As Rabat, Utan and Ranma-Diend were being escorted, Ranma-Diend was admiring all the women that walked by. They were incredibly attractive. Guess the inbreeding enabled Mejele to bring out the attractive traits of women, particularly the physical aspects. Of course, with his smooth tongue, he'd have these women eating out of his hands.
"So, what do you think this ship is worth?" Ranma-Diend asked his occasional business partner.
"Won't know until I see it all, but I'm guessing a pretty penny," Rabat shrugged. "What's your call?"
"With all these hotties on board? Priceless," Ranma-Diend grinned. He then looked at the sections of the ship they were passing. "Unless I miss my guess though, all this is powered by a Paksis crystal. Equipment like that is hard to come by and is very expensive."
"Still the eagle eye," Rabat nodded. "Now, how do we get even a bit of it? Think we can count on your silver tongue?"
"Probably," Ranma-Diend nodded. "However, I might be a little distracted. I'm sure you can understand why."
"I might be able to do business with these ladies too," Rabat nodded. "But you've got your mind on something else besides business though, don't you?"
"You know me well," Ranma-Diend grinned before he eyed the attractive woman that was walking next to him. "So Miss, how long have you been a pirate anyway? Judging by the way you dress, I say you do real well."
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"You never mentioned that you had a brother," Gascogne commented as she and Ranma played another game of cards. Ranma was doing better for a change.
"He's not someone I care to talk about," Ranma sighed. "We've run into each other on some planets and I've went to. We've clashed over some issues."
"No doubt," Gascogne nodded. "Sounds like a piece of work."
"You have no idea," Ranma grumbled. "Be careful when you see him. He'll flirt with you like there's no tomorrow. It won't matter if you're older than him. If you've got the right body shape and looks, he'll flirt with you."
"Ha!" Gascogne laughed. "Might do my feminine confidence some good. On Mejele I was considered too bulky and masculine to be considered really attractive by their standards. My muscles and all."
"I can name dozens of guys on dozens of worlds who would make a fan club for you just because of your looks," Ranma retorted. "And not because of your muscles, but because of your face and your curves."
"Quit trying to butter me up D-boy," Gascogne chuckled as she drew some cards. "You're not good at it."
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"It's been awhile since I've gotten a decent meal!" said Ranma-Diend as he sat down in the cafeteria with a mountain of food piled up in front of him. Even Rabat managed to help himself to the delicious cafeteria food. Utan got some fruit too.
"Yup, and the sight ain't bad either," Rabat pointed to all the women.
"I almost feel like a king surrounded by his harem," said Ranma-Diend smugly and then something caught his eye. "And…speaking of which." He zipped off.
"He chases skirts faster than treasure and food," Rabat commented.
Dita was looking for Ranma and so she came to the cafeteria since eating was one of his favorite past times. She hadn't checked the Register yet. Maybe she should have since now Ranma-Diend was standing in front of her.
"Hello, sweet thing," flirted Ranma-Diend.
Dita blinked and managed to recognize who was speaking with her. She would not mistake this for her Mr. Alien. They dressed differently and behaved differently too. "Hello, Mr. Alien 2. Do you know where Mr. Alien is?"
"Oh, you mean Decade-kun? Sorry, but I haven't a clue." He leaned in closer, "Why don't you forget about him and talk to me? I'm far more interesting."
Dita wasn't liking how this second Mr. Alien was looking at her. She felt like a piece of meat put on display. "I'm sorry, but I really need to look for him." He placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from escaping.
"Aw, come on. Just a chat won't hurt, right?" Of course, before he could continue, Ranma-Diend felt another hand grip his wrist. "Oh?"
"Mr. Alien!" Dita exclaimed happily.
"Hands off Dita," Ranma warned.
"Or else what?" Ranma-Diend countered.
"Or I'll break both your hands," Ranma threatened.
Ranma-Diend did let go of Dita and Ranma released his grip on Ranma-Diend's wrist. "Wow, touchy, aren't ya?" Ranma-Diend said as he massaged his wrist. He then turned around and walked back to the table where Rabat and Utan were sitting.
"Sorry about him being a jerk, Dita," Ranma apologized. She shook her head.
"That's alright, Mr. Alien. He may look like you, but he's not special like you."
Ranma didn't know how else to take that statement but smiled nonetheless.
"I don't think I've seen you shot down very often," Rabat chuckled as he watched Ranma-Diend pout.
