On Tue, 4 Nov 1997, The Eternal Lost Lurker wrote:

<Lurkadis, Hikaru Inverse, Ushio, and Tora emerge from the swirling
lavender mists>

Tora: <coughing> Dammit! I swear that stuff's gonna kill me one of these
days!

Note to self:  Check composition of lavender mist, see if it can be 
concentrated.  Can never have too many defenses against tiger demons.
 > 

Lurkadis: We're here to give a somewhat delayed MST of Ranko's Life S,
Chapter 2, by SKJAM! Apologies for taking so long to get to this...

Thanks!

		 Chapter Two:  What *are* you?

Tora: Hey! People say that to me a lot, y'know?

Those that can see you.  By the way, how's your cousin Hobbes?

	"Where are you, Dearest?  I miss you and Ranma so.  Still, I must 
have faith, mustn't I?"  A year alone had started her talking to 
herself.  

Lurkadis: And in two years, she'd be answering herself, too.

This Nodoka is a little off-balance...

	No sooner had she begun stitching than she heard a call from the 
entryway. 

Tora: What kind of call?

"Gomen kudasai!"

got all grumpy...  Then when Okaasan got home, he told her something away 

>from us.  It was the first time I saw him cry."

Lurkadis: But it wouldn't be the last...

Hikaru: Not by a long shot.

Nope.  But while his wife was alive, Souun was a bit more sedate.

described in the book.

Lurkadis: Word to the wise: Burn that damned book.

No, but it never got used.

	But that was part of the cost of martial arts.  Nodoka hoped she 
could find a gentle teacher, but the books and scrolls weren't giving her 
much hope.  If the ones who wrote them actually used them to train  
students, well... 

Lurkadis: Then they probably had a lot of dead students.

Or berserkers.

	"No.  It has to be a boy and a girl.  But I have wonderful news!  
There's a way you can become a girl, so the promise can be kept!"

Lurkadis: You ever notice that way parents have of delivering news they
know a kid ain't gonna like, to make it sound like the most fun thing in
the world? 

Hikaru: Un! "Hey, Ranma-chan! Guess what! We're going to turn you into a
little girl today! And after that, we'll go eat ice cream! Doesn't that
sound *fun*?"

That's about right.

	"Ranma-chan, listen to me.  I know what I'm asking is hard for 
you, but it's to honor the promise your father made.  You want your 
father to be proud of you, don't you?"

Lurkadis: Ooh, that's hitting below the belt...

Tora: In more ways than one.

Of course, neither of them knows there's more than one promise...

	"Yes.  Cold water allows me to assume my female form.  Hot water 
makes me male."  Ranko demonstrated with some of the bathwater.  Her 
towel slipped off at the transformation, and Kaneda noted with irrational 
jealousy that "Ranma" was better...built...than him.

Lurkadis: <shudder> Okay, that's a little sick.

Hikaru: <giggle>

The prereader version was more direct.

Or she hadn't liked what she'd seen...nah, her brother was "average" in 
that respect.  This wasn't the first time he'd accidentally walked in on 
someone, after all.

Ushio: O_O Nabiki's got a dirty mind...

Yup.

	Kasumi was curious; that trip hadn't been mentioned before.  But 
she could find out more about it tomorrow.

Lurkadis: Uh-oh! Nodoka slipped a little there...

mm-hmm.

to "have adventures with."  To use a Western metaphor, her brother didn't 
want a princess, but Maid Marian.

Tora: Maid who?

<Lurkadis gives Tora a brief high-speed description of Robin Hood and Maid
Marian>

Tora: <blinks> Whoa...cool! Hey, got anything about them on that,
whatsitcalled, video?

Ushio: <smirks> Ever since he figured out what a TV is, he's been hooked on
it...

There's been Robin Hood anime...

	Oh, Mr. Panda, what am I going to do? she cried silently.  But 
the black and white toy had no wisdom to offer.

Lurkadis: Much like another certain panda...boy, talk about symbolic...

Just because Genma's dead, doesn't mean he's not in the story...

	Still...there was family honor.  There should be a way out, if 

Lurkadis: Looking forward to the next one. For now, ja ne! <raises his
hand>

Tora: DAMMIT! NOT THAT STUPID FOG AGAIN--<hackcoughsplutter>

Whoops.

SKJAM!