Ranma/Trance Action 1
'Rhythmer's Fist'
'Mu Tsu'
"Shampoo here for airen!"
Ranma, Akane, and Nabiki all turned to the new entrance in the side of the wall; two with unamused expressions, one with a slightly oblivious one.
"You know? You may be cute, but you're costly," Akane drawled, as she reclined deeper into the sofa.
Shampoo stuck her tongue out at Akane in reply, before bounding towards Ranma, and sitting in his lap, "Ranma, you take Shampoo on date, yes? Ucchan's have too, too good new DJ, tonight!"
Ranma groaned, and Shampoo blinked. The latter blinked, as she found Akane suddenly in her lap, and the former groaned, because of the weight of two girls piled in his lap.
"Sounds like fun!" Akane almost chirped, while wearing a smug expression to Shampoo's irritated one, "So, who's the talent?"
"Shampoo no know," The Amazon stated with a slightly cold tone, "and Shampoo no invite Not-so-Rhythmless girl to go."
"Awww, don't be like that," Akane retorted, shifting herself in Shampoo's lap, much to an uncomfortable Ranma's chagrin, "I'd like to think you'll invite a friend along with you!"
"Since when Akane and Shampoo friends?"
Akane gave a mock pout, "I'm hurt, honestly!"
"Not as hurt as I am," Ranma choked out, "You girls know you're heavy?"
Both girls felt obligated to respond with their elbows. Akane continued, somewhat undaunted, "You would just take my feelings like that, and grind them into dust."
Shampoo's nose turned at the melodramatic dialogue, "This date between husband and wife, Akane no interfere..."
"Sorry, but good ol' femenine territorial practices require me to interfere," Akane stated with a touch of humor, putting her arm around the dazed Ranma suggestively.
Shampoo's eyes narrowed dangerously, sensing a challenge, "You is wanting to fight over Ranma?"
Akane looked back to the young man in question, and turned back to Shampoo, "As much of a man Ranma-dear is, I don't think my family would like horseplay in the house."
Shampoo slipped from under Akane, stood up, producing one of her bonbori, "Then we go outside! Akane Tendou, I challenge you!"
Ranma snapped out of it when Shampoo issued the challenge, "Hold on a sec! Let's not let this get out of hand, girls!"
"Saotome, it's been out of hand since you were involved," Nabiki commented, not looking up from her manga.
Akane's face became serious for a moment, before her smirk reappeared. "Go back to sleep, Ranma-chan," Akane said, tussling Ranma's hair a bit, before getting off his lap. "Well..." Akane started again, stretching languishly by raising her joined hands well above her head and standing on he toes, "Looks like you got yourself a workout, girlfriend!"
"Girlfriend?" Shampoo repeated haughtily, "So, this challenge of marriage for Shampoo hand?"
Akane's face twitched for a moment, "Let's take this outside, shall we?"
"Akane! What do you think you're doing!" Ranma enquired, walking up beside the raven haired girl, "Shampoo's gonna cream you!"
"Oh ye of little faith. Dojo's this way," Akane lead Shampoo to the dojo, like a proper hostess. When they arrived, both walked to the center, and faced each other.
"Shampoo make this quick," The Amazon stated, tapping her toe impatiently, "First one fall, lose. No want to beat up on weak and rhythmless girl for too, too long."
Akane did well not to show the utter nervousness she was feeling, Petra told Akane that she wasn't going to be in Ranma's league for quite some time; though Akane refuted that, she knew it was true enough. Shampoo was matching Ranma when she first arrived. Akane was currently facing off against Shampoo...
Mathematics were always one of Akane's favorite subjects.
"I hope I don't hold you too long, then," Akane replied in a dry voice. Shampoo smirked, produced her second neon painted bonbori, and went into stance. Akane followed, accidentally allowing a sign of trepidation to show, as she hesitated for a second.
Ranma noted Akane's traditional kempo stance, and groaned. "She's gonna get pasted all over the walls," he thought to himself, but called out, "Shampoo, go easy on her, alright?"
"Thanks for your vote of confidence," Akane drawled out, "Just call the match, already?" She turned to focus on Shampoo, and as she did, she started to hear... or she thought she was hearing music seeming to radiate from Shampoo. Akane felt a twinge of confidence flow through her, when she began to notice the way the imaginary rhythm danced at certain angles from her opponent.
Ranma's face twisted a bit, before calling out, "Begin!"
With a snort, Shampoo twirled her left bonbori, causing a dazzling neon pink, green and hot white display meant to distract, before lashing out at Akane with her right towards her head. It was right then that Akane recognized the song.
The raven-haired girl dropped her guard with a skip, walking past the outside of Shampoo's lunge with her right foot. In the same motion, Akane pivoted on her right foot, continuing the outside circle from Shampoo's blow, then stepped away from Shapoo with her left. It almost seemed as if she were casually walking at an extremely fast pace, until she completed her turn by pivoting on her left foot back to Shampoo, and delivering a rabbit punch with her right fist, as she was deep against Shampoo on the outside of her attempted retract from her blow. The results were a little more fantastic than Akane had expected, as Shampoo was sent tumbling head over heels into the far dojo wall.
"Ouch," Shampoo mumbled, before attepting to rise, her progress whas thwarted by a bonbori to the head; the one that had flown out of her grasp as she was felled back.
"Whoa..." Ranma whispered, rather surprised at the outcome.
Akane blinked a couple of times, still in position from when she delivered the blow, "Um, what just happened?"
Ranma regained himself before answering, "Luck, absolute, pure, dumb luck."
Akane finally relaxed, and turned and indignant look towards Ranma, "Hey! I still won... I think..." Akane thought about it for a sec, "I still won! That's all that matters!"
"Shampoo was going easy on you, you realize that, right?" Ranma enquired with a half lidded stare.
"Well, she shouldn't have underestimated me," Akane retorted, folding her arms, closing her eyes, and deciding to ignore Ranma. Which really was too bad that she decided to do so, as it was then that she felt two hands, gently grabbing onto her face, and turning it sideways.
"Huh?" Akane turned around, just as Shampoo leaned forward.
