Nicely done, Rob! I love it.
For myself.... Well, I can't go and make things as easy for myself as actually having anyone interested in me, now I can I? Besides, it doesn't follow the theme of 'Shit sucks for Ben despite how it looks on the surface'.
Might be interesting if a seed of attraction was planted in Nanoha of all people. Or better yet, Ruby Rose. She'd be at that age where her hormones are all over the place anyhow, and besides, there'd be this sort of thing....
Yang: "... Did he just get a little girl to stop crying?"
Blake: "Yes."
Yang: "And then find her mommy and then get a hug from that little girl?"
Blake: "I thought my mind was making that up, but apparently, yes."
Yang: "WHY IS HE STILL SINGLE!? I KNOW HE'S NOT GAY! I'VE CAUGHT HIM LOOKING AT ME!"
Weis: "You think you might like to try doing something about it~? Even I must admit, he's pretty handsome in a roguish kinda way. Like a more gentlemanly version of your Uncle Crow."
Yang: "He's still twenty years older than us. That'd be like dating Professor Oobleck!"
Blake: "Your sister doesn't seem to think so."
Yang: "Wah?"
Ruby: *Hearts in eyes as she drools*
Yang: "Well what about you, Weis?! I've caught you looking at him!"
Weis: *Mild Panic* "That!? But... That's only because he's such an excellent manager! If he had the means to do so, I would wager that he could do a hostile takeover of the Schnee Dust Company! I could learn a lot from someone like him!"
Blake: *Grins* "I wonder what that 'hostile takeover' might entail? Not to mention what kinds of things he would teach you~."
Weis: *Goes fluorescent* "BLAKE!"
But even so, too easy. They're all a bit too young, and it'd just be infatuation anyhow. Teletha might have been nice as she'd be the type to sit down with Benjamin and match wits with him in one way or another. But again, too young, and also carrying a torch for Sosuke - in fact, after the Halloween Party she'd probably form some kind of pact with Kaname. While a bit annoying, Kaname can certainly appreciate Teletha and have her as sister-wife.
Melissa Mao just wouldn't click. Neither would Urd, though she'd probably date him a few times. Besides, Ben likes his girls a bit on the petite side.
I'm halfway tempted to bring in Katanagatari. Nanami fits many of the bullet points on Ben's list: Youthful, but not underage; tiny; very intelligent; and incredibly dangerous. But she is, perhaps, a bit too dangerous given her lack of regard for human life. I would even dare say that she is borderline sociopathic. And even there, then would have to be reason for her to show interest, a lot of which would be nullified by sheer dint of their being in another world.
Another one I've thought of was an old favorite: Alita from Battle Angel Alita. But even if we got the version of Alita who was still a cyborg at the end of Last Order I doubt that she'd have any interest. While she has friends, it feels as though she's washed her hands of romantic attachments.
Really, the more I bring in, the harder this is for Ben. And few people would really understand how bad it is for him.
Hino Rei only knows, but only by mistake, and the gaping abyss of his solitude combined with his depth scared the shit out of her. Heh. That's actually kinda funny in a terrible way - she is scared of him because she knows that it's possible for her to fall in love with him, but she also knows that the experience would transform her, but into what she doesn't know. Hence her fear. Aries women love the idea of being conquered - for a man to come, storming their gates, climbing their walls, and beating a path through their garrison to where their prize awaits them. But Benjamin? He's more like a sinkhole than a conquering army - swallowing up everything hungrily and insatiably.
The girl for Ben would have to be made of incredibly strong stuff - she'd have to be able to handle the amount of zero-fucks-given passion he'd bring on, and then the sudden-onsets of insecurity, anxiety, and depression. The irony is that he knows that he has no reason to really feel these things, but as we know, anxiety and depression is not rational like that. She would have to be someone with such confidence in herself that she would not be afraid of a little change. Not unlike Teletha or even Lafiel - both of whom would be spoken for.
Ironically, though, girls that self-assured tend to be turned off by mental defects like depression. They know they're high-value, so they won't settle for damaged goods.
Really, the only ones that I can see going for him are the ones young enough that he leaves a strong impression on them and, because they tend to be a lot less jaded, can see his limitations for what they are and are willing to give him the benefit of a doubt.
