Noir et Bleu
(or Black and Blue)
A Ranma ½ and Noir Continuance
This little fic is set ten years after the end of Ranma, and just after the end of Noir. Don't know what Noir is? There's info down at the bottom that will give you enough info to get into it. I've tried not to make specific reference to any events that will spoil the end of Noir for those of you who haven't seen it. I'll also fill in some background so people who haven't seen Noir can understand things anyway.
The rating is for violence, occasional swearing, and angsty-ness not 'adult' themes. If I miss on any of the technical details in the fic, especially with regard to firearms, please let me know. I don't have any personal experience with them, but I did do some research before I started writing so I think I should be able to avoid any total howlers.
The overall tone will be darker than Ranma, but similar to Noir.
Noir is set in 2010, so when this fic starts, it's 2011.
I don't own either series, etc.
Chapter 1 – Sayonara
I was just sitting around at my desk, filling out a bit of paperwork when the call came through to head to the Captain's office. I levered myself out of my chair, feeling every second of my 26 years, and another ten or twenty on top of that. Does that not sound that old to you? When you live the life that I do, it's a damn long time. Especially after last night, when that hotshot street fighter punk got himself set up to challenge me to see what I had. I was still feeling a couple bruises from that one. Sometimes it's real hard to take people down without hurting them too bad, and without doing anything that's going to make everyone look at you like you're some sort of freak.
So I pulled my jacket off the back of the chair and headed off to see what the Cap wanted. Yeah, I'm a police officer; detective Saotome at your service and all that. I'm kept around here to handle all the weird stuff that nobody else wants to deal with or think about. That, and some really scary shit that nobody else can deal with. I guess this little visit is about a new partner, since I lost my last one when I was dealing with those crazy guys who set themselves up in the top two floors of a hotel thinking they were the new incarnation of the ancient middle eastern assassin's cult. Or something like that; I was never one hundred percent clear what they were talking about.
Anyway, I don't figure they'll get many volunteers for the job. I've had more than my fair share of turnover really. Some can't deal with all the nutcases I have to deal with between big jobs when everyone's shovelling crap onto my desk. Like Shingo, who was really good up until we had to deal with that crazy old fruit-fist master. I hear he still can't sit in a room with a pear in it for too long.
Of course, there's some who can't deal with me turning into a chick. Some prefer me as a chick, and end up with broken arms and the like after they get too friendly. Some of them figure they can keep up with me when I tell them to stay low. I try and tell them that nothing kills better than a bullet, even if we don't see that many guns here in Japan, but some of them don't listen. Of course, a poisoned bullet kills better, but I only ran into one guy who used those. Whatever the case, none of them hang around for too long. My curse gets to all of them eventually.
Naw, now don't get me wrong, the whole water, man and woman deal is only part of the problem. I mean the other one. The one where it's the ramen joint I go to that the armed robbers try to knock off. The one where the old guy who saw the thief is the local Yakuza Obayan. The one where most of the people I meet either want to kill me, lay me, or sometimes both. Who wants to put up with being dragged into that sort of crap all the time? And recently I gotta say things have been spiralling more and more out of control, and becoming more and more violent.
I haven't gotten away from it, and I haven't met anyone who wants to hang around and enjoy the fun along with me. Over time I've ended up with a bit of a reputation as well. When you end up in the sort of situations I do as many times as I have, people are bound to start asking whether the police are really still around to protect people's lives and keep the peace. Keep the peace? Feh. Welcome to my life, folks. The 'Ran' kanji in my name can be read as 'chaos', and I figure it's there for a reason; some sorta cosmic coincidence or something like that.
The Panda eventually got too old. Hell, it's tiring for me, and he couldn't take it no more. It conflicted with Mom's sense of normalcy too much, and her ideas of what was manly and what wasn't conflicted too much with mine. As much as it hurts, I don't see her that often. Nabiki and Kasumi got the hell away when they could, although Nabs pays a visit every once in a while just for the thrill. Cologne eventually figured that she didn't want my blood in the tribe after all, if this was what happened to me. Or at least that's what I figure. The old bat dragged the other two off about seven years ago, and I haven't heard from any of them since. Most of the others just drifted away, sucked off into a turbulent eddy of my passing, and settled down when they found themselves far away from me, and liking the quiet. Ukyo was like that, and I can't blame her at all. I hear Hoikkaido is real nice this time of year.
