Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ The First ❯ Session One: Testing the Waters ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THE FIRST

Written by: SaxonBlue


The characters and events in Neon Genesis Evangelion are created and copyrighted by Gainax, Project Eva and ADV Films (amongst others). These are used entirely without permission. Sorry.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The First created and copyrighted by Nigel Read 1999. This work may not be used or distributed without the prior permission of the author. In particular, the character of Dr Hiroshi Takamura remains the intellectual property of the author.


Author's Comments

This fanfic arose out of my obsession with a single character from Neon Genesis Evangelion - the inscrutable Rei Ayanami. My friends snicker when I explain try to explain this obsession with a fictional girl almost exactly half my age. They don't understand. Wait ... I don't understand! Help!

At the time I commenced this story I had read, and enjoyed, quite a few NGE fanfics, but I was disappointed by the number of fanfics in which Rei was entirely OOC (out of character). In many, Rei began to freely express her emotions, and in some she went so far as to initiate sexual relations with Shinji. Few of these fanfics gave any reasonable explanation for this sudden transformation.

Not that Rei isn't capable of a transformation. In fact, the original series gives an inkling of this, particularly in her relationship with Shinji. But I firmly believe that if such a transformation were to take place it would be gradual, not sudden, and would have limits. And that is the basis for Neon Genesis Evangelion: The First.

The format of the story is very simple. In fact, I'm surprised nobody thought of it before. I mean, it would seem only reasonable that after having put the children through the trauma of piloting the Evangelion units, that NERV would provide them with counselling ...

Enter Dr Hiroshi Takamura ...


Session One: Testing the Waters

Saturday, 26th September, 2015 - a few days after the defeat of the 5th Angel

There was a single, gentle knock at the door.

His brown eyes narrowing, Dr Hiroshi Takamura looked up from the report he had been studying. At first he was tempted to ignore the unwanted interruption, but then he called out "Enter!"

The door slid open, revealing Rei Ayanami in her school uniform.

"Rei!" exclaimed the doctor, surprised. "What can I do for you?"

"It is time," replied the girl enigmatically.

"Time?"

"Yes. For our appointment."

Takamura glanced up at the wall-clock. It showed 10:00.

"If it is inconvenient I shall return at another time," said Rei.

"No, that's all right," said the doctor quickly. "I just hadn't realised how much time had passed. Come in. Take a seat."

Rei entered the room and sat as instructed, her pale hands crossed demurely in her lap.

Takamura took a small recording device out of a desk drawer and placed it on top of the desk. "Do you know why you're here?"

"Yes," replied Rei. "Captain Katsuragi ordered me to come here."

If not for the lack of expression on the girl's face, Takamura would have thought that Rei was teasing him. He turned on the recorder, searching for a way to rephrase the question. "Do you know what my job at NERV is?"

"Yes," replied Rei. "You are a psychologist."

"I am your psychologist, Rei," corrected Takamura, "and Shinji's too. But that's not what I meant. What is my task?"

"You are to assess the psychological impact of piloting the Evangelion units," answered Rei.

"That's right. But I'm also here to help you with any problems you may be having. You see, I'm not just a psychologist, I'm also your counsellor." Then on an impulse he added "Do you have any problems, Rei?"

Rei simply stared blankly at the doctor.

"No, I guess not," continued Takamura with a sigh. He studied the girl closely. With her pale skin, cobalt-blue hair and red eyes, she was physically so ... different. "Is that your natural hair colour?"

For once, Rei was momentarily nonplussed. "I do not understand."

"Well, it's such an unusual colour. Is it dyed, or is it natural?"

"Dyed?" queried Rei.

"A lot of women put dye in their hair to change its colour. Captain Katsuragi, for one."

Rei appeared confused, and for a moment Takamura felt that she was going to ask a question. Then her features returned to their normal impassive state. "My hair has always been this colour."

Takamura studied Rei a little more. "Does it bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

"Does it bother you that you're so different?"

"It is not important."

"Well, you could be right," conceded Takamura. "But that doesn't really answer my question."

"My appearance does not bother me. Does it bother you?"

The question surprised Takamura. "No, it doesn't. Actually, I think it's quite ... interesting. What about your friends? What do they think of your appearance?"

"I do not know."

The doctor sighed, running one hand through his short, auburn hair. "Do you have many friends?"

"Dr Takamura, I do not understand the purpose of these questions."

Takamura looked at the girl closely, but could discern no sign of emotion. Nevertheless, Rei did seem to be evading his question. He fumbled in his desk drawer for a pad and pencil, and made a quick note. "Rei, are you a qualified psychologist?"

