Ye gods and kami all....

You just keep raising the bar, don't you?  It wasn't enough that you 
took these characters and brought them to new heights with a casual 
flick of the wrist, no.  You then had to take them to the darkest 
layers, where everything that they held dear could be ripped from them.

You do understand, of course, that you have set a new standard, against 
which every depiction of Hell and Death shall be compared?  It's enough 
to make a poor scribbler such as myself despair, even as I try mentally 
to set the tune for the song of the Pig at War.

Now on to the specifics:

The Opening:
   My butt cheeks are asleep as I type this.  To some, this will seem an 
odd sort of thing to say in a commentary, but others will realize its 
significance.  To wit:  I have been immobile, reading 150+K of fic, for 
the last hour and a half, to the point of taking care of such piddling 
matters as shifting to ensure proper circulation.  I blame this wholely 
and totally on the opening line of this installment.

Akane lvs Ranma
   I know Akane and Ranma are destined for one another here, and I have 
no problem with that.  But, to put it bluntly, I fully expect to open up 
the Holy Righteous Can of Whup-Ass when she learns of Ranma's true 
gender, just for putting her through all that grief.

Gunsmith Cats:
   Cool.

Akane & the Circle:
   Like anyone _but_ Ranma didn't forsee her jumping into the pit?

Death:
   A very cool interpretation of Death--the flowing images just worked.  
The grey city, of course, was just a stunning mental landscape.  I may 
very well not sleep tonight.

Spoooooonnn!!!!:
   'Nuff Said!  Actually, I do have to wonder what Kasumi could have 
accomplished in the same situation.  The trio might have been able to 
make it all the way to the First....

Delaniel:
   Now _this_ is what a demon should be--the itch that makes you drive 
your car off the road because you're trying to scratch it and just can't 
quite reach....

The Battle:
   As always, masterfully done.  You translate the physical Art into the 
written word with a skill few others can hope to approach.

The Deadlands:
   Brrr....  One question, though.  Did you really mean to say that 
"Akane blinkied" on the white ship?  Just curious, you understand.

The Return:
   I've heard of black eyes, but this is ridiculous....  Seriously, I 
can't wait to see what you have in store for that new feature Acchan is 
sporting.  I'm also curious as to Sayuri's reaction to her imprisonment.

Final Thought:
   Write Faster.

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com