Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Unfamiliar ❯ Act I : Rain Dance ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Neo Genesis Evangelion or anything accosiated with it ganix does, wish I did, but I don’t so don’t sue me please? >.<

Author’s notes: all types of criticism is welcome including flames, actually I get a kick out of reading them. This story is my first posted on the internet ever and I don’t think it’s really any good at all, I’d very much appricaite help with it if you’d like to offer! I haven’t really went thorough the final editing because well.....I’m lazy -_-‘ hehe sorry if it’s a bit rough around the edges. I don’t know what I was thinking when I came up with the story line really, it just kinda flowed out every day during my phyc. class, mabey that’s why it’s so strange? Well I hope you enjoy and please please please review!!!! tell me honestly what you think, even if you hate it! Enjoy!

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“unfamiliar” the word slipped seamlessly from the lips of a young, tired boy. He lay motionless on an ancient, tiny, dust filled futon in an apartment much the same. His eyes fixed upon a ceiling, his ceiling. He had seen it so many times before but on mornings like this it seemed as if it had changed, come alive and looked down on him like a mother would her child. Today it was a look of disdain and despair, cold emotions to match the cold rains of the day.

     He had awoke in his living room which was surprisingly the warmest room in his home. The walls of the room, he could still recall, used to be a pristine white but now they held a tainted yellow tinge, soaked through with a deep coat of nicotine. The paint had begun to peel back and chip off leaving scraps of dull yellow lying in the corners and under the window seals. At the front of the room was the door to his apartment, the heavy wooden door was always unlocked, he had long ago given up his sense of privacy and did not bother to keep it lock, anyways there was nothing of value in his home to steal, not even his life was worth taking from him. To the right of the front door was a hallway that lead to a small bed room and a bathroom and to the left of the door was a tiny kitchen that housed a frigid that was nearing the end of it’s life and rattled and sputtered through the night and a fairly new stove along with a sink. In the center of the room was a small tan couch and in front of it was a coffee table. Countless items were scattered upon the surface of the coffee table from pieces of paper crumpled or folded and strewn amiss to a small green ash tray that sit full of cigarette filters and ashes.

   The air in the apartment was stagnant and hung heavy with the ever present smell of alcohol, cigarettes, and sex. His eyes followed a silvery stream of smoke from a smoldering cigarette left lit and alive to burn through the night in the ash tray among countless dead cigarettes that had already been used and were left there to await being thrown into the trash. The smoke lazily flowed across the room like a slow river of quicksilver as his eyes followed until they came to rest upon a blind less window.

     It was raining heavily outside his pathetic joke of a home. The heavy drops of rain were being thrown upon the delicate glass of the window, causing it to shake and rattle franticaly. The sky would let not even a single ray of light down to those below wiping away all hope of a sunny afternoon from their hearts. ‘ This weather suites me doesn’t it, Auska?’ A vision of a young girl with fiery red hair and an attitude to match flashed through his mind, followed by a flurry of images form earlier in his life. His face pulled into a frown as the memories went by. ‘that’s not who I am anymore, that me died when I ran away that day...’

    A blast of classical music broke him from his reverie and back to the run down building he called home. His hand fell deftly on the head of his penguin shaped alarm clock that lay next to the futon as if he had done so a thousand times before. The music was instantly silenced as he slowly sat up, the blanket that had covered him through out the night fell to his waist exposing his bare skin and the countless scars etched into it to the cold air of the room. A shiver ran through out his body as the cold nipped and snapped at him but he didn’t care. Turning his head to the clock, it flashed 5:30 repeatedly and quickly, so fast that he couldn’t catch it the first time and his eyes had to stay fixed on it until he caught it. flashing again, red letters scrolled across reading May 19th, time for work, club job tonight at 8:00. He sighed deeply, his breath flowed out in a visible puffy cloud and soon disappeared into the air as he raised up off his futon to prepare for the day ahead. “You know... if you keep sighing like that you’ll sigh all your happiness away”. The young boy’s head snapped towards the origin of the lively female voice and found a slightly older looking woman standing in the open door to his apartment.

     The woman had silky, long, raven black hair the fell to her waist inattentively and sharp dark brown eyes that made him shudder with a single look. She had pale fair skin that made her hair seem darker than it really was. She closed the small umbrella that she was using which apparently had some holes in it because her black leather jacket and the red shirt she wore under it were slightly wet. More surprising to the boy was that her black pants were completely soaked through. The boy gave her a look of curiosity that seemed to beg for an explanation. “I was splashed by a car on the way here, the driver didn’t even stop to say sorry” she said, a cheerful smile spread across her face.

She was always a strange person, he thought. She had continuously insisted on walking to work with him on rainy days instead of just picking him up in her car. .She had told him it was because the rain was a beautiful work of natuer that shouldn’t be wasted by staying indoors all day. He could never quite tell what was running through her mind but that didn’t matter, she always told him wether he wanted to know or not. He liked that about her, she wasn’t like other women, she always said what was on her mind instead of playing games, hoping he would figure it out and appease her.

    As she stepped inside the apartment closing the door behind her the young boy walked down a narrow hallway passing by two doors until he came to a washer and dryer at the end. Opening the dryer he shifted some cloths around until he found a pair of wrinkled black jeans and an equally wrinkled pair of black slacks. Placing them on the top of the dryer he continued to look through for more cloths. Finally finding a white button down short sleeve shirt and a pair of black boxers he walked back into the den with the cloths. He found the older woman drinking a cup of coffee on his couch, her feet resting on the coffee table next to her pair of neatly folded pants. He tossed her the extra pair of jeans and she smiled a simple thanks to him. The look in her eye though said she’d rather not wear anything at all, it was a look he saw often. Putting the cup of coffee down she slid the pair of jeans on with ease. He didn’t know what was scarier; the fact that she always knew what he was going to do or the fact that if he ever felt the need to he could easily fit into her clothing.

         Folding his futon he placed it in the corner of the room that wasn’t leaking form the roof, he began to change as well. Taking off his boxers and putting on the new ones and the slacks, a smirk drew on the woman’s face “not very modest anymore now are we?” Her smirk grew to a wide perverted grin as she continued “I guess that I’m a bad influence on you aren’t I?” He could feel her presence behind him now as she draped her arms around his shoulders,pressing her chest against his back he fekt warm spred through out his body, and lightly tracing the grooves of the many scars on his chest with her finger. “ but is that such a bad thing?” she whispered into his ear. Cupping his chin in her hand she turned his head towards hers and pressed her lips to his. Her tongue licked his lips begging for entrance and he obliged, slightly parting his lips as her tongue darted in. A low moan came from the deep in his throat as they continued. Pulling away she whispered again into his ear “oh so you like this don’t you? You a very bad boy”. Her voice taunted him with a sultry tone tempting him to give into the lusty thoughts that ran through his mind at a mile a minute.

       The young boy pushed her arms from around him as she went back to pick up where she had left off. She pouted and whimpered, a saddened expression on her face trying to make him give into guilt as he put his shirt on, hearing her whimper a small tinge of guilt ran through him but he wasn’t going to give into her. He turned so he could see her out of the corner of his eye and said “why do you always have to be so childish? Hurry up and get dressed I wanna get finished with the deliveries for today. I’ve got a gig at the club tonight”. Finished getting dressed he moved towards the hall picking up her wet pants as he went and placed them in the washer with some of his cloths as well. “ Awww you no fun shinji-kun, don’t you love me any more?” the woman called in a slightly faux hurt voice from the den as she went back to sipping her cup of coffe. “ I never loved you in the first place shizune-sama, how could I love a kidnaping cradle robber?” shinji asked nonchalantly as he came back into the den carrying two small black umbrellas.

       Shizune’s face was one of actual hurt this time “that wasn’t very nice, if I recall you’re the one that seduced me.” shinji rolled his eyes as he picked up a folded sheet of paper from the coffee and slipped it into his back pocket along with his wallet. handing her an umbrella he took the one Shizune had used to walk here and threw it into the trash in his kitchen as he replied “then you have a bad memory because you’re the one that slipped me a drug and took me home like some little lost puppy” he turned and walked to the door, opening it and standing in the doorway he turned his head slightly back to her “ that was the first mistake, meeting me I mean, it was your first of ten” shizune looked puzzled and shinji had to admit she looked really cute like that. He opened his umbrella he walked out into the rain and down the stairs to the side walk below. “ your still lost aren’t you shinji?” she whispered to her self under her breath. She ran out of the apartment and closed the door behind her as she ran quickly to catch up with shinji. Walking along side him she asked “ the first of ten? So what are the other ones?” shinji just smirked as they walked through the rain. She was definitely a very curious person once you got her interested she wouldn’t give up on it until she was satisfied that she knew everything about it. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you about them eventually” shizune pouted again, making puppy dog eyes in order to try and pry it out of shinji but she already knew it wouldn’t work. “Your so unfair Shinji-kun!” she cried in defeat frowning as shinji smirked.

The rest of the walk was spent in relative silence, a few “have you been eating right”s and “are you taking care of your self”s were exchanged but mostly only the sound of rain drops bouncing off the silken plastic of the umbrellas down onto the ground below. As they rounded a corner they came to a small old shop nestled between two more modern looking office buildings.

   Unlike it’s gigantic foreboding neighbors which gave off a cold sterile impersonal feeling to anyone unfortunate enough to look at it them or god forebid enter them, the shop gave off a feeling of warmth and welcome. On either side of the glass door in the middle of the building grew long walls of ivy littered with the small light purple flowers of morning glory making the building look much older than it really was. On sunnier days a few humming birds could be seen fluttering about quickly like a ballet performer through the air moving back and forth from flower to flower. A wooden sign, which seemed just as old the building, swinging creakily back and forth in the howling winds read ‘the cats paw delivery service’.

  Pulling a small ring of keys form his pocket, shinji opened the door and walked into the shop followed by Shizune. As he walked in he turned the plastic closed sign over to open and placed it in the window as shizune flipped a light switch turning on a few florescent lights in the small front room. The room was warm much to the pairs delight. A large wooden counter stretched from on wall to the opposite side in the back of the room, blocking the door behind it that lead to the back room. Also behind the counter was a coat rack from which a large brown coat and hat hung. “Oh Tommy-kun must be here today, I was hoping Runa-chan would be in instead.” she said with slight disappointment as she closed and handed the umbrella back to shinji and hopping over the waist high counter heading to the back room. “ I’m going to check the delivery list for today, would you mind cleaning up a bit around here please?” she asked walking through the door into the back room. Shinji nodded out of habit and went to work on the room. Picking up small bits of trash here and there and organizing papers on the counter, shinji began to think about the small sheet of paper he slipped into his pocket earlier. Pulling it out and unfolding it he scanned the page. Smirking at him self as he read the line ‘prestigious club’. ‘Ha, prestigious club my ass’ he thought to him self ‘this place is just a glorified mafia front, but at least I got another job. I really need the money’. Shinji was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the middle aged man standing behind him.

