A few days had passed and things at Furinkan had not settled for the better. Ranma's introduction sort of came and went without incident, which he preferred. No one mentioned anything about him staying with the Tendos or being engaged to any of them. Ultimately he just went through the day bored.
The same could not be said for Akane. Her days were not going well. The boys from the Hentai Horde had gone from harassing her only once in the morning to now whenever they could. In between classes, during lunch, outside in gym, even as she was leaving and afterwards. Teachers had been helpful in punishing the boys responsible, but they could only help her so much.
"Jeez, I can't take this anymore!" Akane complained after getting away from the school and into the nearby shopping center. Right now there was no one with her except for Yuka and Sayuri, who were keeping an eye out for any other boys who wanted to make another attempt at her.
"It's gone past ridiculous. Why haven't any of them been expelled yet?" Sayuri asked.
"The principal is gone, so no luck there. I haven't heard anything about the vice principal, but I'm getting the impression that he just doesn't care." Yuka answered.
"Why are they doing this? I flatout told them that I'm not going along with their dumb scheme anymore!" Akane spat.
"Wait a minute..." Yuka said, putting her hand on her chin.
"What? Are you thinking of something?" Sayuri asked. Akane looked interested too.
"You said you weren't going along with this anymore. Emphasis on 'anymore'. That implies that you were going along it with up until now." Yuka thought out loud.
"No I wasn't!" Akane protested.
"Actually Akane, you kind of were. Think about it. All this time you never once actually refused to acknowledge the challenge Kuno gave out. Everything you've said could have been interpreted as playing hard to get."
"That's not true!"
"I'm not talking about your intentions. I'm talking about your actions." Yuka corrected. "This has been going on for several months now. At no point did you ever flatout say something like 'I do not acknowledge this challenge' or 'I do not consent to participating' or something like that. It's always been something more like 'Go away' or 'Leave me alone'. To the boys, that's not you refusing to go along. That's you spurring them on to try harder."
"But that's-" Akane started.
"No Akane, if you want this to truly end you have to think in a different way. Each boy going along with this thing is doing so because they believe that you're okay with it, so any refusal on your part is going to be met with disbelief. After all this time, they feel entitled to a result, and you basically 'quitting' is..."
Yuka sighed. "Imagine playing baseball and it's the seventh inning. Suddenly the other team decides it's done playing and just declares they're taking the trophy with them. From their point of view, that's what you're doing right now. In their eyes, you strang them along all this time and now you're bored so they wasted their time. I'm not saying they're right, but you can't just demand that they stop and expect them to accept it without a fight. If it was that easy it would have stopped after the first day."
"Uhh... guys?" Sayuri tried to say.
"So then what? I'm stuck with this?" Akane asked, ignoring Sayuri.
Yuka shook her head. "No, right now I can think of only three options for you. You could transfer schools, you could make yourself unappealing so the boys don't think you're worth it anymore, or... and I know you'll hate this, you could make everyone believe another boy already 'won' so to speak."
Akane just stared at her friend. "I shouldn't have to do any of that."
"What do you want Akane? For all of them to decide on their own that they suddenly respect your boundaries? What's their motive for that? Of course you shouldn't have to defend yourself, but if your house is on fire it's up to you to put it out rather than just expect the fire to put itself out." Yuka argued.
"Guys?" Sayuri repeated.
Akane huffed but ultimately conceded. "So those are my only options?"
"Only ones that I can think of." Yuka replied.
"Guys!" Sayuri insisted.
"What?" Akane and Yuka asked, both sounding a little annoyed.
"We're being watched." Sayuri told them, pointing to the roof of a building.
Akane and Yuka turned to see what their friend was pointing to, and atop the shop Akane saw a figure. It looked like a hairless person with sickly grey skin and orange eyes, but only the top of its head was visible. She couldn't see the nose or ears, but there were fingers grasping the ledge of the building, like it was perched. And it was clearly staring at the three girls.
Already in a bad mood, Akane grabbed the nearest piece of litter, being a discarded soda can, and hurled it at the interloper. "GET LOST CREEP!"
