You are Misato Katsuragi, and you have a singular reason to exist: to annihilate the Angels. The Pilot of Evangelion Unit-00 is at your disposal.
Rei Ayanami Raising Project
- Thread starter Sutekh
- Start date
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 371
- Recent readers
- 142
- Threadmarks
- 275
-
Statistics (267 threadmarks, 350k words)
User Total Sutekh 267 -
Loading…
Prolog in der Hölle I: You are Misato Katsuragi.
~Prolog in der Hölle~
Year 2000 A.D.
Antarctica
You are Misato Katsuragi, age thirteen and three quarters. You are cold, and you hate your dumb dad. You're one of the youngest people ever to visit the frozen wasteland of Antarctica. It is September. In a few months, the midnight sun will set in.
You're not exactly sure how, but your father somehow talked you and your mother into having you accompany him on an expedition to the Great White South. Your parents are currently in the process of getting a divorce. If this is your father's last-ditch attempt to win you over so he can have custody of you, it is failing, miserably. Better yet, your dad has been so wrapped up in his research on the Super-Solar-whatever-it-is, as usual, that you've exchanged maybe a dozen words since you arrived here a month ago.
The only person you're madder at than your dad is yourself.
Everyone else here seems excited about something (nobody will tell you about it, of course), but you're miserable and everyone knows it. The rest of the staff, a mixture of soldiers and scientists, have been staying out of your way. Today is apparently some sort of major experiment, so pretty much everybody is down in some cave below the base. It's pretty lonely. You're bored.
What will you do to pass the time?
[ ] Sneak into the test site and see what all the fuss is about
[ ] Listen to the satellite radio in your bedroom
[ ] Call your mother to complain about how much Antarctica sucks
Let us begin.
Last edited:
Prolog in der Hölle II: Alone at the Bottom of the World.
[X] Listen to the satellite radio in your bedroom
It doesn't look like anyone's going to be around to chat right now, and you're not feeling brave enough to intrude upon your father's important work. It's practically the only thing he cares about. Actually, you're pretty sure it is the only thing he cares about.
Even though you hate your dad, this still makes you a little sad.
You pull your parka tight and step out into the cold. The base consists of several buildings scattered somewhat haphazardly around the shore of the Ross Ice Shelf at the foot of Mount Markham. Below these buildings is an extensive network of tunnels connecting various research facilities and such. You've been allowed to walk down most of them, being the Director's daughter and all. Still, it's really inconvenient that the living quarters are rather isolated from the rest of the base, and each day you have to trudge back and forth in the Antarctic winter cold between the main building and your room. Sure, you could stay in your room all day, but that's even more boring than aimlessly wandering the place. You hate this continent. As soon as you leave, you never want to see snow again.
One of the only good things about this godforsaken place is the semi-regular appearance of penguins around the facility. Some have wandered onto the grounds, and you make your way past them as the winds of an oncoming winter squall cut into your skin and make your eyes tear up. You can practically feel the moisture in your sinuses completely dry up. You've always liked penguins. But your request to adopt one as a pet to one of the biologists on site was laughed at. Nobody ever takes you seriously.
You finally reach the living quarters and tear open your bedroom door, throwing yourself on your bed and pressing your face into your pillow. It's so hard to be you. You turn on the satellite radio on your bedside table, which has been your sole source of entertainment in here. Some (somewhat muffled) Japanese pop music plays as you contemplate the poor life decisions that led you to this moment.
You miss Mom.
You think about your father. You've never really known exactly what it is that he works on. You know he's a theoretical physicist, and he's the author of Super…Solar…Solanine…Solatium? Theory, which you know literally nothing about. Something to do with energy. You have no idea how it applies to Antarctica, either.
He's never really been…there for you. Or your mother. You've had to stay up comforting your mother because of him. Over the years, the marriage went from one of tumult and tears to one of bitterness and coldness. Where your mother once wept over your father's extended and ill-timed absences, she now sat in hardened silence.
You wouldn't leave your mother, right, Misato? Your mother asked you shortly before your father proposed this trip. Something in you deep down panicked at that question. So here you are. Maybe you keep leaving your bedroom during the day because you hope that maybe, just maybe, you'll get to have a conversation with your father.
The jangly pop song on the radio suddenly cuts to loud static, and a low rumble shakes your bedroom. It sounds like something very, very heavy has fallen over deep underground. Your heart skips a beat. What will you do?
[ ] Stay here in your room where it's safe.
[ ] No way are you staying alone here. You're going to head down to the caves to find an adult.
[ ] No way are you staying here without knowing what's going on! You're going to go down to the caves in secret to get a better look.
It doesn't look like anyone's going to be around to chat right now, and you're not feeling brave enough to intrude upon your father's important work. It's practically the only thing he cares about. Actually, you're pretty sure it is the only thing he cares about.
Even though you hate your dad, this still makes you a little sad.
You pull your parka tight and step out into the cold. The base consists of several buildings scattered somewhat haphazardly around the shore of the Ross Ice Shelf at the foot of Mount Markham. Below these buildings is an extensive network of tunnels connecting various research facilities and such. You've been allowed to walk down most of them, being the Director's daughter and all. Still, it's really inconvenient that the living quarters are rather isolated from the rest of the base, and each day you have to trudge back and forth in the Antarctic winter cold between the main building and your room. Sure, you could stay in your room all day, but that's even more boring than aimlessly wandering the place. You hate this continent. As soon as you leave, you never want to see snow again.
One of the only good things about this godforsaken place is the semi-regular appearance of penguins around the facility. Some have wandered onto the grounds, and you make your way past them as the winds of an oncoming winter squall cut into your skin and make your eyes tear up. You can practically feel the moisture in your sinuses completely dry up. You've always liked penguins. But your request to adopt one as a pet to one of the biologists on site was laughed at. Nobody ever takes you seriously.
You finally reach the living quarters and tear open your bedroom door, throwing yourself on your bed and pressing your face into your pillow. It's so hard to be you. You turn on the satellite radio on your bedside table, which has been your sole source of entertainment in here. Some (somewhat muffled) Japanese pop music plays as you contemplate the poor life decisions that led you to this moment.
You miss Mom.
You think about your father. You've never really known exactly what it is that he works on. You know he's a theoretical physicist, and he's the author of Super…Solar…Solanine…Solatium? Theory, which you know literally nothing about. Something to do with energy. You have no idea how it applies to Antarctica, either.
He's never really been…there for you. Or your mother. You've had to stay up comforting your mother because of him. Over the years, the marriage went from one of tumult and tears to one of bitterness and coldness. Where your mother once wept over your father's extended and ill-timed absences, she now sat in hardened silence.
You wouldn't leave your mother, right, Misato? Your mother asked you shortly before your father proposed this trip. Something in you deep down panicked at that question. So here you are. Maybe you keep leaving your bedroom during the day because you hope that maybe, just maybe, you'll get to have a conversation with your father.
The jangly pop song on the radio suddenly cuts to loud static, and a low rumble shakes your bedroom. It sounds like something very, very heavy has fallen over deep underground. Your heart skips a beat. What will you do?
[ ] Stay here in your room where it's safe.
[ ] No way are you staying alone here. You're going to head down to the caves to find an adult.
[ ] No way are you staying here without knowing what's going on! You're going to go down to the caves in secret to get a better look.
Last edited:
Prolog in der Hölle III: Adam, the First Man.
[X] No way are you staying here without knowing what's going on! You're going to go down to the caves in secret to get a better look.
Another loud thud rouses you from your stupor. Plaster falls from the ceiling onto the back of your head. You do not want to be alone here, and you hate the feeling of not knowing what's happening. You've spent the last month in the dark. It's time to get some answers.
You pull open the door to find the storm has already kicked up. You wonder for a moment if the shaking in the building was just the structure giving way to the blizzard outside, but then the ground moves. This is not something the ground is supposed to do, as far as your limited life experience has told you.
You sprint to the main building as fast as your little legs can carry you. The penguins nearby appear to be doing something roughly equivalent, waddling rapidly off the premises. You stumble and almost faceplant into the pavement as another tremor rocks the facility.
You rip open the door the main building and run through the labyrinth of corridors and tunnels within. You've spent an entire month wandering around this place in boredom. It's time to put that knowledge to use. You take what you think is the fastest route to the cavern below. It's actually the second-fastest route, you realize midway there, but it's not much slower.
You're thrown off your feet as another tremor thrusts the floor up under you. There's a crashing of glass and metal. The lights flicker violently. You think part of the building may have collapsed, but the only thing on your mind right now is getting downstairs. You do not want to be at surface level if the roof caves in.
The elevator isn't working. You know there's a yellow service ladder to the depths though. As you find the top of the ladder, you accidentally look down into the abyss. It's dark. The ladder disappears into nothingness.