"Ah, my brother's been here too long. He's got them wrapped around his finger and he doesn't even know it. Such a waste of potential!"
"I don't know," Rabat snickered. "I think he's doing pretty well on his own. Have you seen how that redhead looks at him?"
"Hnnn," Ranma-Diend sighed. Why had the little redhead taken to such a liking to his Decade counterpart? Still, it wasn't like there weren't other girls on board to try and hook up with. Plus, with them all being from Mejele, they had never been with a man before much less met a real one before Ranma and the other two men on board. Okay so maybe they were wary around men, but he could work with a challenge. "So what are you going to do now?"
"Well, I've got a few things I'd like to drop off," Rabat shrugged. "A few things I can use to cover my butt if things get messy. Besides, I'm hoping they decide to trade for some of their spare parts."
"Ah yes," Ranma-Diend nodded. "Paksis technology is pretty spectacular. Shame I don't have any to spare."
"Yeah, too bad," Rabat shrugged.
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Parfet was looking over the Vanguard Diend which had been docked alongside the Dreads and the Vanguard Decade. It seemed that the configuration between the two modified Vanguards was similar. In fact, she was positive that the two machines were both from Tarak.
"Find something interesting about my machine?"
"EEP!" Parfet squeaked as she whirled around to see a grinning Ranma-Diend. "Don't do that!"
"Sorry, sorry," Ranma-Diend laughed. "So, did you find something interesting about my machine?"
"It's just that it seemed to be similar in construction to the Vandread Decade, which was made on Tarak and modified by the Paksis," Parfet replied. "Where did you get it?"
"Oh, I stole it from Tarak, the man planet," Ranma-Diend grinned. "I managed to sneak onto that sausage factory in a tiny ship. Of course, the only thing I really found interesting was this ship they were building to fight you girls on Mejele. Called it the Ikazuchi or something."
"Ooooh! That's part of the ship which fused with our ship and became the Nirvana!" Parfet gasped excitedly.
"Ah, so you know what I'm talking about," Ranma-Diend nodded. "Good. Well, I discovered the Paksis crystal that powers their ship. I couldn't realistically take the whole thing with me, but I did manage to get a piece. However, I sorta got caught so I had to steal one of their new Vanguards."
"So what happened after that?" asked Parfet excitedly.
"Well, you can guess they opened fire like it was going out of style," Ranma-Diend laughed. "I got hit and dropped my Paksis shard. To my surprise, it enveloped my Vanguard and turned it into my Vanguard Diend. As you can tell, this puppy is way bigger than the average Vanguard anyway. I can use my Rider System on it too. I managed to get away from the guys and was cruising around ever since."
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Barnette was in the holographic firing range, shooting at targets with one of her antique guns. She was venting out her frustration, anger and embarrassment upon the targets.
Her mind kept reeling back to the kiss Ranma-Diend had given her and while part of her was disgusted that a man had touched her in such a way, another part actually liked it. That part was what was giving her trouble and she needed to silence it before she got even more confused and angry.
"Damn him!"
BANG!
"Damn him!"
BANG! BANG!
She was picturing Diend's face on the targets.
"Damn that disgusting man!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Jura came in to see her best friend shooting like mad and decided to exit. "I better leave Barnette alone."
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Rabat eyed the engines of the Nirvana as he explored the room, mentally tallying the amount of money that the engine alone would bring in. These pirates certainly didn't half-ass anything. The schematics alone would bring a nice penny. Of course…a certain Vanguard which belonged to Diend's brother would certainly be profitable too. Diend himself was rather protective of his machine and his Diendriver. Maybe Decade would be a little freer with his…
"What are you doing here?"
Rabat turned and spotted a frowning Buzam glaring at him. She looked upset with her arms crossed under her breasts. She definitely wanted an explanation and she wanted it fast. Fortunately, Diend wasn't the only one with a silver tongue.
"I was exploring and got a little turned around," Rabat shrugged. "Guess my sense of direction isn't as great as I thought."
"Obviously," Buzam frowned. "I was just checking on your ship. There don't seem to be any kind of damages on it at all."
"I was able to finish repairing it faster than I thought," Rabat shrugged. "I was hoping to do up a little more business with the crew and then I'll be out of your hair. Of course, you might have to use some extra force to send Diend away. He does love women after all."
"Ranma warned us about him," Buzam frowned. "How did you meet him anyway?"
