All Ranma characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, first published
by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by Viz
Communications.

The Bet- Addiction by Gregg Sharp
Yet another story in the story arc of "The Bet"
All char tm their respective creators, etc.
LIME WARNING- nothing is actually described, but there are implications.

---------------------------------
Happosai had been punted all the way to the Nekohanten via Akane. Mousse
had just had the usual run-in with Cologne and
Shampoo; neither was in a terribly good mood when they met. A chance
phrase by Mousse regarding how much trouble
women were causing him struck a chord in Happosai, and the two went off
to gripe to each other.

Mousse wasn't used to drinking, but after three scotches "neat" had
become considerably looser. Mousse confessed that, deep down, he thought
he probably would NEVER get the girl of his dreams.  He had to try,
though, didn't he? Wasn't it the mark of a man that he would rather
perish than give up his dreams?

Happosai wasn't even nearly beginning to be drunk after a single bottle
of sake, but WAS surprised to learn that Mousse was
one of those people who got more philosophical when lightly inebriated.
This got him thinking, something that always boded
ominously for anyone nearby.

"Akane, it was sweet lil' Akane. Ranma causes me no end of problems, but
Akane has lately been catching up."

"Shampoo, Cologne, maybe I've just learned out here in the outside world
that not all women have to be bitches.  Maybe that's it and I just want
something more than to be ordered around and beaten on all the time."

"You know, Mousse," Happosai turned slitted eyes towards his drinking
partner.  "There is something we could try that'd make us feel a LOT
better."

"What's that?" Mousse stared at his drink.

Happosai filled Mousse in on his plan. Mousse didn't even notice the
Reversal Jewel on his robes as he found himself agreeing. "Humiliate
'em," Mousse muttered. It had a certain ring to it.

------------------------------
It was a nice little party. Shampoo had no idea about this "spaghetti"
stuff, but it seemed okay. So Mousse was leaving forever, and for a
sendoff he'd ordered a huge dish of this Italian food and arranged for a
sendoff at the Tendo dojo.  Shampoo kept trying to glomp Ranma, Akane
kept trying to hit Ranma, and Ukyo trying to break up either the Amazon
Glomp or Akane Pummeling from moment to moment, and Kasumi and Nabiki
quietly eating. The two fathers had left quickly, when Happosai
announced a training mission he had in mind, and Happi was still looking
for both Genma and Soun.

Mousse smiled. Phase One complete. Each of the victims had eaten enough
of the Special Mushrooms. He'd found this song
several weeks ago, and had thought it described something of his
relationship with Shampoo. The original was some Westerner, the current
version by some Japanese group that occasionally did this sort of thing.

  < SNAP! >

The six people in the dining room stiffened as the post-hypnotic
mushrooms went into effect. The tape had been queued up
so that the words began immediately. Nabiki's camcorder was turned on,
as Happosai wanted to see the events when he got
back.

"Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your mind is not your own
Your heart sweats, your body shakes
Another kiss is what it takes..."

A little incense burner was carefully inserted into the room. Mousse
knew better than to sniff some of it himself. The general
effect would be similar to that Viagra stuff the news agencies kept
talking about.

"You can't sleep, you can't eat
 There's no doubt, you're in deep
 Your throat is tight, you can't breathe
 Another kiss is all you need..."

Mousse made sure the camcorder caught most of the room on a wide-angle
shot.  When Happosai came back, he'd get the
tape, and he could make copies of it. The humiliation value would be
priceless.

"Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah"

Akane and Nabiki both seemed to nod at that. Mousse made sure that he
had adequate ventilation and prowled the area.
Nothing must interfere. Nothing. For the years of suffering that Shampoo
had put him through, this was a mere drop in the
bucket. Mousse was counting on Happi to make sure that Cologne saw
Shampoo's humiliation, as Mousse had no intention
of being anywhere near them when the tapes began to circulate.

"It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough,
You know you're Gonna have to face it, you're addicted to love."

Only a few more minutes now, Mousse glanced into the room. Everything
was still going on as planned. The signs outside
proclaiming "Dojo closed, Back in three hours" and the low-level thugs
he'd bribed with some odd Chinese artifacts would
help discourage casual visitors.

"You see the signs, but you can't read
 You're runnin' at a different speed
 Your heart beats in double time
 Another kiss and you'll be mine,

"A one track mind,
 You can't be saved
 Oblivion is all you crave
 If there's some left for you
 You don't mind if you do."

Mousse checked. Yes, everyone was eating some more of the drugged
spaghetti.

The tape editing, done that very morning, cut the overall time of the
tape by removing the choruses and the guitar solo. Time
was of the essence here, Mousse knew. The longer it went on, the better
the chance for an interruption.

"Your lights are on, but you're not home
 Your will is not your own
 Your heart sweats and teeth grind
 Another kiss and you'll be mine."

Mousse gritted his teeth. Ryoga was wandering up to the front gate; the
thugs wouldn't be able to handle Ryoga. Mousse
jumped down from his perch and began a tale of how Akane and Ranma were
out on a date at the park. Ryoga left, swearing to break up the couple.

Mousse hoped that he had never been that easy to manipulate. He listened
as the additional commands were quickly given
with the music continuing to play as a background. Oh yes, this was
going to be nasty.

< SNAP! >

The tape ended. With a grin, and some lingering regrets, Mousse walked
to the door of the room and snapped his fingers. He
checked the camcorder on the way out, making sure it was running. It was
time to go, but he'd left a forwarding address with
Happosai so that he could get a copy. This would be SO amusing.
-----------------------
Akane awoke; hearing Happosai's distinctive chuckle as the little lech
ran, from outside the room off to something. Whatever,
as long as he was going away. It was kind of chilly, though.

        Akane's eyes snapped open as she realized that:
      a) She was sore and tired, in an unusual way,
      b) She was chilly because she was naked,
      c) She was NOT alone.

It was night outside, but there was sufficient light that Akane could
see what a mess the room was in. The table with the remains of the
spaghetti had been thrown over to the side, and there were naked bodies
everywhere.

"Uhmmmmmm." Kasumi was beginning to stir.

Akane looked at the trashed room and made a mistake. She screamed. This
not only woke everyone up, but caused a
throbbing sensation about one inch behind her right eye.

"Aiyaaa."

"Oh my."

"I... didn't. Did I?" Nabiki blushed.

"It's not my fault! Oh man, did we? Uh oh."

"Ranma, you PERVERT!"

"Now, now, Akane! I don't really think this was Ranchan's idea."

"Maybe you're right, Ukyo." Akane related that she had heard Happosai
upon waking up.

"Anyone see my clothes?"

"Sorry, Kasumi, I think these used to be them."

Nabiki thought for a moment. "Where's Mousse."

"He not here," Shampoo looked around.

"That's it!" Nabiki snapped her fingers.
------------------
"Urrrrghhhh." Kasumi was the first to wake up this time. She was QUITE
sore.

Pushing Shampoo off of her (and waking the amazon up at the same time)
Kasumi made an idle comment about having to
replace the tatami mats in this room a bit earlier than she'd planned.

The morning sun was shining in through the doorway. Somehow Kasumi
doubted anyone would make it to school today.
Still, some hot tea would be lovely right now. The caffeine would be
necessary.

"Ungh," Ranma went to the furo. He wanted an ice pack, but knew he'd
have to

settle for a cold rinse for now.

Akane started coming in, saw Ranma and began to close the door.

"Akane leave? Then Shampoo go in."

"Ranma's already in there."

"Akane? What difference does it make at this point if Ranchan's in
there? I

think we've pretty much cut through a lot of that right now. Besides, I
REALLY need to scrub after that."

"Shampoo agree with Spatula Girl. Shampoo see entirely too much of
everyone

here, but think Shampoo really need to get clean."

