Meeting Ranma is Embarrassing
Disclaimer:Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Karin to Yuna Kagesaki.
Ranma's Fiancés? They're So Embarrassing!
After having relieved herself -- of excess blood, Kain wobbled her way through the school corridor in search of her classroom. Classes have already started a few minutes ago so in any likelihood Karin was considered late. Which was very bad especially since this is her first day in her new school. The ill though didn't go well with Karin as it sent another wave of blood rush in her system.
'Calm down Karin…everything will be all right… The teacher will understand why you came late… There were circumstances that happened that were beyond your control… They were the cause of your being late.'
Karin came to her senses, her vigor returning. 'Who am I kidding. That's the most irresponsible thing to say. No. I'll face this like a big girl. I'll take whatever punishment that is deserving of me.'
After a few more minutes she found the room she's been looking for. "3-C. This must be it?" Karin steeled herself. 'This is it Karin. Be brave and strong!' She took a deep breath and lightly knocked at the door. A child's voice from within responded.
"Enter."
Karin slid the door open. All eyes and attention were suddenly focused on her.
Karin's face blushed deep red. 'This is so embarrassing.'
"You there!"
"Huh?" Karin turned toward the teacher's desk, puzzled to only see a little girl in a yellow dress. The child gave her a disapproving stare.
"Are you going to just stand there, young lady? I have a class to run."
Karin was confused.
"Hey, it's alright! Don't you know that Chibi-Hinako here is our homestead teacher," said Hiroshi with smirk, nudging his buddy Daisuke in taking note of the newcomer.
"Teacher?" Karin exclaimed. "You mean this little girl?" Now she was really confused.
"That's right I'm the teacher here, and if you have no business in my class, you'd best leave. Otherwise I'll have you reported for loiter around in the hallway during class hours."
"I-I'm sorry," stuttered Karin, quickly rushing in and nearly tripping herself in the process. Most of the class laughed at the antic. Karin was really getting uncomfortable by all of this.
"Miss?" chibi-Hinako-sensei sternly glared a Karin.
"Oh, yes! Here is my personal data!"
Giving her one last dirty look, Teacher Hinako read Karin's papers. "You're ten minutes late Ms. Maaka," said Ms. Hinako, her eyes not leaving the document. "I do not tolerate tardiness in my class, especially in your case when this is your first day here. In my book, that's totally unbecoming for an aspiring student." The diminutive teacher finally faced Karin again. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, Ms. Maaka. Excuses perhaps?"
Karin was already perspiring with shame at this point but was resolute in her prepared response. "I-I have no excuse for my coming late on my first day, Hinako-sensei! Please discipline me the way you see fit!' Karin vigorously bowed before the teacher and silently prayed. 'I hope she goes easy on me?'
Miss Hinako size up the Maaka girl, weighing the conduct she was displaying along with her character as a whole. She made her decision. "I will let you off for now, Ms. Maaka. But I expect improvement in your conduct on the following days since you will be with us for the entire school year. Now go introduce yourself to the whole class."
Karin was thankfully glad for this. "Thank you very much, Hinako-sensei!" She bowed once again.
"I'm your English teacher so you will refer to me as Miss Hinako."
"Yes, Hina-I mean Miss Hinako."
The kid-teacher called the attention of her students. "Class it seems that a new student will be joining us. Please introduce yourself to the class, Ms. Maaka."
Karin tried to be cheerful and positive. "Hello, everyone. My name is Maaka Karin. My family and I have just moved here in Nerima…So I was wondering, once we become friends, you could help me get familiarized with the town."
"I'll help you with that, Karin-chan!" volunteered an amorous student.
Daisuke and Hiroshi, with amoral thoughts, quietly discussed of Karin by the sides.
"She sure has a nice set of knockers, doesn't she?" quietly said Hiroshi. His buddy Daisuke couldn't agree more.
"Yeah."
Akane, who was near them, heard the conversation. She was tempted of knocking the living daylights of those two perverts for making an inappropriate comment toward a female student. But she restrained herself, knowing full well that she was in Hinako-sensei's class.
Awkwardly smiling, Karin continued her introduction. "I'm not much into sports or any strenuous activities due to my sickness…"
"What kind of sickness?" curiously asked the ponytail haired friend of Akane, Sayuri.
"Anemia," simply answered Karin, but inwardly felt some reservations for giving out such a lie.
There were some mixed murmurs from among the students over Karin's revelation. Some thought of it as a shame or a letdown, while other felt sorry for her or were sympathetic. Karin tried to brighten the mood.
"But I'm good at cooking! I like experimenting on all sorts of things culinary, and they always turn out great. Perhaps I could bring some next time here in class to share."
"Well what you know," grinned Daisuke, turning to Hiroshi. "She the exact opposite of Akane."
The youngest Tendo in question tensed herself upon hearing that side comment.
"Yeah, it's like Karin has everything that Akane doesn't if you know what I mean," smirked Daisuke.
Akane broke a piece of her desk, by its side, her anger seething with no end. Luckily, Miss Hinako didn't notice.
"Excuse me Karin-kun but what's with those fangs?" asked spooky-eyed Gosunkugi Hikaru all of the sudden. "Are you a vampire or something?"
The question made Karin uneasy. "V-Vampire!" She hastily counters. "Don't be silly! These," pointing to her 'fangs'. "Are overly developed," she would have gone for 'abnormally large' but decided against it. "Canines. Yeah that's what they are"
"Now that Gosunkugi mentioned it, she does have a pair of fangs. But I think it makes her even cuter," happily stated Daisuke.
'That's not the kind of reaction I was expecting but it will do,' sighed Karin.
"Hey, I bet Karin would be a perfect match with that yellow-bandana guy that Ranma always beats. He has fangs. What's his name again?" Daisuke directed his questioning at a slouching and uninterested Ranma by his desk.
"Ryoga. And I couldn't care less," mumbled Ranma, his mind and attention focused on else where.
As usual Ranma becomes the focus of Akane's disdain even if he is not solely at fault. 'How dare you drag Ryoga's name into your private jokes, Ranma, he's perhaps the only one who was ever sweet and considerate towards me, unlike you!' In her silent rage, Akane pulverized the piece of wood she was holding into sawdust.
"All right Ms. Maaka, I believe you've introduced yourself enough," stated Miss Hinako, somewhat getting impatient. "Please take the empty seat near Ms. Tendo and Mr. Saotome, and we shall continue class."
Karin gulped, seeing where she'll be sitting. 'It's that guy again. What was his name? Ranma. Oh, why am I so unlucky in my first day of school.' Karin slowly paced her way toward her assigned seat and desk. Her heart rate began to increase while her blood pressure began to rise as she got nearer and nearer where Ranma sat. Is it just her, or is it getting hot in here. For some reason she could not take her attention off of the pigtail haired guy.
"You want to bite him don't you?"
"Huh? What?" said Karin to herself, wondering who spoke to her.
"Don't deny it. He is after all your 'type'. Brooding, miserable, despondent. Your type."
'My…type? Karin felt she knew the voice, and the knowledge frightened her. 'No, I can't! Not here. Not now. And I wouldn't want to! Not on my first day.'
Ranma finally took notice of her. "What? Is there something on my face?"
But Karin didn't hear Ranma's words. The inner voice kept on prodding her.
"You are only delaying the inevitable. Your longing for 'cattle', like him, only prolongs your suffering and discomfort. Go ahead and do yourself a favor. Sate yourself."
Karin's mouth slightly gapes open, exposing her upper canines. Her breathing coming in shallow and short gasps. '…Yes…sate…my…self…'
"…Karin…" Someone spoke her name, the proof of her identity, the link that makes her 'her'.
"Karin," it was Akane's voice. "You better sit down already if you don't want to get into Ms. Hinako's 'bad side'."
"Huh? Er, right." Karin quickly sat down. Sighing she then glances back at Ranma, catching him making a chance glace at her. His surprised look quickly turns into a frown as he looks away from her. Karin herself faces front, her cheeks turning rosy red and becoming warm.
'Why can't I get him off my mind?' She clutched her chest, where her heart is supposed to be. 'If this keeps up, I won't be able to hold it.'
"Are you all right, Karin?" asked Akane with a hint of concern. "You seem to be blushing a lot." Although Akane already suspected the reason she kept it to herself and decided to keep an open mind.
"Oh, I-I'm just embarrassed…for not having thanked you and Ranma for helping me out earlier." 'Smooth move, Karin,' she thought, patronizing herself.
"That? Oh it's nothing, really. I just couldn't stand there and let Kuno-sempai try harassing someone as weak and fragile as you. Oh, I didn't mean that in a bad way…" Akane wasn't sure herself if she was just being thoughtless or being an ass toward Karin due to some inputted jealously in her part. But Karin shook her head and smiled at her.
"No, that's okay. I don't know what I would have done if you and Ranma haven't showed up, and I thank you for that."
"Karin…"
"Akane…can you tell Ranma later, that I really appreciate what he did for me earlier and…tell him sorry for the misunderstanding in my part," meekly pleaded Karin.
"Sure…why not," said Akane, giving out a false smile. "I'll give him the good word."
"Thanks Akane. You're really a kind person." Karin returned the smile.
Akane was taken aback by the words, feeling undeserving. "Yeah…sure."
While immersed in they're girl to girl talk, the both of them became oblivious to a chibi-Hinako-sensei, maneuvering around the classroom and coming up behind their seats.
"Miss Tendo! Miss Maaka! Out in the hallway! NOW!"
"This is…this is just too embarrassing." Karin was in tears. "For being scolded and penalized by the teacher on the very first DAY!" cried Karin.
Akane felt for the girl, feeling responsible. "I'm sorry Karin…for getting you in this mess."
Both girls stood by the side of the hallway, bearing a bucket of water in each hand, as punishment for their 'inattentiveness' in Ms Hinako's class. Karin for her part was worried for the scolding that she would get from her parents if they ever get word of this.
"Say Karin?" Akane began, doing a downcast glance. "Forgive me for saying this but you act kinda weird, whenever you're near Ranma. You have this 'look'."
Karin immediately forgot her moment of consternation, listening to Akane's banter, which concerned her somewhat.
Akane continued. "At first I thought if it was something Ranma did to you earlier, outside the school gate. But…" 'Why am I telling her this?' thought Akane, feeling uneasy and blushing all the sudden. "I noticed the way you looked at him in the classroom as if…you were bent focused on him. Like you needed something from Ranma."
Karin kept quiet; wary of the direction this discussion was leading to; hoping that Akane was not heading there.
Akane optimistically smiled. "But hey, why am I putting you on the spot here? You're just new here."
Karin was glad, for now, that Akane hadn't really figured out anything of her actual being. She decided to change the subject by start asking her own questions.
"Akane?"
"Yes, Karin?"
"Are you and Ranma…close?"
It was Akane's turn to feel caught in the spotlight. "Close? What do you mean?"
"From the way you asked me about Ranma, I suspect that some relationship exists between the two you, am I right?"
Akane went into stubborn mode alert. "D-Don't be ridiculous, Karin! Ranma and I hate each other's guts! We're practically at each other's throats when we're together." Akane of course was exaggerating, which was more than what Karin, in her gullible mind, would want to believe.
"Really? Why is that?"
"Because!" Akane took on a deep breath. "It's kind of a long story… Something that I don't want go on saying or to be reminded of at moment."
"Oh, I see." Maaka looked downcast but maintained a weak smile. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it, Akane."
Both girls stood silent and still, letting time pass on, musing in each their own.
Akane broke the doldrums. "It all began…"
Karin quietly but attentively listened on.
Ranma boringly sat in his seat, unaffected by the ejection of his fiancé and that Maaka girl earlier by none other than 'little teach' herself. They had it coming, Ranma thought. Akane should have known better than to commit a simple, but delinquent, act like striking a private conversation during class hours and in Miss Hinako's class at that. He would have gloated over the reversal of fortune that befell his fiancé but such petty things were beyond him. And what's with that Karin girl, Ranma wondered, remembering the incident back at the gate. She ran away from him all the sudden as if he had the plague or something. Then just a while a go she then begins giving him weird looks that he couldn't figure.
'Girls, I could never understand them.'
"Hey Ranma this is for you, from Ukyo." Daisuke handed him a piece of paper. After receiving it he unenthusiastically flipped it open, his dour eyes scanning the characters written within.
Lets have lunch together, okay!
From your cute fiancé,
Ucchan
A smiling chibi cariticature of the okonomiyaki chef was added at the end of the makeshift letter.
"Ucchan…" Ranma crumpled the piece of paper with a clenched fist afterwards.
Ranma sat alone at his usual spot, under the tree somewhere within the Furinkan school grounds, dully munching on his lunch – a yakisoba bread, which he got from the school canteen, a lucky find indeed since he usually has to join in the melee with the rest of the school for the limited choice selection the cafeteria had to offer. But these days, most students tend to prefer bringing their own lunches over the school's fare, lessening considerably the number of student patronage that stand in line, and thus Ranma's lucky break. He could have seconds if he wanted (if he had more money). But at that moment the meager meal he was having might as well have tasted like sand, as his miserable outlook in things has not simmered down.
"Hey sugar, is this spot taken?"
Ranma grimaced at the voice of one his fiancés, Ukyo Kuonji. Dressed in her all-blue winter-type male uniform, the Okonomiyaki chef-student coyly slid down beside him.
"I made you something special." She brought out a steaming okonomiyaki laden with all sorts of toppings and covered in thick sweet sauce. "I call it the okonomiyaki super supreme, topped with extra love and care from yours truly: the cutest fiancé in the world." Ukyo presented her creation before Ranma who just scarcely glanced at it before taking another bite on his noodle bread.
"What? You don't like it, Ranchan," said Ukyo, feeling dejected.
Ranma sighed, mindfully putting away his unfinished lunch. "I'd rather not take anything coming from you, Ucchan. Much less talk to you right now."
"What's that suppose to mean?" said Ukyo, becoming flustered all the sudden.
"Do I have to repeat myself? I told you this already after the 'wedding', and the week after that, and I'm telling you right now: please give me time to think things over. Your 'speeding things up' is making it difficult for me."
Ukyo was insistent. "And lose to the 'others'! No way am I letting that happen. I'm taking every opportunity given to me right now to make sure I and I alone will win your heart, Ranchan!"
Ranma saw it Ukyo's face: she was beyond reasoning. No amount of telling her: that all he sees in her as merely as a friend to him – would make her stop her obsessive infatuation over him. Perhaps it was a result of all the frustrations she had to undergo when Pop and he left her for a fool, those many years ago. Ranma cursed his father but couldn't neglect the feeling that he was somehow responsible for the incident as well. Or does she really have a deep-hearted feeling toward him, ever since they first met. But to Ranma that affection seem one-sided and too possessive for his tastes.
Ranma wanted to try again. Try harder to reason with his cute fiancé, er, childhood friend. But his intentions were dashed when Shampoo suddenly dropped out of nowhere and carelessly bonked the okonomiyaki chef on the head, flattening her on the ground.
"Nihao, Ranma!" happily chirped the Chinese Amazon.
"Shampoo…" Ranma groaned. Things indeed were about to get worse.
"Shampoo come bring her homemade lunch to you." The purple haired girl from the Neko Haten limberly bore several layers of dim sum bamboo baskets with one hand as if they were nothing. "Tadah!" she exclaimed, opening the top most container, releasing a puff of steam and delectable aroma. "Shampoo made big severing of dim sum combo: dumplings and meat buns." Shampoo showed the basket's contents to the doubting pigtail haired boy. Indeed it contained dumplings (for now) and was still steaming hot but like Ukyo's gift, Ranma snubbed it as well.
"Sorry Shampoo but like what I told Ukyo" he pointed at the groaning sprawled form of the okonomiyaki chef on the ground, under the Amazon's feet. "I won't take anything coming from you girls…especially if there's strings attached. And besides," looking darkly at the dim sum again, "I wouldn't want anything you and your granny, the old ghoul, cooked up. Probably contains something weird that would do strange things to me."
Shampoo leapt off the Ukyo's quivering body and inadvertently stepped on Ukyo's okinomiyaki lunch made for Ranma.
"Aww, Ranma no like Shampoo's dish?" she the Amazon, putting on a pouting face. "Shampoo assures Ranma it safe to eat."
"Yeah, I bet!"
"Shampoo!" Mousse suddenly flies in into the scene.
"Rats! Mousse!" Shampoo cursed under her breath.
"Shampoo! Please go on da-ummph!"
Shampoo manages to stuff a piece of dumpling into the gawking mouth of the optically challenged hidden weapon master at the exact moment he landed beside her.
Mousse choked, savored, chewed and savored again the morsel. "Hmm! Anything that my Shampoo makes and puts into my mouth is proof of the abided love you have towards me!"
"Stupid Mousse."
Shampoo snapped her fingers, triggering the aftereffects of the drug, within the dumpling, in Mousse's system, causing him to stand ridged and become dazed.
"Act like a dog!" Shampoo commanded.
Mousse went on all fours and began barking and prancing like the canine he was emulating.
Shampoo then hefted a small piece of branch, using the back of her feet, flipping it up into the air and catching it with her free hand.
"Mousse, go fetch!" She tosses the wood with a mighty swing, making it spin and fly into the distance. Dog-Mousse enthusiastically bounds off after it, leaving the scene. "And don't ever come back!"
Ranma couldn't believe the audacity of the Chinese Amazon.
"What was that you were saying: it safe to eat?" said the pigtailed haired martial artist with much sarcasm, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms on his chest.
Knowing that the gig was up, Shampoo playfully switched to Plan B. Adopting a devious visage, Shampoo faced her 'airen', a piece of dubious dumpling in her hand.
"Just one bite, Ranma. Just even one itsy-bitsy piece and Shampoo can do anything to airen.
"I would rather die than let that happen!" Ranma took on a fighting pose, ready to get serious with the Chinese Amazon
"How DARE YOU!"
Both Ranma and Shampoo jumped with a start, to a risen and very enraged Ukyo, burning with fury all over.
"For making me into your personal landing pad you half-witted BIMBO!"
Shampoo smirked; she was not the least bit fazed by Ukyo's insults. "Hmph! It fault of spatula girl for not sensing and avoiding Shampoo's arrival."
Ukyo gasped hard, upon seeing her flattened and ruined okonomiyaki creation near Shampoo's feet.
"You did THAT too!" Ukyo didn't wait for a response, unslinging her huge spatula for battle. "THAT'S IT! You're going pay for what you've done to my handmade lunch for Ranchan!"
"Bring it on, pancake-making girl! Shampoo ready for you!" The purple haired Amazon was poised to make her dim sum into improvised missile weapons against the okonomiyaki chef.
Now if Ranma were his usual self he would normally intervene between these two warring women and try to defuse the situation but that usually results in the intensification of the misunderstanding that ensues, and Ranma gets caught dead straight in the middle of it all. Right now Ranma was thinking more for himself, slowly inching away from the spot, leaving it to the girls to slug it out on their own.
Something long and flexible suddenly struck out like a blur, hitting Shampoo's stack of dim sum, startling the girl, and causing her to drop her load onto the ground.
"Airen's lunch!"
Ukyo felt vindicated. "Severs you right!" 'But where did that attack come from?'
A blizzard of black rose petals, engulfing the area, and a maniacal feminine laughter answered the okonomiyaki chef's question.
"Kodachi!" cursed both Ranma and Ukyo.
"Hohohohoho! If there is anyone that should lovingly provide Ranma-sama with a handmade lunch then that would be none other than me! The Black Rose, Kodachi Kuno! Hohohohoho!"
With much agile grace, the black ponytail haired girl, Kodachi Kuno, in her white and khaki St. Hebereke uniform, drops in to join the party.
"Ranma-sama, as your future traditional Japanese wife, I present you a fair token of the love and devotion I put in…just for you." She presents him a lacquered black bento box with golden trimmed black roses motifs.
"Please accept it. Oh, but do be considerate to me," said Kodachi, passionately blushing. "It just something that in my humble repertoire I would come up with."
Ranma was already quaking with frustration and anger inside, over what has transpired up to this point. This was supposed to be just a simple lunch break for him.
"Sorry for saying this Kodachi, but you're just simply crazy." Ranma's harsh words seem to have an effect on the female Kuno, who stood there with a shocked look on her face. "No matter what your sick, deluded mind says, I never have and never will like YOU! So you better stop appearing unannounced and pestering me for my affections. It won't HAPPEN!"
"Ranchan, how could you?" Ukyo was appalled by Ranma's behavior toward Kodachi "She may be presumptuous, conniving and perhaps insanely annoying most of the time but Kodachi…she doesn't deserve that kind of treatment… even from you."
Shampoo hooted as if mocking Ranma. "Uuuuh…Shampoo never thought Airen could be so cruel and scary."
"You three…you have it all figured, don't you? Hiding behind your self-righteous exteriors and blaming others of their faults while denying your own wrongfulness. I will not be coerced, threatened or made to feel guilty. Not anymore! I've had it! Now if you excuse me I'm leaving. I've wasted enough time here already."
Ranma didn't even get beyond three paces when a gymnast's ribbon suddenly shot out and entwined around him, pinning both of his arms to his body. Without control over his momentum, Ranma fell like a sack of potatoes on the ground.
"So you were both given time to think it over, is that right?"
Both Akane and Karin had just finished lunch outside and were fixing up.
"That is…in essence the gist of it all," replied Akane to Karin, after finishing the whole history between Ranma and her, from their first meeting over a year ago up to the just recent wedding fiasco. In her retelling to Karin, Akane painted his fiancé as irresponsible, insensitive and a complete jerk. But she also convoyed of the brighter side of Ranma: like how he always rescues her from all sorts of distressful situations, much to her embarrassment; and of possessing a soft side that he always stubbornly hides. More importantly, Akane left out the parts of Ranma's water based gender-bender feature or Jusenkyou curse for no other reason than to avoid ridicule for her part.
Karin couldn't help but feel a bit jealous for Akane. In spite of the negative things said about Ranma, Karin could tell that Akane really likes Ranma and he in turn likes her as well, but both couldn't seem to be able to fully express it with each other. Karin wondered dreamily when she'll get meet such a guy in her life.
THUMP THUMPKarin eyes went wide with fright. 'Why did my heart just beat so hard just now? D-
Did it have something to do with what I just thought?' Luckily Akane did not notice Karin's distressful look, as her close friends: Yuka and Sayuri, showed up to greet the Tendo girl.
"Hey Akane, we've been looking all over for you to join us for lunch. Where were you?" asked Sayuri.
"Oh, hey Sayuri, Yuka. I just had lunch with our new classmate here, Karin. Karin these are my two best friends, Yuka and Sayuri.
"Hello, Karin," greeted Yuka.
"So Karin," began Sayuri, "how do you find you first day here, in Furikan High?"
"Hmm, it's generally okay so far, I guess. At first I thought that it was going to be hard for me to adjust here, but Akane was kind enough to befriend me early on."
"Please Karin, you're embarrassing me in front of my friends."
"That's Akane for you," said Yuka, joining in the dialogue. "Always being forward and assertive. We heard that you both met when that creep Kuno tried harass you earlier, is that right Karin?"
"Hm, that's correct. Oh, Ranma also helped…"
"Is this guy bothering you, Karin?"
'What is this I feel about Ranma?'
"Just say what really is your mind and heart!"
'Since that incident he has been on my mind on occasions. Why is that? Is it just a foolish girls wishful infatuation or…'
"I'm sorry. Are you hurt?"
'No! No! No! I mustn't! He's Akane's guy. What would she think if I had such…'
"Speaking of Ranma, isn't that him over there?"
Akane nonchalantly looked in the direction that Sayuri pointed out. "Sadly, yes," she muttered.
"And it look's like his fiancés are there too, including Ukyo," Yuka added.
"Like what I said," Akane's nerves began to twitch. "Sadly, yes."
"Hey isn't that the guy the one who always chases after that Chinese girl?" Sayuri was referring to the young man in white robes and black trousers, not far from them, who was crouching and appeared to by gnawing and shaking a piece of stick between his teeth.
"Mousse." Akane moaned.
"What's he doing?" Yuka wondered. "Does he think he's a dog or something?"
A male student, listening to his mp3 player through earphones, obliviously passed by the identity-confused hidden weapon master. "Man, this latest J-Pop artist rocks!" One of his finger snapping clicks reaches the ears of Dog-Mousse.
"Rrrrha. Rrrrha. Rrr-Phewy! Phewy! Phewy!" Mousse took a deep breath after coughing and spitting out the taste of wood in his mouth. "W-Where am I? What was I doing?" Looking around, his face suddenly brightens. He quickly zips for the object of his desires, grabbing it in his arms. "Shampoo! Shampoo! Please go on a date with me!"
Karin yipped in surprise and mortification as the half blinded Mousse griped her in a bear hug-like embrace, his head snuggling dangerously close to Karin's bosom.
Akane smacked his head, Ukyo-style. "Put on your GLASSES, Mousse!"
The slightly dazed hidden weapon master brought forth his coke bottle spectacles from his robes and put them on.
"Your not Shampoo!"
"Ain't that the obvious," angrily muttered Akane.
"I'm really sorry! It's just that," Mousse unconsciously lifts his glasses to his forehead. "I tend to mistake someone or something as my beloved Shampoo when I don't have my…" Like reflex Mousse strikes out, repeating his hugging antics. "Shampoo!"
"This is me, Mousse, Akane!" She summoned out her infamous mallet. "If you want your Shampoo, she right over there with that two bit, womanizing, gigolo, Ranma!" Akane bats Mousse off, sending him flying toward the direction of his fiancé.
"Karin! Karin! Are you all right? Speak to us, Karin!" Yuka tried to console the blushingly red faced girl, her eyes glazed and somewhat distant.