The can flew at the figure, who swiftly jumped away to another rooftop. Akane was both annoyed that she missed and slightly impressed at such a dodge. The figure didn't stop there, they jumped to the next building and so on, escaping from them.
Sayuri sighed. "That's a relief."
"Did you get a good look at them? They must have been hiding in the shadows, I could barely make anything out." Yuka asked.
"What are you talking about? That pervert was in plain sight." Akane argued.
"Really? He looked obscured by the shadows to me too." Sayuri replied with Yuka nodding.
'Please tell me that wasn't another cryptid.' Akane thought, wondering where Ranma was.
In another part of Nerima, Ranma was doing a patrol with Fisk in human form.
"Uwah?" Fisk grunted.
"I'm not sure buddy, but my gut tells me that there's some roaming cryptids in this town. Someone was hiding some captive cryptids around here, maybe they were the one smuggling for Argost earlier, and then the school has fire rats in it? There has to be some more cryptids loose in this area."
Fisk looked around as if expecting some kind of creature to jump out of the shadows at any second. It didn't help that he was already skittish being a cryptid himself currently in human form thanks to a Jusenkyo curse. Being around all these humans in broad daylight like this was a whole new type of uncomfortable for him. But he trusted Ranma, and he wanted to avoid being cooped up more in the Tendo household. Sure, Kasumi was a kind person, but surprisingly not that good with conversation. Didn't she ever talk to anyone unless she had to?
"The good news is that any cryptids in here must be small and nonthreatening, otherwise there'd be somebody telling everyone about it." Ranma added.
"Arood?" Fisk asked.
"You know what? Food does sound good right now. What sounds good? Ramen? Okonomiyaki?" He asked.
"Chaak." Fisk replied.
Ranma looked around and saw what his friend was referring to. "Oh yeah, they have Kentucky Fried Chicken in Japan. I forgot. Alright, let's get some."
The two went to the restaurant and ordered some fried chicken to go. They got it and walked away, with Fisk being a messy eater but loving the taste.
"Does it taste different with a human tongue?" Ranma asked.
Fisk nodded, his mouth too full to speak.
Ranma took another bite, and that was when he saw something hop from rooftop to rooftop. "Did you see that?" He asked, after spitting the food out into his hand.
"Eehh?" Fisk said after swallowing.
"I'll take that as a no." Ranma replied, handing his friend the chicken while finishing off the bite he had started. Then he took to the roof to investigate.
Part of being a cryptozoologist meant being able to get to places that normal people couldn't. And being fast enough to keep up with creatures that were trying their damnedest to not be seen. Naturally these skills worked in favor of a martial artist, especially one who practiced the Anything Goes school. It was why Ranma was so good at his job despite his age. So jumping from rooftop to rooftop to catch something on the run was just another day for him.
'I can't get a good look at it.' Ranma thought, seeing something up ahead moving quickly. It was moving erratically, avoiding a straight line, and didn't seem to be bothered by the varying heights of the buildings. As a result, he only caught brief glimpses of it. Either this was a tactic to avoid predators, or this creature was intelligent and knew how to deceive people.
'Let's try this.' Ranma thought, his eyes glowing as he reached out with his powers. The creature did not change its behavior.
"What's going on? Is my power on the fritz?" Ranma asked, jumping before he realized where he was going. Once he did, he was horrified to discover that he was right over the canal running through Nerima, with nothing under him except for water. Frantic, he looked around to see anything that he could use to save himself, but in that one second he saw nothing. So he fell in, creating a large splash.
Ranma emerged from the water, coughing and with a new set of anatomy, crawling on the pavement. She got some of the excess water off her, groaning.
"Great, just great." She moaned. With another look, she did not see the cryptid anywhere, so she sighed. "And that makes it greater."
After climbing out of the canal and back onto the public road, Ranma had to admit that she wasn't sure where to go next. Nothing was recognizable.
"Okay, the first step should be to get back on the other side of the canal." She told herself, heading towards the nearest bridge down the road.
