On Wed, 29 Apr 1998, Gary Kleppe wrote:

This is in response to the points raised by Mike Loader on the Shadowcat
as used in this story.

How can the Cat be involved in the story without having been called by
someone in the mortal world? He can't, and didn't. He *was* called, by
Genma's performance of the cat fist rituals many years ago. Since then,
he's had a hold on Ranma that he's chosen to only partially exercise.

Doesn't wash. The Shadderkitty doesn't strike me as the patient sort (cats
aren't) or the sort who would only partially exercise his hold over Ranma
for a full ten years, in a uniform way. His control (IMHO) would be
chaotic, erratic, taunting, and as complete as he could make it.
 

How can he gain a similar hold on Akane? As D.B. Sommer and Patrick
McClanahan both correctly surmised, it was possible only because he got
her to effectively agree to it. Though it's not stated in the story, one
could assume that her love deep down for Ranma was a necessary
ingredient. Why did he not need cats to do it? Maybe he did. We didn't
really see it happen. He might have had a horde of cats waiting outside
the nekohanten, for all we know.

That Akane didn't see or hear. And they got there how? I can't see any
supernatural entity, even one of great power, casually doing something
like that on _Cologne's_home_ground_. Even if she cared not a fig for
Ranma and Akane, it's a tremendous insult to her.

The agreement is shakily worded, casual, and lacks a sort of ritual
symbolism. Again, if the Shadderkitty could get control of people merely
by imitating others (more on that below) and getting them to agree to a
loose contract, the world would be overflowing with nekokens.

How can he be in the real world in the first place? The story makes it
clear that he isn't. It's some sort of projection. Exactly what kind it
is is left to the readers' judgement. It could be some sort of human
follower of his that happens to be good at disguises, or it could even
be only in Akane's mind. Note that no one other than her saw the Cat. 

Okay. It's a projection that can seem absolutely real and perfectly
imitate others. And which can appear without being summoned. *shrug* It
might as well be the real thing. It is, in fact, even better than the real
thing cause it can't be hurt.

Why Akane? Ryouga, for instance, would have been just as easy to get and a
finer catch. Answer - it fits the story better to have it be Akane.

Why does the Shadderkitty wait ten years and risk upsetting a powerful
Amazon spirit-dealer in order to do something that it could have done any
time and witha better secondary candidate? Because it fits the story
better.

Mike, I don't know whether the above explanations will convince you or
not, and if not, that's cool. I thank you for taking the time to comment
on this, and I'm glad you liked some of the story in spite of your
misgivings. 

It doesn't, I'm afraid. While your explaination are (to a degree ;)
reasoned, the fact still remains that it _feels_ like a Deus-Ex-Machina,
like something that only happened because the plot called for it. And feel
is the paramount element of a work of dramatic fiction.

But I liked it anyway. ;)

Thanks also to everyone else who's sent comments on this fic. I will be
answering everything that I haven't already.


Gary Kleppe
http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics