Playing Pranks
Disclaimer: Insert disclaimer here. Ranma ½ is not mine.
…
Step one, raise suspicion.
Step two, draw attention.
Step three, unsettle and unnerve until they couldn't be ignored.
That was the plan to get the Apprentice's attention. Akane was sure they would also probably make him really paranoid. Still, if the Apprentice realized they were alive, they could get a few answers from him. If he did not realize the shisa were alive they would have one less server to deal with when the boy would freak out and flee. Luckily, step one already was in place judging from the Apprentice's questioning of why the shisa change positions. Too bad the other servers kept insisting it was all the power of The Great One.
Akane sat at the edge of the Temple's roof overlooking the servers' individual rooms. Concentrate on the plan, she told herself, don't think about Deities or what a mess her life had become. Ranma will stay with her no matter what. Her claws dug into the tiles as she recalled once again how she got up here.
Ranma had been more than a little frustrated to learn he couldn't jump straight up onto the roof the way he could back when he was human. Instead to get one of them on the roof Ranma had to precariously balance on the railing and simultaneously boost Akane whose hind limbs were standing on his shoulders. During the ordeal a worshiper did come through and they had to freeze, Ranma bent at an unnatural and certainly uncomfortable angle with Akane on his shoulders. The female shisa could feel Ranma straining as the visitor gawked at them. She hoped the man would have the sense to question someone about the shisa once he got inside, but no such luck. As soon as Akane managed to grip the roof's edge and haul herself up Ranma had lost his balance from leaning too far and fell to the ground on his face. Nursing his nose, Ranma remained at the front of the Temple.
Returning to the present, Akane estimated she was currently over the Apprentice's room. Leaning down further so that her head and forelimbs hung over the edge the female shisa observed the shadows the servers cast from inside. It was time to make some noise, so she opened her mouth and rumbled. At the sound of her own voice she cringed, it sounded like tumbling rocks. When neither the Apprentice, nor anyone else for that matter, responded she continued a little louder.
As Akane sang her odd rock song, the calico cat approached her on the roof. The cat sat next to Akane and cocked her head. After a moment the cat leaned over the side with Akane. When Akane caught sight of the cat out of the corner of her eye she jumped and unfortunately lost her hold on the roof in the process. Twisting in the air, Akane landed on her feet with a thud. In response the Apprentice opened his door and the shisa froze. The young man blinked in surprise at the shisa standing right outside his door. Much to Akane's disappointment he merely muttered under his breath about the mysteries of the Great One and turned back inside.
Alright, that was a start. Akane sat down and started to hum, the sound vibrating like a cat's purr. The calico took this opportunity to get off the roof by jumping on Akane's head as a stepping stone. The shisa snorted in response and moved away from the crazy cat and resumed rumbling. The cat observed her for a few minutes and Akane ignored her in return. That is until the cat moved closer to her and started yowling. Akane immediately jumped into a crouch and flattened her ears. Before she could do anything else several doors opened as a number of servers poked their heads out. The Apprentice picked up the cat as his superiors grumbled and all went back inside.
While Akane was trying to decide what she should do next, Shampoo came out and snorted, "What you doing, crazy shisa?"
Well, she wouldn't be raising further suspicions with Shampoo around. After giving a non-informative answer Akane crept away to meet Ranma in the front.
….
The next morning, a week before the full moon, the shisa had their chance at gaining the Apprentice's attention again. He came out with their breakfast, a pail and ladle. After blessing the breakfast as every server did the young man set down the pail and ladle and returned inside.
After quickly eating, Ranma glanced at Akane to make sure she was thinking the same thing; the Apprentice must be planning to return shortly. Ranma then balanced his now empty breakfast bowl on his head and leaned back on his hind limbs. Akane meanwhile continued to finish her meal, having not wolfed it down like Ranma. Still, Ranma supposed the fact she was obviously eating the 'offering' should be surprising. It was amazing how none of the servers had yet questioned where the food disappeared to, or why statues would need breakfast.
The Apprentice did not disappoint. He returned shortly with a broom causing Ranma's mouth to open while Akane's slammed shut. The disappointment came when the young man walked right past the shisa and proceeded to begin splashing water on the path and sweeping the excess water off.
