Nabiki and Makoto - an unorthodox Sailor Moon crossover idea

[Daniel Jess Gibson]

A wilder possibility, why have Nabiki at 17? If she's a freshman (15 years old) at Mugen Academy, and is tutoring at the Junior High to make ends meet, she could meet Makoto. That puts Ranma several years in the future. The reason for Nabiki to be there is a secret she won't share, or only slowly unravelled, e.g. she is basically there as part of 'creative sentencing' for getting caught doing something (details left to the author, or never revealed); or she just got Akane's and Kasumi's dander up and they threw her out but still support her. The people at both schools tend to lump the two 'juvenile delinquents' together, because nobody else wants to deal with either of them. Remember cleanliness and purity are important in Japan, and both are seen as tainted by their previous bad behavior.

Let them grow on each other. Nabiki mooching food off Makoto, in return for tutoring or the occasional goodie out of Makoto's price range. 'Hey I scored a couple of real steaks, I'll let you cook'em up and we'll share.' Also as a shock to Makoto, let her see Nabiki take out a few thugs. Weak in Nerima may still make you a martial arts god in Juuban. Their relationship doesn't have to be romantic, but a definite kohai/sempai tone. Makoto needs a friend, and Nabiki needs to know not everything valuable can be brought or stolen.

I'd also suggest you stick with the early Nabiki characterization, less vicious and a little boy crazy, that gives her something else in common with Makoto.

And if Nabiki is going to the Mugen Academy, she could also know Hotaru, and the other Outers, but not as Senshi. Unless her skill at uncovering secrets comes into play. Of course her immunity to weird may make her a possible 'big sister' to Hotaru, after Makoto has softened her up a little.

[PCHeintz72]

Another possibility here is that Nabiki and Mokoto actually meet at a support group for children who've lost a parent, that way you could have the age difference explained and how eventually Nabiki is there when Makoto first learns of her powers

Well...personally, I just cannot see Nabiki as the type to go to such a group. I think back to her reactions around the appearance of Ranma's mother and their talk, and she just does not seem to have the right attitude. Not only was this not a recent loss, but she is nearly adult in age at this point.

The question remains, do you write something like this as a encounter as it happens story, or as a journal/diary type story and flashback allot to the points in the history?

I generally recommend against journal style stories. They can work, but most authors in my experience really don't pull it off that well. The transitioning can tend to ruin the story.

[Spokavriel]

I think the plot idea was depending on post Ranma Nabiki to have that immunity to weird maxed out. But she's from Nerima. I think she can handle all the weird in Jubaan, outside of a Youma Battle anyway, even without Ranma's influence.

[TerraEpon]

The apartment idea is good. Since Mako lives in one by herself, why not just have Nabiki move in next door or something?

[PCHeintz72]

Snipped thoughts

This might make an intersting story, but I was hoping for the whole 2nd start concept. with a older, perhaps wiser but perhaps more bitter or jaded personality. Being brought out of the shell type deal with Makoto as her opposite number.

Also... your idea would require a change in venue to Mugen Academy. If Nabiki and Makoto both had done something wrong, they likely could not get in, and would be at Juban Junior High or the high school. that also places them in different area that is not as prone to Youma attacks or some of the other situations.

Of course her immunity to weird may make her a possible 'big sister' to Hotaru, after Makoto has softened her up a little.

At that early point, with no Ranma experiences, and pre Kuno experiences, Nabiki likely would not have an immunity to wierd.

EDIT:

I think the plot idea was depending on post Ranma Nabiki to have that immunity to weird maxed out. But she's from Nerima. I think she can handle all the weird in Jubaan, outside of a Youma Battle anyway, even without Ranma's influence.

But she would not be as jaded, and likely not want to stay. Post Ranma Nabiki, as long as it is not her being the one attacked, would not likely care much and have a blase type attitude.

The apartment idea is good. Since Mako lives in one by herself, why not just have Nabiki move in next door or something?

The problem is merely having an apartment in the same building, without the school interaction enforced by my scenario would not get them together. Heck I have neighbors I don't talk to for months at a time.

Having her assigned in some manner to each other would enforce interaction, and ideally bring about friendship. By having them together, it also sets the stage for her seeing the transformation.

[talonhunter]

The Nabiki in the lost parent support group could be still going, but more in a mentoring role...IE she only goes occasionally now, and that at the request of the councilor(possibly a guardian of time trying to get thru to Makoto??) in charge to help relate how she reacted and had to grow thru the loss. It could also lead to a different handling of how Jupiter interacts with the inners as she gets to have a tactical advisor like Minako/Sailor V did with her friends in England. But it would put them between the results of the outers and the inners

[PCHeintz72]

The Nabiki in the lost parent support group could be still going, but more in a mentoring role...IE she only goes occasionally now, and that at the request of the councilor(possibly a guardian of time trying to get thru to Makoto??) in charge to help relate how she reacted and had to grow thru the loss. It could also lead to a different handling of how Jupiter interacts with the inners as she gets to have a tactical advisor like Minako/Sailor V did with her friends in England. But it would put them between the results of the outers and the inners

Well... while that is a different reason, it does go pretty much the same way I was indicating my thoughts were taking me. She would still be assigned as part of some program as a older sempai/mentor to a younger Makoto, and thus pretty much the whole scenario of the idea can still play out.

I'm still iffy Nabiki would be part of such a group. But if whoever would write this could give a good enough reason, I'm fine with it.

[Spokavriel]

Maybe a group like that is part of why Nabiki is more normal than the rest of her family. Able to manage allot more like a normal person anyway. And her habits of photography reading Manga and getting treats also seem more normal than other shown activities.