Ranma's smile was no longer forced.  His words had goaded Akane into
ignoring the belt, wasting the few precious moments she might have been
able to use to put it back on.  He was now facing her, and even though
he was far away, they both knew he could close the distance before she'd
be able to finish tying it.  Moving slowly toward her, he continued
speaking.  He had to keep her angry enough that she wouldn't quit and
leave.  "I don't think you're wearin' any panties, Akane.  I think
you're as naked under your pants as you are under your shirt.  Am I
right?"

HAP:POOR RANMA! HE MUST BE TERRIBLY UPSET THAT AKANE IS NOT WEARING ANY SILKEN
TREASURES...
ATA:I'M NOT. GO FOR IT RANMA!

"Ha!!  As if I'd tell a pervert like you!  You'll never know what I'm
wearing!"

CAT:NOW SHE'S ASKIN' FER IT.

"Oh, but I think I will," continued Ranma.  "I think I'm gonna come over
there and find out for myself."

Akane's face darkened.  Through clenched teeth, Akane muttered, "Just
try it!"

"Okay," said Ranma again, continuing to advance.

ATA:(TEARS OF JOY ARE IN HIS EYES)ITS AMAZING HOW SUCH SIMPLE DIOLOGUE CAN BE
SO POWERFULL.(SNIFF SNIFF)

Akane waited until he had closed half the distance, then began to back
away, circling to the side rather than allowing herself to be backed
against a wall.  Instead of following her, Ranma moved to the belt lying
on the floor and picked it up.  "You can have this back when you can
take it off of me," he said, beginning to wrap it around his waist.

HAP:HE REALLY IS A CROSS DRESSER!
ATA:NO YOU OLD FOOL HE'S MAKEING HER UNDRESS HIM.
CAT:VERY CLEVER...

Akane stared as Ranma began to put on her belt!  The humiliation of
being groped and undressed by him ... the taunting and the tricks that
she had already fallen for ... it was too much.  To have him take her
belt as a trophy and treat her like a student, setting a goal for her to
reach, putting forward a challenge and judging her ability by whether or
not she could achieve it ... 
it was all just too much to stand!

BEAV:HEH HEH YEA GIVE UP AND DO IT HEH HEH HEH HEEH

She charged him, screaming a battle cry at the top of her lungs! 
Startled, Ranma dropped her belt and jumped back. At the speed she was
charging, he would end up hurting her if he tried to block.  He didn't
want that, so he turned and ran.

BEAV:WUSSY HEH HEH

Around and around the dojo they went, Akane throwing punches and
shattering wall panels, Ranma moving away, running and dodging instead
of blocking, waiting for her to tire.

ATA:NO SHE WONT BE ANY GOOD TO YOU THEN...WHAT AM I SAYING? THATS THE WAY
RANMA!

Ranma made sure he stayed ahead of her, but never too far ahead.  He
didn't want her to think she might be able to gain enough time to try
for her belt again.

CAT HE'S PUT ALOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS...
HAP:HE IS MY STUDENT AFTER ALL...

Eventually, she became frustrated and began to shout at him.  "What are
you running for, Ranma?!  What are you scared of?!  Worried about what
some weak little girl like me is going to do to you?!  Don't think you
can handle me?!  Come back here and fight me!"

BEAV:HEH HEH HEH HANDLE HEH HEH

Ranma knew she was tiring when she stopped throwing punches and started
throwing words, so he retorted, "Oh, I'll come over there, all right. 
I've already 'handled' you today, and I'm gonna 'handle' you some more
before I'm done!"

ATA:THATS THE SPIRIT!

"Oh yeah?!  Then, stop running away and try it!" she screamed.

Even as she was saying it, Ranma made his move.  He leapt into the air,
allowing Akane's momentum to carry her past him as he somersaulted
backwards in the air above her.  As she passed beneath, he reached down
from above, upside down as he was, and grabbed the fabric on her
shoulders.  As he finished his back flip, coming down behind her, he
pulled the fabric off her shoulders, over her arms and down to her hips,
the gi top coming down around her waist, trapping her arms by her sides
and fully exposing her tank top clad torso.
Akane tried to back-kick him, but he had already pulled her back against
him and she couldn't get any leverage.  He wasn't just holding her arms,
he was holding her entire body in this makeshift straight jacket that
had been her gi, pressing up against her to limit her mobility.

HAP:I HAD NO IDEA RANMA WAS INTO THAT SORT OF THING...I'M SHOCKED.
CAT:AND PROUD?
HAP:OF COURSE


  As she
struggled to pull her arms from her sleeves, Ranma grabbed the fabric
around her wrists, tightening the material and taking up the slack she
needed in order to get loose.  Without the belt, the only thing holding
her top closed around her hips were two small ties inside the folds of
her top on either side of her waist.  If she struggled any more, she
knew  she would tear the small ties loose.  She didn't want that, so she
decided to relax and wait for an opening.  He couldn't hold her like
this all day.  Sooner or later, he would have to let her go.

ATA:YOU SEE?SHE DOES WANT IT!
BEAV:YES! DO IT! HEH HEH


As she ceased her struggles, Ranma began finally to realize that he was
pressing up against her from behind.  Oh my God!  I'm huggin' Akane! 
What do I do? he thought. 

HAP:HE WANTS INSTRUCTIONS?
ATA:TAKE OFF HER TOP!
BEAV:HEH HEH DO IT COME ON HEH HEH
CAT:I HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR HIM...
(THEY ALL LOOK AT HIM.)
CAT:WHAT? I CAN'T HAVE FUN TOO?

 Akane was standing still, her body against
his own, his body responding in ways he hadn't planned.  A part of his
mind began to scold him for his own stupidity.  You idiot, what did you
think was gonna happen if you started undressin' her? He had to do
something!  Any second now, she was going to FEEL his reaction, and then
he'd REALLY be embarrassed!  He needed to make her either surrender or
keep struggling.  Anything to get them moving again or give him an
excuse to let go of her.

HAP:...I HAVE NO COMENT.
CAT:HE *WASN'T* EXSPECTING THIS?!
BEAV:HEH HEH HEH HE HAS WOOD.HEH HEH HEH
ATA:WHATS SO EMBARASSING?

"So, you gonna give up?  You gonna admit once and for all that I'm
better than you?  Or are you gonna pretend that you just let me undress
you without puttin' up a 'real' fight?"

ATA:SHE'S BEEN FIGHTING?

"Stop fondling me and let go, you pervert!" was all she could think to
say.

ATARU & HAPPY: THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR

It was at this point that Ranma noticed something.  The tank top that
his fiancee was wearing didn't go all the way down.  Holding her from
behind, her arms still pinned at her sides, he bent his head down to her
side and took a good close look at where her shirt, cut off into a
skimpy midriff, exposed Akane's stomach and waist.  Seeing him studying
her body, Akane began to blush.  Ranma looked up at her and their eyes
met.  Seeing the color of her face made him all the more aware of their
position, which in turn made him respond all the more to her presence. 
Bending down like he was though, at least THAT part of him was no longer
pressing into THAT part of HER.  Still, the blushing was enough that
they both knew the mood had changed.

CAT:DOESN'T SEEM THAT MUCH DIFFERENT
HAP:ITS JUST HER STOMACH
ATA:HE ISN'T EVEN TRYING FOR THE MORE INTERESTING PARTS!

Akane turned her head away and said, "Will you let go of me?  
What if someone comes over from the house and sees us?"

CAT:NOW SHE THINKS OF THAT. 
HAP:THOSE IDIOTS ARE PROBABLY STARTED PLANING THE WEDDING RIGHT AFTER HE
OPENED HER GI AT THE BEGINNING...

Ranma stayed where he was, enjoying the view as he thought it over. 
"They won't do that.  They never come out if we've been fightin' too
loud.  They never want to get into the middle of one of our fights, so
they all stay away.  With all the shoutin' and the damage you were
doin', we could stay out here all day and they wouldn't come check on us
'till dark."

Akane looked back down at Ranma.  "So are you going to hold me like this
until dark, then?"

ALL:........

"Maybe," he responded, more to himself than in answer to her.  "I kinda
like it."  It wasn't until after the words were out of his mouth that he
even realized he had said them aloud.

Akane went numb.  "He likes holding me?!" she thought.  "He said
that?!"  She didn't know how to respond, except with an even deeper
blush.

ATA:WHEN IN DOUBT, HAVE SEX WITH HIM.
CAT:WELL THEY BETTER GET IT ON SOON. IT'S ALMOST THE END OF THE FIC... 

Searching frantically for some way to recover from the embarrassment of
his admission, Ranma continued with, "Hey Akane, what're ya tryin' to
dress so sexy for, anyway?  It's not like you can really pull it off,
you know."

CAT:THE POOR FOOL

Pu-chin!  Akane's blush disappeared.  "He just had to say it!" she
thought, her eyes closing, tendrils of smoke beginning to curl up around
her ears.

ATA:OOH I SEEN THAT LOOK BEFORE...
HAP:AS HAVE I...
BEAV:HEY OLD GUY YOUR PRETTY COOL HEH HEH PANTIES ROCK HEH HEH HEH

"Did you know," he continued, "that from down here I can see the bottom
of your breas..."

He got no farther.

CAT: IF HE HAD FINISHED THAT LINE HE MAY HAVE STILL SCORED, BUT I HAVE NOW
LOST HOPE AS THE END IS NEAR...
ATA:SAY IT ISN'T SO! I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN A TIT SHOT YET!
HAP:ALAS IT IS TRUE...
BEAV:(STARTS TO SHAKE)NOOO NOOOOOOO NOOOO NOOOOOOO

Too bad about those ties, Akane thought, as she ripped them loose.  No
longer caring about the condition of her gi top, she tore out of it and
pulled herself free, spinning to face Ranma again.

Ranma's face had been down by Akane's fist, and he had taken a hit in
the eye as she had sprung free of his grasp.  But as he had staggered
back, he had at least managed to retain his grip on Akane's top.  Facing
her now, he quickly used it to cover his groin.  He already had quite an
erection, and now Akane was facing him in just her gi pants and
crop-top.  She was barefoot, her hair was disheveled, there was a light
sheen of sweat all over her exposed skin, her face was flushed and she
was breathing heavily.  In that moment, she was everything he could
imagine in some wild exotic warrior woman from a fantasy story.

CAT:SMART BOY HIDE THE EVIDENCE AND SHE WILL KILL YOU.
ATA:WAY I FIGGURE IT IF SHE NOTICES SHE'LL FREEZE UP AND HE MIGHT GET AWAY.
CAT:THAT IS SUPRISINGLY INSITEFUL COMING FROM YOU...
ATA:YEA YEA... 

He took note of several things.  First, that her tank top was too tight
for comfort ... his comfort.  Second, that Akane had ... grown ... since
he'd first met her.  And third, that there wasn't much difference
between a white shirt made wet from rain and a white shirt made wet from
sweat.  All in all, he was very glad he had her top.  And not just
because he could cover himself with it.

(CAT, ATARU AND HAPPY ALL GET NOSE BLEEDS)
HAP:WHY AKANE YOU SHOULN'T HAVE.
BEAV:BOIOIOINGGG!HEH HEH HEH HEH HEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH HER THINGIES HEH
HEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE OOOHHH YESSS HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH...
ATA:UUUUHHHH.
CAT:WOW THEY NEVER LOOKED LIKE THAT ON TV...

"All right, Ranma.  You've had your fun.  You've grabbed me and groped
me and looked me over like a piece of meat, but that's all over now. 
Give Me Back My Top!"

BEAV:HEHEHEHE NO WAY! ITS MINE! MINE!!!
ATA:HE'S GOT THE RIGHT IDEA.
CAT:LETS HOPE RANMA AGREES

Ranma smiled.  So, she still had some fight left.  Good.  He was
enjoying himself immensely, despite all the pain. 

ATA:I KNOW WHAT HE MEANS HAVEING 'WOOD' FOR THAT LONG HURTS.
HAP:I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN, (SIGH) MORE MEMORIES FROM MY YOUNGER DAYS...
CAT:(IN A TAUNTING SINGSONG VOICE)RANMA IS A SADIST RANMA IS A SADIST RANMA IS
A SADIST....


 "Guess you're just
gonna have to come over here and take it away from me, huh?"

ALL: WWWOOOOHOOOOO!

Akane charged.  Ranma turned and ran.  This was the part he really
enjoyed the most.  He liked seeing her angry.  He liked dodging.  But
mostly, he liked showing her he COULD dodge, that she couldn't lay a
finger on him unless he was distracted.  "What's the matter, Akane?  I
thought you said you were gonna try for real this time?  What are you
holdin' back for?"  Akane screamed his name and attacked all the harder!

ATA:HE NEEDS SOME SERIOUS HELP.
HAP:THATS MY RANMA! YOU MUST LIVE AND DIE BY YOUR FETTISH!

Soon it occurred to Ranma that he had no plan.  He didn't know what to
do next, and he couldn't just keep dodging forever.  The purpose of this
whole thing was to make sure she fought "for real," so she couldn't
pretend any longer that she had never gone all out against him, but she
didn't have much clothing left, and he hadn't really considered just how
far he was prepared to go to prove a point.  He needed a plan.

HAP:FIRST YOU NEED A GOAL
ATA:I'VE GOT ONE FOR HIM.
CAT:PROBLY THE ONE I'M THINKIN OF TOO.
BEAV:HEH HEH HEH YEA ME TOO HEH HEH HEHEHEH I ALSO THINK HE SHOULD DO HER. HEH
HEHHEHEHHE HEHEEH

With his erection now long gone,

ATA:HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN??!! DID WE MISS SOMETHING AGAIN??

 Ranma was using Akane's top as a prize,

HAP:AKANES TOP *IS* A PRISE.

holding it out at arm's length as he danced away from her, always
pulling it out of her reach as she would grab for it.  Now he ran across
the floor and scooped up her belt with his other hand as he passed over
it.  

CAT:I THOUGHT HE WAS WEARING THAT? MABEY ATARU IS RIGHT AND WE DID MISS
SOMETHING.
ATA:I KNEW IT DAMN CENSORS EDITED ALL THE GOOD STUFF OUT OF THIS FIC!!
HAP:MABEY IT'LL TURN INTO AN ORIGY, WITH SHAMPOO-CHAN AND UKYO, AND COLO-
(EVERY ONE LOOKS AT HAPPY ANGRILY.)
HAP:WHAT?
ATA:YOU SICK JERK! HOW DARE YOU GIVE ME THAT MENTAL IMAGE!
CAT:UGH! COLOGNE NUDE (SHUDDER)
BEAV:HEH HEH WHOA! COOL YOU SAID ORIGY! HEH HEH HEH HEH...UHMM WHATS AN ORIGY?
(EVERYONE LOOKS AT HIM.)

He let her get closer to him as he did this, close enough to almost
reach him, then he dropped to the floor in a ball.  Akane tried to jump
over him, knowing it was too late to stop or even slow down, but as she
did so, he threw one arm up and snagged her foot, causing her to trip.

Grabbing her ankles as she fell to the floor in front of him, he used
the belt to tie them together, moving as fast as he ever had in his
life.  By the time he was through, she was busy trying to turn herself
over onto her back.  Ranma jumped forward and threw himself onto her,
his unexpected weight driving her to the floor again, still face-down. 
Then, he grabbed her wrists.  Pulling them behind her, he tied them
together with her gi top.  When he was finished, he turned her over onto
her back.

CAT:HOG TIED? HE SERTAINLY HAS INTERESTING TASTE...
ATA:THAT'S IT?!! YOU CALL THAT A LEMON?!! THAT WAS PG-13 AT BEST!!WHAT A JIP
HAP:OH DON'T BE SO SNIPPY THERE WILL BE MORE.
ATA:BUT WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE ANY HOT STEAMY SEX!!
BEAV:DID HE SCORE?
(AKANE ENTERS THE ROOM ) AKANE:HEY WHAT WERE YOU WATCHING IN HERE ANYWAY.
ALL:(SWEATING) NOTHING...
AKANE PICKS UP THE VIDEO BOX AND BEGINS TO READ...
AKANE:WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?!!! YOU PERVERTS!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!
ALL:RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!

continued ...

~Tonbo
jet@onramp.net