[OOC][PLOT] The Sixth Thread of Planning for Arc 1 - Arrivals

[Labster]

Architecture can be a great jumping off point for thinking about settings.  It's pretty obvious that the Infinite Fortress in GetBackers was inspired by the empty, half-completed skyscrapers after the bubble economy ended.  And, of course, how many stories involve Tokyo Tower or the Empire State Building?  I've even done it in my hometown.

There was an old furniture store that was built next to our city mall, two stories but nearly tall enough to fit four floors.  It had these huge modernist stand-alone awnings.  And it was closed, boarded up, for over thirty years.  For the first twenty or so, you could see the faded letters of the sign, BARKER BROS, if you knew where to look, among the faded pink paint.  But it was windowless, doorless save for an entrance through the plywood, bounded by immense ficus trees growing in planters far too small to hold them.  All this right across from the city's main bus terminal.

There was a reason such a valuable property went unsold.  Perhaps, the furniture was all still inside?  Maybe it was no longer a store, but more of a hideout, a redoubt, for something sinister.  A place for those creatures who wouldn't need, wouldn't want the daylight, vampires.  Closed in this were ballroom hung high with chandeliers, a chambers with ornate gothic furniture, and dimly-lit council room.  A castle in the heart of the city, with none the wiser as to the elegant, profane acts going on therein.

But then someone bought it and turned into a gymnasium.  But living this close to Sunnydale, things like this happen.

---

But I am kind of tempted to add this NYNEX thing to the metacontinuity.  Even if New York is populated by people who think their city is the only civilized place in the world.

[robkelk]

Holes in the Narrative

As of May 2020 real-time. Including items that I know are being written about but haven't been posted here yet.

Rob:

• Where are Touma and Index before December 17, 2016, and why are they suddenly in the story after that day?
  
• When do Phobos and Deimos meet up with Rei Hino?
  

BlackAeronaut:

• How are Mao and Kurz extracted from the military base that they appeared on? what's evacuated with them, and what's left behind?
  
• When do the Puella Magi and associated folks show up?
  

Dartz:

• When does Data show up?
  

Brent:

• When do Cinder and co. show up?
  

[Labster]

Brent:

• When do Cinder and co. show up?
  

Mulholland Drive, West Hollywood Hills
November 8 2016, 4:44 PM

Or were you asking me to publish the story?  Channeling Mana is at 55kB (9500 words), but probably still less than half done. The story before it, A Serotinal Frolic is at 30kB.  If you want, you can see my drafts.

[robkelk]

No, no - this is a checklist of what needs to be done, not a request to publish before something's ready.

[Labster]

Oh, then you need my real todo list, in story chronological order:

• Beach episode ("A Serotinal Frolic")
  
• Sakura arrives and starts going to school ("Twain")
  
• Cinder & co. show up ("Channeling Mana")
  
• Thanksgiving with the Sakurabas
  
• A Day at the Races (Coming someday...)
  
• How Duck got her groove back ("Wreathed in Light")
  
• Christmas in Venice (Ditto...)
  
• New Year's dreams
  
• [Arc 2] Ducks IN SPACE
  

All of these stories have at least one scene written, except for the Thanksgiving one, which I'm not exactly sure what I should do with it yet.  The ones with real titles are a lot closer to finished, with most of the plotting done, but in need of some good old fashioned writing.

[robkelk]

Oh, yes - when I know the date for a work in progress, I add it to this page on the wiki. But that's a kludge to keep track of them. Taking thoughts on this to the wiki thread.

[robkelk]

I had been tempted to have an inkvasion in Venice for quite some time.

Now I'm picturing a Unison Device shaped like Mini Squid Girl. All she can say is "geso-geso", but simply watching her can cheer you up immensely...

And now I'm tempted to claim a Mini Squid Girl Unison Device for Hyoga. The language barrier wouldn't be an issue.

[Black Aeronaut]

Dooo eeeeeet!!!

At the very least, it won't be like as if she'll outlive Hyoga by a wild margin.

Anyhow... Figured out what happened. For some reason, I never fraggin' posted the bit where we have the escape from Camp Bullis.

Whoops.

I'll fix that in the next day or two here while I sweep for other bugs. Times I wish I could borrow Skuld's mallet....

