In the three days since he’d borrowed the book ‘Bad to the Bone: Being Evil for Fun and Profit’ from Nabiki Ranma had come to the conclusion that no matter what reservations he might have to becoming evil it was better than living his life as he had.
Why had he come to the conclusion he was better off turning to a life of evil than continuing to be the pawn/punching bag/rube of everyone he knew?
Most would say, "Duh, no-brainer on that choice." But for Ranma, who'd been hanging onto the idea that he might actually be able to handle things another way, it was because of what had taken place over those three days.
You see throughout the first two days not only had he fought Ryoga and Mousse no less than twenty times, each, he'd also been chased by Kodachi in her efforts to have him agree to take her to a Saint Hebereke dance. This of course led to Akane screaming at him for allowing her hang off of him to say nothing of Shampoo’s reaction to the possibility of him going on a ‘date’ with anyone but her.
Add to that was that he'd actually been on two dates over those three days. Both with Tatewaki Kuno!
Why?
Nabiki of course.
The mercenary Tendo had blackmailed him into doing it by threatening to tell his mother about the yaoi manga he’d borrowed from her room. Sure he could have corrected her and saved him a whole lot of trouble including yet another fight with Mariko Konjo the Captain of the Seisyun High School Cheer-leading Team, but he for one was not about to correct Nabiki as to what book he’d taken as part of the deal was tht she would consider the book he’d borrowed as paid for.
On day three the final indignity came when Akane, his loving fiancée, went out of her way to prepare a special meal for him.
Cheesy Tomato Hamburger with Pasta.
Or that was what it was supposed to be; instead it was more like fried worms covered in a gritty tabasco sauce over which there was a melted layer of Brie de Meaux. Oh, and lest he forget, there was also the side of green cucumbers which for some reason had turned an off shade of blue. Cucumbers which, in a show of uncharacteristic bravery Mr. Tendo had tried.
Twelve hours later the man was still tripping balls.
No, after those three days any reservations Ranma had had about following the advice given in the book had vacated his mind as fast as that dish had vacated his stomach.
But still, the would-be evildoer had no clue what to try first.
Briefly he considered kidnapping Akane as the irony of being the one sent to rescue her appealed to him but he shot that down as the book had mentioned many times that he should start small and according the list he found in the back of the book kidnapping was a higher tier theft. Plus there was a lot more to it than just nabbing the person.
There was where to hide them which also entailed the logistics of feeding and caring for your prisoner.
Figuring out an asking price. (Which only Kuno would be willing to pay as Ranma knew the father’s would just send him out to get her rather than pay a cent.)
Then there was the question of how long do you hold your hostage before determining either let them go or get rid of them. (The book suggested maximizing one’s profit by selling the person to the black-market. It even had a helpful 800 number.)
No, kidnapping Akane wasn’t worth the effort this early in the game Ranma knew it so he shelved that ideal; at least until he could find someone else to care for her if only to give himself a few days rest from her baying.
So there he was, sitting on the roof of the only comic shop in Nerima, legs dangling off edge as he ate a few choco-puffs he’d snagged off a cart without realizing it was his first act of theft, trying to come up with something to steal that would turn a profit.
As fate would have it the victim of his first crime chose that moment to come around the corner huffing and puffing pulling a tarp covered two-wheeled cart behind him. Seeing Gosunkugi drop the handles of the cart then check to make sure whatever was underneath the tarp was fine Ranma overheard him say, “With these I’ll finally make Akane mine!” before he turned to look something in the window of the shop below that made him squeal like a five-year old on Christmas day. “OH MY GOD THEY HAVE IT!” The frail boy then turned out his pockets to count the yen he found within before giving out another squeal “And I have just enough! Oh lucky day!”
Watching the pale boy dash into the shop below Ranma threw his head back and practiced his dark chuckle, which came out as more of an off toned chortle. that done he tossed the now empty choco box behind and then followed it out of sight of anyone below. When he stood back up gone were the blue silk shirt and loose fitting pants he, or rather she, normally wore. In their place Ranma-chan a very tight fitting strapless satin bustier that became mesh before meeting the matching red and black satin-like skirt that hugged her hips as if molded to them. The slight gap between the skirt and the bustier allowed one a glimpse of Ranma’s toned abdomen as well as the red jewel that sparkled from where it lay nestled in her belly button. Her shapely legs, which looked even longer due to the unadorned gap created by the shortness of her skirt, led one’s eyes down to look briefly at her black and red kung-fu slipper adorned feet. Completing her disguise was a wig into which was woven a zoro-like bandana and mask.
With another, and more successful, evil laugh Ranma-chan stepped off the edge of the building to land with ease before the cart where she adroitly used a slipper clad foot to lift up the carts handles allowing her to step between so she could dash off with her first ill gotten booty.
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(Posted Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:44)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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