"Hey Toji, where ya been man?"
Of course the fact the other boy, whom she would assure you she only had an academic interest in if questioned, had shown up only made her day that much more bright and surreal. Pausing next to a tree, she peaked cautiously at the two boys huddled to the left of the walk way.
Toji Suzahara was your typical jock, at least when you first saw him. Refusing to conform to the strict dress code, the young man only ever wore a black sweet pant/shirt combo zipped up to his neck, with white strips traveling down his shoulders and legs. He was taller then most boys his age, by a few inches at the very least, with unkempt short black hair and dark eyes. Gifted with a natural empathy towards the physical, Hikari had no doubt his grades of late, especially with his recent absences, were in a steep decline. She reminded herself that he too would need her direct attention, no doubt requiring long hours of personal tutoring all alone in his great big house, not that she cared about such things, mind you.
"My sister, she's.." his tone dropped low as he leaned against the wall, hands in his pocket, head tilting back with his eyes closing.
Sister? Oh yeah, she hadn't thought about the little girl in awhile. She was eight years old, almost a perfect likeness for her older brother, except of course she was a girl. Didn't she start second grade this year? Hmm.
"Oh man." Kensuke Aida sighed, shaking his head sadly.
That was enough to really pique her interest, the way both boys looked down and out of it.
Hikari thought about what she knew of that boy. A little shorter then Toji, he was the figurative brains of their little friendship, were as Toji was generally the muscle. Light skin with shaggy brown hair and fading freckles, he was required to wear glasses due to poor vision when it came to reading. He was smart, if a little obsessed with the military, especially NERV and the 'EVANGELIONS'. Since his father worked for them, he was constantly bringing in bits of information about what was going on, though she and many of the other children had long since learned to tune him out. Constantly obsessed with the possibility of conspiracy, many of his claims could often be noted as outlandish and bizarre. Still, he was friends with Toji, and they seemed to get along just fine, but it didn't really give her any clues about what happened to Toji's sister.
"Mornin Hakori."
That voice sent a shiver up her spine. Ripping her eyes away from Toji and Kensuke, the class rep beamed a smile of gold, "Oh! Morning Ikari-kun!"
Ranma Ikari, a boy who shared many traits with Toji, at least in regards to his rebellious nature. On his first day he had worn a simple, if entirely inappropriate red silk shirt with black string pants. Any hopes that she may have had regarding conformity of that particular issue died a cold hard death right there. Black undershirt with an unbuttoned green Maoist jacket and similar colour pants, the boy held himself with a confident gait, standing tall, a good head and a half above the rest of the school population.
She tried to ignore the age old reference to tall, dark, and handsome, not that she cared about that mind you, as she looked up into his eyes. "How are you?"
Ranma sighed, shrugging up his school bag a bit. "Fine, an just call me Ranma. Ain't no need ta be formal with me."
She smiled coyly, much to the young man's confusion, "Okay, Ranma."
---
"Hey Toji."
"What?"
"You check out the new kid yet?"
Toji opened his eyes, briefly glancing over the area until he caught sight of Hikari talking to some guy he didn't know. The fact the guy stuck out like a sore thumb was dully noted, being almost two heads taller then the rest of them. He looked tough, if a bit out of place with the rest of them. "Eh.. that a new teacher or somethin?"
Kensuke grinned a little, "Oh no! He's a new student! Can you believe he's only fourteen!"
The jock blinked, "Yer kiddin."
"Rumor's been going around, what with the Angels and everyone trying to leave town, it's strange that anyone would be actually moving here, right?"
"Yeah.. so?" he didn't like the way his friend had said that, almost as if there was a hidden meaning behind it.
"Well." he pushed his glasses up, eyes narrowing as a mad grin grew on his face, "Rumor's say he's the new Pilot, since Rei got banged up."
Stiffening, Toji clenched his fists as a small dose of rage erupted within. New kid, new pilot. He had been agonizing over the possibility Rei was the one piloting that giant robo, and even if he wanted to get revenge for what happened to his sister, he didn't think he could bring himself to actually hit the girl. "Rumors huh.." he mumbled, uncertain.
---
The morning class had gone by rather quickly, much to his chargin. Last night after he had gotten home he had agonized over the situation, thoughts about what he had done wrong propped up before they were beaten down. Plans formulated and trashed at nearly every blink of his eye. It didn't help the way Misato tensed whenever he spoke, whatever was bothering that woman was starting to seriously annoy him, almost to the point he couldn't even think anymore. She never seemed to act this way around Shinji, least not that he could remember. Which just begged the fact he was at the core of whatever was bothering the older woman.
Banishing that thought, he scooted his desk next up to Rei. They weren't the only two in class, some of the others going off for lunch, but a good portion had stayed inside and mingled with each other.
As expected, the girl glanced at him emotionlessly, before turning back to the window. Not to be deterred, he brought up his lunch, a rather large Bento with more then enough food to feed three, much less one. Popping the top, he idly chuckled, "Y'know, funny thing happened this mornin. I was gettin ready for school when a thought hit me." he leaned over, trying to catch the girls one good eye, which didn't happen. "Why not make lunch for my friend? Good ole Rei, she'd prolly like that. Right?" he nodded with a cheerful smile, "Right. So.."
"Ikari-kun." Rei turned to him, "Has the commander assigned you to be my friend?" he almost winced at the accusing tone in her voice. It was soft, but clearly there.
"Eh.." he shrugged, "He didn't say I couldn't be yer friend."
"Ikari.."
"Call me Ranma." he interjected with a smile.
Rei blinked her one good eye, a look of thought settling over her as she contemplated the request. After nearly a minute of uncomfortable silence, she nodded. "Ranma-kun, I do not need a friend."
"Good thing ya can't turn friends down like ya can a free meal." he sighed a little, "So, yeah.." he steeled himself, "Class rep and I are gonna do some studyin tonight at my place, you wanna come?"
Her retort was automatic, and pretty much what he expected. "I do not need to study."
"Ain't what I asked." he smiled cheerfully, "We're just gonna hang out mainly I think, play some games, have a little fun y'know."
"I do not need to have fun." she responded, evenly, still keeping her one good eye on him.
"Maybe ya don't, but I do, and havin ya around would be.. fun." he finished slowly, a little uncertain.
Rei seemed to think about that for a time, watching him evenly as he thoughts turned inward. After a time, she nodded, "If the pilot of Unit One needs 'fun' to be a better pilot, then I will do so." though her tone was as it pretty much always was, devoid of emotion and largely mechanical, he couldn't help but notice a sense of.. reluctance.
"Cool." he grinned. So what if she didn't really want to go along with him. He figured the more time he spent with her, the more time he had to get her to open up abit. "Hikari has to run home after school for a bit, she'll meet us at the Condo."
"Understood." she finished, turning back to the window, bored.
Not wanting to test his luck, he decided not to keep bugging the girl just then. She had already said yes, even if she didn't really want to do it, so he didn't see the point in annoying her just right then. Besides, now that she had said yes, he really needed to think, so being left alone was what he wanted anyway.
Unfortunately, he may not want to annoy her or anyone else right then, but that didn't mean others hadn't gotten it into their heads to annoy him. "Hey, Ikari, you got a minute?" he felt some one poking his arm. Tentatively glancing over, he had to restrain a nervous chuckle. Two girls, who's names he didn't quite know, were huddled next to his desk looking anxious and curious about something. "Ah.. sure."
One of the girls with light brown hair zoomed up real close, making a point of looking left and right less anyone unwanted could overhear them. "How come you transferred here when people are starting to evacuate?"
Ranma hmmed, scratching his head as a feeling of remembrance starting kicking in. There was just something about this situation that screamed from what he could remember about the series. "Eh, my pop sent for me." he shrugged.
"So the rumor's true, isn't it?" the blond leaned in closer, which was starting to unnerve him just a little. "Ah, what rumor?"
The other girl, snapped a little too loudly, "Don't play dumb! The rumor that you're that robot's pilot!"
Ranma blinked. Oh yeah.. "Yeah, ain't no big thing, tho." he tentatively glanced around the room. "One, two, three.."
"OH MY GOD!" blond screamed.
