Yet of all the things Ranma was setting up, Kassy could only stare at the pieces. Mannequin arms and legs, a telephone pole, (which Ranma said he ‘borrowed’) and a washing machine, which had the motor out since he was currently trying to repair. Considering she didn’t think Ranma had ANY skills outside of fighting, it was quite impressive to watch him actually succeeding.
Still, she thought he could use a hand. “You know, Ranma,” Kassy spoke up, “I’m good with mechanics. I could fix it... Although I don’t know what you need a washing machine motor for...” Or a quarter mile of chain-link fence for that matter.
“I almost got it, Kassy. You just relax and prepare yourself.” Ranma was impressed that she recovered incredibly fast after their previous training exercise, four runs down the hill did marvels for Kassy’s balance AND helped her dodging ability... Enough that he felt it was time to start this exercise.
Kassy nodded and sat back, eyeing the pile of ‘Slinky’s’ overflowing atop a Radio Flyer Red Wagon that Ranma had gotten for dirt cheap at the One Yen store.
After five minutes more Ranma smirked in triumph and stood up. “All done. Now we just have to start the training.”
Kassy nodded as she watched Ranma attaching Slinky after Slinky onto different parts of the pole, digging one end deep enough to secure it. And then another end into a Mannequin arm or leg...
...Which, now that she thought of it, had the hands and feet wrapped in a bit of chain-link fence. She was starting to have a sinking feeling about this. “Uh... Ranma?” Kassy asked as she saw Ranma securing one end of the pole into the Washing Machine once all the Mannequin limbs were connected. “What the hell is this?”
Ranma smiled up at her. “We’re going to do some light dodging training. My old man had me work out like this for hours when I was seven.”
Kassy chuckled nervously. “Dodging?”
“A good part of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts deals with techniques of evasion,” Ranma explained sagely. “We’ll start up slow, since you’re new to this stuff, and gradually start with the better training exercises.”
Kassy continued to chuckle nervously. “Who the hell taught you all this? MacGuyver?”
“Who?” Ranma asked in confusion.
Kassy sighed. “Nevermind. That’s just... Well, a lot of technical ingenuity. I didn’t know you knew how to do that.”
“It’s kid’s stuff. I just haven’t trained this way for a while, so had no reason to build the equipment,” Ranma said and jumped back. The motor was just starting to kick back to life finally. “Get ready.”
Kassy looked at Ranma raising the pole; lifting the machine and sticking it atop a little red wagon which, amazingly, held up under the weight. “D-Do we have to?” She whined. “That last training episode ruined my pair of shorts.”
And it was true. She had Ranma go back to the Dojo to get her another pair of shorts. Damn, that whole time had made her paranoid. She would’ve sworn she heard cameras clicking...
Ranma turned to Kassy. “Huh? Don’t you want to beat the other team?”
Kassy nodded her head. “Yes. Yes I do. But...” She was unsure of what to say. “You’re just going to hurt me again...”
Ranma looked stricken at that. “Do you think... I’m doing this to hurt you?”
“Not on purpose...” Kassy said. “But... What kind of martial artists trains with near-death experiences!?”
Simultaneously, nearly every Nerima Martial Artist sneezed.
Kassy took a small handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Ranma. “God bless you.”
The pigtailed martial artist shook his head “... I do...” Ranma answered in a hurt voice. And here he thought he’d found someone with the same drive for martial arts he had... The closest one to him was Shampoo.
Kassy blinked her eyes. “...You do?” The skunk-eared girl asked in surprise. “You like putting your life at risk?”
Ranma nodded slowly and turned upwards to stare at the cloudless sky. “All my life... every single waking moment... has been dedicated to martial arts. I’ve been working on becoming the best, and to do that I have to put my life at risk.” He smiled faintly. “I do enjoy the rush of adrenaline... I only hoped you...” He trailed off.
Kassy frowned, feeling guilt ebb at her newfound conscience. “Ranma...” She said slowly as she walked over to him. “You... You really feel that way, don’t you?”
The pigtailed martial artist continued to look at the sky. His silence spoke stronger than any proclamation ever could.
Kassy frowned and looked down at her feet. Great. She hurt his feelings. The one person on this goddamn island that's been nice to her, and she hurt him worse than any prank she could’ve thought of did.
Raising her head, Kassy looked at Ranma, speaking softly, “Ranma?”
Ranma blinked and turned to Kassy. “Huh?”
Gulping, the Half-Salusian of Imperial birth asked, “You said earlier today you believed in me... That you thought I could do this... Do you really mean that even now?”
“... Only if you decide to do it,” Ranma said as he took the gravity device in his hand. “Do you remember what the G’s did to me the first time?”
Kassy nodded her head. “You were nearly crushed into paste.”
showed the setting to the Half-Salusian. It was set to fifty-times-gravity, and he was walking around as if nothing happened. That also explained why he didn’t catch her when she was in the unicycle.
“Fifty G’s!?” Kassy screeched. “Ranma, you could really hurt yourself!”
The pigtailed martial artist smirked. “Yeah, I could have been.” He sobered. “But I’m also a lot stronger than before. The harsher the training is, the best results you get.”
Kassy blinked her eyes as she looked at Ranma. “Seriously?”
Ranma smirked at her. “You want to be the best? You have to train hard, harder than everybody else.”
