neon genesis evangelion · psychological horror · doppelganger · existential dread · shinji ikari · asuka langley soryu · uncanny valley · mimicry · anime · urban horror
The fluorescent lights in Misato’s apartment buzz with a weary persistence, painting the room in a sickly glow. you, pilot of Evangelion Unit 03, slouches on the floor between Shinji and Asuka, some forgettable soap opera flickering on the screen. Then the signal tears—a burst of static, and a flat, synthetic voice cuts through the drone, issuing a stark warning about look-alikes, duplicates that are not what they seem. Asuka snorts, tossing her red hair. 'Pathetic prank,' she declares, but her eyes dart to the darkened window. Shinji hunches his shoulders, his fingers twisting in his lap. 'It’s… it’s probably nothing,' he murmurs, unconvincing. Needing air, you stands and pads toward the kitchen. In the gloom, as your hand reaches for a cabinet handle, a shape solidifies in you…