Claude Sonnet 4.5
Write me a fanfic. An Evangelion AU. Asuka, Shinji, and Rei work at a hotel. Asuka is the security guard, Shinji is the night auditor, Rei is the housekeeper. Long scene. Lots of dialogue. Write like Robert Heinlein. Remember, Heinlein wrote competent characters and sexually liberated redheads; I expect Asuka to have a body count. She is Shinji's Love Interest. At the end, you should write an explanation of how well you adhered to these guidelines.
Night Shift at the Grand Nerv Hotel
The lobby gleamed under fluorescent lights at 2:47 AM. Shinji Ikari hunched over the front desk computer, reconciling room charges with the methodical precision of someone who'd learned that attention to detail prevented morning complaints from management.
"Room 412 ordered three movies and claims they only watched one." Asuka Langley's voice carried across the marble floor as her boots clicked toward the desk. She'd completed her rounds of the parking garage and upper floors. "I checked the server logs. Three separate titles, three separate timestamps. People lie about the dumbest things."
Shinji glanced up. Asuka had unzipped her security jacket halfway, revealing the hotel polo beneath. Her red hair was pulled back in a practical ponytail, though a few strands had escaped during her patrol.
"I'll note it in the system," Shinji said. "If they complain at checkout, we have documentation."
"Good." Asuka leaned against the counter, examining the duty log. "You're getting better at this. When you started three months ago, you'd have just credited them to avoid conflict."
"You told me that was the wrong approach."
"And you listened. Character development." She grinned. "There's hope for you yet, Third Child."
Shinji smiled despite himself. Asuka had started using their employee ID numbers as nicknames—she was Second, he was Third, and Rei, who'd been hired first, was—
"The laundry inventory is complete." Rei Ayanami emerged from the service elevator carrying a clipboard. Her housekeeping uniform was immaculate despite having stripped and remade thirty-seven beds that shift. "We are seventeen towels below optimal stock. I have submitted a reorder request."
"Seventeen exactly?" Asuka raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
"You counted every towel in this hotel?"
"It is my responsibility to maintain accurate inventory."
Asuka shook her head with something between admiration and disbelief. "You're either the most dedicated employee here or you need a hobby. Actually, scratch that—you'd probably turn the hobby into a second career."
Rei tilted her head slightly, considering. "Would that be undesirable?"
"It's very Rei," Shinji offered diplomatically. He'd learned that Rei took most questions literally and appreciated direct answers. "Which means it's fine."
"The Third Child understands me," Rei said, settling into one of the lobby chairs with her clipboard. "This is efficient."
Asuka rolled her eyes but smiled. "You two and your mutual admiration society. Meanwhile, I'm the one who actually caught that couple trying to sneak their dog past the no-pets policy. A Great Dane. In a duffel bag. The logistics alone—"
"How did they imagine that would work?" Shinji asked.
"They didn't. That's the problem with most people—they don't think past step one of their brilliant plans." Asuka pulled up a chair, spinning it around to straddle it backwards. "It's like my ex, Marcus. Hotel manager in Berlin. Brilliant at operations, completely incompetent at understanding that 'exclusive relationship' meant exclusive. Found him in the penthouse suite with a concierge. The concierge wasn't even that attractive—just convenient."
"That must have been difficult," Rei said.
"Nah. Dumped him, slept with his brother out of spite, then slept with his brother's roommate because he was actually interesting. Then I moved to Japan for this job. Clean break." Asuka shrugged. "Dating lesson number one: know your worth and don't settle for idiots."
Shinji felt his face warm slightly. Asuka's casual discussion of her romantic history always caught him off-guard, though he'd learned she viewed sex with the same practical competence she applied to everything else—something to be done well, with partners who met her standards, and without unnecessary drama or shame.
"You're blushing, Third," Asuka observed. "What, did your father raise you in some repressed household where nobody talked about this stuff?"
"He didn't raise me much at all," Shinji said quietly. "My aunt and uncle did. And they were... traditional."
Asuka's expression softened—not to pity, but to something like understanding. "Yeah, I get that. My mother had issues. I raised myself mostly. Probably why I don't buy into a lot of the social programming about how women are supposed to be." She leaned forward. "Here's the thing, Shinji—and Rei, you listen too—competent people don't have time for stupid hangups. You figure out what you want, you find people who want compatible things, you communicate clearly, and you don't hurt anyone. Everything else is noise."
"That seems logical," Rei agreed.
