Unique Solutions to Crowd Control

You know, if there's anything a random mob is good for, it's a distraction. Especially when you're feeling as parched as I was after nearly half an hour's worth of talking.

I slipped away in the confusion, the admins' representative not really noticing because, hey, that was one really freakin' big mob. Farming implements included.

There's quite a few things that can rouse up that much animation in Fen, but not many make them do the 'storming the castle' routine. Off the top of my head, the only one I could think of to get that sort of response was the Professor.

Oh.

It _was_ him.

Trigon's going to bitch at me for locking commo.

Still, the authority figure's attention wasn't going to stay stuck to those guys indefinitely, and I'd promised to buy someone dinner when we got here. Not the day after, which would likely be the result if I didn't do a little disappearing magic.

Unfortunately, the only things I had on me wouldn't be of much use in this situation.

I needed crowd control. And not neccessarily in the traditional sense.

Which was when I spotted the droids and their merchandise, or rather, a particularly patterned set of round metallic cylinders that had roughly the dimensions of a can of soda. I proceeded to trot over, pressing my way through the influx of Fen who, of course, were heading for the disturbance.

I swear, bloody lemmings.

Shelling out a few credits, and noting that the flunkie had remembered I was supposed to be there to be chewed over but now wasn't, I stowed most of the 'cans' in my vest pockets.

Leaving me with one in particular.

Now, if I've got this right ...

Pop the pin, wind back, toss it so it arcs gracefully over the gathered Fen while shouting the one thing I knew would get the android's attention:

"EMP! Everybody cover!"

... then ducking down and slinking away when the Fen collective flinched and the Professor's boomstick carrying escort blew it out of the air.

There was the *pop* of decompressing air, and the Pantsu Grenade (tm - Happosai H Manufacturing) erupted over the crowd, scattering silky little nothings ...

I leave the reactions to your imagination, only saying that I doubted they'd be bothering with finding me with this on their hands.

Then I went to look for Maetel.

"But the costume's great! You look really really really like her! You should totally take part in the ..."

It happens every time, without fail. Somebody new gets involved in the cosplay section of a Con and tries to convince her to enter, thinking Maetel's in costume.

To my knowledge, she never has.

I gave a brief gesture from behind the fuku-ed bundle of bubbly enthusiasm that's pulled the short straw of asking her this time, and quirked an eyebrow in question.

Maetel shook her head.

Hmm. Alright. Nah.

I've had my share of distraction and misdirection for the hour, as tempting as the concept of raiding the back of the Warsies' stand and slotting Queen's 'Bicycle Race' into their PA is.

Stormtrooper armor may look imposing, and is even effective most of the time since all but a few have since 'gooped' theirs, but visibility through those helmets really sucks.

Besides, Trigon did that last year.

Well, luckily I subscribe to the waste not, want not way of thinking.

I walked up behind the Senshi - Prvt. 1st Class, judging from the pips on the edge of the rear ribbon. Such a nice rear ... ahem ... - and tapped on her shoulder in the middle of another sales pitch.

"Meep."

Or something in the direction. Alright, so to somebody around five foot five I can pretend to be imposing.

"Excuse me, miss. Are these yours?" I asked.

Whereupon I drew a pair that had drifted my way after the Pantsu Grenade had decompressed from inside my utility vest. Hmm. Black lace.

First she went "Eeeeek" then she went all red, only to finally snatch the panties from me and dash off into the crowd with a squee of "Pervert!"

I shrugged. Well, that had worked better than I'd expected it to.

"It wouldn't really feel right," she said as we walked down the promenade, away from the throng and in search of somepleace to get some decent food and drink. And no, for this one, Phobos' local Fenway didn't really count. "Though maybe next time, I should go as my sister?"

I paused and blinked. Then smiled. "Sure, if you think you'll have fun with it."