Neon Genesis Evangelion Higher Learning Strike Fiss, 2000 Thirteenth Lesson: Setting the Stage "Back to our original conversation." Kaoru said loudly, interrupting the number of conversations still going since the second bell ending lunch had sounded. "Who can bring us back up to speed on the nature of Sound?" The class was silent for a moment as their Sensei tapped his chalk on the board, waiting for a reply. Suddenly, the door opened, admitting Shinji and Asuka into the room in a huff. Kaoru smiled warmly at them both, missing Shinji's slightly odd look. "Glad you could join us, Children. Rei was beginning to surpass your attendance records for the month." Rei blinked a response as the class chuckled and gave her all warm looks. Not giving them a chance to apologize, Kaoru continued. "Since you two are already standing...would you both mind recapping the nature of Sound, as we discussed last month?" he handed them a piece of chalk each, then went to his desk to lean against. Asuka frowned at Shinji. "See? I told you we should have came this morning!" she began to draw on the board. "I don't know why you don't like school all of a sudden." "I just don't." Shinji mumbled. Asuka seemed to get a glimpse of something behind Shinji's attitude. "We WILL talk about this later." she demanded, turning her full attention back to the board, just before the whispering started at why they were talking. Shinji sighed. "Shinji." Kaoru said suddenly. "You're writing slow. How about just giving us a brief description." Shinji cringed, then turned to the class. "Uh...mm...well..." The class looked back, not helping much by their impatient faces. Only Toji and Kensuke looked ready to hear him...oh, and Rei. She was actually facing the front again. It was her look that gave him strength to ignore his feelings about the class. "Sound is the...physical vibrations that we detect in the ear." he swallowed hard. "B...but it is also what we perceive in our mind as such." Kaoru nodded. "Can you give us an example?" Shinji looked around for inspiration. He found it in Asuka's turned back. With a nervous little smile, he nodded. "For example, when you're drunk. They say you're 'buzzed'. Isn't that because you can hear buzzing?" he swallowed hard when he saw everyone's surprised reactions. Asuka had stopped writing on the board after her chalk snapped in half. "But...it's not really sound...just your mind." he finished quickly. The class was blinking. Toji looked impressed. "Well, I didn't know Shinji could hold his booze!" he mentioned loud enough for a few people to giggle at. "Well..." Kaoru lifted up his attendance papers. "Ikari Shinji...late due to hangover." Everyone laughed, except Asuka, who glanced around quickly, then glowered at Shinji. "I...I just heard from people." Shinji shrugged nervously. Asuka had a twitch to her eye...but didn't really look like she wanted to kill him...maybe just hurt...but at least that was a start. Shinji relaxed as Sensei told them to sit down. "That's actually a good point, Shinji. After all, we can all 'hear' our inner voices when we try to solve a problem in our heads. We can imagine and recall events, sometimes to such clarity that we can hear the sound again." Kaoru walked over to the board. "Getting drunk, I can tell you, does seem to screw around with your mind a little." he eyed his students. "So I don't want you all getting drunk. It is NOT homework." Everyone nodded with big grins. "How about you, Toji? What does sound mean to you?" Kaoru asked. "What's one of your favourite sounds that you can recall at whim?" "Mm, well." Toji scratched his head. "I mean, I kinda like the sound of splashing water." "That's because you peep at the girls swim team all through gym class!" Hikari interrupted angrily, ignoring the chuckles that resulted. "Uh..." Toji shrunk under the Class Rep's glare. "No...I mean, when it's really hot outside, sometimes I can remember splashing water, and it feels as if I just dove into a pond. It's really nice." his voice was now a squeak as Hikari was almost leaning over another student's desk to glare at him. "Humph." Hikari conceded and sat back down. "Splashing water? Ha!" Kensuke smiled and set down his camera. "I'd know the sound of a F-15J's afterburners anywhere! That's what I think of when class gets really boring." "Hopefully not my class." Kaoru smiled. "Uh...of course not, Sensei-san!" "Good." Kaoru nodded. "Anyway, that brings up the next point of our discussion." he walked over to the board and began to write on a clear section. "Some sounds can make you feel happy. Others bad. Others can annoy you." "Like Red Devil's voice." Toji smiled over at Asuka. Asuka promptly threw her shoe, connecting with the boy's face and knocking him out. "Jerk." she snuffed. "Lovely