Any thoughts?
For myself.... Well, I can't go and make things as easy for myself as actually having anyone interested in me, now I can I? Besides, it doesn't follow the theme of 'Shit sucks for Ben despite how it looks on the surface'.
Might be interesting if a seed of attraction was planted in Nanoha of all people. Or better yet, Ruby Rose. She'd be at that age where her hormones are all over the place anyhow, and besides, there'd be this sort of thing....
Yang: "... Did he just get a little girl to stop crying?"
Blake: "Yes."
Yang: "And then find her mommy and then get a hug from that little girl?"
Blake: "I thought my mind was making that up, but apparently, yes."
Yang: "WHY IS HE STILL SINGLE!? I KNOW HE'S NOT GAY! I'VE CAUGHT HIM LOOKING AT ME!"
Weis: "You think you might like to try doing something about it~? Even I must admit, he's pretty handsome in a roguish kinda way. Like a more gentlemanly version of your Uncle Crow."
Yang: "He's still twenty years older than us. That'd be like dating Professor Oobleck!"
Blake: "Your sister doesn't seem to think so."
Yang: "Wah?"
Ruby: *Hearts in eyes as she drools*
Yang: "Well what about you, Weis?! I've caught you looking at him!"
Weis: *Mild Panic* "That!? But... That's only because he's such an excellent manager! If he had the means to do so, I would wager that he could do a hostile takeover of the Schnee Dust Company! I could learn a lot from someone like him!"
Blake: *Grins* "I wonder what that 'hostile takeover' might entail? Not to mention what kinds of things he would teach you~."
Weis: *Goes fluorescent* "BLAKE!"
But even so, too easy. They're all a bit too young, and it'd just be infatuation anyhow. Teletha might have been nice as she'd be the type to sit down with Benjamin and match wits with him in one way or another. But again, too young, and also carrying a torch for Sosuke - in fact, after the Halloween Party she'd probably form some kind of pact with Kaname. While a bit annoying, Kaname can certainly appreciate Teletha and have her as sister-wife.
Melissa Mao just wouldn't click. Neither would Urd, though she'd probably date him a few times. Besides, Ben likes his girls a bit on the petite side.
I'm halfway tempted to bring in Katanagatari. Nanami fits many of the bullet points on Ben's list: Youthful, but not underage; tiny; very intelligent; and incredibly dangerous. But she is, perhaps, a bit too dangerous given her lack of regard for human life. I would even dare say that she is borderline sociopathic. And even there, then would have to be reason for her to show interest, a lot of which would be nullified by sheer dint of their being in another world.
Another one I've thought of was an old favorite: Alita from Battle Angel Alita. But even if we got the version of Alita who was still a cyborg at the end of Last Order I doubt that she'd have any interest. While she has friends, it feels as though she's washed her hands of romantic attachments.
Really, the more I bring in, the harder this is for Ben. And few people would really understand how bad it is for him.
Hino Rei only knows, but only by mistake, and the gaping abyss of his solitude combined with his depth scared the shit out of her. Heh. That's actually kinda funny in a terrible way - she is scared of him because she knows that it's possible for her to fall in love with him, but she also knows that the experience would transform her, but into what she doesn't know. Hence her fear. Aries women love the idea of being conquered - for a man to come, storming their gates, climbing their walls, and beating a path through their garrison to where their prize awaits them. But Benjamin? He's more like a sinkhole than a conquering army - swallowing up everything hungrily and insatiably.
The girl for Ben would have to be made of incredibly strong stuff - she'd have to be able to handle the amount of zero-fucks-given passion he'd bring on, and then the sudden-onsets of insecurity, anxiety, and depression. The irony is that he knows that he has no reason to really feel these things, but as we know, anxiety and depression is not rational like that. She would have to be someone with such confidence in herself that she would not be afraid of a little change. Not unlike Teletha or even Lafiel - both of whom would be spoken for.
Ironically, though, girls that self-assured tend to be turned off by mental defects like depression. They know they're high-value, so they won't settle for damaged goods.
Really, the only ones that I can see going for him are the ones young enough that he leaves a strong impression on them and, because they tend to be a lot less jaded, can see his limitations for what they are and are willing to give him the benefit of a doubt.
Any thoughts?