trans_9 | Bruised egos hurt the worst.

After a series of vicious ego-bruising arguments, Asuka had slipped away from the observation deck to go sulk. Well, she wouldn't call it sulking, but really, that's what it was. She already hated this place and, by extension, most of the people on board. No one cared about what she'd managed to accomplish. No one cared that she was a prodigy, that she was intelligent, that she was the best Eva pilot in the world. They just wanted her to be quiet. The fact that this was partly (if not mostly) her own fault seemed to not register to her (or if it did, she was ignoring it very effectively).

She found herself just... wandering. She didn't know this place and she hated it, anyway. She didn't have anywhere to go - all she knew was that she wasn't going back so she could just be humiliated again. She found a quiet corner, away from everyone (she hoped) and buried her head in her arms. She wasn't crying - she was never going to cry again - she was just thinking, away from everyone. That was all.

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Asuka shoots him a glare, "My name is Asuka Langley Soryu. Not sweetheart."

She paused and inwardly fumed. Was she that obvious?

"...yes. Yes I am."

"What'd you do back on your world?"

Asuka perks up, "Oh, I was an Eva pilot. The best pilot in the world, in fact."

"Really?" He smirked a little at the change in mood. "What's an Eva?"

"Only the greatest fighting machine known to man!"

"Oh? You'll have to show me sometime." This girl was definitely a curiosity. "Though it kind of begs the question... why was the best pilot of the greatest fighting machine known to man so down just a moment ago?"

"How could I do that? Unit 02 probably isn't even here..."

Although if what Brainiac number two said is true, then it might actually be on board. Somewhere.

"And I wasn't down. I was just thinking!"

"It might be on board. And if not, there's always the sensoriums," he stated easily. Normally he would have gotten an attitude by now, but he really wasn't bothered by her attitude.

"Still trying to process all of this?"

"Something like that," Asuka admits grudgingly, "...wait, what are the sensoriums?"

Asuka always has an attitude. It's virtually the law of the universe.

So does Julian. Though he's learned to rein his in. A little.

"Uh... basically holographic generators on steroids. Huge rooms that can conjure up most anywhere and anything, probably including your Eva."

Asuka's eyes widen and she glances up and down the hallway, "That's... that's so cool! Where are they? I need to find one!"

Julian held out his hand, "I'll show you."

Asuka hesitates for a fraction of a second, then grabs his hand, keeping her small package of belongings tucked under the other arm, "OK! Let's go!"

And she's not blushing at all. What are you talking about?

Of course she's not blushing.

He pulled her closer, and wrapped his other arm around her waist. "Hang on, sweetheart," he told her. And a moment later, they were rocketing though the halls, propelled by his telekinesis.

Asuka had been about to slap him for taking liberties with her, but she's far too breathless to worry about that right now as they rocket through the halls like a pair of human pinballs.

He wasn't taking liberties. His hands were still in almost too friendly territory.

The trip was short, though had they been walking, it might taken them a while to get there. But when the dizzying ride stopped, they were in the hall way, outside the Sensoriums. Julian set her down gently and released her.

"We're here... and let's see if we can find one that's empty."

Asuka steadies herself against a wall for a moment and shoots a small glare at Julian, "Warn me when you're about to do something like that!"

She brushes herself off and rolls her shoulders, eying the doors, "...this one!"

And then she simply marches forward into the sensorium.

"And miss the surprised look on that pretty face of yours, sweetheart?" She could probably hear the smirk in his voice.

He followed her into the empty sensorium and stood behind her. "So if you could be anywhere other than here, where would you want to be?"

Asuka shoots a mocking glare back at him, combined with a bit of shock, "Don't get any smart ideas, buddy."

She looks around the seemingly empty room, disappointment in her eyes. She was obviously expecting something a bit more impressive, "I guess... right now I wish my Eva was here."

"What kind of ideas do you want me to get instead?" he returned with a raised eyebrow.

However, before he could say anything further, a there was a fucking giant, red mech in the room with them. Julian just let out a low whistle at it.

"I'm guessing that's your Eva?"

Asuka takes a startled step back, craning her neck upwards as Unit 02 is suddenly right there. Then a grin spreads across her face and she turns back to Julian, a huge grin on her face, "This is Unit Zero-Two! It'd be even more impressive we were on it's shoulder or some-"

And just like that they're standing on the massive shoulder of a forty-meter tall robot. Asuka lets out a small shriek of surprise, then quickly tries to regain her composure.

"What is this thing used for?" Mutants and giant robots generally don't go together, so he was holding off judgment for now.

"Fighting Angels - creatures that have been attacking Earth for some reason."

"Angels?" He looked at her a little strangely.

"What? You in the middle of some kind of religious war?"

"No!" She shot him a look, "That's just what we call them!"

She carefully sat down, legs dangling over the edge of the massive shoulder.

"Besides, I didn't name them."