Evangelion Matchmaker Matchmaker

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

I ran across an old Eva idea I had a long time ago, but never did anything with. Due to seeing Eva 1.0 on the big screen, I decided, what the hell, I'll share it and see if anything can be done with it.

Essentially, Ritsuko Akagi has decided to prevent Third Impact for her own purposes. Maybe she realized Gendo would never love her back, maybe she grew a conscience of a sort-In any event she wants to keep it from happening. So, she undertakes a few very, very subtle moves to keep it from happening.

First off, she has Misato secretly undergo advanced medical therapy to repair the internal damage she suffered during Second Impact so she can have children (I thought this was canon when it is in fact fanon, but just roll with it) and slowly encourages her to become closer to Shinji. She likewise encourages Shinji to grow closer to Misato. Little touches, little conversations here and there with Asuka and Rei allow her to push them to increase their emotional connection to Shinji. Ultimately, one critical step of her plan is for Misato and Shinji to have sex and for Misato to become pregnant.

Ritsuko knows Misato-That she would never abort her child-And so in this act she gives Shinji a more tangible reason for fighting: To protect his unborn child and his lover. Combined with stronger relationships with Asuka and Rei, and slowly, carefully letting him into the real plan for Third Impact, and Ritsuko is thinking her odds for preventing Third Impact are fairly good.

It is a gamble. And it does involve using her best friend and trusting that Shinji, Asuka and Rei can break free of the script that's been given to them. But ultimately, Ritsuko thinks they'll forgive her for it... If it succeeds.

I posted this in Misc. Ideas before deciding to give it it's own thread after talking to the Ero-Sennin about it.

AndrewJTalon: I figure it would fit Ritsuko's character to be so underhanded about it and to use her relationships as her weapon.
AndrewJTalon: And she is putting the same weight Yui put on Shinji, except here she is trusting him to do the right thing and save the world, rather than trusting he will destroy it.
The_EroSennin: Well, giving him an actual purpose would actually be great for Shinji.
AndrewJTalon: Indeed.
AndrewJTalon: And becoming a husband and father is a very powerful purpose.
AndrewJTalon: However, Ritsuko can't really pair him up with Asuka or Rei. They're needed to pilot.
AndrewJTalon: And a classmate would provide many of the same links, but most of them have not had to grow up like Shinji-Losing a mother, feeling abandoned, finding a home even in the midst of great adversity.
AndrewJTalon: And making it someone at NERV with whom he is close, for lack of a better way of explaining it, makes the conflict as personal as it can get.
AndrewJTalon: Because if he fails, that person will die for sure when NERV self destructs.
AndrewJTalon: And you also need someone who would not leave no matter what.
AndrewJTalon: Because she would be the type of person to fight to the bitter end to save humanity.
The_EroSennin: Indeed.
AndrewJTalon: So in that context, Misato is the logical choice.
AndrewJTalon: Because she's the type of person who, even if she was in labor, would not leave the command deck while there was an Angel to fight.
AndrewJTalon: And is always connected to the pilot while in combat.
AndrewJTalon: It's ruthless, but that's how Ritsuko is and what she would need to do in order to save humanity.
The_EroSennin: Indeed.
The_EroSennin: Plus, making Shinji happy would be a massive fuck you to Gendo, and she'd enjoy that above all else.
AndrewJTalon: Oh yes.
AndrewJTalon: And Gendo can't exactly get rid of Misato, either.
AndrewJTalon: Some classmate of Shinji's, sure, he could transfer her out or have her quietly dealt with.
AndrewJTalon: Misato? He can't.
AndrewJTalon: Hmmm... Though... I wonder about Kaji's reaction. If he found out what Ritsuko had been doing.
AndrewJTalon: I doubt he'd be happy about it but he would, I think, understand the necessity.
The_EroSennin: Verily,
AndrewJTalon: And he'd still do what he could for Shinji, because Kaji does not seem the type to hold a grudge.
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: Shinji, we've all got free will... It's just that the consequences of our choices scare the hell out of us, because let's face it, humans are good at imagining bad things.
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: We've had to deal with pain all our lives, so what makes more pain worth it? Well... That's up to you to decide. Nobody else can make the choice but you.
The_EroSennin: Shinji: ...Thank you, Kaji-san...
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: Cause hey... No matter what we hear, or know, or think... There's always that little bit inside of us that believes that there's always hope. Always something worth fighting for... And we can choose to listen, or not.
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: *smiles* No problem, kid.
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: Also, you break Misato-chan's heart, I'll break your legs. You can still pilot in casts.
AndrewJTalon: *Kaji glares at Shinji with his most serious-looking face, before laughing out loud*
The_EroSennin: Shinji: *Laughs with him...nervously...*
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: Now... I'm going to go tend my watermelon patch. *Hefts up a machete* Yes, I think this will do. *Swings it a few times*
The_EroSennin: Shinji: *Just. Stares.*
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: ... Wait, what am I thinking? That's the wrong tool entirely. *Chooses a chainsaw* MUCH better. Hey Shinji, did you know this can cut through solid bone? *RRR. RRR*
The_EroSennin: Shinji: *Pale and trembling*
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: ... Wanna go chop down trees with me?
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: You look like you could use some sun. You're almost as pale as Ayanami.
AndrewJTalon: Kaji: *smiles* We'll make a day out of it, come on! *He wraps his arm around Shinji's shoulders and gently but firmly guides him out the door of the apartment*
The_EroSennin: Shinji: R-right...