[robkelk]

Quoting from All The Tropes:

There is an actual Crystal Cove in California, about 40 miles south of Los Angeles along the coast on the Pacific Highway. Whether or not the show's locale is based on it is not clear.

"the show" being Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

So... the Mystery Machine pulls up on a day-trip from their home town, to investigate reports of a duck that dances ballet?

[Bob Schroeck]

I must have missed when Princess Tutu got included, but having just finished watching it a couple days ago, I want to point out that wherever Duck is, Fakir will be, and until they establish their bona fides with him, the Scoobies aren't getting anywhere near her.

[robkelk]

I must have missed when Princess Tutu got included, ...

Enjoy the story.

[Bob Schroeck]

Thank you!

ETA: Oh, that story. No wonder i didn't remember -- I got caught up with everyone else on the "who is the 'actress'?" discussion and everything else from that story got forgotten.

Have to say I like the idea of Fakir with a pad or tablet sitting by one of the canals writing as Duck goes exploring.

[Labster]

I want to point out that wherever Duck is, Fakir will be

You don't really think fate will be that kind to them, do you?  How boring!  What they really need is to show some more suffering, so that we can have an interesting story.

[Mamorien]

I want to point out that wherever Duck is, Fakir will be

You don't really think fate will be that kind to them, do you?  How boring!  What they really need is to show some more suffering, so that we can have an interesting story.

You are Drosselmeyer and I claim my five pounds.

[Labster]

Of course I'm Drosselmeyer, I'm a writer. This is what writers do to characters.

So now the looting is only 3 miles from Aria House. Reality does this to us, too.

[robkelk]

Of course I'm Drosselmeyer, I'm a writer. This is what writers do to characters.

So now the looting is only 3 miles from Aria House. Reality does this to us, too.

Alas, there's no editor to thwart the excesses of reality...

[robkelk]

So. Looked at the news. Decided I wanted to escape reality for a while. Wrote a scene... for the Christmas party story. It's in the wiki file now.

[Bob Schroeck]

I want to point out that wherever Duck is, Fakir will be

You don't really think fate will be that kind to them, do you?  How boring!  What they really need is to show some more suffering, so that we can have an interesting story.

In that case, he's working his way to her as quickly as he can... possibly by writing his way into the right direction.

...then again, someone like him with the story-spinning power might have gotten recruited by the goddesses or their agents...

[Labster]

I want to point out that wherever Duck is, Fakir will be

You don't really think fate will be that kind to them, do you?  How boring!  What they really need is to show some more suffering, so that we can have an interesting story.

In that case, he's working his way to her as quickly as he can... possibly by writing his way into the right direction.

...then again, someone like him with the story-spinning power might have gotten recruited by the goddesses or their agents...

Now you're thinking with portals.

[Bob Schroeck]

I want to point out that wherever Duck is, Fakir will be

You don't really think fate will be that kind to them, do you?  How boring!  What they really need is to show some more suffering, so that we can have an interesting story.

In that case, he's working his way to her as quickly as he can... possibly by writing his way into the right direction.

...then again, someone like him with the story-spinning power might have gotten recruited by the goddesses or their agents...

Now you're thinking with portals.

In that case, what was Duck doing in Venice? I would not expect the goddesses to casually separate them.  So either he's working out of Venice, or Duck was on some kind of solo excursion, which I find kind of unlikely.

[robkelk]

Hmmmmm... There's only 33 displacees slated to move into Bob's place so far. Think we can squeeze in another 15 comparatively-normal people, most of whom are are college or high-school students in (relatively-)fine-arts majors?

Specifically,

Spoiler

these people.

If yes, then we'll need three family names for the characters who don't have them in canon. EDIT: No, we won't - ANN encyclopedia gives their canon names.

[robkelk]

I'm going to assume a "yes" on that. They're in the wiki now.

(All that work for two lines in a scene that's still in the devfile...)

[robkelk]

I'm going to assume a "yes" on that. They're in the wiki now.

(All that work for two lines in a scene that's still in the devfile...)

Hey, bonus! Why weren't the folks from Bob's place at the Halloween party? Doylist: We forgot. Watsonian: er... (adds the new charactrs) ...they were having a birthday party for one of their own residents.

[Black Aeronaut]

Works for me!

[Bob Schroeck]

<AOL> And for me!