Disclaimer at the bottom.
Warnings: 1 censored swear word and attempts at humour.
Chapter 6
NB: Set approx. 1 year after the last.
()-()-()-()-()-()-()
Gohan scanned the main room of the Nightlife club, scratching his head. Where was everybody? Even after taking a trip to the change room and waiting for ten minutes he still hadn't found any of the people he usually sat with.
Gohan decided to go over to the bar to see if one of the workers had seen where everyone had gone. He approached the nearest barman.
"Uh, excuse me?"
The barman looked up and gave a girlish shriek before diving under the counter. Gohan peered over the edge.
"It's okay, Kat's not here. I just want to know if you've seen any of the underage team tonight?" He grinned reassuringly at the man hiding below.
Rosy-cheeked the barman slowly stood up, trying to regain some composure. "Ahem. Yes, they all left the main room about half an hour ago." He told him cautiously.
"Thanks man." Gohan replied, giving the barman a salute reminiscent of his father's. He headed towards the hallway and started opening and closing each door he came to. Eventually he found the right one.
"Hey! See, I told you he'd find us eventually." Kat said, from her position lying on the floor propped up on her elbows.
"Yeah, thanks for telling me where you where." Gohan answered sarcastically. "What are you guys doing?" He asked, eyeing the way Kat, Sharon, Joey, and two girls he didn't really know were seated on the floor in a circle.
"Come join." Kat beckoned. As Gohan sat down she added, "We're playing truth or dare." He immediately stood up again. "Oh don't be a cheese-less nacho. It's fun!"
"Except when you play with Kat." Sharon pouted. "She's plain rotten!" Gohan raised an eyebrow at Kat. She just laughed and shrugged innocently.
"Well, okay then." Gohan said reluctantly, blowing the lock of hair that had recently started growing downwards out of his eyes. "Whose go is it?"
"It's mine!" Joey announced. "And I choose Kat. Truth or dare?" He grinned expectantly.
Kat considered for a moment. "Well, since you obviously want me to pick dare, I'll pick truth." She said with a sly smile. Joey looked defeated for a moment, but perked up as Sharon whispered something in his ear.
"Okay. What is something you could never ever do?" He asked with a grin. Not only was Kat was known for doing things some people would never dream of doing, her answer here could also set her up nicely for a future dare.
Everyone looked at her in interest as she considered. After only a little while she burst out laughing and rolled onto her back, clutching her stomach.
"Tell us!" One of the girls, Gohan thought her name was Mia, demanded.
Still laughing a little Kat flipped back onto her stomach and looked at them all with a gleam in her eye. Gohan gave an amused smile, knowing she was anticipating some sort of reaction from them.
"One thing I could never do." Kat said, trailing off to leave them in suspense.
"Come on!" Sharon cried.
"Is." Again she paused.
"Katina!" Everyone except Gohan shouted. She just laughed.
"Forge my own signature!" She finished. Gohan snickered. There were cries of outrage and unfairness from the rest. "What? It's true isn't it?" She defended.
"She has a point." Gohan backed her up.
"My turn!" Kat declared. "I pick Gohan." She said without even pausing to think about it. Gohan got an 'uh oh' look on his face. "Truth or dare Mr. Hybrid?"
Gohan's lips twisted in a half smile for her nickname of him. "Truth." He answered.
"That's no fun! Pick dare." She commanded.
"Fine, dare." Gohan rolled his eyes. Kat cast her eyes about the room for inspiration. Finally she smirked.
"Okay, you know those Ginyu people you once told me about?" She started.
"The Ginyu Force." Gohan muttered, a large sweatdrop appearing at his temple.
"And how you said they scarred you for life?" Kat continued, eyes sparkling.
"Oh please Dende no."
"I want you to accurately demonstrate for us one of their 'routines'." Kat finished with a flourish. Everyone else looked puzzled and mildly interested.
Gohan closed his eyes and sighed, mentally preparing himself for the ordeal ahead. "Are you sure I can't pick truth?" He asked Kat meekly.
"No." Came the definite reply.
He hauled himself to his feet, and moved to stand a little away from the rest. "Well, it was a long time ago but, it kinda looked like this." He showed inhuman self-control, as not once during the subsequent series of ridiculous poses did he smile.
"WE." Pose. "ARE." Pose, pose. "THE." Weird waving of hands, pose. "GINYU FORCE!" Final dramatic pose that made him look like a startled flamingo. Everyone blinked at him in utter disbelief before bursting out laughing. He mock glared at them all.
"You dare mock the Ginyu Force?!" He shouted, drill sergeant style. Everyone laughed even harder. "I'll have you know we are the most powerful idiots in the universe!" He barked, working hard now to keep from laughing himself. "Our poses are designed to root our enemies to the spot in fear!" After that comment he couldn't take it any longer, and joined the rest of his friends on the floor in helpless laughter.
When everyone had eventually regained their composure Joey asked, "You mean you actually had to fight people who did that? I bet it was the easiest fight of your life!"
All of Gohan's remaining mirth instantly dried up, leaving an empty spot where it had been. "The sad thing was they were actually immensely strong, or at the time they were. I almost died." He said in a rather offhand way.
"How strong were they?" Kat asked, and Gohan gave her a wry smile. Her curiosity was always stronger than her discretion. Most people at this point would have dropped the subject. But this time he didn't actually mind. It was good to be able to laugh at memories that once left a bad taste in the back of his mouth.
"Joey, do you consider yourself reasonably strong physically?" Gohan asked.
"Well yeah, I'm quite fit." Joey replied. It wasn't a boast. It was a statement of fact.
"Imagine someone ten thousand times stronger than you, and you have about their average strength." Gohan answered.
"No shit?!" Joey exclaimed in shock.
"How strong are you then Gohan?" Sharon asked curiously. Gohan frowned as he tried to calculate. Eventually he gave up.
"I honestly don't know. Or rather, I don't know how I can tell you in terms you'd understand. But look at it this way. Compared to what we perceive as strong now, the 'strength' of the Ginyu Force is more a joke than their poses."
"Alright, you've had your ego trip." Kat interrupted the stunned silence. "Gohan, your choice."
"Pick Kari, she hasn't had much of a go yet." Sharon told him.
Gohan looked over to the last of their group. "Hey Kari, nice to meet you." He grinned, and she grinned nervously back. "Truth or dare?"
Kari took a deep breath and bravely said, "Dare."
"I dare you to kiss Gohan." Kat instantly said.
Gohan gave her an exasperated look. "Whose go is it?"
"Fine, be boring, see if I care." Kat said, turning her back to him. Gohan stuck out his tongue at her before settling back to think about the dare.
"Hurry up." Kat grumbled.
"Shh, I'm thinking." Gohan replied.
"Oh come on, I'm not getting any younger over here." Kat muttered irritably.
"Okay okay. Kari, you have to go out into the main hall, find Backslash, and ask him to dance." Gohan declared. Kari immediately went pink.
Kat laughed. "Backslash's here?"
"Yeah, I saw him on the way in." Gohan answered.
"Do you want to do it Kari? I'll do it for you if you like. He's a really good dancer." Kat said eagerly, sitting up.
"I don't even know who he is. I can't ask a complete stranger to dance." Kari whispered, looking quite mortified. Mia put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
"You shouldn't have picked dare if you were too cowardly to carry it through." Sharon sniffed.
"And your next dare Sharon can be to dance with Hercule." Gohan smirked. A look of absolute horror came over the 17 year old's face. Then she scowled.
"I can tell when I'm not wanted." She said sourly, standing up. "This game is stupid anyway." She stalked out of the room to Kat's hysterical laughter. Joey stood up too.
"Where're ya going Joey?" Kat asked slyly.
"Well, I just though that." He looked uncertainly over his shoulder at the door Sharon had just walked through.
"That Sharon might need comforting?" Kat suggested, her tone inflecting the words with such suggestive connotations that Joey went red from his neck to the tips of his ears.
Gohan gave Kat a sharp kick. "You're braver than me Joey. She's been quite moody lately. Tell her I'm sorry for offending her so bad." He said, ignoring Kat's attempts to retaliate his kick.
"Sure mate. See you guys around." Joey said, looking somewhat relieved. This look quickly disappeared as Kat said,
"I hope not. You two should at least find yourselves a private room."
This comment was followed by the sound of the door closing on Joey's hurried exit.
"You're in top form tonight." Gohan said dryly to Kat. She shrugged.
"I'm in a good mood."
"Do I still have to do that dare?" Kari ventured hopefully.
"Nah." Gohan replied, followed almost instantaneously by Kat's,
"Yes!"
When Kari looked back and forth between the two trying to decide whom to answer to Kat again insisted, "Yes!"
"Lay off Kat. It's okay Kari, I think the game's over." Gohan assured her.
"How come you always override me?!" Kat demanded angrily.
"Because I've known you the longest." Gohan answered calmly.
"I've been here the longest!" Kat pointed out, frowning in an outraged way.
"Only a week or two longer than me." Gohan countered.
"How long have you two been coming here?" Mia was brave enough to ask, as Kat was starting to look murderous.
"Almost five years now I guess." Gohan answered her. Both girls' eyes showed expression of shock.
"Wow. And you're still just friends?"
"How do you mean?" Gohan asked, openly curious. With a sigh for his naivety that still showed through after being around her for so long, Kat replied,
"Yes. We're friends aren't we Gohan?"
Confused Gohan answered, "Yeah, 'course."
Perhaps because Mia obviously seemed to be trying to smother a smile Kat got to her feet and suggested,
"Why don't we go get some drinks?"
"Okay. You guys want to come?" Gohan offered the two girls. Kari looked to Mia to make the decision for them.
"You go. I'll catch up in a sec." Mia told Kari, and stayed sitting as they all left the room.
Almost as soon as the door had closed behind them all Destiny shifted into sight.
"Very interesting." Destiny gave a little laugh. "Good work kiddo."
Mia looked up at her, and clearly insulted by the kiddo comment she replied, "You look like shit sis'."
Destiny sank tiredly to the floor beside her. "What would father say if he heard you use such language?" She said with an amused tone.
"He'd probably lament that all his children were growing up and away from him." Mia answered, then as Destiny raised one eyebrow she added, "After scolding me of course."
"Good to know he hasn't changed much after all this time."
The two exchanged looks, smiling at some unspoken joke.
"Well I'd better get going. You can spend the rest of the night here if you like." Destiny said, standing up.
"Thanks! Will you be coming home soon?" Mia asked, also getting to her feet.
Destiny considered the question before sighing, "I don't know. I hope so, but it depends on whether things go smoothly or not here."
"Probably not then." Mia said with a sour smile. Destiny laughed in agreement.
"Give papa a kiss from me and what ever you do don't tell him I look tired in any way. He'll only worry."
"I'll try. He can be very persuasive though." Mia answered.
"Don't I know it." Destiny replied, and with a roll of her eyes she was gone.
Once sure she was safe from the eyes of her big sister Mia rubbed her hands together. "Time to parrr-tey!"
()-()-()
He'd drawn the short straw. It was his turn to get drinks. Gohan didn't really mind; getting worked up over insignificant things was more Kat's area of expertise. He just didn't enjoy having to balance four glasses with very different contours whilst weaving his way from one side of the crowded main room to the other.
He was over half way there when someone shouted his name. He looked up and smiled a greeting at Hercule, loosing his concentration for a split second too long, and ending up walking head on into another Nightlifer.
Hercule knew that the accident was his fault and felt slightly guilty, his greatest flaw as a being of Dark origin, but refused to let this prevent his amusement. The guilt would soon pass. It always did.
Gohan sighed at the mess of liquid and glass on the floor, before looking up at the person he'd hit. A guy about his age was standing about a meter away, having sprung with great reaction speed out of the path of the mixed cold beverages.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." Gohan apologised.
"That's okay, I wasn't either." The guy replied, a slight nervous edge to his voice. Gohan stepped out of the way as a worker hurried over to clean up the mess.
"You new? I haven't seen you round here before." Gohan said conversationally. The teenager beside him had dark hair with a fringe that, while tame in comparison to Gohan's own spiky locks, wasn't exactly neat either. The rest of his hair was long enough to be pulled back into a short braid. By his stance and physique Gohan could tell he was a fighter.
"Uh, yes, I guess so." The teen replied, looking around uncertainly. "Where exactly am I?"
Gohan smiled, and answered all the questions he could as they both went to recollect the drinks. In turn Saotome Ranma, as he introduced himself, offered to help Gohan carry the drinks back to the table where Kat, Joey, and Sharon were waiting.
"Took you long enough genius." Kat teased, as Gohan passed her drink over to her. "You dropped them didn't you?"
"It wasn't my fault." Gohan defended. "Hercule distracted me. How did you know anyway?"
"We could hear the crash from all the way over here." Kat laughed. Gohan shook his head. Why was it she took such delight in the damage and misfortune of others? "Who's this?" She then asked, reminding him that Ranma was still waiting to be introduced.
"Ranma this is Kat, Sharon, and Joey." Gohan indicated each of them in turn. "Guys, this is Ranma. He's new. And no Kat, you can't." Kat pouted, leaving the others to wonder what she had been about to say.
"So Ranma, what do you do during your daylife?" Joey took the initiative of jumpstarting the conversation, once everyone was seated and had tasted their drinks. Ranma started to reply, but got distracted by Kat and Gohan swapping drinks after first sip without actually communicating about the transaction. He then had to quickly remember the question and his answer.
"Well, I go to school, and train.and yeah, I train." He responded a little hesitantly. The group shrugged it off; it was natural to be a little freaked on your first night.
"What are you training for?" Sharon asked inquisitively. Kat too paid the conversation a little more attention.
"What ever comes along next I guess." Ranma shrugged. Gohan nodded his head appreciatively.
"Good answer." He murmured.
"Peh, boring answer." Kat grumbled.
"Well what about you Kat?" Gohan asked, louder so the rest could easily hear. "What do you think you're going to do with your daylife?"
Kat grinned. "We had an 'Occupation Opportunity Day' yesterday. I've decided I'm going to become a forensic pathologist!" She announced.
"But Katina, you actually need to study for that." Sharon smirked, looking down her nose at Kat. Kat, to her credit, lasted a whole 0.6 seconds before pouncing on the bait.
"I could so study if I wanted to!" She yelled angrily, rising a little from her seat, only to be pulled back down by the strong arm of Gohan. "I just choose not to at this point in time." She added haughtily.
"I thought you wanted to become a singer." Joey interjected, before Sharon could deliver the provocative rebuttal on her lips. He and Gohan shared an amused glance at the mutual peacekeeping roles they so naturally assumed. Ranma just watched, his quick blue eyes taking in the scene while mentally comparing it to his own home experiences.
"That was last week." Kat replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Somehow I have no trouble imagining that you find cutting up dead bodies appealing Kat." Gohan said dryly, to which Kat gave a broad grin, defying anyone to challenge her chosen occupation of the week. Sharon didn't hesitate.
"Well I think it's disgusting." She said, wrinkling her nose delicately. Gohan had the fleeting thought that she was probably quite well off money wise during her daylife.
"Oh no, it's great. I borrowed a video you see." Kat answered her.
"On forensic pathology?" Gohan questioned.
Kat gave a small self-deprecating smile. "Actually, it was an old horror flick about the zombies of executed criminals coming back to take revenge on the people who had grassed on them. But it had a forensic pathologist in it!"
"She died a horrible death didn't she?" Gohan asked with a laugh. Kat's answering laugh confirmed his guess.
"You two must know each other really well." Ranma spoke up for the first time of his own accord. Kat looked uncomfortable for a second, but Gohan gave an easy grin.
"Yeah, known each other for ages." He replied.
"Don't know how he puts up with her." Sharon sniffed, lifting her glass of iced water to her mouth. Quick as a flash Kat was out of her seat and lunging for the older girl. Her aim no doubt was to knock the water all over Sharon's shirt, but Gohan's quick reaction to pull her back threw off her aim.
Ranma watched with a kind of fatalistic resignation as the contents of the glass sailed invariably straight towards him. Even though he knew there wasn't enough time, he valiantly tried to jump out of the way, but that ended up a bad idea as he accidentally jumped up and into the water that otherwise would've gone over his head.
There were mixed reactions from the group, as the amount of cold water, though small, was just enough to trigger Ranma's curse. Go figure.
"What the f***?" Always eloquent, even in cases of extreme shock, was Sharon.
"Urhgrn?!" Later requested by Kat, Joey could not repeat this sound despite threats of pain and torture.
"That's so cool!" Guess who. And no, it's not Gohan. For he had settled with a mixed look of surprise, confusion, and the look of one who thinks their eyes have decided to play a practical joke on them.
A shorter, red-haired, and undeniably curvaceous Ranma placed the empty glass she had caught out of reflex back on the table, blushing from embarrassment and dismay. Kat laughed in delight.
"You're a girl!"
"I'm not." Ranma said with a sigh. "I fell into the cursed pool of drowned girl when I was younger, and now whenever I'm hit with cold water I turn into a girl." He turned she explained, wringing out her shirt and sitting back down.
"I guess some things just can't be avoided." Gohan commented. "Even at Nightlife."
"Don't say that!" Kat exclaimed. "I refuse to believe I've been living a lie all this time."
Ignoring her Gohan asked, "How do you undo the curse? Do you revert back when you dry out?"
Ranma shook her head, a somewhat sardonic smile on her face. "I wish it was that easy. I have to be splashed with hot water to turn back into my real form."
Sharon and Joey exchanged looks that plainly said how weird and somewhat disturbing they thought this whole idea was. Ranma winced but tried to cover it by looking indifferently around the main room.
"I don't see why you two should be freaked out." Gohan chided with a frown. "Kat's the most normal one here and she doesn't think it's weird."
"I resent that." Kat scowled.
"I mean that she's not as used to seeing these sorts of things. I thought you guys had magic in your dimension."
"I wanna be weird too!" Kat piped up, but Ranma was the only one who paid her whim any heed.
"Not that kind of magic." Sharon said, still with that look on her face. Joey seemed to feel guilty for being so rude, and it showed in his tone as he added,
"We're used to little everyday things. Like flying carpets and enchanted medicines or gems. The occasional jinxed object, but anything as severe as a curse is only ever used in cases of extreme punishment." It was implied by way he said it; a fate worse than death.
"Surely there's a wide variety of curses out there." Gohan offered, in an attempt to ease Ranma's masked discomfort with the conversation.
Joey shrugged. "I guess. Don't really know. Government censoring and all." For some reason Sharon gave a little cough at that.
They all looked up as a waiter arrived at their table, carrying a tray upon which rested a bowl. A faint trail of steam rose from the surface of the dish. The waiter offered the bowl to Ranma with a simple,
"If it makes you feel more comfortable sir."
Ranma gratefully took the bowl of hot water and without hesitation tipped it over her head. Instantly she was a he again.
"Thankyou." He said. The waiter bowed and retreated.
"I wonder if those guys get paid." Kat said pensively.
"But what would they get paid in? I was under the impression you couldn't take things from one plain to the other. But clothes come in on your back. Would a small object in your pocket also come? What's the size limit?" Gohan replied.
"Do you ever stop asking questions once you get started?" Sharon smirked.
"Why do people answer questions with new questions?" Joey wondered out loud.
"Cause they don't know the answer." Kat said. "Congratulations Gohan, you just earned yourself a dance." She continued, standing up. "If you'd ignored me one more time I would've taken the cute new guy." She winked at Ranma.
Gohan laughed. "You officially owe me one Ranma." He said, then ducked as Kat's fist sailed overhead. Ranma didn't seem to know how to reply to this.
"C'mon you meanie." Kat said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him away. Gohan's answer was drowned out by the noise of the club around them.
There was an awkward silence.
"I think I'll go get a new drink." Sharon said suddenly, standing up.
"I'll go with you." Joey also got up.
"Fine." Ranma said neutrally. The couple paused, a little guilty, but then continued over the other side of the room to the bar.
Gohan looked over the heads of the crowd at Ranma sitting all alone. With a concerned frown he started to make his way back but stopped as he saw Bert approach the cursed teen. Words were exchanged, and then Ranma followed Bert from the main room.
"Whatcha lookin' at?" Kat asked, raising her voice over the music. Gohan listened to the rhythm to determine that the song wasn't about to finish before replying.
"Ranma's gone home. I think he has a pretty hectic home life." He answered loudly.
"Don't we all?" Kat responded.
"Thank Dende nothing more than usual at the moment." Gohan replied with a cheerful grin.
"Aren't you the lucky one then." Kat muttered, but Gohan was able to piece together what she'd said despite the loud music.
He took her hand and quickly spun her around. "But hey, that's why we're here." He grinned as she tried to clear her spinning head. "Race you to the hall." And with that he took off running, though mindful not to go too fast.
"He-ey! No fair!" Kat cried, tearing off after him, not caring who got in her way.
As he reached the large double doors Gohan made a mental note to start coming more frequently to Nightlife again. Something was bothering Kat. He hoped it wasn't her destiny arriving.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Disclaimer: Aha! Now I can disclaim without spoiling the plot!!! I don't own Kari from Digimon, or Ranma from Ranma 1/2, or any characters originating from DBZ.
Thanks to:
Marbus - Until you tell me more about your suggestion he can't make an appearance!
and
Min Farshaw - Nah, dead heroes don't go to Nightlife. Stands to reason that if they were 'good' they'd be in a better place anyway, and for the 'evil' ones.'torment WITHOUT relief' the saying goes. (And not fair to the rest of the HFIL population besides. ^_^ )
for reviewing!
Next time: More guest appearances! And don't hesitate to keep up the suggestions. When I run out I might actually have to start on the (gasp) plot again, rather than the vague hints being fed to you at the moment.
~_^
Warnings: 1 censored swear word and attempts at humour.
Chapter 6
NB: Set approx. 1 year after the last.
()-()-()-()-()-()-()
Gohan scanned the main room of the Nightlife club, scratching his head. Where was everybody? Even after taking a trip to the change room and waiting for ten minutes he still hadn't found any of the people he usually sat with.
Gohan decided to go over to the bar to see if one of the workers had seen where everyone had gone. He approached the nearest barman.
"Uh, excuse me?"
The barman looked up and gave a girlish shriek before diving under the counter. Gohan peered over the edge.
"It's okay, Kat's not here. I just want to know if you've seen any of the underage team tonight?" He grinned reassuringly at the man hiding below.
Rosy-cheeked the barman slowly stood up, trying to regain some composure. "Ahem. Yes, they all left the main room about half an hour ago." He told him cautiously.
"Thanks man." Gohan replied, giving the barman a salute reminiscent of his father's. He headed towards the hallway and started opening and closing each door he came to. Eventually he found the right one.
"Hey! See, I told you he'd find us eventually." Kat said, from her position lying on the floor propped up on her elbows.
"Yeah, thanks for telling me where you where." Gohan answered sarcastically. "What are you guys doing?" He asked, eyeing the way Kat, Sharon, Joey, and two girls he didn't really know were seated on the floor in a circle.
"Come join." Kat beckoned. As Gohan sat down she added, "We're playing truth or dare." He immediately stood up again. "Oh don't be a cheese-less nacho. It's fun!"
"Except when you play with Kat." Sharon pouted. "She's plain rotten!" Gohan raised an eyebrow at Kat. She just laughed and shrugged innocently.
"Well, okay then." Gohan said reluctantly, blowing the lock of hair that had recently started growing downwards out of his eyes. "Whose go is it?"
"It's mine!" Joey announced. "And I choose Kat. Truth or dare?" He grinned expectantly.
Kat considered for a moment. "Well, since you obviously want me to pick dare, I'll pick truth." She said with a sly smile. Joey looked defeated for a moment, but perked up as Sharon whispered something in his ear.
"Okay. What is something you could never ever do?" He asked with a grin. Not only was Kat was known for doing things some people would never dream of doing, her answer here could also set her up nicely for a future dare.
Everyone looked at her in interest as she considered. After only a little while she burst out laughing and rolled onto her back, clutching her stomach.
"Tell us!" One of the girls, Gohan thought her name was Mia, demanded.
Still laughing a little Kat flipped back onto her stomach and looked at them all with a gleam in her eye. Gohan gave an amused smile, knowing she was anticipating some sort of reaction from them.
"One thing I could never do." Kat said, trailing off to leave them in suspense.
"Come on!" Sharon cried.
"Is." Again she paused.
"Katina!" Everyone except Gohan shouted. She just laughed.
"Forge my own signature!" She finished. Gohan snickered. There were cries of outrage and unfairness from the rest. "What? It's true isn't it?" She defended.
"She has a point." Gohan backed her up.
"My turn!" Kat declared. "I pick Gohan." She said without even pausing to think about it. Gohan got an 'uh oh' look on his face. "Truth or dare Mr. Hybrid?"
Gohan's lips twisted in a half smile for her nickname of him. "Truth." He answered.
"That's no fun! Pick dare." She commanded.
"Fine, dare." Gohan rolled his eyes. Kat cast her eyes about the room for inspiration. Finally she smirked.
"Okay, you know those Ginyu people you once told me about?" She started.
"The Ginyu Force." Gohan muttered, a large sweatdrop appearing at his temple.
"And how you said they scarred you for life?" Kat continued, eyes sparkling.
"Oh please Dende no."
"I want you to accurately demonstrate for us one of their 'routines'." Kat finished with a flourish. Everyone else looked puzzled and mildly interested.
Gohan closed his eyes and sighed, mentally preparing himself for the ordeal ahead. "Are you sure I can't pick truth?" He asked Kat meekly.
"No." Came the definite reply.
He hauled himself to his feet, and moved to stand a little away from the rest. "Well, it was a long time ago but, it kinda looked like this." He showed inhuman self-control, as not once during the subsequent series of ridiculous poses did he smile.
"WE." Pose. "ARE." Pose, pose. "THE." Weird waving of hands, pose. "GINYU FORCE!" Final dramatic pose that made him look like a startled flamingo. Everyone blinked at him in utter disbelief before bursting out laughing. He mock glared at them all.
"You dare mock the Ginyu Force?!" He shouted, drill sergeant style. Everyone laughed even harder. "I'll have you know we are the most powerful idiots in the universe!" He barked, working hard now to keep from laughing himself. "Our poses are designed to root our enemies to the spot in fear!" After that comment he couldn't take it any longer, and joined the rest of his friends on the floor in helpless laughter.
When everyone had eventually regained their composure Joey asked, "You mean you actually had to fight people who did that? I bet it was the easiest fight of your life!"
All of Gohan's remaining mirth instantly dried up, leaving an empty spot where it had been. "The sad thing was they were actually immensely strong, or at the time they were. I almost died." He said in a rather offhand way.
"How strong were they?" Kat asked, and Gohan gave her a wry smile. Her curiosity was always stronger than her discretion. Most people at this point would have dropped the subject. But this time he didn't actually mind. It was good to be able to laugh at memories that once left a bad taste in the back of his mouth.
"Joey, do you consider yourself reasonably strong physically?" Gohan asked.
"Well yeah, I'm quite fit." Joey replied. It wasn't a boast. It was a statement of fact.
"Imagine someone ten thousand times stronger than you, and you have about their average strength." Gohan answered.
"No shit?!" Joey exclaimed in shock.
"How strong are you then Gohan?" Sharon asked curiously. Gohan frowned as he tried to calculate. Eventually he gave up.
"I honestly don't know. Or rather, I don't know how I can tell you in terms you'd understand. But look at it this way. Compared to what we perceive as strong now, the 'strength' of the Ginyu Force is more a joke than their poses."
"Alright, you've had your ego trip." Kat interrupted the stunned silence. "Gohan, your choice."
"Pick Kari, she hasn't had much of a go yet." Sharon told him.
Gohan looked over to the last of their group. "Hey Kari, nice to meet you." He grinned, and she grinned nervously back. "Truth or dare?"
Kari took a deep breath and bravely said, "Dare."
"I dare you to kiss Gohan." Kat instantly said.
Gohan gave her an exasperated look. "Whose go is it?"
"Fine, be boring, see if I care." Kat said, turning her back to him. Gohan stuck out his tongue at her before settling back to think about the dare.
"Hurry up." Kat grumbled.
"Shh, I'm thinking." Gohan replied.
"Oh come on, I'm not getting any younger over here." Kat muttered irritably.
"Okay okay. Kari, you have to go out into the main hall, find Backslash, and ask him to dance." Gohan declared. Kari immediately went pink.
Kat laughed. "Backslash's here?"
"Yeah, I saw him on the way in." Gohan answered.
"Do you want to do it Kari? I'll do it for you if you like. He's a really good dancer." Kat said eagerly, sitting up.
"I don't even know who he is. I can't ask a complete stranger to dance." Kari whispered, looking quite mortified. Mia put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
"You shouldn't have picked dare if you were too cowardly to carry it through." Sharon sniffed.
"And your next dare Sharon can be to dance with Hercule." Gohan smirked. A look of absolute horror came over the 17 year old's face. Then she scowled.
"I can tell when I'm not wanted." She said sourly, standing up. "This game is stupid anyway." She stalked out of the room to Kat's hysterical laughter. Joey stood up too.
"Where're ya going Joey?" Kat asked slyly.
"Well, I just though that." He looked uncertainly over his shoulder at the door Sharon had just walked through.
"That Sharon might need comforting?" Kat suggested, her tone inflecting the words with such suggestive connotations that Joey went red from his neck to the tips of his ears.
Gohan gave Kat a sharp kick. "You're braver than me Joey. She's been quite moody lately. Tell her I'm sorry for offending her so bad." He said, ignoring Kat's attempts to retaliate his kick.
"Sure mate. See you guys around." Joey said, looking somewhat relieved. This look quickly disappeared as Kat said,
"I hope not. You two should at least find yourselves a private room."
This comment was followed by the sound of the door closing on Joey's hurried exit.
"You're in top form tonight." Gohan said dryly to Kat. She shrugged.
"I'm in a good mood."
"Do I still have to do that dare?" Kari ventured hopefully.
"Nah." Gohan replied, followed almost instantaneously by Kat's,
"Yes!"
When Kari looked back and forth between the two trying to decide whom to answer to Kat again insisted, "Yes!"
"Lay off Kat. It's okay Kari, I think the game's over." Gohan assured her.
"How come you always override me?!" Kat demanded angrily.
"Because I've known you the longest." Gohan answered calmly.
"I've been here the longest!" Kat pointed out, frowning in an outraged way.
"Only a week or two longer than me." Gohan countered.
"How long have you two been coming here?" Mia was brave enough to ask, as Kat was starting to look murderous.
"Almost five years now I guess." Gohan answered her. Both girls' eyes showed expression of shock.
"Wow. And you're still just friends?"
"How do you mean?" Gohan asked, openly curious. With a sigh for his naivety that still showed through after being around her for so long, Kat replied,
"Yes. We're friends aren't we Gohan?"
Confused Gohan answered, "Yeah, 'course."
Perhaps because Mia obviously seemed to be trying to smother a smile Kat got to her feet and suggested,
"Why don't we go get some drinks?"
"Okay. You guys want to come?" Gohan offered the two girls. Kari looked to Mia to make the decision for them.
"You go. I'll catch up in a sec." Mia told Kari, and stayed sitting as they all left the room.
Almost as soon as the door had closed behind them all Destiny shifted into sight.
"Very interesting." Destiny gave a little laugh. "Good work kiddo."
Mia looked up at her, and clearly insulted by the kiddo comment she replied, "You look like shit sis'."
Destiny sank tiredly to the floor beside her. "What would father say if he heard you use such language?" She said with an amused tone.
"He'd probably lament that all his children were growing up and away from him." Mia answered, then as Destiny raised one eyebrow she added, "After scolding me of course."
"Good to know he hasn't changed much after all this time."
The two exchanged looks, smiling at some unspoken joke.
"Well I'd better get going. You can spend the rest of the night here if you like." Destiny said, standing up.
"Thanks! Will you be coming home soon?" Mia asked, also getting to her feet.
Destiny considered the question before sighing, "I don't know. I hope so, but it depends on whether things go smoothly or not here."
"Probably not then." Mia said with a sour smile. Destiny laughed in agreement.
"Give papa a kiss from me and what ever you do don't tell him I look tired in any way. He'll only worry."
"I'll try. He can be very persuasive though." Mia answered.
"Don't I know it." Destiny replied, and with a roll of her eyes she was gone.
Once sure she was safe from the eyes of her big sister Mia rubbed her hands together. "Time to parrr-tey!"
()-()-()
He'd drawn the short straw. It was his turn to get drinks. Gohan didn't really mind; getting worked up over insignificant things was more Kat's area of expertise. He just didn't enjoy having to balance four glasses with very different contours whilst weaving his way from one side of the crowded main room to the other.
He was over half way there when someone shouted his name. He looked up and smiled a greeting at Hercule, loosing his concentration for a split second too long, and ending up walking head on into another Nightlifer.
Hercule knew that the accident was his fault and felt slightly guilty, his greatest flaw as a being of Dark origin, but refused to let this prevent his amusement. The guilt would soon pass. It always did.
Gohan sighed at the mess of liquid and glass on the floor, before looking up at the person he'd hit. A guy about his age was standing about a meter away, having sprung with great reaction speed out of the path of the mixed cold beverages.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." Gohan apologised.
"That's okay, I wasn't either." The guy replied, a slight nervous edge to his voice. Gohan stepped out of the way as a worker hurried over to clean up the mess.
"You new? I haven't seen you round here before." Gohan said conversationally. The teenager beside him had dark hair with a fringe that, while tame in comparison to Gohan's own spiky locks, wasn't exactly neat either. The rest of his hair was long enough to be pulled back into a short braid. By his stance and physique Gohan could tell he was a fighter.
"Uh, yes, I guess so." The teen replied, looking around uncertainly. "Where exactly am I?"
Gohan smiled, and answered all the questions he could as they both went to recollect the drinks. In turn Saotome Ranma, as he introduced himself, offered to help Gohan carry the drinks back to the table where Kat, Joey, and Sharon were waiting.
"Took you long enough genius." Kat teased, as Gohan passed her drink over to her. "You dropped them didn't you?"
"It wasn't my fault." Gohan defended. "Hercule distracted me. How did you know anyway?"
"We could hear the crash from all the way over here." Kat laughed. Gohan shook his head. Why was it she took such delight in the damage and misfortune of others? "Who's this?" She then asked, reminding him that Ranma was still waiting to be introduced.
"Ranma this is Kat, Sharon, and Joey." Gohan indicated each of them in turn. "Guys, this is Ranma. He's new. And no Kat, you can't." Kat pouted, leaving the others to wonder what she had been about to say.
"So Ranma, what do you do during your daylife?" Joey took the initiative of jumpstarting the conversation, once everyone was seated and had tasted their drinks. Ranma started to reply, but got distracted by Kat and Gohan swapping drinks after first sip without actually communicating about the transaction. He then had to quickly remember the question and his answer.
"Well, I go to school, and train.and yeah, I train." He responded a little hesitantly. The group shrugged it off; it was natural to be a little freaked on your first night.
"What are you training for?" Sharon asked inquisitively. Kat too paid the conversation a little more attention.
"What ever comes along next I guess." Ranma shrugged. Gohan nodded his head appreciatively.
"Good answer." He murmured.
"Peh, boring answer." Kat grumbled.
"Well what about you Kat?" Gohan asked, louder so the rest could easily hear. "What do you think you're going to do with your daylife?"
Kat grinned. "We had an 'Occupation Opportunity Day' yesterday. I've decided I'm going to become a forensic pathologist!" She announced.
"But Katina, you actually need to study for that." Sharon smirked, looking down her nose at Kat. Kat, to her credit, lasted a whole 0.6 seconds before pouncing on the bait.
"I could so study if I wanted to!" She yelled angrily, rising a little from her seat, only to be pulled back down by the strong arm of Gohan. "I just choose not to at this point in time." She added haughtily.
"I thought you wanted to become a singer." Joey interjected, before Sharon could deliver the provocative rebuttal on her lips. He and Gohan shared an amused glance at the mutual peacekeeping roles they so naturally assumed. Ranma just watched, his quick blue eyes taking in the scene while mentally comparing it to his own home experiences.
"That was last week." Kat replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Somehow I have no trouble imagining that you find cutting up dead bodies appealing Kat." Gohan said dryly, to which Kat gave a broad grin, defying anyone to challenge her chosen occupation of the week. Sharon didn't hesitate.
"Well I think it's disgusting." She said, wrinkling her nose delicately. Gohan had the fleeting thought that she was probably quite well off money wise during her daylife.
"Oh no, it's great. I borrowed a video you see." Kat answered her.
"On forensic pathology?" Gohan questioned.
Kat gave a small self-deprecating smile. "Actually, it was an old horror flick about the zombies of executed criminals coming back to take revenge on the people who had grassed on them. But it had a forensic pathologist in it!"
"She died a horrible death didn't she?" Gohan asked with a laugh. Kat's answering laugh confirmed his guess.
"You two must know each other really well." Ranma spoke up for the first time of his own accord. Kat looked uncomfortable for a second, but Gohan gave an easy grin.
"Yeah, known each other for ages." He replied.
"Don't know how he puts up with her." Sharon sniffed, lifting her glass of iced water to her mouth. Quick as a flash Kat was out of her seat and lunging for the older girl. Her aim no doubt was to knock the water all over Sharon's shirt, but Gohan's quick reaction to pull her back threw off her aim.
Ranma watched with a kind of fatalistic resignation as the contents of the glass sailed invariably straight towards him. Even though he knew there wasn't enough time, he valiantly tried to jump out of the way, but that ended up a bad idea as he accidentally jumped up and into the water that otherwise would've gone over his head.
There were mixed reactions from the group, as the amount of cold water, though small, was just enough to trigger Ranma's curse. Go figure.
"What the f***?" Always eloquent, even in cases of extreme shock, was Sharon.
"Urhgrn?!" Later requested by Kat, Joey could not repeat this sound despite threats of pain and torture.
"That's so cool!" Guess who. And no, it's not Gohan. For he had settled with a mixed look of surprise, confusion, and the look of one who thinks their eyes have decided to play a practical joke on them.
A shorter, red-haired, and undeniably curvaceous Ranma placed the empty glass she had caught out of reflex back on the table, blushing from embarrassment and dismay. Kat laughed in delight.
"You're a girl!"
"I'm not." Ranma said with a sigh. "I fell into the cursed pool of drowned girl when I was younger, and now whenever I'm hit with cold water I turn into a girl." He turned she explained, wringing out her shirt and sitting back down.
"I guess some things just can't be avoided." Gohan commented. "Even at Nightlife."
"Don't say that!" Kat exclaimed. "I refuse to believe I've been living a lie all this time."
Ignoring her Gohan asked, "How do you undo the curse? Do you revert back when you dry out?"
Ranma shook her head, a somewhat sardonic smile on her face. "I wish it was that easy. I have to be splashed with hot water to turn back into my real form."
Sharon and Joey exchanged looks that plainly said how weird and somewhat disturbing they thought this whole idea was. Ranma winced but tried to cover it by looking indifferently around the main room.
"I don't see why you two should be freaked out." Gohan chided with a frown. "Kat's the most normal one here and she doesn't think it's weird."
"I resent that." Kat scowled.
"I mean that she's not as used to seeing these sorts of things. I thought you guys had magic in your dimension."
"I wanna be weird too!" Kat piped up, but Ranma was the only one who paid her whim any heed.
"Not that kind of magic." Sharon said, still with that look on her face. Joey seemed to feel guilty for being so rude, and it showed in his tone as he added,
"We're used to little everyday things. Like flying carpets and enchanted medicines or gems. The occasional jinxed object, but anything as severe as a curse is only ever used in cases of extreme punishment." It was implied by way he said it; a fate worse than death.
"Surely there's a wide variety of curses out there." Gohan offered, in an attempt to ease Ranma's masked discomfort with the conversation.
Joey shrugged. "I guess. Don't really know. Government censoring and all." For some reason Sharon gave a little cough at that.
They all looked up as a waiter arrived at their table, carrying a tray upon which rested a bowl. A faint trail of steam rose from the surface of the dish. The waiter offered the bowl to Ranma with a simple,
"If it makes you feel more comfortable sir."
Ranma gratefully took the bowl of hot water and without hesitation tipped it over her head. Instantly she was a he again.
"Thankyou." He said. The waiter bowed and retreated.
"I wonder if those guys get paid." Kat said pensively.
"But what would they get paid in? I was under the impression you couldn't take things from one plain to the other. But clothes come in on your back. Would a small object in your pocket also come? What's the size limit?" Gohan replied.
"Do you ever stop asking questions once you get started?" Sharon smirked.
"Why do people answer questions with new questions?" Joey wondered out loud.
"Cause they don't know the answer." Kat said. "Congratulations Gohan, you just earned yourself a dance." She continued, standing up. "If you'd ignored me one more time I would've taken the cute new guy." She winked at Ranma.
Gohan laughed. "You officially owe me one Ranma." He said, then ducked as Kat's fist sailed overhead. Ranma didn't seem to know how to reply to this.
"C'mon you meanie." Kat said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him away. Gohan's answer was drowned out by the noise of the club around them.
There was an awkward silence.
"I think I'll go get a new drink." Sharon said suddenly, standing up.
"I'll go with you." Joey also got up.
"Fine." Ranma said neutrally. The couple paused, a little guilty, but then continued over the other side of the room to the bar.
Gohan looked over the heads of the crowd at Ranma sitting all alone. With a concerned frown he started to make his way back but stopped as he saw Bert approach the cursed teen. Words were exchanged, and then Ranma followed Bert from the main room.
"Whatcha lookin' at?" Kat asked, raising her voice over the music. Gohan listened to the rhythm to determine that the song wasn't about to finish before replying.
"Ranma's gone home. I think he has a pretty hectic home life." He answered loudly.
"Don't we all?" Kat responded.
"Thank Dende nothing more than usual at the moment." Gohan replied with a cheerful grin.
"Aren't you the lucky one then." Kat muttered, but Gohan was able to piece together what she'd said despite the loud music.
He took her hand and quickly spun her around. "But hey, that's why we're here." He grinned as she tried to clear her spinning head. "Race you to the hall." And with that he took off running, though mindful not to go too fast.
"He-ey! No fair!" Kat cried, tearing off after him, not caring who got in her way.
As he reached the large double doors Gohan made a mental note to start coming more frequently to Nightlife again. Something was bothering Kat. He hoped it wasn't her destiny arriving.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Disclaimer: Aha! Now I can disclaim without spoiling the plot!!! I don't own Kari from Digimon, or Ranma from Ranma 1/2, or any characters originating from DBZ.
Thanks to:
Marbus - Until you tell me more about your suggestion he can't make an appearance!
and
Min Farshaw - Nah, dead heroes don't go to Nightlife. Stands to reason that if they were 'good' they'd be in a better place anyway, and for the 'evil' ones.'torment WITHOUT relief' the saying goes. (And not fair to the rest of the HFIL population besides. ^_^ )
for reviewing!
Next time: More guest appearances! And don't hesitate to keep up the suggestions. When I run out I might actually have to start on the (gasp) plot again, rather than the vague hints being fed to you at the moment.
~_^