"Ahhh, you run into lots of people in our business," Rabat shrugged. "I was in a scrape with some people who were unsatisfied with my wares and he stumbled onto us. I gotta tell you, that Final Attack Ride of his is pretty impressive. I've been trying to buy that Vanguard and Diendriver off of him for as long as I've known him."
"Something you've failed at," Buzam smirked.
"Ah, hope springs eternal," Rabat shrugged. Taking an opportunity, he sidled up next to Buzam and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You know, I may not be a flirt like Diend, but I do know how to appreciate a woman. Care to see how?"
"Tsk!" Buzam frowned as she pressed her laser-ring into his side. Rabat sweatdropped slightly and backed away.
"Okay, okay, I can take a hint," Rabat chuckled weakly. "Still, I wouldn't mind getting next to a lady like you. Think about it."
Buzam frowned as she watched Rabat walk away. Unclenching her hand, she revealed a data storage drive which had been in his clothes. Maybe it was one of his wares, but why wasn't it in his cases then? Still, it was probably best to have Parfet take a look at it.
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Barnette was walking back to her room. After taking her anger and frustration out on the targets, she felt exhausted. Maybe some beauty sleep would do her wonders and…
"Hey, babe."
She whirled around and saw Diend leaning against the wall. His eyes drank in her figure. He'd obviously checked her out and that outfit of hers, which was skintight and resembled a swimsuit-like bodice, left little to the imagination. "You!" she snarled and whipped her gun out at him. He put his hands up.
"Woah, woah, take it easy there, cutie. I don't want any trouble," said Ranma-Diend.
"You disgusting male! Do you have any idea how much mouthwash I needed to use!?"
"Well, I bet a lot," said Ranma-Diend nonchalantly. "I mean I have been known to leave an impression."
"Well, the only impression you'll be getting is several bullet holes," Barnette said.
"Say, that's a pretty nice looking gun," admired Ranma-Diend. "An antique, right? Don't see many of those in this day and age."
"So, you know your guns," said Barnette, not lowering her gun.
"I've seen, collected, traded and sold some a while back," shrugged Ranma-Diend. "Got a pretty penny for them too."
"Is money all you think about?" Barnette questioned.
"Well, money AND beautiful women," said Ranma-Diend. "And speaking of which, you are one beautiful woman. What more can a guy possibly want? By the way, what's your name, sweet-cheeks?"
"Barnette Orangello," the irate woman answered. "If only so you can know who put a bullet in your head."
"There's an image," Ranma-Diend grimaced. "Listen, Barnette-chan. I honestly didn't mean any harm when I kissed you. I just saw a beautiful woman and I just honestly wanted to kiss her once. Is that so wrong?"
"Would it be so wrong for me to shoot you for invading my personal space like that?" Barnette snickered as she kept her gun trained on Ranma-Diend's head. Although her inner woman was very pleased to hear that she attracted people like she did Ranma-Diend.
"If you honestly didn't like that kiss then you would have hit me," Ranma-Diend shrugged. "Really, it was pleasurable for the both of us. Neither of us got anything bad out of the deal."
"Says you," Barnette frowned with a gagging motion.
"Oh? Then answer me this Barnette-chan," Ranma-Diend grinned. He leaned in closer, with Barnette's gun almost touching the middle of his forehead. "If you had the chance for another kiss from me or some other man you know, would you take it?"
"…" Barnette blinked. The thought of receiving another kiss from a man, this man, made her face turn red and it wasn't in revulsion either. He was pretty good at it and he never once touched her in a way that was deemed offensive. He just held her arm and waist to keep her off balance so he could kiss her in peace. "Of course not! Don't be ridiculous! I'm from Mejele! We hate men!"
"So you say, but you had to think about it," Ranma-Diend grinned as he leaned back. "Word of advice Barnette-chan. Spend some time with men like my brother and I. You'll see men who can appreciate women like you. We won't treat you like monsters, freaks, or unnatural beings. We'll see you as the beautiful beings you are."
Barnette blushed. Was he lying? He had to be…but it sounded so sincere. Ranma warned that Ranma-Diend had a tongue for words, but he wasn't trying to sell her anything or the like. It was stating an opinion. It felt weird for her to hear it coming from a man…but it still felt nice. After all, every woman liked to be complimented no matter how hardened they are.
"Just think about, okay?" Ranma-Diend winked as he tipped his hat. "See ya!" Ranma-Diend whistled as he walked off.
