Chapter #2: No Need For Packing.
Tenchi was up before his alarm clock went off. He didn't bother trying to get more sleep as he was already wide awake. Then again, he had been that way for most of the night. He reached over and switched off his alarm. After that, he rolled over on his back and scanned the room for Ryoko. After being unable to see her head poking out of something, he sighed in relief. Sometimes she watched him while he slept, but today was different. That habit bothered him immensely, even though he had only caught her doing it three times. As far as he knew, she still looked in on him occasionally. Thankfully she was usually quiet enough to not disturb him
He found himself thinking of the events that had transpired during the previous evening. The way Ayeka had won against Ryoko wasn't typical of their repetitive conflicts and how badly Ryoko had been injured from both the fall and taking a bolt of energy directly beneath her chest was unsettling. Usually the fights between those two ended in exhaustion, but this time it had ended with injury. Washu took Ryoko to her lab for examination and had her strip down to her undergarments. Mihoshi had also been present at the time and was kicked out when she started pointing to certain parts of Ryoko's body and asking what was what. Her naive questions about Ryoko, which consisted primarily of how she could stand up straight with breasts so large, were not received well.
Washu found a large bruise on Ryoko's back and minor burns decorated her whole body. A bright red circle formed where the ball of heat had hit her. She also had received several cuts from the broken glass. Other than that and a couple of other minor injuries, Ryoko was fine. Washu was relieved to see that none of her wounds were very serious. She healed all of them quickly. Washu gave Ryoko a special blue salve to rub on the burn beneath her chest. The cream made the embarrassing scar disappear overnight.
Only one section of Katsuhito's office had been damaged. The repairs would probably take two weeks if they worked quickly. It wasn't as complicated as trying to save the royal family of Jerai, but that didn't stop it from being a bother. Tenchi threw back the covers of his bed and stood to stretch. He knew it was yet another day in the Masaki home and something was going to happen sooner or later that would make things interesting. That couldn't be avoided. He heard the sound of two people playing pool nearby and went out to investigate. Ryoko was standing in a corner a few feet from the table. She had dressed differently today and was holding a silver cue stick over her shoulder.
She was wearing a pair of jeans and a white T Shirt with socks covering her feet. It wasn't the typical Japanese kimono he was used to seeing, but it still looked good. Then again, no matter how she dressed herself or how her hair was, Ryoko always seemed to look good. The same went for Ayeka. They were lucky to have figures like that. Sasami appeared to be Ryoko's opponent for the current game and was carefully aiming for the eight ball. Tenchi blinked to make sure he was seeing correctly. Sasami had never really played the game before and yet she was still winning against Ryoko, who was probably quite familiar with pool.
Sasami hit the cue ball smoothly and it sailed toward the eight ball, neatly knocking it into the side pocket she was aiming for. Just like that, she had effectively beat Ryoko at the game by a wide margin. There were about three solids left on the table. Sasami had been playing as stripes. Tenchi remained unnoticed and waited to observe what would happen next. Ryoko wasn't very good at losing a game decently, even if she happened to play poorly most of the time. Instead of flipping out, Ryoko merely closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Sasami looked worried.
"Very good." Ryoko congratulated her.
"Was I not supposed to beat you?" Sasami asked. "Please don't get angry."
"Don't worry about that, I. . .wait a second. Get angry?" Ryoko asked, shocked. "What gave you that indication?"
"Well, I kind of sort of read your police report when I was bored one evening." Sasami began explaining.
"You got that from Kiyone, didn't you?" Ryoko asked, narrowing her eyes.
Sasami nodded.
"Were you impressed?"
"Impressed? More like horrified!" Sasami admitted. "It's a good thing you've changed, Ryoko. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so easy to hang around with."
"Oh, that depends on who you ask." Ryoko said stubbornly, checking her nails. "But when have I ever gotten angry with you?"
"You haven't." Sasami said.
"Then why were you afraid that I'd be mad at you for winning?"
"Because of the claims several casino's filed against you."
Ryoko chuckled a little, remembering some of the more frightening times when she lost her temper gambling. One of them included ripping a Kino wheel off of a wall just so she could take something away from her loss. When security tried to stop her, she pushed past them while ignoring all their threats. Things looked good until they discovered she was that Ryoko. After that, she was forced to use her Kino wheel to deflect all the gunshots. When her makeshift shield began to fail, she rolled it towards her pursuers and took out a couple of them. Shortly after that she slipped out and sped away in Ryo-Ohki, but not before taking away more money than she had legally won to compensate for the "emotional damage" the institution had caused her.
Those were the days. Ryoko sighed wistfully.
"Don't worry about it, Sasami." Ryoko advised. "Losing is a part of life and I guess I have to get use to it."
Sasami didn't say anything, but she expected more of an answer. Ryoko rolled her eyes and gave one.
"I should learn to lose so I don't rip all the sinks out of the girl's bathroom because I bet on the wrong number during a game of roulette."
Sasami's expression didn't change.
". . .shortly before I run off with a bag of stolen money and a couple of sinks because they have diamonds in them and just so happen to have been hand cut out of obsidian." Ryoko finished quickly.
Sasami smiled and nodded.
"There. I said it." Ryoko stated. "Do you want to play another game?"
"Yeah." Sasami said.
"Then rack up the balls like I showed you and this time I get first shot."
Ryoko helped Sasami gather the balls out of the pocket. She rolled the balls Sasami missed as the young princess began arranging them carefully. Ryoko stood at the other end of the table and Sasami rolled her the cue ball. As she was aiming for a good break, Ayeka appeared and stood at the other end of the table across from Ryoko.
"Sasami, why are you around Ryoko?" Ayeka demanded evenly.
"I was teaching her how to lie, but we decided to quit early and play a game of pool." Ryoko muttered. "Isn't that right, Sasami?"
"Shh!" Sasami whispered desperately. "She might take you seriously!"
"Sasami, is it true? Is Ryoko teaching you how to lie?" Ayeka asked.
"No, of course not!" Sasami said honestly.
Ayeka blinked, somewhat doubtful. Ryoko nearly grinned ear to ear.
"It's the truth!" Sasami insisted.
"I'm just joking." Ryoko said while chuckling. "Think about it for a minute, Ayeka. Do you really think I could corrupt Sasami even if I tried?"
Sasami waited eagerly for Ayeka's answer.
"No, I suppose you couldn't."
Sasami sighed in relief. Ryoko aimed low on the cue ball and hit it with enough force to send it sailing right for Ayeka's chest. Ayeka prepared to catch the ball but an inch before it got within her grasp; Katsuhito grabbed it out of the air and gently placed it on the table. Everyone gasped at once in admiration of his speed and the fact that they had failed to notice him enter the room. He slowly looked over at Ryoko, silently demanding an explanation. Ryoko walked over to Sasami, still managing to keep a smile on her face.
"Sasami, that's not how we hit the cue ball, okay?" Ryoko explained. She then slapped Sasami on the back a few times. "So don't you do that!"
"What are you talking about?" Sasami asked in an unsteady tone since Ryoko's nervous blows took the air out of her.
"Play along!" Ryoko growled.
"Yeah!" Sasami stated timidly. "How about that, huh? Can't win a match with moves like those, now can we?"
"Nope!" Ryoko answered.
Tenchi felt the situation getting thicker and decided to intervene before things got out of hand.
"Good morning!" Tenchi boomed, walking into the room. "Let's try to keep it that way, right guys?"
Everyone looked at him as he entered the game room. He expected a greeting, but nobody said anything. Tenchi became confused. Ryoko had a smug expression on her face, Ayeka was blushing deep red, Sasami was covering her eyes with one hand, and Katsuhito was looking old, which was nothing new to him. That's when Tenchi realized that he was only wearing boxers. He turned around and quickly ambled back toward the spare room and dove into the available wardrobe, all the while muttering to himself that they all had overreacted. Tenchi found a pair of pants and slipped them on. He then walked back into the game room just as Katsuhito cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"Ryoko, what do you think will happen if you do something like that again?" Katsuhito asked dangerously.
"You'll take out my knee cap?" Ryoko said while poking her forefingers together timidly.
He chose not to answer. That would intimidate her and keep her quiet. Damn, was he ever good at doing stuff like that. Katsuhito turned his attention to Sasami.
"Did you make breakfast today, Sasami?"
"Yes, but I put it in the refrigerator. I got up early this morning so that I could make it and play pool."
"I see." Katsuhito said while nodding to himself.
Katsuhito turned to leave but just before he did, the shinto priest faced the group once more.
"I almost forgot. I have an announcement to make." he said lightly. "I think that it's about time we have another vacation. Maybe we should go camping. I know of a campsite that's only a few hours away that is supposed to be really nice. Tell me how you feel about the idea a little later."
"But what about the shrine repairs?" Ayeka asked.
"Washu finished them already." Katsuhito said while leaving. "I chose not to ask how."
"I wouldn't have either." Ryoko said to herself.
Tenchi thought over Katsuhito's proposal. It sounded fun enough. He'd have a few days in the middle of nature with nothing to bother him except for. . .Ryoko. Suddenly the camping idea didn't sound as appealing as it had before he considered her. He could already hear her telling him that it was time to get back to nature by opening up an age old instinct. What better place to do it than in the seclusion of a forest? It was so natural.
"Camping?" Ryoko said in a disgusted tone, bringing the topic at hand. "Yuck. Sleep amongst the slugs? No thanks."
Apparently Tenchi had read her wrong. One possible way to seduce him was gone, but there had to be many others that he had not even begun to consider. Sometimes he wished she was more predictable like Ayeka or Sasami. They both were probably intrigued by the idea.
"I think it sounds kind of fun." Sasami offered honestly.
"It most certainly does." Ayeka agreed.
I'm so good, Tenchi thought sarcastically, which was exactly what Ryoko was thinking because she had thought the same thing about those two.
"I thought we were playing pool, Sasami." Ryoko said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. Go ahead and shoot, I'm ready."
Ryoko took aim and hit the cue ball hard, sending it straight for the cluster of balls. The contact emitted a loud crack, causing them all to scatter violently. She managed to sink two solids during the break. She nodded her head at Sasami, letting her know the game was on. Ryoko aligned her next shot. Ayeka watched her as she did so and smiled when she came up with a way to distract Ryoko.
"Ryoko, do you remember what happened during our last family trip?"
She completely missed the ball and scratched the felt of the table. Sasami began trembling violently.
"I do." Sasami said in a tiny voice.
"Ancient history, Ayeka." Ryoko snapped.
"Let's see, that was right after Tenchi managed to defeat Kagato."
"Oh, no!" Sasami wailed, remembering what had happened. Tears began to form in her eyes. "That was on intergalactic television. They had to censor our faces to hide our identities."
Everyone stood silent, recalling the terrible event. Sasami was taking the memory badly, probably because of the fact that she had been traumatized for about two weeks after it had occurred.
"It wasn't my fault." Ryoko said as she hit the cue ball, knocking a solid into the middle pocket on the right hand side. "I stood up and asked. Nobody said a word. Things just kind of took off from there, I guess you could say."
"Common sense should have dictated that you would have done better to rethink your decision before actually going through with it." Ayeka retorted.
"Whoopsies." Ryoko said innocently. "I think Tenchi might have enjoyed it."
"I can't remember a single time in my life when I was more afraid of anything else." Tenchi muttered darkly. "Let's just forget about it. Somehow we all managed to get away with it."
"But what an adventure it was. . ." Ryoko said happily.
"It was not!" Sasami insisted, crying softly. "Why did I have to go ahead first?"
"Because nobody else would have fit in there." Ryoko said.
She sighed, knelt down, and gave Sasami a hug.
"Just be glad it's all over, alright?" Ryoko said. "And it certainly will never happen again."
"Especially now that there's a federal law against it." Ayeka mumbled.
"It was illegal to begin with." Sasami added a little more calmly. "Just not on that level."
"The issue at hand here. . ." Tenchi inserted loudly before dropping his tone to a normal level. "Is whether or not to go camping. I can't imagine how we managed to stir up that old coal. Anyway, I have to agree with Ayeka and Sasami. It sounds like it might be fun."
"So long as a certain someone behaves." Ayeka said, smiling.
"I can only give you so much rope before I run out, Ayeka." Ryoko threatened.
"Come on, Ayeka. Ryoko's a little bit better now." Sasami said. "I'm sure she'll be good. Right?"
She smiled and tried putting on a face Ryoko couldn't resist, which was a wasted effort. Ryoko wasn't easily swayed by bribes of that caliber. In fact, Ryoko hadn't even begun to think of causing any mischief. It mostly came to her through improvisation. She wouldn't tell them that, though.
"Some people wouldn't mind or be so concerned with my behavior, Sasami." Ryoko said, knocking another solid in. "Try to keep that in mind."
Ayeka opened her mouth to counter that but Ryoko whirled around and raised a finger in warning.
"Don't." Ryoko said simply.
The princess closed her mouth tightly and glared at Ryoko, who realized that the vote was now three to one against her. They'd probably wind up taking her even if she didn't want to go, but asking otherwise wouldn't hurt.
"If you guys go, can I just stay here?" Ryoko asked.
"You must be joking!" Ayeka declared.
"I don't think so." Tenchi said in the nicest way he could.
"What's the matter? You two don't trust me enough to watch over the house while everyone else is gone?
"No, I didn't say that." Tenchi explained carefully.
She sighed.
"Fine, whatever. Tenchi, do you really think this is a nice idea? It doesn't sound very fun to me." Ryoko said.
"I'm sure it would be a nice experience."
"If that's how you really feel about it, then I guess I'll go as well." Ryoko concluded.
"Hook, line and sinker." Sasami said to herself, rolling her eyes.
Tenchi blinked and looked over at Sasami, surprised at her sudden show of caustic wit.
"Well, I'm glad that's settled." Tenchi said. "I guess I'll go let grandpa know what we think about his idea."
When Tenchi left, the atmosphere in the room was still tense, but neither Ayeka or Ryoko made a move while Sasami continued the game of pool. During that game some of the very best glares were exchanged between the two enemies while Sasami stood in the midst of it all feeling as though she was walking on egg shells and hoping this little contest between her sister and Ryoko wouldn't end in violence.
X
After everyone had agreed on going camping, they spent a week gathering a lot of necessary supplies. On the evening before the departure, Katsuhito instructed everyone to begin packing their own possessions. Due to the limited space of Nobuyuki's van after packing what really mattered, only one backpack per person was allowed. Katsuhito suggested bringing along two extra sets of clothing and whatever miscellaneous items they usually used for entertainment. The site where Katsuhito intended to take them was about two hours away. He claimed it would be a peaceful place that they would enjoy thoroughly so long as they chose to view it that way. Tenchi thought the trip might have something to do with his training in meditation. So far it had been going well. If he could get into the correct state of mind, nothing troubled him. This allowed him to think rationally and calmly about issues that normally bothered him, which was highly useful. Katsuhito claimed that he could do it all the time, which wasn't surprising. Tenchi wasn't quite at that level yet and could only concentrate seriously when he was in the proper mood.
Whether or not the trip had anything to do with his never-ending abundance of lessons hardly mattered at the moment. Tenchi was figuring out what he wanted to bring along. So far he had picked out some clothing that breathed well and fit loose. He was the last family member to go through this process. Even Ryoko had finished packing before he had started. She had stuffed so many things into her backpack that the fabric was tearing and some of her personal effects were nearly bursting out of the pack. Ryoko managed to fit about three packs worth of stuff into the one she had been given. Half of her bag was full of clothes that she had managed to meticulously fold into their smallest possible size.
For the purpose of entertainment she was taking along a few books and a Gameboy Advance SP. She wasn't willing to find out how long she could last without some of the comforts of home at her disposal. Unfortunately for Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko was also bringing along the small wet suit she used whenever she felt like fishing at the expense of her pet. Tenchi saw her use it more than once and giving her a lecture on how cruel it was didn't stop her from doing it. As for Ayeka and Sasami, they both carefully picked out clothing that would help them blend in with the colors of the forest. They figured this would make them appear more attractive. Tenchi thought it was a waste of time.
Kiyone and Mihoshi were probably not going to be able to come along due to their jobs. They both had already doubled up on the regular amount of sick day's and they could not afford to miss work again unless they got permission from their boss, which would take a miracle. If they could manage to join the fun, they would come along in their own car. Well, it actually wasn't so much theirs as it was Kiyone's since she knew that if Mihoshi drove it the vehicle wouldn't last very long. If there was someone who had a real problem about going along, it was Washu. Tenchi had spoken with the scientist earlier, who stated that she would rather not go along with them as she saw a bloody mess at the end of the whole trip and it just happened to be her. After a little persuasion the greatest scientific genius in the universe had been swayed under one condition: She would set up camp one mile south of where Katsuhito decided to pitch.
The equipment she was taking along with her was highly interesting. Washu owned one of those special backpacks that defied the laws of physics. It allowed her to store an unlimited amount of junk in a slice of infinite space that was reserved for the survival supplies and whatever else she wanted to stuff it with. She didn't feel like sharing with anyone, which was good because it forced Ryoko to pack only what she couldn't leave behind. One item Washu was bringing along with her was a TV that had the ability to tune in whatever channel was requested of it regardless of whether the station was available on Earth or not. In addition to running on a limitless energy cell, it was also programmed with an advanced AI that allowed it to communicate. She was bringing two since she figured Ryoko would need one to keep herself occupied.
Washu was also supplying the tents, which she had constructed herself. They functioned a lot like an inflatable raft. Normally they resembled a small pillow with a ripcord, but while in use they were veritable shelters. Looks could be deceiving. Washu had personally tested them to ensure they would be comfortable and protective. That meant nothing to anyone else but her. They usually gave her the benefit of the doubt, though. Once Tenchi had finished packing all of his personal items, he headed outside toward the van so he could throw his backpack in with the rest. Ryoko was already doing the same thing and appeared to be having some trouble. Her pack had been stretched to twice it's original size and was tearing in several places. The Gameboy she packed slid out from one of the holes as she forced her pack to fit, but Ryoko caught it just before it hit the ground. She wasn't feeling daring enough to unzip the pack so she slid the portable gaming system into the same hole it had fallen out of.
"Are you okay?" Tenchi asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
Ryoko nodded without looking at him, still trying to shove her pack in.
"It doesn't look like there's any room left at all." Tenchi said.
"Very good observation, Tenchi." Ryoko muttered.
"Let me see if I can get it to fit in with the rest." Tenchi offered.
Ryoko stepped aside and handed him her pack. He hadn't expected it to be quite so heavy. Tenchi faltered and dropped the bag, which slammed into the dirt with enough force to leave an impression. Tenchi let the pack sink deeper into the dirt while he examined the cargo area of the van. All the satchels and containers were laid out in such a way that suggested they had simply been thrown in at random, hence the reason Ryoko couldn't find a spot for her pack. Tenchi began arranging everything in a more organized fashion.
"Nice evening, isn't it?" Ryoko asked him.
"Sort of." Tenchi responded. "Are you excited about the trip?"
"Oh, I'm thrilled." Ryoko said sarcastically. "At least it's something new."
"Well, I can't argue with that." Tenchi said.
Tenchi lined up all the bags and stuck Ryoko's alongside his. He nodded, pleased with the result and closed the cargo door.
"I'm slightly worried. I hope there aren't any rowdy campers around when we arrive." She looked at him, seeing that she had caught his interest.
"Why? Because they attract wild animals?"
"Well, usually they're the first to die in a bear attack, but if you ever watch the late show, you know what I'm talking about." Ryoko explained. "Mostly they're college students with to much time on their hands. Kind of like us."
"True. Well, we'd better go get some rest. We leave tomorrow, after all." Tenchi said.
"Sure." Ryoko said, smiling slightly. "No staying up late for me tonight. And just you watch. No matter how much sleep I get, I still won't be awake in the morning."
"At least you're trying."
Ryoko smiled slightly and then teleported out of the area. Before heading inside, Tenchi made sure that all the doors on the van were locked. Like Ryoko, he was going to try and get plenty of rest before the trip so he retired early that night. Just out of curiosity, he silently checked in on Ryoko before he went to bed. She was already asleep.
X
"Wakie wakie, sleepy head!" a highly irritating voice boomed and repeated, digging itself into a deeper grave as it did.
Ryoko's fist came down hard on the alarm clock because it woke her up so early, even though she had set it to do that. The enthusiastic voice was cut off in the middle of its glee and fell to the floor, broken in many places. At least it died happy. Besides, it was nothing that Washu couldn't fix. This device known as an alarm clock had rarely been used by Ryoko, who had to carefully read the instruction booklet in order to grasp a full understanding of its chronological purposes. If she had known this particular model talked when it rang she wouldn't have bought it. At least it wasn't a major loss. She groaned painfully, trying to fight off the sweet temptation to sleep an extra twenty minutes.
It took a lot of will power to get out of bed, but she managed. Ryoko stumbled toward her closet, where she quickly retrieved some conventional clothing she'd set out the other evening before going to bed. She found herself thinking about Tenchi as she dressed. So far things were looking good for her. That's how she saw the situation. It was important to keep a positive outlook on fragile matters such as a relationship. She still wanted to hear Tenchi express his feelings for her just so her assumptions could be confirmed and they could hopefully move on to the next step. Yesterday she had planned on luring him into that touchy topic, but ultimately decided against it. The moment didn't feel quite right and she wasn't desperate enough to risk upsetting him. Some things just took time. Bank heists and safe cracking came to mind, but those were well in the past and nearly out of her everyday life, although Ryoko liked remembering them and mentally going over the necessary steps for carrying out such activities.
In any case, her goal was so close and yet so far away. Ryoko thought it was horribly stereotypical. Realizing that these thoughts would spawn into about five hours worth of soul searching, she pulled the plug before her introspection got out of hand. The moment she did, Sasami entered the room. Ryoko was in the process of putting her shirt on and wondering why it had suddenly gotten so tight. She made a note to cut back on cookies for the next two weeks.
"You're ten minutes late, Ryoko." Sasami said.
"Crap, I must have forgotten to adjust for daylight savings time."
"Ryoko, that's an American practice." Sasami said slowly, rolling her eyes. "Besides, if that were the case, you'd be over an hour late."
"I'm almost done." Ryoko insisted, finally managing to get her shirt on properly.
She had dressed in a pair of cut-off jeans with a dark green shirt. Ryoko fished through her drawers and snatched three bracelets which she snapped around her right wrist for the sake of adding some attractive accessories.
"Does this look alright?" Ryoko asked Sasami, giving her a basic pose.
"It might upset Ayeka." Sasami said bluntly, referring to the tight shirt. "Let's go. If you're still tired, you should be able to sleep along the way."
Ryoko and Sasami hurried to the van outside. Sasami stopped to lock the front entrance of the house as well as the gate. As Ryoko was approaching the van, the door to the back seat swung open. Tenchi was holding it open for her. Her initial joy of being able to sit with him throughout the duration of the trip was cut short when she saw Ayeka on the other side of him. Ryoko didn't let her disappointment show and briefly admired the strategic value of this set-up. Having Tenchi directly in-between her and Ayeka would decrease the chance of a fight, as they usually didn't prefer to get Tenchi involved. He was the only exception. They didn't bother considering anyone or anything else.
Ayeka was reading Dating For Complete Idiot's andappeared rather bored with the guide. Ryoko blinked, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. She clearly remembered burning that book. Nobuyuki had probably bought another copy. Ryoko got inside the van, appreciating the leg room she soon discovered. The van wasn't as cramped as it appeared to be on the outside. Sasami got in through a different door and sat directly in front of Ryoko. Washu was beside her, snoozing with Ryo-Ohki on her lap. Katsuhito and Nobuyuki were in the front seat. Nobuyuki was at the wheel while Katsuhito was there to give directions. All of them were dressed more suitably for hiking than Ryoko was. After noticing this, she wished she would have packed differently.
"All aboard that's coming aboard?" Nobuyuki asked, grinning at his weak humor.
Katsuhito turned around and counted everyone. He gave Nobuyuki a nod. The van started and they were off. It was odd how quickly some things got rolling when the preparations were so time consuming. Besides Mihoshi and Kiyone, the only other two family members absent from the vehicle were Azaka and Kamidake. Both versions of them. They were staying behind to guard the house. Ryoko snickered at the thought of some thief breaking in with them on duty. The beating they'd bestow on the poor fool would be truly epic.
An array of small talk commenced, but Ryoko didn't say anything. She began searching her clothes for her Gameboy Advance when she suddenly realized that not only did her clothes not have pockets, she'd packed the portable game player in the storage area, which was quite full at the moment. She was directly behind the bundle of backpacks, so she reached around and quickly found hers. Ryoko easily pulled the Gameboy out of the torn slit it had fallen from the other evening. She knew the holes would come in handy. Inside the cartridge bay was Breath Of Fire 2, an oldy but goody she'd never managed to beat. She quickly became absorbed in saving the world while everyone else socialized.
End of Chapter #2