt her fun."

Pen-Pen lowered his head, resigning himself to the fact that the Timid Food Provider was no longer exclusively his. Grabbing a beer and his towel, he decided a leisurely soak would help pass the time until the food was ready.

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!! Perverted bird! How did you get in here?" Asuka's cry shook the walls.

"Waaarkk?"

***

TOKYO-3 MunicipalHigh School

Taking a seat next to Shinji, Rei opened her bento, one that he had prepared for her, and posed a question that had been weighing on her mind. "Shinji-kun, what is considered an acceptable time frame for a relationship to develop fully?"

The question caught him a little unprepared. Ordinarily Rei rarely spoke, much less initiated conversation. Although that had changed to a degree now that they were kind of an official couple.

Sort of.

Shinji was just beginning to learn that the politics of teenage relationships was fraught with peril. "I'm not sure I understand Rei-chan." He admitted to himself that this was a major understatement. Considering this was his first actual relationship, everything he was doing was not too far removed from his normal behaviour.

Although if anyone happened to believe a certain red head, his normal behaviour was grossly perverted. Shinji briefly wondered whether he should ask Asuka why she thought he was a pervert.

He shivered at the consequences of pursuing that line of thought. All in all, Shinji was quite sure he could devise much simpler and less painful forms of suicide.

Chewing thoughtfully, Rei swallowed the food before continuing. "The material I am presently reading mentions that a certain amount of time is necessary to develop a relationship properly." Having accepted the role as Shinji's pretend girlfriend, Rei felt obligated to research the subject thoroughly. Now that she WAS his girlfriend, it was essential to better understand what Shinji desired from their newly formed partnership.

All things considered, Rei felt certain she knew what she expected from their partnership.

<So those were her magazines!> Shinji struggled with the revelation. Initially he had thought that perhaps Asuka had bought the rather gaudy teenage orientated magazines. He had been too afraid to even mention the subject to the highly volatile girl. "I guess so." He said. "Is it something important?"

"At what stage do we progress from being Boyfriend and Girlfriend to becoming Lovers?" Rei asked, genuinely interested in his response.

"LOVERS?!?" Shinji's outburst drew the unwelcome attention of every single person within the confines of the classroom. He quickly noted, with some relief, that Asuka and Hikari had both opted to eat lunch outside, while Touji was playing basketball and Kensuke was Kami knows where, most likely doing things that could get him expelled or worse.

To date, Asuka's reaction had been considerably more positive than he could have possibly ever imagined, although he felt a nagging sense of discontentment about her attitude. As of yet, both Touji and Kensuke were completely unaware of his newly acquired status of no longer being single. At some point he was going to have to tell them. <They are my friends. They probably have a right to know that Rei-chan and I are now an item.>

Unconcerned by the viewing audience their discussion had generated, Rei pressed her case, wanting, needing clarification on how and when things would proceed. "Yes. At what point do we progress from the emotional connection we have developed and establish a physical component to our relationship? The manual," She removed a magazine from her school satchel and held it up, pointing to a highlighted article for Shinji to read. "stresses that both people concerned should be willing to commit to such a level of shared intimacy." Waiting until she felt sufficient time had elapsed for Shinji to have read the article, Rei returned the magazine to her bag and waited patiently for his thoughts on the information the article contained.

Unfortunately Shinji had not been able to read more than a few lines. The explicit nature was more than his mind was able to process. "Physical?!? Intimacy?!?"

Delving into her satchel once again, Rei withdrew yet another magazine, similarly highlighted. "Other texts state that certain couples wait until formalising their bond in marriage." She said, offering the magazine to Shinji to peruse. "Although I have heard this is actually an outdated concept." Certain gossip spoken with hushed voices in the girl's toilets had confirmed this.

"Marriage?!?" Shinji squeaked amidst an ocean of catcalls, whistles and off-colour remarks. His world view began to blur until everything went a hazy grey.

"Shinji-kun? Are you unwell? Shinji-kun?" Rei placed her arms around the boy, concerned with the unusual hue his skin colour had adopted. <Is it normal for someone to turn such a pallid shade of blue?>

***

NERV Headquarters

"Hello Ritsuko-san. You wanted to see me?" Shinji's hesitant voice murmured from the office entrance.