Nabiki shouldered past all three blocking the doorway and sat next to
Ranma.

"Personally, I think I could scrub all day long and still not feel
clean."

"Aiyaa. Mercenary girl right. Shampoo have odd taste in mouth too."

"Uhm. Got any mouthwash around here, guys?"

"Sure, Ukyo. I think we ALL know how we got such things and we really
DON'T

need to linger on the details, now do we?" Nabiki began scrubbing with a
vengeance.

Ranma just tried to ignore everyone around him. This was very difficult
for him, a test of his self-control beyond anything he'd
had before. He knew that if he just glanced once, he'd end up staring.

"Shampoo." Nabiki hesitated.

"Yes?"

"You remember that Formula 110 you used on Akane back when you first
came to Japan?"

"Of course, Shampoo remember."

"I REALLY want to forget about this."

"Shampoo really not happy about way first night with airen go, either.
Shampoo know Amazon Law though, and Shampoo
know two solutions. One, give kiss of death to all other women involved
then

kill everyone. If Shampoo no kill everyone, then others from Village
do."

"Your society doesn't believe in halfway measures, does it, sugar?"

Shampoo nodded. "Is so. Two, have ceremony. Everyone inducted into
Amazon Tribe. Then members of Amazon Tribe no
have to hunt down and kill."

Nabiki hung her head. She was sore, she was tired, and she felt like
she'd be walking a bit funny for the next several days at
least. Right now, she knew she and the others were still in shock and
emotionally numbed from their shared experience.  "What kind of
ceremony?"
--------------------
Cologne was NOT a happy camper. One doesn't get to be her age without
learning to control one's temper, and this was one of those occasions
where something had to be done NOW and recriminations and blame could be
assessed after damage control had been done.

Besides, she'd seen the videotape delivered and the note in Happosai's
handwriting. She suspected what was on the tape, and figured that it
would eventually get back to the homeland. THAT would be bad if she
hadn't found a way to deal with it before then.

"Induction into the tribe of amazons will make you sisters of Shampoo,
you understand this? She is your elder sister and you
will defer to her in all matters concerning the tribe. You will be bound
by the laws of the tribe and our customs. Are there any
objections?"

Everyone was silent, though there were any number of glares exchanged.

Cologne was rushing the ceremony. Not because of amazon kill squads, but
because once the little group got over their shock they'd probably not
be able to deal with each other for months.  That meant doing this NOW.

Then, Cologne promised herself, she was going to lock herself in her
room, watch the tape and either laugh or cry for the next several hours.
Probably both as well as get roaring drunk.
-----------------------
It was one month later, when Nabiki made a morning announcement to the
world, when the real problems began.

"Bleeararrraargghghhhhhhh."

"Oh my. I better make some ginger tea."

Akane, holding her stomach and turning slightly green, held up two
fingers.

Akane didn't notice that Kasumi had set out three cups. (1)
-----------------
Mousse, feeling really depressed, wondered why he had done all this. He
LOVED Shampoo. OK, she was mean, petty,
violent, and disliked him, but that was just the surface. Now, if he so
much as showed his head around her or Cologne he
was pretty sure he'd be the "duck special" on the menu before he could
get the first syllable of an apology out.

Mousse wrote a letter. He didn't think anyone would read it, but it made
him feel better. He listed the various drugs he'd used, the Chinese
Fertility Incense mixed with two sticks of the "Male Endurance Enhancer"
that had been breathed. The Stabilizer leaves, Post-Hypnotic Mushrooms,
and powdered Phoenix shell in the spaghetti sauce. As far as he knew,
there wasn't a cure.

Up until five weeks ago, he'd toyed with the idea of using the Phoenix
shell to bind Shampoo to him. He'd rejected it then
because he wanted Shampoo to choose him of her own free will. Now
Shampoo, like the others, were addicted, addicted to
each other. Addicted to love.

Though he was thoroughly miserable, Mousse watched the tape again
anyway.
====================================