Deranged
                           ----------


"Tendou, I'd like you to know that this is totally unacceptable!"

Soun froze like a deer caught in a car's headlights.  "Sorry, sorry.
I won't do it again," he mumbled, replacing one of Genma's shogi
pieces.

"Uh, thanks, but that wasn't what I was talking about."

"Well, in that case..."  Soun flicked the piece back off the board.

Genma pretended not to notice.  "I was talking about Akane.  Do you
realize that she'll kill Ranma unless something is done?"

"Oh, come on!  Surely you exaggerate!"

"Get your head out of your @$$, Tendou!  Don't you remember last time?
It took Ranma a full week to recover!"

Soun was really rather good at denying reality, but even he seemed to
realize that it took something highly nontrivial to lay Ranma up for a
week.  "Hmmph.  All right.  So what are you going to do about it?"

"What am _I_ going to do about it?  She's _your_ daughter, so she's
_your_ responsibility."

"But I don't wanna!"  Soun bawled.

"C'mon, Tendou!  Are you a man or a mouse?"

"Squeak, squeak!"

"Tendou, I didn't want to have to do this, but..."  Genma got up from
the shogi board and walked over to the telephone.

"Saotome!  You wouldn't!"

"Of course I would!  Now, do I want a lifetime supply of free
okonomiyaki?  Or perhaps a baldness cure?  Or maybe just a big wad of
cash..."

"OK, OK!  You win!  I'll do it!"

Genma grinned from ear to ear.  "I knew you'd see it my way."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soun strode purposefully into the kitchen.

At least, he tried to.  The chattering teeth and knocking knees rather
ruined the effect.

"A-A-Akane?"

Akane stood before the stove, poking idly at a UFO (Unidentified
Frying Object).  "What is it, Father?"

"I-I-I must a-a-admit that I-I-I've been a-a-a little lax about this
in the past, b-b-but the time h-h-has come f-f-for me to lay down the
law."

Akane looked puzzled.  "What?"

"Until y-y-you learn to make a meal that isn't hazardous to your
fiance's health, you will not be allowed to use the stove."

---

Somehow I've got the feeling that I'm going to get my head stove in
for this.  :)

-- 
  -Sean Connor (sec@frodo.com) (sec@softhome.net)
          ____           
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   |________________|    |
    |  |  |  |  |  |     |    - Where do you want to go today?
    |  | Intel  |  |     |
    |  | Inside |  |     |    - OK, we'll have Ryouga take you there.
    |  |  |  |  |  |     |
    |  |  |  |  |  |     |
    `--------------'     |