Well, well...

The Ucchan's been hit with quite a few responses on this 
thing.  Maybe I ought to have sent this thing out last year, 
when I first started struggling with it.  Then I wouldn't have 
so much to overhaul (and that *does* seem to be the 
general consensus).  I should point out that this story 
is gonna be back-burnered regardless; I've got enough 
on my plate between "Extended Play", this "I, Key" 
concept, and the Pencils project... not to mention the 
odd shortfic that may come to mind as I go along.

Anyway, a few replies of my own are in order, ne?

In a message dated 3/19/99 9:41:00 PM EST, Sam Vilsmeier writes:

 BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MUST HAVE
 MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, that's flattering.  No, really.  But y'see, sugar, the 
reason I sent this in was because I *couldn't* do more, 
at least with what I had, and was asking the ML for help.
I do appreciate that'cha liked it.  I did too, otherwise I 
wouldn't've bothered sending it.  It seems too good an 
idea to just throw out.

In a message dated 3/19/99 9:47:28 PM EST, Shade asks:

<All>: You count Kodachi as a fiancee???!!!

Well, *she* does.  Besides, she's easy and fun to set up
and knock down (I'm having a similar problem with my 
Laughing Target fusion as with this story, but taking out 
Kodachi was a simple - and, forgive me, enjoyable - task)

In a message dated 3/19/99 10:07:17 PM EST, Gary Kleppe mentioned:

 Only other comment on this is that the trial scene seemed too long. It
 wasn't a bad scene, but it kept us away from the meat of the story.

Agreed, but it's necessary for the setup, and it's hard 
to know what and where to pare.  Someone suggested
I punch up the funny aspects of the trial, under the 
assumption that 'funny' always excuses 'long'.  Of course, 
I'll have to think about that - I'm not the best comedy 
writer here.  Vincent Seifert asked where *I* was in all 
that, and Bert Miller suggested I do a 'fantasy' bit for the 
prosecution (in which I happily "recall" a specific incident 
in full and glorious detail), which Ran-chan would re-enact 
on me as his revenge.

Speaking of Bert Miller...

 You could always have Nabiki call Happosai as a defense witness.

Actually, by then, Ranma would have to call him (and 
paradoxically, in order to do that, he'd have to wave a 
pair of panties in the air - it'd flush the old lech out in 
nothing flat, but it would assist the prosecution's case)
But certainly, Happi's disappointed in Ranma's lack 
of interest in this aspect of AGMA.  Trouble is, would
Happi be a credible witness either?

And I'm not gonna neglect Vincent Seifert...

 I think Shampoo's not a slut, just forward in a way consistent with
 a culture in which the sex-role stereotypes are swapped.  It seems to
 me that she'd come on to Ranma right up until the point that he started
 chasing her, at which point she'd lure him off to China... but no pussy
 (sorry) until they were safely in the Joketsuzoku village.

Okay, okay... that's probably quite true, sugar.  But
being Ukyou, I have my own biases towards that 
wonton tart.  Who was it that imagined that Ran-chan
might pretend eagerness to go off to Joketsuzoku, 
asking offhandedly just how many wives he'd be permitted
to have?  THAT would be a turn-off for Shampoo-baka
(and kudos to whoever suggested that) - after all, would
she *really* be willing to share her "airen"?  Just as in
patriarchal societies where there is polygamy, that is
probably restricted to the dominant gender (i.e., the
women, in this case)  Ranma's suggestion (especially
if uttered with a greedy leer and a lick of the chops)
might prove extremely off-putting, ne?

By the way, nice pun.  Ever consider the possibility that
Ran-chan can't bring himself to actually choosing one
of us is because he really doesn't WANT any p-...p-...
p-...p-pussy?  (I don't suppose that pun works in 
Japanese, thou.  English and French, yes; Japanese, I
doubt it.  But it'd make for a funny concept.)

 As for Ukyou, no offense, but I think she's a bit of a prude.  :)

::piku-piku::  Pardon?  I happen to *like* looking at 
beefcake photos of Ran-chan, unlike some fiancees
I could name.  (And d'ya ever wonder if Ran-chan and 
I ever played "doctor" when we were kids?  I wish I
could remember...)

 Letting Nabiki off the hook may not work as well as subjecting her to
 the lecher treatment too.  Lotsa readers have it in for Nabiki.  :)

This is one section I'm getting a rather unanimous 
response on.  Nabs has it coming.  I don't blame y'all.
The section where he borrows the UY will have to go.
Especially since...

In a message dated 3/20/99 1:43:38 AM EST, Bob Barnes writes:

 It seems a lot of the folks who are responding to this story aren't
 considering Ranma's reference work.  Remember, he's using Ataru Moroboshi
 for his model of a lecher.  That should give some idea of what Ranma's
 specific actions might be and also (possible source of humor here) the
 reactions he expects from his actions

::gulp::  I wasn't considering it, either.  I don't have much
in the way of UY manga or anime.  Clearly, my vision of
Ranchan-as-pervert would have nothing to do with Ataru 
Moroboshi.  One more reason to excise this bit.

Still, I could have Nabiki figure it out before anyone else.
What if she becomes Furinkan's equivalent of Cassandra?
Or maybe, she could convince Akane to turn the situation
to her advantage (for a fee, of course).

In a message dated 3/20/99 9:16:01 AM EST, Freemage writes:

 Heh.  Of course, such an activity would also require the disabling of 
 Soun and Genma....  Maybe they decide to see what's happening at the 
 school and get eliminated?

::grins::  That has potential... especially if the generic 
girls LIKE the new Ranma.  It would be amusing to 
watch them put the two old men out of commission.
I mean, Ran-chan's cute and all, but these two geezers
are going too far.

 
 While we're on the subject of parental units, either Gary or Vincent 
 pointed out how pleased Nodoka would be with all this.... I don't see 
 why she should get off easy.
 
 Perhaps when the three adults show up nosing around Furinkan, Ranma 
 figures that there's no way a _real_ pervert would neglect a hot fox 
 like his mom?  Nodoka might come to reconsider just how "manly" she 
 wants her son to be....

Brr... and someone was grossed out by that scene with
Happosai?  Geez, Freemage...

But seriously, it's a point well taken, and one I've never
understood: Nodoka's idea of a manly man is a very odd
one, I gotta tell ya.  She's sort of like Morticia Addams
(hear me out, now): just like Tish seems to know what 
it takes to be an Addams despite not being born to it, so
Nodoka understands the AGMA school founding principles
even better than the two men; that is, the perverse side
of the school.  She really should be taught that that's not
always acceptable.

Oh, and Freemage, I REALLY like the idea of Ran-chan
pulling a reverse Happosai in the girls' locker room - 
stealing their outerwear and replacing them with some
of Happosai's little treasures.  Granted, that means I'd
be showing up to class dressed like a Frederick's model,
but at least I wouldn't be alone in that.  And you're right
about it putting Ryouga outta commission, too...

Anyway, some of these ideas are wonderful... thanks, 
everybody!  Just don't expect anything too soon.  It 
took a year to get it this far, y'know...

Itsu mo,
Ucchan   ^_^