"Ranma?"
She turned around and saw Kasumi behind her, holding a bag with some food in it. "Kasumi? Oh good, I'm a little lost. Which way to your house?"
"Not too far, but if you want some hot water I know a closer place to get some."
Ranma shrugged and let the oldest Tendo daughter to guide her.
"Where's Fisk?" Kasumi asked.
"He's alone and lost too. I'll go get him, but first I need to get somewhere recognizable or else we'll basically be running around like chickens with their heads cut off."
"You both should allow me to show you around Nerima. Let you get some bearings." Kasumi offered.
Kasumi soon brought Ranma to what looked like a clinic.
"Hey, I think I passed this place on the way to school." Ranma noted.
"If you ever need hot water, this is a good place to get it. The man here is trustworthy and a good friend to our family. I believe he won't judge you for your curse at all."
Kasumi went to the door and pushed it open. Inside the waiting room there was an old lady sitting, until she saw Kasumi.
"Kasumi?!" The old lady shrieked, jumping to her feet and looking terrified.
'What the hell?' Ranma asked, not expecting this in the slightest.
"Hello Mrs Inoue, I hope you're well." Kasumi greeted.
"Ye... Yes, I'm doing very well! In fact, I'm so well that I shouldn't even be here! Haveaniceday!" The old lady said nervously before bolting out the door, practically shoving Ranma out of the way.
"What was that about?" Ranma asked.
"What was what about?" Kasumi asked back.
"Alright Mrs Inoue, I'm-" A man with glasses and wearing blue clothes said, coming out from another room. He took one look at Kasumi before his glasses fogged up and his body went rigid. "K-K-Kasumi?"
'Does this woman have some kind of fear power over people?' Ranma asked, still confused as hell.
"Hello Dr Tofu. I hope you don't mind, but my friend here could use some hot water." Kasumi said.
"Of course! Anything you want! Hot water? I'll get you the hottest water I have!" Tofu all but sputtered before darting into the back.
"Wait, it doesn't need to be that hot!" Ranma called out, worried about what will happen.
"It's okay, Tofu is a bit silly but he's a complete professional. He's treated all of Akane's injuries ever since she was a little girl." Kasumi assured the aquatransexual.
Tofu came out with a tea kettle that still had some steam coming off the spout's end. "Freshly brewed, here you go!"
Ranma tried to object, but before she could Tofu took the kettle and overturned it over her head, dumping the entire contents right on her. Ranma screamed in agony, made worse by the doctor for some reason trying to put the kettle on her head like it was a hat. Instead it slipped and the handle sort of looped around her neck like a necklace, with the kettle hanging on the back.
Ranma was male again, but the sheer pain of boiling water made that irrelevant.
"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed, having not expected Tofu to do something like this.
"Uh oh, was it not hot enough?" Tofu asked, still not thinking clearly.
"Get some cold water now." Kasumi told him, hoping this would neutralize the pain.
Tofu complied and went back again but Ranma took out the door to do something himself. With his eyes burning he couldn't see clearly and looked for a hose, but he couldn't find one. Desperate, he began to roll around in the grass, trying to get the excess water off him. After a bit it worked. He still felt horrible, but he no longer felt like a lobster in a steaming pot.
'This guy is someone Kasumi trusts? Is she crazy? Is he? What the fuck is going on here?'
Tofu came out holding a bucket and carrying a human skeleton on his back like a koala. His glasses were still fogged up. He didn't ask any question, he just poured the bucket on Ranma, soothing the burn but making him a girl all over again.
"Did that help?" Tofu asked. He was so dazed by Kasumi that he hadn't even noticed the curse triggering either time.
"Tofu, I think that's enough." Kasumi warned, coming up from behind.
Ranma got to her feet, shaking and afraid. Tofu stepped towards her and she decided to bolt out of there, jumping over the wall and back onto the roofs, heading away.
"Oh, I hope Ranma's okay." Kasumi said. "Tofu, I think you went a little too far."
