The Children as adults

[Kendrix]

In the relatively short snippet of their lives that this anime shows us, Shinji, Asuka and Rei are in what is perhaps the most confusing, sucky part of the road to adulthood: Roughly in the middle of puberty.
In many ways, they've been dealt tremendously bad set of cards to begin with - they had the traumas of their childhoods to hold them back and even in the present, during the year or so of the "angel war", were involved in things that may already define/affect many things about the entire rest of their lives even though those lives have barely even begun/gotten to the interesting part. Many important decisions were probably taken from them...
Nonetheless, they seem to have managed to learn a few important lessons for themselves, so one wonders what it would look like to see them start applying those.

So, shortly, what sort of adults do you think would the Children (and the other teenaged characters) grow into? What would their "ever after" look like? What kind of jobs/family situations can you imagine them having?

In case of those who died a tragic death at a young age or were otherwise kept from reaching adulthood in a normal way, what would/ could they have done if they had gotten to live under relatively normal conditions after the events of 2015/ survived at all?

I'm gonna let you speculate a little before adding my own mustard.

[Shinoyami65]

Well, if they had been RAISED normally, they would probably have lived normal lives similar to the AU in Episode 26.

If they had lived normal lives after turning 14, I can see Shinji either wandering aimlessly through life, eventually getting a normal, boring job and just doing what he's told to do (or believes he should do) without ever falling in love or getting in a serious relationship. He might turn out like Gendo and fall in love with a single woman and become completely dedicated to her, and would probably retain his antisocial problems into late life like Gendo.

Asuka would probably become involved with the military, get promoted, and eventually become a commander or a person of similar or higher rank. Like Shinji she'd probably retain some personality problems but would have partially resolved most of them or covered them up with bravado. I also can't see Asuka in a serious relationship, since she was only ever interested in Shinji and Kaji.

Toji would probably become involved in sports, particularly basketball, get married to Hikari after they eventually admit their mutual feelings for each other, and live happily ever after (at least that's how I'd like to imagine it).

Keisuke would probably end up living the solitary mili otaku lifestyle.

[Dream]

Honestly, i can see things working out both in a positive and negative way for all the children.

Shinji is really a loose cannon regarding this question. At first i was going to say he might dedicate himself to an artistic where he doesn't have to deal with the public, by virtue of his cello playing, but that might just be a hobby. Most of the discussions of the value of Shinji's life deals more with vague generalities rather than a specific "this is my inclination in life" which then again is to be expected from someone who's just 14. So i can't really say, he's shy and very kind hearted, so i think he would dedicate himself to an scholarly or artistic field, or to a position where he can help other people (doctor, teacher, psychologist, etc.) In his personal life, i like to imagine that he dies alone, but is always hopeful and positive regarding life, it just fits with the themes of NGE i think. But someone like Shinji would likely be married once he's a more mature and established person. I don't think he would have children unless his wife wanted them, he probably wouldn't be a good father, but not in the same way Gendo wasn't.

I think Shinji would become a somewhat akward and troubled, but very kind and perceptive young man, someone who is able to take life with stoicism and do the right thing/help other people to the best of his ability, no matter how bleak or discouraging things get. No longer mired by self-loathing, he's able to let go of his ego to solve things in the most efficient manner.

Of course there's always the possibility he just lives a simple, happy life on a little corner of the world, or killed himself in some bridge.

Asuka would dedicate herself to either a field where she can succeed in and be admired, or dedicate herself whole-hearterdly to a cause she believes in. I imagine she would be more inclined to adventurous fields like sports or investigation/research. Very much like Shinji, i think she would have a happy relationship once she has worked on her issues. Likely no children, maybe a son. She ends up having a happy family and is a force to be reckoned in anything she sets her mind to, might even be remembered by history.

I think Asuka would retain a lot of her ambition and inner fire, but would channel them to significantly more healthy outlets. One of the greatest changes, i think, is that adult Asuka would be a much more patient person and in control of her temperament. A very passionate and strong individual, she would be able to attain great levels of dedication to a certain goal, while being empathethic and understanding of those who can't keep up.

Touji i'm pretty sure would dedicate himself to a physical field where he can help other people (fireman, police officer, etc.), probably single and taking care of his parents or sister, i don't think he would have children.

I think Touji wouldn't change much from how we saw him in the series, at most i think he would be generally more mature and less out-spoken, or at least would think more before acting/speaking.

