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You changed Akane's feelings a bit from your previous episode, huh? I understand why in context, but Akane wanting both of them was a good idea. But now she's just attracted to Shampoo, yeah?
This one actually seems to fit better than the other Ranma episode you did (since that branch already seemed to be headed in a particular direction). But are you going to give them both mints already? Because then there's really no meaningful story to tell. She's won, definitively.
(Incidentally, I kinda sorta really, realltly hate Shampoo for this. Actually, for all the thousands of mind control stories I've read, I really despise the people doing the controlling if I think about the reality of what they're doing for more than half a second.)
I haven't changed Akane in this episode as Shampoo was talking to Ranma.
Also Shampoo still can feel too confident to use the mints yet (Which is why it's one option), which could cause problems later. And even if she 'wins', she could leave the mints in the open or loose them... where she and the other could be effected.
Also MC good in fantasies but bad in real life. We all know that... if we are sane human beings.
Also it might be interesting to see how the comments effect the people's brain. There's a story in that.
She was talking to Ranma, but couldn't Akane hear her? She doesn't have to be directing her comments to a particular person for her words to have an effect. So when she said that Ranma and Akane had decided that they only saw each other as brother and sister, that should hit her too, right?
How it affects the brain…yeah, near-instantaneous and profound rewiring of existing pathways. Cannot be easy on the cortex. Perhaps repeated changes could lead to some manner of brain damage.
The Brother sister comment should be the only one in this episode to affect Akane as the rest are directed to Ranma specifically.
It's magic, so it's not likely to have a deadly effect... unless a writer makes it that way.
To add to my last fic. I know addventures. Even if I have it so Shampoo has a total and complete victory... the next writer can undo all of that with a click of a keyboard.
I know, and that's why I said it should have changed Akane's thinking too. So now she sees Ranma as a brother, but still has a crush on Shampoo and is probably still excited by the idea of the two of them together. That's based on just what you've written, but if you think that interpretation is flawed, apologies. I always try to extend these things to logical conclusions, and that's what seemed logical there.
As for it not being damaging, well, that's just because the vast majority of mind control fiction (such as nearly every story on EMCSA) sidesteps that issue entirely because it would be…inconvenient. It would also raise the guilt factor for everyone involved (writer, reader, most protragonists). But it does make sense that such stuff would put a heavy load on the brain, especially with how quickly neurons would be wrenched into new alignments. I'm not really suggesting writing that (I find it inconvenient too), but it's not unreasonable.
As for someone undoing Shampoo's total victory with a few words, sure…it's *possible*. No one's going to, though. Not only isn't anyone going to be so invested in having her not win, they also won't be interested in totally contradicting your work. Plus, it would just make the narrative sloppier. Who would wanna do that?
We cool, then?
Argh. Yeah, that was me, obviously.
Well, not thinking it in depth. Akane could now have 1nc3st feelings for 'brother' Ranma. Plus as long as she is not feed a mint, it should pass.
(Should have left the option as one or both given a mint).
Victory is not total unless someone eats a mint (And even that was worked around in the option where Nabiki got a second can of mints). Which is why I make mint eating one option only so people can work around it.
Cool.
What are we even debating, really? I don't think we actually disagree on anything substantive.
I realize her victory is not total right at this moment, and that Akane's feelings will realign if not given a mint, but Flawless Victory is really only one comment away. They both get mints? Boom, done and done.
Admittedly, if she only gave Ranma a mint, that opens up the possibility of vengeance from Akane later. But why would she do that? She's a warrior and knows that you don't leave enemies on the battlefield where they can retaliate. You do what you can to remove them from the conflict permanently.
On the other hand, she's prideful and would probably be feeling a bit hubristic after winning Ranma once and for all. So I guess she *could* leave Akane to come out of the spell and realize how thoroughly she'd lost. Seems a lot more improbable than just giving them both mints, though.
Not really debate as much as conflictive brainstorming.
Ranma characters are flawed, even stated by Rumiko. So it might not be out of the question to do something stupid due to a character flaw, like pride or overconfidence.
It has been said before, we might think logically but few in Ranma do that. They tend to do what they think is a good idea, feels good for them now, or move on feelings or one instincts.
To put it this way... how many times did the Wrecking crew do the logical thing against something illogical for some reason in their minds.
Besides who says there isn't a counter agent for the mints. The threat it came from is objects of power, not objects of unbeatable power. Hell, one could bring in another object of power or even the spell breakers Akane bought in another thread with relative ease of plot given the items which pop up in this series.
Oh, I know they're great at being irrational and impulsive. But if Shampoo does go that route here when she's so close to the uncontested achievement of all her goals, she basically *deserves* to lose in the end.
Bringing in other items like the magical protection artifacts Akane was choosing from in that other thread is actually a great idea. Akane could show up in the village stocked up on magical cures and spell-canceling items, mints of her own…and really good earplugs. ^_^ Wouldn't stop Shampoo from being pregnant with Ranma's kid, probably, but if Shampoo ended up as Akane's slave permanently, I think Akane could accept that.