Ritsuko stopped her source code verification check to smile at her young guest. "Come in Shinji-kun. Take a seat, I'll be with you in a moment." She quickly initiated a service routine for the security system.

Taking a seat nearest the door, more from habit than any real sense of fear, Shinji waited for Ritsuko to finish whatever it was she was working on. "Misato-san said the next harmonics test wasn't until tomorrow?" He fidgeted slightly watching Ritsuko examine a very disturbing probe-type device. "Did she get it wrong? Or am I here for another physical?" With the image of the probe still vividly fresh in his mind, he was prepared to run for all he was worth if that was the case.

NERV security would have to drag him back kicking and screaming, or at the very least sedated.

Ritsuko dropped the medical device, letting it clatter on the floor tiles. "Misato actually remembered?" She blinked twice before regaining her composure. "Wonders will never cease." Shaking her head, Ritsuko glanced over at her young guest.. She resisted the urge to laugh at how nervous he was. "No Shinji-kun, I didn't ask you in today for any surprise tests or check ups." Her smile became slightly less benign. "Unless you suddenly feel the need to strip and lie down on the examining table. I'm more than willing to oblige."

Watching her reach to retrieve the implement she had previously dropped, Shinji graciously decided to decline the 'oh so tempting' offer to lay naked on a cold metal bench for hours on end while Ritsuko poked, prodded and examined every inch of his frame. "Uhhmm ……. no …….. thank you Ritsuko-san." He breathed a quiet sigh of relief while she put the object away. "But if I'm not here for medical reasons," He made sure to remember to thank each and every divine being he had ever heard of or read about for this particular piece of good fortune. "why am I here?" He asked, knowing it couldn't be worse than NERV's idea of a medical examination.

"It's about you and Rei." Ritsuko answered. Strangely enough, her abject loathing of Rei had decreased of late, almost to the point where she could tolerate the albino girl. She surmised that Rei's increased interaction with Shinji was allowing the girl to develop something of a personality. A personality that freed her from the clutches of Commander Ikari. <If only I could free myself.>

"Rei-chan? Is there something wrong?" Shinji's expression suddenly grew concerned. His worry for Rei over-riding his own sense of self preservation.

Ritsuko felt a small pang of envy at his reaction. "No, nothing like that. It's more to do with how close the two of you have become. You've never been especially close to other people have you Shinji-kun?" While Gendou had abdicated his responsibility as a parent, regular updates on the whereabouts and psychological profile of his son had been regularly submitted to NERV. Even if Ritsuko was the only one that had taken time to review them.

"No Ma'am." With a will of it's own, his hand slowly began curling into a fist and then releasing.

Noticing the subconscious movement, Ritsuko felt a sense of deja-vu wash over her. She had witnessed the exact same action many times before. <I wonder how Shinji-kun would react if I told him that his father has the same idiosyncrasy?> "In a way, you're very similar to Rei. Her childhood was ……" Ritsuko searched for the appropriate term."…….. slightly different. She doesn't understand some of the more complex issues that can arise in a relationship. Considering that you're both teenagers living under the same roof, certain urges-"

Without meaning to, Shinji cut Ritsuko off. "Are you giving me 'The Talk' Ritsuko-san?" He blurted out.

Ritsuko offered the best understanding smile she could. "Not exactly. Why? Do you want me to expl-"

Once again Shinji cut her off, trying to salvage the impromptu conversation. "No! No thank you. Misato-san decided that it was part of her duty as my guardian. Her explanations were a little…….. confusing, but I managed to piece most of it together." Without really wanting to, he recalled the incident that led to the conversation taking place.

Having fallen asleep in the bath, Misato had naturally thought he had been 'entertaining' himself in a very typical teenage boy fashion. His red faced denial had only encouraged her.

"She was drunk wasn't she?" Ritsuko guessed, suspecting that her college friend was perhaps taking her guardianship a little too casually.

"Only a bit." Shinji admitted, not entirely comfortable snitching on Misato.

Suddenly Ritsuko's face became very serious. "She didn't mention anything about me, did she?" <Kami-sama! Who knows what she's told him?>

Shinji sifted through his memories of that night. He had desperately tried to forget most of what Misato had spoken of. Simply to preserve his own sanity. "There was something about eating carpet, but at the time I was still getting over the whole 'Learning how to control the gag reflex' demonstration." He shuddered at 'that' particular memory.

