[FFML] [Ranma][Revised] Hearts and Minds, Part 7 of 10

[Gary Kleppe]

Quoting Michael Clark <eta.bootis at gmail.com>:


> Why should Kodachi leave Ukyo alive now?  Using the water was a clear
> attempt at murder.  Is she just making it all up as she goes since too
> many things have gone wrong and she's way off her own script?


Well, this is Kodachi we're talking about. She pretty much *always*  
makes it up as she goes along. :)  But the point of her dousing Shan  
Pu and attempting to do the same to the others wasn't to kill them,  
but to make them undesirable to Ranma, as an object lesson that he  
should've made the right choice. Killing them, if indeed it did -- in  
Shamps' case it didn't -- would just be gravy. Of course, if Kodachi  
had doused Akane and if Akane had survived, Ranma would still have  
chosen her, just as Tatewaki still chose Pu after some initial  
hesitation. But Kodachi doesn't understand the feelings involved in  
such things.


> Anyway, I think the paragraphs summarizing how Kodachi found out about
> the water actually help quite a bit in alleviating my earlier concerns
> that (not having read the preludes) all this stuff with Cologne's water
> and her dying statement was convenient.  At least now I can see how it
> all fits together.


Glad to hear it.


>> "How very interesting. You make a very good point. It really *isn't*
>> easy to gain the confidence of one's enemies." Kodachi grinned.  "But
>> while we're on the subject, there's one thing I've often wondered
>> about. Back in the days of our rivalry, there was another contender
>> for dear Ranma's affections. The girl with a pigtail. Whatever became
>> of her?"
>
> Why does Kodachi ask this question when she knows the answer?  To test
> Ukyo?  I can't see why.


Because she rightly suspects Ukyo of lying to her, of putting on an  
act in order to gain her confidence. So she gave Ukyo another chance  
to lie to her to see if she'd take it.


> So you're suggesting that Ranma is off his game now that the spirit of
> Lili has left him?  Is that something you were trying to get across in
> the battle earlier, as the gang tried to free Kasumi and Mousse?


Right, the assumption here is that a large portion of his speed and  
stamina come from the dual spirit that he shared with Lili.


> As expected, Ukyo and Mikado's fake relationship is starting to wrap
> around into a real one.  I like that this is done through some amount of
> common ground that they have; I felt that there was some potential
> danger in trying to pair them, but I think this mechanism is fairly
> safe.  It builds an actual friendship first, and that's good.


I'm glad this worked for you.


> I do hope Gosunkugi is under the influence of whatever he drank;
> otherwise, he's being quite reckless.


It was a berserker potion. And yeah, he's most definitely under the influence.

As always, thanks for the comments!