OK, if I think up any arcs, I'll be sure to share them with you.

I like the one year time skip arc idea.  Who knows how our characters will develop.  As a heads up, I plan to have Shelley tread a dark path (not necessarily evil, but more about coming to terms with having power, using power accidentally to ill effects, making irreversible mistakes and having to live with them, abusing power when cornered or desperate, etc.)

OK, Shelley will probably go along with it depending on her mood and who's involved.  Should our characters already know each other or should they just sort of 'know of' each other but not really (I was complete strangers with people in my grade back in high school so it's not a big issue).  I'll probably not take too much control of NPC's for the most part, but thanks for the permission.