          Tapping him on the shoulder shinji jumped in fright and turned to face him. The man wore a dark blue suit with a matching tie and was fairly tall, almost a foot taller than shinji who was 5'8 him self. His hair was grease, black, riddled with a few stray strands of gray hair, and pulled back into a pony tail that reached his shoulder. a small grin was apparent on his face accentuating his strong jaw line and eyes as blue as Shinji’s . The middle aged man gave him a carious look as he began to speak “sorry did I scare you? I just wanted to know if you were waiting for an employee or if you work here?” He spoke with a strong German accent reminding Shinji of the fiery red head girl he once knew. “I work here, do you need a something delivered or are you here to pick something up?” he asked hesitantly. The man placed his hands on his hips “ neither, I was actually looking for someone who worked here and I was wondering If you could help me. Oh, I’m sorry I haven’t introduced my self, how rude of me! My name is Aurther, Aurther McClain nice to meet you.” he held out his right hand and Shinji shook it “ I’m Takuya Matsumoto” he lied “so who were you looking for?”. Shinji stopped shaking his hand and hopped over the counter and turned to Aurther. “ A young boy, around you age I think, his name is Shinji Ikari. Would he be here right now?”

     Shinji was cautious now as he continued his conversation, his voice never betraying his trepidation to answer. “no he just went out on his deliveries about twenty minutes ago, he won’t be back all day. For some reason people like to send things around the rainy season, causes a lot of problems for use you know? What did you need him for? I can relay a message for you if you like.” The man looked slightly disappointed as he snapped his fingers. Pulling a small green note book and a pen out of his coat pocket he opened the note book and wrote something down on a sheet of paper. Tearing it out he handed it to Shinji as he said, his voice in a deadly serious tone. “make sure he gets this message, it’s from a very important person to him and he needs to read it.” his voice turning back to one filled with joy and optimism and putting on a large warm smile that made him look a harmless old man he continued, “well actually I think I do have something for you to deliver as well, do you go to Tokyo 3?”

      Pulling a small box wrapped in shiny red paper and a small red bow and placing it on the counter. “I’d like this to get to a miss Asuka Langly Soury in apartment number 106 of the sky terrace apartment buildings please.” Shinji tensed a little but too the small package and placed it on a small scale on the counter. “Alright then, please fill out this form and when would you like it to be delivered?” Shinji asked him. Taking the form from Shinji and filling it out he said “ anytime three months from now will be fine” handing the form back to Shinji “how much will it be?” he asked. Shinji typed a few things on a small desktop computer on the counter and then turned back to arther and told him “that’ll be 557 yen please” with a smile. Handing over the amount Aurther smiled thanked him and turned to leave. Stopping right before he opened the door to leave he turned back to Shinji pulling an envelope out of his coat pocket and handing it to him “I almost forgot” he said with a deep chuckle “please give this to Shinji also.” with a small bow he thanked Shinji and left the shop.

       Shinji was overwhelmed and sat down wearily in a chair behind him. Thinking over every thing that just happened made his head spin slightly. ‘Who was that guy, why was he here. Why was he looking for me and how did he find me?’ remembering the note and envelope he was handed he picked them up from the counter where he placed them and examined the envelope first. It was every fancy and elaborately decorated, the edges were embroider with a gold lace and his name was written on the front in a thin cursive style font. Opening it he pulled a single folded piece of paper out of it. Unfolding it, he read the words ‘YOUR INVITED TO THE WEDDING’ in purple letters. He was really interested now as he unfolded the rest and read it. ‘ THE WEDDING OF MISATO KATUSRAGI AND KAJI RYUJO!’. “So that’s your old guardian that’s getting married isn’t it?” a voice came from behind him as he felt a weight on the back of the chair. Turning his head he found him self staring into the face of a man around the age of shizune. The man’s faced looked much like a woman’s, with his slender cheeks, full lips, long eye lashes, and bright green eyes. His hair was blonde and fell down to just past his shoulders and looked like he had just gotten out of bed. He covered his mouth with one hand as he yawned and the other snatched the paper away from Shinji.

