Nabiki shook her head, bemused and appalled in equal measure to how she was reacting. She'd always known she was a study in human nature in her own right, but the way Ranma now set off every wicked impulse Nabiki had (even on the very few occasions the telepathic telekinetic wasn't trying), be it Domme or near thrall just raised so many questions: Damn. What next? She felt a bit off at the intensity of her emotional state, but couldn't recall why due to a few perverted daydreams.
^What's next is following up on that instant tanning oil and some nice ganguro bleaching to get you blond enough, just like you imagined. If you don't bitch about it, I might let you top me for a few hours tonight!^ Ranma's pointed mental reply reminded Nabiki of her having lost track of how easily her thoughts projected themselves to the martial artist when she was emotional.
Nabiki withheld the sigh, as candles and a certain erotic tormentor's skin seemed to go together at about that time in her mind. She did send back down the formed mind link, ^Any piercings, we share, so make sure they're in places you don't mind wearing when you change forms, Ma Ranma.^
^That's right, you better not call me Master or Mistress until I collar you, pet! But you do realize you're just getting yourself in deeper, don't you?^ Ranma knew Nabiki was falling into a fascination with him. He didn't mind it a bit, either. But he did intend to have Nabiki, so it fell to him to make sure she didn't break herself in the process.
As they skipped worrying about bottle size and simply bought the shelf's content of instant tan, Nabiki kept blushing and squirming. This amused Ranma as he'd ceased his telekinetic 'fingering' and the like some time ago. He surreptitiously used his telekinesis for her 'benefit' in other ways, getting blue contacts while distracting Nabiki by means of using his powers to bring the Nair over to himself.
After they departed the pharmacy, Ranma chuckled at how Nabiki's awareness of her own situation was firing her up. ^Guess you don't get to be a office girl, after all! But if you're nice, I might be persuaded to help you gain other sorts of influence-^ Ranma had every intention of helping Nabiki gain the chance to use her fine talent for money to full advantage. But only on his terms. That would be her 'penance' for starting the ball rolling on this in the first place. Like the girl minds! The more I learn about my pet, the more I want to whistle; Why not?
Heading for the leather and jewelry stores, Ranma made Nabiki flush and tremble a bit more as he began to whistle Super Freak. All the rapidly percolating Tendo could think to herself was Rick James, you have a lot to answer for!
Vandal and Hinako talked. They'd been touring the wild landscape for no one cared how long, exchanging stories. Between Hinako's own life and that of the Darkchild, he'd actually been able to avoid being the sole speaker much of the time. As they paused within a oddly hued cavern to drink from a crystal clear pool in the underground stream bed and munch on fruit (from what appeared to be a cultivated and agricultural derivative of fungal origins), Vandal mentioned "I don't blame you for not despising me, but don't expect me to forgive myself just yet. I managed redemption, but I have yet to truly make expiation in my own eyes."
Vandal was calm in tone, but Hinako could tell the man was driven by inner demons. She could relate. She tartly told him, "Tell you what, then. When you aren't playing with me, help people out. Here, and in Nerima. One favor, though? Don't act like a wuss." Shinji Ikari was such a flop in Hinako's eyes. So help me, if I ever find myself in a Evangelion dimension, I'm taking up soul sword proctology on Gendo!
"As Superman recently thought about my reading tastes, I'm not the type." Vandal's tone was dryer than a Swamp martini. He'd seen morality evolve in most cultures back on his world, and he knew enough to make his own. Besides, hanging around a teacher with a body like that after thirty thousand plus of enforced celibacy made it quite clear he was going to be a horn-dog and a hentai in his spare time for quite some time to come.
They munched contentedly as he unconsciously pressed against Hinako. She made sure to not break his minor fugue while letting his body do whatever the heck it liked. Once she got to the point of having to press on their tour or go to town on him then and there, she stretched luxuriously and went her slinky way through the mildly S&M AD&D environment. There was something out there she felt was worth seeing, and she trusted her instincts. Besides, he'd do her all the more overwhelmingly once sufficiently teased.
