Sink or Swim 2
The nurse must have nerves of steel to work at Furinkan, so she barely bats an eye as she directs me on where to put Kuno. Just to be polite I open and close the door behind me rather than just walk through it, so she'll know I've gone.
I return to the classroom quickly, opening and closing the door so everyone knows I'm there. Miss Hinako smiles in my direction and since she's an adult returns to teaching the class about the English language without losing track of what she's doing.
Next period is Gym, so while the students put their books and papers away I write a note to Hinako. 'Have to haunt Akane, will be back next period.'
Seeing her pen floating she reads the note and nods. "I have paperwork to take care of anyway," she said wistfully.
I follow Akane, who is heading for the girls locker room, still distracted and pale. The locker room is a lot like I expected it to be, much like the male one, but cleaner and better smelling and filled with teen girls stripping.
I completely forget about Akane for a moment, while I watch the others, as she's pretty slow undressing compared to the rest of the girls.
Bras are exchanged for sports bras, even when it's clear the girl in question doesn't need them and even panties are changed for different ones, presumably so they won't get the ones they are wearing all sweaty.
Japanese girls don't practice topiary, if you get my meaning. I haven't seen bushes this thick since my last camping trip. The girls were also rather touchy feelly compared to their western counterparts, or at least I assume so, never having been in an American female locker room while they were changing. If I was going to be stuck haunting a place this would definitely make my top ten list.
The girls ran laps and went through some exercise program. Not as entertaining as the locker room but not bad. I found I could give Akane cold shivers by glaring at her and concentrating on how much I hated her, so class passed pretty quickly for me and I soon found myself in the locker room again.
The girls hit the showers and even though it was a better show than them changing I was too concentrated on hating Akane to enjoy it.
Ok, I still enjoyed it, but not as much as I should or could have! For one thing they have shower stalls so I could only see Akane since I was with her. Watching Akane shower was enjoyable. As much as I hate that girl she does have a nice body. Still it was my job to make her life miserable and she was enjoying this shower too much.
I concentrated on an image of my body hoping to at least project an image of me there, but it worked much better than expected as Akane growled out, "Sealed Technique, my ass!" and tried to hit me. I let her fist pass through my skull and tried to make it look like what I imagine it looked like in the park when she killed me.
Once again I can feel my temper exploding out of control as I imagine the blood that should be dripping from her hands for her actions. Suddenly I'm aware of screaming and Miyo letting out an impressive amount of profanity. Looking around and taking in the fact that all of the showers were spitting out blood I could see why she was a bit upset.
Miyo's gifts must be a lot stronger when she's upset because she yanked me from Akane's shower and drug me to hers. The showers started spitting out water again and Miyo washed off the blood while cursing in some language I didn't know.
Miyo kept things trim and tidy I noticed and angry washing made her jiggle in interesting ways. Miyo calmed down and blushed a little as I followed her into the locker room where everyone was changing back into their school uniforms.
There were a number of looks sent in our direction and I wondered at the reason until Miyo pointed out, "you're visible."
I shrugged, not seeing why that would really interest the girls, especially Ukyou who was already dressed, but seemed to find me fascinating.
"Very visible," she emphasized and her eyes darted towards my waist for a moment.
I glanced down and realized I was pulling a Dr. Manhattan. Me and my glowing blue penis quickly vanished causing some disappointed sighs. Being a ghost is more complicated than I thought. I quickly leave using the door so they'll know I've gone.
I head towards Miss Hinako. Akane will show back up, unless I have managed to drive her nuts already, besides I like Hinako. Too bad I hadn't met her while I was alive.
From everyone I've met so far I can see why so many people would pay for a SI vacation as Ranma. Of course they'd have to be true nuts to do so to chase after Akane when there were so many better choices around.
I concentrate on being visible, but this time include the robes. I think I forgot them last time because I was concentrating on just my body and I don't normally wear clothes in the shower.
"I can see you and your not wearing a ward," Miss Hinako says startling me.
"And now you're naked," she points out, as my eyes open wide and I find that once again I am a naked, blue tinted, see through man.
I quickly fade out and use a piece of chalk to write 'clothes are hard!' on the board.
Hinako giggled.
The class filed in and I concentrated on blue fog. A patch of blue fog should be a lot easier to deal with than me fully visible, clothed or not. From the way the eyes of the students darted over to me and then back to Miss Hinako I'm guessing it worked. Class was pretty boring. I passed out handouts looking like a blue cloudy shape and Akane was held after for detention.