     “ Give it back would you Tommy” Shinji said with a small hint of annoyance in his voice. Tommy just kept reading the paper while Shinji sat waiting for him to finish. After a few moments of silence he handed the paper back and with a blank stair asked “ so are you gonna go back? That’s were you came from right? Tokyo 3? The city of the EVAs and angels, what a depressing place to have lived. Well anyways you know you’d have to go back one day right? It’s in three months, you’v got that much time to disced on what your gonna do.” Shinji just grimaced as he read the paper. He knew that the time would come when he would have to make the choice to go back or never return to that place again. He just hoped he’d have more, it had been only nine months since he left the city and everything that came with it. “Asuka” Shinji whispered under his breath as he looked down at his feet, his right hand closing into a fist and relaxing over and over. Tommy looked down on Shinji with a bit of concern showing on his face.

      “What’s with the dead silence in hear?” Shinji and Tommy both jumped, slightly startled as shizune came into the front room. Shinji quickly stuffed the invitation and envelope into his pocket and got up. Taking the package Aurther left on the counter and the form he filled out he handed it to Shizune and shuffled past her and Tommy into the back room. “Process this for me would you? I’m starting the rounds early today.” with a bewildered look on her face she replied “uh sure, be safe the roads are still wet out there kid”. “Don’t call me a kid” he called back to her. The back room was just a small storage room with cubby shelves of various sizes filled with various packages and parcels. There was a table in the middle of the room with a few unused labels and packages sitting on it. A red back pack also accompanied the few things on the table, picking it up Shinji thought it was a little light and decided it was only a couple of letters for todays deliveries.

       The back room had two other doors one to the right as soon as you entered that lead to the bathroom and one on the left in the back. Heading out the one in the back of the room Shinji found him self in a cold parking garage. parked to his left was a small moving truck which was used to deliver the various odd things that people put in packages. Next to the truck was a larger one that was used in the rare cases that they were charged with the care of something that took more than one person to move. As his eyes scanned further into the garage he found his holy grail, a motorcycle designed for racing. The slender design sooted his tastes and made it perfect for ridding through ally ways which many of his clients seemed to enjoy hiding in. He grimaced as the purple and green color scheme recalled memories of the monster that had nearly claimed his life as he spared others from the wraith of those beings so ironically called ‘Angels’.

     He walked at a brisk pace, eager to fell the cold wind wrapping around him as he flew down the wet pavement at breakneck speeds. the thrill of riding after a storm when the roads were still slick with rain and threatened to take his life if he should make one mistake. As he reached the bike his pace slowed, he set his hand on the seat and smiled lightly. Throwing his leg over the bike he sat down on the seat and searched through his pockets producing the set of keys he had used to open the store door earlier. Finding the key he wanted he pushed it into the ignition and turned it. The bike sprung to life humming with the lively precision of the engine, the single head light flickered on and painted the wall across from Shinji in the same pale blue of the rain. taking a pair of goggles he had left on the handle bars off he slid them on and adjusted his weight on the bike, preparing to leave.

          A s soon as he kicked up the bike stand from underneath it he felt a weight that wasn’t his placed on the bike. He felt arms grasp his waist tightly and the small frame of a body pull close to him. The warmth that came from the person behind him was a welcome difference from the life draining cold of the garage. The pair of arms tightened around him and the body pulled closer. He could feel breath slowly and lightly running across his neck, sending shivers down his spine. A stray strand of long light brown hair tickled his cheek as he felt the person shifting the weight to sit comfortably. Shinji knew who was there and knew why they were there as well. Tuning his head slightly to the person behind him, he found a the face of a small girl. She looked to be around the age of fourteen or fifteen, her eyes were a lively light shade of brown. Looking into them Shinji couldn’t help but smile, sometimes he thought it was contagious as a smile grew quickly on the young girls face as well.

