[9] Title from a Pink Floyd song, which might strike some readers as odd unless they take a look at the lyrics: "Welcome, my son / Welcome to the machine / Where have you been? / It's all right, we know where you've been."

[517] Early on, there were many who wouldn't have taken this remark as if it were meant to be ironic - but it would've been all along.

[628] FEISAR (Federal European Industrial Science and Research) is one of the companies that backs an antigravity racing team in the WipeOut games.

[710] If memory serves, Asuka's mother hanged herself.

[721] Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms (1929).

[806] An original character who quickly became one of our favorites, Kaori Yamashita was envisioned as the SEELE opposite number to both Ritsuko and Maya, though she's actually Ritsuko's mother's age.

[899] Habbalah, being fallen Elohim, are all about exploiting the emotional weaknesses of others.

[1077] Lilith, the computer, is named after Lilith, the mythological figure whom some claim was the first human woman made (and who, in In Nomine, went on to become a demon princess). SEELE will have their little jokes.

[1081] Because, unlike most SAL 9000 systems', Lilith's voice is based on Yui Ikari's, not Naoko Akagi's. Shinji recognizes that on a subconscious level, at least.

[1159] Good little actress, isn't she? But then, she has to be. You don't survive long as part of a cadre like the one Ichi belongs to if you can't play a role.

[1278] Truss and I named all the incidental NERV Security people after people who were pitching for the Red Sox at the time.

[1563] Misato unthinkingly quotes the musical Chess.

[1680] Asuka's facial scar is similar to that sported by the Street Fighter II character Cammy, though it's on the other side. No real reason for that; I just thought it made for a good memento of her experience.

[1700] As seen in the Half-Life games.

[2118] Malphas is named for one of the princes of Hell - in In Nomine terms, the Demon Prince of Factions, responsible for sectarian divisions that tear groups and places apart from within. Another example of SEELE's warped sense of institutional humor.

[2349] The joke here, if you didn't know, was that in Japan, Rei Ayanami and Lina Inverse had the same voice actress.

[2567] Conceptually, it's probably the weirdest of our fake crossovers, but I'll always have a special place in my heart for Batman: Neon Genesis. The concepts involved dovetail shockingly well.

>[9] Title from a Pink Floyd song, which might strike some
>readers as odd unless they take a look at the lyrics: "Welcome, my son
>/ Welcome to the machine / Where have you been? / It's all right, we
>know where you've been."

And one of the creepier songs I've heard. It's definitely appropriate here.

>[721] Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms (1929).

Wonderful passage. Bleak but pessimistically insightful. Very nice selection. And I'm not being sarcastic - it's a good choice for this scene.

>[806] An original character who quickly became one of our
>favorites, Kaori Yamashita was envisioned as the SEELE opposite number
>to both Ritsuko and Maya, though she's actually Ritsuko's mother's
>age.

She's great. Probably the only decent person on-scene in SEELE other than San Ayanami... and San's classification as such is debatable on several levels.

>[1077] Lilith, the computer, is named after Lilith, the
>mythological figure whom some claim was the first human woman made
>(and who, in In Nomine, went on to become a demon princess).
>SEELE will have their little jokes.

I always took it as a deliberate snub by Natlateth against Lilith, who is a mere human but carries the title Princess.

>[1081] Because, unlike most SAL 9000 systems', Lilith's
>voice is based on Yui Ikari's, not Naoko Akagi's. Shinji recognizes
>that on a subconscious level, at least.

I never connected that, even with the revelation of Lilith's voice later on. Nice scope.

>[1159] Good little actress, isn't she? But then, she has
>to be. You don't survive long as part of a cadre like the one Ichi
>belongs to if you can't play a role.

Djinn sometimes are good at pretending to care. The depiction of Ichi (and San, in a different way) is one of the best I've seen of a Djinn.

>[2118] Malphas is named for one of the princes of Hell - in
>In Nomine terms, the Demon Prince of Factions, responsible for
>sectarian divisions that tear groups and places apart from within.
>Another example of SEELE's warped sense of institutional humor.

Again, I've always thought of it as a snub against Malphas. Natlateth's Word would bump up against that of Factions and she doesn't strike me as "works and plays well with others" type.

>[2567] Conceptually, it's probably the weirdest of our fake
>crossovers, but I'll always have a special place in my heart for
>Batman: Neon Genesis. The concepts involved dovetail
>shockingly well.

I'd love to see you guys actually write this madness.