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"Captain, I don't think that we should let Diend and his friends stay on this ship any longer," said Ranma.
"And I agree," added Buzam.
"So, they've proven to be untrustworthy then?" asked Magno.
"Trust me. Diend has landed me in plenty of trouble. It doesn't help that he looks like me. Sometimes I get blamed for the stuff he pulls," said Ranma.
"Are you sure this doesn't have anything to do with the way he tried to woo Dita?" Magno smiled knowingly.
"No, of course not," Ranma denied, blushing.
Magno had seen the pair's interaction and knew that there was something going on between them. Of course, now was time to get serious. "Buzam, do you have reasons to believe that these…traders are not trustworthy?"
"I caught Rabat exploring our engines," Buzam explained. "He seemed rather interested in them…a bit too much in my opinion. Parfet also told me that he was asking questions about the Vanguard Decade and the modified Dreads."
"Always thinking about money," Magno frowned. "While that does give me grounds to start putting the pressure on them to leave, I need something solid to get the pair of them to leave immediately."
"But aren't you all pirates, you get to do whatever you want?" asked Ranma in confusion.
"Normally true," Magno nodded. "But remember that Rabat and Diend are merchants and they can get around. Before we knew it, word about us could spread and every anti-pirate and bounty hunter hoping for a reward would be after us. I'd prefer not to have that."
"Makes sense," Ranma shrugged.
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Parfet was studying the Diendriver gun. It worked like a regular gun but it was also similar to Ranma's Decadriver. Unfortunately, Diend hadn't given her his cards to study. Maybe that way she could figure out how it worked. From what she found out, it enabled Diend to summon other Riders after slotting the cards inside. It could still use Attack Ride cards like Ranma's Decadriver. How it could actually summon other Riders she couldn't tell.
Buzam had also given her Rabat's data storage drive.
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Rabat, Ranma-Diend and Utan were sitting in the bio-park. They were discussing a plan but when Rabat checked his pockets, his eye widened.
"Oh, fuck!" he cursed.
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Parfet gaped at what she was looking at. The data was conclusive and couldn't be denied. Each piece was descriptions of various planets with humans on them and how the defenses stacked up. It also gave data like populations, density, where the largest cities were, and other things. It even offered weaknesses in the defenses. What the most disturbing thing was that where the data had been sent.
It was the frequency which the Harvesters transmitted data to their drones.
Rabat was selling data on planets to the Harvesters.
Reeling form the information, she hit the communicator which connected her section of the ship to the captain, "CAPTAIN!! DETAIN RABAT NOW!! HE'S SELLING US OUT TO THE HARVESTERS!!"
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Rabat was searching on the ground frantically for something, which Ranma-Diend had no clue. Both he and Utan just watched him look desperate for something. However, it wasn't too long before several armed guards burst into the area with their laser-rings aimed at the trio. Ranma-Diend blinked and Utan hooted in confusion.
"Uhhh…what did we do?" Ranma-Diend asked.
"You have some nerve to ask that," Buzam's voice replied as she stepped out from between the guards. She glared at Rabat with the most hateful glare she could muster. "You should keep your pockets better protected."
Rabat was silent as he stood up with his hands raised.
"OK, I know Rabat's a slimeball…" began Ranma-Diend as he held up his hands.
"Hey!" Rabat snapped.
"But do we deserve this kind of treatment?" Ranma-Diend asked.
"Of course, since your friend here has been selling planets out to the Harvesters!" Buzam accused.
Ranma-Diend's eyes widened as he stared at Rabat. "Rabat…this isn't true, is it?"
Rabat's only retort was, "The Harvesters would've gotten to them anyway. Sides, business is business…"
POW!
Everyone was stunned when Ranma-Diend's fist met with Rabat's face and gave his good eye a bruise. The merchant fell on his rear and looked up at his occasional partner in shock. Ranma-Diend's eyes were narrowed as he gritted his teeth in anger.
"Diend…what…"
"If I had my gun right now I'd shoot you where the sun don't shine, you dirty, stinking, lying traitor!" Ranma-Diend snapped.
"Hey, you've done some bad stuff too, so don't lecture me!" Rabat snapped in defense.
"Oh, I've stolen stuff, and cheated people, but I've NEVER done something like this. I'm a lot of things. I'm a liar and thief, but I am NO murderer!"
"And neither am I," Rabat frowned. "They offered, I complied. I'm a merchant. I sell things. They wanted information and I got it for them. I didn't kill anyone. It was the Harvesters who did that. Besides, you were the one who told me about half of those planets."
"SHUT UP!!" Ranma-Diend roared, lunging at Rabat. Several of the woman grabbed him by the arms and held him back. "YOU BASTARD! I HAD FRIENDS ON THOSE PLANETS! YOU SOLD THEM LIKE PIGS! YOU LET THOSE FREAKS BUTCHER THEM!"
"That's enough," Magno spoke in a stern voice. As she stepped past the guards, she looked at Rabat. "Your stay here is officially over. Get off of my ship before I decide to have you shot."
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Ranma-Diend bellowed. "He's helped murder planets! He doesn't deserve to live!"
"Maybe, but unlike the Harvesters, I am going to give him a sporting chance," Magno replied. She looked to Rabat again. "Get going."
"Whatever," Rabat sighed, heading for the exit and back to his ship with Utan. Ranma-Diend slumped in the arms of the people who were holding him.
Rabat's shipped detached and exited from the Nirvana as he hit the acceleration. Inside the bridge, Ranma watched as the traitor was getting away. Looking up, he tried to figure out what the aged captain was doing.
"So what are we going to do about that guy?" Ranma asked darkly. Parfet had been more than willing to explain what Rabat had been doing. For the first time in his life, he wanted to murder someone. The man had been responsible for the deaths of world populations by aliens who cut people up for their body parts.
"Now, we're going to shoot him out of space," Magno frowned. "Prepare weapons!"
"You got it," Bart nodded from within the navigation well. However, before he could get the proper weapons aimed at Rabat's ship and get a single shot off, there was an explosions from the engine room. "Woah! What happened? That hurts!"
"Sorry! It's that part Rabat sold us!" Parfet cried from her station "It was faulty! It blew up on us. It took out a bunch of components with it! We can't move!"
"Blast. And by the time we're finished, he'll be long gone," Magno frowned.
"He's always thinking ahead," Ranma-Diend sighed as he was held at the edge of the navigation room. "He planned this out when he got onboard. Never trust pirates when you're practically one yourself."
"You'd know," Ranma frowned.
"Hey, I didn't sell that information to the Harvesters!" Ranma-Diend growled. "I didn't even know he was doing it!"
Ranma stared at his doppelganger. Ranma-Diend wasn't lying. "You didn't know."
"Hey, when I told Rabat about those planets, I never thought he'd cause world-wide genocide. It was just idle chatter." He snorted. "Serves me right for trusting the guy. No honor among thieves, huh?" He asked, "So, what are you going to do to me? Throw me in the brig? I guess I deserve it since I was an accomplice."
"Oh, you'll be in the brig all right," Magno nodded. "We'll get to what we're going to do to you later though."
"You're the boss," Ranma-Diend shrugged as the guards took him away.
"You know," Ranma commented as he watched his counterpart leave. "I have never once seen him look sorry for anything he did. But today, he looked like every death Rabat sold was on his shoulders."
"That proves he's your brother then," Magno nodded. "He has a good heart underneath all that flirting and thievery skills."
"Yeah, he does," Ranma nodded.
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Ranma-Diend choked back a sob as he sat in the brig. He knew of several planets he had visited that were wiped out by Harvesters. He had friends on those worlds that he met in his adventures of thievery and fighting. They were good people and pretty nice. Not to mention a few were hot women.
"You alive in there?" a female voice asked.
Ranma-Diend looked up and saw Barnette looking back at him. "What do you want? You came to shoot me or something?"
"Part of me is tempted and even if I don't like men all that much I can see when someone's hurting," she commented.
"Well, I feel dead inside. All those worlds are gone and it's my fault."
"How did someone like you get mixed up with a bastard like Rabat anyway?" Barnette asked curiously.
"Saved him from a little scrape and we've been buddies since," Ranma-Diend answered. "We had plenty in common. I just never thought he'd betray me like this, but I should've seen it coming."
"You know, for a man, you're not so bad," Barnette admitted.
"Thanks, but that doesn't help me feel any better. I'm no better than Rabat. The only difference is that I was never paid," Ranma snorted. "If I knew what he was going to do with that info I would've never told him."
"He was your friend, so you couldn't help but trust him," Barnette rationalized.
"Why are you talking to me anyway? I thought you hated men," stated Ranma-Diend.
"Look, I've been working alongside your brother for a while now and while I was not comfortable around him earlier because of his…condition, it made working with him easier when he turns into girl. So, I've met a guy who can see things through a girl's perspective, sort of," answered Barnette.
"So, you may not like my bro when he's a guy, but you still respect him enough when he's a girl?" Ranma-Diend questioned. "Weird."
"Hey, it's not every day you meet a guy who turns into a girl when you splash him with water," said Barnette. "I just wasn't sure how to treat someone like him."
"He's got a lot to learn about women, even if he does turn into one," responded Ranma-Diend. "But compared to me he's more human than I'll ever be."
"You feel guilt and regret over what Rabat did. That makes you human enough," said Barnette. "Oh, and I came to give this to you." She took the Diendriver out of her gun holster. "It's not a bad gun."
"Aren't you afraid I might bust out?" Ranma-Diend asked.
"Do you plan on busting out?" Barnette asked.
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Everyone was watching this on the bridge. "Why did you send Barnette?" Jura asked.
"She volunteered," Magno answered.
"You sent the girl who collects guns and hates men to talk with a thief who stole a kiss from her?" Ranma pointed out, not seeing the logic.
"Well, while Barnette is like most women on Mejele who dislike men, her interaction with you has changed her a little, and also she may have been affected by your brother's charm," said Magno.
"I bet she'll shoot him if he ever tries that stunt again," Ranma snorted.
"Well, I don't think Mr. Alien 2 is a bad guy," said Dita. "Even if he was friends with Mr. Rabat."
"Yeah, Diend's not a murderer," said Ranma. "And I doubt he thinks of Rabat as a friend anymore."
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"So, what are you going to do if we let you out?" Barnette asked.
"I guess wander around the cosmos," said Ranma-Diend. "Don't got a home to go to."
"Why not stay on the Nirvana?" Barnette suggested.
"Me?" Ranma-Diend blinked. "What's in it for me?"
"Well, we could just toss you out in space," Barnette shrugged, "Or you can use your skills to help us. Either way, I don't really care."
Ranma-Diend thought it over and then said, "Well…it might help me make up for all the bad stuff I did."
Barnette shut down the energy bars and said, "Welcome aboard."
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"Wow, never seen Barnette just talk to a man before," said Jura. Jura had known Barnette for years and how much she hated men. This was the strangest thing to her. Usually she would shoot a man before actually saying one word to him.
"Guess people can change when you least expect them," said Meia as she glanced at Ranma.
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"So, you understand your situation here?" Magno asked Ranma-Diend.
"Well, I'm already an outlaw. Being a pirate won't be much different," replied Ranma-Diend. "Except I won't be alone."
"Just use your skills to assist us," said Magno. "Oh, and I've already thought of where to place you."
"Oh?"
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"Diend, at your service!" Ranma-Diend saluted. Like Ranma he'd been assigned to the Register.
"Well, welcome onboard," said Gascogne. "And girls…our motto."
"Smile! Smile!" the girls chorused.
Ranma-Diend looked at all the pretty girls. The smiles just made them prettier. He then looked and saw Ranma-chan in uniform. "Decade-kun, is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," said Ranma-chan.
"Nice outfit. Looks cute on you," Ranma-Diend snickered.
Ranma-chan grimaced. "So, the Captain assigned you here."
"Well, I might as well be useful, and I'm good at inventory. How else do I keep track of my loot?"
Before Ranma could retort, the door to the Register opened and Dita came happily bounding in with her gift for Ranma. When she spotted Ranma-chan, she smiled.
"Ms. Alien!" She ran over and then handed the gift over. "This is for you! A nice and comfy pillow!"
"Wow, thanks Dita," Ranma-chan said as she accepted the gift. The alien on it was odd, but still cute. "My old one was getting pretty lumpy." That much was true. The quarters for the men weren't built for comfort like the women's rooms were.
Dita beamed.
Ranma-Diend stood next to Gascogne with a grin on his face. It was so obvious that Dita was trying to get close to Ranma. Well, if it was for the partnering thing, the novelty of being friends with an 'alien', or just because she had feelings for him, no one was sure. Still, there was one thing that Gascogne and Ranma-Diend could really agree on.
"He is so clueless," Ranma-Diend chuckled.
"Dita's the naïve kind too," Gascone snickered. "Ranma might never get what she wants."