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

[Black Aeronaut]

I have the Sailor Senshi and "Scientific Railgun" girls going. We had planned on having Usagi and Mamoru show up dressed as Sarah and Jareth from Labyrinth and see how long it took them to recognize each other. (SI-Rob and the other Senshi have "as soon as they see each other" in the betting pool, because they aren't stupid.) Makoto and Mikoto are going as each other. We can go to one of the big Halloween parties after dinner, once everybody's changed into their signature outfits.

Ah yes!  This.  I forgot all about this.  

I'm assuming the Megami will make an appearance (maybe a brief one), along with Keiichi. Rob makes sure to at least say hello to all of them, as well as to all of the other apartment managers in attendance.

I think that given some of the friendships that have been developing, they can get away with be away for a little while.  A couple of hours at least.  (Really, while the situation is dire, it's not like it's so bad that people can't cycle through shifts.)

Mikoto, being the competitive sort that she is, asks whether she can duck out to the courtyard and match herself against somebody else. Sorry, too obvious, but Washuu expected the request and there's a quiet subspace pocket where people can set off all the explosions they want. She can hold her own against Sosuke (it's canon that she has an electrostatic forcefield that deflects ceramic shrapnel), but then she challenges Ryoko... two minutes later, in Washuu's lab, she's being patched up and the Misaka Sisters are hovering around her in concern, secrecy be damned. This leads to my subplot's Big Event: Kuroko giving Mikoto a long speech that boils down to "I like you, not your twin sisters, and I really wish you'd trust me with more of your secrets".

For the record, I want Ben to be there to tell Mikoto that she's biting off more than she can chew.  And then for Ben to grumble just within earshot, "Every goddamn fucking time I tell someone that something isn't a good idea or they should REALLY do a certain thing to AVERT CERTAIN BAD THINGS I get fucking blown off like I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about..."  God, I almost sound like my Grandpa Farmer here.

And oh dear.  I take it Mikoto isn't really all that perceptive?  

Rob will deliberately refrain from noticing that Benjamin does something sneaky for Mamoru and Usagi, to the point of distracting Chibi-Usa at the appropriate time. If this is after Mikoto needs patching up, then he'll pass Chibi-Usa over to Misaka Misaka afterward.

You sure you'd notice?  Thing is, you learn a thing or three about being sneaky when your old man can literally hear a fucking mouse fart from fifty yards and practiced paranoia to an unusual extent.  Like how to walk quietly without really looking like you're trying to walk quietly (Dad was ALWAYS on my case for looking like I was 'slinking').  Or how to leave an object EXACTLY as it was before after you disturbed it.  Or how to subtly hide something you don't want someone else to see (like a piece of candy someone slipped you that you're not supposed to have).  Or how to keep your face from shifting when you're outright asked about something you know you'd wind up in hot water for (or backhanded in a flare of outrage because you didn't give the answer he wanted to hear).

Physical and emotional abuse sucks balls.  But I'll be damned if it doesn't give you some useful skills if you can force yourself through the anxiety it induces.  Still flinch though whenever I see something even remotely like a backhand blow coming my way.

Rin and Kazari have already met; they catch up on the news and are introduced to each other's housemates. Leads to a mix-and-mingle that gets the shyer people out of their "safe" groupings.

"Okay, everyone got their score cards ready?"

To further Usagi and Tenchi's plan, Rob will offer Ben the use of the pullout couch in his home office, and make the same offer to the other apartment managers. (For continuity's sake, please don't show up before November 11.) Ben, meet Ruiko and Kazari, who might be willing to share a boyfriend without expectation of further commitment if certain hints in canon are read certain ways... and wouldn't that give Ben something to think about.

Oh no.  The idea is that it's all being done subtly.  Like someone wants Ben's help with their homework...  "Look, can't you bug Washu-chan about this?" "Yes, but you're much better at putting it into perspective."  Or someone invites Ben over for a Super Smash Bros. Tournament...  "Okay, one more round but that's it!  I'm about to keel over here..."  Or, one of Ben's real weak spots, someone wants to spend time with him over a pot of tea and pick apart one of the books they borrowed from his library...  "Honestly, I like to think that Mars Bar Thompson saw Maniac as a rival from the word 'go', racism be damned..."

And each time, they keep him going until he's at the point of nodding off, then summarily shove him onto a couch or futon and throw a blanket over him.  Bonus points for taking lessons from Washu and doing actual hypnosis tricks like using a droning monotone voice at just the right moment, having a mechanical clock around (like say, a grandfather clock with a very pronounced and slow tick-tock), or even just lowering the light intensity in the room to a 'nighttime' level.

You know.  Really sneaky-like.  Because they can already tell that if they're more direct about it, Ben is simply going to politely deflect.  "Thank you very much for the offer, but I can't possibly impose.  I'm supposed to be your caretaker, not the other way around..."

Other stuff:

• Tessa and Ami, in a corner, talking Science! for at least a half-hour until Mao and Usagi drag them off to meet other people.
  
• Kazari asking Weiss how to create a will-focusing device. Mikoto asking Yang the same question.
  
• Minako becoming interested in Rin's gem magic. Bling as arsenal?
  
• Ruiko dropping hints to Washuu-chan that she's piloted a giant mecha once before...  Rob later (after the 12-year-olds including Ruiko have dozed off) asking Washuu-chan, very quietly, what kind of favours it would cost him to get a Patlabor style mech for Ruiko by Christmas.
  
• Mii and Yang comparing notes about the local motorcycles.
  
• Mao, Urd, and Ryoko polishing off a case of beer between them.
  

Heheh.  In order...

• Ben: "Really, did you have to split them up like that?  I mean, I get it, but look at it from their perspective: it's like being a kid at a boring grown up party, and then suddenly you find another kid..."
  
• Yang: "Actually, you might wanna talk more to my sister about this kind of thing.  Most of us just make our own based on our fighting style and what we like - we're pretty utilitarian about it that way, but Ruby sees it more of an expression of a person's personality and she gets REALLY intense about it."
  
• Pfft.  Honestly, while Minako can be a bit of a yutz, I see her as being far classier than that - especially if your getting her from the very end of the last story arc.  That said, though, if she can make it look glamorous without being gaudy...
  
• Washu-chan: *Raises an eyebrow* "I could.  The question is are you prepared to deal with the potential property damage?"
  
• Mii is a Biker Chick?  Did not know this...  (But then, I haven't watched anything from Index/Railgun...)
  
• Only a case?  I think that Ryoko and Urd they can put away a couple of kegs (full size ones, not pony kegs) between the two of them alone.  And Mao might account for a good portion of a keg herself!  Though I'd be more concerned about what happens to Kurtz once he gets a few drinks in him and makes a pass at both Urd and Ryoko.  Ben: "Awww shit.  Guys, eyes up just in case we need to take cover."
  

At the end of the party, Washuu won't let the Misaka Sisters and Accelerator go with the Academy City girls - they still need some TLC. Mamoru, Luna, Artemis, Diana, and Chibi-Usa get to go, though.

Heh.  Washu entering mama bear mode.  Also.... D'OH!  I forgot I also gotta have those five show up...  Well, if Mamoru is on-site already, then that will make it easier for Ben to set things up.

Also, thanks for the fanarts.  They not only made me laugh, but they also gave me a somewhat more clear idea about their characters.