Old age and treachery will always overcome youth and vigor

Fred

"Let us just say that in the two decades since you disappeared I learned of a few of the more . . . .interesting happenings within NERV," I say, smiling a little bit at the last.

I move in strange circles nowadays. Of course, that is almost a given when you consider all the weird things that have happened in just the time alone back on the rock I'd called home, Terra. Working at and with NERV means that one hears things, you know. There is that one "Bridge Bunny" who liked to play the guitar (and a self described "Metal Head") who told me all about what happened with that who spilt the beans about that one (and some other things as well) before I got him out of that bar and away from prying ears!

. . .

Fair dues, it wasn't like that tech had any idea what he'd be getting himself into when we went on that impromptu bar hopping spree. That and fair dues to the barkeep, he DID run a reputable bar . . . it is just that the regular, run of the mill additives used in spirits to make it stronger usually just make the customer more . . . inebriated (to make them more likely to spend cash freely). None of the local Terrans think anything of it. Even the largest fools know one should be cautious when going into any bars, you know.

Alas, nobody bothered to tell us outlanders, though. And besides that, nobody had thought it would be so potent on those from Tokyo 3.

Myself, it hardly phased me. Not only did I keep the "trained liver" I obtained whilst growing up back in my homeland (with the more exotic brews), there is the fact that the curse that prevents me from dieing also burns off anything poisonous or narcotic (no escape through drugs or alcohol for me).

Did get a bit of praise for having gotten poor First Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba. That and a LOT of non-disclosure forms to sign. That all said, being that Rei's definitely within the loop here, I am not breaking my word of honor by speaking about it with her.

Besides, this is Rei here!

Hey, did you really think that I would turn on my old friend here just because of what she has revealed? Nope. Just tells me that I was doing the right thing in trying to get her free of Gendo's brainwashing!! J***s C***t!! I'd known that the guy had been a control freak and a monster, but never in my worst nightmares did I believe that he'd had something planned like . . .

And actually having one's own soul divided between two bodies like she'd had?! Frankly, I'm amazed that it did not drive her insane!

I blame the now dead and decomposing Gendo Akari for the madness that could have been unleashed through my friend here, not her. She . . . .

Well, let us just say I know who to blame and hate, and it isn't Rei here. And that said I cannot hate her new red haired sister, either, for what madmen had planned for her and this world.

I say as much, and get a fierce hug for it from Rei. Sigh, if things could have been different I could have been more than friends with her, but alas . . . too young for me. And also I don't deserve her love in that manner! Went to great pains to make sure she understood this could never be more than friends at the time . . . at an awkward point but that's not important right now.

"God, it's good to see you again!" I whisper, being careful hugging her back. Don't wish to hurt her wings, you know.

I shall take a hug from her any day, but . . .it never can be more than that between us. I don't deserve more than that.

. . .

She's a lovely woman (physically and spiritually), and she deserves better than me . . . a murderer of kin. God, if I live to be ten thousand years old I shall never forget . . . in madness I killed her, my sister. It was that damnable pride which got stung by the thought that a D'Honaire would dare serve the dragon (re: 315). But all that said, she is a dear friend and I shall help her here as best I can! Won't bring my dead sister back, but it is what I can do. I can and will do that for her! Had a feeling that something important is going on here, anyway. A feeling I'd had even before this . . . Astra showed up here and really messed with a few people's minds, shall we say!

See . . .I had a feeling that something important was going to be happening on this particular mission of the Dawntreader. Nothing this strange, but still . . .

Sigh, but now I sense it is time to reveal a few things about myself. Hope that she will take it well....

"Rei," I begin. "As you've seen I haven't aged as. . .much as I should. . . "

"You haven't aged at all from what I see," Rei states, looking at me oddly. "Hey, do not tell me that you've somehow gone immortal on me, right? Not like I sense that you are some kind of Champion for the Celestrials, right?"

I look at her, thinking that somewhere I'm missing something important. Wasn't something said about Rei's parents here working for some kind of Celestrial organization of some type? Something in passing?

Whatever the case, she is more right about me than she knows, even if I've got no real clue as what this Champion/Celestrial business is about.

Not like she's talking about the celestrial beauty over there named Astra and the like. Last I heard they don't go and "hire" mortals...

"Though there were some weird things I heard some of the people from Black Mesa who'd been rounded up a while ago," Rei says to herself, thinking. "There was that one security guard named Barney Calhoun who kept going on and on about some wild things thath happened between you and the G-man."

Oookay, here we go!

Of course that's when the conversation just HAD to go and get interrupted, D*mnit! Just when I'd finally gotten up the nerve to do it, too!

"So you ARE a doll!" a shrill voice rings out from over where Reika, the young girl I'll just stick with calling 'Rei I' for convenience sake, and a few other are gathered. "I knew it!"

Jerking around I see that the "native" version of the Asuka Langley Soryu I have come to know has been eavesdropping or some such.

Several of the adults (including the ADULT Asuka from MY world) looked embarrassed for her. Little Rei I looks a bit hurt by that outburst at her expense. Reika and the one known as Elrondir . . . .look rather pissed in my humble opinion. NOT that this young girl, who'd been listless for a while now, really cared!

Would say that perhaps it is a good thing to see some life back in her, but stil . . . But whatever the case, it appears Rei's sister here is having a slight . . .er. . . .issue with one of her fellow Eva pilots.

. . . .

Never did particularly like the Second Child's attitude, myself...

1. That is when another comes into the taboo happening before me and makes her opinion on the matte PAINFULLY known to Asuka!

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