Ranma came to a stop back in Furinkan, hiding in the branches of one of the trees. Panting and grimacing, she waited for the pain to die down. Looking over herself, it appeared to be a nasty burn, but only first degree. At least she assumed it was only first degree.
"This is why I hate dealing with people. They make no sense at all. At least cryptids are honest with their natures." Ranma moaned, looking around. She saw some students in kendo attire doing some practice with bokkens outside. Some against straw dummies and some against each other. Most were wearing armor but one of them wasn't.
Ranma jumped out the tree, and on the ground she realized that the kettle Tofu had used was still around her neck. So she took it off then just sort of held it, not sure what else to do with it.
"You there!" A voice called to her, and she saw it was the unarmored boy among the kendo practitioners. "Have you come to join? I must warn you that a fair maiden such as yourself is better off without a weapon in your delicate hands."
Ranma immediately got offended. "Okay, that is incredibly sexist. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't fight. In fact, I could kick your butt right now if I wanted to."
"Alas, that is not possible. For I am the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, Tatewaki Kuno. Undefeated champion of all of Japan. The day I taste defeat will not be today, or delivered to me by a tree-borne kettle girl."
Ranma frowned more. "Undefeated huh? Have you ever defeated Akane Tendo?"
Kuno flinched at that.
"Well guess what? I'm even stronger than her. I could whoop your ass even with this as my weapon." Ranma added, holding up the kettle.
"Bold words, but a lady such as yourself should be serving men, not fighting them." Kuno argued, though he tried to sound supportive rather than dismissive.
"You mean 'get in the kitchen and make me a sandwich'? Oh you bastard, you deserve this."
Without waiting, Ranma rushed in at the kendoist, catching him off guard. Kuno tried to defend himself, but Ranma swung the kettle and hit him in the testicles with it. Kuno was right now regretting his choice of not wearing armor. Kuno fell to his knees and dropped his bokken, clutching his crotch with both hands and struggling to make his lungs inhale again. Ranma followed up by slapping him with the kettle across the face, making him fall on his side.
"There, hope you like the taste of knuckle sandwich." Ranma taunted, standing over him triumphantly. She then left the school grounds, not wanting to be around here anymore.
'That... woman... she's... incredible...' Kuno thought.
"Ranma? Where have you been?" Akane asked when the pigtailed girl and Fisk finally made it back to the Tendo dojo.
"Let's just say I picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue." She replied, making Akane look worried. "It's a movie quote. Sheesh, you didn't think that was literal, did you?"
"With you, who knows?"
"Akane, do you know a doctor?" Ranma asked, stepping inside. She saw Kasumi in the kitchen busy with making dinner.
"There's Dr Tofu, he's not a surgeon or anything like that, but he's a good chiropractor and knows a lot about pressure points and basic remedies. I see him all the time. Why?" Akane asked.
"And you trust him?" Ranma asked.
"Yeah, as long as Kasumi isn't around. Then he-" She started, only to stop when she saw Ranma's expression. "Oh crap, don't tell me Kasumi brought you to him herself, did she?"
Ranma nodded. "It was like she brought me to a man who had absolutely no business playing Operation, let alone treating real people. Was Kasumi trying to get me killed?"
Akane shook her head. "Tofu's a very helpful guy, but he..." She looked rather disheartened at this part. "He's in love with Kasumi."
"That wasn't love, that was insanity. He boiled me then played with a skeleton. I had to leave before he could do more."
"Love makes people go crazy." Akane said, as if that said it all. She was glancing towards Kasumi, a wistful look in her eyes.
Ranma tilted his head, suspecting there was something else going on here but she was in no mood to deal with it. "I just want some not boiling hot water and to put this day behind me."
Akane nodded. "You and me both. But I'm not looking forward to tomorrow either. Just more boys harassing me all day long, unless I can make them stop."
"Hey, that Kuno boy in the kendo club, didn't you say he was the one who started all this?" Ranma asked.
Akane raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, why?"
Ranma grinned fiendishly. "I think I have an idea that could help you with that."