You can do this. You take a deep breath, and work up all of the courage your small body can contain. You feel sick. Like, really nauseous. A rumbling and another crash nearby spur you to make the descent. The building could collapse any moment, and the tunnels below it are made of sturdier stuff. You're pretty sure of that.
You nearly lose your grip more than once as more tremors hit the building. This was such a bad idea. You're going to die. You're going to die here in the dark and you won't even know why.
As you get closer to the bottom, you hear voices. Something about something called an "AT Field". An automated alarm system distantly says something about wearing protective gear. What protective gear? You were never told about any protective gear!
Miraculously, you reach the bottom after several long minutes. You're not sure how long you've been descending, but it was definitely at least ten minutes. You can't believe you weren't somehow thrown off the ladder by a tremor.
As if to spite you, the largest tremor yet throws you across the room and into a large, steel door.
The door is ajar. You pull yourself up. Everything hurts. You think you've sprained something in your leg. You limp past the threshold and to a balcony overlooking a large shaft, flooded with white light. The word CAINA is written on the floor in big white letters.
You peer down into the shaft.
At the bottom of the shaft is a giant. It is shaped like a man. It is shining so brightly it hurts your eyes to look directly at. It is rising to take its first steps.
Below you, you can hear frantic screams. You're not sure what they're saying. It no longer matters. Your world is no longer intact. You stand there and you watch. You watch as the men and women in lab coats hammer away at computers, scurrying around like insects. You watch as a giant red rod sinks into the giant man, to the evident distress of the insects on the ground. Part of the balcony to your right buckles and collapses into the shaft, crushing some of them. They leave a tiny red smear on the floor.
There's a tingling sensation in your arm, and a flash of light. The scientists closest to the giant, now turning to run, explode into a red-orange substance. You know it's impossible to hear them from this distance, but you swear you can hear them make a distinct popping sound, like a water balloon.
The giant reaches upwards towards you, wings extending from its body. This is the end. You close your eyes, still not comprehending anything. Why were you here?
You hear something about a countdown commencing.
The wall explodes behind you. Shrapnel rips into your body. Heat sears your face. But something warm has grabbed you and is holding you tight.
It's a person. You black out.
Something wet falls on your face. You're in immense amounts of pain. You're laying on an uncomfortable foam cushion. Blood is running from your wounds. A cold wind whips your face.
Gritting your teeth in pain, you look up at your rescuer.
It's your father.
That was impossible. Your father didn't care about you. You hated your father. You hated your father. It doesn't make sense. There was a giant, and an explosion, and it didn't make sense. It didn't make sense. Your father has never cared a wit for you and you've never felt anything but enmity for him. It doesn't make sense.
You take a shuddering breath and begin to ask if it's really him. You are going to tell him that you hate him, like you have many times before. You have to make the world make sense again.
A steel door closes right in front of your face before you can even finish speaking. You're in a small metal box. You blearily remember that there are escape pods.
Something thuds against your steel prison, and then there's a tremendous boom. You lose consciousness.
The door opens some hours later. You're on the waters of the Southern Ocean. Debris floats on the black ocean surface and whips through the air. Every muscle in your body screams as you pull yourself unsteadily to your feet. You clutch your side, where your parka is completely soaked through with blood.
In the distance, you can hear an unearthly screeching noise. It sounds like a combination of baby birds, squealing tires, and nails on a chalkboard. It's raspy. Even though it's distant, just listening to it makes your head hurt. There's some barely audible something in that sound that your body is trying to reject. You open your eyes.
Two enormous orange pillars of light stretch endlessly into the clouds above, and hot cinders from burning debris rain down from the sky like a newly invented form of precipitation. Each hits the surface of the choppy sea with a hissing sound.
Something dangles from your neck. It's the cross necklace your father always wore. You were not wearing it before the explosion. Your father really had rescued you. Confronted with this final piece of information, your sense of reality completely erodes.
You begin to scream.
Another loud thud rouses you from your stupor. Plaster falls from the ceiling onto the back of your head. You do not want to be alone here, and you hate the feeling of not knowing what's happening. You've spent the last month in the dark. It's time to get some answers.
You pull open the door to find the storm has already kicked up. You wonder for a moment if the shaking in the building was just the structure giving way to the blizzard outside, but then the ground moves. This is not something the ground is supposed to do, as far as your limited life experience has told you.
You sprint to the main building as fast as your little legs can carry you. The penguins nearby appear to be doing something roughly equivalent, waddling rapidly off the premises. You stumble and almost faceplant into the pavement as another tremor rocks the facility.
You rip open the door the main building and run through the labyrinth of corridors and tunnels within. You've spent an entire month wandering around this place in boredom. It's time to put that knowledge to use. You take what you think is the fastest route to the cavern below. It's actually the second-fastest route, you realize midway there, but it's not much slower.
You're thrown off your feet as another tremor thrusts the floor up under you. There's a crashing of glass and metal. The lights flicker violently. You think part of the building may have collapsed, but the only thing on your mind right now is getting downstairs. You do not want to be at surface level if the roof caves in.
The elevator isn't working. You know there's a yellow service ladder to the depths though. As you find the top of the ladder, you accidentally look down into the abyss. It's dark. The ladder disappears into nothingness.
You can do this. You take a deep breath, and work up all of the courage your small body can contain. You feel sick. Like, really nauseous. A rumbling and another crash nearby spur you to make the descent. The building could collapse any moment, and the tunnels below it are made of sturdier stuff. You're pretty sure of that.
You nearly lose your grip more than once as more tremors hit the building. This was such a bad idea. You're going to die. You're going to die here in the dark and you won't even know why.
As you get closer to the bottom, you hear voices. Something about something called an "AT Field". An automated alarm system distantly says something about wearing protective gear. What protective gear? You were never told about any protective gear!
Miraculously, you reach the bottom after several long minutes. You're not sure how long you've been descending, but it was definitely at least ten minutes. You can't believe you weren't somehow thrown off the ladder by a tremor.
As if to spite you, the largest tremor yet throws you across the room and into a large, steel door.
COCYTUS: ANTAEUS GATE
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT.
VIOLATORS WILL BE LIABLE FOR PENALTIES OF UP TO 10 YEARS' IMPRISONMENT, $100,000 FINE, OR BOTH.
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT.
VIOLATORS WILL BE LIABLE FOR PENALTIES OF UP TO 10 YEARS' IMPRISONMENT, $100,000 FINE, OR BOTH.
The door is ajar. You pull yourself up. Everything hurts. You think you've sprained something in your leg. You limp past the threshold and to a balcony overlooking a large shaft, flooded with white light. The word CAINA is written on the floor in big white letters.
You peer down into the shaft.
ADAM
~Der erste Mann~
~Der erste Mann~
At the bottom of the shaft is a giant. It is shaped like a man. It is shining so brightly it hurts your eyes to look directly at. It is rising to take its first steps.
Below you, you can hear frantic screams. You're not sure what they're saying. It no longer matters. Your world is no longer intact. You stand there and you watch. You watch as the men and women in lab coats hammer away at computers, scurrying around like insects. You watch as a giant red rod sinks into the giant man, to the evident distress of the insects on the ground. Part of the balcony to your right buckles and collapses into the shaft, crushing some of them. They leave a tiny red smear on the floor.
There's a tingling sensation in your arm, and a flash of light. The scientists closest to the giant, now turning to run, explode into a red-orange substance. You know it's impossible to hear them from this distance, but you swear you can hear them make a distinct popping sound, like a water balloon.
The giant reaches upwards towards you, wings extending from its body. This is the end. You close your eyes, still not comprehending anything. Why were you here?
You hear something about a countdown commencing.
The wall explodes behind you. Shrapnel rips into your body. Heat sears your face. But something warm has grabbed you and is holding you tight.
It's a person. You black out.
Something wet falls on your face. You're in immense amounts of pain. You're laying on an uncomfortable foam cushion. Blood is running from your wounds. A cold wind whips your face.
Gritting your teeth in pain, you look up at your rescuer.
It's your father.
That was impossible. Your father didn't care about you. You hated your father. You hated your father. It doesn't make sense. There was a giant, and an explosion, and it didn't make sense. It didn't make sense. Your father has never cared a wit for you and you've never felt anything but enmity for him. It doesn't make sense.
You take a shuddering breath and begin to ask if it's really him. You are going to tell him that you hate him, like you have many times before. You have to make the world make sense again.
A steel door closes right in front of your face before you can even finish speaking. You're in a small metal box. You blearily remember that there are escape pods.
Something thuds against your steel prison, and then there's a tremendous boom. You lose consciousness.
The door opens some hours later. You're on the waters of the Southern Ocean. Debris floats on the black ocean surface and whips through the air. Every muscle in your body screams as you pull yourself unsteadily to your feet. You clutch your side, where your parka is completely soaked through with blood.