Sympathising with Shinji to a degree, Ritsuko moved to take a seat beside him. "Look Shinji-kun. I'm not going to tell you the facts of life." She rested a hand on his knee, ignoring his startled reaction. "I'm confidant that Misato has left enough educational material around the apartment to give you the general idea. Television and Schoolyard gossip should fill in any remaining blanks. I just wanted to let you know that ……. I'm on your side." She squeezed his knee gently, hoping to convey a sense of understanding.

"My side?" He stared slack jawed at the blonde woman who was acting almost friendly compared to her normal demeanour.

Nodding to confirm her earlier declaration, Ritsuko leaned in closer. "Rei, yourself and Asuka carry a heavy burden. We sit back and send the three of you out to save the world." Her emerald eyes felt a slight sense of disconcertion, losing themselves in his midnight blue ones. "You know better than most that each time you head out could be your last."

"What are you getting at Ritsuko-san?" Shinji shifted in his seat, feeling uncomfortable with Ritsuko's close proximity.

Not willing to let him escape so easily, Ritsuko leaned even further across, until her nose was almost touching his. "If you can find a little piece of happiness, something that makes all the pain worthwhile, don't let it go." She could feel his sweet, warm breath across her lips. "You should do everything in your power to hold on to it. Do you understand?" Seeing how distressed he was with her presence, Ritsuko released her hold, allowing him some breathing room.

With his heart still pounding fiercely in his chest, Shinji stood to leave. "I think so."

"Now I know Misato bought bunk beds for your room, but Shinji-kun……."

"Yes?" He inwardly cringed. Ritsuko's smile was starting to resemble Misato's. This couldn't be good, he just knew it.

"Please try NOT to get her pregnant." Ritsuko added idly, knowing full well that it was impossible for Rei to fall pregnant.

"Ritsuko-san?!" Shinji exclaimed. <How could she think I would treat Rei-chan like that?>

Waving the boy's frantic cries and denials away, Ritsuko returned to her workstation and the mountain of work she still had to complete before she could retire for the night. "I'll see you tomorrow Shinji-kun."

"Yeah ……….. tomorrow." He muttered, wondering whether both Misato and Ritsuko regularly got together to discuss just how to make his life a living misery.

Ritsuko waited until she was absolutely certain that Shinji was gone, checking his passage through NERV via the security cameras. Satisfied that no one would interfere, she reached for the phone. Just as she was about to pick it up it began ringing. "Are you happy now?" She said, knowing full well who was on the other end.

"Your performance was satisfactory, Doctor Akagi." The ruthless voice of Gendou Ikari spoke. "Perhaps you missed your true calling?"

"What do you hope to gain from this Gendou?" She inquired, not really expecting an answer.

"The means to an end."And then the line was silent, leaving Ritsuko alone with her thoughts of the man she loved. A man who would never love her back, his capacity to love lost to a tragedy a decade earlier.

***

End Ninth Refrain

Tbc

Authors Post-Rant -

Well, that's enough sugar I think. It's time for the Twelfth Angel to arrive. Remembering the TV series, this is when the darkness kicked itself into gear. While the WAFF element will still be there (This a romance story after all.) the level of angst becomes slightly more noticeable. As always, I'll skip most of the Battle scenes (watch the series again to fill in the blanks.) and concentrate more on the after effects and people type stuff.

Just to clear things up -

- The Bike scene was inspired by an image I saw of Rei and Shinji in one of my recent Japanese Newtype 'zines. I'll have to scan it one of these days.

- Rei reading teen magazines? At her age, what better source of (Mis)information.

- No. Ritsuko is not going to suddenly develop an insatiable Shinji-fetish. (In this story, that's Rei's job.) Essentially, she sees something special in Shinji that she wishes was part of Gendou.

Although the idea of a Shinji / Ritsuko love story does sound intriguing. I'll have to think about that one. It would take a fair bit of manipulation of Evangelion Canon to pull it off properly. (Maybe for something to do when I get a few spare minutes in my 37 hour days!)

As always, post your reviews here at FFN (Or where ever you find this).

Any other comments, thoughts etc are welcome at -

otaku_dman@yahoo.com.au.

Ja Ne