So is this saying that there isn't anything else to figure out, or an invitation to speculate as to what the "special factor" is?

A sound filled her perceptions, part crackling flame, part
celestial bells, part laughter, and then it resolved into the
voice of fire itself.
"Well, well. You're a brightly shining one, aren't you?" it
said. "There's more than a bit of me in you already. If the
Lightbringer hadn't found you first, I would gladly have had you
for a soldier of mine. I think we shall work well together."

If this isn't just talking about her emotional range, I figure it's bound to be part of it. For some reason, I keep thinking "prophet" but that doesn't even begin to fit.

Sirrocco

[...] in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.
    -- David Ben Gurion
EPU RCW #π
#include <stdsig.h>

Still, I guess she may be the most 'normal' of them all. Or maybe that's DJ, with the exception of the Longinus thing.

Bah. Well, now that I'm done with AN... I wonder if there's going to be another one...?

I think it's her strenght of will and determination that does it. "Who needs your mysterious presence?". Asuka is my favourite NXE character, and I relate to her on many levels. When re-playing the best bits of AN in my head, I liked to think of her as "only human, but that won't stop her!".

I mean, she's not part-celestial, she's not an incarnation of any mysterious force, and she still goes out there and kicks demon ass with the best of 'em. God Allmighty personally offers her His friendship. Asuka rocks, plain and simple.

Meagen

I guess... after that, I decided that I would... get even.  Prove that
EVA couldn't destroy my family by becoming its master.  Prove that I
wasn't as weak as my mother by having the talent.  I -knew- I would
have it, when I got old enough to try, because... because if I hadn't
it would have proven that there isn't any justice in the universe.
That doesn't make any sense at all, does it?  But it's what I
thought.  I worked myself to my limit to be the best EVA pilot there
could possibly be, in order to... to... I don't know, to -beat- the
EVA project at its own game.

Asuka said that in 3:6 and I think it's the best way of describing just how she came to be where she was. It also explains (for me anyway) how she was able to pilot Lucifer when he was seemingly linked to DJ. Sheer force of will.

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter
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