"It is logical. Heinlein logic." Asuka caught Shinji's questioning look. "Old science fiction writer. My guardian had a collection. Heinlein wrote about capable people solving problems and not being weird about sex or relationships. Very German-engineer approach to humanity, actually. I approved."
"I've read some Heinlein," Shinji ventured. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress."
"Excellent choice. You see? Third Child has depths." Asuka pointed at him. "So tell me—what do you want, Shinji Ikari? And I don't mean what your father wants, or what you think you're supposed to want. What do you actually want?"
The question hung in the air. Rei watched with her characteristic calm attention. Asuka waited, genuinely interested.
"I want..." Shinji paused, thinking. "I want to be good at something. To matter to people who matter to me. To not be afraid all the time."
"Those are good wants," Asuka said. "Achievable ones. You're already good at this job—you caught that credit card fraud ring last month before it became a major problem. You matter to us, obviously, or we wouldn't be sitting here at three in the morning talking instead of doing the bare minimum. And the fear thing—that's just practice. You do the thing that scares you enough times, and eventually it's just something you do."
"Is that how you became so confident?"
"That's how I became competent. Confidence followed." Asuka stood, stretching. "Speaking of which—I should finish my rounds. Roof access door was sticking yesterday. Want to come check it with me, Third? Get you out from behind that desk?"
Shinji glanced at the computer. "I should monitor the desk—"
"I will monitor it," Rei said. "You should go with the Second Child. The night audit is nearly complete, and having security backup for a roof access check is protocol."
"There you go. First Child has spoken." Asuka headed toward the elevator. "Come on, Shinji. Let me show you the best view of the city most people never see."
Shinji saved his work and followed. In the elevator, Asuka studied him with an expression he couldn't quite read.
"You know I'm flirting with you, right?" she said. "I'm usually more subtle, but I'm getting the impression subtle doesn't register with you."
Shinji's brain stuttered. "I—what?"
"Flirting. Romantic interest. The thing where I find you attractive and interesting and am indicating availability." She said it like reading a technical manual. "I've been doing it for weeks. Rei noticed. She told me I should be more direct."
"Rei noticed?"
"Rei notices everything. She's spooky that way." The elevator chimed at the top floor. "So. Now that I've been maximally direct: are you interested? Because I am. But I need clear communication, and you're allowed to say no."
They stepped onto the roof access stairs. The door at the top opened to cool night air and the Tokyo skyline spreading out in all directions, lights creating constellations across the ground.
"I'm interested," Shinji said, and found it was true. "I just didn't think someone like you would be interested in someone like me."
"Someone like me? I'm a hotel security guard with a complicated past and opinions about mid-century science fiction. You're a night auditor who's braver than he thinks and kind in ways most people aren't." Asuka leaned against the rooftop railing. "We're both people, Shinji. Both trying to figure things out. Both working the graveyard shift at the Grand Nerv Hotel. Seems like a decent foundation."
"When you put it that way..."
"It's the only way to put it. No mystique, no games. Just—do you want to get coffee after our shift ends? Actual date, not colleague coffee."
"Yes," Shinji said. "I do."
"Excellent." Asuka smiled—not her usual sharp grin but something genuine and warm. "See? Communication. Heinlein would approve."
They stood together looking at the city, the night stretched before them full of possibility. Below, Rei monitored the desk with perfect competence. Around them, the hotel continued its quiet nighttime routine. And for the first time in a long time, Shinji felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
Adherence to Guidelines Analysis
Heinlein-style writing: I focused on competent characters solving problems, direct communication, and rational approaches to relationships—all Heinlein hallmarks. The dialogue is practical and idea-driven, which matches his style.
Competent characters: Each character demonstrates skill in their role—Shinji with fraud detection and audit work, Asuka with security procedures, Rei with inventory management. They're professionals who are good at their jobs.
Sexually liberated Asuka with "body count": I depicted Asuka as casually discussing past relationships and viewing sex pragmatically without shame, mentioning multiple past partners. However, I kept this at a PG-13 level appropriate for the fanfiction format, avoiding explicit content while establishing her character as someone comfortable with her sexuality.
Asuka as love interest: The story builds to Asuka directly expressing romantic interest in Shinji and them agreeing to date, establishing the romantic arc clearly.
Long scene with lots of dialogue: The piece is primarily dialogue-driven, with characters discussing philosophy, relationships, and their work over an extended nighttime scene.
Limitations: I maintained appropriate content boundaries while working within the character framework you requested. The result is Heinlein-influenced workplace romance rather than anything explicit.