In the distance, you can hear an unearthly screeching noise. It sounds like a combination of baby birds, squealing tires, and nails on a chalkboard. It's raspy. Even though it's distant, just listening to it makes your head hurt. There's some barely audible something in that sound that your body is trying to reject. You open your eyes.
Two enormous orange pillars of light stretch endlessly into the clouds above, and hot cinders from burning debris rain down from the sky like a newly invented form of precipitation. Each hits the surface of the choppy sea with a hissing sound.
Something dangles from your neck. It's the cross necklace your father always wore. You were not wearing it before the explosion. Your father really had rescued you. Confronted with this final piece of information, your sense of reality completely erodes.
You begin to scream.
To Be Continued
つづく
つづく
Last edited:
Rei I: Hot water
Year 2015 A.D.
Tokyo-3
NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3
NERV Headquarters
You are Captain Misato Katsuragi, and you are lost. You've been called into an "urgent" meeting by your new superior officer, Gendo Ikari, the Commander of NERV, a government organization tasked with the elimination of the Angels, like the one that ruined your entire life and murdered your father. You took the job with pleasure.
Unfortunately, you've only just arrived at NERV a few days ago, and the facility is enormous. Contrary to some nasty rumors, your sense of direction isn't terrible at all; in fact, you'd consider it pretty good, all things considered. But the surroundings are too unfamiliar, and you are now at least twenty minutes late to this meeting.
You finally manage to find another human soul, one of the bridge workers, Hyuga, you think his name was? who is kind enough to point you in the correct direction. You only arrive at the Commander's Office thirty-five minutes late. Fantastic first impression. Gulping, you knock on the door.
A cold, level voice tells you to enter.
The first thing you notice about the Commander's office is that it is very large, and very dark. You hate the dark. His desk looks almost comically tiny on the other side of the room. Gendo is sitting at the desk, his hands folded under his chin. His face betrays no emotion, but you can feel that he's really, really pissed off at you for being late.
To Gendo's left, your right, a slim, older gentleman with gray hair and a perpetually tired expression stands quietly, reading a book of tsumeshogi problems. He is visibly annoyed. Subcommander Fuyutsuki. You and him hit it off really well when he was screening you for this position. You feel guilty for wasting his time, and hope his opinion of you has not changed too negatively.
REI
~Erster Kontakt~
~Erster Kontakt~
At Gendo's right is a girl in a wheelchair covered almost entirely with bandages. You can only see her (crimson, how weird) eyes and a tuft of blue (?????) hair sticking out from under a cap of bandages. Her skin is deathly pale, almost grayish. You're not really sure how to feel about her.
There's a palpable tension in the air, as if an argument has just taken place.
Gendo demands that you explain yourself.
[ ] Write-in
Last edited:
Rei II: The Rei Ayanami Raising Project
[X] Write-in: Forgive me Commander Ikari, I got lost. I promise you that I will spend my free time familiarising myself with the facility, it will not happen again.
You consider making an excuse about the confusing layout of NERV but think better of it once you see all three pairs of eyes look expectantly at you. You bow deeply and apologize profusely for your tardiness. None of the three people across from you seem particularly impressed. A bead of sweat drips down your neck, and you swear that you will take some time to familiarize yourself with the base's layout.
Gendo says not to let it happen again, and further cautions you against making promises you cannot keep. This is your new boss. As he stares you down over the rims of his sunglasses (which he wears in a dark room like this, for some reason), you feel inadequate. Maybe getting this job was a mistake. You break eye contact and look over at the other two. Fuyutsuki appears mollified, if a little exasperated. The girl looks bored.
Fuyutsuki clears his throat and suggests you and he dispense with the unpleasantries. Gendo grunts in response and informs you that you will be responsible for Rei.
He gestures to the girl in the wheelchair. He seems extremely peeved to be giving this responsibility to you. Every word he says sounds like he is forcing the syllables out. You're not amazing at reading people, but you suspect whatever his problem is, it goes deeper than you being late. Though that clearly did not help.
Fuyutsuki steps in and explains that Rei is the pilot of Evangelion Unit-00. You nod. You know of Rei, though this is the first time you've ever met face to face. He further answers the question that has been sitting on your tongue since you first laid eyes on her. Rei was in an accident during an activation test of Unit-00. It seems that the Eva went berserk and ejected the entry plug with Rei still inside, which smashed into the ceiling at high velocity.
As Fuyutsuki relates this sordid tale, your eyes meet Rei's. Amazingly, she seems completely unbothered by this recapitulation of what was undoubtedly a terrifying situation. She's been staring at you the entire time you've been in here, not even looking at the others when they speak. You have not yet seen her blink. It makes you uncomfortable. Fuyutsuki explains the incident with Unit-00 was apparently due to "emotional instability" on Rei's part, so he suggested bringing you in to assist in her development. Gendo's frown deepens as Fuyutsuki relates this.
With that, you are now responsible for Rei Ayanami's emotional development, as well as making sure she's combat-capable against the coming Angels. Good luck.
Reeling slightly from your promotion (?) to a glorified babysitter for a teenage girl who apparently has some issues to work through, you move cautiously towards Rei's wheelchair and take the handles. Rei doesn't say a word. Fuyutsuki nods at you, while Gendo scowls. You're now dismissed, and you and Rei leave the room.
Conversation
You're now alone with Rei. You wheel her over to a quiet break area. Time to make conversation! Better make it count.
Select one of the following:
Talk to Rei about:
Rei
[ ] General well-being
[ ] Mood
[ ] The past
[ ] The present
[ ] The future
Others
[ ] Yourself
[ ] Friends
[ ] Romance
Environment
[ ] NERV
[ ] School
[ ] Home
[ ] Tokyo-3
[ ] The World
Talking to Rei is an important part of your job, as each conversation, if you pick wisely, will help you learn more about her and her needs.
Activities
Each week, you will be able to assign activities for Rei to focus on to raise her stats. For the moment, these will be general choices, but as you and Rei get to know each other, you will be able to narrow your focus.
Select two of the following (note that some activities may be unavailable due to the pilot's current condition):
[ ]Combat training
[ ] Synchronization training
[ ]Physical training
[ ] Study
[ ] Arts program
[ ] Go out
Special Activity
You may do one special activity of your choosing each week. It won't raise Rei's stats, but you can use it to bond with her, affect her mood, or solve her problems. Additionally, you can also use this slot to pursue your own projects, if any. This is not controlled by majority vote. The QM will merely choose the most entertaining one.
[ ] Write in
You consider making an excuse about the confusing layout of NERV but think better of it once you see all three pairs of eyes look expectantly at you. You bow deeply and apologize profusely for your tardiness. None of the three people across from you seem particularly impressed. A bead of sweat drips down your neck, and you swear that you will take some time to familiarize yourself with the base's layout.
Gendo says not to let it happen again, and further cautions you against making promises you cannot keep. This is your new boss. As he stares you down over the rims of his sunglasses (which he wears in a dark room like this, for some reason), you feel inadequate. Maybe getting this job was a mistake. You break eye contact and look over at the other two. Fuyutsuki appears mollified, if a little exasperated. The girl looks bored.
Fuyutsuki clears his throat and suggests you and he dispense with the unpleasantries. Gendo grunts in response and informs you that you will be responsible for Rei.
He gestures to the girl in the wheelchair. He seems extremely peeved to be giving this responsibility to you. Every word he says sounds like he is forcing the syllables out. You're not amazing at reading people, but you suspect whatever his problem is, it goes deeper than you being late. Though that clearly did not help.
Fuyutsuki steps in and explains that Rei is the pilot of Evangelion Unit-00. You nod. You know of Rei, though this is the first time you've ever met face to face. He further answers the question that has been sitting on your tongue since you first laid eyes on her. Rei was in an accident during an activation test of Unit-00. It seems that the Eva went berserk and ejected the entry plug with Rei still inside, which smashed into the ceiling at high velocity.
As Fuyutsuki relates this sordid tale, your eyes meet Rei's. Amazingly, she seems completely unbothered by this recapitulation of what was undoubtedly a terrifying situation. She's been staring at you the entire time you've been in here, not even looking at the others when they speak. You have not yet seen her blink. It makes you uncomfortable. Fuyutsuki explains the incident with Unit-00 was apparently due to "emotional instability" on Rei's part, so he suggested bringing you in to assist in her development. Gendo's frown deepens as Fuyutsuki relates this.
With that, you are now responsible for Rei Ayanami's emotional development, as well as making sure she's combat-capable against the coming Angels. Good luck.
Reeling slightly from your promotion (?) to a glorified babysitter for a teenage girl who apparently has some issues to work through, you move cautiously towards Rei's wheelchair and take the handles. Rei doesn't say a word. Fuyutsuki nods at you, while Gendo scowls. You're now dismissed, and you and Rei leave the room.