"IT'S TRUE!" black haired screamed, acting almost like a sickening stop light that had just turned green, the class erupting into a barrage of excited questions and surreal interrogation.
Ranma just silently bore it as he waited for the inevitable. In the Anime this had happened once Shinji had answered the question via computer, but in the Manga he knew things had gone a little differently. Instead of the computer, the girls had gone up to him directly. If things continued on like he thought it would, it was only a matter of time until...
"What are ya?! Deaf!" a angry voice, one full of rage and contempt reached his senses. Glancing back, he sighed internally. "Toji Suzahara."
Hikari had known Toji since they were kids, and after so many years of dealing with the jock she quickly came to the realization he was pissed off. She was still a little unnerved by the boy's admittance of being a pilot, but that didn't stop her from trying to stop what she knew was coming. "Oh.. Suzahara!" she snapped, "You missed a whole of school with out permission!"
Toji, apparently, didn't give a shit. "It ain't none of ya concern! Shaddap!" he snapped in tandem, surprising the girl into inaction as he purposely pushed his way through the class, not even sparing a seconds attention to Kensuke when he tried to hold him back. Stepping up to the new boy, he slammed his open hand down on the desk, "Yo! New ked! Step out side, now!" he finished in a snarl, just daring the punk to say no.
Ranma was silent for the most part, looking at the kid blankly as he made his demand. He just shrugged then, silently standing up and heading for the door, Toji quick to follow.
---
Toji was angry, very much so, but he was surprised the older looking kid would yield to his demands with out so much as a fight. He snorted at that. The kid looked tough, but he was probably a push over like everyone else. Which was just fine in his book. "Okay new kid, listen up!" he scowled, glancing at the boy. "My younger sister was hurt bad, she's still in tha hospital. My pop and grandfather work in your lab, and I'm da only one that can stay with her."
Ranma tilted his head to the side, his face set in stone as he listened.
"It ain't that I mind goin there, but supposin she ends up with a scar? She'll never be a babe if that happens!" he turned to face the taller boy, glaring, "Dont'cha feel sorry for her?" his jaw clenched, eyes narrowing dangerously, "And who's fault do ya think it was that put her there? Huh?!"
When the boy failed to respond, Toji snapped, "It's your fault! She was pinned under rubble because you had to go crashin around! Don't think yer all hot because they're.." he shakingly pointed a finger to the windows of their class, were numerous faces were pressed against the glass trying to get a look at what was going on. ".. all over ya!"
Ranma looked up, frowning a little. The other kids in class were staring at him expectantly, and even Rei had dragged herself away from her day dreaming to watch him. Lowering his head, he gave the kid a soft look, "Sorry."
Toji blinked, then erupted in rage, "SORRY?! You tryin ta make fun of me?! 'Sorry' doesn't cut it!" it took everything Kensuke had to hold the guy back.
"What do you want me to do?" the older looking boy frowned, "I ain't gonna beg for forgiveness or nothin, I did what I had ta do."
The younger boy snapped, Kensuke losing hold as he launched forward with a wicked haymaker, the loud wet snap of flesh striking flesh reverberating across the school yard as he hit the older boy.
Ranma caught the fist with one hand, promptly applying pressure to the fist. "Who da ya think you are, boy?" he snarled, forcing the younger boy down to one knee by increasing pressure on his fist. "Ya think yer the only punk around here who's lost somethin cause of what happened?"
"Ranma! What's going on here!" Hikari knew something bad was going to happen when Toji had started to act like he did, but it had taken her time to get away from the mob of students as they practically forced her up against the window when they rushed for a good spot.
Toji bit his lip, refusing to admit the amount of pain singing through his hand as the kid practically crushed it.
The Third Child ignored Hikari, releasing Toji's hand before pushing him on his back. Hovering over him, he scowled, "Yer sister may be hurt, least she's alive. If I hadn't beaten that Angel, she, you, no one would be alive right now to get all pissy." he growled then, "Don't eva come up ta me like that again." before pointedly walking away, ignoring Hikari's hurt look as he passed by.
---
The next step leads to..
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(Posted Mon, 10 Jan 2005 22:04)
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