'That…guy…he touched me…so…' "I've never been SO embarrassed in my entire life!" Karin shouted to the heavens in indignation.
Kodachi pulled on her gymnast's ribbon, tightening the reins on Ranma's bonds. The Black Rose huffed in derision. "Apparently, Akane Tendo and the 'Pigtail Girl' still have a considerable hold in you my love; warping and corrupting your mind and heart with lies and detestation against me."
"The only one whose mind and heart are warped and corrupted is yours, Kodachi!" Ranma tried breaking the bands holding him but they seem hard as steel.
Meanwhile Mousse's silly contorted body came flying over the scene to the much unmindful attention of the four concerned.
Kodachi's features soften, becoming despondent. "It really pains me to hear you say those things, Ranma-sama. But no matter." She opens the bento box she made for him, picking out a piece of ebi (shrimp) fry (which Ranma suspects to be drugged or poisoned) and holding it before his reluctant lips. "Take this and I'll bring to a place where I can make you forget all your worries and concerns. Where no one can bother us; a place where we can be together, forever."
A bonbori and few baker's peels came flying toward the dark ponytail haired gymnast, who anticipated and manages to dodge the incoming missiles by athletically jumping away, narrowly missing Ranma in the process.
"You stay away from Airen you copycatting psycho girl! Shampoo first to thought of giving drugged food to Ranma!"
"I take everything back. You're conceited, petty and above all insane, Kodachi! How dare you even presume that you could have Ranchan all to your self!"
Kodachi smirked at the two girls. "Hmph! I didn't know that you miscreants where even here, eavesdropping on me and Ranma-sama's confession of love."
"WHAT! That's IT, Kodachi! I'm taking you down!"
Ukyo rushed in with her giant spatula followed by a battle ready Shampoo.
"Shampoo not understands word 'miscreants' but sound like psycho girl insulting Shampoo!"
With her Rhythmic Martial Arts Gymnastic training, Kodachi dexterously hops and avoids the two girls onslaughts.
"Very persistent aren't we you hussies. Well at least Ranma-sama's lunch won't go to waste."
Still hanging on to the bento box by her side, Kodachi pulled out three pieces of potato balls from it, each locked between her fingers. "POTATO BALL BOMBS!" she declares, tossing them in a spread and exploding in wide area upon impact!" Both the Chinese Amazon and the Okinomiyaki Chef manages to avoid the brunt of the blasts.
"Aiya! They really are bombs!"
"Look out," warned Ukyo. "She's going to throw another volley!"
As the battle royal between the three fiancés rages, Ranma continued on squirming in his tie, hoping to at least free one his arms, but Kodachi's bindings were firm and tight, unyielding to the efforts of the pigtail martial artist.
"Never fear Ranma-sama! I shall return for you, as soon as I deal with these…'distractions' - that impend our being one and together! Hohohohoho!" Kodachi bounded off while tossing back explosive "foodstuff" ordinance at her pursuers.
"Come back here you!"
"Shampoo will get back at psycho girl!"
"Well Ranma, looks like your tied up a bit at the moment"
Ranma twisted his head toward the one who spoke. Coming in and hovering over his prone and immobile form, was Mousse, his glasses ominously opaque.
"Perhaps I should help," a wicked falchion flashed into his hand, from under his sleeve, an evil grin lining his face from ear to ear. "Cut you out!"
Ranma cursed. 'Great, now I have to deal with a killer frenzy, Mousse, as well!'
Mousse raised the heavy curved sword. "PREPARE TO DIE!"
'I have only one chance.' Ranma saw the bladed weapon descend. He timed the right moment to twist his body to the side causing the falchion to hit the periphery of the ribbon wrappings, slicing them to shreds and finally freeing him. Mousse was caught surprised by this daring move.
"What!"
Flipping into a crouching position, Ranma then executed an upward palm strike hitting Mousse from under the chin. But the spectacled-eyed hidden weapon masters had reacted quickly by jumping up and back, reducing Ranma's strike into a glancing blow.
"I will take more than that to beat me, Saotome Ranma!"
"Are you sure you're all right, Karin?"
Karin nodded to Akane's concern. "Ahum. Who was that weird guy?"
"That was Mousse, Shampoo's childhood friend."
"Oh, the one who followed her here from China, right?" Karin remembered Akane telling her this.
Sounds of explosions jarred the attention of the girls.
"Something terrible is happening over there where Ranma is," worriedly voiced Yuka.
"It looks like the fiancés are at it again. Oh, I'm sorry Akane. I didn't mean…"
"It's okay Sayuri," reassured Akane, calmly smiling. "I understand and I'm not affected, really." 'I just wish those jerks take their issues elsewhere and shoved it…'
"Ranma! Lookout!" It was Karin, her shouted warning unnecessary, and would not have been heard, as Ranma breaks free from his bonds thanks to inadvertent help from his present adversary, Mousse.
Akane, with a surprised expression on her face, looked at Karin then turn toward her embattled fiance. Why was she feeling, for no better word, 'jealous' whenever Karin seems to show signs of interest over Ranma; or is just genuine concern for him? Akane fretfully wondered.
Ranma and Mousse battled in out with each other, hopping from one spot to the next with Ranma trying to talk his out of this and generally trying to avoid Mousse's attacks. But the determined Hidden Weapon Master was relentless and didn't give the pigtail martial artist time to take a breather.
"Why are we exactly doing 'this', Mousse?" asked Ranma, jumping out at the last second from a bunch throwing knives that get to embed on the area he was on.
"Don't mess with me, Saotome!" Mousse followed Ranma into the air, exchanging several blows with him in mid-flight. "You know exactly why!"
"I must have missed 60 Minutes. No, tell me exactly!" Ranma surprised Mousse with a sweeping kick to the side, sending him painfully hurtling to the ground.
"Y-You! You, Ranma! You're the reason! As long as you're around, Shampoo will never be mine!"
'What's with everybody lately? Always mine this; Mine that; ALL MINE! Are they all developing a "possessiveness" complex? "Look Mousse, for the nth time, there is nothing between Shampoo and me! If you really like her you have to be more assertive, show that you're serious for her," 'Yeah, right. Like I've been like that to Akane lately.' "And for pete sake, keep your glasses on!"
"No…" dejectedly uttered Mouse. "You very well know that will never happen. No matter what I do, no matter how mush I profess my true feelings and love for Shampoo she'll always want you, Saotome…because you're there…Therefore…therefore…I MUST RID OF YOU in any way I can! No matter what!" Mousse leaps high into the air. "SCYTHES OF SORROW!" Mousse brings out a pair of scythe-type blades, from each sleeve, and throws them down at the stationary martial artist.
Predictably Ranma jumps up to avoid them, just in time to see a third whirling blade coming at him out of nowhere. Ranma cursed and tried to evade it, just barely. It struck him on his right arm, a couple of inches below the shoulder. "Ahhh!"
"Ranma!"
Ranma thought he heard someone call his name. He lands crouching, grimacing in pain and grasping his profusely bleeding arm.
"I've got you NOW Saotome! TAKEZUME KEN (Hawk's Talon)!" Mousse dived in for the kill, with metal claws that seem to spring out of his sandaled feet.
"Karin!"
Ranma had only a few seconds but it was enough. Turning to sound of the girl's name, Ranma indeed saw Karin several yards from him, standing like a stupid statue and looking at him strangely, with a Scythe of Sorrow arcing it way toward her. Looking to his other side, Mousse's clawed legs were less than two feet from him. Throwing all worries, Ranma spreads his arms forming into an irregular human T, with one aim for Mousse and the other at Karin's direction.
DOUBLE MOKO TAKABISHA! REVISED ATTACK! SPLIT STRIKE!
"Ranma!" cried out Karin, seeing him fall with a bleeding arm to ground, hisdripping bloodforming intosplotches on the pavement.
THUMP THUMP
'His blood.'
THUMP THUMP
'His pain.'
THUMP THUMP
'Why are these so…attractive?'
"Karin!"
Karin lethargically faced the one who called her. 'Why are Akane and the others on the ground?'
Akane had forced Sayuri and Yuka to duck for cover when one of Mousse's bladed boomerangs flied in deathly close by. Remembering Karin, she called on the girl to do the same only to see her standing there on her spot, frozen with fear perhaps. She then saw the incoming blade that was sure to hit her. Akane had only moments to act as she quickly stood up to rush the girl.
Akane was trying to say something to Karin, but the purple haired girl couldn't hear well with all the blood rushing within her and the beating of her heart, making her all but deaf. She eventually somewhat understood Akane's expression by looking in time to see a rapid spinning blade flying toward her.
"No…NOOOOO!"
Karin's entire world turned to white.