There are some other children i wanted to write about, but i'm lazy and sleep deprived right now.

[Ambrosia]

I think Shinji would probably be pleased with some sort of 9-to-5 clerical work job, where the tasks would be pretty much routine, and perhaps with little room for career progression. He doesn't strike me as an ambitious person, and would probably find comfort/peace of mind in the kind of repetitive stability some such jobs can offer. Yes, he may give off kind-hearted vibes, but somehow I don't see him being entirely comfortable in a job where he'd have to deal with the public frequently, so in my headcanon he'd probably end up as an accountant or something (numbers are safe and mostly logical, unlike people). Regarding relationships, even if he became more assertive, I can see things taking one of two possible paths: either he'd find someone to boss him around, because it's easier to be told what to do and to fall into an expected role, or he'd find someone more timid (perhaps not unlike Hikari), perhaps with a hobby or two in common and the kind of person he could grow old with in a comfortable way (and by comfortable I mean slightly dull). As for children, I doubt he'd actively want them, what with his own experience. Still, he'd probably do it to go along with his partner's wishes.

Asuka would do well in the competitive world of academia, she seems to have the brains for it. On the other hand, she'd probably prefer something a little more hands-on, so a military career could also be an option (that, and she gets to tell people what to do all the time). I can see her having lots of flings, but not one of those serious, long-lasting relationships; on the other hand, it wouldn't be farfetched for her to end up with someone like Kensuke - maybe a little bland at first sight, but the yin to her yang. I don't see her having children either, she'd probably put her career first.

Touji would make a great PE teacher, sports coach or fireman. Basically someone who might look tough on the outside, but who can be relied on to help. He and Hikari would get married at some point but while still young, possibly after finishing their educations. Hikari I see as being a preschool teacher, a cooking instructor, or a nurse for a while until kids come into the picture, then she'd quit her job to look after them. I say kids because since both her and Touji have siblings they get along with, it's reasonable that they'd want to replicate that same experience.

Kensuke could end up working in intelligence/espionage, or join Asuka in the military. He'd be extremely passionate about his job, but also tolerant of other people's mistakes or lack of enthusiasm. I think he could also find himself a trophy wife, maybe someone who'd nod enthusiastically while he went on and on about warfare techniques and weapons.

Rei... this is a tough one. [s:1wb8gjk7]Dance instructor?[/s:1wb8gjk7] I'm at a loss here. She might end up working at some technical support call centre, or be an announcer at train stations, airports and the like, or a librarian. She could also become a gardener, or a florist - she might enjoy making things grow and thrive with her own hands. Her partner would have to be someone patient, possibly quirky, and either the more quiet type so they could sit in companionable silence - the sort that says more than many conversations ever will -, or a more extroverted person to show her all the wonders of social interaction. Possibly a good couple of years older than herself. Surprisingly, I easily see Rei becoming a mother - the slightly clueless, 'How did this happen? What am I supposed to do now?' kind.

Kaworu would make a good psychologist, sociologist, or historian. I don't think he'd be out of place either as a travel programme host, or as a volunteer in poorer regions - all are jobs that could provide him with a good insight on people, their cultures and their societal behaviours. He'd probably shack up with someone he felt he could help, and I think he'd want to become a parent for the whole newness of it - a bit of a selfish reason, almost like an interesting experiment.

[amitakartok]

She could also become a gardener, or a florist - she might enjoy making things grow and thrive with her own hands. Her partner would have to be someone patient, possibly quirky, and either the more quiet type so they could sit in companionable silence - the sort that says more than many conversations ever will -, or a more extroverted person to show her all the wonders of social interaction. Possibly a good couple of years older than herself. Surprisingly, I easily see Rei becoming a mother - the slightly clueless, 'How did this happen? What am I supposed to do now?' kind.

Rei as a homeroom teacher in an elementary school? She's the last person you would expect to lose her temper and yell at the kids.

[Ambrosia]

Rei as a homeroom teacher in an elementary school? She's the last person you would expect to lose her temper and yell at the kids.

True, but on the other hand I'm not sure she'd be able to motivate students as well as a more charismatic/extroverted person; she'd probably do better with the older kids than with the little ones, though.

[Darkwing]

Funny, I was going to make a thread about possible careers. Anyways...

Asuka... Basicly I think that no matter what if she doesn't manage to break through the wall she put around herself, she'd be a kind of lonely person. If you think about it a lot of people who somewhat know her, but don't know her well think she's just a bitch. Namely Toji and Kensuke. As long as she's pushing people away and being so competetive, she won't have real emotional closeness, and that perception could be picked up very easily. Hell think about it. Someone comes in, is constantly belittiling everyone else, and loudly proclaiming their superiourity, yeah, you'd see them as a total bitch.

Hikari, I have an interesting idea for. Therapist. And Asuka is the reason. Remember when Asuka stayed with her during her breakdown? She wanted to help Asuka. She tried. But it just was beyond her ability. I can see something like that, being powerless to stop a friends downward sprial as the sort of thing that would affect a person deeply, and make them want to be able to keep that sort of thing from happening.

[Bagheera]

It's hard to even speculate about Shinji and Asuka, since a lot depends on where you put your cutoff (action arc? Series end? post-3I?) and, to an even greater extent, what sort of care they receive. If you just extrapolate from the action arc you get very different adults than you would extrapolating from EoEoE, and in the latter case a great deal hinges on the kind and extent of mental help they receive, if any. There's also the issue of how they develop in the next few years, since all sorts of things could happen in normal life to push them in different directions.

Personally, in my headcanon Shinji becomes a director at Nerv's successor, an agency run by the U.N. and tasked with restoring the world. I imagine he'd gravitate toward such a role both out of guilt and out of a genuine desire to be useful, to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.

Asuka is, if anything, an even more complex case than Shinji. Her main problem is that she's never thought about her life beyond Eva, and now that that's gone she has to decide what she wants to do with herself. Does she want something physical? I doubt it; while she'd certainly be capable of handling it she's too fixated on her creature comforts to go for that. Research is a possibility, presuming she doesn't get bored. A "normal" job is out of the question, of course.

(Not considering Rei here, since she's a special case; as of Eoe she's functionally dead, and in an AU she'd be such a different person that her connection to the Rei we know would extend to appearance at the very most.)

As for family, I imagine they'd struggle along with one another in some capacity, if only because of their shared history. No one else in the world understands Eva like they do, and there are precious few people either could deal with as equals (that guilt thing again). But I doubt such an association would lead to romance, at least in the short term; I don't think either will be ready for that until their early 20s at the earliest. After that? Virtually anything's possible. If the world's infrastructure is restored and they get the help they need they could wind up with most anybody, doing most anything. You know, like real people. ;)

[Mr. Tines]

You have to assume some soft damp-squib Instrumentality -- so that the Children are neither uploads nor having to deal with the day to day business of survival and possible recovery, nor having to deal with the consequences of involvement in whatever happened in Hakone 2015-16, nor any major upheavals that might come down the pike to do with the nature of work for the Millennials IRL. And then there are anomalies like Rei's presence in EoTV contrasted with Kaworu's absence.

Taking a mundane "Good End" view of things, Shinji and Kaworu would be some Bohemian couple, Kaworu doing something artistic but practical -- maybe even a beautician -- and Shinji a house-husband doing some classical music on a semi-pro basis.

Asuka would probably return to her studies, get hacked off after collecting advanced degree, and do something completely different -- but whether that is doing something intensely technical somewhere in the US, or settling down to raise a family with a guy she meets at whichever university, my visualization fails. What is clear is that she has the most visible Internet presence of the Children.

Rei is somewhere in whatever successor organization takes over the R&D work that NERV did -- probably PA or gofer (or even daughter-as-carer) for one of Gendo or Kozo, if either is still in circulation; resident test subject otherwise.

[Kendrix]

Here's my contribution:

Even if she stopped being morbid about it, Asuka would probably still be ambitious so she would want to have a steep career and make herself known to the world in some way.
Science would probably be out of the window because Kyoko was a scientist (and even if she has the brains for it, I couldn't see her getting very enthusiastic about "Just why do these particles do this" or stuff) I can see her earning herself a leading position at some large company at a relatively young age. As for the issue of kids, it could go either way, she said she didn't want any, but that was because she had that complex about not becoming like Kyoko, so her opinion might change if that complex loosens. Most likely not, though, since she would still put her career first.
She doesn't llike committing, but she really like to be all alone, so she'd probably have fairly short-lived flings with various men, perhaps younger men when she gets older.
If she really were to get a family or a permanent partner (She might get one submissive guy who takes her moodwings without complaint and not bother to get another one) there would be a certain chance of her becoming a neglectful wife and mother like her own mother, but... no. I DO think (especially after seeing 2.0, but also certain earlier comments by her VA unrelated to Rebuild) that she would eventually be capable of maturing a bit and getting her priorities in order, and learn to be more honest with herself - Just like her Pride as an EVA pilot always used to come first, her sucess/career would always come first (even if she would be less obsessed/more relaxed/less perfectionist) so she would avoid such a situation by not having a family or kids in the first place, and, dunno, go on enjoying her life and looking for love and happiness.

I assume that Shinji and her would probably (after a few pretty turbulent post- OMF- weeks involving lots of threats, insults and possibly sex, but sufficient cooperation for them to survive until Misato detangs) go their separate ways as soon as a semblance of civilation is established, too much ugly stuff happened between them, the thresholds and the respect are gone. But I guess that five to ten years later, when they both had time to mature, cool off and see the events with more clarity, one would spontaneosly decide to track the other down or they'd meet at some ex-NERV-staff get-together and since they lived together/ went through many ordeals together, they wouldn't just part again and never have anything to do with each other again, I guess that they would stay in somewhat loose contact and having a not too close, but enduring friendship of sorts, with Asuka visiting, still complaining about his way of life here and there, (and he might actually take her advice to heart... well, a teensy little bit) but not with the viciousness of when she was younger, and she'd make sure to stuff herself with his cooking, some "old friends" kind of relationship.

As for Shinji himself, he probably could live from being a virtuoso or writing his story down (and having it made into a silly anime and/or movie tetralogy!), but he does not have any ambition and wouldn't like to be at the center of attention, so he'd probably be more of a small light with a simple, modest lifestyle, and he'd try to leave the whole EVA business behind him - he would probably have an "May-all-my-sins-be-remembered"-approaxch to his days as an eva pilot, "Yeah, I'm the one who did that, I was young and dumb like we all were, I'm not proud of it, please don't glorify it.", that sort of sentiment.
He'd probably shrink away to some quiet and peaceful place and run a small restaurant somewhere. If you asked him if he's happpy, he'd probably say something like "Hm, not really sure, but I think I'm at peace now.", with the last few lessons he learnt he'd probably be able to find himself at least a certain measure of inner peace, I think, and maybe, after accumulating a bit of experience, he could even become somewhat wise, in the way Kaji is, minus the whole james bond womanizer shtick.

I agree that he probably wouldn't actively seek to have kids, less because he doesn't like them or anything, but because he wouldn't be confident in his ability do take such responsibility, ssince he doesn't really know what a proper parent is supposed to be like - what little good things Gendo and Yui did for him were still not part of his everyday life, the everyday life he'd have to master with any potential offspring. But I can easily see him letting himself be convinced by his wife or husband.
Speaking of which, his partner would have to be someone who is able to apppreciate his virtues and would want the same things out of life, something like a "toned down" version of Rei or Kaworu, as in, a quiet but honest and nice person, or someone with similar artistic inclinations.
If he were to somehow aquire a biological child, he'd probably name the first one after Kaworu. Lucky for him, it's an unisex name so that also works if he gets a daughter, and Shinji might give his offspring something of a passing-the-torch-y speech at some point, that it's up to them to build the future of the world, yadda yadda.

Hikari is most definitely teacher/ nusery school teacher material, she's already more efficient at managing the class than the actual teacher. She can be both stern and kind and understanding, so she has what it takes. She's also likely to completely dedicate herself to raising her kids/ becoming a housewife once she has kids, being generally a bit traditionally-inclined.

If you were to ask Kensuke what he wants to do when he grows up, he'd probably tell you that he wants to go to the military and do cool stuff there, but that's not very realistic... Even if he has moments where he's very reasonable and displays surprisingly accurate understandings of the people around him, he is, in some ways, the most "childlike" amongst the teenaged characters, he basically still plays with toys. There's plenty of room for maturation there XD I guess he'll eventually get that wars are not as great to be in as they are cool to look at, and become a journalist (since he's always so oddly well informed) or computer scientist (He was implied to be good with computers, wasn't he?)

Touji... Hm, something that earns a steady income so he can support his family. A bit less class clown, a bit more "responsible guy", but otherwise mostly the same. He's not someone I'd worry about. There's that scene floating around in my head where he used to want to become a proffessional basketball player, but eventually decided that he wanted something more serious in case his sister should stay stuck in a wheelchair and need someone to support her, and then, cue irony...

