Senshi Kakumei Loon

[Evil Midnight Lurker]

So far, to the best of my knowledge, there have only been two -really- good Utena continuation fics.
Alan Harnum's "Jaquemart" took the existing series, made it even MORE surreal...and is tragically unfinished as Harnum-sama has abandoned fanfic.
Eyrie Productions' "Symphony of the Sword", as most readers here are probably well aware of, went the other way and considerably reduced the weirdness level (as well as crossing it with Rayearth).
If -anyone- around here could pull off a middle-ground approach...
Anyway, Ohtori Academy -needs- some superheroes. Mind you, the ones it needs are Robotman, Crazy Jane, and Rebis... but Doug would do in a pinch.
--Sam Ashley
"Egad! Too much anatomy!"

[Bob Schroeck]

I've come up with an opening for an Utena Step (quite unintentionally -- as someone I read once put it, I was just minding my own business doing something else when the idea bunny came up behind me and whacked me with the ideal mallet), but I don't know where to take it.
It's late in the series. To quickly sum it up, Doug arrives on the dueling platform, the castle drops a ring into his hand, and the next thing he knows he's on the express elevator to the ground floor. He walks his cycle out of the Forest of Secrets and eventually stumbles across Akio beginning his post-amusement park seduction of Utena; Doug sees this soulless undead thing leaning over a young, semi-entranced girl, thinks "vampire!" -- and promptly attacks. Doug drives off Akio through a combination of ferocity and surprise, but none of the usual autokills he knows for vampires have worked, and Doug's wondering if he hasn't bitten off more than he could chew.
And that's where it stops. I don't know what to do next that doesn't put Doug foursquare in the worst SI offenses that I can imagine.

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

[Valles]

Utena gets up, is -still- brainwashed or whatever, and promptly kicks his ass. (Edit: this suggestion offered with the caveat that I've only seen the movie and thus have no evidence as to Utena's state of mind at any point past the first volume of manga.)
blessed be.
-n
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

[Bob Schroeck]

We have that part of Utena in fansubs, Nathan -- when we see you after the holidays we'll show you, if you like. But I meant "entranced" only figuratively; Akio's been doing a number on her all that day and by the end of it he's got her so confused that she can't effectively say "no", and in the original plot he presses his advantage rather ruthlessly and completely. (Hence some of her post-traumatic stress disorder-like reactions in Symphony.) If I were to write this, Utena would be in such a daze of confusion over who is the good guy and who is the bad guy that she'd be effectively useless -- this is her lowest ebb, really, in the series, and it has aftereffects that ripple all the way to the final confrontation with Akio at the end.
Which is, coincidentally, why I'm having trouble with plotting. Almost anything Doug could do at that point only takes away from her accomplishments later. Which I obviously don't want to do.

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

[offsides]

---

Which is, coincidentally, why I'm having trouble with plotting. Almost anything Doug could do at that point only takes away from her accomplishments later. Which I obviously don't want to do.

---

Another possibility: have doug show up _after_ Akio has had his way with her, and she's leaving. He will probably realise what's just happened, and attack then. The whole Doug vs. Akio thing then happens behind the scenes and doesn't affect Utena directly, and could lead to interesting things...
Offsides
Drunkard's Walk Forum Moderator and Prereader At Large

[drakensis]

I had a long and well written post but AOL commited seppeku and I lost it, so here is the abbreviated version:
a) Dios warns ff Loon 'cause he needs Utena to deal with what Akio did on her own
b) Doug is thoroughly miffed but effectively excluded from direct intervention because Dios has prevented him from entering the campus
c) Doug meets Tsuwabaki and makes a deal, he will advise Tsuwabaki on how to help/woo Nanami (no idea how she is at this point in the series) and in return Tsuwabaki will help Doug keep an eye on the goings on on Campus.
d) Doug realises the only weak point he can use to take his next step is ON the campus
e) Tsuwabaki, as a result of Doug rubbing off on him actively involves himself in helping Utena (though only in a very minor way thus far)
f) Dios clues in and offers Doug the song to take him onwards on the condition that he use it right now (possibly somewhat grateful but wants to minimise the damage to his plan)
one moral dilemma, six easy steps
D for Drakensis

You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.

[Bob Schroeck]

It's an interesting idea -- an insert who can't act directly but must sit in a room and work through intermediaries. It certainly plays havoc with a couple of standard SI tropes. But it really doesn't speak to what inspires me to put Doug in that world -- which is to get his own licks in during the period where it all falls together.
I've got to think more on this.

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

[drakensis]

It would limit that aspect of Doug's activities. He isn't usually Mr. Subtle. As you say, Doug cutting loose in that period of the series would play havoc with the plot. And it's not like Utena needs coaching.
D for Drakensis

You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.

[Bob Schroeck]

I know, I know, which is why I'm so hesitant about even doing this as a Step. Doug's not the kind to sit in the Diogenes Club and dispatch his agents; while he can be subtle, he's generally to impatient to bother with it if the prospect of direct action beckons. (It's a surprise that he's so good as Security Chief for the Warriors, which is not a "field" job.) If I were to write this kind of SI-inversion, I'd probably want to create a new character to do it with.
The more I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that as much as I want to have Doug in the middle of Utena, it's a really bad idea.

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

[offsides]

Well, if you wanted to really mess with everyone's minds, you could always have Dough show up in the middle of the RGU Movie...
Offsides (who expects he's not gonna get invited over any time soon... )Drunkard's Walk Forum Moderator and Prereader At Large

[Bob Schroeck]

"Okay," Doug says, "I've arrived in a new world, and someone promptly dosed me with LSD."


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

[Valles]

---

If I were to write this kind of SI-inversion, I'd probably want to create a new character to do it with.

---

Use one of the Legion of Dougly Little Sisters.
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

[drakensis]

an alternative would be to do a side-story with one of the other Warriors looking for Doug and winding up there. But those are other people's characters and the logic of looking for him more or less at random doesn't make much sense.
D for Drakensis

You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.

[Bob Schroeck]

---

Use one of the Legion of Dougly Little Sisters.

---

Now there's an idea. Who says they have to get all the worldjumps right?

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

[ECSNorway]

Or (just to satisfy my own desire for fanservice) Madigan could test one of IDEC's new toys and try to follow Doug...
(Sorry, but the image of Katie in a Student Council uniform is sending my hormones rather interesting messages.)
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Bob Schroeck]

Sorry, Kate's going to have enough on her plate as it is at the end of DW2...

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

[Bob Schroeck]

It's off-topic, but since this thread began with a mention of two good Utena continuation fics, I just wanted to bring up Shojo Kakumei Ukyo by someone whose name I've forgotten. Put Utena, Ranma 1/2 and Samurai Cat all in a blender, set on puree, pour out into text files. I can't even begin to describe this fic, but it's very good, very funny.

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

[Star Ranger4]

Got a URL, Bob, or do we need to do the google on it?

Never mind... Found it. Its in the R.A.A.C archives, and the string you want to look for in the archives is:
ranma.xover.shojo-kakumei-ukyo"I was an Otaku before those kids came along and changed the meaning of the word."

-- HM "Howling Mad" Wilson to more than one team-mate.
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children