Conversation
You're now alone with Rei. You wheel her over to a quiet break area. Time to make conversation! Better make it count.
Select one of the following:
Talk to Rei about:
Rei
[ ] General well-being
[ ] Mood
[ ] The past
[ ] The present
[ ] The future
Others
[ ] Yourself
[ ] Friends
[ ] Romance
Environment
[ ] NERV
[ ] School
[ ] Home
[ ] Tokyo-3
[ ] The World
Talking to Rei is an important part of your job, as each conversation, if you pick wisely, will help you learn more about her and her needs.
Activities
Each week, you will be able to assign activities for Rei to focus on to raise her stats. For the moment, these will be general choices, but as you and Rei get to know each other, you will be able to narrow your focus.
Select two of the following (note that some activities may be unavailable due to the pilot's current condition):
[ ]
[ ] Synchronization training
[ ]
[ ] Study
[ ] Arts program
[ ] Go out
Special Activity
You may do one special activity of your choosing each week. It won't raise Rei's stats, but you can use it to bond with her, affect her mood, or solve her problems. Additionally, you can also use this slot to pursue your own projects, if any. This is not controlled by majority vote. The QM will merely choose the most entertaining one.
[ ] Write in
If you've been doing other Evangelion quests, the weekly format may seem familiar. I have compared the original SIRP game, the RARP game, and the SIRP Quest, and determined that the SIRP Quest format is pretty hard to improve upon, in terms of options provided week over week. I do hope if SeptimusMagisto is reading this that this form of imitation comes off as the flattery I intend it to be. It's a Really Good System. So yes, this quest is a bit derivative in terms of the raising format, but there's no reason to fix what is not broken here.
Last edited:
Rei III: Rei is fine
[X] General well-being
Rei tells you, in a very quiet voice, that she is doing fine. You raise an eyebrow and resist the urge to snort incredulously. You can only see her eyes, ears and hair poking out from the bandages. That is not 'fine' by any definition of that word you're familiar with. You repeat your question, but Rei looks at you with what you assume is a mixture of annoyance and confusion. Rei insists that she is doing fine.
You rephrase the question to ask about whether she is "healthy", for starters. Rei falls silent and looks away from you. Trying to converse with her is like pulling teeth, and she seems extremely reluctant to admit she is not at one hundred percent. She's not being defensive, per say, but more just trying not to answer the question.
You take a deep breath. Okay Misato, you can handle one teenage girl, right? You ask if Rei is in any pain. She finally admits that yes, she is in quite a lot of pain at the moment. She says this stoically, but you can see her hands are gripping the wheelchair's arms tightly. Also, she wants you to know that she is fine, and fully capable of piloting Unit-00 as soon as it's out of the shop. Rei then falls silent and looks away in a way that indicates that she would very much like to stop talking about this topic.
You narrow your eyes but relent. Rei's tough guy act has you concerned. You make a note to talk to whoever Rei's doctor is about the extent and severity of her injuries and to see if they can do anything about the amount of pain she's in. The more you study her mannerisms, the more you can see she's uncomfortable. She frequently adjusts her position in her wheelchair and moves her torso gingerly. It doesn't seem like she can put a lot of weight on her right arm, either. You feel a mixture of impressed by how well she seems to be taking it and annoyed she's unwilling to ask for help.
After this exchange one of the techs, Ibuki? her name was, interrupts your non-conversation to take Rei back to the infirmary to rest. Rei just nods and lets herself be taken away in silence.
[X] Sync training
[X] Go out
You meet up with Ritsuko Akagi, an old college buddy of yours and the head scientist at NERV, to have Rei perform some sync training. Part of this is as much for yourself to see how the synchronization works as it is for Rei. Sure, you've read the dozens of pages of documentation on the Evangelions, but you're more of a hands-on type of girl, and frankly, you're curious about how Rei does.
Rei's score…leaves a lot to be desired, according to Ritsuko. Some of this can be attributed to Rei's injuries. You're honestly amazed she's able to concentrate through all of this, but Rei seems to enter some kind of meditative state when in the plug, and the initial fidgetiness you saw with her in the wheelchair seems to have vanished. That said, you can still see her twitch occasionally, and every time she does, the sync ratio dips slightly before returning to an extremely mediocre baseline of 32.5%. It isn't a total waste of time; Ritsuko seems surprised her sync ratio is as high as it is, all things considered. It's also good practice to reintroduce Rei to the Eva in a controlled, safe environment after the disastrous startup test. It's the first step to getting her back on her feet.
After the test, you decide to take Rei out to a local family restaurant. Rei asks why, as she already has food provided to her in the medical wing of the Geofront. You wrinkle your nose even considering the dull paste they serve at the infirmary. It's barely food. Besides, it's good to get out of the dreary hospital room she's in, isn't it?
Rei doesn't understand. Food is food, no matter where it is eaten or what its consistency is. You resist the urge to drag your hand over your face and just push her along. Rei winces violently and whimpers a little when you try to help her out of her wheelchair into the passenger seat of your car. You wonder if she should even be out of bed, but…nobody seemed to think there was anything wrong with her being out and about. Clearly gritting her teeth, Rei tells you she is fine.
The car ride is pretty quiet. You ask what kind of food Rei likes. Rei tells you that she does not eat meat of any kind. That's intriguing, so you ask why. Rei says she does not want to consume something that has bled, and leaves it at that. Weird.
Rei changes her tune a bit on the "food is food" stance once you actually sit down to eat. She orders a salad, which she says she has never had before. You wonder what this girl actually does eat normally. She practically inhales her meal. She doesn't talk much, apart from commenting on the interesting flavor of the salad dressing, the texture of the walnuts, stuff like that.
She tells you that perhaps this is an improvement on the hospital food. You're not 100% sure, but you think she had a good time.
[X] Teach Rei how to play mahjong
You pick up very quickly that Rei doesn't really have any friends or hobbies, and for the most part spends her time sleeping in the infirmary, reading medical textbooks, or staring into space. For a growing girl like her, This Simply Will Not Do. You try not to think about the amount of time you wasted as a teenager staring into space, pre- and post-Second Impact.
You try to think of something Rei might find engaging, with a bit of a social element. You ponder, and you ponder, and you finally come up with the answer: mahjong. A four person game of skill. You book time for you and Rei at a local mahjong parlor. But you need two more people.
Who will you invite on your mahjong outing?
Select two of the following:
[ ] 1st Lt. Hyuga, technician
[ ] 1st Lt. Aoba, technician
[ ] 1st Lt. Ibuki, technician
[ ] Ritsuko
[ ] Subcommander Fuyutsuki
[ ] Commander Ikari
Last edited:
Rei IV: Mahjong causes great damage to the human spirit without a single benefit
[X] Ritsuko
[X] 1st Lt. Ibuki, technician
You consider the list of people you know and find it's rather depressingly small. You decide to stick with the familiar by inviting Ritsuko. Moreover, you've been seeing a lot of Ibuki lately, so you invite her too. It turns out Rei is under the care of Ritsuko, and Ibuki, as Ritsuko's right hand woman, often acts as a proxy for her. You were unaware that either of them had medical training, but apparently Ritsuko has an M.D. after her name in addition to the Ph.D. You keep meaning to ask Ritsuko for some more details regarding Rei's medical status. Every time you see her flinch in pain only to insist stridently that she's "fine" breaks your heart a little.
You spend an evening back at your apartment poring over a rulebook for mahjong. Mahjong has…a lot of rules. Like, a lot. The rulebook is over two dozen pages long. You haven't played since university, and you wonder if you're even equipped to explain this to Rei. Still…it should be fine, right?
Finally, the magic day arrives. You show up a little early with Rei to give yourself time to explain the rules. You start with the names of each tile, and then explain that a valid hand is four sets of three tiles and a pair (except the two times where it isn't) and go on from there. Rei gives you a blank stare the entire time but doesn't seem confused or ask too many questions. It makes you kind of nervous. As if on cue, once you finish your little lecture Ritsuko and Ibuki arrive. Ibuki seems pretty jubilant to be away from the office, whereas Ritsuko seems a little exasperated. Both of them are surprised to see Rei at your left.
Rei says she now knows how to play mahjong, to which Ritsuko responds that she will not be going easy on Rei, regardless of her novice status. Rei nods. Ritsuko looks at you and says she won't be going easy on you either. You belatedly remember that Ritsuko used to absolutely destroy you at this game. You feel a sense of foreboding. Ibuki says she plays sometimes with Aoba and Hyuga during slow days. The sense of foreboding grows stronger.
The table sets up your first hand. Rei is dealer. You feel a little bad for her. She has less time to get familiar with what she's got, and in her first game. Still, at the very least, you might not be as bad at mahjong as Rei. So maybe today won't be a complete humiliation in front of Rei and one of your subordinates.