debate." Kaoru coughed as Kensuke helped Toji up to his seat. "But the point is that while Sound is an external property, it affects things in our mind besides the mind's ability to simply 'hear' a sound." he smiled and turned around, revealing a small list of dates. "Our topic in this class, bar the usual drivel of daily work, will be emotion and mental states." Everyone groaned, sensing hard work. "Have no fear! There will be no homework required." Kaoru adjusted his glasses. "These dates provide an outline for practice...hopefully not interrupted by pesky Angel Attacks...of our new class project." Everyone sat and blinked. Hikari finally raised her hand. "What is our new class project?" "Not so fast, dear." Kaoru circled the last date on the board. "Does anyone know what this day is?" Kensuke thought for a moment. "Parent-Teacher-Interviews?" "Correct!" Kaoru smiled. "And I was thinking, what better way to share with your parents what you all have been learning, by offering a small sample of our work." Everyone blinked. "We..." he smiled. "Are going to host a concert." Everyone blinked again. "What would be the purpose of this?" Rei asked, finally shattering the silence. With a nod, Kaoru opened up his text book, reading from some line he had book-marked. "Music is the way the soul communicates. It is both the language, and part of the soul. With music, one may tell a story. One may share love and tragedy. And, with music, one may help another see that same thing they have known." he paused. "I know there is some musical talent amongst you. And those who will not be playing an instrument will be able to sit down and enjoy...and decipher...what the music means. Perhaps it will even help you to discuss what we have all been talking about to your families." The class began to nod. Save Shinji, who was still looking gloomy. Asuka was the only one who noticed. She looked worried. Since when was Shinji not excited about music? On the way home, the situation had not improved. Asuka watched from just a few steps behind as Shinji shuffled his feet along the sidewalk, looking down at his own feet. Normally, she'd be quite annoyed at this...but worry seemed to be winning out. Ever since she heard him say that one line in the car last night. That he'd rather have died in the Angel. "Shinji?" she asked as they walked. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." he sighed. It wasn't very convincing, even if one did take the words to be the truth. "Soo..." she shrugged. "You excited about the concert idea?" she smiled. "It would give you a chance to play the cello again." "Mmm." Shinji grumbled. "The strings are old anyway." Asuka frowned. "You know, I DO play the violin." she said proudly, leaning forward. "We could make beautiful music together..." she whispered into his ear, hoping for a reaction. Shinji all but ignored her and kept walking without missing a beat. "Humph." she crossed her arms. "Well that answers that." He stopped and turned. "Answers what?" "You must have forgotten how to play." she glared at him. "With all the times you've been beaten up, it's no wonder...I suppose I can't really blame you." Shinji shifted uncomfortably in his shoes. "I...I still know how to play." he frowned. "I can play g...okay...sounding." Asuka leaned at him until she was uncomfortably close to his face. "Then why are you so scared, Third Children? Scared everyone's goinna laugh at you when you play off key?" "N...NO!" Shinji backed off. "I am NOT scared!" She smiled evilly. "Good." she reached out and grabbed his arm...then drug him across the street, weaving in and out of traffic at a rather impressive rate. Shinji ran to keep up and not get hit by cars. "What are you DOING!?!?" he gasped as they made it to the other side...but then kept running. Asuka stopped suddenly, catching Shinji with one arm before he fell past her. "Silence, Third Child!" she demanded with a grin on her face. "And don't you DARE think I'm taking you out on a date! I'll have you know that is YOUR job." "D...DATE?!?!" She sighed and smacked him across the head. "I just said that it wasn't, baka!" she began walking again, leading them to a small shopping plaza. "I expect that if I ever give you the HONOR of taking me on a date, we will go to a much fancier place!" "..." Shinji swallowed hard, but couldn't help but take the note down in his head. "Okay..." "Here we are!" she announced proudly, pulling Shinji past a few parked cars to... "A music store??" Shinji gasped. "B...but I don't have money for new strings!" Asuka nodded. "And that's why you're going to owe me BIG for what I'm about to do." she pulled him through the door roughly, to the surprise of the shop-keeper. "Uh...good afternoon, young children!" he blinked as the red-head yanked the