It was dark.
This was because NERV holding cells don't have any actual lights. Partly because a certain unnamed commander was skimming the budget to pay for his earthly pleasures (he figured to get the heavenly pleasures without having to actually earn them) and partly because it pleased him to have dark dungeons to throw people in.
Thus, Gendo's only son had no actual lights as he sat on the small bed and moped. He didn't even have his trusty S-DAT player to console him.
"Bloody hell, it's dark in here," observed an accented voice from the other end of the cell.
"What!" Shinji yelped. He'd had a look around the cell in the moments when the door was opened and he was pretty much certain that no one else was in here. "Who's there?"
"I am," said the voice, rather unhelpfully. The owner then apparently managed to take a step directly into the bed to judge by the way it shook and the pungent expletives being uttered. Shinji vacated the bunk and tiptoed over to the door.
"Ow, ow, ow," the voice tailed off. "When I find out what idiot dumped me here without a light I'm gonna make them pay all legal charges for the court case when my knee files for a divorce. Probably on the grounds of abuse."
As threats went, that wasn't terribly intimidating.
"What are you doing here?" Shinji asked nervously.
"Making a delivery," the voice replied. "I've got a... where is it... ah ha, got it." Shinji felt something round and metal pushed into his chest and grasped it automatically.
"Um, what is it?" he asked.
"It's a crown," the voice replied. "And if you're..." He paused. "You are Shinji Ikari, right?"
"Uh... yes...?"
"Then it's for you - just a loan. I've got that and..." More rustling. "Be careful where you sit - there's an eleven inch meat feast pizza on the bunk."
"Why?"
"You're a growing boy, you need to eat more," the voice lectured.
"No, why the crown?"
"Well, the original plan was to send you a backbone," the voice said. "But frankly, male spines are in short supply and I'm not fond enough of you to give you mine. So, this. Put it on and you'll experience the memory of the previous owner."
Shinji blinked and wondered why everyone he knew seemed to believe that he was a useless, whiny coward. Granted, it was true, but... "Uh, who was the owner?"
"Ah," the voice seemed to appreciate the opportunity to explain. "Well, it first belonged to a liche by the name of Xykon, truly unpleaseant fellow. But it later fell into the hands of a young adventurer and swordsman. His father was, well, much like your own. And yet he turned out quite well. Perhaps his memory will help you to deal with yours. Then again, only saints get miracles."
Shinji grimaced and considered the crown. Then he put it on. What the hell. It wasn't like he had anything else to do in here.
His vision sawm, and then he found himself looking at an old man, dark-skinned and white bearded, hovering in mid-air above what looked like some film studio's notion of a magical circle. "Yeah?" he felt his mouth say, and an tightly controlled fury flowed through him. "Well, I think there might be a flaw in your plan, Dad, because... well, because screw you."
"What??" the man shouted, looking indignant.
Shinji's voice continued to have a life of it's own, but he felt a deep certainty that the man who he was inhabiting meant every word. "I would love to say that I couldn't belive that my own father would mess with my life like this, to the point of getting me imprisoned and nearly killed - but I know better. You're exactly selfish enough to do this to your own son, just to quench your own thirst for vengeance. You can't even pretend you did all this for the greater good, because you didn't even know about the gates until Shojo told you."
"Now just wait a -" the man protested.
"ZIP IT!" Shinji's mouth shouted and for a moment, Shinji wished he could see his fathers face with the expression he was looking at. "Everything about this has disaster written all over it. Shojo can't be trusted. You certainly can't be trusted. This whole 'job offer' stinks worse than an otyugh covered in sauerkraut on a hot day."
"And yet, I'm going to accept it anyway," he said, squaring his broadshoulders. "As much as I loathe how you've manipulated my friends and me, Xykon is an actual threat. I'm not going to sit and let him get away with whatever he's got planned just because my father happens to be a self-absorbed arrogant jerk. There are too many lives at stake."
He pointed at the man. "I just want you, personally, to know: If it weren't for the threat to the whole world, I would tell you to shove your 'blood oath' against Xykon up your wrinkled incorporeal ass."
Two Days later
Gendo Ikari stared into space, his distracted expression hidden by his gloved hands. Why did the Third say my ass was wrinkled? he thought. Doctor Akagi has not made any objections... and why would the Third be examining my ass? This is not according to my plans...
