Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 24 January.
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and is used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.
"Suspended Footwear Is A Bad Thing"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'
He'd never before had a day where he was tempted to invoke Murphy's Law, but that day had finally came. He didn't like days that were the 'calm before the storm', he much preferred the days when things were already crazy and he was caught in the middle of them - there was never that feeling of dread and impending doom where one had to wonder what was coming. This was the third quiet day in a row, though, and it was beginning to wear on his nerves. The first day was just uncomfortable, the second had put him on edge, today he was walking around on the proverbial eggshells, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Even person he saw, he watched carefully, wondering if they'd be the one to initiate events and return the missing craziness to his life.
It didn't help that the people he could normally count on to get things started with a shouted death threat and an attack seemed to be avoiding him. It was enough to leave him fuming almost, the one time he actually wanted them to pull that stunt and they were nowhere to be seen. Even the most short-tempered person he knew wasn't willing to throw a punch at him for some reason, they just turned up their nose and walked away in a huff. It just wasn't right; there were supposed to be love-crazed suitors after both of them, death threats and attacks, ancient magic artifacts and curses...
He hadn't even been affected by an unexpected splash of water in three days - he knew he was still cursed, he had tested it - it was like the universe had looked at itself and said, 'Ok, Saotome's just not entertaining anymore... Who's next on the list?' He could handle all the insanity, but if this was what a normal life was supposed to be like, he wasn't sure he'd be able to take it much longer. If something didn't happen soon, he didn't know what he was going to do...