Kassy nodded her head slowly. “Okay then. I’ll do this...” The tanned-blonde nodded her head and seriously repeated, “I’ll do this!” Slowly she turned to look Ranma in the eyes. “However...” She was fighting to keep the grin off her face. “I need the right incentive.”
Ranma blinked in confusion. “Huh?”
Walking over to Ranma again, Kassy’s nose touched Ranma’s as she stared into his etheral blue eyes with her own glistening amber ones. Then closing her eyes, she moved her head forward enough so that their lips connected.
Ranma wasn’t as surprised this time and was ready to return the kiss. He felt great whenever he kissed her, since it was a mutual thing.
Kassy kept her lips pressed against Ranma’s for a bit longer this time, noticing he wasn’t reacting oddly.
Ranma continued the kiss as he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her lightly against him.
Now Kassy was the one surprised. Her eyes widened for a moment before closing, not breaking the kiss.
So this was what it felt like to really kiss a woman, Ranma thought. He could definitely get used to it. And to piss that old woman off, an amused part of his mind reminded him.
Kassy’s eyes widened considerably as she felt Ranma take charge. She felt Ranma adding his tongue to the kiss invading her mouth. She began to blush a little as she returned the affections, just happy that Ranma really cared.
When the lip-lock was finally broken he stared down at Kassy. “Woah...”
The skunk-eared girl nodded her head. “Woah and a half even...”
Ranma smiled at Kassy. “Is this what dating is about? Training all day and kissing?” The prospect was definitely attractive to him.
Kassy blushed a bit. “Well, kissing is certainly involved in dating. And we are spending quality time together...” She smiled a little, even if she blushed. “So, if you want this to count as a date, it could...”
“Uh... well...” Ranma knew he was supposed to be engaged to Akane... but actually dating a girl on his own was too important. His mother would be thrilled. And he was bound to piss off Ichikoo. “You bet.”
Kassy smiled brightly. She couldn't help but kiss him again. Hell, she'd gladly go through hell if Ranma stood by her every step of the way.
Ranma returned the kiss and smirked confidently. The same cocky grin that made him look roguishly handsome. “Are you ready?”
“Uh-huh...” Kassy said. She’d rather still kiss Ranma, but she knew she had to get this over and done with. Besides, Ranma seemed dead serious that this would help her, and she believed him.
Ranma grinned and prepared himself to start dodging. He'd be having as much trouble as Kassy, what with the gravity device and all.
Kassy watched as Ranma hit the button at the base of top of the washing machine, which was the bottom of the pole, before he jumped back. The machine began to whirr to life, the pole spinning; what started off with the dummy-limbs being dragged, would soon become a parade of hits as the machine was picking up speed.
Ranma laughed as he tried his best to move around, having as much fun as he had when he was a child and this was a game for him. He took martial arts very seriously, but deep down it was a game for him as well. How could he dedicate his entire life for something he didn't enjoy?
Kassy ‘eep’ed and ‘ack’ed as she moved about, dodged flying limbs wrapped in metal to act as implements of pain. And amazingly, she was doing well with weaving, jumping and dodging.
It was then that Ranma started really getting into it, and making the exercise all the more demanding. With loud kiyah’s he started to kick and punch at the limbs, practicing the speed and precision of his attacks and making it harder to dodge.
Now Kassy was REALLY working to dodge. As Ranma hit at limbs, he was sending them swinging. Although unintentional, she was sure, Kassy was finding them sent her way more often than not.
“You have to hit them back, Kassy! Dodge, hit or be hit!” Ranma yelled cheerfully. He was obviously enjoying himself, even if he was getting hit as well.
Kassy nodded her head. Well, if it was all right to...
“HIYAH!” Kassy shouted as she hit one limb with all her strength...
...And broke it in half.
“...Oops...” Kassy mumbled as she then dodged a flying Mannequin leg.
Ranma’s eyes gleamed with an idea and he started to deliver strikes of his own. Pretty soon there were so many fragments of Mannequin it was almost impossible to dodge them. And to Ranma’s surprise and chagrin, Kassy was doing it too, for the most part. What was hitting her, she seemed to be ignoring pretty well.
A full hour later Ranma was laid out on his back, covered in bruises and sweat, as he fought to get his breathing back. He had a true smile on his face as he stared up at the sky. That was fun!
Kassy was panting, covered in a few more bruises than Ranma, but otherwise seemed fine. She was laid out next to him, just trying to gain her bearings. “Holy crap...”
Ranma turned to look at her, a smile of true enjoyment on his face. “That was fun.”
Kassy chuckled. “Amazingly... Yeah, it kinda was...” She turned her head to look at Ranma and smiled. “But I think I enjoyed it more because you were with me.”
Ranma blushed slightly at the beautiful smile directed his way and turned away in embarrassment.
Smiling at the pigtailed boy’s reaction, Kassy chuckled. “You really are the best thing that’s over on this side of the world, Ranma...”
“Hey!” He protested and smirked at her. He was about to say something about being the best on both sides of the world... But something made him say another thing instead. “You must be the best thing on the other side.” And that surprised Ranma. What the hell possessed him to say that?
However, that seemed to be the right thing to say. Kassy blushed brightly at that. “You think so?” She asked in true embarrassment.
Seeing that reaction, Ranma couldn’t help but smile all the wider. “Yeah.” He did know one thing. He’d never felt so good with himself and the world in general in his life.
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(Posted Sat, 05 Feb 2005 17:28)
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