Mercilessly Crushed Underfoot
by The Masked Hentai
For the forty-third time that day, Tenchi considered chickening out.
`No, I can't. It's not fair. I have to make a decision, and I have to make it today, and I have to tell them. I can't keep them in suspense any longer.'
He listened for a moment. He heard Ryoko and Ayeka talking. Pleasantly. Like friends.
In reality, they were like that most of the time. Perhaps other people might only notice their fighting, but Tenchi knew that they tended to get along more often than not.
`And now I'm going to disturb all of that. Perhaps forever. But...I have to do it.'
"Uh...Ryoko? Miss Ayeka? Can you come in here for a minute?"
"Coming, Lord Tenchi!"
Ryoko phased through the wall. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Well, I've come to a decision."
Ayeka froze. `Oh no. Oh no, no, no.'
Tenchi, refusing to allow himself to be deterred, pressed forward. "I've made up my mind."
Ryoko continued to look obliviously at Tenchi, but Ayeka's face bore a look of resignation and deepest sadness.
"I have chosen Ry..."
Tenchi didn't even finish the word before Ayeka had fled out of the room, up the stairs, and into the bedroom she shared with Sasami. Someone observing her closely would have seen the tears in the corner of her eyes, and heard her murmuring "There's no hope for me...forever..."
"...oko to decide what video we rent tonight, and Ayeka can choose who we call for takeout. Hey, Ayeka, where are you going?"
Tenchi started up the stairs, but hadn't made it halfway up until Sasami walked down the hallway and glared at him from the top of the stairs.
"Tenchi, you dummy, Ayeka killed herself again."
"Uh...sorry."
"You should be! Do you know how hard it is to keep resurrecting her?"
"Well, if she'd just listen..."
"We all know that she NEVER listens when you use the word `decision' in a sentence. As soon as she hears that, she just has to hear `Ryoko', and boom, she offs herself. So I'm giving you a warning, Tenchi. Cut it out!" Tenchi cringed at the scolding.
Washu opened the door from her lab. "Hey, did Ayeka kill herself again?"
"Yes!" called Sasami from above.
"Do you want me to handle it this time?"
"Would you? Tsunami is starting to get annoyed at bringing her back time after time after time."
"No prob. I'll just go grab the corpse and I'll have her up and moving in no time." Washu marched upstairs, whistling jauntily.
Tenchi sighed. This was starting to get old. If only Ayeka could relax. Or if only she would take the Prozac Washu gave her. Or if only they could find a repair shop within 4 light years that knew how to repair Juraian vibrators...
He felt Ryoko tugging at his sleeve.
"Tenchi...I just want to know one thing."
"What is it, Ryoko."
"Does this mean...I get to choose the takeout, too?"
"...Yes."
"Cool."
DISCLAIMER: The Tenchi characters are the property of AIC/Pioneer LDC. The title "Mercilessly Crushed Underfoot" comes from an episode of "Blackadder."
by The Masked Hentai
For the forty-third time that day, Tenchi considered chickening out.
`No, I can't. It's not fair. I have to make a decision, and I have to make it today, and I have to tell them. I can't keep them in suspense any longer.'
He listened for a moment. He heard Ryoko and Ayeka talking. Pleasantly. Like friends.
In reality, they were like that most of the time. Perhaps other people might only notice their fighting, but Tenchi knew that they tended to get along more often than not.
`And now I'm going to disturb all of that. Perhaps forever. But...I have to do it.'
"Uh...Ryoko? Miss Ayeka? Can you come in here for a minute?"
"Coming, Lord Tenchi!"
Ryoko phased through the wall. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Well, I've come to a decision."
Ayeka froze. `Oh no. Oh no, no, no.'
Tenchi, refusing to allow himself to be deterred, pressed forward. "I've made up my mind."
Ryoko continued to look obliviously at Tenchi, but Ayeka's face bore a look of resignation and deepest sadness.
"I have chosen Ry..."
Tenchi didn't even finish the word before Ayeka had fled out of the room, up the stairs, and into the bedroom she shared with Sasami. Someone observing her closely would have seen the tears in the corner of her eyes, and heard her murmuring "There's no hope for me...forever..."
"...oko to decide what video we rent tonight, and Ayeka can choose who we call for takeout. Hey, Ayeka, where are you going?"
Tenchi started up the stairs, but hadn't made it halfway up until Sasami walked down the hallway and glared at him from the top of the stairs.
"Tenchi, you dummy, Ayeka killed herself again."
"Uh...sorry."
"You should be! Do you know how hard it is to keep resurrecting her?"
"Well, if she'd just listen..."
"We all know that she NEVER listens when you use the word `decision' in a sentence. As soon as she hears that, she just has to hear `Ryoko', and boom, she offs herself. So I'm giving you a warning, Tenchi. Cut it out!" Tenchi cringed at the scolding.
Washu opened the door from her lab. "Hey, did Ayeka kill herself again?"
"Yes!" called Sasami from above.
"Do you want me to handle it this time?"
"Would you? Tsunami is starting to get annoyed at bringing her back time after time after time."
"No prob. I'll just go grab the corpse and I'll have her up and moving in no time." Washu marched upstairs, whistling jauntily.
Tenchi sighed. This was starting to get old. If only Ayeka could relax. Or if only she would take the Prozac Washu gave her. Or if only they could find a repair shop within 4 light years that knew how to repair Juraian vibrators...
He felt Ryoko tugging at his sleeve.
"Tenchi...I just want to know one thing."
"What is it, Ryoko."
"Does this mean...I get to choose the takeout, too?"
"...Yes."
"Cool."
DISCLAIMER: The Tenchi characters are the property of AIC/Pioneer LDC. The title "Mercilessly Crushed Underfoot" comes from an episode of "Blackadder."