Please God, give me a good hand, you think to yourself. More evidence of God's absence presents itself after you turn over your tiles. Grimacing, you look at Rei, hoping maybe she had a worse draw. She's frowning in concentration. She opens her mouth a couple of times as if to ask something, but thinks better of it. Ritsuko looks bored, while Ibuki seems a little concerned for Rei.
You ask Rei what the issue is. Rei responds that the table must be broken. You ask for more detail. Rei says that the goal in mahjong is to form a hand of four sets and a pair by discarding, drawing, and calling tiles, right? You nod, unsure where she's going with this. Rei says she doesn't understand. Her hand is already four sets and a pair.
What. You demand Rei show the table her hand. Rei initially tries to argue that you're trying to cheat, until Ritsuko gently but sternly also asks her to do so. Rei reluctantly reveals she has a winning hand. Your mouth gapes open like a fish. It is the legendary hand that many players go their entire lives without ever seeing.
Tenhou. The Blessing of Heaven. A hand so rare it is automatically worth the maximum number of points. And Rei got it on her very first hand. Rei doesn't even seem particularly pleased about this. It's a waste.
So perhaps there is a God, He's just working very hard against you, apparently. Each of you look at each other with the tired sense of resignation only mahjong players feel, and pay Rei her 16,000 points each, for a total of 48,000. You glower angrily at Rei before you all shove your tiles into the center of the table for the next hand.
You finish the first game in fourth place. Unsurprisingly, Rei is able to coast by just on the points she got from her first hand, so the rest of you get to fight over the scraps. Ritsuko finishes in second, Ibuki third. Well, okay, but Rei had beginner's luck. You start the next game.
Three games later, and now three beers later, you're convinced the table hates you. Maybe even the very game of mahjong itself hates you. Rei has been doing pretty much fine on her own, and has been coming in a very narrow second to Ritsuko. The game has mostly devolved into you and Ibuki scrabbling to not come in last while Rei and Ritsuko duke it out for first. Both have an unusual intensity about them as they duel. Ritsuko has prevailed every single time in the end, though. The score differential has been narrowing increasingly.
It's the last game. The scores are actually pretty close. Finally, you've got a ready hand. A sweet, sweet hon'itsu. You just need that last 4-man or 7-man tile to complete your hand. There's 3 left of both. You have a good feeling. You declare riichi.
Ron. Everyone looks at Rei, who has called your discarded 2-sou. She turns over her hand. Tan'yao, sanshoku doujun, pinfu, dora 1. Mangan. 8,000 points from you, please. You are going to cry.
With that, Rei manages to tie with Ritsuko. But Rei's got the better seat, so she wins the game. Ritsuko slumps back in her chair in bemused defeat. Rei sips her soda nonchalantly, seemingly admiring her handiwork. Ibuki just laughs at your misfortune. Mahjong is a game of skill, but also luck. You whine about this, and Ritsuko merely looks you dead in the eyes and tells you that luck is also a skill.
Some people are naturally unlucky. You down the rest of your drink.
After the game, Ibuki and Rei take their leave. Ibuki thanks you for the invite, in a great mood. You grunt goodbye, to which she giggles and tells you she's looking forward to a rematch. Rei waves goodbye, and also expresses her desire for a rematch. While looking at Ritsuko. You can tell she had a good time, although evidently she's disappointed with your poor performance. She has Ritsuko buy you another beer in gratitude. Thanks, Rei.
You have some time with Ritsuko, and you've been meaning to ask her a few things. What do you want to focus on?
[ ] Rei's health and background
[ ] NERV's latest projects
[ ] Your friendship
[X] 1st Lt. Ibuki, technician
You consider the list of people you know and find it's rather depressingly small. You decide to stick with the familiar by inviting Ritsuko. Moreover, you've been seeing a lot of Ibuki lately, so you invite her too. It turns out Rei is under the care of Ritsuko, and Ibuki, as Ritsuko's right hand woman, often acts as a proxy for her. You were unaware that either of them had medical training, but apparently Ritsuko has an M.D. after her name in addition to the Ph.D. You keep meaning to ask Ritsuko for some more details regarding Rei's medical status. Every time you see her flinch in pain only to insist stridently that she's "fine" breaks your heart a little.
You spend an evening back at your apartment poring over a rulebook for mahjong. Mahjong has…a lot of rules. Like, a lot. The rulebook is over two dozen pages long. You haven't played since university, and you wonder if you're even equipped to explain this to Rei. Still…it should be fine, right?
Finally, the magic day arrives. You show up a little early with Rei to give yourself time to explain the rules. You start with the names of each tile, and then explain that a valid hand is four sets of three tiles and a pair (except the two times where it isn't) and go on from there. Rei gives you a blank stare the entire time but doesn't seem confused or ask too many questions. It makes you kind of nervous. As if on cue, once you finish your little lecture Ritsuko and Ibuki arrive. Ibuki seems pretty jubilant to be away from the office, whereas Ritsuko seems a little exasperated. Both of them are surprised to see Rei at your left.
Rei says she now knows how to play mahjong, to which Ritsuko responds that she will not be going easy on Rei, regardless of her novice status. Rei nods. Ritsuko looks at you and says she won't be going easy on you either. You belatedly remember that Ritsuko used to absolutely destroy you at this game. You feel a sense of foreboding. Ibuki says she plays sometimes with Aoba and Hyuga during slow days. The sense of foreboding grows stronger.
The table sets up your first hand. Rei is dealer. You feel a little bad for her. She has less time to get familiar with what she's got, and in her first game. Still, at the very least, you might not be as bad at mahjong as Rei. So maybe today won't be a complete humiliation in front of Rei and one of your subordinates.
Please God, give me a good hand, you think to yourself. More evidence of God's absence presents itself after you turn over your tiles. Grimacing, you look at Rei, hoping maybe she had a worse draw. She's frowning in concentration. She opens her mouth a couple of times as if to ask something, but thinks better of it. Ritsuko looks bored, while Ibuki seems a little concerned for Rei.
You ask Rei what the issue is. Rei responds that the table must be broken. You ask for more detail. Rei says that the goal in mahjong is to form a hand of four sets and a pair by discarding, drawing, and calling tiles, right? You nod, unsure where she's going with this. Rei says she doesn't understand. Her hand is already four sets and a pair.
What. You demand Rei show the table her hand. Rei initially tries to argue that you're trying to cheat, until Ritsuko gently but sternly also asks her to do so. Rei reluctantly reveals she has a winning hand. Your mouth gapes open like a fish. It is the legendary hand that many players go their entire lives without ever seeing.
Tenhou. The Blessing of Heaven. A hand so rare it is automatically worth the maximum number of points. And Rei got it on her very first hand. Rei doesn't even seem particularly pleased about this. It's a waste.
So perhaps there is a God, He's just working very hard against you, apparently. Each of you look at each other with the tired sense of resignation only mahjong players feel, and pay Rei her 16,000 points each, for a total of 48,000. You glower angrily at Rei before you all shove your tiles into the center of the table for the next hand.
You finish the first game in fourth place. Unsurprisingly, Rei is able to coast by just on the points she got from her first hand, so the rest of you get to fight over the scraps. Ritsuko finishes in second, Ibuki third. Well, okay, but Rei had beginner's luck. You start the next game.
Three games later, and now three beers later, you're convinced the table hates you. Maybe even the very game of mahjong itself hates you. Rei has been doing pretty much fine on her own, and has been coming in a very narrow second to Ritsuko. The game has mostly devolved into you and Ibuki scrabbling to not come in last while Rei and Ritsuko duke it out for first. Both have an unusual intensity about them as they duel. Ritsuko has prevailed every single time in the end, though. The score differential has been narrowing increasingly.
It's the last game. The scores are actually pretty close. Finally, you've got a ready hand. A sweet, sweet hon'itsu. You just need that last 4-man or 7-man tile to complete your hand. There's 3 left of both. You have a good feeling. You declare riichi.
Ron. Everyone looks at Rei, who has called your discarded 2-sou. She turns over her hand. Tan'yao, sanshoku doujun, pinfu, dora 1. Mangan. 8,000 points from you, please. You are going to cry.
With that, Rei manages to tie with Ritsuko. But Rei's got the better seat, so she wins the game. Ritsuko slumps back in her chair in bemused defeat. Rei sips her soda nonchalantly, seemingly admiring her handiwork. Ibuki just laughs at your misfortune. Mahjong is a game of skill, but also luck. You whine about this, and Ritsuko merely looks you dead in the eyes and tells you that luck is also a skill.
Some people are naturally unlucky. You down the rest of your drink.