"Whoa..." Ranma said for the second time in as many minutes. Both girls were staring wide-eyed at each other, while still in their accidental lip-lock. As soon as they both realized what they had done, they were each at a different side of the dojo, sputtering, coughing, and generally showing their distaste for what just happened.
Shampoo was the first to recover; rapidly swearing in Mandarin. Akane was the first to respond to the other, "YOU SICK PERVERT! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!?"
"YOU NO SUPPOSED TO TURN AROUND! SHAMPOO GIVE PERVERT GIRL KISS OF DEATH, NO KISS OF MAR-," Shampoo blinked, right before her face went pale.
"Kiss of..." Akane realized there were only two kisses she knew of from Shampoo's culture; Shampoo just told her that she didn't give her the Kiss of Death, as she intended, "Please tell me that was the Kiss of strictly ploutonic relations!"
"No worry, we no tell Great-Grandmother, it no in effect," Shampoo replied, before spitting again in an attempt to clear an imagined Akane's taste from her mouth.
"Don't trouble yourself, you were always a terrible liar, anyways." Shampoo's eyes rolled up into the back of her head, as she collapsed again.
Both Ranma and Akane nervously turned to the elder, both confirming Akane's fear. Ranma allowed the situation to sink in, before collapsing to the ground in laughter.
"Y-you're kidding, right?" Akane asked with a sick grin. Cologne looked as if she were about to burst into laughter, as she shook her head.
"Nope, I take great glee in stating that I am not in the least joking." Cologne stared gravely at Akane, "You really should have considered the consequences before accepting Shampoo's challenges..."
Shampoo groaned, as she recovered, "Great-Grandmother no serious about this, is right?"
"Dead serious, young lady. Akane Tendou is now fiancee candidate #2."
"WHY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER TORENT ME SO?" Shampoo wailed in anguish.
"Because it brings me great pleasure to return the favor," Cologne stated dryly. "Perhaps now you'll give a little more respect to your eilders, instead of driving them to exasperation?"
"You is hating me this much?" Shampoo asked, completely pouting.
Cologne ignored Shampoo's reply, turning to Akane, "I trust you would take great care of my great-granddaughter, now that you have a responcibility to her?"
"WHA! I... I MEAN..." Akane's mouth opened one more time, before she caught Cologne's wink. An understanding smirk appeared across Akane's face, as she flitted a glance towards the nervous Shampoo, "I think I can keep her in good hands.."
Shampoo choked, Ranma blinked in surprise, and Cologne cackled at the implying remark, "Very good, girl! Shampoo, it looks like you'll have one more date accompanying you to the event at Ucchan's this evening!"
"But I no ask-"
"i'm asking for you," the matriarch interjected in a dry voice. She turned back to Ranma and Akane, before continuing, "Well, I just wanted to check up on Shampoo, and make sure she's staying out of trouble... HA! I must be off now, and I expect you to return to the restaurant shortly, Shampoo." With that, Cologne pogoed out of the dojo.
Akane walked over to Shampoo, as she slowly collapsed to the floor, "Why Great-Grandmother prolonge Shampoo torture, and no just slit throat?"
"Probably because there something about you she still likes," Akane replied, giving her hand to assist Shampoo up. A playful smirk appeared across her face, "Not that it's too hard to see..."
Shampoo shoved the hand away, and regained her footing by herself. Maintaining some of her dignity, Shampoo decided that she may as well head back for work, "Shampoo pick up Ranma.... and Akane... at nine, yes?"
"I'm fine with that," Ranma replied, casually.
"Sounds cool," Akane commented. Shampoo gave her a fleeting glare, before heading for the exit of the dojo. "Oh, Shampoo?"
The Amazon turned one final glare for the morning to Akane, "What Akane want?"
"'Ayla Leibe', good song," Akane stated with a knowing smile. The shock was frozen on Shampoo's face, as she woodenly walked out the door.
Ranma approached Akane, scratching the back of his head nervously, "Ah, Akane..."
"Hmm?" Akane replied, pretty sure of what he wanted to know.
"Ah... You and Shampoo... can I watch sometime?"
The smile from Akane's face melted, like a snowflake that had just been overexposed to high plasma. Ranma bent backwards, allowing her fist to pass impotently over his nose, and straightened himself up, already feeling that she wasn't going to put any more into it.
Akane stalked off, indignant, missing the way Ranma's own facetious smirk vanished from his face, and his eyes narrowing. He had easily dodged Akane's blow, but he 'almost' had to put some sincere effort into it.
"You've been learning a lot more than just dancing..."
_________________
"You've been gathering quite a following," Ukyo commented, idly, as she folded her hands over her oak desk, while reclining deeply into her plush leather chair. Both Konatsu and Tsubasa flanked her, as if ready to spring into action at any moment.
The young man with long silver hair with slight streaks of gold pushed his sliver tinted lennon-glasses higher onto his face, before replying, "Well, it's nice to know people like my style."
"Yes, they do," Ukyo replied in a very business-like tone, "I don't know much about you, myself, but you're pretty popular from what I've heard. If you're good enough to bring in bigger business for me, I think I wouldn't mind meeting your price... for later showings."
"That's a bold statement to be making," the young man replied, flicking his fingers, and producing a throwing knife. Both Konatsu and Tsubasa tensed, while Ukyo remained unimpressed. With a smirk, the young man shifted his silver trenchcoat slightly, and began to pick his teeth with it.
"I intend to make Ucchan's bigger than even Velfarre," Ukyo said simply. Even if his glasses were reflective, Ukyo knew his eyes widened at that comment, "That won't happen unless I put some cash into it..." for the first time, Ukyo gave a smile, "...Sugar."
"Well, I may be new to the scene, but your starting at the right place." The young man removed his glasses, to reveal silver contacts, and began polishing them with a cloth that seemed to appear from nowhere.
"That's good to hear, Mr. Mu Tzu."
_________________
Akane, Ranma, and Shampoo descended the spiral staircase to the centerfloor, already jonesing. The DJ onstage was a live one that had not a single idle body in the room. The flamboyant strobes and lights glistened off his all-silver garb, as he spun with a style like molten mercury, and a skill like the unseen elite.
The DJ beatmatched for a transistion, indescreptly nudging the volume from one side of the turntables. Without completely switching over, he kept both songs going in symphony, making them sound as if they belonged that way. He then pulled out a third vinyl from apparent thin air, and spun it on his index finger of his right hand as if it were a frisbee. He then quickly raised the needle off of the record on the first table, dropped the volume on the other turntable, and stuck the record spinning on his finger under it, playing the album. With a liquid smooth transition, he raised the needle off of the record on his finger, and dropped it back on the vinyl that was already on the turntable.
Ranma had to nod in appreciation at the skill the DJ was displaying, "Nice, he ain't bad at all!"
"Is too, too skilled, yes?" Shampoo stated, equally impressed.
The DJ spun away from the table with the third album still spinning his finger. When he was facing the extremely wild crowd again, the record was gone. With a flick of the wrist, he produced a fourth record, tossed it lightly into the air, and produced a throwing blade.
The record was sliced in half in the air, and each piece was easily caught. The silver DJ dropped one half onto the first turn table, exactly where he needed it to be, causing two songs to play melody at once on the first table, while the second table supplied a louder base beat. His charisma was exploding even louder than the music, letting itself be felt through the vibes he played from the table as if he were a one-man orchestra of the future.
Something came to in Shampoo's mind, just as the DJ began pumping his hands in the air to get the crowd roaring. She began to swear in Mandarin loudly, before grabbing onto Ranma's hand, and attempting to head back up the stairs.
"Hold on! We just got here!" Ranma shouted, bracing himself.
"Shampoo make it up to Ranma! We go now!"
Shampoo found her path blocked by Akane, "Oh no, I think I like it here. Let's stay a while."
"Akane welcome to stay, Ranma and Shampoo go now!"
"Not until I got my dance," Akane said firmly, before getting an evil glint in her eye, "With both of you..."
"Not-so-Rhythmless girl dance with imaginary Shampoo! Shampoo no feel so well!" To emphesize the point, the Amazon began coughing dramatically.
her coughing fit was cut off by a loud 'ack', which happened to be her own, when she found Akane's arm around her waist. "I hear exercise is good for what ails ya," Akane said, dryly.
Ranma shrugged, adjusting the arm that Akane had around him to fit against him better, "I'm with Akane on this. What's up?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with you?"
All three of them then noticed the generic mix, albeit good, playing at the same time. "looks like we missed the DJ," Akane stated, dejectedly, as glanced over to find the DJ booth occupied by Konatsu. "Come on, let's hold out until he returns-"
"LOOK!" Someone in the crowd shouted over the music, pointing upwards. all heads turned to look, as a silver ball tumbled through the air. It fell to the ground, landing with a shockwave that shook the VIP floor, revealing itself to be a young man kneeling. His silver trenchcoat clashed with the soft white lightup tiles on the ground, as he slowly came to standing.
"Not a problem," DJ Mu Tzu stated, "the DJ's still here."
"Nice entrance!" Ranma complimented; he definitely liked the guy's style.
Mu Tsu provided Ranma with a smirk and a nod, before turning to look directly at current intrest, "Been looking for you, Shampoo."
"So, you're friends with the DJ, eh?" Akane stated, giving Shampoo a sideways smirk. It fell from her face, when she noticed the plain irritation on the lavender haired girl's expression.
"What Mousse want," Shampoo demanded, unconciously scooting back against Akane.
Mu Tsu frowned, "It's 'Mu Tsu', I don't care for that nickname anymore."
"Mousse, Mu Tsu, is no difference. Still same stupid bother Shampoo in village!"
"Oh..." Mu Tsu began to chuckle, "Au contrare, I'm far from the same man you once knew."
"Mousse never man at all..."
"Funny," Mu Tsu replied in a dry tone, "As I said, I've been looking for you, and found out you went and turned little raver girl on me."
"Why Mousse care?"
"Because of that, I decided that whatever change you made, I would do the same. I began studying under the greatest of DJs in Asia, Europe, and the US... when they were touring locally. And when I was ready, I hit the scene, in hopes of attracting the illustrious 'Shampoo' out of hiding."
"That's a beautiful story, guy," Ranma interjected, getting another smirk and nod from Mu Tsu.
"Well, apparently she's still not interested," Akane supplied for Shampoo, earning the latter's surprised look.
Mu Tsu's frown returned, as he looked directly at Akane, "You seem awfully close to Xian Pu. Any friend of Shampoo's would allow her to make up her own mind."
"She no Shampoo friend!" Shampoo stated, adimantly, not paying attention to raven-haired girl's own frown.
"Oh?" Mu Tsu enquired, "Then, who..."
Finding the right moment for a little payback of Shampoo's previous comment, Akane pulled herself closer into Shampoo, and with a sinister smile, replied, "Use your imagination."
Ranma's eyes went wide. Shampoo's eyes went wide. Akane's eyes narrowed in triumph. Mu Tsu's eyes reddened behind his silver contacts.
"You...." Mu Tsu began to seeth, "You would dare corrupt my Dear Shampoo in such a perverted manner?"
Shampoo was shaking her head adimantly, but she was ignored. "Looks like she has business elsewhere, so why don't you get back up there, and play us a little tune," Akane stated condesendingly.
With a growl, Mu Tsu jumped back, and shot out his right arm. Akane tilted to the side, just barely letting a streak of glowing pink on a chain shoot by her head. The silver-clad boy pulled his hand back, retracting the chain to a shorter length. He twirled it around, causing the glo-stick at the end to streak in the dark air, leaving a pink meandering comet's trail in its wake.
"Before I prove you unworthy of Shampoo's affections, I would know your name," Mu Tsu demanded, allowing a green glo-stick on a chain to dangle from his left hand. He began to twirl both of them around in an interlocking pattern.
Akane smirked as she lightly pushed Shampoo to the side; it was time for her to make the debute of her denom` at Ucchan's, "Succubus."
Both Ranma and Shampoo froze after Akane hissed her name in a sensual manner. "SHE/SHE'S SUCCUBUS?!?"
Akane internally smiled at that; Petra had gone through a great deal to get her somewhat well known. Something about having the most notorious students in Japan.
"I've heard a little about you, some of it impressive, but ultimately nothing that would prove you more than a novice at the party." Mu Tsu stood on one leg, while twirling the glo-sticks like weighted chains in fingur eight patterns above and to the side of him, "Behold, the techniques mastered by only the greatest of DJs. A school so powerful, that the very rhythm of those who oppose it is enthralled. WITNESS, THE SCHOOLS OF THE SPINNING BEAT!"
Akane just barely ducked away from the red streak that passed across her nose, and flipped back away of the green followup, "I AM THE SUCCUBUS OF THE RHYTHMER'S FIST SCHOOL OF DANCE AND MARTIAL ARTS!" She landed, placing her right hand on her chest, and her left hand across her hip, as she swayed sensually from side to side, "Bring it on, cutie!"
_________________
Akane found herself consistantly pressed throughout the fight. She dodged another razor sharp record, and attempted to close in on Mu Tsu again. As he had mentioned prior, the philosophy of his school was that the music was best heard from a distance, just as his attacks were delivered as such. She was also tiring out quickly, just as her opponent only seemed to become more infuriated.
"Geez, what does it take to bring this guy down?" Akane asked herself, swaying out of the way of another attack.
Ranma watched the fight anxiously, compelled by honor not to interfere. "Aw man, she's in way over her head, this time."
"Is true," Shampoo replied with less emotion than she was actually going to admit to feeling. "Is too, too long, Akane waste much energy."
Akane spun away from another strike, finding herself backed into the corner of the chained off center floor. Mu Tsu chuckled sinisterly, as he readied himself, "Well, this is where the career of the dear Succubus ends, any last words?"
Trying to act non-chilant, Akane put her hands into her pockets, while leaning against the chain, "How about you spin '9 AM; Till I Come' by ATB for me before you off me. I would like to hear it at least one more time." As she spoke, she tried to think of possible solutions to her perdicerment. She COULD ask for Ranma's assistance, but...
She blinked, when she felt something in her pockets that gave her an idea.
Mu Tsu gave a nasty smile that was made all the more sinister by his silver contacts, "I will be your funeral song, how about that?"
Akane concentrated, as she watched Mu Tsu, she may get this to work once, but she knew he was skilled enough to quickly anticipate her if she had to do it a second time, which meant the second half of her plan better work but *good*.
The barrage Mu Tsu launched at her was like the garage sale for several retired disk jockeys and chain stores; a seeming wall of malice heading straight for the raven-haired girl. Akane seemed to lean off the wall in slow motion to herself, and into the oncoming onslaught. She felt out Mu Tsu's beat, and found it the hardest thing to adjust to that she could ever anticipate. It was as if he were mixing several different songs at once into one harmony. Nonetheless, she found the basebeat he was using.
She danced through the attacks, and when an opening arrived, rolled to the side. Mu Tsu was dumbfounded that his attack had been evaded in the first place, but quickly turned to find Akane... kissing very shocked Shampoo with a good deal of passion, with an equally shocked Ranma standing by.
"YOU... JEZEBEL!" Mu Tsu screamed out, forgoing all his weapons for a pair of reverse-blades. He charged at the two girls, aiming to behead Akane.
The Tendou girl smiled in victory, finally managing to goad him into an upclose fight. Unfortunately, she wasn't going to be accomidating.
"Moussie, hold this for me, it's getting hot in here!" Akane quickly threw the shirt she had been subtly unbuttoning into her attacker's face, momentarily causing him to pause. Within seconds, the shirt was nothing more than confetti.
The silver-haired boy looked around furiously, only to find Ranma and Shampoo the only ones around, "WHERE IS SHE?!?" he looked up, just in time to see a foot descending into his face.
Akane landed in a crouch, before slithering back up to standing like a sensual vamp. She turned to look down at the unconcious boy, and then back up to the top of the spiraling stairway she had descended from, "Boy, that was a light workout!"
"Yeah, right," Ranma retorted, "Think that trick's gonna work a second time on him?"
"Na," Akane replied, easily, "Then again, why don't you let him come after you the next go?"
"Nu uh! I got Ryoga already. You deal with this one!"
Akane snorted at the pigtailed boy, before striding over to a dazed Shampoo. The Tendou girl peeled off the ten thousand yen note that was still stuck to Shampoo's lips that had each side imprinted with lipstick from two different girls. Akane folded it up, and patted Shampoo on the shoulder, "I think I'll keep this in rememberance."
Shampoo furiously came back to her senses, "AKANE!" Akane held out a hand to forestall any more complaints, but before she could speak, she collapsed forward into Shampoo.
"Yeah, figured that last little trick woulda wore her out," Ranma stated, "Give her here, I'll take her home."
Shampoo looked down at the nearly unconcious Akane, "No, Shampoo carry Akane. Shampoo owe Not-so-Rhythmless girl one."
Ranma shrugged, "Alright, but she's kinda heavy..."
"I'll... get you... for that later..." Akane mumbled against Shampoo's shoulder. Ranma and Shampoo ascended the spiraling stairs, the latter with Akane over her shoulder, unbeknownst that they were being watched by a steely-eyed Ukyo.
"Mu Tsu-honey, looks like you'll be making regular appearances here, after all."
_________________
Ranma walked ahead of Shampoo, lost in his own thoughts. He had seen Akane go all out, and while it was nothing compared to even his casual ability at the moment, he was impressed at the strides in skill she had suddenly been making. Not as fast as his, of course, but still an impressive learning curve. Another thing had come to mind, how did that one chick that Akane was learning to dance from know his teacher's name?"
Shampoo looked back to Akane's head, finding the girl she was carrying apparently asleep. her eyebrows furrowed, before she turned back to face forward. "Stupid Akane," Shampoo whispered, while adjusting her jean jacket she had put on Akane to protect her modesty, "Why you help Shampoo?"
"Is... what friends... for..."
Shampoo stiffened, before looking once again back at Akane's face, this time with a curious expression.
'Rhythmer's Fist'
'Mu Tsu'
"Shampoo here for airen!"
Ranma, Akane, and Nabiki all turned to the new entrance in the side of the wall; two with unamused expressions, one with a slightly oblivious one.
"You know? You may be cute, but you're costly," Akane drawled, as she reclined deeper into the sofa.
Shampoo stuck her tongue out at Akane in reply, before bounding towards Ranma, and sitting in his lap, "Ranma, you take Shampoo on date, yes? Ucchan's have too, too good new DJ, tonight!"
Ranma groaned, and Shampoo blinked. The latter blinked, as she found Akane suddenly in her lap, and the former groaned, because of the weight of two girls piled in his lap.
"Sounds like fun!" Akane almost chirped, while wearing a smug expression to Shampoo's irritated one, "So, who's the talent?"
"Shampoo no know," The Amazon stated with a slightly cold tone, "and Shampoo no invite Not-so-Rhythmless girl to go."
"Awww, don't be like that," Akane retorted, shifting herself in Shampoo's lap, much to an uncomfortable Ranma's chagrin, "I'd like to think you'll invite a friend along with you!"
"Since when Akane and Shampoo friends?"
Akane gave a mock pout, "I'm hurt, honestly!"
"Not as hurt as I am," Ranma choked out, "You girls know you're heavy?"
Both girls felt obligated to respond with their elbows. Akane continued, somewhat undaunted, "You would just take my feelings like that, and grind them into dust."
Shampoo's nose turned at the melodramatic dialogue, "This date between husband and wife, Akane no interfere..."
"Sorry, but good ol' femenine territorial practices require me to interfere," Akane stated with a touch of humor, putting her arm around the dazed Ranma suggestively.
Shampoo's eyes narrowed dangerously, sensing a challenge, "You is wanting to fight over Ranma?"
Akane looked back to the young man in question, and turned back to Shampoo, "As much of a man Ranma-dear is, I don't think my family would like horseplay in the house."
Shampoo slipped from under Akane, stood up, producing one of her bonbori, "Then we go outside! Akane Tendou, I challenge you!"
Ranma snapped out of it when Shampoo issued the challenge, "Hold on a sec! Let's not let this get out of hand, girls!"
"Saotome, it's been out of hand since you were involved," Nabiki commented, not looking up from her manga.
Akane's face became serious for a moment, before her smirk reappeared. "Go back to sleep, Ranma-chan," Akane said, tussling Ranma's hair a bit, before getting off his lap. "Well..." Akane started again, stretching languishly by raising her joined hands well above her head and standing on he toes, "Looks like you got yourself a workout, girlfriend!"
"Girlfriend?" Shampoo repeated haughtily, "So, this challenge of marriage for Shampoo hand?"
Akane's face twitched for a moment, "Let's take this outside, shall we?"
"Akane! What do you think you're doing!" Ranma enquired, walking up beside the raven haired girl, "Shampoo's gonna cream you!"
"Oh ye of little faith. Dojo's this way," Akane lead Shampoo to the dojo, like a proper hostess. When they arrived, both walked to the center, and faced each other.
"Shampoo make this quick," The Amazon stated, tapping her toe impatiently, "First one fall, lose. No want to beat up on weak and rhythmless girl for too, too long."
Akane did well not to show the utter nervousness she was feeling, Petra told Akane that she wasn't going to be in Ranma's league for quite some time; though Akane refuted that, she knew it was true enough. Shampoo was matching Ranma when she first arrived. Akane was currently facing off against Shampoo...
Mathematics were always one of Akane's favorite subjects.
"I hope I don't hold you too long, then," Akane replied in a dry voice. Shampoo smirked, produced her second neon painted bonbori, and went into stance. Akane followed, accidentally allowing a sign of trepidation to show, as she hesitated for a second.
Ranma noted Akane's traditional kempo stance, and groaned. "She's gonna get pasted all over the walls," he thought to himself, but called out, "Shampoo, go easy on her, alright?"
"Thanks for your vote of confidence," Akane drawled out, "Just call the match, already?" She turned to focus on Shampoo, and as she did, she started to hear... or she thought she was hearing music seeming to radiate from Shampoo. Akane felt a twinge of confidence flow through her, when she began to notice the way the imaginary rhythm danced at certain angles from her opponent.
Ranma's face twisted a bit, before calling out, "Begin!"
With a snort, Shampoo twirled her left bonbori, causing a dazzling neon pink, green and hot white display meant to distract, before lashing out at Akane with her right towards her head. It was right then that Akane recognized the song.
The raven-haired girl dropped her guard with a skip, walking past the outside of Shampoo's lunge with her right foot. In the same motion, Akane pivoted on her right foot, continuing the outside circle from Shampoo's blow, then stepped away from Shapoo with her left. It almost seemed as if she were casually walking at an extremely fast pace, until she completed her turn by pivoting on her left foot back to Shampoo, and delivering a rabbit punch with her right fist, as she was deep against Shampoo on the outside of her attempted retract from her blow. The results were a little more fantastic than Akane had expected, as Shampoo was sent tumbling head over heels into the far dojo wall.
"Ouch," Shampoo mumbled, before attepting to rise, her progress whas thwarted by a bonbori to the head; the one that had flown out of her grasp as she was felled back.
"Whoa..." Ranma whispered, rather surprised at the outcome.
Akane blinked a couple of times, still in position from when she delivered the blow, "Um, what just happened?"
Ranma regained himself before answering, "Luck, absolute, pure, dumb luck."
Akane finally relaxed, and turned and indignant look towards Ranma, "Hey! I still won... I think..." Akane thought about it for a sec, "I still won! That's all that matters!"
"Shampoo was going easy on you, you realize that, right?" Ranma enquired with a half lidded stare.
"Well, she shouldn't have underestimated me," Akane retorted, folding her arms, closing her eyes, and deciding to ignore Ranma. Which really was too bad that she decided to do so, as it was then that she felt two hands, gently grabbing onto her face, and turning it sideways.
"Huh?" Akane turned around, just as Shampoo leaned forward.
"Whoa..." Ranma said for the second time in as many minutes. Both girls were staring wide-eyed at each other, while still in their accidental lip-lock. As soon as they both realized what they had done, they were each at a different side of the dojo, sputtering, coughing, and generally showing their distaste for what just happened.
Shampoo was the first to recover; rapidly swearing in Mandarin. Akane was the first to respond to the other, "YOU SICK PERVERT! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!?"
"YOU NO SUPPOSED TO TURN AROUND! SHAMPOO GIVE PERVERT GIRL KISS OF DEATH, NO KISS OF MAR-," Shampoo blinked, right before her face went pale.
"Kiss of..." Akane realized there were only two kisses she knew of from Shampoo's culture; Shampoo just told her that she didn't give her the Kiss of Death, as she intended, "Please tell me that was the Kiss of strictly ploutonic relations!"
"No worry, we no tell Great-Grandmother, it no in effect," Shampoo replied, before spitting again in an attempt to clear an imagined Akane's taste from her mouth.
"Don't trouble yourself, you were always a terrible liar, anyways." Shampoo's eyes rolled up into the back of her head, as she collapsed again.
Both Ranma and Akane nervously turned to the elder, both confirming Akane's fear. Ranma allowed the situation to sink in, before collapsing to the ground in laughter.
"Y-you're kidding, right?" Akane asked with a sick grin. Cologne looked as if she were about to burst into laughter, as she shook her head.
"Nope, I take great glee in stating that I am not in the least joking." Cologne stared gravely at Akane, "You really should have considered the consequences before accepting Shampoo's challenges..."
Shampoo groaned, as she recovered, "Great-Grandmother no serious about this, is right?"
"Dead serious, young lady. Akane Tendou is now fiancee candidate #2."
"WHY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER TORENT ME SO?" Shampoo wailed in anguish.
"Because it brings me great pleasure to return the favor," Cologne stated dryly. "Perhaps now you'll give a little more respect to your eilders, instead of driving them to exasperation?"
"You is hating me this much?" Shampoo asked, completely pouting.
Cologne ignored Shampoo's reply, turning to Akane, "I trust you would take great care of my great-granddaughter, now that you have a responcibility to her?"
"WHA! I... I MEAN..." Akane's mouth opened one more time, before she caught Cologne's wink. An understanding smirk appeared across Akane's face, as she flitted a glance towards the nervous Shampoo, "I think I can keep her in good hands.."
Shampoo choked, Ranma blinked in surprise, and Cologne cackled at the implying remark, "Very good, girl! Shampoo, it looks like you'll have one more date accompanying you to the event at Ucchan's this evening!"
"But I no ask-"
"i'm asking for you," the matriarch interjected in a dry voice. She turned back to Ranma and Akane, before continuing, "Well, I just wanted to check up on Shampoo, and make sure she's staying out of trouble... HA! I must be off now, and I expect you to return to the restaurant shortly, Shampoo." With that, Cologne pogoed out of the dojo.
Akane walked over to Shampoo, as she slowly collapsed to the floor, "Why Great-Grandmother prolonge Shampoo torture, and no just slit throat?"
"Probably because there something about you she still likes," Akane replied, giving her hand to assist Shampoo up. A playful smirk appeared across her face, "Not that it's too hard to see..."
Shampoo shoved the hand away, and regained her footing by herself. Maintaining some of her dignity, Shampoo decided that she may as well head back for work, "Shampoo pick up Ranma.... and Akane... at nine, yes?"
"I'm fine with that," Ranma replied, casually.
"Sounds cool," Akane commented. Shampoo gave her a fleeting glare, before heading for the exit of the dojo. "Oh, Shampoo?"
The Amazon turned one final glare for the morning to Akane, "What Akane want?"
"'Ayla Leibe', good song," Akane stated with a knowing smile. The shock was frozen on Shampoo's face, as she woodenly walked out the door.
Ranma approached Akane, scratching the back of his head nervously, "Ah, Akane..."
"Hmm?" Akane replied, pretty sure of what he wanted to know.
"Ah... You and Shampoo... can I watch sometime?"
The smile from Akane's face melted, like a snowflake that had just been overexposed to high plasma. Ranma bent backwards, allowing her fist to pass impotently over his nose, and straightened himself up, already feeling that she wasn't going to put any more into it.
Akane stalked off, indignant, missing the way Ranma's own facetious smirk vanished from his face, and his eyes narrowing. He had easily dodged Akane's blow, but he 'almost' had to put some sincere effort into it.
"You've been learning a lot more than just dancing..."
_________________
"You've been gathering quite a following," Ukyo commented, idly, as she folded her hands over her oak desk, while reclining deeply into her plush leather chair. Both Konatsu and Tsubasa flanked her, as if ready to spring into action at any moment.
The young man with long silver hair with slight streaks of gold pushed his sliver tinted lennon-glasses higher onto his face, before replying, "Well, it's nice to know people like my style."
"Yes, they do," Ukyo replied in a very business-like tone, "I don't know much about you, myself, but you're pretty popular from what I've heard. If you're good enough to bring in bigger business for me, I think I wouldn't mind meeting your price... for later showings."
"That's a bold statement to be making," the young man replied, flicking his fingers, and producing a throwing knife. Both Konatsu and Tsubasa tensed, while Ukyo remained unimpressed. With a smirk, the young man shifted his silver trenchcoat slightly, and began to pick his teeth with it.
"I intend to make Ucchan's bigger than even Velfarre," Ukyo said simply. Even if his glasses were reflective, Ukyo knew his eyes widened at that comment, "That won't happen unless I put some cash into it..." for the first time, Ukyo gave a smile, "...Sugar."
"Well, I may be new to the scene, but your starting at the right place." The young man removed his glasses, to reveal silver contacts, and began polishing them with a cloth that seemed to appear from nowhere.
"That's good to hear, Mr. Mu Tzu."
_________________
Akane, Ranma, and Shampoo descended the spiral staircase to the centerfloor, already jonesing. The DJ onstage was a live one that had not a single idle body in the room. The flamboyant strobes and lights glistened off his all-silver garb, as he spun with a style like molten mercury, and a skill like the unseen elite.
The DJ beatmatched for a transistion, indescreptly nudging the volume from one side of the turntables. Without completely switching over, he kept both songs going in symphony, making them sound as if they belonged that way. He then pulled out a third vinyl from apparent thin air, and spun it on his index finger of his right hand as if it were a frisbee. He then quickly raised the needle off of the record on the first table, dropped the volume on the other turntable, and stuck the record spinning on his finger under it, playing the album. With a liquid smooth transition, he raised the needle off of the record on his finger, and dropped it back on the vinyl that was already on the turntable.
Ranma had to nod in appreciation at the skill the DJ was displaying, "Nice, he ain't bad at all!"
"Is too, too skilled, yes?" Shampoo stated, equally impressed.
The DJ spun away from the table with the third album still spinning his finger. When he was facing the extremely wild crowd again, the record was gone. With a flick of the wrist, he produced a fourth record, tossed it lightly into the air, and produced a throwing blade.
The record was sliced in half in the air, and each piece was easily caught. The silver DJ dropped one half onto the first turn table, exactly where he needed it to be, causing two songs to play melody at once on the first table, while the second table supplied a louder base beat. His charisma was exploding even louder than the music, letting itself be felt through the vibes he played from the table as if he were a one-man orchestra of the future.
Something came to in Shampoo's mind, just as the DJ began pumping his hands in the air to get the crowd roaring. She began to swear in Mandarin loudly, before grabbing onto Ranma's hand, and attempting to head back up the stairs.
"Hold on! We just got here!" Ranma shouted, bracing himself.
"Shampoo make it up to Ranma! We go now!"
Shampoo found her path blocked by Akane, "Oh no, I think I like it here. Let's stay a while."
"Akane welcome to stay, Ranma and Shampoo go now!"
"Not until I got my dance," Akane said firmly, before getting an evil glint in her eye, "With both of you..."
"Not-so-Rhythmless girl dance with imaginary Shampoo! Shampoo no feel so well!" To emphesize the point, the Amazon began coughing dramatically.
her coughing fit was cut off by a loud 'ack', which happened to be her own, when she found Akane's arm around her waist. "I hear exercise is good for what ails ya," Akane said, dryly.
Ranma shrugged, adjusting the arm that Akane had around him to fit against him better, "I'm with Akane on this. What's up?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with you?"
All three of them then noticed the generic mix, albeit good, playing at the same time. "looks like we missed the DJ," Akane stated, dejectedly, as glanced over to find the DJ booth occupied by Konatsu. "Come on, let's hold out until he returns-"
"LOOK!" Someone in the crowd shouted over the music, pointing upwards. all heads turned to look, as a silver ball tumbled through the air. It fell to the ground, landing with a shockwave that shook the VIP floor, revealing itself to be a young man kneeling. His silver trenchcoat clashed with the soft white lightup tiles on the ground, as he slowly came to standing.
"Not a problem," DJ Mu Tzu stated, "the DJ's still here."
"Nice entrance!" Ranma complimented; he definitely liked the guy's style.
Mu Tsu provided Ranma with a smirk and a nod, before turning to look directly at current intrest, "Been looking for you, Shampoo."
"So, you're friends with the DJ, eh?" Akane stated, giving Shampoo a sideways smirk. It fell from her face, when she noticed the plain irritation on the lavender haired girl's expression.
"What Mousse want," Shampoo demanded, unconciously scooting back against Akane.
Mu Tsu frowned, "It's 'Mu Tsu', I don't care for that nickname anymore."
"Mousse, Mu Tsu, is no difference. Still same stupid bother Shampoo in village!"
"Oh..." Mu Tsu began to chuckle, "Au contrare, I'm far from the same man you once knew."
"Mousse never man at all..."
"Funny," Mu Tsu replied in a dry tone, "As I said, I've been looking for you, and found out you went and turned little raver girl on me."
"Why Mousse care?"
"Because of that, I decided that whatever change you made, I would do the same. I began studying under the greatest of DJs in Asia, Europe, and the US... when they were touring locally. And when I was ready, I hit the scene, in hopes of attracting the illustrious 'Shampoo' out of hiding."
"That's a beautiful story, guy," Ranma interjected, getting another smirk and nod from Mu Tsu.
"Well, apparently she's still not interested," Akane supplied for Shampoo, earning the latter's surprised look.
Mu Tsu's frown returned, as he looked directly at Akane, "You seem awfully close to Xian Pu. Any friend of Shampoo's would allow her to make up her own mind."
"She no Shampoo friend!" Shampoo stated, adimantly, not paying attention to raven-haired girl's own frown.
"Oh?" Mu Tsu enquired, "Then, who..."
Finding the right moment for a little payback of Shampoo's previous comment, Akane pulled herself closer into Shampoo, and with a sinister smile, replied, "Use your imagination."
Ranma's eyes went wide. Shampoo's eyes went wide. Akane's eyes narrowed in triumph. Mu Tsu's eyes reddened behind his silver contacts.
"You...." Mu Tsu began to seeth, "You would dare corrupt my Dear Shampoo in such a perverted manner?"
Shampoo was shaking her head adimantly, but she was ignored. "Looks like she has business elsewhere, so why don't you get back up there, and play us a little tune," Akane stated condesendingly.
With a growl, Mu Tsu jumped back, and shot out his right arm. Akane tilted to the side, just barely letting a streak of glowing pink on a chain shoot by her head. The silver-clad boy pulled his hand back, retracting the chain to a shorter length. He twirled it around, causing the glo-stick at the end to streak in the dark air, leaving a pink meandering comet's trail in its wake.
"Before I prove you unworthy of Shampoo's affections, I would know your name," Mu Tsu demanded, allowing a green glo-stick on a chain to dangle from his left hand. He began to twirl both of them around in an interlocking pattern.
Akane smirked as she lightly pushed Shampoo to the side; it was time for her to make the debute of her denom` at Ucchan's, "Succubus."
Both Ranma and Shampoo froze after Akane hissed her name in a sensual manner. "SHE/SHE'S SUCCUBUS?!?"
Akane internally smiled at that; Petra had gone through a great deal to get her somewhat well known. Something about having the most notorious students in Japan.
"I've heard a little about you, some of it impressive, but ultimately nothing that would prove you more than a novice at the party." Mu Tsu stood on one leg, while twirling the glo-sticks like weighted chains in fingur eight patterns above and to the side of him, "Behold, the techniques mastered by only the greatest of DJs. A school so powerful, that the very rhythm of those who oppose it is enthralled. WITNESS, THE SCHOOLS OF THE SPINNING BEAT!"
Akane just barely ducked away from the red streak that passed across her nose, and flipped back away of the green followup, "I AM THE SUCCUBUS OF THE RHYTHMER'S FIST SCHOOL OF DANCE AND MARTIAL ARTS!" She landed, placing her right hand on her chest, and her left hand across her hip, as she swayed sensually from side to side, "Bring it on, cutie!"
_________________
Akane found herself consistantly pressed throughout the fight. She dodged another razor sharp record, and attempted to close in on Mu Tsu again. As he had mentioned prior, the philosophy of his school was that the music was best heard from a distance, just as his attacks were delivered as such. She was also tiring out quickly, just as her opponent only seemed to become more infuriated.
"Geez, what does it take to bring this guy down?" Akane asked herself, swaying out of the way of another attack.
Ranma watched the fight anxiously, compelled by honor not to interfere. "Aw man, she's in way over her head, this time."
"Is true," Shampoo replied with less emotion than she was actually going to admit to feeling. "Is too, too long, Akane waste much energy."
Akane spun away from another strike, finding herself backed into the corner of the chained off center floor. Mu Tsu chuckled sinisterly, as he readied himself, "Well, this is where the career of the dear Succubus ends, any last words?"
Trying to act non-chilant, Akane put her hands into her pockets, while leaning against the chain, "How about you spin '9 AM; Till I Come' by ATB for me before you off me. I would like to hear it at least one more time." As she spoke, she tried to think of possible solutions to her perdicerment. She COULD ask for Ranma's assistance, but...
She blinked, when she felt something in her pockets that gave her an idea.
Mu Tsu gave a nasty smile that was made all the more sinister by his silver contacts, "I will be your funeral song, how about that?"
Akane concentrated, as she watched Mu Tsu, she may get this to work once, but she knew he was skilled enough to quickly anticipate her if she had to do it a second time, which meant the second half of her plan better work but *good*.
The barrage Mu Tsu launched at her was like the garage sale for several retired disk jockeys and chain stores; a seeming wall of malice heading straight for the raven-haired girl. Akane seemed to lean off the wall in slow motion to herself, and into the oncoming onslaught. She felt out Mu Tsu's beat, and found it the hardest thing to adjust to that she could ever anticipate. It was as if he were mixing several different songs at once into one harmony. Nonetheless, she found the basebeat he was using.
She danced through the attacks, and when an opening arrived, rolled to the side. Mu Tsu was dumbfounded that his attack had been evaded in the first place, but quickly turned to find Akane... kissing very shocked Shampoo with a good deal of passion, with an equally shocked Ranma standing by.
"YOU... JEZEBEL!" Mu Tsu screamed out, forgoing all his weapons for a pair of reverse-blades. He charged at the two girls, aiming to behead Akane.
The Tendou girl smiled in victory, finally managing to goad him into an upclose fight. Unfortunately, she wasn't going to be accomidating.
"Moussie, hold this for me, it's getting hot in here!" Akane quickly threw the shirt she had been subtly unbuttoning into her attacker's face, momentarily causing him to pause. Within seconds, the shirt was nothing more than confetti.
The silver-haired boy looked around furiously, only to find Ranma and Shampoo the only ones around, "WHERE IS SHE?!?" he looked up, just in time to see a foot descending into his face.
Akane landed in a crouch, before slithering back up to standing like a sensual vamp. She turned to look down at the unconcious boy, and then back up to the top of the spiraling stairway she had descended from, "Boy, that was a light workout!"
"Yeah, right," Ranma retorted, "Think that trick's gonna work a second time on him?"
"Na," Akane replied, easily, "Then again, why don't you let him come after you the next go?"
"Nu uh! I got Ryoga already. You deal with this one!"
Akane snorted at the pigtailed boy, before striding over to a dazed Shampoo. The Tendou girl peeled off the ten thousand yen note that was still stuck to Shampoo's lips that had each side imprinted with lipstick from two different girls. Akane folded it up, and patted Shampoo on the shoulder, "I think I'll keep this in rememberance."
Shampoo furiously came back to her senses, "AKANE!" Akane held out a hand to forestall any more complaints, but before she could speak, she collapsed forward into Shampoo.
"Yeah, figured that last little trick woulda wore her out," Ranma stated, "Give her here, I'll take her home."
Shampoo looked down at the nearly unconcious Akane, "No, Shampoo carry Akane. Shampoo owe Not-so-Rhythmless girl one."
Ranma shrugged, "Alright, but she's kinda heavy..."
"I'll... get you... for that later..." Akane mumbled against Shampoo's shoulder. Ranma and Shampoo ascended the spiraling stairs, the latter with Akane over her shoulder, unbeknownst that they were being watched by a steely-eyed Ukyo.
"Mu Tsu-honey, looks like you'll be making regular appearances here, after all."
_________________
Ranma walked ahead of Shampoo, lost in his own thoughts. He had seen Akane go all out, and while it was nothing compared to even his casual ability at the moment, he was impressed at the strides in skill she had suddenly been making. Not as fast as his, of course, but still an impressive learning curve. Another thing had come to mind, how did that one chick that Akane was learning to dance from know his teacher's name?"
Shampoo looked back to Akane's head, finding the girl she was carrying apparently asleep. her eyebrows furrowed, before she turned back to face forward. "Stupid Akane," Shampoo whispered, while adjusting her jean jacket she had put on Akane to protect her modesty, "Why you help Shampoo?"
"Is... what friends... for..."
Shampoo stiffened, before looking once again back at Akane's face, this time with a curious expression.