GL Sandborn engraved:

    It took me a little while to get around to actually reading  Silent
Partner', work being what it is.  However, after reading it, I'm struck
by a few things of note.

Duck next time. ;)

    [Grinning to self] If you wrote this *after* my Nabiki piece, it
would prove to be a very effective side story.  Ranma and Nabiki

I've no problem with it being a side story - loved your portrayal of
Nabiki. I think one of the things that when into this piece was a mild
dislike with a common view of Nabiki - the idea that she doesn't realize
that she's going too far, and that a talk or a confrontation or a dream
will allow her to reform. My picture has always been that Nabiki knows
exactly what she's doing, realizes that it is morally wrong, and might
even dislike doing it - but she chooses to do it anyway.

confronting the fiscal reality of living in a very expensive society with
no visible means of support.  The Nabiki we all hope doesn't exist but
fear must due to such realities is paraded like never before.
    In any case, it's gritty.  It's down to earth.  It's real.  As I
said in response to one of the C&C's I once got; she's probably the only
adult in the whole Takahashi universe.  Adults pushed to the edge will
respond in exactly the way Nabiki did in your story. Bravo!

Thanks. :) To tell the truth, this is probably my least favorite of the
fics I've done....I prefer happy stuff.

    The only questionable part I could detect has to do with heroin.  I
don't know much about
the drug problems in Japan (and I'm sure they have some somewhere), but I
find it hard to believe that heroin would be a high school drug problem
of any kind.  What I know about heroin is: it's VERY addictive,

I just grabbed the name of the first illegal drug that came to mind. I
know next to nothing about the stuff.

    Anyway, the whole idea of Nabiki Tendo peddling drugs in the first
place sounds a little out of character.  Consider this; we are dealing
with a girl who understands the odds in every situation she gets in to.
In Japan, with it's relaxed view towards individual
rights in favor of the good of the group, dealing in drugs would be
highly risky and her chance of getting caught rather good.   Nabiki would
have to be beyond desperate before she would take such a path.

Agreed. In responce, I can only point out that she didn't accept - but she
was afraid that she would have to, if things got any worse. And as she
said in the story, she'd make a good dealer - she's persuasive, ruthless,
and above all smart enough to get away with it for a long time. She'd be
caught eventually, of course - and she's smart enough to know that, too.

    Anyway, bravo on a fine interaction piece.  You're right, script
form wouldn't have worked here and, yes, it would really be a downer in a
slapstick comedy.

   It is extremely hard to write a script darkfic, and tends to be a mark
against it. Good ones to exist - but after reading them, I can't help but
wonder how much better it would have been in story format.

[On the other hand, Uncle Fester detects another
challenge'.  Write a story that's got a lot of slapstick in it but slows
down enough in parts for some really serious stuff.  Hmmmmmm, sounds like
fun. (Actually, it sounds like: Nabiki-New Horizons Pt 2) Coming to a ML
near you.]

Doh! Shameless plug! ;) I'm looking forward to it. :)
   Actually, Nameless had quite a few serious bits in it...but they were
few and far between, and certainly nothing like the above.

P.S.  Is *this* what you've been doing instead of reviewing my latest
release of Nabiki-New Horizons?  Get back to work!!!  Bapbapbapbapbapbap.
You're not supposed to be this creative!

Um. The review'll get there...eventually. Most of the time in my Free
time-FFML slot has been spent typing Nameless Sequel...apologies to all
those whose fics I haven't reviewed. Mea culpea, mea maxima culpea....

- Mike of No Particular Title or Handle
===/\=====+==================================================================
  /  \    l   Mike Loader - Lincolnite, Amberite, Illuminatus, Discordian,
 / () \   l      Journalist, Author, Traveler, Historian, Java Fiend.
/      \  l        Trier - LA - LV - Kiev - Reno - Hong Kong. Fnord.
--------  l                    mloader@scs.unr.edu
==========+==================================================================