"No, Dr Takamura."

"Well, I am. So, just because you don't understand the purpose of my questions, that doesn't mean there isn't one."

"Yes, Dr Takamura."

"Now, do you have many friends?"

"No, Dr Takamura."

"Rei, don't do that," said Takamura through gritted teeth. "I'm not Captain Katsuragi. I'm not here to give you orders, so you don't need to end every answer with 'Dr Takamura'."

"Yes, sir."

"No, no, no!" exclaimed Takamura, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Don't call me 'sir'. That's even worse." He massaged his forehead with the thumb and index finger of his left hand. After a while he added "You could call me Hiroshi, you know."

"Yes, Hi-" Rei paused, unable to finish. Then, with sudden inspiration, she simply concluded "Yes, Takamura-san".

The doctor smiled at the use of the honourable title. "So be it. Takamura-san, it is. But don't wear it out." He paused, having lost track of the line of questioning. "Ah, yes. Friends. So you don't have many friends. That's okay, neither do I." He paused. "So, who are your friends?"

Rei turned her head and calmly studied a bookcase on the far side of the room.

After a brief while Takamura simply said "I see." He doodled absently on his notepad. "I had my first appointment with Shinji yesterday. He seems like a nice boy."

Takamura was taken aback when Rei's face flushed red. He quickly jotted down a note. "What's your impression of him?" he asked, quick to take advantage of this unexpected development.

"Pilot Ikari is ... very complex," said Rei, still staring at the bookcase.

Takamura frowned. He hadn't found Shinji to be at all complex. But the girl in front of him ... now that was a different matter. "Are you and Shinji friends?"

"I do not know. Before the last mission we quarrelled, and I struck him. But then, after the mission he was kind to me."

"Tell me what happened then."

"When he opened the hatch of the entry-plug, he cried," she said, her voice so soft the doctor could hardly even hear the words. "He seemed ... he seemed concerned for my welfare." She paused, her gaze dropping to her lap. "I did not know what to do."

"You were embarrassed?"

"No. I did not know what to do. I told him so, and he said that I should smile."

"Did you smile?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It seemed to be ... required."

"What were you feeling at that moment?"

"I cannot say. I was very confused."

"Why were you confused?"

"I was having difficulty interpreting his behaviour. He kept on crying. And he said things I did not fully understand."

"Such as?"

"He instructed me not to say certain things."

"What things?"

"He instructed me not to say goodbye before a mission, and not to say I had nothing else."

"Nothing else?"

"Before the mission Pilot Ikari asked me why I piloted the Evangelions."

"And the reason you gave was that you had nothing else."

"It was one of the reasons I gave."

"Why do you think those comments upset him?"

"I do not know."

"Perhaps, in light of your actions during the mission, he may have thought you did not expect to survive the mission." He paused, waiting for a response from Rei.

An icy silence descended on the room. And, with sudden insight, Takamura realised that he had made an error in judgement in raising this issue, and that he urgently needed to change the subject. He made a quick note, then continued. "Earlier, I think you said that you'd had an argument with Shinji. What was that about?"

Rei turned to face him, her eyes flashing dangerously. "He had insulted Commander Ikari."

"And that angered you?"

"Yes. He was disrespectful."

"Maybe Shinji does not feel that his father has done anything to earn his respect," Takamura commented.

"Nevertheless, Commander Ikari is his father," said Rei firmly.

Takamura leaned forwarded, his interest piqued by this reply. "But when Shinji was young, his father abandoned him."

"Commander Ikari has said otherwise ... that he did not abandon him ... that Pilot Ikari ran away."

"Do you believe that?"

Rei considered for a moment, then said "Yes".

"You believe the Commander over Shinji."

Rei just nodded.

"So, why do you think Shinji might have run away?" asked Takamura.

"I do not know." Rei paused. "Perhaps ..." She paused again.

"Perhaps what?"

"Perhaps Commander Ikari was inattentive."

At that moment the recorder stopped. "Excuse me," said Takamura, as he replaced the cartridge. He started the recorder again, and leaned back in his chair. He crossed his hands in front of his mouth in a perfect imitation, had he known it, of Commander Ikari. "All right. Let us suppose that Shinji was not abandoned, that he ran away instead. And let us suppose that he did so because, after the death of his mother, his father did not pay sufficient attention to him. Okay, here's a hypothetical. If you had been in Shinji's place, would you have done the same?"

Rei pondered the question for a moment, then said "No".

"And why is that?"

"It would not have served any purpose," said Rei confidently. "It did not serve any purpose. Nothing was changed by running away. A problem can only be resolved by confronting it."

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing," muttered the doctor to himself.

"Takamura-san?" queried Rei.

"Oh, nothing." Takamura fidgeted with his pencil, momentarily at a loss as to how to proceed. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

Rei stared at the doctor blankly.

"Nothing, eh?" continued Takamura. "Oh well." He looked up at the wall clock. "There's still eight minutes left." He looked at Rei again. "Do you have any hobbies?"

Once again, Rei looked back blankly.

"You know, recreational activities," added Takamura.

Rei thought for a moment. "I swim."

"That's good!" exclaimed Takamura. "A hobby. Great. Now, why do you swim?"

"It is physical activity. It keeps me fit."

"And there's no other reason?"

Rei looked puzzled.

"I mean," continued Takamura, "there's plenty of other ways to keep fit. Running. The gym. So why swimming in particular."

"I ..." hesitated Rei. "The water ... is ... soothing."

"In what way?"

"It is comfortable ... no, familiar," said the girl, struggling to express herself.

"Calming?" suggested Takamura, jotting down a note.

Rei though for a moment, then nodded.

"Personally, I like to fence," said the doctor.

Rei looked at the doctor blankly.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" asked Takamura, smiling.

"No, Takamura-san."

"I fight with fencing swords, sabres mostly," explained Takamura.

Rei looked confused.

"You wish to ask me something?" asked Takamura.

"Yes, Takamura-san," replied Rei. "It is not clear ... who do you fight?"

"There's a group of us who meet every Sunday morning," explained Takamura. "We kit up ... fight a bit ... and then afterwards we have lunch together and chat."

Rei looked taken aback by this. "Why would you fight if ... if you did not have to?"

"Well," replied Takamura carefully. "We don't fight to hurt each other. Rather the opposite - we're very safety-conscious. We just do it for fun."

"I see."

"No you don't," contradicted Takamura. He paused briefly. "You should join us tomorrow. You might enjoy it."

"Yes, Takamura-san."

"That wasn't an order, you know."

"No, Takamura-san."

"No, no!" exclaimed Takamura. "You're doing it again!"

"I apologise, Taka-" Rei stopped suddenly.

"That's better," said Takamura, smiling. He looked up at the clock again. "Time's up. Shall I pick you up at 8.30 tomorrow, then?"

"Yes, Ta-" Again, Rei stopped mid-sentence.

"Good," said Takamura. "Goodbye, Rei."

"Goodbye." She stood and walked to the door.

"Rei," called Takamura as she slid open the door. "That would have been an appropriate time to use my name."

"Yes, Takamura-san," she replied, before closing the door behind her.

The doctor threw up his hands in frustration.

====================

Five minutes later there was another knock at the door. Before Takamura could respond, the door slid open and Dr Ritsuko Akagi entered, a clipboard tucked under her arm.

"Good morning, Dr Takamura," she said pleasantly, taking a seat. "So, how did your first session with Rei go?"

"Well," replied Takamura cryptically. He studied Ritsuko cautiously. "She is very interesting ... from a psychologist's perspective, that is."

"Of course," said Ritsuko with a sly smile. "So, did you come to any conclusions."

"Not really," admitted Takamura. He paused briefly. "Well, perhaps one."

"And what was that?"

"That her existing psychological evaluation is a pile of horse-shit."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"Not really."

"I see."

A brittle silence descended on the room.

"Look, Dr Akagi," said Takamura patiently, "you'll get an interim report in due course. Until then, I'd appreciate it if you didn't bug me."

"Fine. When can I expect this report."

"Well, certainly not after only one session."

"Then when?"

"I really can't say. As soon as I've got something definite to say."

"And when will that be?"

"Goodbye, Dr Akagi," said Takamura firmly, rising from his seat.

Ritsuko stared balefully at Takamura for a moment, then rose and left the room.

"I wonder when she had her last psych evaluation," muttered Takamura to himself.


More Author's Comments

This first 'session' was extraordinarily difficult to write. Dr Takamura's job is to listen to Rei, but Rei is the type of person who does not usually speak until spoken to, and even then does so briefly and concisely. For a psychologist, Rei might be an interesting subject, but she's also damn hard work. And it was damn hard work to write.

Potentially, this series could be virtually endless - there is certainly enough material. Nevertheless, it will have to have a conclusion, although I haven't yet decided what that will be. As to plans for a similar series on the other children - well, I don't think so ... okay, maybe I might do one on Asuka.

I would appreciate your comments on this story (short of hate mail, that is). My current email address is nread@transport.wa.gov.au. Look out for Session Two: Cut and Thrust.