boy around by the collar, looking at some cello strings. Asuka couldn't make any sense of the different strings, so instead found a cello that looked to be the same size and kind as Shinji's. "Is this like your cello, baka?" Shinji nodded. "Y...yeah, but mine's darker colored..." Asuka turned to the shop keeper. "I would like to get a new set of strings for this kind of cello, please." she stated in a no nonsense voice. The older man quickly found the right kind of strings and handed them to Asuka. "That will be 4320 yen, miss." She glared at Shinji. "4300 yen! You better be REALLY good with these new strings, Shinji." Shinji cowered promptly. Asuka dug out the bills and a few coins and gave them to the shop owner. "I trust these are good quality for that price." she grumbled. "Of course, miss." the man nodded. "They are used in orchestras across Japan." he handed her the change and receipt. "Good." she grabbed the package of strings, and then Shinji's collar. "Come on, baka! Now you have to play." Shinji waved to the man goodbye, barely getting out "Thank you, sir." before the door was closed behind him. The man behind the counter took a deep breath. "What an incredibly intense young lady." he chuckled. "Poor boy..." Now halfway home, and the deed done, Asuka slowed down, and was smiling happily. Shinji examined the package of strings in his hands nervously. "T...thank you, Asuka...but..." "But NOTHING." she snapped. "I said you owed me big, and I mean it." "But...I didn't ask you to get..." "That shouldn't matter!" she explained loudly. "When a girl does something nice for you, you shouldn't be questioning it all the time!" she sighed. "Especially you, Shinji. It's not like it happens all the time to you." He blushed and turned his attention back to the strings. "F...fine. Thank you...they do seem to be the nicest kind..." his voice trailed off as he read the package. "How did you know there was a music store there anyway?" "I told you." she yawned. "I play the violin sometimes. I needed new strings a while ago too, so I looked them up. They're the only place in the city that hasn't been crushed by Angels yet." "Really?" he blinked, now in the mood to talk about music anyway. "I never hear you practice." "That's because you always have your headphones on." she shrugged. "Maybe you should pay attention at night." she grinned sweetly. "Maybe you'd hear something you'd like..." "Asuka!" Shinji turned bright red and stumbled for a moment. She smiled and sighed happily. "That's better..." she whispered to herself as they walked back home, side by side. Late that night, Shinji had finished tightening his strings into place. Little tests with finger-plucking showed them to be reasonably in tune, though it would be a waste of time to accurately tune them now, while they were still being broken in. "Why am I doing this?" he whispered to himself. "I don't want to play for school..." His bo felt nice in his hand again. It had been too long since he'd practiced, though, and he was hesitant as he touched the horse-hair against the strings. "But..." he sighed, very lightly bringing the bo across the strings. A quiet, smooth sound was emitted from the instrument. "Asuka asked me to..." Shinji's brow lightened for a moment. "She asked me to play. She didn't say I had to...she...she's trying to be nice to me." he sighed. "Maybe I should. Maybe I can..." His hand pulled the hair back across the strings harder now. A beautiful, crisp, deep vibration was heard. "And...maybe I can talk to Sensei about this..." Shinji wondered out loud. There was a twitch in his voice. Anger. Frustration. But at least it was having a voice. With a deep sigh, Shinji relaxed and let the music take him. Slow, steady rhythms, not loud enough to wake his roommates, but lout enough to carry substance in the tiny bedroom. Across the hall...a tear escaped from the corner of Asuka's eye. The music was just barely heard, but she could have sworn Shinji was right there with her. Cello and all. Though it invoked tears with it's soulful, strong sound...she also had a smile on her face. To be continued.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This wasn't as long as I was hoping for, but the next Lesson, we should see serious plot again...but also no reduction in WAFF, so it will be a nice mix. ^_^ As you can probably guess, this begins the next major plot element in the story. I plan to have lots of fun with this concert, so stay tuned! No time for an Omake this episode. Sorry. I am exhausted. Too much HTML manipulation and cooking today. I feel like Shinji, only more web-inclined! Spooky. So, till next week! e-mail: strikef@bigfoot.com homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9110 Strike Fiss, Ninja Crowbotics 2000. Khattam-Shud, EOF.