Shinji Ikari Raising Project

[Black Aeronaut]

To: "Noah Scott" (big-cheese@stellvia.fen), "Greenpeace Crolis"
(greenpeace@prometheusforge.fen), "Leonard da Quirm"
(leonard@prometheusforge.fen), "Lebia Maverick"
(visionaire@prometheusforge.fen), "Sora
Hasegawa" (sora@ptichka.vvs.fen,
all-call@yggdrasil.fateful-lightning.fen

CC: "Gina Rhodes" (red-rider@roughriders.fen), "AC Peters"
(ac@prometheusforge.fen), "Jeph
Antilles" (lordandmaster@jmc.fen)

From: "Ben Rhodes" (black-rider@roughriders.fen)

Subject: RE: I expect you've seen THAT post by now
Gina and I have been talking about this all morning.  Of course, as you all know, the fact that this isn't an easy subject for her is a foregone conclusion.
On that note, we'll be staying out of this... for the most part, anyhow.  Once Shinji (if he still wants to go by that name by the time this blows over) has it in his head that he wants to meet Gina, she has said that she'll go ahead and meet him.  I'd only ask that no one try to stop him... well, beyond that initial impulsive-but-well-meaning urge to reconnect to someone familiar.
While Gina has changed quite a bit from being Asuka, that persona has been rebuilt over the foundations of the old one.  There's still a few tics in there that are trademark Asuka Langely-Sohryu and Shinji is gonna notice.  Gina has no problem so long as he accepts that she's changed.
Doubtlessly, he's probably also going to want to meet Jess.  This... could prove to be even more problematic.  Jess is an entirely different person.  She can act like Rei Ayanami if she so feels inclined to do so, but that's all it is.  Theatrics.  And as some of you who watch the cosplayer camps know, Jess only puts on theatrics when she's up on the stage.  Jess is not going to put on any of her theatrics for Shinji.  While I think it is a good thing, it's something we need to make sure he is good and ready for.
I've noticed that Chris Marsden isn't on the mailing list.  I would
have thought he'd be on there because he's got a Rei who is... well...
Rei.  I think it might be easier for Shinji to cope if, once he's deemed
fit to interact with people outside Friga, if he meets that particular
Rei Ayanami first.
Thoughts?
-Benjamin M. Rhodes
Supreme Commander, Roughriders
On time, on target, or your money back.

To: "Gina Rhodes" (red-rider@roughriders.fen), "Greenpeace Crolis"
(greenpeace@prometheusforge.fen), "Leonard da Quirm"
(leonard@prometheusforge.fen), "Lebia Maverick"
(visionaire@prometheusforge.fen), "Sora
Hasegawa" (sora@ptichka.vvs.fen,
all-call@yggdrasil.fateful-lightning.fen

CC: "Ben Rhodes" (black-rider@roughriders.fen), "AC Peters"
(ac@prometheusforge.fen), "Jeph
Antilles" (lordandmaster@jmc.fen)

From: "Noah Scott" (big-cheese@stellvia.fen)

Subject: I expect you've seen THAT post by now

I won't insult your intelligence by saying which post, or where. I also
expect a few of you have also figured out where it came from.

Most of the StellviaCorp higher-ups (read: the adults in the Scott
family who are still resident on-station) have had a meeting about this.
We see a couple of matters here that do not require our immediate
attention, because the people involved don't want our immediate
attention – they want to solve this one themselves. When he's ready to
deal with the fact that he's a lookalike of a known fictional character,
then we can help him come to terms with being thrust into this crazy
world. But until then, I strongly suggest we follow the guiding
principle of the Fenspace Convention and butt the hell out of
this until they ask us to help. Then, and only then, do we volunteer to
get the kid some professional help. Or even some knowledgeable-amateur
help; everybody receiving this email is either a lookalike or living
with one or more lookalikes, so we have practical experience that most
professionals lack.

And he'll need that help. Everything he's sure of is wrong, and everyone
he meets who he thinks he knows has changed. (Especially Gina, who left
her old persona behind years ago and now has an adopted daughter – I
can't begin to imagine how he'll handle that.) But that's for later. The
problem that we have to address is how to keep well-wishers and curious
people from overwhelming the poor boy. We aren't the only ones who can
run the same origin analysis that Takami ran as a matter of course –
it'll just take most people longer, if they can do it at all. And I'm
stumped here. Any ideas, anyone?

Noah Scott

Proud parent, happy husband, and President of Stellvia Corporation. In that order.