      Her short brown hair tickled Shinji’s nose, noticing this she turned her head slightly away to help. Shinji broke the silence first “Are you going along with me today Tomo-chan?” his voice steeped in curiosity. A smile and an enthusiastic nod was her response, Shinji already knew what her answer would be though. He had one other question to ask but he knew what the answer would be to this as well. Handing her a spare pair of goggles he asked “ will you be going to the club tonight as well?” As she pulled back her hair and slid the goggles on and adjusting them correctly she nodded again and placed her arms tightly around his waist again and locked her hands in one and other. Looking forward he began to rev the engine as the bike slowly moved forward toward the exit of the garage. Pressing a button on a remote in his pocket the garage door slid open slowly. “Hang on tight” he called back as he sped out and into the rain. Flying down the street and towards the large somber city of sullen gray ahead Shinji contemplated how this had all happened. How he had ended up in a city like this. A city know as the city of the dead, a city full of those who have lost all pride.

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   Back in the shops front room shizune paced uneasily behind the counter as Tommy filled out forms with a listless pace. Tommy’s face was one of boredom and annoyance at Shizune’s incessant restlessness. After Shinji had left she had been pacing, biting her nails, and muttering incoherent gibberish under her breath. He already knew what this was about, what the cause of the painful expression that painted her face. She no longer tried hide her feelings form him anymore, she knew it was a waste of time after they had meet Shinji that day, so he knew exactly what was on her mind. Even though it made him feel worthless he knew at times like this it was better to let her go and do what she may until she calmed down enough to talk.

     The cat shaped clock that hung just above the door to the back chimed and purred for the attention of the room’s occupants. Stopping suddenly in place and looking at the clock she whispered loud enough for Tommy to over hear. “Almost time” was all she said as she moved to the form Tommy had been filling out. Slipping it out from under his had she looked it over, undoubtedly checking for mistakes. It was only a momentary distraction as she handed the paper back to him. Taking it quickly he went back to work on it as she went back to pacing. Tommy watched her sullenly watched as she continued to her solitary disquieting march back and forth.

         & nbsp; A bell rung in the front of the shop as the door creakily slid open. Walking to the counter the man looked from Tommy to Shizune and then his pocket. As he pulled out a piece of paper he handed it to Tommy and look Shizune in the eyes. A warm, tender, mirthful smile grew upon his face as he said to the two others “ This is the sound of progress, progress towards a happy life for him and you my dear lady” he turned towards Tommy “ are the unhindered catalyst of it all” as he finished he took Tommy’s hand into his and lightly kissed the back of it joyfully.

    He crossed his legs as he took his hand back and folded both together and placed them under his chin. Flipping a strand of long blonde hair out of his eyes he smiled impishly at the man. “why thank you Arther” Tommy’s voice now had a soft angelic quality to it “ but it was all Tommy’s idea, I just helped put it into motion” a light pause as Tommy turned to Shizune “ with the help of Shizune of course, isn’t that right?” Shizune had an anxious

Look as she nodded slowly. “ yeah that’s right but” Shizune’s hand moved to her elbow and began stroke her arm nervously as she continued “was this really the right thing to do for him Runa?” she looked to Tommy.

       “Do n’t worry sweetie, it might be hard for him at first, and he might resent us for it as well, but this is the best thing we can do to make him happy” Tommy, now know as Runa, stood and walked to Shizune. Cupping Shizune’s chin with her hand she smiled a sweet reassuring smile. Runa was just slightly taller than her and Shizune had to look up to she her Runa’s eyes. They held no hint of deceit and were only filled with concern and caring, but there was a slight look of hunger to them as well. Shizune smiled back, her doubts now significantly lessened “if you say so then I can trust it”. Closing her eyes Shizune’s leaned into Runa. As there lips connected softly Runa’s eyes closed as well and her arms slid around Shizune’s waist pulling them closer together. Arther smiled as he turned his back and headed for the door. Raising his hand over his shoulder as a gesture of departure he called back to them when he reached the doorway. “ The first act is now done and went off without a hitch but now is the beginning of act II. The main character will start to get suspicious now so I’ll leave you with this, tread lightly, for the softest sound should wake the beast and bring his wrath, one worse than that of god or women, upon us all.” And with that he walked casually into the rain, around the corner, and out of sight.