On Tue, 13 Apr 1999, Mark Doherty wrote:

Hate to love him or love to hate him...

Or just plain hate him and wish that someone had stepped on him when
he was born.

Actually I like him, more than just about any other character
in this story.  I'm reading the story to see more of Emerald, and
not of Sailor Moon, Beryl, Mars, ect... I personally hope that
Emerald (or his future/alt. self) survives the end of this.  In some
strange - admitedly *very* strange - way he remind me a bit of
Dr. Who (especially the 7th Doctor).  Sure, he's sarcastic.  He's
bitter.  He's obsessed.  He's desperate enough to step on
Sestuna's turf.  He's wearing a Grey hat and not a White hat.
But I still like him.  Not as my next door neighbor mind you, I
don't need Mars to burn the block down trying to kill him, but
as a character in the story - yes.

The problem with Serenity, and to a certain extent
Emerald as well, is that they aren't balancing things.
Her Majesty has decided that Safety (AKA Freedom
From) is far more important than Choice (AKA Freedom
To).  Emerald, on the other hand tends to have a bias
towards Choice over Safety.  Still, Emerald seems to
at least be able to recognize, from time to time at
the least, that Safety has it's place too.  Serenity, at
least what we've been shown of her so far, doesn't
seem to share that trait in regards to her view of
Choice.

And Ms. Bibat, do you think that hoping that Emerald
(or his future/alt.self) will end up as *Rei's* soulmate is
some kind of reward for all he's doing for the sake of
the future that is his past, or as a  ~punishment~?  :-S

(Suddenly starts seeing Emerald and Rei as Ranma
and Akane.  Ok, so Rei can't cook up plutonium
substitutes like Akane can, and she's about at the same
power level - in CT - as Emerald.  But with all their
fights....)

In my opinion. Emerald's not exactly 'fully on the
rails' either.

<boggles at understatement of the week> Gee, ya think?

He's seems to be pretty sane to me; all things considered.

Three centuries and change of being in the Ice - and being
aware for *all* of that time -  would subtract a few sanity
points from anyone.  Then you have the fact that he suddenly
has to mentally relabel the Senshi from "Allies, even if they
*do* find me to be an arrogant putz" to "Enemies to the
death", I don't think this was as easy - or as non-traumatic -
for Emerald as he seems to suggest it was.  Then we have
the failed Rebellion itself, including the death of Sapphire -
whom Emerald seemed to have loved deeply.

Now take this to six *centuries* latter.  Watching as most
of those who stand half the chance of a snowball in Dante's
Inferno of defeating Crystal Tokyo are just as bad  or worse
then Serenity.  All the frustration of trying to kill  Serenity only
to have it foiled - mostly by Mars - time and again, time and
again, Time And Again, TIME AND AGAIN, and TIME AND
AGAIN!!!  Seeing the majority of the gelded sheep that
humanity has become sit snug and happy in the gilded cage
that is Crystal Tokyo, smug about the jeweled collars around
their necks and the leashes leading back to Serenity's hands.

If you were Emerald, would you be "sane"?  Or even *as*
sane as Emerald is?  Even the Senshi aren't exactly without
their mental... quirks...  by 2900.  And they aren't figures of
fear and hatred to the vast majority of the world's population.

(And, no I'm not forgetting that their's more than one side to
this story and that Emerald is wearing a Grey hat and not
a White one.  I'm just trying to present things as Emerald
has seen/interpreted them.)

Elsa: It's nice to see Pluto knows Emerald's in the present. I still say

she

sent Emerald to the past to "fix" Serenity.

We wish, but I don't think Pluto hates Chibi-Usa that much. (Get it? Get
it? Is this microphone on?)

... where'd I put that space colony ...

Mr. Doherty, while I can't offer you an entire space colony like Mr. Davies
can, let me give you this keycard to the Scimitar-class frigate I aquired
in a Sabac game while visiting Phase World, on behalf of all those who
wish to improve the Anime genepool.  Although, come to think about it,
if I had to pick one person to neuter of the cast of Sailor Moon, it would
be Tux-Boy.  I really enjoy Emerald's opinion of him.  ^_^

Eagerly awating Chapter 6B!

The Apprentice:

        Student of the Dark Side.  Keeper of the Vlad `Assassins are
People Too!' Taltos shrine.  Wage slave at the J-C Corporation.

Darkness is the true state of the Universe.  It existed before the
Light came.  It will exist after the Light is gone.