On Tue, 16 Dec 1997, RPM - acct 3/5 wrote:

Mike Loader, along with Susan Doenime, has been writing one of
the most original and well thought-out stories I've ever read,
'Ill Met By Starlight'.  It's dark, sharp, and at times it's
very chilling.

It's also gotten zero response from this list.

[Old man wanders into shot] Right.  Fine then.  [takes out a piece of 
paper] I normaly reply by private mail as ta not clutter up th' list an' 
start pointless discussions about any little point I brings up.  But since 
yer dieing fer someone ta respond...

   Dear Mike and Susan,
      Your fic "Ill Met By Starlight 7" was bitter, cold and
      evil.  The parts that weren't deperssing were well written,
      though I suspect thats just to make the fall at the end a 
      bit harder.  Actualy, the parts that were depressing were 
      also well written.  This fic fit right in with the depressing, 
      heavy mood of the rest of the serries.  In summery, good 
      work, love that agnst, can't wait for the next part.
                                               Till next time,
                                               Matthew Trotter

[The old man folds up the paper] There, happy now?  I work my fingers ta 
th' bone tryin' ta make a livin' an' I come home ta this!  Damn it!  
Clean your room, brush your cloths, change your teeth!

Mike writes, what he admits to me is a 2 hour spitball of a fic
written merely to make a point.

Not only does it get FAR more response than 'Ill Met By Starlight'
but it seems everyone's missed the point that Mike was trying
to make!

Acourse they miss th' point.  See th' spitball was somethin' they could 
git on.  Ill Met...it ain't th' same.  It ain't normal Ranma.  Ain't no 
grounds ta complain on.  Spitball you can git on ta, it got th' regulars, 
Ill Met, hell, ain't nobody sure what th' hell Ranma is let alone what he 
oughta be like.  An' another thin', why we gotta spitball in th' first 
place?!  Damn kids these days, throwin' snowballs and spitballs...
WHAT TH' HELL HAPPEN?  Where th' disipline?  Damn it!  Didn' yer parrents 
teach ya?

I dunno.  Heck with it.  Maybe I'm the one that's outta touch
here, but that's what I havta say.

-rod, off to rev up his Ford Pinto.

Right...my work is done here...now git th' hell away from my car ya punk kid!
[hobbles of brandishing his cane]
   -MJT
[old man hobbles back into shot] An' another thin', don't no one post a 
reply ta this on th' list.  This heres absolute crap an' got no place on 
th' list.  Ya wanna reply, do it private. [hobbles off again]