On Fri, 9 Jul 1999, Jed M Bidwell wrote:

        Hikaru Gosunkugi awoke to the sound of a disgustingly happy bluebird
outside his window. Prying open one eye, he cast a baleful glare at the
chirping animal, wishing that it would shut up and let him sleep. 
        After a few moments the bird seemed to get the hint, flying off to
who knew where to do what birds do all day.

I suppose his Voodoo is good for something, then.  I get the same
experience, except the birds NEVER get the hint.

Gosunkugi was tempted to believe that. After all, what normal person could
possibly stick to walls the way he did?

ME!  ME!  (waves hand)

        But it wasn' t a dream. He DID leap nearly ten meters with no

		      ^
extra space.

effort. He DID cling to that wall like a spider. And he DID bend that steel
pipe into a pretzel. Spitting the paste into the sink, he looked at his
reflection once again. The face was still the same, but was beginning to
change a little. His reflection didn't quite resemble the boy whose father
worried that he was gay. The boy whom everyone either rejected or ignored.

...It reminded him of Nuku Nuku.

(Well, hey!  Leaping impossible heights, performing impossible feats of
climbing on buildings, and bending steel?)

        The trip to Furinkan wasn't strenuous, thirty minutes by foot and he
was there. He never used the train; he usually never had the money.

I would suggest changing the second 'never' to 'didn't', to avoid
repetition.  Actually, the repetition doesn't sound that bad in this
context, but it's not really needed here, and would mitigate the impact of
a future use where it might be used to greater effect.

        He recalled again what he did the day before, and decide to give it
another shot.

Again, he recalled what he did...

        With a running start, Gosunkugi leapt off the far edge of the
building. He sailed through the air, tucking himself into a ball. Three
somersaults later, he landed on the roof of the next building with balletic
grace. Without even slowing, he continued to the edge of the current roof.

See?  Nuku Nuku!  Just add a bike, lose the candles, and you're all
set!

        Gosunkugi had severely mis-judged the distance and his own thrust.
He started to scream as he began shedding altitude at an alarming rate,

Shedding altitude?  The verb just doesn't work for me.

        Another long cord fired from the growth, stretching across the gap
between the buildings on each side of the street. Gosunkugi grabbed the
cord, testing its strength. If he didn't know better, he could swear it was
spider's webbing. Only strong enough to support a human.

I've heard that Spider's webbing is technically stronger than steel, so it
shouldn't come as a surprise.  Gey, if Gos doesn't need a machine to make
the stuff, he doesn't need to be a superhero.  He can go into the textile
business, and come out a millionare!

        After a rough start, Gosunkugi began to get the hang of swinging
through the concrete canyons of Tokyo. As the wind ripped at him, a strange
feeling of power and freedom swelled up inside. Never in his entire
seventeen years had he ever felt so alive.

And in true Ranma fashion, he didn't stop to see where he was going, and
ended up on the side of a Raid factory.

        "What a weirdo," Akane said as she brushed past him. Gosunkugi
nearly lost his balance as the joy welled up inside him again.
        "She... TOUCHED me...." he muttered, lost in his own perfect world.

^_^

        Gosunkugi swore to himself that this would be the LAST day they hurt
anyone. They would make a nice test of his powers. A very nice test...

"As you're being tortured, please feel free to tell me any impressions
that you have.  And remember, this is for posterity.  Be honest."

(I think I have that quote right)

        On his way home, he had stopped by a novelty clothing shop. It had
taken him a few minutes, but he found what he was looking for. He had
managed to bring just enough yen to cover the cost of the full body stocking
and full head mask. The clerk took one look at him, and didn't ask any
questions, probably figuring him for one of those Goth weirdos.

As a confirmed Voodoo weirdo, he was quite offended.

        Once he arrived home, finding it empty as usual, he pulled out the
silk-screen press and some of his paints. Pulling a design from his old art
portfolios, he began to make his costume. The mask was first, being the
smallest. The body stocking took considerably longer, and used up a good
deal of his paints. It was finally ready, however, just as soon as it dried.

He -did- remember to take off the candles, right? 


-Natsume Ranma Ranma
-------
The sardines weren't worth the trouble.  A few more shots, then 
Ryoga-san would overheat and explode.  Ducking around a corner, 
I managed to lose him as I entered the ramshackle residence of 
my Anime supplier.

One look at his face and I knew that I was betrayed.  "Tell me."
I insisted.  He refused, so I slammed him against the wall.
"Last chance.  Where can Ranma-Ranma find good fanfics?"
"Try Jason Liao." he whispered, before he slumped to the floor.
I heard the sounds of a door splintering as I left through the 
window, one step ahead of Tendo Heavy Industries...