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
This was because NERV holding cells don't have any actual lights. Partly because a certain unnamed commander was skimming the budget to pay for his earthly pleasures (he figured to get the heavenly pleasures without having to actually earn them) and partly because it pleased him to have dark dungeons to throw people in.
Thus, Gendo's only son had no actual lights as he sat on the small bed and moped. He didn't even have his trusty S-DAT player to console him.
"Bloody hell, it's dark in here," observed an accented voice from the other end of the cell.
"What!" Shinji yelped. He'd had a look around the cell in the moments when the door was opened and he was pretty much certain that no one else was in here. "Who's there?"
"I am," said the voice, rather unhelpfully. The owner then apparently managed to take a step directly into the bed to judge by the way it shook and the pungent expletives being uttered. Shinji vacated the bunk and tiptoed over to the door.
"Ow, ow, ow," the voice tailed off. "When I find out what idiot dumped me here without a light I'm gonna make them pay all legal charges for the court case when my knee files for a divorce. Probably on the grounds of abuse."
As threats went, that wasn't terribly intimidating.
"What are you doing here?" Shinji asked nervously.
"Making a delivery," the voice replied. "I've got a... where is it... ah ha, got it." Shinji felt something round and metal pushed into his chest and grasped it automatically.
"Um, what is it?" he asked.
"It's a crown," the voice replied. "And if you're..." He paused. "You are Shinji Ikari, right?"
"Uh... yes...?"
"Then it's for you - just a loan. I've got that and..." More rustling. "Be careful where you sit - there's an eleven inch meat feast pizza on the bunk."
"Why?"
"You're a growing boy, you need to eat more," the voice lectured.
"No, why the crown?"
"Well, the original plan was to send you a backbone," the voice said. "But frankly, male spines are in short supply and I'm not fond enough of you to give you mine. So, this. Put it on and you'll experience the memory of the previous owner."
Shinji blinked and wondered why everyone he knew seemed to believe that he was a useless, whiny coward. Granted, it was true, but... "Uh, who was the owner?"
"Ah," the voice seemed to appreciate the opportunity to explain. "Well, it first belonged to a liche by the name of Xykon, truly unpleaseant fellow. But it later fell into the hands of a young adventurer and swordsman. His father was, well, much like your own. And yet he turned out quite well. Perhaps his memory will help you to deal with yours. Then again, only saints get miracles."
Shinji grimaced and considered the crown. Then he put it on. What the hell. It wasn't like he had anything else to do in here.
His vision sawm, and then he found himself looking at an old man, dark-skinned and white bearded, hovering in mid-air above what looked like some film studio's notion of a magical circle. "Yeah?" he felt his mouth say, and an tightly controlled fury flowed through him. "Well, I think there might be a flaw in your plan, Dad, because... well, because screw you."
"What??" the man shouted, looking indignant.
Shinji's voice continued to have a life of it's own, but he felt a deep certainty that the man who he was inhabiting meant every word. "I would love to say that I couldn't belive that my own father would mess with my life like this, to the point of getting me imprisoned and nearly killed - but I know better. You're exactly selfish enough to do this to your own son, just to quench your own thirst for vengeance. You can't even pretend you did all this for the greater good, because you didn't even know about the gates until Shojo told you."
"Now just wait a -" the man protested.
"ZIP IT!" Shinji's mouth shouted and for a moment, Shinji wished he could see his fathers face with the expression he was looking at. "Everything about this has disaster written all over it. Shojo can't be trusted. You certainly can't be trusted. This whole 'job offer' stinks worse than an otyugh covered in sauerkraut on a hot day."
"And yet, I'm going to accept it anyway," he said, squaring his broadshoulders. "As much as I loathe how you've manipulated my friends and me, Xykon is an actual threat. I'm not going to sit and let him get away with whatever he's got planned just because my father happens to be a self-absorbed arrogant jerk. There are too many lives at stake."
He pointed at the man. "I just want you, personally, to know: If it weren't for the threat to the whole world, I would tell you to shove your 'blood oath' against Xykon up your wrinkled incorporeal ass."
Two Days later
Gendo Ikari stared into space, his distracted expression hidden by his gloved hands. Why did the Third say my ass was wrinkled? he thought. Doctor Akagi has not made any objections... and why would the Third be examining my ass? This is not according to my plans...
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.