Suggested changes: {before : after}
On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 12:11:42 -0400 DB Sommer <sommer@3rdm.net> wrote:
The room was cloaked in darkness, with only a pair of candles placed
in the middle of the kitchen table providing illumination. The only
other person in the room was Soun, who was already seated at the
table. He was very formal in appearance, dressed in a black suit and
tie. His mustache was neatly trimmed, and his long black hair was
pulled behind his body in a stylish ponytail. He unleashed a dazzling
smile to Kachiko.
The boundless enthusiasm Kachiko had been displaying disappeared in
an instant. Her face scrunched up, as though she had discovered
something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of her shoe and was told
{she's : she'd} be cleaning it off barehanded. "Great, there goes my
appetite." She turned to leave.
Very subtle. For Kasumi.
"Ranma, there are only two types of guys that would hesitate to
answer that question: those that don't like the dress and don't want
to hurt a girl's feelings, and those that like the dress and are
afraid saying so is some sort of commitment. You don't have the tact
to be the former."
Playing him like a fiddle. It does seem rather like the falacy of the
excluded middle though.
He gazed at the stars through the smoky haze, muting the twinkling
effect they normally had. It was then something occurred to him. With
his wife returned, in a manner of speaking, Soun's thoughts had been
in a similar state. It was a haze in which he saw things in their
general form, but lost some of the details due to the murk. Talking
with Kasumi about the way Kachiko used to be had momentarily cut
through that. So he stared upward at the stars and reached back into
the furthest recesses of his mind to a place he rarely bothered
recalling. It wasn't the best of times, but he forced himself to
remember...
Which nicely sets the stage.
"Bah, it's all rumor and innuendo," Genma scoffed. "I'll bet he
hasn't done half the things he's been accused of. I mean really, a
serial panty thief? It's preposterous."
It's true he's not done half, more like double.
"She's a good girl. Your mother and I looked into that, since it did
seem that things were too good to be true. But it's not. Obviously
this is a move on the Tendous' part to secure their future. They're
both over sixty now, and want to ensure their family honor is taken
care of before they pass on."
If they're over sixty, they probably remember the privations of the
Pacific war too.
"Thanks," Soun said sincerely. At least someone was backing him. Even
if it was only for moral support, it was a big help. It would help
bolster Soun's courage to face a very uncertain future. It was great
to have a friend like Genma.
It just seems odd to call Genma's support moral.