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

[robkelk]

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.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.
  

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.