TWISTED- the board game. lemon? (sort of, things are rather
more descriptive in this chapter. no spurting bodily fluids,
though. at least onscreen!) that said, basics by Gregg
Sharp, with lots of input from Chris Olsen, Jim Bader's
working on some scenes to be included, and feedback from a
whole lotta other wonderful people. Opinions expressed are
those of the characters and not necessarily those of the
writer. In a few cases definitely NOT those of the writer.
virtual disclaimer: Set Disclaimer = (Ranma.cha = (tm)Rumiko
Takahashi; SpellsR.Us_="Bill.Hart") If Ch1 or Ch2= nullset
then goto http://db.netimages.com/archive/ffml/
-----------------------------
Chapter:Four "The Fandom Menace"
-----------------------------
The moment was broken by all the remaining game pieces
speaking in an eerie unison.
"Final Stage we now declare,
Changes are not always fair,
The stakes are raised, so beware,
Dark the consequence if you Dare."
"That didn't sound good," came Nabiki's voice from the
game's extradimensional Closet.
Akane closed her eyes, thinking, and decided to go with
Ukyou's concept but to get even more imaginative. Just like
at one of those cosplay things Kasumi went off with her
friends for, you combined concepts for something uniquely
yours. "OK, for 'role-playing' - 'Cutey Amazon Senshi
Bishojo Sailor Mercury!'"
The demonic rustling voice spoke again. "For a species with
the relative intelligence level of a flatworm, you do get
imaginative at times. Even at my age, I'm curious now. Let's
see how you handle your Taste Of Power, then, child."
Akane's eyes widened as suddenly the world around her
seemed to click into a higher focus. Why, all she needed to
do was to get Ranma or Tatewaki back and the girl attempting
to drizzle chocolate syrup on some sensitive areas would go
off after more rewarding prey. This was because the game had
physically created a double of Ranma that incorporated what
Ranma most disliked (or more properly, hated and feared)
about his girl side. Always the fear that he'd start liking
guys, behave in an "unmanly" fashion or something. Possibly
the game's own "naughtiness" was responsible for the rest.
Akane computed a 93% likelihood that Ranma-chan was out
here simply because there was no more room within the
extradimensional "Closet" that the game maintained. Further
that because Ranma was to "face" this side of himself, that
in 1.135 minutes when Ranma and Kasumi's time was up they
would reappear and Ranma-chan would pounce on Ranma-kun.
Given available data, of course.
What Akane *said* however was "Mmmmrph!" when Ranma-chan
put a strawberry in her own mouth, then moved in for a kiss.
A moment later, and feeling slightly ill, Akane wondered how
much longer she'd have to put up with this.
Ranma and Kasumi reappeared as their time ran out. Ranma's
eyes bugged at seeing what his female half was doing (as
well as his giving serious consideration to fainting with a
nosebleed.) Kasumi merely said "oh my" and made a note that
she'd need to replace the various foodstuffs being slathered
on her youngest sister.
Ranma-chan glanced up, saw Ranma-kun, and abandoned her
target much as Akane had figured.
Akane waited for Ranma-chan to finish moving over when she
raised her henshin pen over her head and called out her
transformation phrase. Time to find out if it had worked.
"Mercury Make Up Flash!"
Water shot up around Akane in a column, beginning a typical
Magical Girl Transformation sequence. As she spun within the
column, Akane's seifuku, makeup, and jewelry appeared on
her. This also had the effect of at least temporarily
nullifying the nudity curse, which she noted for future
reference.
Spinning to a stop, the transformed Akane posed. "Ai No
Senshi, Cutey Mercury!"
"Can Shampoo get one of those?" Shampoo looked over the
sailor suited Warrior Of Love & Justice. Ukyou merely nodded
in agreement.
"Uhm, Akane?" Ranma kept trying to fend off the Ranma-chan
currently rubbing her hands up and down his chest.
"Not now, Airen, Akane very busy with Mercury Computer. Now
must try analyze quantum fields and effect on probability
structure. Maybe later Ranma take Akane to date!" Akane
smiled as she noted the way she'd filled out her top. There
*had* been some enhancements due to the Amazon addition. At
least a full cup size. She wondered if that had also
enhanced her strength. She'd have to check later, though she
calculated a high likelihood (83.78%) that these effects
would only last through the game anyway.
"What's going on?!" Nabiki was getting frustrated from
within the Closet.
"Akane turn into Amazon Magical Girl, Ukyou-chan reading
manga, Ranma-girl-type is trying to seduce Ranma-boy-type,
Kasumi try to cover up again, and Shampoo's turn to roll."
Shampoo finished and promptly rolled her dice.
Shampoo continued forward rather than take the branch, and
her miniature looked down at the 21st square.
"Many futures dark and dreary,
Some few happy, sometimes eerie,
Here's a view, short or long,
that asks the question: 'what can go wrong?'"
-----------------------------
Mousse grinned. The poison gas grenades had slowed Saotome
down, and the first spear thrust had slowed his Enemy down
even further.
Three more were thrust deeply into the pigtailed martial
artist before he stopped moving.
"I did it, Shampoo," Mousse moved from his vanquished
enemy, removing the gas mask as he passed into the next
room. "I knew he'd follow me to China after I captured you.
The past five years have been hell, but at last your
marriage to that FIEND has been annulled. NOW we can be
together, Shampoo, all the deals and preparations I've made
have been worth it."
Mousse looked over the silent Shampoo and lit the scented
candles in the room. "You needn't be shy, Shampoo. When I
heard you were carrying Saotome's child, I admit it, I went
a little crazy. But I'm all better now. It will be as it was
always fated to be, you and me! Didn't I always tell you
that you loved me? Didn't I always say how we were fated to
be together?"
Shampoo remained silent and didn't even glance in his
direction.
"It's all right, my love, you and I will be together
forever." Mousse picked up the unresisting hand and smiled.
"I'll make you happy, and everything will be right between
us, you'll see."
Mousse gently shooed the flies away from where they'd been
gathering. "What's that, Shampoo? Oh, don't worry. I'll
clean up the mess. Everything will be perfect now. You'll
see."
--------------------------
Shampoo shrieked as the vision ended. Kasumi frowned. Ukyou
watched Auntie Akane clench her teeth against the shuddering
nausea and wondered exactly what everyone else had seen.
The dice rolled by itself while everyone continued to
recover from the vision.
"Shampoo may have trouble killing, but would have to make
exception for Mousse." Shuddering again, Shampoo made a
face. "Shampoo grab bath after game finish. Is okay?"
"You aren't the only one," grumbled Ranma from his current
distress.
Nabiki's miniature spoke as it looked down from the 17th
square.
"There is one who in your mind,
you cannot any liking find,
you would rather you should die,
than enjoy pleasure with or by,
name this one, you most despise,
or know the Penalty for lies."
"That would be Genma Saotome, actually," said Nabiki from
her current confinement. "That he's greedy isn't so bad, but
even Kuno-baby can make a better deal than him. In fact,
being related to him was one of my biggest objections to
this 'Tendo-Saotome alliance' thing."
Kasumi was already moving, her wings furled behind her as
she rolled the dice.
The little figurine of an angel, that had at one time been
a housewife, stepped forward and read from her new location
on the 22nd square.
"You have been wicked in your life,
Bullying others, twist the knife,
manipulate & shifting blame,
Latest victim, name the name."
Kasumi considered this one carefully before answering
"none."
Nabiki reappeared at the end of her twenty minutes.
"Goodness Ranma, what *happened* to you?"
Ranma spat whipped cream out of his mouth and tried to wipe
chocolate syrup off his face, not bothering to answer as his
somewhat ditzy and seperated cursed self merely giggled her
own reply.
"Akane bring to everyone's attention that spinner wheel has
changed. Also backs of Dare cards have different design.
Change occur when game go into 'Final Stage'. Please to
notice that categories on spinner are now 'Sudden Death',
'Bizarre Change', 'Advance to Finish' (is tiny area compared
to others, yes?), 'Screaming Libido Attack'..."
Everyone took a moment to shudder at THAT.
Akane continued after pushing the nasty (if intriguing)
pictures out of her head. "...'Love Thy Neighbor',
'Darkside', 'Exchange Changes', 'Shikima Party', 'Womb With
A View'. Very bad. Very terrible. Also please note that
'Punishment Room' change to 'Personality Modification
Chamber' and 'Closet' change to 'Seraglio'. Is very ominous,
yes?"
There was no disagreement. Though it was hard to tell with
Ranma-kun, the way Ranma-chan was plastered over his body,
wiggling suggestively through layers of whipped cream as she
"fed."
====================
a few notes before we wrap this up:
hey, everyone *expected* me to be nasty to Akane and nice
to darn near everyone else.
i *have* been trying to be kinder to "Hammer Girl" as the
result of those Akane fans (mainly VG-Addict and SKJAM)
who've actually been polite and neither snide nor vicious in
their e-mails. Even though i strongly disagree with
interpretation of the manga. (On the other hand, i'd love to
see SKJAM (among others) write a (someone besides Akane) +
Ranma fic that doesn't require Ranma chained, drugged,
tortured, or living in misery.)
As for the Shampoo's Dark Future, before any Knights start
throwing this as an example, no, i don't see that as
inevitable. A possibility, yes, but not necessarily a
certainty.
and, yes, normally i use anime continuity.
a) i find the characters are more likable (with one
exception)
b) the characters are drawn better
c) the anime is generally more amusing, where the manga
strikes me as being more Lovecraftian attempt at humor. (Not
that there isn't some of this in the anime as well. Which is
one reason i tend to focus on Alternates, there are many
aspects of the series i find Disturbing. ex: the devolution
of everyone's personalities except Akane's in the last few
volumes, putting a phobic person's trigger on them to see
how many that person can handle, the "concerned" one
smirking about it later...)
oh well, chapter 5 is due next- dealing with multiple
endings and ways this could be resolved.
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web: http://metroanime.home.mindspring.com/
mail: metroanime@mindspring.com
"Shampoo get to kick major butt in this scene?"
-The Bet: Four Wishes
thanks for reading.gregg-san