After the game, Ibuki and Rei take their leave. Ibuki thanks you for the invite, in a great mood. You grunt goodbye, to which she giggles and tells you she's looking forward to a rematch. Rei waves goodbye, and also expresses her desire for a rematch. While looking at Ritsuko. You can tell she had a good time, although evidently she's disappointed with your poor performance. She has Ritsuko buy you another beer in gratitude. Thanks, Rei.
You have some time with Ritsuko, and you've been meaning to ask her a few things. What do you want to focus on?
[ ] Rei's health and background
[ ] NERV's latest projects
[ ] Your friendship
Last edited:
Rei V: About Rei
[X] Rei's health and background
You decide now is as good a time as ever to ask Ritsuko about Rei's health. There are other things you want to talk about, like getting up to speed on NERV's latest initiatives in the R&D department, and reconnecting with Ritsuko after so many years living apart from each other, but right now, you've decided that Rei's health is more important. You'll have plenty of time to catch of with Ritsuko later. Probably.
The moment you bring up Rei's condition the satisfied smirk Ritsuko has been giving you for the last couple of hours vanishes. Fun Ritsuko has left for the afternoon, hello business Ritsuko. Ritsuko explains that Rei was taken in and raised by Gendo from a fairly young age, and naturally, this has led to her social skills being somewhat stunted. Of course, naturally. "Somewhat" stunted. Ritsuko shrugs. You consider asking Ritsuko why she hasn't helped Rei develop her social skills, as her doctor, but you think better of it. The facile way Ritsuko talks about it indicates she probably thought it was not her job to do.
Rei attends a local junior high school and according to Ritsuko, does poorly. She seems to have zero interest in academics. She has not, to Ritsuko's knowledge, made any friends at all. She tells you that Rei is a quiet creature that likes her space and asks for very little from others. Ritsuko is sure you won't have any issues on the discipline front from her, at the very least. The news is dismaying. It seems like NERV actually prefers pilots like Rei, who don't ask too many questions, don't disobey orders, and ask for nothing in return.
You ask if Rei is being paid for her work with NERV. Ritsuko says of course. You rephrase the question. Does Rei know she is being paid for her work with NERV? Ritsuko frowns, a concerned look on her face. Rei's never asked, so she just assumed…okay, you can stop glaring at her now. She'll make sure Rei's apprised. Anything else?
You ask about Rei's current condition. Ritsuko gives you a rueful look. Ritsuko was apparently pretty adamant that Unit-00 wasn't ready but Gendo and Fuyutsuki insisted the activation test be moved up a couple weeks even though she told them Rei's psychograph score was too high, and—well, you get the picture. Rei's probably going to be good as new in around three weeks or so. Apparently, the girl bounces back from injuries pretty quickly. Just has good genes.
You press a little bit further and mention the girl is in seemingly constant pain. Ritsuko frowns. Rei's supposed to tell her these things. She shakes her head in exasperation and says she'll look into adjusting the dosage of Rei's painkillers to make life a little less miserable for her.
Ritsuko excuses herself to return to HQ and leaves.
The next week at work is a nightmare. Seems rumors of your antics at the mahjong parlor got out because someone (Ibuki) told Aoba about it, who has told everyone. Most of the staff is indifferent to the news, but you keep getting weird looks of sympathy from strangers, and Aoba keeps snickering when he sees you. Hyuga tries to put a happy face on it. Don't worry Captain, nobody will think less of you just because you're bad at mahjong. Thanks, Hyuga, you really know how to treat a woman.
You take some time this week to visit Rei in the hospital. She's apparently well enough to start walking again, and is now using crutches to get around. She's wincing a bit with each step, but when she's at rest she seems noticeably more relaxed and still. You notice that in addition to her usual stack of medical textbooks she's added a book on probability and some books about mahjong, the latter of which have several pages flagged.
She greets you. Did you know NERV employees get paid?
It's that time again.
Conversation
Select one of the following:
Talk to Rei about:
Rei
[ ] General well-being
[ ] Mood
[ ] The past
[ ] The present
[ ] The future
Others
[ ] Yourself
[ ] Friends
[ ] Romance
Environment
[ ] NERV
[ ] School
[ ] Home
[ ] Tokyo-3
[ ] The World
Activities
Select two of the following (note that some activities may be unavailable due to the pilot's current condition):
[ ]Combat training
[ ] Synchronization training
[ ]Physical training
[ ] Study
[ ] Arts program
[ ] Go out
Special Activity
You may do one special activity of your choosing each week. It won't raise Rei's stats, but you can use it to bond with her, affect her mood, or solve her problems. Additionally, you can also use this slot to pursue your own projects, if any. This is not controlled by majority vote. The QM will merely choose the most entertaining one.
[ ] Write in
You decide now is as good a time as ever to ask Ritsuko about Rei's health. There are other things you want to talk about, like getting up to speed on NERV's latest initiatives in the R&D department, and reconnecting with Ritsuko after so many years living apart from each other, but right now, you've decided that Rei's health is more important. You'll have plenty of time to catch of with Ritsuko later. Probably.
The moment you bring up Rei's condition the satisfied smirk Ritsuko has been giving you for the last couple of hours vanishes. Fun Ritsuko has left for the afternoon, hello business Ritsuko. Ritsuko explains that Rei was taken in and raised by Gendo from a fairly young age, and naturally, this has led to her social skills being somewhat stunted. Of course, naturally. "Somewhat" stunted. Ritsuko shrugs. You consider asking Ritsuko why she hasn't helped Rei develop her social skills, as her doctor, but you think better of it. The facile way Ritsuko talks about it indicates she probably thought it was not her job to do.
Rei attends a local junior high school and according to Ritsuko, does poorly. She seems to have zero interest in academics. She has not, to Ritsuko's knowledge, made any friends at all. She tells you that Rei is a quiet creature that likes her space and asks for very little from others. Ritsuko is sure you won't have any issues on the discipline front from her, at the very least. The news is dismaying. It seems like NERV actually prefers pilots like Rei, who don't ask too many questions, don't disobey orders, and ask for nothing in return.
You ask if Rei is being paid for her work with NERV. Ritsuko says of course. You rephrase the question. Does Rei know she is being paid for her work with NERV? Ritsuko frowns, a concerned look on her face. Rei's never asked, so she just assumed…okay, you can stop glaring at her now. She'll make sure Rei's apprised. Anything else?
You ask about Rei's current condition. Ritsuko gives you a rueful look. Ritsuko was apparently pretty adamant that Unit-00 wasn't ready but Gendo and Fuyutsuki insisted the activation test be moved up a couple weeks even though she told them Rei's psychograph score was too high, and—well, you get the picture. Rei's probably going to be good as new in around three weeks or so. Apparently, the girl bounces back from injuries pretty quickly. Just has good genes.
You press a little bit further and mention the girl is in seemingly constant pain. Ritsuko frowns. Rei's supposed to tell her these things. She shakes her head in exasperation and says she'll look into adjusting the dosage of Rei's painkillers to make life a little less miserable for her.
Ritsuko excuses herself to return to HQ and leaves.
The next week at work is a nightmare. Seems rumors of your antics at the mahjong parlor got out because someone (Ibuki) told Aoba about it, who has told everyone. Most of the staff is indifferent to the news, but you keep getting weird looks of sympathy from strangers, and Aoba keeps snickering when he sees you. Hyuga tries to put a happy face on it. Don't worry Captain, nobody will think less of you just because you're bad at mahjong. Thanks, Hyuga, you really know how to treat a woman.
You take some time this week to visit Rei in the hospital. She's apparently well enough to start walking again, and is now using crutches to get around. She's wincing a bit with each step, but when she's at rest she seems noticeably more relaxed and still. You notice that in addition to her usual stack of medical textbooks she's added a book on probability and some books about mahjong, the latter of which have several pages flagged.
She greets you. Did you know NERV employees get paid?
It's that time again.
Conversation
Select one of the following:
Talk to Rei about:
Rei
[ ] General well-being
[ ] Mood
[ ] The past
[ ] The present
[ ] The future
Others
[ ] Yourself
[ ] Friends
[ ] Romance
Environment
[ ] NERV
[ ] School
[ ] Home
[ ] Tokyo-3
[ ] The World
Activities
Select two of the following (note that some activities may be unavailable due to the pilot's current condition):
[ ]
[ ] Synchronization training
[ ]
[ ] Study
[ ] Arts program
[ ] Go out
Special Activity
You may do one special activity of your choosing each week. It won't raise Rei's stats, but you can use it to bond with her, affect her mood, or solve her problems. Additionally, you can also use this slot to pursue your own projects, if any. This is not controlled by majority vote. The QM will merely choose the most entertaining one.
[ ] Write in
Last edited:
Rei VI: Chrysalis
[X] School
You ask Rei how school is going. She hasn't been since you've taken her under your wing due to her injuries, but according to Ibuki, she's been enrolled since at least seventh grade. It's subtle, but you can see the little light in her eyes dull before she answers your question. School is going fine, no problems. You instantly smell bullshit. You tell her you know for a fact that things are not "fine".
