Subject: [FFML] Re: Never Give...(4/?)
From: "Trakal" <Trakal@map.com>
Date: 1/19/1999, 2:56 PM
To: trakal@map.com, ffml@fanfic.com
Reply-to:
trakal@map.com

"Never Give A Short Red-Haired Scientist Too Much Free Time"
(4/?)


Washu turned to the two toddlers and started to tell them it was
time for them to take a bath.

Like most fur-bearing lifeforms, Draalthi and humanified Cabbits
don't enjoy being given baths that involve water, and the minute
Washu began to suggest that such a thing was shortly forthcoming,
both Ryo-ohki and Ryomitsu took off in opposite directions.

"But, Washu," Ayeka pointed out, "it's only two o'clock in..."
she remembered the trick Washu had pulled on Ryoko just after her
remergence with Zero. "Oh." She giggled, quietly, to herself.

A moment later, she heard a shriek from the kitchen, followed by
loud batlike cries of pain.

Washu rushed in as fast as she could, fearing that her trick had
backfired and that somehow, her newest creation had managed to
hurt himself.

When she got into the kitchen, she found that her fears were
unconfirmed. There were no overturned pans, no mislaid knives.

"What's wrong, little one?" Washu asked.

Ryomitsu was standing there, stiff as a statue. He had just
stopped screaming and he looked like he had fainted standing up
and Washu was pretty sure that the skin under his fur had gone
white. He was staring at a picture in a coloring book he'd been
given just moments ago by Tenchi, who had just come home a few 
minutes ago.

"Let me see, honey." Washu took the book from Ryomitsu. She 
examined the book, and found the picture that had disturbed him.

It was an image of a kabuki no danyu. Just the face. No big deal 
in and of itself. Except...

...it looked like Kain!

"No wonder." Washu nodded. "Tenchi, look at this."

"Now that's a very strange coincidence." Tenchi muttered. "But, 
I thought you said he had no memories of his past."

"Some racial memories are too strong to be destroyed." Washu 
replied. "It's like knowing how to understand words and later 
speak them."

"Will it trigger other memories?"

"No, Tenchi, " Washu explained, "this isn't as much a memory as 
it is an instinctive fear." 

Washu ran the book through a device she pulled out of subspace,
altering the picture to one of cherry blossoms. "Here you go,"
she told the frightened child. "See. Bad scary picture all 
gone."

Ryomitsu looked at it, reluctantly, as if not fully believing 
Washu. When he saw the new picture, he stopped crying. He 
instantly grabbed the book and crayons and went off to play.

Washu started to reach for some ingredients.

"Um, Little Washu," Tenchi suggested, "I think I'm going to 
order take-out."

"Something wrong with my cooking?" Washu wanted to know.

"Um, no it's... ummm... it's not that..." Tenchi stammered, "its 
just we've all been working extra hard taking care of Ryo-ohki 
and Ryomitsu here, so I thought we could all use a break from 
cooking."

"Oh!" Washu exclaimed, going all kawaii and bug-eyed. "I didn't 
realize you loved me that much!"

"Huh?!" Tenchi felt cold sweat running down his back.

"Ryomitsu, honey," Washu called "come give your new daddy a 
hug."

"But... but..." Tenchi stammered.

"Dadda!!" Ryomitsu cried out as he hugged Tenchi.

"Why me?" Tenchi moaned, resignedly.