The Dark Lords of Nerima, Chapter Twelve [R/SM cross]

[claymade]

Actually... you are missing the obvious solution to the dilemma. if you do not want Happosai going after 14 year olds (and I'll note Ranma/akane at series start are 15/16). There are perfectly good other targets. The youma...

Indeed. It's definitely true that if I did need to work Happi in, I could create a youma designed for him to fight (read: grope), one whose monster form was still sufficiently appealing that she would attract his attention. The tricky part is that such an encounter doesn't really fit anywhere in the sequence of events that has to happen going forward.

In the end, the encounter in this chapter was going to be the one occurrence where I could work in some screen time for Happi in a way that really worked with the overall story in a constructive way. And once that fell apart, there wasn't really anything else left to fall back on.

[PCHeintz72]

Indeed. It's definitely true that if I did need to work Happi in, I could create a youma designed for him to fight (read: grope), one whose monster form was still sufficiently appealing that she would attract his attention. The tricky part is that such an encounter doesn't really fit anywhere in the sequence of events that has to happen going forward.

In the end, the encounter in this chapter was going to be the one occurrence where I could work in some screen time for Happi in a way that really worked with the overall story in a constructive way. And once that fell apart, there wasn't really anything else left to fall back on.

Oh... I'm not saying Happosai *had* to be in it, nor am I really consideirng it a detraction he is not... I'm merely stating if the age of the senshi was the only excuse... that was not IMHO a valid excuse.

Likewise... if it was merely the form of the youma that was unappealing for groping... you could have had the excuse of having in there to protect the potential appeal they (the senshi) will grow into, or such nonsense, even have him giving a speach to the effect.

Since you have now stated other excuses, that is fine.

EDIT: Edited for clarity

[claymade]

Oh... I'm not saying Happosai *had* to be in it, nor am I really consideirng it a detraction he is not... I'm merely stating if the age of the senshi was the only excuse... that was not IMHO a valid excuse. Since you have now stated other excuses, that is fine.

Ah, gotcha. Yeah, I didn't mean to say that that was the only reason he isn't in the fic. Just that it was the the reason why he wasn't in that particular scene in that particular role.

The reason he isn't in the fic at all is that reason, combined with the supplementary reason that I neglected to mention--i.e. that he also didn't fit naturally into any other scenes or roles besides that one, given the plot.

[Spokavriel]

I keep getting a mental image of Happosai trying to grope Zoicite.
But when it comes to ages and what not. The only Senshi I think Happosai would bother with in first season are Makoto and Minako. I don't see either of them on the team yet in this fic. Much less any older, more mature, Senshi.

Will you be bringing Makoto and Sailor V in and will their introductions be anything like cannon at all?

[claymade]

I keep getting a mental image of Happosai trying to grope Zoicite.

Now that would make a fun omake:

HAPPOSAI: Sweeto! Pretty girlie! *jumps and nuzzles Zoicite's chest with his face*

ZOICITE: Hah! Unfortunately for you, old man, this is a subtitle-based fic!

HAPPOSAI: Noooooooooo! *turns green and falls to the ground. Zoicite picks him up and blasts him into LEO as the members of all three sides look on approvingly*

But when it comes to ages and what not. The only Senshi I think Happosai would bother with in first season are Makoto and Minako. I don't see either of them on the team yet in this fic. Much less any older, more mature, Senshi.

Probably true...

Will you be bringing Makoto and Sailor V in and will their introductions be anything like cannon at all?

*cue evil-overlord-style not-revealing-anything maniacal laughter*

[Spokavriel]

::Laughter queues the dumping of a bucket from Spring of Drowned Scribe water over the Authors head.:: Get back to work

[claymade]

::Laughter queues the dumping of a bucket from Spring of Drowned Scribe water over the Authors head.::

Now wouldn't THAT be a handy spring to find!

Get back to work

Yessir!

[Cheb]

>The usual low numbers I attribute more to their desire to keep a low profile than anything else.
More probably, it's because the youma suck at teamwork. Unless they are a tight-knit group like D.D. Girls (or the Inquisitors from this fic), two youma would be less effective than one, because they would compete fiercely, being hindrance to each other. You can imagine how much worse it gets with three or more of them.

The same goes for the generals. Unless you use exactly one of them, keeping the rest on the backburner, they'd spend more time at scheming against each other than on the task you appointed to them.

Dark Kingdom is a bunch of Chaotic Evils. Chaotic Evils cannot pose a serious treat unless it's just one over-powered individual. They cannot cooperate.

[yakumo fujii]

Another thought, I know it's traditionally glossed over, but shouldn't there be some reaction on the part of the authorities after a whole block was laid waste?

[claymade]

Dark Kingdom is a bunch of Chaotic Evils. Chaotic Evils cannot pose a serious treat unless it's just one over-powered individual. They cannot cooperate.

Definitely might be the case as well... I'll keep that in mind as a possibility if I ever have to work in an explanation into the text...

Another thought, I know it's traditionally glossed over, but shouldn't there be some reaction on the part of the authorities after a whole block was laid waste?

Heh heh. Yes, you're absolutely right. The tricky part is, I can't diverge my themes too far either. "SM, except with the authorities actually taking action like they normally would" is pretty much a full fic idea unto itself. Throwing too many changes into the basic setup runs the risk of blunting the overall thrust of the piece.

So, if anything, I'll just throw some excuses around for why they didn't. I can probably get a fair bit of mileage just out of the simple "it's Nerima!" excuse. The "everyone knows they're all crazy there, and have these fantastical fights, so everyone just stays out of their way" kind of thing.

Either way, I'm trying to conform to the canon "feel" as much as possible, when it doesn't get in my way--and, of course, the cops are never really a solution to any of their problems in either story...

[Spokavriel]

I don't really remember seeing the police much at all in Ranma 1/2 aside from when they are used to point out how pathetic Ryouga's direction sense is because that takes him to Police boxes.

[yakumo fujii]

Another thing I thought of, what about Sailor Pluto? She's watching this from the time gates isn't she? Shouldn't she be freaking out in the background somewhere?

[Spokavriel]

But does she have any way to get involved without endangering the future before the appearance of Chibi-Usa? She started out as a DeusEx to get the spore back in time more than anything else.

[yakumo fujii]

But does she have any way to get involved without endangering the future before the appearance of Chibi-Usa? She started out as a DeusEx to get the spore back in time more than anything else.

That's never stopped any other author before. Even if she can't do anything about it a scene showing her looking through the time gate and going could be amusing.

Another thing I've thought is what's happening with Cologne? Didn't she put out a call for Amazon warriors a few chapters back? Where are they and what is she planning on doing. What will be her reaction be when she hears that Ranma and Ryoga defeated Jadeite, someone she's certainly heard of before. Will she be impressed with the boys, or will it cause her to underestimate the severity of the threat instead?

[claymade]

Another thing I thought of, what about Sailor Pluto? She's watching this from the time gates isn't she? Shouldn't she be freaking out in the background somewhere?

With regard to Sailor Pluto, I'm actually not having the Gates be a general-purpose scrying tool, since I don't recall any particular canon evidence for it being used for that purpose, as opposed to just a gate. And, consequently Sailor Pluto is at the moment simply standing at the gates, guarding them as she's supposed to... and blissfully unaware of everything that's transpiring.

As Spokavriel says, she didn't really start leaving her solitary post and actively meddling until after Usagi and Chibi Usa started to thaw her out a little, as far as I can tell.

Another thing I've thought is what's happening with Cologne? Didn't she put out a call for Amazon warriors a few chapters back? Where are they and what is she planning on doing. What will be her reaction be when she hears that Ranma and Ryoga defeated Jadeite, someone she's certainly heard of before. Will she be impressed with the boys, or will it cause her to underestimate the severity of the threat instead?

The warriors are on their way; they're going to appropriate transportation, but it's still a bit of a hike from where they are to the nearest sources of it. And Cologne is holding off on making any big moves until they arrive. I'll make sure to touch on her reaction to Jadeite's defeat as well...