At 08:59 AM 6/9/99 -0400, you wrote:

To the author of The Clan,

's Me.

     I misrember your name, but I have a question for you. When will you
post the next chapter of the Clan? I think the last one i read was chapter
15? Your 'fic had me riveted to my monitor for quite a while, but there

Just because it has been kinda a while since I posted, I'll send this to 
the list as a 'Status Update'.

Chapter 16 is delayed for a few reasons.

Reason 1. I fell down a flight of stairs and tore the *shit* out of my hip. 
Busted several ligaments. Not a pretty scene, I'm certain you can imagine. 
It's caused a few delays.

Reason 2. Chapter 16, up until a few days ago, featured an extended lemon 
scene between Genma and Nodoka.

I didn't like it, mostly because it didn't really fit in with the rest of 
the story. I've been rewriting and restructuring the Chapter, along with 
the outline of 17, which I also had to make major changes to to accomodate 
the changes.

16 will stil be a lemon by the time I'm done with it, but the Genma-Nodoka 
scenes will be released as a side story.

And now, just to let you know I haven't died, a teaser from Ch 16:

* * *

A calm washed down over Tofuu. He had never felt this at
peace, even when he had been tested upon the mastery of the
art of his Shiatsu. This... this, being with Kasumi, was the
next peak in his life.

         "I have wanted to be this close to you ever since I have
known you," he whispered to her, allowing his head to dip down
toward her ear. "From.. from what you have shown me, I beleive
you feel much the same way."

         Kasumi nodded, uncertainty still prevalent on her face.

         "Then... then let your feelings tell you what is right
and what is wrong."

         He tightend his embrace. "Is this wrong?" he asked. "Or
this?"

         Brazenly, he leaned in, and let his lips rest against
hers. Kasumi gave out a muffled cry at the kiss. Suddenly,
Tofuu felt the force of his embrace returned.

         "Or this..." he continued, wrapping his arms completely
around her. He cradled her head against his shoulder, feeling
the wetness on her face seep through the cotton of his gi.

         "I love you, Kasumi," he stated finally, drawing her
face up to his. "Vampire or woman or whatever you care to be."
He pressed his lips to hers again, savoring the sweetness of
the woman he loved most in the world.

         Kasumi felt a dam break inside her. Hot tears began to
flow down her cheeks, but she did not break the kiss.

         If this was wrong, the feelings of warmth and security
and desire that were coursing through her blood, then Kasumi
resigned herself to be a sinner. She leaned into Tofuu and
returned his kiss.

         "Way to go, Tofuu-sensei!" Betty cheered.

         Tofuu wasn't paying any attention.

* * *

         Ranma froze and stared at the girl. She was naked, but
half in and half out of the shadows. Even with most of her
figure concealed but he could see that something was...
different.

         "Ranma..." Akane murmured, her hand holding the figurine
going to her unclad breasts.

         "Akane," Ranma acknowledged.

         Wordlessly, he clenched his jaw and began to rummage
through the closet again.

         Akane felt her throat catch. She could feel the pain
down in her chest at seeing him taking his clothes away.

         There was a rustle in the darkness. Akane's mouth opened
in pained surprised, praying that Ranma wouldn't see.

         She was dissapointed. Ranma's face jerked back in her
direction. She made no move to cover her nakedness, but
instead did her best to will the... things... on her back out
of the light.

         "Please, Ranma.... please don't look at me..." she
begged.

         Ranma turned back to the closet.

         "And I thought Nabiki was lying to me," Ranma admitted
accusingly. "Are you happy now? Do you have what you want
now?"

         "You have no right to say that, Ranma..." Akane stated
quietly. There was no fire to her rebuttal, however.

         For perhaps the first time, Ranma noted the glint
against Akane's breast out of the corner of his eye. His eyes
darted back to her.

         Her.... Her... Her...

         "Admit it, Ranma" he hissed under his breath. "They're
*wings*."

* * *

 From the sitting room window, Ranma watched the sun rise over
Nerima. His eyes were a little bloodshot, but the long night
had left him primed instead of weary.

         He jumped a little as Sasuke entered the room, but kept
his composure.

         "Ranma-san?" Sasuke asked. "Have you seen the mistress
or the young master?"

         "Yeah. They got on a plane for Hawaii a couple hours
ago."

         "Oh." Sasuke's eyes drooped. "And... you're still here?"

         "Yeah. Kodachi said I could use a room till they got
back. You mind?"

         "No, of course not," the diminuitive ninga quickly
replied. "May I inquire as to what you've been--"

         "Been thinkin," Ranma cut him off. "'Bout the killings,
'bout my mom. 'Bout Akane."

         Sasuke blinked, not quite sure how to respond.

         Ranma, knowing this, pushed on, needing to voice his
decision. "And all along, I've been playing by their rules. By
the ravners', by my Mom's or by Akane's. An' I decided it just
ain't gonna work that way."

         "R-r-ranma-san?" Sasuke stammered, more than a little
taken aback with the blaze of spirit in Ranma's eyes.

         "So I decided..." Ranma explained. "Musabetsu Kokuto
ain't about playin' other's peoples games. It's about making
those games *your* games. So I decided..."

         "D-decided, Ranma-san?"

         "Yeah. Ain't gonna play the game anymore. It's time that
was over with. Time..."

         "Time?" Saske asked, still not sure what Ranma was
talking about.

         "Time to do what always wins the fight. It's time,"
Ranma declared, "Time to change the rules..."


* * *

Yeah. Ranma and Akane have it out. And guess what Kasumi and Tofuu are up 
to all night?

Ja.



* * *
Chris Jones - guilty@arn.net
The Ranma 1/2 Gallery - http://cyberwheel.simplenet.com/ranma

It's 1999. Do you know what your children are?

"The impeachment scandal tarnished everyone who caused it. On
the Democratic side, that would be: President Clinton. On the
Republican side that would be: The United States House of
Representatives."       - Jack Hitt