Ranma of St. Bacchus, Chapter 10

By Chaos Orchid

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"Anything can be turned into a martial art. And any occasion."

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A Martial Arts Supper

'Ran' was back in the dark, matte lavender jinbei 'pajamas' that looked more like a samue (short sleeves and legs now 'long') because of her size. She was 18cm, 7 inches, shorter than the pj's owner, Noa, tall even for half of American girls. Some of the other Room 13 girls also owned jinbei, but they saw that she would have a better chance of fitting into her 'samue' when it became a jinbei again if (probably when?) the girl became male again.

The MĀRG–Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics–team members each carried still empty tote bags. All they needed to let Ran out among the crazed school girls was cold water. That was easy enough to get. There was plenty of water bottles in the vending machines in dormitory hall.

…only there were none. They had all been bought. By the crazed school girls. They wanted St. Hebereke to live up to its nickname, St. Bacchus, the god of anything-goes partying. And the male Ran was the god's avatar to them. They had even done research and found that the god of misbehavior would also crossdress. That meant they wouldn't be surprised or even cared if he was dressed as the she-Ran. Just as long as he-Ran had the male-vibe they yearned for.

"Now what your big plan?" asked Noa (in her only A-frame dress...black, of course).

"Maybe soda pop!" Mao suggested. "They have water in them!"

"Would you want that sticky syrup on you?" Yuko answered her.

"And we are likely to get it, or tea, coffee, juice or any of these other drinks on us, if we're protecting Ran," Yuna reminded them.

Junko looked around them. "This hall is suspiciously empty."

"That's because they're in the cafeteria: Eating supper!" 'Ran' cried in frustrated hunger.

Coach Junko reminded them, "We have to keep feeding Ran or she'll start going to the Reservoir more than she already does."

"We don't want a hormone monster!" Mao reminded them of their and the school's danger.

"There's still plenty of food in the vending machines," Yuko said, checking the vendors' windows in her eyesight.

"Except they require coins," Yuna reminded them. "We have the coins now, but we need a reserve for later, when the free food in the cafeteria isn't available."

"What if she needs a midnight snack?!" Mao warned.

"Dreams! The dreams of girls like us," Yuko said with concern. "Dreams release emotions and emotions power Ran's ki attacks! If she absorbs some nightmare fuel…." The miko didn't want to contemplate that for long.

Their coach nodded, having made her decision. "We must get Ran to supper! And we must do it as a team!"

"Brawls count as martial arts practice!" Mao said, understanding what was about to happen.

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With a tote bag, 'Ran' was now also wearing another thing Noa owned: a clear slicker with–colorful dots and–a hood. (She) was surrounded by all five of (her) roommates. MĀRG being a sport that used tools, each of the others had their umbrellas, ready to open or use the officially-recognized-as-non-weapons weapons. (None of them had hidden epees.)

As soon as they entered the wide cafeteria doors, those teen girls not eating immediately hid their water bottles and thermoses out of the group's sight. Those few with teakettles were slower.

All eyes seemed to be on what parts of the redhead each could seen from behind her wall of guards, all taller than her. There was more on the minds of the students of the all-girls boarding school besides the rumored to be the tall, dark and handsome boy hidden somewhere behind that 150cm, 4'11", body. Many were sidetracked by the girl herself! How could such a small girl have such an outrageous bod!?/? If 'Ran' were drinking –rather than (her) usual sipping– in their emotions from the Reservoir, (she) would have become more like the girls around her, a she (her)self. She would have experienced admiration, envy, jealousy, pity and even some lust. Some even wanted to domme the girl of sub-standard height. Kami-sama help Yamada Ran if the school's Mahō Shōjo Club were able to have their way with her.

The Room 13ers moved ("...step; step; step…") to the counter. The meals available for the day were behind a long–shatterproof!–display case. The leader of whichever dorm room that pulled meal service that week, crossed her arms and gave them all a challenging stare. "Sit-down or take-out?"

"Take-out," room-leader Junko told her.

"Not happening. You accepted our bribe. You have to sit and eat the full meal here, in the cafeteria. At least Ran has to."

"Come, let us go! No invite trouble!" Noa pleaded. She was at the rear of her group and looked back to the exit.

But there was not path to it. There were now bussing carts in the way. And girls waiting by and in front of the doors, ready to fight them with suppertime appropriate tools.

"We'll eat in here!" 'Ran' spoke and promised.

And, so, the Room 13ers were given their meals. "Are you sure they're not poisoned?" Noa asked.

"Probably not," Junko said, looking at her tray as well.

"Kodachi doesn't like competition," Yuko reminded them. "If we were poisoned, she would probably take it as a challenge to her title of Mistress of Alchemy."

"Not to mention a challenge to her authority as the captain-general of the total of St. Hebereke's MĀRG teams," Yuna agreed.

"And as the daughter of the Headmaster!" Mao said loudly, grinning at those who were not now turning their eyes away.

"Right!" Junko nodded, more confident now. And she said, in a way that everybody could hear her, "The Black Rose assigned Yamada-san Ran, - chan , -sama(!), Ran-dono to us!"