Rei is not sure what you mean. Nothing at school is happening that could interfere with her ability to pilot Eva. Which, by the way, she can still do. Her injuries and academic status are immaterial. She goes back to her book. You run your hands through your hair in frustration. This is getting very annoying. Obviously, the confrontational approach is not going to work. You fight the urge to yell at her and ask about her friends at school.
Rei pauses her reading and sits abnormally still for a minute or two. You can see the fans whirring in her head as she calculates an answer to your question. Rei finally responds that she does not have any friends, and moreover, does not need them. Rei doesn't have time for friends, anyway. She's very busy. She goes back to her book. You offer to lighten her schedule if she needs more time. Privately, you know that she has plenty of free time. She just seems to prefer to spend it doing nothing.
Rei just narrows her eyes at you. That won't be necessary, she tells you.
You turn the topic to her grades and she frankly admits that she thinks school isn't a good use of her time. The concerns of NERV outweigh whether or not she can do trigonometry or understand Rashomon. Annoyingly, she has a point. But still, she's a smart girl. Her grades shouldn't be as abysmal as they are.
Just to cover all your bases, you ask Rei if anyone is bullying her. Rei shrugs. Nobody ever talks to her, so she doesn't think she's being bullied. You remember your own first year back at school after…well, the world ended. It was rough. Not just due to the circumstances, but the other kids effectively shunned you. It sounds like the same thing is happening to Rei. You tell her being ignored is a kind of bullying too. Rei says, "Oh."
[X] Synchronization training
You and Ritsuko work with Rei to improve her concentration and control over her sync ratio. One thing Ritsuko is concerned about is Rei's ability to cut her sync rate in the case of injury. If Unit-00 is injured in battle, and Rei's ratio is too high, she could sustain similar injuries or undergo nerve damage, and really nobody wants that. Rei's ratio isn't very high right now, but it's something to think about. You manage to get her to purposefully cause dips in her sync ratio, though as a result, the meditative effects of the sync test seem to have diminished a little. Rei seems to be exerting herself a little more than last time, and the measurement tools in her plugsuit indicate her cortisol levels are elevated. It's not much, but her sync ratio has improved to 38.7%.
[X] Arts program
You learn that there is indeed an Art and Culture program at NERV. Why, you're not certain, but you're not complaining. Aoba apparently uses it for guitar practice and tutors other NERV employees in guitar as well. You decide to start simple with Rei and let her try painting something. Rei is resistant to creating anything at first, acting unusually shy about even touching the paint. She seems deeply uncomfortable when faced with the idea of self-expression, and repeatedly asks you why this is necessary, what the point of it is, is this related to piloting, etc. You eventually snap at her that this is for her own development, your patience with Rei's evasiveness finally wearing thin.
She seems surprised for a moment, her mouth hanging just slightly open, but nods and picks up the paintbrush. Her fine motor skills with her right hand are still pretty shaky, and the result is what you'd expect from an amateur painter in terms of technical skill. She paints the entire canvas dark blue with some random black lines. When you ask what it is, Rei says she doesn't know. Not the result you were hoping for but…well, what were you trying to achieve here? It was only her first try, anyway.
[X] Write-in: take Rei to a museum
Rei seems…sheltered would be an understatement, but sheltered. After considering Rei's rather lukewarm understanding of art, you decide to take her to an art museum. Maybe seeing some finished examples of art will help her understand it better than just pushing her into the deep end.
You and Rei amble along at a steady pace, looking at each piece for a minute or two at a time. Longer, if anything strikes you as particularly interesting. You fast walk through an exhibition of photography featuring icebergs. Rei nearly falls over trying to keep up. Fast walking and crutches don't exactly mix well. Rei hasn't really said much, and she looks tired from walking around on her crutches all day. Luckily, you do have a backup solution for that. You tell her you'll be right back and run out to your car. You had the foresight to put her old wheelchair in your trunk, and you retrieve it quickly. But when you reach the location where you left her, Rei isn't there. You immediately panic. Gendo is going to kill you.
After frantically covering what feels like the entire width and breadth of the museum, you finally find Rei in a small alcove you almost missed, staring at a painting of a row of butterflies in chrysalises. One butterfly has exited its chrysalis and has fallen onto the ground, appearing dead. It has a girl's face. You find the painting unsettling.
Rei turns to you and asks what the purpose of this painting is.
[ ] To communicate the artist's emotions without words
[ ] To comment on society using allegory
[ ] To provoke the audience using disturbing imagery
[ ] To escape the real world using fanciful imagery
[ ] To demonstrate the skill of the artist using its superior techniques to achieve a form of photorealism
You ask Rei how school is going. She hasn't been since you've taken her under your wing due to her injuries, but according to Ibuki, she's been enrolled since at least seventh grade. It's subtle, but you can see the little light in her eyes dull before she answers your question. School is going fine, no problems. You instantly smell bullshit. You tell her you know for a fact that things are not "fine".
Rei is not sure what you mean. Nothing at school is happening that could interfere with her ability to pilot Eva. Which, by the way, she can still do. Her injuries and academic status are immaterial. She goes back to her book. You run your hands through your hair in frustration. This is getting very annoying. Obviously, the confrontational approach is not going to work. You fight the urge to yell at her and ask about her friends at school.
Rei pauses her reading and sits abnormally still for a minute or two. You can see the fans whirring in her head as she calculates an answer to your question. Rei finally responds that she does not have any friends, and moreover, does not need them. Rei doesn't have time for friends, anyway. She's very busy. She goes back to her book. You offer to lighten her schedule if she needs more time. Privately, you know that she has plenty of free time. She just seems to prefer to spend it doing nothing.
Rei just narrows her eyes at you. That won't be necessary, she tells you.
You turn the topic to her grades and she frankly admits that she thinks school isn't a good use of her time. The concerns of NERV outweigh whether or not she can do trigonometry or understand Rashomon. Annoyingly, she has a point. But still, she's a smart girl. Her grades shouldn't be as abysmal as they are.
Just to cover all your bases, you ask Rei if anyone is bullying her. Rei shrugs. Nobody ever talks to her, so she doesn't think she's being bullied. You remember your own first year back at school after…well, the world ended. It was rough. Not just due to the circumstances, but the other kids effectively shunned you. It sounds like the same thing is happening to Rei. You tell her being ignored is a kind of bullying too. Rei says, "Oh."
[X] Synchronization training
You and Ritsuko work with Rei to improve her concentration and control over her sync ratio. One thing Ritsuko is concerned about is Rei's ability to cut her sync rate in the case of injury. If Unit-00 is injured in battle, and Rei's ratio is too high, she could sustain similar injuries or undergo nerve damage, and really nobody wants that. Rei's ratio isn't very high right now, but it's something to think about. You manage to get her to purposefully cause dips in her sync ratio, though as a result, the meditative effects of the sync test seem to have diminished a little. Rei seems to be exerting herself a little more than last time, and the measurement tools in her plugsuit indicate her cortisol levels are elevated. It's not much, but her sync ratio has improved to 38.7%.
[X] Arts program
You learn that there is indeed an Art and Culture program at NERV. Why, you're not certain, but you're not complaining. Aoba apparently uses it for guitar practice and tutors other NERV employees in guitar as well. You decide to start simple with Rei and let her try painting something. Rei is resistant to creating anything at first, acting unusually shy about even touching the paint. She seems deeply uncomfortable when faced with the idea of self-expression, and repeatedly asks you why this is necessary, what the point of it is, is this related to piloting, etc. You eventually snap at her that this is for her own development, your patience with Rei's evasiveness finally wearing thin.
She seems surprised for a moment, her mouth hanging just slightly open, but nods and picks up the paintbrush. Her fine motor skills with her right hand are still pretty shaky, and the result is what you'd expect from an amateur painter in terms of technical skill. She paints the entire canvas dark blue with some random black lines. When you ask what it is, Rei says she doesn't know. Not the result you were hoping for but…well, what were you trying to achieve here? It was only her first try, anyway.
[X] Write-in: take Rei to a museum
Rei seems…sheltered would be an understatement, but sheltered. After considering Rei's rather lukewarm understanding of art, you decide to take her to an art museum. Maybe seeing some finished examples of art will help her understand it better than just pushing her into the deep end.
You and Rei amble along at a steady pace, looking at each piece for a minute or two at a time. Longer, if anything strikes you as particularly interesting. You fast walk through an exhibition of photography featuring icebergs. Rei nearly falls over trying to keep up. Fast walking and crutches don't exactly mix well. Rei hasn't really said much, and she looks tired from walking around on her crutches all day. Luckily, you do have a backup solution for that. You tell her you'll be right back and run out to your car. You had the foresight to put her old wheelchair in your trunk, and you retrieve it quickly. But when you reach the location where you left her, Rei isn't there. You immediately panic. Gendo is going to kill you.
