Disclaimer: I don't own Negima! Magister Negi Magi or Ranma ½
Rise of Prodigies
Chapter Fifty Seven: A Date at the Ostia Tournament Finals
Beta:
"Dios Lonchē Titanoktonon (Thunder Deity Spear: Titan-Slayer)!" Ranma heard Negi-sensei cast, combining the enormous magical power of Chīliaplē Astrapē (Thousand Thunderbolts) with the magical spear created by Iaculatio Fulgoris (Lightning Spear Throw) and thus forging a gigantic magical spear crackling with the raw power of the greatest lightning magic that he proceeded to point threateningly at Rakan-san. A spell that seemed to be part of what was looking to be the closing act of the fight between the team of Jack Rakan and Kagetaro and that of 'Nagi' Springfield and 'Kojiro' for the title of Ostia Tournament Champion. Though with both Kagetaro and 'Kojiro' having both been knocked out by this point, it was now just a fight between Negi-sensei and Rakan-san.
Negi-sensei's Titanoktonon was just the latest in the series of demonstrations of his growth that he'd showcased during the fight so far. First, he'd unveiled an original variant of Shundō (Instant Movement) that he performed with his Raiten Taisō (Thunder in Heaven, Great Vigor) Magia Erebea (Dark Magic) form called Raisoku Shundō (Lightning-speed Instant Movement) that allowed him to literally move at the speed of lightning. Second, when that had proven insufficient, he had proceeded to shift into Raiten Taisō II via absorbing two Chīliaplē Astrapē, which pushed his physical maneuverability to new heights. Unfortunately, despite these new tricks, Negi-sensei was still unable to overpower Rakan-san.
"Wow! Onee-sama, look at how powerful Negi-sensei has gotten?" Haruna asked from the seat next to her in the stands of the gladiatorial arena as she pointed at the impressive Titanoktonon spear that their homeroom teacher had conjured.
"Eva-chan would be proud." Ranma begrudgingly admitted.
"I'm right here." Scroll-Eva-chan snarked, this time thankfully dressed in a nice black dress with a curving strapless sweetheart neckline that was bedecked with an illusion appeal. Said dress also featured a textured fabric and accents that illuminated the fitted bodice and had a babydoll skirt that was layered with glossy material and shirring for a flared effect with a sheer overlay above the knees. All of which had been lovingly created by Ranma from her slime with properties that allowed the projection of her mate to wear it comfortably.
"I know Scroll-Eva-chan. I'm talking about the real you. Unlike you, she hasn't seen how much Negi-sensei has grown. She'll be shocked when she does."
"I think she'll be more concerned with having her mate back." Scroll-Eva-chan pointed out. "Oh, and would she be impressed with that?"
She punctuated her question by gesturing to how Negi-sensei's fancy new Titanoktonon spear had completely missed Rakan-san as he blurred away from the point of impact and got right into the Son of the Thousand Master's face.
"Okay, it'll come up second. Nitpicky much?" Ranma asked as Rakan-san slammed his magically coated fists into Negi-sensei's chest.
"Always~" Scroll-Eva-chan said before shrugging. "Though, I might have to revise my judgment. The boy used Magia Erebea to absorb those hits."
"So that spear was just a distraction, huh? Smart." Ranma said, nodding in approval as Negi-sensei conjured another Titanoktonon spear alongside two Chīliaplē Astrapē and hit the surprised Rakan-san with them at point-blank range.
"It doesn't always seem that way but Negi-sensei is sneaky when it comes to a fight." Nodoka-san opined. "He tends to outthink his opponents rather than just pummel them into submission with overwhelming force."
"That's true," Haruna agreed. "Negi-sensei is more of a thinker than a fighter."
"Oh, it looks like the match is over." Ucchan said, as everyone tried to peer through the massive cloud of dust that had been thrown up by Negi-sensei's latest move. "I don't think even Rakan-san can take a hit like that and keep going."
"Ha! Look at that dumb ape's face!" Scroll-Eva-chan cackled like a stereotypical witch as she pointed at a replay of Rakan-san's startled face when he found himself falling for Negi-sensei's trap. "Invincible Idiot? More like Punctured Dullard!"
"By the way, Ranma, how do you think that Negi boy measures up now?" Ryōga-san asked, looking at her curiously as they all waited for the dust cloud to settle. "I mean, he definitely can't hold a candle to you, but he's strong right?"
"Compared to how strong he was a few short months ago when he first came to Japan? He's far stronger. Stronger than I think anyone thought he'd be at this age. His growth is phenomenal." Ranma offered generously. "But he's still weak. Far too weak to stand up against the enemies he's made."
Herb-san and Scroll-Eva-chan nodded their agreement but the others boggled at her observation.
"Onee-sama, did you see that giant lightning spear he conjured?"
"So? I can do synthesis spells like that in my sleep."
"Uh, Onee-sama, no offense but what can't you do now?" Haruna asked, curiously.
"In Eva-chan's words, die?"
Haruna just sighed, muttering about overpowered people all being crazy and how Eva-chan had infected her sister with her arrogance. Nodoka-san, Ucchan and Ryōga-san were nodding in agreement to her, which had Ranma pouting at them. At least Herb-san and Scroll-Eva-chan agreed with her, the former nodding and the latter wrapping her arms around one of Ranma's own and cuddling into her side.
Honestly, people on their level were the only ones who understood.
"Huh, I guess I was wrong." Ucchan said as the smoke cloud cleared to reveal an exhausted looking Negi-sensei and Rakan-san circling each other warily. "The match isn't over after all."
"They are out of mana though." Herb-san noted with a frown. "How do they intend to continue this?"
He got his answer when both men charged and began whaling on each other in a flurry of punches.
"So he's going to pummel him?" Ranma asked, giving Nodoka-san a teasing look. The bookish girl looked sheepish.
"They're settling this by fighting like cavemen?" Scroll-Eva-chan scoffed with an eye roll. "Typical men."
Ranma, Haruna and Ucchan all nodded in agreement whilst Nodoka-san blushed in embarrassment at her crush's idiocy.
"I feel like I'm being insulted in two ways." Ryōga-san muttered to Herb-san, who nodded in agreement.
"Though, I'm only really being insulted in one and half ways." Herb-san said with a shrug as he used a thermos he always carried on his person to splash himself with a little hot water and transformed into a woman, before smirking at Ryōga-san. "Now, I'm not insulted at all."
"That's so… not fair." Ryoga-san grumbled, crossing his arms.
Shaking her head at her friends' antics and the continuing slugfest down in the arena, which for some unfathomable reason was enthralling the crowds of spectators, Ranma stood with a sigh. "This is boring. Eva-chan, fancy a walk?"
"Sure," Scroll-Eva-chan agreed as she stood up too, not once letting go of Ranma's arm. "Though remember, I can't get too far from the arena. My scroll is here with the Hasegawa girl."
"Gotcha," Ranma said with a nod before turning to her friends. "We're going to pass by the stalls set up around the arena at some point. Do you guys want anything?"
Receiving a round of negatives, Ranma shrugged and she and the projection of her mate headed out. They had just stepped into the vomitorium for their block of stands, the passage situated behind the seats, when Scroll-Eva-chan pinched Ranma's side.
"Eva-chan, what was that for?"
"That was for not listening to me about this dress. I wanted a shorter skirt." Scroll-Eva-chan complained with a pout, tugging at said skirt. "Walking like this reminds me how long it is."
"Just because you like flashing your panties doesn't mean I want you to."
"So I can only flash you? Saucy." The projection tittered with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "By the way, and serious question here."
"What's on your mind, Eva-chan?" Ranma asked, turning to give the projection the full attention that a 'serious question' deserved.
"You've acknowledged we're mates, right? I mean the real me and you?"
"Yes," Ranma nodded confidently.
"Then when exactly are you going to make it official?"
"You do know I'm only fourteen, right?" Ranma reminded her mate's projection.
"You're also an omnipotent goddess, a universe personified." The vampiress shot back. "Human concepts of age of majority don't apply. Not unless you want them to."
"My parents say differently."
Scroll-Eva-chan pouted at this. "Argh! So you're saying we can't be official until you turn sixteen?"
"Eighteen, actually. That's the age of consent in Mahora." Ranma corrected.
"Four years!? Foul! Foul I say!" Scroll-Eva-chan whined. "How do you expect the real me to suppress my desire for my mate for four freaking years!"
"I'd recommend plenty of heavy petting." A teasing voice said from just ahead of them and Ranma and Scroll-Eva-chan looked to see a beastwoman with long, luscious blonde hair that flowed down her back like a golden curtain with ruby eyes that looked like blood. Her skin was like cocoa, her ears were pointed and two ivory horns curved around her head like a crown. And last but not least, she was attired in a rather flashy black dress with gold trimming that showed… many things. "That's how we beastmen work off the edge of our desire if we get the misfortune of finding ourselves mated to an underage mate."
"Thanks for the advice, Exhibitionist Princess." Scroll-Eva-chan said to the new arrival with a catty smile before turning back to Ranma with a more genuine one. "It's good advice though, so Ranma, make sure you follow through. There are several toys that can help. Real me knows what I mean, remind her to get some if she doesn't have them already. "
"Sure," Ranma agreed easily enough. She might not have much of a libido anymore thanks to becoming an Outsider but Eva-chan did. By Creation did she have a libido! And Ranma was more than happy to entertain her mate's needs and wants. Within the realm of reason - Cough!That wouldn't get them arrested for underage ! - of course. "And Eva-chan, you know this beastwoman?"
"Yeah, Exhibitionist Princess here-"
"Hey, if you got it, flaunt it." The beastwoman said with a smirk as she ran a hand through her hair.
"Whatever," Scroll-Eva-chan said dismissively. "She's Theodora, Third Imperial Princess of the Hellas Empire. She was something like an unofficial member of Ala Rubra."
"Ah." Ranma said, surprised to run into royalty all of a sudden.
"It's an honor to meet you, Ranma Saotome, newest of the Demon Gods. Though, I am surprised you are here for the fights. Then again, you are Negi's student."
"My sister dragged me over. She wanted to see how Negi-sensei's grown." Ranma said with a shrug.
"Impressed?"
"Like I told my friends just now, not really. He's grown but it's not enough."
"Aw, and here I thought my little Minister put on quite the show." She pouted, resting a hand on her cheek while the other held her elbow. "I guess it's hard to satisfy the divine, huh?"
"Of course she would have high standards." Scroll-Eva-chan huffed, clearly annoyed with the princess interrupting their quality time.
"Oh, so you're the one who gave him the Pactio that let him use the Pactios of his various Ministra which he used in the first part of the match with Rakan-san?" Ranma asked curiously.
"Yup," the princess said with a nod. "He needed a trump card for the Ostia Tournament finals and since he's the son of a pair of my dear friends, I was more than happy to oblige. So did his Pactio impress you?"
"It was powerful, since Negi-sensei has so many Pactios." Ranma admitted. "But we can't really count that as his power can we?"
"A Minister's power is their Magistra's." Theodora countered.
"Not in my book," Ranma said with a shake of her head.
"I'm with my mate on this," Scroll-Eva-chan added. "It was a neat trick, but it can't really be counted towards his strength. Especially since you're not going to maintain the contract between the two of you beyond the Tournament, are you?"
"No, I can't." The princess said with a shake of her head. "As a princess, who I choose to be my Pactio partner has political ramifications. A temporary contract to give Negi a boost for the Tournament can be explained away, but as much as I'd like to, maintaining it long-term would get me in serious trouble with my parents and the royal court."
"Then that Pactio can't be counted towards Negi-sensei's strength." Ranma concluded firmly.
"Oh well." The princess shrugged without a care. "Though I'm getting sidetracked. I came here to ask you a question, Lady Saotome."
"What is it?"
"What are your intentions for Mundus Magicus, Lady Saotome? More than a few of us are walking on eggshells as we try to figure you out. So I thought I would be upfront and ask."
"Medium term? I'm going to rescue my parents from and beat the shit out of the Mage of the Beginning." Ranma said with a glare at the Hellas princess. "Short term? My mate and I would very much like to continue with our date."
"Sorry about interrupting you," the princess said with a sheepish, apologetic smile and stepped aside. "And as for the thing with the Mage? If you need any help, don't be afraid to ask. I owe those bastards too for kidnapping me as a kid."
Ranma snorted and with Scroll-Eva-chan still hanging on her arm, began to walk away. "Like I'd need it."
"Oh, and there's a nice little spot by the second quadrant of the colosseum for some private time." The princess winked cheekily as she headed off with a pep in her step.
In the end, Ranma and Scroll-Eva-chan had gone to the spot that Princess Theodora had recommended which turned out to be an access to the roof. An access that allowed the two inhuman mates to sneak up under the velarium or awning of the coliseum to spend a good thirty minutes happily making out. A spot where they were fully in public but in a place where no one could see them. A perfect compromise that satisfied her vampire's desire for exhibitionism and Ranma's own desire for privacy. The latter being helped along by the fact that everyone in the arena who might've looked their way were a little too preoccupied with the prize presentation ceremony for the Ostia Tournament happening in the arena below as the two girls enjoyed themselves.
"I can't believe that after all that, the boy only managed a tie!?" Scroll-Eva-chan ranted a good ten minutes after said ceremony and their makeout session had concluded and the two of them were once more wandering through the stalls built into the areas behind the coliseum's stands.
"Didn't we agree Negi-sensei still had a good way to go in terms of his strength? And personally I'm just pleased that thanks to Rakan-san agreeing to fork over his share of the prize money, Negi-sensei will have enough to buy out the slave contracts for Murakami-san and the others." Ranma replied as she reshaped the slime that coated the projection of her mate into a new dress. The last one had been ripped apart when they made out and her picky vampire refused to wear the same thing twice and Ranma herself refused to let her walk around in the poofy pajamas that were the only thing the projection could otherwise wear. "And how's this?"
Said new dress she'd crafted was a black design with a deep neckline and side lacing, a bodice that gently hugged her mate's body and created a pleasing silhouette that flattered the figure. A dress which also featured puffed sleeves, tight fitting high cuffs adorned with beautiful little buttons, and a skirt that was incredibly wide and draped beautifully.
"Let me see," Scroll-Eva-chan said as she did a few twirls to admire how she looked in a mirror that Ranma created for her, also made, of course, out of her slime. "Hmm… It's a little medieval. What's up with that and all the long skirts for the matter? Don't you want me to look sexy?"
"You didn't like the more modern styles I tried earlier so I went with something different this time and I like flipping your skirts." Ranma deadpanned. "So you don't like it? Want me to change it again?"
"Ah, there's my perverted slime lover~ And no, I like it. It's a refreshing change from my usual gothic flair."
"Demon God Ranma Saotome! In the name of the Megalomesembria Confederation, you are under arrest!" A man in full enchanted plate armor and armed with a pike-like magical focus suddenly stepped out of the crowds thronging the passage of the coliseum Ranma and Scroll-Eva-chan were walking through.
"Did you really just say that, you walking meatsack?" Scroll-Eva-chan asked with a look of annoyance, eyebrow twitching. "Are you trying to interrupt our date?"
"Demon God Ranma Saotome! I repeat! In the name of the Megalomesembria Confederation, you are under arrest!" The man said as another eleven other similarly dressed and armed men stepped out of the now fleeing crowds and surrounded Ranma and her vampire in a loose circle.
"I…Wow, are you serious?" Ranma asked in bewilderment, but soon it dropped to a threatening rumble, her body quivering in agitation when the fools responded to her question by lowering their pikes threateningly in her direction. "You all must be touched in the head to some degree. Or have a death wish. Actually, I've been rather angry lately so I hope you fools don't mind being my punching bags."
"You're still pissed about the Negi boy's idealism and him driving you off?" Scroll-Eva-chan asked, looking at Ranma curiously even as Ranma idly grew a dozen lance-like pseudopods from her back that she promptly shot at the idiot Megalomesembrians with the intent to run them through.
"Yes." Ranma replied with a growl even as the Megalomesembrians proved themselves more competent than she'd expected and actually managed to use Volant (Fly) to teleport out of the way of her pseudopods.
"If you surrender in an orderly fashion, your sentence may be reduced!"
"...No, just, just kill them. Cull the stupid, Ranma." Scroll-Eva-chan pleaded even as the Megalomesembrians fired off a salvo of magical bullets at them that Ranma used a matrix of Obice (Barrier) barriers to shield them against.
"That's the plan." Ranma told her mate. "Just give me a second. Absolutam Oboedientiam (Absolute Obedience)."
At her invocation, the twelve Megalomesembrians suddenly froze as they came under her spell.
"In the name of Ranma Saotome, I order you to kill yourselves!" Ranma ordered.
"Yes, Your Holiness!" The twelve enthralled Megalomesembrians said as one before they put their pike-type foci under their chins and proceeded to blast their own heads off with a variety of spells, sending geysers of blood flying into the air as their bodies collapsed.
"And the sweet silence after death." Scroll-Eva-chan shivered with a rapturious look at the scene of carnage that Ranma had created.
"Eva-chan?"
"Now that these idiots are done with," Scroll-Eva-chan turned to Ranma with bedroom eyes. "Let's go back to the spot that the Exhibitionist Princess shared with us and go for Round Two."
"Uh, Eva-chan, didn't we just finish making out like ten minutes ago?" Ranma asked, blinking in surprise.
"And I need petting after that show! Do you want to tease my kitten or not?" Her vampire mate demanded, stomping her feet adorably as she did so.
"I like shy Eva-chan…"
"Bah! Once she gets over her smitten heart you'll get this daily! We're a freak in the sheets!"
Ranma couldn't come up with an argument against that. Eva-chan was rather frisky when her ardor was up.
"So are we going to have Round Two or not?" Scroll-Eva-chan asked, looking at Ranma expectantly.
"Who am I to deny my ma-"
"Before you two run off to do whatever not safe for work things that a pair of horny inhuman monsters do to each other, could you two explain why you just violated the neutrality of Ostia?" Theodora said as she stomped over, eyeing the twelve corpses around them with a frown.
"Oh for the love of-!" Scroll-Eva-chan cursed.
Ranma was on the same page with her mate. Just how many interruptions were they going to have during this date!?
"Look, these idiot Megalomesembrians attacked us first, alright?" She retorted, bubbling with irritation at the latest interruption.
"Even then!" The princess sighed out in exasperation. "Do you know how difficult it'll be to cover this up or to smooth it over?"
"Do I look like I ca-"
"Ranma, just reverse time and revive them." Scroll-Eva-chan said with a twitching eyebrow. "That'll be the fastest way to get out of here and back to making out."
"Wait! You can do that!?"
Ranma ignored the princess' shocked question and just nodded at the projection of her mate.
"Tempore Mutationem (Time Reversal)."
Immediately the twelve corpses stood back up and as if it was a video being played in reverse, the blood that had shot out of the stumps of their necks flowed back into their bodies, their ruined heads reassembled themselves and last but not least, said heads reattached to the rest of their bodies. Once done, the twelve miraculously revived men all collapsed to the ground and began sobbing, nine of them doing so whilst curling up into fetal positions.
"I have witnessed hell." One of the soldiers said, clawing at his face, panic clear in his eyes. "There was nothing but a maze filled with slimes and dolls. I, I need to see a priest! I need to repent!"
The others were a lot less coherent and were instead blubbering nonsense.
Good job guys. Ranma congratulated her familiars who inhabited her Labyrinth and who had entertained the souls of the twelve idiots during their brief stint being dead.
They deserved it. Suramui replied. That's what they get for attacking you, Mistress.
Just wished we could've gotten more time with them. Zero-chan whined. We didn't even get started on trying the good tortures yet!
Don't worry. Their souls are mine now. We'll get them back when they die again and next time there'll be no one to revive them. Then you guys can have as much fun with them as you want.
This was met by cheers by all her familiars, something which warmed Ranma's metaphorical heart. She enjoyed making her loved ones happy.
"That spell shouldn't be able to do that!" Theodora shouted in denial of reality, pulling Ranma's attention back to Mundus Magicus. "How did you do that!?"
"I'm a Outsider." Ranma said as if it answered everything, which it did and turned to walk away with Scroll-Eva-chan leaving a flabbergasted Theodora behind with the twelve traumatized men she'd just revived.
"That explains very little without context!" The Hellas Princess exclaimed.
"Go figure it out yourself, Your Highness." Ranma shot back dismissively. "I've got more important things to do. Like ravaging my mate."
Theodora let out a frustrated scream in reply whilst Scroll-Eva-chan squealed happily. Responses that left Ranma feeling quite pleased with herself. They were exactly the reactions she wanted.
This is a good day. Ranma thought and as she looked at the eager look on her mate's face at the prospect of what they were about to do. And it's about to get even better.
"Welcome back, Onee-sama." Haruna said as she looked up from her idle sketching of potential new golems to greet her sister as she teleported back into the common room onboard the slime ship that their group had been living on since they'd left the Great Paru-sama. "You're later than I expected. Had so much fun that you forgot the time?"
"I never did say when I'd be back." Onee-sama pointed out dismissively. "Where is everyone by the way?"
"Ukyo-san and Ryōga-san convinced Herb-san to give them some pointers with their techniques. They should be in the dojo. Nodoka is in there too, she's working on some new spells." Haruna replied before her smile turned coy. "So do I get details?"
"Details about what exactly?" Onee-sama said evasively. "Scroll-Eva-chan and I just had a walk around the coliseum whilst you guys were fawning over Negi-sensei's silly gladitoral nonsense."
"Oh come on, Onee-sama! You know what I'm talking about." Haruna insisted, her coy smile not once faltering. "I heard about you and Scroll-Eva-san sneaking off to make out twice. So! Did you tease each other's tonsils?"
"How did you even know that?"
"Well, your little run in with the Megalomesembrians wasn't exactly quiet. Everyone heard about it, both in our group and Negi-sensei's. And we went to check out what happened and ran into the Third Imperial Princess of the Hellas Empire and she told us all about it."
Onee-sama rippled in annoyance and Haruna knew she'd nailed it.
"That tattletale princess," Onee-sama hissed angrily. "I'm gonna smother her in acid the next time I see her."
"Well, you did leave her holding the hot potato of twelve heavily traumatized Megalomesembrian special forces." Haruna pointed out reasonably. "She wasn't exactly your biggest fan after that."
"I'm still gonna give her an acid bath."
Haruna rolled her eyes. "Hai, hai, Onee-sama. Now, answer my question! Did you two french? Was there touching? Who sang the Soprano first?!"
"I'm not telling, Haruna." Onee-sama said stubbornly. "A real lady doesn't kiss and tell."
"Onee-sama, I live vicariously through you! I need this!"
"No."
Why is she being so tight-lipped?! This isn't like her. Usually, all I'd need to do is pester her a little and Onee-sama will spill everything. Unless…
"Onee-sama, are you still a virgin?" Haruna asked worriedly. If she wasn't, their parents would kill them! Onee-sama for doing the deed and Haruna for not doing enough to stop her!
"By the letter of the law? Yes." Onee-sama said as she began walking away and in the direction of her cabin.
"Whose law, Onee-sama? Ostian? Mahora?" Haruna demanded. She didn't know the exact limits for what amounted to sexual intercourse in either jurisdiction but she could find out and see if she and Onee-sama were going to die when their parents found out about this.
Sadly, Onee-sama was done entertaining her and ignoring her just kept heading towards her cabine. "Onee-sama! Answer me!"
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless as always!
And here we are, the slugfest of Negi and Rakan has come to an end and the slave girls are safe. The canon sequence is over and now we're onto the big finale arc. Or close to the big finale at least. I loved the Canon fight when it first came out and I still love it. But we didn't go into big detail about it since it was being witnessed more than done thanks to the chapter being in Ranma's perspective.
Nameless: After the last mega chapter, we have a short chapter this time. Partly it's because we wanted a bit of an easier time with this chapter. Mostly it's because this chapter is mainly just to cover the fact that the Ostia Tournament did happen but since it's not really relevant to Ranma and we didn't want to make significant deviations from canon on Negi's side of things, we just used it as an opportunity to introduce Theodora and to explore the relationship between Eva and Ranma. Hope it's not an issue for our readers.
And then some soldier boys thought it was smart to run amok with Ranma for idiot reasons. And got what they deserved for it and saw hell itself. For them at least XP
Nameless: Well, even in canon Megalomesembria was a little dim. I mean, just see what they tried to do to Negi in the Governor's Ball arc. Or that might have just been Kurt. But he is the Ostian governor, so… Yeah, either way, this is entirely in line with canon.
And yes, Theodora's offer of an out of the way spot gave the two a chance for some fun. Check our AO3 version for the details.
Nameless: This is a final response to Jrom and more importantly, since they say he's no longer to respond on this matter… Setting aside the shifting goalposts of suddenly claiming that their criticism is about how we don't present our theming of a dark story with comedic holdovers well, my biggest remaining contention with their comparison of our fanworks with professional works as One Piece and Honkai Impact and whilst flattering, it is kinda ridiculous. Can anyone realistically expect us to meet the same standards of individuals who have access to professional support in crafting their narratives? If you are, then your standards are insane. Those standards are ideals to strive towards but to presume it as a given for fanworks is silly. Because that's what I'm getting from Jrom's reviews, he's not saying not writing a good story by not meeting professional standards as exemplified by his examples. Which again is insane! So for anyone reading our work, can I ask you to have more realistic expectations? Please!
You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!