 

[marthf1]

I think PCHeintz mentioned something about this being too complex for Ritsuko. Also, she can bypass all the hoops & hurdles with Misato & her surgeries if she uses someone like Maya. Additionally, I think it is incorrect to say that Misato is indisposable. Sure she is tactically brilliant, but realistically, she was useless beyond the Sixth Angel (& the spider one, maybe). And for all the fanwank of her command abilities, I don't think no-one couldn't replace her - in the sense that yes, the GeoFront would still survive. In any case, her getting pregnant would actually be pretty bad considering she is needed to command.

 

[Chuckg]

The problem lies in that Gendo isn't supposed to find out anything's going on until after Shinji & Misato have bonded, and Misato is pregnant.

So it isn't just 'drop Misato down a hole'; its 'find a way to get rid of her that doesn't involve Shinji immediately leaping to the worst possible conclusion and deciding that he's going to actively ruin Gendo's shit, because that goes to "the scenario is completely fucked" without passing Go or collecting $200'.

That rules out arbitrary dismissal, traffic accidents, heart attacks, committing suicide by shooting herself three times in the back of the head, and 'she applied for a transfer to Germany, no, really, and left without packing any of her stuff because she was in such a big hurry!'.

Gendo would need to find a reason to dismiss Misato for cause, a cause that was so self-evidently reasonable that not even an angry and hurt teenaged boy (secretly being coached along by Ritsuko, who would be happy to feed Shinji's anti-Gendo paranoia) could see it as anything other than perfectly justified military procedure.

Which means 'relieved of duty for incompetence'... except that Gendo can't do that to Misato and make it believable, because Misato actually is that damn good at her job, and Gendo could not find anybody visibly better for it on short notice.

 

[marthf1]

That reasoning of yours seems to apply well enough to any female character Ritsuko could choose. More so for NERV staff, since they can't be forced out as easily. The only real case I see is that Misato is the least disposable, but given time, even that is negated. I suppose it depends when the knowledge is revealed, but aren't the later Angels increasingly spread apart? And doesn't Gendo know that?

I was going to reiterate that, from an objective standpoint, she is useless starting at the time the tag-team angel (I don't remember how useful she was during the spider one), but I suppose Gendo wouldn't know that & would still need her.

 

[Chuckg]

That reasoning of yours seems to apply well enough to any female character Ritsuko could choose. More so for NERV staff, since they can't be forced out as easily.

Eh, what? Its far easier to explain why you're replacing or transferring junior personnel than it is department heads.

Also, it occurs to me Ritsuko needs another qualification for her 'designated mother'; it has to be someone who can continually be in contact with Shinji without arousing Gendo's suspicions. Which means it has to be someone who actually has being part of Shinji's life as part of their assigned job at NERV. If one of the female bridge bunnies or Maya starts hanging out with Shinji all the time, Gendo's going to smell a rat really fast; they're not supposed to be there.

That kinda narrows it down to one. Well, maybe two, but if Ritsuko was going to volunteer herself she already would have, and Misato still gets to see Shinji in the line of duty more often than she does. (Granted, Ritsuko at least would have a believable reason for going over to Misato's apartment often; she's Misato's old friend, and "obviously" is just restarting their friendship up again.)

And re: 'tactically useless' -- as you point out, Gendo will not know that in advance, and remember, Misato has another job; she's the adult supervision for the Second and Third Child. As long as they're both performing well enough Gendo won't replace her, because she's still being useful there. Gendo isn't exactly oversupplied with people who can be the "handler" for two-thirds of his Eva capacity; the only other two I can imagine having even a remote chance would be Fuyutsuki or Ritsuko, and both of them already have full-time jobs doing things Gendo needs done elsewhere. (And its not even that Misato is that good at handling kids, its just that everybody else we see in NERV looks like they'd be that horrible at it. If nothing else, can we possibly imagine one of the bridge bunnies or Maya being able to squelch Asuka?)

 

[bissek]

Misato spent the entire battle against the Spider Angel trapped in the elevator. Asuka was the one who came up for the strategy against that one.

Of course, if Misato isn't in command, tactical control seems to pass over to Gendo, who is hopelessly unqualified in military matters, but somehow managed to get put in charge of a military organization anyway. I never could figure out that point. Having a scientist with no military experience in charge of a research project that is developing a weapon such as GEHIRN makes sense. Having a scientist with no military experience in charge of the organization that uses the new weapons does not. Control of NERV should have gone to a professional soldier, with Gendo shunted to a secondary role as the expert to consult on matters pertaining to the new equipment.

Of course, having NERV controlled by someone who is actually qualified would interfere with SEELE's plan.

 

[PCHeintz72]

Misato spent the entire battle against the Spider Angel trapped in the elevator. Asuka was the one who came up for the strategy against that one.

Of course, if Misato isn't in command, tactical control seems to pass over to Gendo, who is hopelessly unqualified in military matters, but somehow managed to get put in charge of a military organization anyway. I never could figure out that point. Having a scientist with no military experience in charge of a research project that is developing a weapon such as GEHIRN makes sense. Having a scientist with no military experience in charge of the organization that uses the new weapons does not. Control of NERV should have gone to a professional soldier, with Gendo shunted to a secondary role as the expert to consult on matters pertaining to the new equipment.

Of course, having NERV controlled by someone who is actually qualified would interfere with SEELE's plan.

Nerv is not technically military, they andswer to military. They are paramilitary.


Of course... this begs the question how legal it was to forcefully conscript Shinji into their organization against his will... but since I've started one thread on that in the past, I'll not bother going down that road.