Akane( well, we're friends now, but she's the one person I want away from me. Most of the others, I couldn't care less, but it's not safe near me, and if there's anything I want it's for her to be safe. For a long time I thought I could protect her by throwing myself in the way of everything near her, but what's the chance that I'll be able throw myself in the way of everything, for ever? Zero, and we both know it. So I head over and talk with her when I can get away. I teach a couple lessons in her dojo once in a while. I make her other guys jealous, because after all this time, we're closer than... well I'm closer to her than anyone else.
A couple of times we've found ourselves meeting up more and more, and doing stuff together more and more. Getting sucked towards each other by history we share with each other that nobody else can understand. And then I run, because I don't want her to be dragged back in and just like she let me know two years ago, she doesn't want to be part of what's happening in my life now anyway.
Don't get me wrong, she's not a weak girl or nothing. It's nothing to do with strength, or being brave, or being emotional, or anything like that at all. It's because of what life has made me do and what I'll probably have to keep doing. Maybe more importantly, it's what I've been changed into by what I've done. So for now I just have to keep on going. Live in the moment. Anyway, so because of all of that and more I suppose, I'm walking down to the Captain's office to get myself a new partner.
Two hours later, I'm walking out back to my desk with my head spinning a bit. Even for me, this is a strange one. No new partner. Just one hell of a new assignment. So now I've got a week to get my stuff together, and get to Paris. As in France. And the only French I speak has to do with food, and the only reason I knew that was because of that crazy French guy Piccolette and his martial arts eating challenge. At least I think that's what his name was.
So I wander back to my desk, saying goodbye to the people I want to as I head past them. Not too many of those in the department even now, but there's a few people who've put up with me and my crazy cases better than most. I grab some of my personal stuff off my desk, and leave it with all the clutter and paper left on it. If they want to, they can deal with it while I'm away, 'cause I sure as hell ain't gonna do it for them. So I wave goodbye, and head out the door. Three hours later, after I've dealt with a bit of other business, I'm standing outside the dojo waiting for Akane to finish her lessons for the day.
My pops and Mr. Tendo are there, sitting around, playing Go as usual. They don't say anything, and neither do I. They still figure that there's a chance that I'll get together with Akane sometime, but they've learnt not to even mention it anymore. It's the tail end of summer but it's still a pretty warm day, so I lean up against the wooden wall of the dojo, feeling the grain of its wood on my back, the early summer sun on my face, and the grass underneath my feet. I have to admit that it feels good. Sorta like coming home to something. Listening to the Kiai of the students in the dojo behind me, I can almost imagine that I'm back to being sixteen, and I'm free of the pain and weariness that life has brought me since. Adventure is fine to face when there's people to face it with you. If nobody else is interested, then you have to face it by yourself, again and again and again. Sometimes, just once in a while you understand, when I'm lying on my back alone in my craphole apartment at night I wonder if it would just be easier to catch a bullet, instead of dodging them all the time. But that would be like giving up in the middle of a fight, and if there's one thing that I'd never, never do, it's that.
The students exit the dojo beside me, some of them pointing and snickering at me. I never was really respectable, and now I suppose I look like a cheap hood except for the badge hanging on my belt. A policeman's salary won't buy you nice suits, especially considering just how many I wreck. Ah well. I wait for a couple minutes to give Akane a chance to clean up a bit, and then poke my head around the corner of the door to see how she's doing. Of course, the pail of dirty water she was mopping over the floor hits me right in the face, and suddenly I'm standing there in a wet suit that's way too big for me, and a mop of messy red hair that plasters itself all over my face. My girl side just doesn't like hair as short as my guy side has so it changes length every time I switch forms. It freaked me out for a while when it first happened, but then I suddenly realised that growing three extra inches of hair is nothing compared to growing breasts. Akane giggles, and my heart warms up when I hear it. Gods, sometimes it just feels too good to be around her.
Later when the sun's gone down, Akane and I are in the kitchen together making dinner. She's in something nice, and with the apron on, she makes me think a bit of Kasumi. Not as good a cook of course, but I'm not gonna say anything about that. I'm wearing some cast offs of hers. I mean, I'm still smaller than her when I'm in girl form, even though I've grown a bit. Thank the Gods my girl side grew taller, but not any chestier than I was. It's hard enough dealing with all that weight out there as it is. So why am I still a girl? Well, sometimes it's just easier to be around Akane that way. I don't ever find myself standing close to her, with her looking up at me with a grin on her face that she only gives me, fighting the urge to wrap my arms around her and bury my nose in the hair on top of her head.
I know you're wondering, am I still that crazy about her? Sometimes I think yes, sometimes I think no. But what's most important is that she isn't that mad about me, so I gotta respect that and give her some space. I mean, I know she's dated other guys sometimes. Of course I've dated too, but really only a couple of times. Girls who are 'normal' just aren't interesting compared to the girls I've known, and the interesting ones always seem to have a bit too much in common with Kodachi. In the last couple years the dating pool at work has dried up anyway. If I didn't know better, I'd think that Shingo was bad mouthing me behind my back. But he doesn't have any reason to do that. I didn't laugh at him for too long after that fruit-fu master took that pear and... anyway, it's all good. After all the troubles I had in the past with girls, I'm not real eager to start that off again. That and the one time I thought something might work out, it ... just wasn't possible. Maybe it's some sort of other curse, I dunno.
I give a mental shrug and toss some ingredients across the room, turning them into a fine julienne as I do, and throw her a cocky grin. It's only her that sees that grin now. Not even the people I fight do.
So much later on, after we've made small talk with the two old guys until they've gone off to bed, we're free to talk to each other for a bit.
"Hey Akane, I'm gonna be going away for a while," I say, bringing things up subtly as always.
"Really? Where? And how long?" she asks me.
"Well, I'm not sure about how long, but I'm heading to Paris actually."
"Paris! Wow, I've always wanted to see Paris! Why are the police spending money to send a good for nothing like you over there?"
"It's something pretty serious. There seem to be these two hitmen based there, and they've been taking on a bunch of jobs all over the place. Leaving plenty of bodies behind and such. One of them might just be from Japan, they're really not sure. But the thing is that the police there have messed with them a couple of times and they've always come off pretty bad. Someone there heard about me, and asked for a transfer. Greased some gears up somewhere in the department, and now I'm heading there to see what I can do."
"It sounds pretty dangerous, Ranma. I mean, I'm proud that they're coming to you for help, but don't do anything stupid, ok?" She says with a little frown on her face.
"I'll be careful, ok? Hey look, I mean I've even already learnt the French for 'keep your hand off my ass you pervert' so I'm sure I'll be ok," I say, carefully avoiding the real point of what she's saying. "I promise I'll come back to Japan, so don't be worrying or anything, ok?"
"I won't worry then," she says with a smile. "If you promise me something, I know you'll follow through. Did you stop by for anything else other than to say bye?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if I could borrow the dojo a few times over the next couple of days when you don't have students. I want to cut loose a bit, and around here is the only place that people aren't going to freak out if they see battle auras and stuff. It can get tiring to hold back all the time."
"Sure thing, as long as you help me teach a couple classes, freeloader."
"No prob, Tomboy," I say with a grin.
We clean up a bit, and head off to bed. I still use the guest room when I stop by here; it gives a real sense of permanence to our friendship, I gotta say. Now, call me what you like, but I didn't tell her that if I die over there, they'll ship me back here anyway, so either way I'll end up back in Japan. Yeah, I know. Why am I messing around telling little white lies like that? Well, I haven't told anyone yet, but I'm a bit worried about this one. Looking at the pictures they showed me of some of the hit sites, these two I'm going after are good.
I've never really liked guns, even though I've learnt how to use one pretty well. But these two are aces. The description I got woke me up a bit as well. Two individuals. One with blond hair, probably. One with dark hair, probably. One could be Japanese. Both probably female, and young. Now what sort of young Japanese girl is off in Paris killing lots of grown men for cash? A really fucking dangerous one, that's who. And even though I haven't been around for long, I've heard the name whispered in underworld circles before. Noir. The best assassins in the world, with a history that supposedly goes back thousands of years. And I'm being sent after them.
Ah well. Maybe it'll be fun, who knows? See the world, that sort of thing. Although knowing me, it would only be at high speed, since I'd be running away from a pack of psychos trying to kill me. It's wonderful to have constants in your life that you can count on, right?
Speaking of which, I wasn't kidding about having learnt how to tell someone to keep their hands off my ass though. If the French are anything like that skunk that runs after the cat in the American cartoons all the time, I'm gonna have to kick some head while I'm there. If there's one other thing that's been constant over the years, it's been getting groped.
Chapter 1 Author's Notes
No, this fic isn't R/A. I do think that in the manga they're a really cute couple, and I tend to prefer stories where they get together. I just wanted to write something where they didn't end up together, for reasons that hadn't been done to death already (ie Akane dies at Jusenkyo) and that sorta made sense. I don't know if I did that well or not here. I also wanted to look at what it would do to Ranma to not be together with her, and why he wouldn't be with her. I think it probably does have profound effects on his character in the long term.
Noir is an amazing, amazing series featuring a very deep plot line about two female assassins looking for answers about who they are, and who has made them the people they are. The details... well I won't get into here. You can find a few summary pages on anipike that are pretty quality. One thing that's important to know is that an organization called 'Les Soldats' or 'The Soldiers' is the vast shadowy worldwide conspiracy running things from behind the scenes. This is just so you'll know who they are when you meet up with them again in this story grin.
(or Black and Blue)
A Ranma ½ and Noir Continuance
This little fic is set ten years after the end of Ranma, and just after the end of Noir. Don't know what Noir is? There's info down at the bottom that will give you enough info to get into it. I've tried not to make specific reference to any events that will spoil the end of Noir for those of you who haven't seen it. I'll also fill in some background so people who haven't seen Noir can understand things anyway.
The rating is for violence, occasional swearing, and angsty-ness not 'adult' themes. If I miss on any of the technical details in the fic, especially with regard to firearms, please let me know. I don't have any personal experience with them, but I did do some research before I started writing so I think I should be able to avoid any total howlers.
The overall tone will be darker than Ranma, but similar to Noir.
Noir is set in 2010, so when this fic starts, it's 2011.
I don't own either series, etc.
Chapter 1 – Sayonara
I was just sitting around at my desk, filling out a bit of paperwork when the call came through to head to the Captain's office. I levered myself out of my chair, feeling every second of my 26 years, and another ten or twenty on top of that. Does that not sound that old to you? When you live the life that I do, it's a damn long time. Especially after last night, when that hotshot street fighter punk got himself set up to challenge me to see what I had. I was still feeling a couple bruises from that one. Sometimes it's real hard to take people down without hurting them too bad, and without doing anything that's going to make everyone look at you like you're some sort of freak.
So I pulled my jacket off the back of the chair and headed off to see what the Cap wanted. Yeah, I'm a police officer; detective Saotome at your service and all that. I'm kept around here to handle all the weird stuff that nobody else wants to deal with or think about. That, and some really scary shit that nobody else can deal with. I guess this little visit is about a new partner, since I lost my last one when I was dealing with those crazy guys who set themselves up in the top two floors of a hotel thinking they were the new incarnation of the ancient middle eastern assassin's cult. Or something like that; I was never one hundred percent clear what they were talking about.
Anyway, I don't figure they'll get many volunteers for the job. I've had more than my fair share of turnover really. Some can't deal with all the nutcases I have to deal with between big jobs when everyone's shovelling crap onto my desk. Like Shingo, who was really good up until we had to deal with that crazy old fruit-fist master. I hear he still can't sit in a room with a pear in it for too long.
Of course, there's some who can't deal with me turning into a chick. Some prefer me as a chick, and end up with broken arms and the like after they get too friendly. Some of them figure they can keep up with me when I tell them to stay low. I try and tell them that nothing kills better than a bullet, even if we don't see that many guns here in Japan, but some of them don't listen. Of course, a poisoned bullet kills better, but I only ran into one guy who used those. Whatever the case, none of them hang around for too long. My curse gets to all of them eventually.
Naw, now don't get me wrong, the whole water, man and woman deal is only part of the problem. I mean the other one. The one where it's the ramen joint I go to that the armed robbers try to knock off. The one where the old guy who saw the thief is the local Yakuza Obayan. The one where most of the people I meet either want to kill me, lay me, or sometimes both. Who wants to put up with being dragged into that sort of crap all the time? And recently I gotta say things have been spiralling more and more out of control, and becoming more and more violent.
I haven't gotten away from it, and I haven't met anyone who wants to hang around and enjoy the fun along with me. Over time I've ended up with a bit of a reputation as well. When you end up in the sort of situations I do as many times as I have, people are bound to start asking whether the police are really still around to protect people's lives and keep the peace. Keep the peace? Feh. Welcome to my life, folks. The 'Ran' kanji in my name can be read as 'chaos', and I figure it's there for a reason; some sorta cosmic coincidence or something like that.
The Panda eventually got too old. Hell, it's tiring for me, and he couldn't take it no more. It conflicted with Mom's sense of normalcy too much, and her ideas of what was manly and what wasn't conflicted too much with mine. As much as it hurts, I don't see her that often. Nabiki and Kasumi got the hell away when they could, although Nabs pays a visit every once in a while just for the thrill. Cologne eventually figured that she didn't want my blood in the tribe after all, if this was what happened to me. Or at least that's what I figure. The old bat dragged the other two off about seven years ago, and I haven't heard from any of them since. Most of the others just drifted away, sucked off into a turbulent eddy of my passing, and settled down when they found themselves far away from me, and liking the quiet. Ukyo was like that, and I can't blame her at all. I hear Hoikkaido is real nice this time of year.
Akane( well, we're friends now, but she's the one person I want away from me. Most of the others, I couldn't care less, but it's not safe near me, and if there's anything I want it's for her to be safe. For a long time I thought I could protect her by throwing myself in the way of everything near her, but what's the chance that I'll be able throw myself in the way of everything, for ever? Zero, and we both know it. So I head over and talk with her when I can get away. I teach a couple lessons in her dojo once in a while. I make her other guys jealous, because after all this time, we're closer than... well I'm closer to her than anyone else.
A couple of times we've found ourselves meeting up more and more, and doing stuff together more and more. Getting sucked towards each other by history we share with each other that nobody else can understand. And then I run, because I don't want her to be dragged back in and just like she let me know two years ago, she doesn't want to be part of what's happening in my life now anyway.
Don't get me wrong, she's not a weak girl or nothing. It's nothing to do with strength, or being brave, or being emotional, or anything like that at all. It's because of what life has made me do and what I'll probably have to keep doing. Maybe more importantly, it's what I've been changed into by what I've done. So for now I just have to keep on going. Live in the moment. Anyway, so because of all of that and more I suppose, I'm walking down to the Captain's office to get myself a new partner.
Two hours later, I'm walking out back to my desk with my head spinning a bit. Even for me, this is a strange one. No new partner. Just one hell of a new assignment. So now I've got a week to get my stuff together, and get to Paris. As in France. And the only French I speak has to do with food, and the only reason I knew that was because of that crazy French guy Piccolette and his martial arts eating challenge. At least I think that's what his name was.
So I wander back to my desk, saying goodbye to the people I want to as I head past them. Not too many of those in the department even now, but there's a few people who've put up with me and my crazy cases better than most. I grab some of my personal stuff off my desk, and leave it with all the clutter and paper left on it. If they want to, they can deal with it while I'm away, 'cause I sure as hell ain't gonna do it for them. So I wave goodbye, and head out the door. Three hours later, after I've dealt with a bit of other business, I'm standing outside the dojo waiting for Akane to finish her lessons for the day.
My pops and Mr. Tendo are there, sitting around, playing Go as usual. They don't say anything, and neither do I. They still figure that there's a chance that I'll get together with Akane sometime, but they've learnt not to even mention it anymore. It's the tail end of summer but it's still a pretty warm day, so I lean up against the wooden wall of the dojo, feeling the grain of its wood on my back, the early summer sun on my face, and the grass underneath my feet. I have to admit that it feels good. Sorta like coming home to something. Listening to the Kiai of the students in the dojo behind me, I can almost imagine that I'm back to being sixteen, and I'm free of the pain and weariness that life has brought me since. Adventure is fine to face when there's people to face it with you. If nobody else is interested, then you have to face it by yourself, again and again and again. Sometimes, just once in a while you understand, when I'm lying on my back alone in my craphole apartment at night I wonder if it would just be easier to catch a bullet, instead of dodging them all the time. But that would be like giving up in the middle of a fight, and if there's one thing that I'd never, never do, it's that.
The students exit the dojo beside me, some of them pointing and snickering at me. I never was really respectable, and now I suppose I look like a cheap hood except for the badge hanging on my belt. A policeman's salary won't buy you nice suits, especially considering just how many I wreck. Ah well. I wait for a couple minutes to give Akane a chance to clean up a bit, and then poke my head around the corner of the door to see how she's doing. Of course, the pail of dirty water she was mopping over the floor hits me right in the face, and suddenly I'm standing there in a wet suit that's way too big for me, and a mop of messy red hair that plasters itself all over my face. My girl side just doesn't like hair as short as my guy side has so it changes length every time I switch forms. It freaked me out for a while when it first happened, but then I suddenly realised that growing three extra inches of hair is nothing compared to growing breasts. Akane giggles, and my heart warms up when I hear it. Gods, sometimes it just feels too good to be around her.
Later when the sun's gone down, Akane and I are in the kitchen together making dinner. She's in something nice, and with the apron on, she makes me think a bit of Kasumi. Not as good a cook of course, but I'm not gonna say anything about that. I'm wearing some cast offs of hers. I mean, I'm still smaller than her when I'm in girl form, even though I've grown a bit. Thank the Gods my girl side grew taller, but not any chestier than I was. It's hard enough dealing with all that weight out there as it is. So why am I still a girl? Well, sometimes it's just easier to be around Akane that way. I don't ever find myself standing close to her, with her looking up at me with a grin on her face that she only gives me, fighting the urge to wrap my arms around her and bury my nose in the hair on top of her head.
I know you're wondering, am I still that crazy about her? Sometimes I think yes, sometimes I think no. But what's most important is that she isn't that mad about me, so I gotta respect that and give her some space. I mean, I know she's dated other guys sometimes. Of course I've dated too, but really only a couple of times. Girls who are 'normal' just aren't interesting compared to the girls I've known, and the interesting ones always seem to have a bit too much in common with Kodachi. In the last couple years the dating pool at work has dried up anyway. If I didn't know better, I'd think that Shingo was bad mouthing me behind my back. But he doesn't have any reason to do that. I didn't laugh at him for too long after that fruit-fu master took that pear and... anyway, it's all good. After all the troubles I had in the past with girls, I'm not real eager to start that off again. That and the one time I thought something might work out, it ... just wasn't possible. Maybe it's some sort of other curse, I dunno.
I give a mental shrug and toss some ingredients across the room, turning them into a fine julienne as I do, and throw her a cocky grin. It's only her that sees that grin now. Not even the people I fight do.
So much later on, after we've made small talk with the two old guys until they've gone off to bed, we're free to talk to each other for a bit.
