...if I ever write it, that is. The following scene occured to me this morning. It has no context at the moment, although I know roughly where in the current embryonic plot it would go.
I really ought to share this with my prereaders first, but it's really not enough to bother them with.
Enjoy!
-- Bob
PS. Oh, and there's a semi-spoiler for a minor thing that happens in the remainder of DW2 here -- but it's nothing that a sharp reader wouldn't already be expecting as a matter of course.
---------------------
I pulled up to the balcony railing and let the cycle hover as I looked over at four teenagers in white military-style uniforms gathered around a wrought-iron table. They were deeply absorbed in whatever it was they were doing and had yet to notice me. I chuckled and keyed on the helmet PA system. Then I yelled "Excuse me!", more to get their attention than anything else, since the gravity drive on the cycle was, as always, all but silent.As one, four heads pivoted toward me, revealing four young facesin identical pop-eyed, mouths-open expressions of disbelief."I'm looking for Deputy Chairman Akio Ohtori," I continued, in somewhat softer tones. "Might any of you know where I could find him?"One of the four recovered enough to raise a hand and point shakily upward, toward the top of the tower.I mimed tipping a non-existent hat, shouted, "Thank you very much!"and gunned the vertical on the gravdrive. A glance below as I shot straight upwards confirmed that they were tracking my every movement.God, I love doing stuff like that to people.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I've come up with a new idea for putting Doug in the Revolutionary Girl Utena universe that might work out. Inspired by Symphony of the Sword and a couple other fics, I'm planning on setting it after the end of the series -- but it's going to go in a slightly different direction (I hope).
I don't want to say any more at this time, though. When I get it more fully fleshed out, I'll send the plot to my prereaders for comment, and if they like it, maybe I'll tell a little more.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I thought of this on the drive into work this morning. I don't know if I'll actually use it, but it's too good not to share.
-- Bob
-------------
Usagi smiled grimly to herself and gripped the staff tightly in one hand. "Hello," she whispered as the thing that had once been Beryl screamed down out of the sky at her. "My name is Serenity the Younger. You killed my mother." She raised the staff, and in its crescent-moon mounting, the Ginzuisho flared like the sun. "Prepare to die."
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Perhaps as a means of driving a point home.
Have Doug Gate onto the set of "Drunkards Walk" in the world of Hollywood Magic, the Director yells "CUT!" and proceeds to chew Doug out for not sticking to the script.
I think that this particular world is open because the concept behind it has, so far, been incapable of being Copywritten.
--
While the Cameras are rolling, the actors have the powers of the characters they play. This is the world of Hollywood Magic.

All this talk about "within the song's area of effect" got me to thinking... when the power doesn't just give Doug some gnifty new power, just what _is_ the area of effect?
If you can hear it, then you're within it?
100'?
10' + 10'/mana point?
Something else?
-Z, Post-reader at Medium
----
If architects built buildings the way programmers write programs, the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization.

Last week someone, I've forgotten whom, made an offhanded comment that there ought to be an area here for the general discussion of writing -- techniques and tips and advice and all that, I presume. What do people think? I have no problem with opening up a new area for that kind of thing, but only if it's going to get used. If I have some assurance that it'll generate traffic, I'll be happy to set it up. Please let me know what you think.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

(For Keiichi. -- Bob)
I thought love was only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else but not for me.
Love was out to get me
That's the way it seemed.
Disappointment haunted all my dreams.
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I'm in love, I'm a believer!
I couldn't leave her if I tried.
I thought love was more or less a given thing,
Seems the more I gave the less I got.
What's the use in tryin'?
All you get is pain.
When I needed sunshine I got rain.
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I'm in love, I'm a believer!
I couldn't leave her if I tried.
-- "I'm a Believer', The Monkees
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Hey, man, what are you really into, huh?

The elusive butterfly has just tip-toed past my door.
My buddy likes the Yankees; she says "Hey, T-Bone, what's the score?"
And I say, "Well, Reggie got 1 in 1 in 3, and 25 is 6 to 4."
Is the left-wing really pinko? Colonel Sanders, what a bore!
You ask so many questions, what answers should I choose?
Is this schizoid paranoia, or just existential blues?

The amenities of life have been chasing my soul,
And my mind is transcendental, and I'm losing all control,
And I'm sinking in the quagmire of illusions and Thoreau,
I cry out, "My name is T-Bone!" as a hound dog digs a hole.
You ask so many questions, what answers should I choose?
Is this Plato's heebie-jeebies, or just existential blues?

Sailing, sailing, what is illusion? What is tru-uth?
Sailing, sailing, over the existential blues.
God bless America, and Old Glory too!
May she always wave o'er us with the red, white, and existential blues!
Hey, ba-ba-de-ba-ba-da-ba-da-da,
Ba-de-bom-ba-de-bom--ba-ding-a-ding-ding ding-existential blues.
Hey, you can do what you want but lay off my existential blues!
My blue suede existential blues!

<spoken>
I was on a quest!
Walking down the road one day, doo-dah, doo-dah,
I was walking down the road, I was looking for the truth of life,
When I came across all these little people, little people
Little people all around me.
They looked up at me and said, "Hey, mister, are you tall?"
I said, "Yes, I'm tall, but who are you weird little whiners?"
And they looked up at me with their big, red, bloodshot eyes and said:

<sung>
We are the lollipop kids, the lollipop kids,
The lollipop kids.
We are the lollipop kids!
And we'd like to welcome you to Munchkinland!