Ranma was beginning to regret the position he took. Shisa were not meant to support their entire weight on the hind limbs for extended periods of time. Luckily, the Apprentice ran out of water about a quarter of the way down the path and disappeared with the pail around the right side of the Temple.
This time Ranma snatched Akane's tail in his mouth and sprawled out across the dead center of the path where the Apprentice had not managed to wash yet. Akane huffed indignantly and tried to tug her tail out of his mouth.
The Apprentice chose that moment to return and he blinked at the sight of the shisa. One of the lion-dogs was spread out in the center of the path with his companion's tail in his mouth. The other shisa was twisted around to snarl at her partner.
Ranma inwardly grinned at achieving their goal and getting Akane to adorably glare at him. The male shisa deflated when he heard the Apprentice mutter, "The Godling is wise to position the shisa so, it clearly expresses unwelcome to harmful spirits. I just wish He had moved them after I cleaned the path!"
With that Ranma exhaled in annoyance as the man proceeded to wash around him. Instead of dwelling on the disappointments of the moment Ranma let his mind wander. Naturally it landed on Akane. Some days he missed making her glare at him, she was so cute. Sobering, he reflected how they had never been as close as they were now; if only it hadn't taken major life changes to get where they were. He felt his face heat and his lips curl upward ever so slightly as he thought of their last encounter. Too bad they were essentially always out in the open without any guarantee of privacy. Not that they would have had any privacy when they were both human. Oddly enough they seemed to have more alone time now, out in the open, than they ever had the few times they were together as humans.
Ranma frowned slightly, when they returned to human forms (Ranma didn't let any doubt sift into his mind about whether they would change back) would they still be able to find any privacy?
Another presence stepped out from the Temple-Palace and broke Ranma's thoughts. It was the Godling, currently in female form, short red hair catching the morning sun.
The Apprentice was so focused on his task it took him a moment to realize the Godling was there. Jumping in surprise he stuttered, "Y-your Majesty!" He fumbled, dropping his broom and knocking over his pail before bowing respectfully.
Ranma watched as the puppet merely blinked at the commotion. "Rise," He commanded the Apprentice and watched as the young man jerked in compliance. An awkward silence followed as the Apprentice was too nervous to do anything and the Godling seemed to be memorizing every detail of the scene before Him.
Finally the puppet spoke again, addressing the Apprentice server, "Your diligence is honorable, continue your task."
The Apprentice bowed again briefly, and then fled with his pail to refill it.
As soon as he was gone the puppet continued, "You should not disrupt the servers."
Ranma let go of Akane's tail, sat up and snorted, "And you have a lot of nerve to ask that after all your 'servers' did to us." Mostly Ranma was trying to distract the Godling, hoping He wouldn't think too much about why he and Akane were disrupting the Apprentice server.
The redhead blinked, "Does cleaning the path harm you?" The question came out straight, monotonous and honest.
Akane barked out a surprised cough and Ranma glanced at her and growled.
When He received no response the puppet spoke again, "Midday you two and your acquaintances will meet for a collective discussion and lesson in preparation for the ceremony the day after the full moon."
Before either of the shisa could respond the Apprentice returned and they froze, now on either side of the path facing the Temple.
The Apprentice hesitated briefly, "M-my Lord, I-I don't mean to question your ways but, there is something I've been wondering…"
After a long silence where the young man failed to continue the puppet prompted, "Continue."
"Why are these shisa's eyes different colors when the stone ones currently in back were painted the same?"
Ranma's eyes widened as much as they could while he was still frozen. The male shisa had forgotten about the small stone shisa he glimpsed every time they went to the back room for a lesson. The stone shisa were there before he and Akane were; what did this mean in terms of the spell to change them back? Ranma watched as a corner of the Godling's lip turned upwards.
"Your observations serve me well. These shisa form a stronger defense than the ones in back." With that the Godling returned inside leaving the Apprentice, still slightly jittery, to resume washing the path.
….
….
Thanks for the feedback!
Alas, I do not think another update is likely for the next several months. Hopefully this one will tide you over.
Ranma and Akane have been shisa for three weeks (I'm keeping track of time within the story via moon phase), they have at least one more week to go and then who knows? (Well, I know). For the romantic encounters I don't specifically detail, I'll leave up to you what does or does not happen, as long as it's mutually satisfying.