They passed by a portal, but kept along the caverns for the time being. There were luminescent crystals and algae in most areas, as well as almost concealed steps and the like. The air was not unpleasantly cold, and this region had streams and the like, suggesting a underground lake or smallish sea in the vicinity. Vandal noted, "Do you think any lake we find might have a reasonable access to the surface? Geography around here is uncertain, after all."
"I know that better than anyone, big man. Besides, portals exist in the larger bodies of water as well. Life is quite abundant there, af- What the hell is that?" She'd stopped her explanation of populations spreading by use of the portals found throughout Limbo as she came upon a quite futuristic citadel, agricultural area, and starship. They were all neatly placed on a island in the center of the underground lake she had suspected they would find.
Vandal put his hand to his forehead. "That'd be my place. I set up the time device to pulse on and off, in hopes the grounds would be delivered somewhere after Superman undid my destruction of Earth. Nice to have a place to shack Hinako up, but I'll have to do something about the crops. The 0-point generator should do the trick."
Hinako didn't bother to hit him. Vandal was quite evidently distracted. Besides, much as she felt conflicted about the shacking up reference, she sort of liked the way he didn't want to mooch off her. She asked, "0-point generator? Is that the handheld sun you and your world's Superman went to fetch from the evolved cockroaches for your time machine?"
Vandal shook himself out of it, uncertain of just how much he'd said aloud. "Sorry about that, a few milennia of no-one else to overhear, you understand." At her nod, "Yes, and since that design of time machine is utterly useless in a place like Limbo, I might as well get it out of there and hang it over the garden. Its light will do perfectly for raising the crops until I've gotten everything moved to the surface or set up other lighting. With my home present, I can move forward with bringing technology to Limbo. Without it infecting the lifeforms, even."
As Hinako shook her head at the reference to the techno-organic infestation that had swept Limbo not too long before the Inferno, she sensed something inside the place. "I don't believe this! I don't know how to tell you, Vandal, but you have house guests. Want to evict them?" She manifested the soul sword.
"Not until I they're unwelcome. You have to remember, I like company." Left unspoken was that had Vandal's original plan come off, the residence would have wound up gaining tenants in any event. The doors opened at Vandal's approach, as should be. Just inside the entranceway was another portal. It was clear how these residents could access the interior, and Vandal was bemused by the idea that these people may not have ever tried the unlocked entranceway!
Hinako and Vandal walked to where the teacher had sensed beings. This was the main library and dining area, at the bottom of the circular courtyard Vandal had constructed. Above the table rose the many floors of artifacts and adjoining chambers, for the most part undisturbed. Vandal assumed the residents where studying the place, which only made sense. He looked in as Hinako froze and twitched a bit. Thinking she likely recognized them, he studied the people at the largish circular table someone had brought in.
Around the stone table (it seemed to be opal to Vandal) were a odd lot. There was a black furred being that looked much like a demon, right down to the pointed tail. For some reason, he had a huge spoon propped up onto the table next to him. Across from the odd man was possibly the most delicious looking drow elf Vandal had yet seen. She was wearing a odd headdress and her eyes alternated between solid white and a very human blue.
Of the other four at the table, the one just tossing a shuriken loaded belt onto the table was a catgirl. Moreover, she was a catgirl down to her ninja styled fishnet catsuit. Meanwhile the very buff steel statue across from her turned out to be another person when he moved. Having lost all his clothing in what was obviously a game of strip power (using Tarot cards, no less), he was also quite evidently anatomically correct.
The last two were pretty obviously demons of some sort. They felt like demons in a way Vandal knew he could never describe, unlike the only one with a tail at the table.
Vandal watched in silence as Hinako stormed over to the poker game and bopped the reconfigured and resurrected Colossus, Kat, Storm, Night crawler, and N'astirh upside their respective heads with the flat of her blade before they could even get up from the table. Then she turned to S'ym. "Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do!" Sensing a reunion, he wisely stayed out of it until invited, contenting himself to watch any enticing sights out of the corner of his eye while starting a large lunch with caffeine bark tea.
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(Posted Tue, 07 Mar 2006 15:24)
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