After frantically covering what feels like the entire width and breadth of the museum, you finally find Rei in a small alcove you almost missed, staring at a painting of a row of butterflies in chrysalises. One butterfly has exited its chrysalis and has fallen onto the ground, appearing dead. It has a girl's face. You find the painting unsettling.
Rei turns to you and asks what the purpose of this painting is.
[ ] To communicate the artist's emotions without words
[ ] To comment on society using allegory
[ ] To provoke the audience using disturbing imagery
[ ] To escape the real world using fanciful imagery
[ ] To demonstrate the skill of the artist using its superior techniques to achieve a form of photorealism
Last edited:
Rei VII: Hedgehog's Dilemma
[X] To communicate the artist's emotions without words
You tell Rei that you think the artist is trying to communicate their feelings through the painting. Art is, in many ways, about communication, you feel. Rei asks you what the artist's feelings are here. You shrug. Rei frowns. You tell Rei that understanding the feelings of the artist is up to the interpretation of the audience, in some ways. Rei doesn't understand how that's any different from talking. Human beings try to communicate through words, but they often misunderstand each other. Many people misunderstand what she means, she tells you. It's highly…Rei doesn't really know the word.
That's one of the things about art that makes it different from speaking, you tell her. You don't need to know the words. You don't have to be direct. You don't even have to say what you're feeling to a single specific person. Rei tilts her head, and turns back to the painting, lost in thought.
You're called up to Gendo's office a few days later. Gendo, Fuyutsuki and Rei are exactly where they were last time you were up here. Rei waves at you halfheartedly. Gendo informs you that the second pilot is due to arrive soon. You will be picking him up next week. His name is Shinji. Fuyutsuki adds that Shinji is Gendo's son, to Gendo's visible annoyance.
Gendo adds that based on your performance with Rei, he will decide whether to place Shinji into your care. The idea seems to disgust him, and it's hard to miss the contempt in his voice. Moreover, he's spoken to Rei about how she feels about the current arrangement. You tense up and look at Rei. You do not feel as if you and Rei really understand each other very well right now. Had Rei complained to Gendo? Did she hate all your activities you planned? Was your mahjong performance that disappointing? All of these thoughts swirl through your head. Rei's expression gives you no hint as to how she's feeling. She just looks at you with her usual neutral, slightly bored-looking expression.
Gendo says that despite your more…questionable choices (taking a teenager to a gambling den isn't exactly what he'd consider good decorum), Rei seems to be doing fine. Therefore, he will, for the time being, allow her to remain in your care. You breathe a sigh of relief. Rei doesn't react to the news, at least not in a way you can see. Fuyutsuki makes a dry comment about the purpose of this meeting being to give you a heart attack. You do not laugh.
You ask for some details about Shinji. Gendo says he is fourteen years old and lives with a teacher. The Marduk Institute has selected him as the Third Child, so he is coming here to Tokyo-3. He will be piloting Evangelion Unit-01. That's all Gendo says. You stare at him, expecting more, but that's all. The silence grows to an awkward length before Gendo dismisses you, saying there's a few more things he wants to discuss with Fuyutsuki and Rei regarding your guardianship. It is extremely clear he does not trust you with Rei, his adoptive daughter (?), let alone his biological son.
You exit the office feeling shaky. You exhale a breath you weren't aware you were holding. You go through the rest of your day in a daze, thinking about what was said in the meeting. First off, Gendo's son is coming, and you might have to work with another teenager. You're pretty sure you were hired as an operations director, not a babysitter for Gendo's kids. You wonder what kind of person Gendo's son would even be. Just thinking about having to manage a mini-Gendo worries you greatly. The other more worrying development is that apparently Gendo is potentially considering taking Rei out of your care. You do not want that. Sure, you and Rei haven't exactly become best friends, but…it would hurt. You know it would. The fear of rejection you felt in that meeting after Gendo told you he'd been speaking to Rei told you so. You hate how vulnerable you felt. You almost resent Rei for making you care about her well-being, but you shake the thoughts away. You've made that mistake before. The better approach is to try to be a good caregiver to Rei to keep Gendo satisfied. You resolve to do just that.
As for the matter of the other pilot, you feel you should plan your introduction to him. How do you go about it?
[ ] He's a teenage boy, you're an attractive big-sister figure. Send him a tasteful photograph of yourself with some playful teasing to break the ice. Take the Fun Misato approach.
[ ] Send him a formal letter introducing yourself as his CO. You can't give him too many details about NERV, but you can set some expectations. Take the Business Misato approach.
[ ] Have Rei do it instead. It'd be a good way for Rei and him to make friends their own ages. Take the Misato Is Feeling A Bit Lazy approach.
You tell Rei that you think the artist is trying to communicate their feelings through the painting. Art is, in many ways, about communication, you feel. Rei asks you what the artist's feelings are here. You shrug. Rei frowns. You tell Rei that understanding the feelings of the artist is up to the interpretation of the audience, in some ways. Rei doesn't understand how that's any different from talking. Human beings try to communicate through words, but they often misunderstand each other. Many people misunderstand what she means, she tells you. It's highly…Rei doesn't really know the word.
That's one of the things about art that makes it different from speaking, you tell her. You don't need to know the words. You don't have to be direct. You don't even have to say what you're feeling to a single specific person. Rei tilts her head, and turns back to the painting, lost in thought.
You're called up to Gendo's office a few days later. Gendo, Fuyutsuki and Rei are exactly where they were last time you were up here. Rei waves at you halfheartedly. Gendo informs you that the second pilot is due to arrive soon. You will be picking him up next week. His name is Shinji. Fuyutsuki adds that Shinji is Gendo's son, to Gendo's visible annoyance.
Gendo adds that based on your performance with Rei, he will decide whether to place Shinji into your care. The idea seems to disgust him, and it's hard to miss the contempt in his voice. Moreover, he's spoken to Rei about how she feels about the current arrangement. You tense up and look at Rei. You do not feel as if you and Rei really understand each other very well right now. Had Rei complained to Gendo? Did she hate all your activities you planned? Was your mahjong performance that disappointing? All of these thoughts swirl through your head. Rei's expression gives you no hint as to how she's feeling. She just looks at you with her usual neutral, slightly bored-looking expression.
Gendo says that despite your more…questionable choices (taking a teenager to a gambling den isn't exactly what he'd consider good decorum), Rei seems to be doing fine. Therefore, he will, for the time being, allow her to remain in your care. You breathe a sigh of relief. Rei doesn't react to the news, at least not in a way you can see. Fuyutsuki makes a dry comment about the purpose of this meeting being to give you a heart attack. You do not laugh.
You ask for some details about Shinji. Gendo says he is fourteen years old and lives with a teacher. The Marduk Institute has selected him as the Third Child, so he is coming here to Tokyo-3. He will be piloting Evangelion Unit-01. That's all Gendo says. You stare at him, expecting more, but that's all. The silence grows to an awkward length before Gendo dismisses you, saying there's a few more things he wants to discuss with Fuyutsuki and Rei regarding your guardianship. It is extremely clear he does not trust you with Rei, his adoptive daughter (?), let alone his biological son.
You exit the office feeling shaky. You exhale a breath you weren't aware you were holding. You go through the rest of your day in a daze, thinking about what was said in the meeting. First off, Gendo's son is coming, and you might have to work with another teenager. You're pretty sure you were hired as an operations director, not a babysitter for Gendo's kids. You wonder what kind of person Gendo's son would even be. Just thinking about having to manage a mini-Gendo worries you greatly. The other more worrying development is that apparently Gendo is potentially considering taking Rei out of your care. You do not want that. Sure, you and Rei haven't exactly become best friends, but…it would hurt. You know it would. The fear of rejection you felt in that meeting after Gendo told you he'd been speaking to Rei told you so. You hate how vulnerable you felt. You almost resent Rei for making you care about her well-being, but you shake the thoughts away. You've made that mistake before. The better approach is to try to be a good caregiver to Rei to keep Gendo satisfied. You resolve to do just that.
As for the matter of the other pilot, you feel you should plan your introduction to him. How do you go about it?
[ ] He's a teenage boy, you're an attractive big-sister figure. Send him a tasteful photograph of yourself with some playful teasing to break the ice. Take the Fun Misato approach.
[ ] Send him a formal letter introducing yourself as his CO. You can't give him too many details about NERV, but you can set some expectations. Take the Business Misato approach.
[ ] Have Rei do it instead. It'd be a good way for Rei and him to make friends their own ages. Take the Misato Is Feeling A Bit Lazy approach.
Last edited: