Background Theme: Life as Usual
"So, there you have it," I finished, gulping down the last bite of my shrimp okonomiyaki, following it with a quick sip of tea. The dish was quite delicious, with its light, crisp crust, tangy sauce, and flavorful toppings. I sat back, satisfied with the meal, and awaited my dinner guest's response.
Nabiki Tendo looked back at me a moment, the spoonful of chocolate sundae halfway to her mouth. Her eyes narrowed a second, and then she finished the motion, slipping the empty spoon from between her lips and setting it carefully on the table in front of her with a slight, graceful flourish. Quietly regarding me once more, she leaned slightly to her right, whispering into her companion's ear. A cute girl with long chestnut hair and dark eyes, she looked at me while Nabiki whispered; her eyes widened slightly, and she turned to look at Nabiki. Whatever it was she had said, it caught her slightly off-guard. She glanced back at me briefly and then back to Nabiki, nodding once, and slipped out of the booth. I turned my head and leaned out of the booth to see that she had left the restaurant. I turned back to Nabiki and eyed her askance. She simply smiled enigmatically and said, "Merely calling in a few favors."
"Ah," I replied. I wondered what kind of dirt she'd threaten to expose in order to pull the strings she had offered to. It didn't matter, though. If she was true to her word, and I had no doubt that she would be, I would have a full cast with plenty of stage crew and extras by week's end. With that issue out of the way, I could now broach another, more sensitive, subject with Nabiki. I paused a moment while a waitress took away my plate and refilled our drinks. I had thought Ukyou ran her shop by herself. Then I realized that the waitress was actually Konatsu, her erstwhile cross-dressing suitor.
"I'm a little concerned about the recent upturn in your sister's relationship with Ranma," I continued after Konatsu moved on to another table.
"Not that it's anyone else's concern, but why would you be?" Nabiki queried.
"Think about it, Nabiki. Up to this point, Ranma has been indifferent, at least outwardly, toward all of his fiancés. Although," I paused while I took a sip of tea, "I have always suspected he cares more for Akane than he lets on."
"And your point is?" She retorted expectantly.
"There has always been a…balance – well, sort of – that has existed between Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, Shampoo, and even Kodachi. As long as no preference was shown, the rivalries have been relatively benign. Now he seems to have made a choice. I'm glad Ranma has finally made up his mind, but it could prove at this point to be his undoing. Love, however one-sided it can be, can make people do weird, and even drastic, things."
"And you think one of them will take action against him for spurning the rest?" Nabiki said, finishing the last of her sundae and following it with a long draught of tea. "I can see them trying to get even with Akane, but not Ranma. Akane can take care of herself."
"I don't doubt that," I countered, "but there are always innocent casualties in any war. And a war is what will erupt in response to the sequence of events that have occurred over the last few days. It will be a quiet one, and a deadly one. And," I took a deep breath, looking Nabiki straight in the eye, "it will destroy those closest to him."
Nabiki stared at me, stunned. After a long moment, her eyes narrowed as she said, "You're serious. How do you know this? What proof do you have?"
Giving her a knowing smirk of my own, I finished off the last of my tea. Looking out the booth window, I said, "I might be a gaijin stranger in a strange land, but even I have my sources. As for proof, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Told you that you were nothing more than a character in a story. Told you that your entire world was nothing more than the setting for that story. And told you that in one such story, a jealous Shampoo would move against Akane, only to end up accidentally killing Ranma.
Nabiki regarded me quietly as she slipped her teacup into her sundae bowl and slid them to the outer edge of the table to be picked up by the server. I slowly did the same.
"If what you say is true," she began, haltingly, "then why tell me? What do you want me to do about it? What do you expect me to do?"
"I expect you to do what you always do. Watch out for those whom you care about…and try to grab a profit in the meantime."
"Who do you suspect will start this – war – you mentioned?"
"The one who really stands to lose the most. Shampoo."
"What do you think she'll do?"
I stopped for a moment to consider. I knew what she was going to do. I didn't quite know how she was going to do it. "I have a hunch. When does the mail typically arrive here? Wait…never mind that. Find out if the Nekkohanten expects to receive any deliveries in the near future. Especially any from China. Especially any addressed exclusively for delivery to Shampoo. Find out specifically where it's coming from, and if possible, what the item is. If my hunch proves correct, I may need you to stall that delivery…or perhaps lose it altogether."
"Very well," Nabiki agreed. "Where will I be able to find you?"
"At this hotel. Room 210." I slipped her the business card for the hotel I was staying at. She glanced at it, nodded, and handed it back to me.
Slipping halfway out of the booth, she stopped and glanced at me. Fixing me with a stern glance, she said, "You realize, of course, this is going to cost you. In advance." She smiled as she stood up and extended a hand in the universal gesture associated with all palm-greasing entities. I sighed as I pulled out my wallet, opened it, and fished out several yen bills, each with more zero's than I ever wanted to part with. When I finished, I put away my wallet (now much lighter for my trouble), got up, and headed for the door. Glancing behind me, I noticed Nabiki reaching into her purse, pull out a cellular phone, and begin dialing. I smiled as I shook my head. Nabiki never ceased to amaze me.
I stood quietly for a few minutes after leaving the restaurant. A slight wave of vertigo overtook me as I pondered what direction the dream should take. Oddly enough, I was fine as long as I didn't think about the fact that this was my conscious mind influencing the dreamscape. The sensation was much like walking a long, thin bridge stretched across a deep canyon. As long as I kept my mind focused on my destination, and kept myself from looking over the edge, I would be okay. One look down, however, and I would be in a world of hurt.
