Continued from part 19.
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RANKO 1/2
Part 20
"It's so hard"
(No, it's not a lemon, baka! :)
Akane Stares at the figure in the doorway.
Akane: Kasumi?
Kasumi: I don't think we should do this. Such a shock in Ranma's
delicate state could do nasty damage to his mental
condition.
Nabiki: [scratches her head] You may be right, oneechan, but
what do you suggest we do instead.
Genma: We could try my suggestion. [rotates his fist]
Akane: No! We won't! [splashes Genma]
Genma: Growf.
Souun: Waaah! What can we do?
Nabiki: [hands him a hankie] We could try not to wake Ranma with
all the noise.
In that very moment, Ranma turns on the other side, snoring
<SNUOOORRK! WHUMPH!>
The last turn made him fall from the futon. He flails around with
one arm, gets hold of the covers and pulls them down to the floor
over him. He curls up and sighs, beginning to snore again.
Nabiki: Oh, well. Anyway, let's leave.
It is already very late at night, when Dr. Toufuu joins the
concerned Tendou's at their home. He, Nabiki, Akane and Souun are
gathered around the living room table.
Dr. Toufuu: Yes, I believe it was right what you did. If a real
boy was suddenly turned female, the results would be grave.
I can imagine he would be insecure in his sexuality and
therefor put on a big show of machismo, always fighting
others, never thinking about problems. Homophobia would
drive him to be hostile and aggressive to any male who
shows interest in his female side.
He would probably entertain relationships with many females
at once, anxious to be reassured that he is still
attractive. On the other hand, he would be unable to
confess any true affection, for fear of rejection.
[pauses]
That is, of course, just an educated guess, and it has no
bearing on the situation at hand. Ranma's memory loss is
the result of a fight, you said. There is a shiatsu
technique called Xi Fa Xiang Gao, that enables the
manipulation of memory. It employs use of the shiatsu
pressure points of the human skull in combination with a
herbal potion - a shampoo, if you will.
Akane, who twitched at the word "shampoo", perks up.
Akane: That's right. He said that he felt oddly refreshed.
Dr. Toufuu: That makes the reaction to a sudden change rather
unpredictable. I have a theory, though.
Kasumi: [coming in from the kitchen] What kind of theory, Dr.
Toufuu?
Dr. Toufuu: Kasumi! F-fancy meeting you here.
He raises his hand in greeting, completely forgetting that he is
holding a cup in it. He bangs the cup against his temple,
knocking himself out. Everyone sighs. Kasumi smiles, puzzled.
Nabiki: He'll be no use, now, for some time. Let's escort him
home, father. Tomorrow we'll visit him at *his* place.
It is the next day. Ranma and Akane are walking down the street
together. They are in their best clothes, and their arms are
linked. Both are sweating and uncomfortable.
Ranma: [whispering] Remind me again: *How* did we get talked
into this?
Akane: [whispering back] I seem to remember something about our
fathers committing Seppuku, if we didn't.
Ranma: Can't be. We would have let them. I think we were
drugged and brainwashed.
Akane: [thinks] one of us at least.
At home, Genma and Souun are dancing around in the living room,
happily.
Souun: We finally got them to go out together!
Genma: Yes! And now that Ranma's fully a boy, there's no way it
can fail!
Souun: No way.
Ranma: No way! Think of last time we went here!
Akane: There's no other good restaurant around here, and last
time was a special case. There are no crazies following
us today. Come on and let's get this behind us.
They are entering the restaurant, they visited on the day, they
switched roles. Inside, they look around nervously, but no
lunatics seem to pop up, so they find themselves a booth and
signal the waiter. They order the same things they did last time
- they never got to eat them, after all.
They sit waiting in silence. Ranma folds his hands and begins to
fidget with his thumbs.
Ranma: So.
Akane: So.
Silence.
Ranma: Err, you... you ever went out on a date?
Akane: No. [pause] You?
Ranma: Um, no. So we... we could learn from this for... for
other dates, or so. [stares at his fingernails] It's not
as if this um, actually *means* something. Heh heh heh...
Akane: Ha ha ha...
Silence.
Akane: [thinks] Why is he looking at me that way?
Ranma: [thinks] Why is she looking at me that way?
Akane: I wonder where that waiter is?
Ranma: Yeah, he sure takes his time.
Silence. Suddenly the uneasy atmosphere is broken by a cry.
Voice: Nihao Ranma!
Both Ranma and Akane's heads jerk around. Shampoo is running
towards them. She jumps at Ranma, glomps onto him and snuggles
up.
Shampoo: Ranma ready to marry Shampoo?
Ranma: Sh- Shampoo!
Akane: What did you do to Ranma?!
Shampoo: Shampoo make husband forget stupid Ranko girl. He marry
Shampoo now.
She gets up and tries to pull Ranma along on one hand. Ranma
resists, but barely. He looks at Akane pleadingly, as if he
expects her to do something.
Akane: Ranma! How can you let Shampoo act like this with you?
Do you want her to chase after you forever?
Ranma: N-no. It's just...
Shampoo: [impatient] Ranma come now?
Akane: No he doesn't! Ranma, why don't you just tell her "no"?
If you keep waffling like this you'll end up marrying her
for real!
Ranma seems shocked at the thought and pulls himself together.
Ranma: Shampoo. I can't marry you.
Shampoo: [looks heartbroken] Ranma no like Shampoo?
Ranma: No! [earnestly] I *do* like you, Shampoo, but I can't
marry you. My fiance is Akane. I will stay with her.
Akane's eyes bug out and her hair rises up.
Shampoo's eyes narrow. She shoots a look at Akane, but Akane
doesn't see anything. She's staring at Ranma. Shampoo looks back
at Ranma, but his face is set. She runs off without a word.
Ranma looks at Akane and sees the shock on her face. He looks
down apologetically.
Ranma: I'm sorry that I told her I like her, right before you. I
just said that because I didn't want to hurt her. [looks
anguished] It's so hard. I don't want to hurt her, but
if I don't, she'll always come between us.
Akane's mind reels.
Akane: [thinks] He really thinks he's a boy. He really thinks
he's going to marry another girl. He really thinks he's
engaged to me. Oh god.
Ranma: I... I have a hard time showing what I really feel,
sometimes. But I... you... I really... I lo-
<SPLASH!>
Waitress: Oh no! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I must have
slipped on something and now I spilled all that hot tea
over you. I'm so sorry. How can I ever apologize
enough?
Ranko looks at the waitress, then looks down at herself. Akane
watches in fear.
Ranko: Ayaaaaah!
Akane: [thinks] Oh no! She's going into shock!
Ranko: Oh my! I hope this tea stain will come out. [frowns]
How did I ever get into such *unfeminine* clothes. I look
like a man!
Akane stares.
At home, Nabiki is on the telephone. Dr. Toufuu is on the other
end.
Dr. Toufuu: I think, that a change of forms in her current mental
state could trigger a complete reversal of the memory
manipulation.
Nabiki: You mean, Ranko would remember everything again?
Dr. Toufuu: No, she would forget everything about her male side.
-- End of Part 20.
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To be continued... (hee hee hee hee...)
OK, I don't like the title of this part so much. I had also
considered the following quotes:
"We could learn from this"
"I will stay with her"
"I don't want to hurt her"
and
"I look like a man!"
What do you think? Which one would be best?
Sebastian
--
<http://enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de/~bastian/>
Comics reviewed
--
Experiments should be reproducible. They should all fail in the
same way.
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