"I ain't a Ran-dono!" It took a moment for (her) to notice the difference in the attitude in the (Reservoir) air. (It did take a while. (Her) trained body did normally kept its guard up. It didn't want to be assaulted and invaded by foreign emotions!)

"That doesn't mean we can't battle you martial arts rhythmic gymnastics-style!"

"Oh, it's you, Tantō," Junko said to the leader of Room 12. "I didn't see you there."

"Yes, you did!"

"You also insulted her ladyship, Mizunokōji-sama, by using the honored suffix on a commoner!" Shitsū raged.

"Ran is anything but 'common'," Junko answered. "But I have made my point and will not call her that again. For now." And she bowed to her ladyship. It was not a formal bow, only a sort-of-polite bow.

"Do we begin the battle now!?" Mao asked.

"I want to eat first!" 'Ran' protested.

"There is your answer, Team Water," Yuna said. "As a martial artist she is all but required to accept your challenges and wagers. But that doesn't mean she will put in a good word for you with the boy Ran."

"The wager ends when the girl Ran is gone," Yuko added.

"Boy Ran didn't accept the challenge or the wager!" Mao happily said.

"The loophole is…" their strategist, Katai said, "...they have a binding contract by the very fact that they are bound together. Honor demands they respect the obligations of the other."

"And if he does not agree, he might not have what keeps him from going bald!" Hufāsu threatened in his Chinese accent.

"Then he won't have his Samson strength!" Shitsū threatened more menacingly.

"Careless! " Junko cursed. "They eavesdropped on us!"

"I'd better go and check on the–OW!" Yuko cried when Yuna jabbed her with an arrow.

"Do not give them any more clues."

"Clues noted," Katai said. Only one corner of her mouth was able to smile.

"Ran," Junko turned to warn her. "...?"

Only she wasn't there. Where?!

The Reservoir allowed 'Ran' to read the ki of battle potential. (She) normally only scanned for the more powerful ones. The ki energy had to pass through (her) for (her) to sense it. Those with low battle potential required (her) to use some of her own ki energy to boost the signal, as it were. This meant that she risked her own emotions becoming entangled in the emotions that could power–if they knew how to tap into– their ki energy.

'Ran' chose to eat with the group (she) thought (she) had the least chance of becoming entangled in, being so foreign to her. "..."Sally the Witch" was the very first magical girl!" , "There goes our club historian, again!" , "I still say "Princess Knight" should count as the first." , "Let's talk about "Marvelous Melmo"." , "Why? That's just an anime for showing in health and hygiene. Aging, puberty, pregnancy!" , "How about "Magical Princess Minky Momo! They actually killed her! They showed her die!" , "The very first appearance of Truck-kun, right?" , "Sailor Moon is different from all the other magical girl animanga!" , " "Cutie Honey" did the transformations first!"

"Ran, maybe your nickname should be Cutie Honey." , "You have red hair like her main fighting body!"

"She had more than one body?" 'Ran' asked, her mouth full.

"And she also has to eat a lot," Yuna told her. "Like somebody we know."

"Ran! How are we to protect you when you won't stay with us!" her coach scolded.

"Magical Transformation!" the girls at the table all cried out. One girl pulled out a water gun and aimed it at 'Ran', but since (she) knew cold water wouldn't do anything to (her), (she) didn't react to it. (She) barely reacted to what looked like a film company's box; the stupid girl forgot to bring her camera? Or did that box have a lens and view finder? A throw-away camera?

What (she) did react to was the girl who had stood behind her while her club mates had distracted (her). From out of her magician's cape came a hot water bottle– open!

'Ran' reached for the nearest empty tumbler glasses and used her martial arts skills to catch the water coming out of the narrow spout of the small–more easily hidden–hot water bottle. As soon as that glass was full, (she) placed the second glass under the opening without even getting a drop of hot water on (her). In the meantime, 'Ran' drank the hot water and was ready to the next glass.

Yuko opened her umbrella, slapping it against the hot water bottle and knocking it out of her hand! Reactively, the girl punched the top. "That's a no-no: Have to use tools!" And she pushed the girl up off her feet. She landed on a table, scattering the food on it! The girls there screamed at having their clothes splattered with "grossness"!

"Food fight!" , "Not FOOD, idiot!" , "... Hot water!" , "or tea…" , "...Or soup! " several of the girls realized what was on the menu: A hot boy!

The trigger pulled, other groups and girls also started getting into the act!

And so did the Room 13ers! Yuna picked up spoons and used whatever projectile available on the tables to hit the wrists of several girls! Their hands spasming, they dropped their thermoses.

Noa searched for any girl with a camera or a disposable camera that looked like a box of film; to them, she held up her umbrella fully out, shielding the still eating Ran from the flashes!

Junko used the captured thermoses and kettles to douse the girls with their own hot water or liquid!

Mao just swatted whatever with her umbrella: thermoses, water bottles, girls, soup bowls, food trays, …

"What a waste of food!" And 'Ran' in her rain slicker left the cover of (her) teammates and got rid of the soup and other hot, yummy liquids nearby that could have been used against (her)!

…Until, "Oops, too much! I gotta go to the toilet." Hopping off the table (she) was on, and, ducking low, the shortie was barely visible to those on the other side. The brawl was still going on as (she) reached the exit.