On Tue, 1 Sep 1998, "The Major" <majorb@one.net.au> wrote:

[Snip!]
Of the 2 options...

Magic could be anything you want it to be.  If you use it, just
make sure it slots into the story the way you want it too.  Think
about it's ramifications a bit as well.

	There's straightforeward possibilities like

Chi is trickier.  The first thing that comes to mind is some
meditation technique that builds the chi and enables the
practitioner to control themselves absolutely.   Perhaps
some technique similar to the Hiryu Shoutenha in that
there is a way to draw in and utilise external Chi to hold
form for a while.  Again would require a bit of thought as
to what your story would want and what it's ramifications
would be.

	Not quite, the foundation of Shiatsu and related is the fact that 
Chi is constantly flowing through a person's body, and the various points 
can be stimulated to change that flow.  It is possible that long ago a 
Shimeru who was an expert in Shiatsu studied how the change worked in 
terms of chi flow, (Possible it happens spontanously when Chi flow 
through the body hit a peak, in which case it's less a hormonal condition 
as a biological reaction to rising chi.(In Ranma chi techniques all 
involve emotion,  plus there's the aura's.)  To prevent the change, 
either block the chi from rising to a certain level, or increase the 
body's natural tollerance to chi raising the level.  Or to make it 
controllable combine training with techniques that raised the chi 
threshold beyond what they would produce spontanously while teaching them 
to power up to that levil when they wanted to.

--------

One final issue I would like to raise, there is a lot of talk about
"curing" Akane.  But the Shimeru condition is not a disease or
a curse, it is a part of the Shimeru's life.  If Ranma starts talking
about the Shimeru condition as if it is the above, then he is not
going to be welcome.

I would say that it would be equally valid for the Tendo's to try and
work on getting Ranma to accept his changing and teaching him to
live with being both male and female.  Mind you, Ranma is *NOT*
going to make such efforts easy. ^_^

By putting forward only *1* option in this regard you simply show
that you have a limited view.  If you can come up with an Akane-
Ranma match-up in which they've learned to get along despite their
changes...

Don't think in a limited fashion.  Even if you decide an idea won't work
as it stands, keep it in mind for future reference, a slightly modified
version may be just what you want down the track.

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"The Major"             |  "Funny Games, Strange Cartoons, Confusing
David Bateson           |     Computers and too many Books!  No
                       |     wonder you're weird."
majorb@one.net.au       |       - My Sister.
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