"I'm telling you, I feel fine," Ranma grumbled yet again.
Nabiki and Kasumi traded glances. "It is getting late," Kasumi allowed.
The sisters had agreed that it was remarkably unlikely that someone of Cologne's age, skill, and resources would waste time on an empty threat. Kasumi was going over every book on shiatsu that she owned or could borrow from Doc Tofu and was going over every point in that area of the chest. Nabiki was similarly searching through her occultic tomes, from curses to blessings to spiritual metaphysics and empathic resonance. Who knew what Cologne could have planned?
Not them, unfortunately. Ranma looked over the list of possible things that little poke could have done and felt mildly ill. Some of the more exotic possibilities, Nabiki assured, would have called for a great deal more preparation than a casual poke, but then who knew how long Cologne had been planning this? Still, it made Ranma feel better that he didn't have to worry about being turned into a mindless love slave.
Even eliminating the unlikely magical manipulations and the techniques that obviously had not been used ("No, I am quite sure I can still talk, Kasumi.") the list was uncomfortably long. And from that list they pulled out the possibilities that really wouldn't make Ranma want to marry Shampoo or beg for a cure. ("There's a shiatsu to stop hunger pains?")
Eventually the sisters conceded defeat and went to bed. Whatever Cologne had done, they couldn't fight it until it reared its ugly head.
The next day of school started slowly as Ranma and the sisters kept track of anything odd. Akane agreed to keep an eye on him during class -- after looking over the list of possibilities she agreed that even her perverted sensei deserved better.
As the day went on without incident, however, they all relaxed. Well, Ranma and Akane did. Nabiki and Kasumi were only able to check in a couple times and worried that something had happened they didn't know about between reports.
Eventually Ranma's favorite class of all started -- gym. He was out on the field when he heard a bell behind him. He turned and stared. Shampoo was on a bike, cycling at a not unimpressive speed, and was bearing down on him with a bright, eager smile. "Nihao! Ranma hurry and ask Shampoo marry!"
Akane turned and blinked as the womanizer's latest conquest made her appearance. Her analysis stumbled a bit when Ranma turned and ran. Still, he had three girls after him, and he was a boy so he was a pervert, so it was his fault.
Up in her classroom, Nabiki looked out the window with a wistful smile. She still hadn't had Ranma's boyform, so all she had were fantasies and dreams. Worse, with little miss "obstacle is for killing" such a liason was increasingly hazardous to her health. At least Kodachi was content to simply scream curses about her "redheaded demon mistress" from afar and deliver the occasional poisoned bouquet.
Her idle fantasy of stripping Ranma's sweaty body and rubbing her face and other parts on it was interrupted by the Chinese Moodkill. Nabiki was more than capable of admiring the Amazon's body, but the fact was the toned, well-endowed martial artist hit her with more envy than lust. And a little fear, not that she'd ever admit it. The Amazons clearly had an occultic knowledge-base and Shampoo was more attractive, more exotic, and had more in common with Ranma than her. She really didn't have anything to offer.
Of course, that was just the Ice Queen talking. She could sense Ranma's emotions clearly, even through the empathic noise of the school. His lust was buried beneath honor, like it always was when he wore his male body, and none of the warm flavors she associated with affection came from the purple texture that was his feelings towards Shampoo. Nabiki smiled; she had nothing to fear.
"Who is that gaijin wench?"
Nabiki held out her hand to the school lunatic and felt 3000 yen grease her palm. "Her name is Shampoo." Another 1000. "She's from a village in China." 1000 more. "Her people have a ramen shop in the neighborhood."
"Saotome has seduced her as well?"
"More accurately, she's trying to seduce him." 5000 yen. "Her tribe's customs for marriage have her engaged or already married to Ranma or his father. The tradition doesn't translate well."
"Saotome would share a woman with his father?" Kuno asked in obvious disgust.
Nabiki shook her head and waited for a few more yen notes. Kuno was so easy when he fixated on something. She tripled her money before he had the full story.
"Ranma hurry and ask Shampoo marry!"
Ranma rolled his eyes as he outran the ridiculously fast bicyclist. "Tell that old bag this: I've never been in better shape!"
"But how long will that last, hmmmm?" came the old bag's voice. Cologne outpaced Ranma from out of nowhere, her cane an absurd blur. "See you soon! WAhahahaha!!" she crowed, jumping over the Furinkan wall.
"Not if I can help it, old ghoul!" Ranma snarled, kicking a massive cement roller after the retreating mummy.
Even for all his demonstrations, it was easy to forget the casual strength of Saotome Ranma. No one had expected such a heavy object to achieve flight.
Fewer still expected a raven-haired man in a Chinese robe to intercept it at its apex and slice it cleanly in half. The man landed lightly upon the ground in front of a great crowd. He was calm, serene, fairly attractive.
He also had two halves of a cement cylinder land on his head.
Silence reigned for a moment, then the stranger lifted himself, pushing the stone away. "Shampoo."
"He's alive!?" gasped an incredulous student, a sentiment shared by most of the crowd.
Nabiki turned around and gave a sharp whistle. "Betting pool. Odds to favor Ranma. Now."
The teacher blinked as half her class ran out the room with pads of paper and pencils, shouting calculations for odds back and forth. "It could be worse," she reminded herself. She didn't notice that Nabiki herself had been one of the defectors from her lecture on types of rocks.
"Oh Shampoo!!" the man cried, glomping Ranma. Shampoo watched on with a flat expression.
"Who are you calling Shampoo!?" Ranma screamed, kicking the man in his face.
The stranger adjusted his glasses and took a closer look. "..." he punched Ranma into a wall. "Who are you?!" He glomped...Akane. "Shampoo!"
"Who are you calling Shampoo!?" Akane repeated, slugging the stranger.
Ranma jumped on the stranger's head. "Who are you, anyway?"
"I am Mousse," was the reply. "I am the man who is to be Shampoo's groom."
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(Posted Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:37)
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