1. Ukyou is sneaky. She's trying to seduce Ranma in the poker scene. 
   Granted, this doesn't put Ukyou in the best light. But the point of 
the fic (I thought) wasn't to show that Ukyou is the absolute best for 
Ranma, but to delve a little bit into her feelings for him and to show 
just a peek at the anguish she must feel whenever she sees Ranma and 
Akane getting along. She's not perfect, but nobody in the real world is. 
That's why I like this characterization so much. It's real. 

        The point of the fic is exactly as you have put it.  You've seen the
anguish of Ukyo and it's not pretty.

2. Ranma's a bastard. He nearly did it with Ukyou when just a few hours 
ago he was crushed up inside about Akane. 
   I've heard of a phenomenon known as "emotional vulnerability," when a 
traumatic loss causes a person to be open to anyone that shows a shred of 
sympathy or kindness towards someone. This can happen if a spouse 
suddenly dies or rejects the person (this is why remarriages sometimes 
happen shortly after divorce). This has also been observed in 
doctor-patient settings, particularly in the fields of psychology and 
psychiatry. 

Summary of above : Ranma is more receptive to Ukyo because she tries to
cheer him up after the worst fight with Akane in his life.

   I have a suspicion that even if Akane hadn't walked in, Ranma would 
have snapped out of it before things got too far. Take Nullifier (also by 
Webdragon), the scene where Ranko and Ranma (pardon me while I gag) 
almost "do it." Ranma thinks about Akane subconsciously, calls her name 
out, and the spell is broken.

        It's just a suspicion but it is a good suspicion nevertheless. ^_^

3. Ukyou wouldn't really have let Ranma go to Akane. She would have 
grabbed him back to the floor after Akane left and picked up right where 
she left off.

        Now THIS is unrealistic in the extreme.  

        Ukyo and Akane, the way I see it, are sort-of friends.  

   Besides, the mood was completely and utterly destroyed by Akane 
walking in. I think that was particularly realistic. If the mood is 
interrupted, it can be *awfully* hard to regain (not that I'm speaking 

>from experience or anything). 

        Which is why Ukyo was steaming and really pissed off at Akane.  

"Her face resembled Soun's demon head, with bared fangs and dilated pupils...."

4. Ranma sees Ukyou as a boy. He would never even *think* about doing 
such an act with her. 

        As a boy?  Hmmm....lessee.  Ucchan has breasts.  Ok.  (ticks off a
box)  Ucchan has curves.  Ok.  (ticks off a box)  Ucchan has....all the
feminine attributes, exposed and guessed at.  Ok.  (ticks off a multitude of
boxes).  This leads me to conclude that there is a strong possibility that
Ucchan is a girl.  If it's not one, then it's the other, right?  To test
this, let's go over, say, Ryoga?  Ok, lessee,...@BAP@  OWW!!  Ok, I know you
all get the point!  No need to get feisty with that bapstick!

   But when you're in the bedroom, with mood music playing, and you've 
just finished a palyful wrestling match with her, and she's in cute 
pyjamas instead of the normal boys' school uniform, and you're still 
scathed by an emotional wound... it can be pretty hard to remember that 
Ukyou was your boy childhood friend. 

        I'd say that it was impossible for Ranma to remember that he had
thought of Ukyo as a boy!  ^_^

   One protest I do have against the fic, though...the boxer shorts 
thing was a little out htere. Ranma would probably have gotten a clue by 
then. Perhaps you could have Ukyou try a subtler method than just 
grabbing for them? Or something?

        It's kinda hard...

        Playing for clothing.  Lessee, he is losing.  He is down to his
boxers.  Then he lost.  Ukyo decides to 'tease' him by half-heartedly trying
to pull his boxers off.  Ranma might have gotten the point, or he might not
have, but his first reaction is to keep his boxers on - which any sensible
minded male would do (not me, for sure, with someone as cute as Ucchan). @_@