Michiru had practically melted down and was actually submerged for two minutes before she woke up and came up with a splutter. Naturally Haruka found this hilarious.
Just as naturally, Michiru found Haruka's laughter to be annoying.
Setsuna finished rinsing and got in between the two. "Getting into a fight the first night here would be... unwise."
The unmentioned but implied concept that right now everything was okay but that things could get worse - penetrated. Michiru settled for glaring and Haruka settled for smirking. For now.
Setsuna used her persona as a shield, knowing that eventually her past self and this self would likely merge completely. If she did that, then things would get bad. Very bad indeed.
As it was things had been worse before she'd lost the ability to influence time and now it had settled into the new track. The MGCA wasn't quite as bad as it had been, though it was still pretty damn horrible as far as Setsuna Meiou was concerned.
Most Magical Girls were not sexslaves, nor were the Gatekeepers masters of harems.
Did sex go on? Heck yes. Usually initiated by the Magical Girl who did this partly due to emotional stimulus and partly biological urges and partly because of the hopes of forging some stability. It was also well known among the magical girls that this did work on a fairly frequent basis.
Usually it would be one girl that got the guy. Big dreams to the side, most guys were pretty much exhausted just trying to keep up with one.
So in this world, the Gatekeepers kept their teams of girls but the number two slot or head girl would likely be the one with the strongest emotional bond to their leader. Which led to something unexpected quite often - in which infighting began and was carried out under the nose of the Master.
If what she'd seen was correct, Makoto had been around Ranma for some time and they'd had an emotional but no physical bonding. Michiru had a lean and hungry look to her and might well try to steal the spot. Haruka had no interest in Ranma but might make a play for him just to keep Michiru out of the running. Haruka had always been fairly competitive.
Ash Saotome, or as he was more frequently called - "Ranma" sat back and listened to the sounds of dishes clinking in the kitchen. "What do you think?"
The noises stopped momentarily. "Master?"
"We're alone, Makoto." Ranma reminded her. He could remember Ash telling her to stop that when it wasn't necessary for public decorum. He'd wanted to be her friend, and most likely it was the sort of thing that happened with most Gatekeepers.
Makoto had come to him fairly unhappy. Her first Master had been a little aloof or distant, but she'd been certain that they were a good pair and everything was running smoothly. Until he brought to her a Gatekeeper office and left without her. He didn't want her anymore, or to even see her again.
Actually, 'unhappy' wasn't the right term. 'Crushed' might work better. She didn't have any reason for it, just that the effect was that her heart had been torn out and sent through an industrial shredder.
After two weeks at the Daisy Hill Farm, she had still been an emotional basket case when she was registered to Ash Saotome and he came to pick her up.
Ash was known as having an elevator that stopped three flights short of the penthouse, but having a heart as big as all outdoors. Though a bit unconventional, he usually got results. Makoto was to be his first Magical Girl, and he spent his time getting to know her.
Makoto had responded and at this point was the recipient of many sly looks from the populace at large and envious ones from other magical girls. She was in love, and it showed. If her powers had included floating around after him with little pink hearts bobbing in midair, nobody doubted she would have done so.
Makoto came in slowly, concern showing in her face. "Ash-sama. I think that they might be a problem."
"How so?" Ash asked, beckoning her close.
Makoto fretted but didn't come closer. "I think the blonde is looking for a fight. The tall one is planning something. The other one is not very cultured."
"She has a good appetite at least," said Ranma, noting how much the aqua-haired girl had put away.
"Ring ring, phone call! Ring ring, phone call!"
"Hmmm. I'm not in the shower for once," said Ranma, getting up to answer the phone. "Remind me to switch it back to 'ringer' - that's entirely too annoying."
Makoto went back to her dishes, wondering how she could mention that Ash himself was acting differently. She had thought that maybe they were ready for the next stage. Where it became not a Magical Girl and her Partner, but the mingling of two people's passion in a far older and more intimate pairing. She herself was ready. Really ready. Really really really ready. But now Ash-sama was putting her aside. Was it to reduce friction with these others on the way?
(Posted Mon, 03 May 2004 09:51)
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