Kaworu.... Ah, if only he had lived *sob* I say that he might be the only one amongst the Children who'd have a firm idea of what to do later (or what he would like to do if he had the chance) by the time of the shows - Asuka would consider that she's already an adult doing a job she wants to do, or would at least claim that to mask that she's just as young and inexperienced as everyone else and how her life is dominated by the project to an unhealthy degree (She wouldn't know what else to do), Mari doesn't strike me as the plan-far-into-the-future kind of person, Shinji's aimless anyway, and Rei would find making plans unessecary since she knows she'll be the impact button before she gets anywhere near finishing school...
Well, back to Kaworu - most definitely artist or musician or some renaissance-y combination thereof. Or maybe doing something charity-like? He's a person of the abstract. Amongst artist, there are those who say that art should first and foremost reflect nature, that art is "Nature minux X", and there are those who say that art is not to merily depict things, but to make them visible in a way. It would be like him, to make it his mission to bring out the underappreciated beauty in things and people.
Like in Touji's, not someone to be all too worried about, he's sufficiently capable of figuring out and archieving what he really wants.
I figure that he'd end up at an university, studying something music/art related, or maybe philosophy.
As for partners, we all know that he totally can't resist that "tortured artist" type.
Never thought that much about him and family (since he sadly kicks it at the tender age of 15) but since he's someone who values trying out new things and experiences, he probably wouldn't want to "miss" what it's like, dunno.

As for Rei, assuming she's not functionally dead after EoE and somehow returns (unlikely at it is - poor girl, such a short and sucky life) hm... Her reaction to a certain comment of Shinji's and the fact that she seems to lament not having her period despite how much periods suck suggest that she has some concious or unconcious wish for babiez. She can't have em, but there's still adoption. She is at least suitable for that in the respect that she's a kind and selfless person. Of course, she would also have her limitations, but I'd say she'd manage to be an at least average parent, probably the type to express her affection more through actions that through symbolic gestures.
One could say that Rei did have at least some experiences with roughly comparable to getting comfort from a parental-ish figure, (Gendo keeping her company in the tube room or the sort of silent understanding they seemed to have between each other might be the first to her mind - Gendo wasn't much, but he's better than nothing... ) but there was the whole test subject/impact trigger/Wife's clone issue to complicate it all, which hopefully won't be an issue with her own kids.
It also depens on the personality of the kids, she might or may not get percieved as not openly affectional enough, because it might simply not occur to her to do some things she never knew, but she may as well become aware of those things in the years between detanging and actually being old and mature enough to be allowed to adopt a kid.
Since she already came very close to acting like a normal if quiet teenager from episode 15 onwards, so a few more years of proper exposure to people should mostly do the trick - though she'd probably still retain a few odd traits here and there since the first years of her life would still have shaped her - She might still not mind lack of clothes very much, or still occassionally have the pauses in her sentences at odd places, and maybe her domicile will still incorporate lots of bare concrete walls, but incorporating a few pictures on the walls and a flower vase here and there.
Since she used to read thick science books in her spare time, so she might be suited to being a natural scientist. (I think seeing her in a lab coat would give poor old Fuyutsuki a heart attack... - it would be somewhat weird if she winded up as a scientist-who-is-also-a-mother like Yui, but to be honest, it just seems like the most likely thing.)

Mari is a tricky one. In a way, we have already seen what her ideal job would be: Mecha pilot. She has plenty of what could be considered admirable characteristics, but they're hidden beneath a layer of weirdness that might make it hard for her to fit into society. And from the look of it, she would prefer being alone to bending herself, but the idea of her choosing a job where she doesn't have to see human faces so she can be weird in peace seems... wrong.
She could still grow out of that a little, though she wouldn't change too much, and in a way she seems more "finished" than the other children, like she already found a way to be comfortable with herself just the way she is.
After some consideration that her becoming a teacher might be a possibility. For someone who may have a trauma related to a strict, catholic school, becoming a non-stuck up teacher who pays attention to her students' individuality would be an interesting sort of "thriumph" over that, and she may find children to be more pleasant to deal with that "phony"/"Boring"/"square" adults. And she has demonstrated the ability or at least the willingness to inspire and guide people without judging them.
So maybe one of these ecenntric but inspirational teachers everybody likes.

Q related comments.  SPOILER: Show

Well, in a way, we already saw her "growp up", and she's partially over her "I work alone"-complex and all sorts of awesome, but one sad fact is that the reason that she's the only one with much cheer left after the impact is probably that she has an way easier time fitting into that wasteland than into a populated planet...

I don't think (unless the events of EoE were followed by mayor wars or shit) that classic!Asuka would have to become like her Q-self any more than she has to become like her cynic, resigned office lady incarnation from the alternative life action scene. Heck, Rebuild!Asuka herself did not have to become that way, 2.0 suggests that she could have gone a very different way if not for certain unfortunate events. It's sad, because being an angry, bitter 14-year old is a lot easier to remedy than being a bitter, angry 30 year old.
Asuka, (either version) may have done some jerkish things here and there, but she's 14, she shouldn't have the rest of her life defined by that, she deserves to mature a bit and then become happy... (Not that I would have anything against Q!Asuka becoming happy. I can see her suceeding Misato as the cool, determined leader of a human colony with Mari as her advisor/ right hand chick, basically being to her what Ritsuko is to future!Misato. )

No need to speculate much on the future jobs of the Rebuild cast - if final doesn't kill them, they'll have to be farmers/ colonist and screw like rabbits to repopulate the earth. The future is filled with many little cutely-sneezing Suzuharas. No matter what sort of horrible things he does to the rest of the cast, Anno can't possibly kill someone as pure and good-natured as Sakura, right?

[Bagheera]

Erm. I've never gotten the impression that Soryu had some burning drive to avoid being like her mother . . . that strikes me as a manga-only sort of thing. Instead I think her dislike of children stems from her not wanting to be a child herself; once she matures a bit she might get over that, or she might just never develop the maternal drive. Who knows? That aside, it's a mistake to talk about Soryu and Shikinami as though they're the same; the latter's development in 2.xx and Q doesn't really do much of anything to inform the former. You might as well compare Soryu to Mari for all the good it does you.

As for her dating habits: short flings seem like the last thing she'd do, since she's an intensely lonely person who wants lots of love and attention. A fling offers none of that. What I can see is a long string of failed relationships, where she's always searching for something deep and meaningful and never finds someone who can measure up to her standards. Always in the back of her mind would be the fact that Shinji is the only one who came remotely close to qualifying, and he's just a disgusting, useless child. If no one else is even as good as him what the hell is she gonna do?

As for Shinji himself . . . people talk about him being some sort of musical prodigy or whatever, but he really isn't. Someone got hm to playng the cello as a kid and he never bothered to stop. That's it. His playing itself is pedestrian and uninspired, as we can see by the fact that he's playing a beginner's piece in rote fashion (to clarify, Bach's cello suites are the sort of thing that are easy to practice, but difficult to truly master. Playing the first piece competently doesn't really say much about one's playing ability -- that's average. It's where a cellist begins, not a mark of excellence (though if you want to see it performed well check out Peter Wispelwey's performances; I've seen him do wonderful things with the first piece, and the difference between that and what we see from Shinji is extraordinary)). That's why I point him toward a more humanitarian, middle-management position: he has the contacts to make it happen, and it's an apt reflection of his experiences. A career in music . . . not so much. It might happen if Kaworu was around to inspire him or something, but past that I don't really see it.

Also, I've noted previously that I think it more likely that Shinji would follow in Misato's footsteps and Asuka in Kaji's than vice-versa. I don't really have anything solid to point to for that, but it just seems to fit IMO.

[pwhodges]

Someone got him to playing the cello as a kid and he never bothered to stop. That's it.

The fact that even though he was not especially interested but still got good enough to make a decent fist of the Bach suggests an actual aptitude - at least it seems to me that we're supposed to think that.

His playing itself is pedestrian and uninspired, as we can see by the fact that he's playing a beginner's piece in rote fashion (to clarify, Bach's cello suites are the sort of thing that are easy to practice, but difficult to truly master. Playing the first piece competently doesn't really say much about one's playing ability -- that's average.

It's a bit harsh to describe the Bach as a beginner's piece, but an averagely decent cellist could play it so-so, as you say. He could get good enough to play in an orchestra, though, even if he would (and should) have no aspirations to a solo career.

But I see him doing some job with a high social content - perhaps working in a charity of some kind - while maybe having an active life in amateur music as a way of escaping the world at the end of the day.

[Lavinius]

I can't really say that much about things without Instrumentality, as I really don't give a damn what I will do to get my money, so worrying about what fictional characters would do is out of the question.

Assuming that Shinji and Asuka are done with strangling each other, I think of Shinji becoming a sage. He lives out on the beach by the sea, where he emerged, a few miles from New Edo. He's built himself a little shrine there. He does sagely things, and thinks. He visits the city occasionally. Asuka might stay with Shinji and live not-entirely happily ever after with him, but probably not. More likely she would leave, whether out of disgust or wanderlust. Maybe she would eventually become a leader of some kind, be it civilized or bandit.
Though rather old, the Seele members might leave Instrumentality, but lack a reason to live now that their faith has been destroyed, and end up drowning themselves in the LCL sea.
If Gendo can exit Instrumentality, he's more likely than most to do so. My romantic nature leads me to think that he'd seek out Shinji and try to reconcile with him, then stay with him.

[Bagheera]

The fact that even though he was not especially interested but still got good enough to make a decent fist of the Bach suggests an actual aptitude - at least it seems to me that we're supposed to think that.

Possibly. The way the scene played out makes me think the opposite, though -- he has no real aptitude, no real love for the music, but plays anyway because no one told him to stop.

It's a bit harsh to describe the Bach as a beginner's piece, but an averagely decent cellist could play it so-so, as you say. He could get good enough to play in an orchestra, though, even if he would (and should) have no aspirations to a solo career.

"Beginner's piece" was unfair on my part. Better to say it's a piece for honing one's craft -- easy to learn but difficult to really master, and all that. It's easy to separate an amateur from a genius when you see them play that piece.

But I see him doing some job with a high social content - perhaps working in a charity of some kind - while maybe having an active life in amateur music as a way of escaping the world at the end of the day.

That's possible, sure. I'll admit my own experiences might be biasing me, but I suspect the cello for him would go the way of karate or piano for me -- things I was interested in at one time, but that faded once I reached adulthood and became interested in other things. This is pretty common IME, but by no means inevitable.

[Rei IV]

For some inexplicably odd reason, I'd figure that if Rei could hypothetically come back, she'd probably be something a long the lines of a Marine Biologist or an astronomer. Don't ask me why. I can also see her as someone getting "involved" with nature (if that makes any sense) and trying to restore the ecosystem. A nurse or a doctor, IMHO, would suit her just as well. Other than that, I'm at loss in regards to other potential professions for Rei and the other characters. I think it's somewhat of a difficult question to answer given their complexities. This is especially true in Asuka's case, who I can see as a lot of things.

Kaworu would no doubt be into the Liberal Arts and music would be something of a hobby for Shinji, not necessarily a profession.

[Mr. Tines]

I suspect the cello for him would go the way of karate or piano for me

I see music as something that would require him to find his muse -- which is why it would require a good end like out of one of the spin-off manga, really.

Rei 'd probably be something a long the lines of a Marine Biologist

No doubt as a student of Dr Jotaro Kujo

[nervshatter]

Shinji would OBVIOUSLY be a motivational speaker

[Bagheera]

For some inexplicably odd reason, I'd figure that if Rei could hypothetically come back, she'd probably be something a long the lines of a Marine Biologist or an astronomer. Don't ask me why. I can also see her as someone getting "involved" with nature (if that makes any sense) and trying to restore the ecosystem.

All very easy fits. Rei's a curious sort with strong academic inclinations, and her retiring personality would make her well-suited for research and discovery and such.

A nurse or a doctor, IMHO, would suit her just as well. Other than that, I'm at loss in regards to other potential professions for Rei and the other characters. I think it's somewhat of a difficult question to answer given their complexities. This is especially true in Asuka's case, who I can see as a lot of things.

Yup. They're children, with a lot of development left to endure before they enter adulthood and start pursuing professions. As I said earlier, anything's possible.

Kaworu would no doubt be into the Liberal Arts and music would be something of a hobby for Shinji, not necessarily a profession.

Agreed here as well (and with Mr. Tines' followup).

[Shinoyami65]

All very easy fits. Rei's a curious sort with strong academic inclinations, and her retiring personality would make her well-suited for research and discovery and such.

Maybe she could become a bioengineer or researcher at a research institue, similar to Yui's work with Nerv? Of course the two are completely separate people, but now that I think about it they could have similar professions.

[Atropos]

Shinji would probably imitate Kaji and try the superspy life. But then he realizes that's not what he wants, and decides to settle down into a humble life. Because really, hasn't he earned it?