(Let me give you a word of unsoliticed advice--don't preface an excellent story like this with "Beware." Those who have been burned before will take you at your word, and not realize that something wonderful lies behind the cut tag. If I were queen of the universe, I'd stop people from posting these sorts of disclaimers--I'd make them either post the thing and stand confidently behind it, or not post it if they thought it was shoddy work. Which this certainly is not, the rapidity of its conception notwithstanding. )

Right you are. It's a refelex, some kind of remnant from the time I got flamed so bad my harddrive almost burned out. I'm a better writer now but my confidence is still shot to shit if you excuse my wording ;)

And I'm rather fond of the thing myself. Frankly, the best ideas do come to me after midnight although they rarely make it to the finish line (one of the reasons why a tape recorder is sitting next to my bed). Thank you so much for the nice words - you make me blush :)