<spoken>
I said, "Hey! Hey, weird little whiners, I am on a quest
Walking down the road one day, doo-dah, doo-dah,
I said, "Hey kids, I'm looking for the truth of life.
Where do I go, who do I see?"
They said, "Slow down, mister. In order to find the truth of life, one must see THE WIZARD!"
I said, "THE WIZARD? Well, where does this wizard, old wise one, live?"
They said, "You see the big, green, glow-in-the-dark house up on the hill?"
I said, "Yes, I see the big, green, glow-in-the-dark house up on the hill. There's a big, dark forest between me and the big, green, glow-in-the-dark house up on the hill. And a little old lady on a Hoover vacuum cleaner going 'I'll get you, my little pretty, and your little dog, Toto, too!'. I don't even have a little dog, Toto."
Such predicaments, I must forge ahead!
Walking down the road one day, doo-dah, doo-dah.
I must find the truth of life.
I said, "But you know, kids, I can handle a big, green, glow-in-the-dark house up on the hill, I can handle a darn forest, I can handle the little old lady, but that's a very strange road you're sending me down! I've seen yellow stripes in the middle of a road before, but kids, uh, never quite that wide!"

<spoken, in John Wayne voice>
All right, tighten your shorts pilgrim, and sing like the Duke.

<sung in very high falsetto>
Follow the yellow brick road (Come on)
Follow the yellow brick road (Everybody sing)
Follow, follow, follow, follow,
Follow the yellow brick road
If ever a wonderful wiz there was,
The Wizard of Oz is one because,
Because, because, because, because, because,
Because of the wonderful things he does!
La-la-la-la-la-la-la, ha-ha!
We're off to see the wizard,
The wonderful Wizard of Oz!

<spoken>
Wellllll, I got a little bit tired of
Walking down the road one day, doo-dah, doo-dah.
I got a little bit tired of walking down this old blinding yellow road,
So pulled my little tired old body off to a little rest area
And lo and behold there's a little field of little red flowers out there,
And they, heh, smelled so good. Whoa.
I was gettin' pretty tired and they smelled so good, and I
Figured, well, I'll just stretch out in this little field of
POPPIES!
POPPIES!
POPPIES!
poppies!
(Cough)
Hey, what a strange dream, man!
The little flowers, they smell awfully good, and I was pretty tired.
The old wizard's just gonna have to wait, man, because I'm just gonna
Stretch out again in the little field of
POPPIES! POPPIES! POPPIES!
OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD!
Dorothy! Dorothy! Dorothy!
(SNIFFFFFFF)
DOROTHY! DOROTHY! DOROTHY!
...confidence in herself, man.
Along came this old man in a green El Dorado II, screeched to a halt,
A little short man with a big red nose
Toking a bottle of Yukon Jack
Strolled up to me and said, "Hey, son."
I said, "Old man, don't bother me. POPPIES, POPPIES, POPPIES, MMMMMMMMM!"
He said, "T-Bone!"
I said, "Wait a minute, this old man knows my name, he must be THE WIZARD!"

<sung>
You must be the Wizard,
The Wizard of Oz.
Why have you come to haunt me?
Oh, Wizard of Oz.

<spoken>
I said, "Oh, Wizard, old wise one, I have been on a quest
Walking down the road one day, doo-dah, doo-dah
And I met these little people

<sung>
We are the lollipop kids, the lollipop kids, the lollipop kids,
Follow the yellow brick road
Follow, follow, follow

<spoken>
I got tired
POPPIES! POPPIES! POPPIES! POPPIES!
Hey, old man, I've been through hell!"
He said, "Hey, son, slow down, relax."
I said, "But, wizard, old wise one, I have come so far to find the truth of life!"
He says, "Hey, son, slow down, relax."
He said, "To tell you the truth, son..."
I said, "Wizard, that's what I've come to find is the truth."
He said, "No, no, no, son, you've got me all wrong. Heh heh. To tell you the truth, son...uh...how can I tell you this? Uh... I've been in this field of poppies a long time myself, and I've come to find, son, that the only truth in life is right here in this bottle."
I said, "Wizard!"
He said, "No, truly, son. In fact, I'd rather have this bottle in front of me than A FRONTAL LOBOTOMY!"
How profound, Wizard!

<sung>
Some girl with psychic power, she said, "T-Bone, what's your sign?"
I blink and answer, "Neon!" I thought I'd blow her mind.
She's reading Moby Dick by some fruitcake named Herman,
She's chomping on a knockwurst, was the duchess really German?
You ask so many questions, what answers should I choose?
Is this really Butte, Montana, or just existential blues?
Really Butte, Montana?
Is this Plato's heebie-jeebies?
Is this schizoid paranoia?
(Star Trek-like sound effects)
La-la-la-la-la-la-la, existential blu-uu-uuuuu-ues!

-- Tom "T-Bone" Stankus, Existential Blues

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

With the recent announcement by Naoko Takeuchi of a new, live action Sailor Moon TV series in Japan (to premiere in October), It's obvious that this is once again a live franchise. I still plan on doing the Step -- it's not been abandoned -- I'm merely lowering its priority dramatically. Fortunately, the nature of the framing device I'm using for the story allows me to release it just about anywhere in the Walk.
My apologies to anyone who was holding their breath for this one.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

RE a beamsat strink on doug, or other unpleasantly loarge quantities of boominess applied to his person, and surviving it:
My own mental imgae is that his helmet would end up flipped down over his eyes (but not in time to keep his face from having been soot-blasted entirely black in the blast), and that he would push it up, breath heavily for a moment, then irritatedly pronounce, "Ooooh, he makes me very angry; very angry indeed!" while a Black Box equipped buma either looks on dumbfounded, ir takes the opportunity to skedaddle.
Given the V&V explosives mechanic that was described in some other recent thread, this could actually be a feasible result... and that scares me.
- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows