----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Arthur Hansen" <arthur@kindred.net>
To: <ffml@anifics.com>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 3:17 PM
Subject: [FFML] Re: FFML send to reply to at work!

[Much snippage ahead... must keep clean and readable.]

First: Akane _has_ a HISTORY of being stuck in a route.  She's just
found
out her pet pig is Ryouga.... She's _not_ thinking clearly.  Give her
time.
You'll see her general feelings, in ... Year 2.

[A *whole* year? That seems quite excessive. I'm not sure that I can see

(as portrayed) Akane being "stuck in a rut" because of Ryoga's betrayal
here. Irrational and angry, but stuck in a rut?]

[IMO, Akane's pretty OOC. Not as bad as Nabiki, but till fairly OOC.]

I said we'd _SEE_ her in a year.  I didn't say she'd be "infurated" for

the whole year.  Sometimes it's what happens OFF Camera that matters.

[True enough. But the impression we are getting is that Akane doesn't care

at all. And with Nabiki caring as much as she is, it comes as extremely off.
Like I said, I'm not totally opposed to non-cannon pair ups. But they
require more forethought and buildup, IMO.]

More will be shown later.  And, all you're seeing is Akane though _NABIKI_'s
eyes... and trust me, at times Akane does come off as uncaring.

As I noted, it's not my idea.   Nabiki _could_ be wearing a mask for hte
majority of the Manga. Intentonally being a bitch, to give Ranma to Akane.

[All I'll say in this is it is not being shown well, we are just told.

Heck, Ranma even reacts to her response oddly.]

Perhaps she's just that good at hiding?  Tatame and Honne.   Or to quote a
fanfic.  "Where's the Real Nabiki?" "I left her in the closet with the rest
of my clothes"

[I'm actually seeing quite a few more issues on it after a second

perusing of it. If Kasumi, Ranma and Nabiki were all 'Magi' there should
have been a *lot* of accidental magic while they were growing up.]

First: Kasmui is TRAINED.  She graduated from GOlden Sora.
Second: Nabiki does keep her emotions under control.  Apparenlty
accidentinal magic only happens when you're under emotional duress
Thrind: Same for Ranma
Fourth: For Akane... two things.  The Mallet, and cooking.

[Ranma has let his emotions get the best of him a lot, actually. Nabiki is

no emotionaless robot either. And Ranma is the second biggest user of the
mallet-sama too!]

I should have stated, _extreme_ emtional distress, Harry, rarely does
accidental magic, and only pushed to the _edge_ (same with the others we
see)
Plus, who says Genma didn't train it out of him? And while there is no canon
proof, you _can_ say that Nabiki had the basic martial arts training... plus
her Mother COULD have trained her just enough.
(And thanks, you actually proved MY point. Mallet sama is accidental magic!)

[And Dumbledore is a very "good" wizard, but was more than willing (and

seemed to get official backing) to kidnap Harry Potter to make sure he went
to school. Merely ripping up their letters seems far too small an
impediment.]

First: That was HARRY POTTER.  Who's to say that _ALL_ magi are fetched

like he is?

Second: Ranma's name went down in Hogwarts 6 years _after_ it went down at

Golden Sora.  ^_-

[With the use of birds as mail-carriers, I'd say that we're expected to

think that the Japanese Academy is mostly similar to Hogwarts as a private
school to train wizards.]

Yes, yes it is.  We're opeating off the concept that names go down on the
rolls 11 (or in several cases, in the US 6 years) years before the baby magi
is supposed to attend.

Though the teleporting birds dropping letters super-quick seems a bit odd.

*shrugs* Japan uses Falcons, and they're _fast_ (falcons, espicall merlins
and pergienes are FAST little buggers!)  And they dropped, and flitted
off... not teleported.  Point, should have been made clear.

[It would have to do with the International Confederation that basically

hides magic from the muggle world. That must be ignored in Nerima. But
untrained wizards/magi are too dangerous.]

As I noted, there is no proof that magi are aquired as dilliengently as
Harry was.

[No, not as dilligently. But we are only shown the same mechanism.]

For _HARRY_.  No one _else_ is shown.
That's the point.  Don't assume that becasue they did it in Harry's case,
they do it in _all_ cases.  (A point I wish to make)

[I think Dumbledore is quite *magically* capable of fighting Voldemort,

but I don't think he is as physically capable. He's about 150 now? A
significant part of dueling is footwork and dodging.]

Quite.  The other thing... is I lean towards "Ablus is a bastard" theory,

of Ablus.

:D

[I don't think that Dumbledore is a bastard on purpose, but that he's very

driven. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and all, hmm?]

End result is the same.   Bastard.  I don't hate Ablus.  He's proven he's
willing to throw down.  BUT... _I_ hate (for reasons that several know)
chessmasters and players.  Albus, by withholding on SEVERAL occasions key
information, and (if Ablus is that dammed frigging powerful, why in HELL did
Quirrel and Crotch get away with it?) hiring people, to be cold, were ethier
enemy agents, OR incompenet, has proven he does _NOT_ have Harry's best
intrestes at heart.  Worse, he's quite willing to get SNAPE killed, instead
of taking the risk himself.  First rule of Leadership.
"Never, ever, ever! ask a subdorante to do something you are _unwilling_ to
do yourself." (not UNABLE, that's the key word.  It's shown actually to good
detail in a STNG ep.  When Troi was testing for her command slot.  She kept
trying to solve the problem _herself_.  She _was_ NOT unwilling to do it.
She failed in realizing she was unable to do it, or wasn't the best _choice_
to do it.  She had the right idea...)  Ablus is clearly unwilling to assume
the risk himself, insteads risks a (quite possibly his ONLY) spy in
VOldermort's camp.  Tell me again, why I should _like_ the man?
One point that _will_ hit, is that Ablus _will_ lose any respect he's
earned.  Jerking people by the chains is a _bad_ idea... espically Ranma.
Worse, jerking OTHER people in Ranma's presense is a STUPID idea.

[Voldemort is very powerful and basically at his peak of physical and

magical abilities. Very dangerous.]

Oh, no question

[I assume you mean the Pure Bloods issue? Britain Wizarding law doesn't

preclude muggle-wizard marriages. So that doesn't make a lot of sense to
me.]

The LAW does not, Arthur.  However, Weasly married a pure blood, (both of

the two married ones), ALL the Sytherians tend to...  Tradition is just as
important, y'know.

[I don't think there is any indication that Arthur and Molly married for

anything but love. The fact that they are purebloods seems coincedental,
IMO. Yes, there is a lot of prestige to marrying PB to PB. But it isn't even
most of the wizards anymore. The Potters were pureblood before Harry, but
you never hear anyone (except maybe fanatical purebloods) even mentions
about caring about it.]

A.  Colonge's refering to the AMAZON laws.  Amazons are a bit hidebound...
^_^
B.  So noted, even Draco doesn't insult Harry's blood.
C. I'm _NOT_ saying all wizards (or even all of the Sytherians, Snape,
Zamibi, and several others are _not_ this way, for example in our story) are
this way, or even caring. Come to think of it, Snape doesn't even insult
Heromine's blood one little bit.  Insults her becasue she's Red and Gold,
but NOT her blood.)
D. Last, but NOT least! sometimes, just sometimes... ever hear of a red
herring?  Let's be honest... you've only read the progolue... and the final
propechy.   Just perhaps we have a story to tell... and remember, Ranma
_does_ bring Chaos where he goes.

[It seems closer to the metaphor for the English nobility marrying

non-nobles. Maybe the nobles really care for their "purity" but it doesn't
stop the wealthiest person in England being a commoner (JK Rowling now,
IIRC. :) ]

^_-  And remember, one point this story will answer...
History and tales of the past... lie.

[Obviously, HP doesn't have a framework for

super-powered-martial-artists.

Making the entire wizarding world 'utter idiots' because that wasn't part

of

its world seems wrong (unless it's satire.)]

Not the _whole_ Wizardly world.  Just Europe.  As a few points that will

be made... Europe _is_ STUCK in tradition.  America, Japan, and several
otehr major regions are _not_.  Hades, The Tendo's mother married a muggle.

[And most students in Hogwarts are either half-bloods or mud-bloods. The

only three pure-blood families that I can name off the top of my head is the
Malfoys, Longbottoms and Weasleys.]

Sirius. Remus, Luna, are also pure blood (canon), Snape as well.  _JR_ did
not _SAY_ who was pureblood or _NOT_.
I'll grant the only ones who are proven to be of pure blood (aka, wizard
parents and grandparents) are Sirius, Luna, Malfoy, Longbottoms, Weaslys,
Potters. (James)
However, you're making a assumption that they're the _only_ ones.  Don't
assume.  For all pratical effects, we're assuming the Snakes are mostly
pureblood.

[This is counter-intiutive to what you are accusing the wizarding

society of. Maybe the Pure-Bloods, as they are into that. But that is only a
portion of Wizarding society (and only a portion for 1600 years.]

So? There _are_ breeders who breed within a locked pool, Arthur.  Laws
_don't_ have to make sense.  I've seen several laws of a nature that had
excatly the reserve of what was intended.

[You are generalizing all Britain wizards = pureblood bias. When there is

no direct indication that this is even slightly the case. And then using
that to say that the entire wizarding society is stupid. That seems really
odd. I'm very confused about this.]

*sigh*  Britian/European wizards. Dumstrang _IS_ known to be pro pureblood,
for one.
As, _I_ stated, _EUROPE_ yes.
The _OTHER_ nations, no.
ANd as for Britian and Europe's stupidity? Need I go father than "Fudge"?
Also several _OTHER_ indications of their... actions, in the European
nature.  Trust me, any "society" that tosses people in jail, without trials,
attacks ALL people of a "race" (Remus, anyone?) just becasue of a defect,
and various other actions... does NOT have my approval.

Perhaps you're making the assumption the wizardly world _is_ like Britian.
We are not.
^_- (it's arelady indicated for one, that America differs from Europe, in
canon)

[Biggest thing I'd work out is who Nabiki/Ranma haven't been lashing out

with accidental magic, even though Ranma has been getting into very

intense (emotional) situations. Obviously this is a Nabiki/Ranma pairing,
but it's pretty much been shoe-horned in at this point.]

As I noted.  Accidental Magic is linked to emtions. One thing Ranma and
Nabiki BOTH have is solid CONTROL of said emotions.

[That is blatantly false. Ranma loses his temper all the time. And even

Nabiki has shown the looming-anger-aura several times. They aren't nearly as
psycho as Akane, but she's got the quick to anger/quicker to forgive thing
going on.]

Badly? No, Ranma _does_ have control.  Perhaps you miss the difference
between getting pissed, and TRULY losing the control There _IS_ a
difference, old bean.  I get mad.
_I_ don't lose control... otherwise I'd be dead by now.

[Since you don't have Happosai as the bad guy, I'd suggest that an enemy

of the school (or Genma/Soun) used a magic item/potion to 'kill' their magic
so the schools would be joined. Gemna/Soun seem to be villianified already,
so it wouldn't be a stretch in this story.]

First: Not all stories have to have a villain.
Second: why do we _need_ to create a villian?  There's this Voldermort

who's

nifty...

:D

[Actually, I was trying to give you a slightly better reason for why they

hadn't shown accidental magic very much.]

Andrew

[Arthur Hansen]

Arthur: Part of the reason you "assume" we need a better reason, is you're m
aking a slight assumption.
(and I'm not saying you're wrong, my POV differs, here, y'know?)
You're assuming just becasue they _do_ get emotional, means they lose
control.  _I_ do not, I know at least a half dozen OTHERS who do not.
One thing the Martial arts DO teach is self control.  Perhaps you're making
a mistake _I_ have seen in literature before?
Control != denial, far too many people seem to think that.
Hell... if you want a "example" from fiction, and since I _KNOW_ you've read
the series.  Remember when Joker killed Jason?
Batman had _every_ right to snap his neck.  NO one would have held him back.
He didn't. He stopped HIMSELF.  HE LET himself get _MAD_... (joker did NOT
enjoy that meeting!) but he did not kill!
Or, for Ranma... even easier.
Ranma has been in at _least_ 4 situations where he's gotten _very_ upset...
yet kept himself from seriously hurting ANYONE.
Amazing, no?

While I see your point, I think you underestiamte the difference between
losing your temper and loosing your control. There _is_ a difference.

Andrew



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