"I have to go haunt the Tendo's. See you at school tomorrow?" I wrote on the board.
Miss Hinako smiled and said, "I look forward to it."
I floated merrily through the air, making whoosh noises, while Akane protested the fact that her family was going to be defenseless without her here. I wonder what she thought she could do to me?
I arrived at the Tendo's fairly quickly. I'm a bit quicker than I was earlier for some reason. Ranma was already there, having done the smart thing and split to inform everyone about what was going on.
"My daughter's a murderer!" Soun cried, a river of tears running down his face. Genma wasn't much better. I swear he looked like the saddest panda in the world. Kasumi was clearly shaken and was trying to calm herself by cleaning. Even Happosai looked depressed, despite the bra he was wearing on his head.
I followed Kasumi around while she cleaned, lending a hand here and there by moving things closer to her. She certainly was an efficient worker. I actually found myself studying her movements rather than her form. I could see why so many writers had her as an anything goes household martial artist, the girl was as skilled in her area of expertise as Ranma was in his.
The time just flew by while I helped. Apparently Nabiki had gotten home at some point and knew the full story because she was looking upset and was talking on the phone with someone. "I need everything you can find. It was within the last month or two, sorry I can't narrow it down any farther, I'll let you know if I find anything more out."
Huh, apparently Nabiki wasn't involved in the cover up, will wonders never cease.
Kasumi is coming through the kitchen door carrying way too much. She's cooked up a storm to try and distract herself from what had happened. she feels tremendously guilty for some reason. I suppose it's possible that she was involved in the coverup, but I find it hard to believe.
Ranma gets up to help her, but she loses control of the armful of dishes as she stumbles and everything goes flying. I discover a new ability by managing to catch everything with my mind. Cool, I always wanted to be able to move things with my mind. I float all the dishes to the table while Keeping Kasumi from falling. Understandably everyone looks pretty shocked so I set Kasumi in her seat.
"Oh yeah," Ranma said, recovering before anyone else, "I forgot to mention he was very helpful and friendly to Miss Hinako and Miyo."
"So he's a helpful and friendly spirit of vengeance?" Nabiki deadpanned.
"Yeah, He passed out papers for the teacher and even took Kuno to the nurses office so he wouldn't disrupt class," Ranma explained.
"What else did he do?" Happosai asked intently.
"Well while possessing Miss Hinako he gave Akane detention for the rest of the year for murdering him and sent us both out into the hall for disrupting class. He even helped the fortune teller girl make a ward to exorcise him from Miss Hinako. She sucked him in while draining Daisuke for being a pervert."
Happosai nodded and turned to Nabiki. "Knowing how to exorcise a spirit isn't exactly a common skill, check the temples around where he was killed with a picture of Ranma since they're supposed to be identical, and you should be able to learn something about him."
"I thought vengeful spirits would be… all vengeful, where does helping people come into it?" Ranma asked, while Nabiki rushed off to make a phone call.
Happosai took a drag off his pipe before replying, "Before Akane… ran into him he was probably a nice guy but now that he's dead he'll slowly lose himself until all that's left is a sub-human creature ruled by its base emotions."
Ranma was about to ask Happosai when he'd died, when Nabiki returned. "I should have something by the time we get home from school tomorrow."
I handed Kasumi a cup of tea because she still looked pretty shook up.
"Thank you ghost-san."
Everyone ate quietly, Soun was all cried out for once, Genma was strangely quiet, Akane had refused to come out of her room, and everyone else was deep in thought.
'Man do I hate how depressed everyone feels here.' I turn on the radio to a J-Pop station and the mood seems to lighten a bit, but still not enough to suit me. I may end up a mindless spirit focused on vengeance, but I'll be damned if I'm going to be a depressed, emo one!
I take a glass of water off the table, making sure Genma doesn't see it, but everyone else does and make it move like it's sneaking around. There are a lot of raised eyebrows, but no one says anything waiting to see what's going on.
Genma glances around the table sensing something was up, but I duck the glass back behind Nabiki and move his plate a couple of centimeters to the side, drawing his attention back to his food as he starts eating again, looking at Ranma suspiciously.
Kasumi and Nabiki giggle, while Ranma and Soun try not to smile, as I start the glass sneaking over to Genma's back.
Genma whirls around, just in time to catch a face full of water, turning him into a panda and making everyone laugh. Feeling significantly better I put the empty glass back on the table.
Genma pulls out a panda sign, but I become visible and snatch the sign and marker from his hands.
# Ha Ha, I have your sign! # I wrote quickly and held it up for everyone to see.
"Wow, he really does look like Ranma-chan," Kasumi says shocked.
# Minus the hair, just like Genma # I wrote.
# No picking on the panda! # Genma writes, pulling out another sign.
I flip the sign over and lined out what I'd written before, and writing underneath # not unless it's funny! #
Genma seems content with that or at least content enough to go back to eating.
"What can we do to appease you?" Happosai asks.
# Akane has to pay for her crimes # I signed back.
"Does she have to die?" Nabiki asked seriously as a tense mood swept through everyone present.
# If she had been tried and convicted by society's justice system I wouldn't be here # I signed as I tried to get a feel for the answer to my current incarnation. # I am driven to try and drive her to suicide, unless a suitable punishment has been inflicted on her. #
I'm actually a little relieved at that fact. The idea of making someone off themselves is fairly horrifying.
"What if she repented and joined a convent?" Kasumi asked suddenly.
# that might be acceptable, but you'd have to make her admit she was at fault for that to work. Empty words won't lay me to rest. #
Everyone groans, realizing how difficult it would be to make Akane accept responsibility for any of her actions, much less murdering someone.
# Until she is suitably punished I am forced to punish her myself and I really don't like what it does to me! #
"Getting her convicted of killing you would probably be easier than getting her to admit she was wrong," Nabiki admitted.
I shrugged, it wasn't like I had a choice in the matter. I found myself yawning and set the sign down I guess I'm a little tired from everything I'd done.
Kasumi sighed mournfully, "I'm going to bed early, I feel really worn out."
"I'll get the dishes," Nabiki promised. "You get some sleep, I'm sure we'll figure something out when we have more information."
As Kasumi walked upstairs I found myself being pulled along with her. I'm sure I looked amusing, trying to claw at the air while I was drug along with her.
*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*
"What was that about?" Ranma asked concerned.
Happosai shrugged. "At a guess, Kasumi is a very spiritual person and her wish to protect Akane while she sleeps and is at her most vulnerable has bound the spirit to her for the moment so he can't get to Akane."
"So she's safe?" Soun asked worriedly.
"You've seen the spirit and witnessed his actions towards her," Happosai replied calmly. "What do you think?"
"I think he'll clean her room while she sleeps," Nabiki replied thoughtfully.
*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*
Kasumi was a bit surprised to see me pulled into her room before I faded, but she didn't say anything as she changed and got ready for bed, although she did blush a lot.
Watching Kasumi change definitely rates up there as one of the high points of my death. As her breathing smooths out and she falls asleep I suddenly find myself piloting a pirate ship with one hand on the wheel and another holding a struggling Kasumi!
I try to let go, but apparently I'm not in control of myself.
"It's no use lass, you have been captured by the captain of the Flying Horseman and the Dread Pirate Ghost always gets what he wants!" I proclaim loudly tossing her over my shoulder and striding to my cabin.
'Shouldn't there be more than one pirate on a ship this size?' I wonder as I kick open the door to the captain's cabin and toss her on the bed, which is covered in red satin and throw pillows taking up over half the room.
"Oh my!" Kasumi cries out as she climbs to her knees in the middle of the bed, wearing something involving a lot of petticoats and a bustier that makes me glad I'm already dead and cannot drown in my own drool.
"I… suppose if it'll keep my family safe I have no choice," Kasumi swore and began to fiddle with the ties. "If you swear to leave my family be I'll gladly sacrifice myself to your dark lusts!"
"Why would I ever bother with them when I already have their greatest treasure!?" I proclaim my eyes gazing deeply into hers as we both tear our clothes off and…
* beep * beep * beep *
I shake myself and find I'm standing in Kasumi's room once more staring at an alarm clock. I quickly shut it off before it can wake her and turning to her bed I stare at it in shock.
A two foot circle centered on her waist in the bed and sheets is soaked in ectoplasm and… let's just say I had to find a way to clean this up or the Tendo's would find a way to kill me again!
Typing by: Stephenopolos
TN: I think Dogbertcarroll was going through a dry spell when he wrote this.. ..and I feel dirty for typing it.