"Hey Akane, I'm gonna be going away for a while," I say, bringing things up subtly as always.
"Really? Where? And how long?" she asks me.
"Well, I'm not sure about how long, but I'm heading to Paris actually."
"Paris! Wow, I've always wanted to see Paris! Why are the police spending money to send a good for nothing like you over there?"
"It's something pretty serious. There seem to be these two hitmen based there, and they've been taking on a bunch of jobs all over the place. Leaving plenty of bodies behind and such. One of them might just be from Japan, they're really not sure. But the thing is that the police there have messed with them a couple of times and they've always come off pretty bad. Someone there heard about me, and asked for a transfer. Greased some gears up somewhere in the department, and now I'm heading there to see what I can do."
"It sounds pretty dangerous, Ranma. I mean, I'm proud that they're coming to you for help, but don't do anything stupid, ok?" She says with a little frown on her face.
"I'll be careful, ok? Hey look, I mean I've even already learnt the French for 'keep your hand off my ass you pervert' so I'm sure I'll be ok," I say, carefully avoiding the real point of what she's saying. "I promise I'll come back to Japan, so don't be worrying or anything, ok?"
"I won't worry then," she says with a smile. "If you promise me something, I know you'll follow through. Did you stop by for anything else other than to say bye?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if I could borrow the dojo a few times over the next couple of days when you don't have students. I want to cut loose a bit, and around here is the only place that people aren't going to freak out if they see battle auras and stuff. It can get tiring to hold back all the time."
"Sure thing, as long as you help me teach a couple classes, freeloader."
"No prob, Tomboy," I say with a grin.
We clean up a bit, and head off to bed. I still use the guest room when I stop by here; it gives a real sense of permanence to our friendship, I gotta say. Now, call me what you like, but I didn't tell her that if I die over there, they'll ship me back here anyway, so either way I'll end up back in Japan. Yeah, I know. Why am I messing around telling little white lies like that? Well, I haven't told anyone yet, but I'm a bit worried about this one. Looking at the pictures they showed me of some of the hit sites, these two I'm going after are good.
I've never really liked guns, even though I've learnt how to use one pretty well. But these two are aces. The description I got woke me up a bit as well. Two individuals. One with blond hair, probably. One with dark hair, probably. One could be Japanese. Both probably female, and young. Now what sort of young Japanese girl is off in Paris killing lots of grown men for cash? A really fucking dangerous one, that's who. And even though I haven't been around for long, I've heard the name whispered in underworld circles before. Noir. The best assassins in the world, with a history that supposedly goes back thousands of years. And I'm being sent after them.
Ah well. Maybe it'll be fun, who knows? See the world, that sort of thing. Although knowing me, it would only be at high speed, since I'd be running away from a pack of psychos trying to kill me. It's wonderful to have constants in your life that you can count on, right?
Speaking of which, I wasn't kidding about having learnt how to tell someone to keep their hands off my ass though. If the French are anything like that skunk that runs after the cat in the American cartoons all the time, I'm gonna have to kick some head while I'm there. If there's one other thing that's been constant over the years, it's been getting groped.
Chapter 1 Author's Notes
No, this fic isn't R/A. I do think that in the manga they're a really cute couple, and I tend to prefer stories where they get together. I just wanted to write something where they didn't end up together, for reasons that hadn't been done to death already (ie Akane dies at Jusenkyo) and that sorta made sense. I don't know if I did that well or not here. I also wanted to look at what it would do to Ranma to not be together with her, and why he wouldn't be with her. I think it probably does have profound effects on his character in the long term.
Noir is an amazing, amazing series featuring a very deep plot line about two female assassins looking for answers about who they are, and who has made them the people they are. The details... well I won't get into here. You can find a few summary pages on anipike that are pretty quality. One thing that's important to know is that an organization called 'Les Soldats' or 'The Soldiers' is the vast shadowy worldwide conspiracy running things from behind the scenes. This is just so you'll know who they are when you meet up with them again in this story grin.