A loud cry of "Bakusai Tenketsu!" distracted me as the disorientation passed, followed by an earth-shattering explosion. Smiling, I turned and looked down the street to see a young bandana-clad lad emerging from a dust-filled hole, newly formed in a wall that lined the street just past Uchan's.
Given the wanton acts of destruction that occur in this town, Nerima must have one hell of a budget dedicated to neighborhood reconstruction, I chuckled to myself. Turning in his direction, I proceeded to act on the beginnings of a plan that was forming in my mind. As I approached him from behind, I could tell he was intently studying a piece of paper, holding it this way and that, even turning it upside down a few times. I cleared my throat and tapped him on the shoulder.
Ryouga Hibiki was apparently too distracted by the object of his study to see me approach. The poor, startled lad must have leapt thirty feet into the air, dropping the paper on the ground nearby. At the height of his leap, his eyes bugged out and he windmilled madly about, losing hold of his map in the process, until he plummeted straight down. He landed face-down, slamming into the street with sufficient force to leave a roughly man-shaped impression, the asphalt cracking in random, almost spider web-like patterns around it. A moment later, he lifted his head, his face contorted in a pained grimaced that belied his "Why me?" expression. Small chunks of asphalt, stuck to his face from the force of impact, fell off his face and tumbled back into the crater.
The small map he had been studying tumbled slowly toward the ground. I reached out and plucked it out of the air, saving it from landing in a nearby puddle of water.
I looked down at the hapless lad, offering my hand to help him up. "My most sincere apologies, Mr. Hibiki," I offered as he popped a few of his joints back into place, dusted himself off, and turned a baleful glare at me. "I didn't intend to startle you so. I believe you dropped something," I continued, handing the small, hand-scrawled map back to him. His expression changed to one of profound relief as he carefully plucked it from my hand.
"I'm sorry," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "It's just that I have a bit of difficulty finding my way around, so I made this map the last time I left Furinkan High School. I was headed to the Tendo Dojo and figured I could find my way back – only my pen ran out of ink halfway there. It took me a week to find the Dojo, and I lost track of where I was when my pen ran dry." He stopped and looked at me wryly. "You're that foreign exchange teacher or something, aren't you?"
I nodded. "Vic Daniels, at your service," I said, bowing slightly.
"Yeah, I heard some of the student's talking about you – you teach acting or some such."
"Theatre, yes. As a matter of fact, we've been holding auditions for a Japanese adaptation of Man of La Mancha. There's one tonight. Perhaps you'd be interested in auditioning?"
Ryouga hesitated a moment before answering. "Gee, I'd like to, but I don't know. I'm not really a student there, and I'm not really the theatrical sort…"
"I hear a friend of yours might be auditioning as well…a Miss Tendo. Akane Tendo."
"AKANE?!" He screamed in surprise. Suddenly, the skies darkened as a spotlight appeared out of nowhere, shining on him as he struck a dramatic pose. Both hands clasped together, a look of longing desire on his face. "Oh, my darling Akane, to be near you, sharing this spotlight of our love!"
I tried to keep Ryouga from noticing the overwhelming urge to cringe violently that had suddenly come over me. With a pained smile on my face, I nodded and said, "Yes, she'll be there…uh…"
The surreal moment had passed. The afternoon sun returned, the spotlight gone. A soft breeze blew through the street. Ryouga grabbed my hand, pumping it vigorously, an expression of sublime joy on his face. "I'll see you there!"
Bbbboooooooommmmm!!!!
It took me a few moments to recover from the sonic boom Ryouga left in his wake as he flew down the street toward a nearby canal, trailing clouds of dust, in the exact opposite direction of the school. I waved my hands in front of my face in an effort to dispel the dust that surrounded me as I fought the urge to cough forcefully. Off in the distance I heard an abject scream of terror, followed by a splash, and then a woeful "Bweee!" Once I regained sufficient composure, I shook my head, turned, and walked away toward my hotel. I had a few hours before the audition. A quick bite to eat (despite my repast at Uchan's) and a short nap seemed to be in order.
* * * * *
Background Theme: Ok is Not the Word
My eyes fluttered open as I felt the warm rays of a bright sun cross them, and closed them just as quickly to keep from being blinded. The morning sun was beginning its slow climb into a clear-skied heaven, and its radiance was being reflected off a picture frame that sat atop the entertainment center located across the room from my couch. I sat up slightly, blinking the sleep out of my eyes, and looked around. I tried to remember the events of the night before.
Alisha. She was gone. I could still feel the slight touch of her weight on my chest and the lingering scent of her perfume on my shoulder. Tear-smudged mascara stained my shirt where she had cried into my chest the evening before.
I sighed. All that turmoil spilled out of a devastated heart…and I had no idea why or as to the cause. I sat up fully, placing my feet on the carpeted floor, and placed my head in my hands. I rubbed my face a couple of times, then looked up.
I tried to make sense of everything. The dream had reached a pause, and now real life intervened. I was certain Alisha would have told me of her troubles before leaving. Unless…
I glanced around the room again – and there it was: a letter. Propped up on the picture frame with her picture I kept on top of the entertainment center. It was turned slightly, briefly catching the rays of the sun. I stood up, stretched lightly, and walked over to the entertainment center. The letter was folded neatly, "Vic" written in her flowing script. I grasped the letter in my fingers, took it to my chair near the window, and sat down. Taking a deep breath, I opened the letter and began to read.