This is a part of the one hour challenge FFIRC fic. Though, most of the
dialogue has been thought out for a few months now and just took this
opportunity to form it into a story. I didn't finish everything I
wanted to write in one hour also :(
Ah, I know I've been quiet for a couple of months now. This is as much
to let you know I'm still alive as it is in answer of the challenge.
Disclaimer: All characters portrayed in this story are owned Rumiko
Takahashi and co.
This story takes place after volume 38 of the Ranma manga and also draws
ideas from the anime.
Ignorance is Bliss
By
Donny Cheng
"Kasumi?" Ranma asked.
"Yes, Ranma?" Kasumi turned and noticed the pigtailed martial artist
with his head down and thumbs twiddling together. *Oh, I hope he didn't
break another one of my cups.*
"I need your advice."
"My advice, Ranma? What could I possibly help you on?" Kasumi was
slightly taken aback by this request. Ranma didn't usually go to her at
all when he needed help.
"Well, it's kind of embarrassing and you're the only person I can trust
that won't laugh."
"Can't you get your father or your moth..."
"Wait! Don't even say it!" Ranma raced to Kasumi, his hands covering
her mouth. She stared back slightly wide eyed at him. He thanked the
gods that Kasumi's reaction to his assault was not as loud as a certain
sister would have been.
When Kasumi had relaxed again, Ranma carefully took his hands away from
her mouth. "I can't tell my mom. I tried telling her before, but she
nearly pulled her sword on me."
"Oh, my! I thought she considers you manly now that you two have
reunited with one another."
"She does, but she just got so defensive all of a sudden when I told
her I wanted to cut something off."
"Cut something off?" Kasumi asked, her brows furrowing as she tried to
think of what this conversation was leading to.
"Yeah. Um... well, you see, I've been getting this weird problem
lately. Well not lately. I've had this problem for some time now. I
think the reason mom got mad at me was because she still thinks that a
man needs to have everything to be fully manly. Honestly, just because
I want to get something cut a little shorter, she acts like I'm the
killer of the Saotome line. I mean, Pop's got to be more guilty than me
with how he acts...."
"Ranma, you're babbling. What did you want to get cut short? Your
hair?" *No, that wouldn't cause much trouble. Most boys wear short
hair these days.* "Your finger nails? Believe me, boys do it
themselves all the time. It's nothing your mother should be ashamed
of. And you do need a trim."
"No, that was a few weeks ago. She cut them for me. I don't know how
she could see me cutting my finger nails as 'getting a manicure' and her
cutting them not a manicure. The problem is this."
Midway through listening in on Ranma's problem, Kasumi dropped the cup
she was holding. Somehow, the words 'oh, my' did not come this time.
* * * * *
It was really embarrassing. He could still remember the group of guys
his father hung out with on one of their many stops during the training
trip. Pop had taken him to a bar where girls took their shirts off to
get money. It was the first time he learned that looking at naked women
felt nice. His face then turned dark as he remembered what happened
after.
He blushed with anger and embarrassment as the laughter, the joking,
and the pointing surfaced. It wasn't his fault! His pop even said so
when he later asked about it. It was caused by rushing of blood like
blushing and would go away with time was how his father had described
it. Ranma got the feeling that it meant something special, but his pop
told him that such matters would just confuse him. His favorite saying
was 'just walk it off'.
* * * * *
Kasumi placed her hands on the countertop to stop them from trembling.
"I, uh, see. And you're now finding that walking it off, doesn't work
anymore?"
"It still works, just takes a long time. I have to try thinking of
something else. But lately, with the wedding thing, and both Ukyo and
Shampoo trying harder by wearing skimpier outfits, it's been making it
worse. Every time I think of Akane in that dress, it never fails."
"Don't you think cutting it off would be a little drastic?"
"Well, I didn't want to ask people about this, but I did manage to
listen in on some conversation and it's supposed to be useless. It
wouldn't affect my martial arts. Just like getting my tonsils removed."
"What? Who would say such a thing?" *It's one of the most important
things a man has.*
"I don't know them. I think they're part of a group called femanast or
was it woman lab, lib, or something like that. They were ranting loud
at the cafeteria."
"Still, have you tried other methods to relieve... uh I mean overcome
your problem?"
"Yeah, I asked Pop again. He gave me a weird look and tried to run
away, but I got an answer out of him. He said it was just like any
muscle. Rub it if it was sore."
"And did it work?"
"It takes longer than just walking it off."
"Couldn't have taken that long." *Five minutes, tops.*
"It usually takes a couple of hours."
"..."
"Kasumi? Hello?"
"Oh, sorry, Ranma. A thought just occurred to me."
"Oh, thinking about food? You have a little drool at the side of your
mouth. It is almost dinner time, I guess."
Kasumi quickly brought a hand up to her mouth and wiped the sticky
liquid off. *Whew, is it getting hot in here,* Kasumi thought as she
fanned herself with her hand. "Is that what the sound coming from your
room is?"
"Yeah. I tell everyone it's just training. I just know everyone will
laugh at me if they knew the truth. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't
make a mess of myself when it does get soft."
"It can't be that bad. I clean your room every day and I don't notice
any messes." *Though, now I know why Ranma sprays so much air freshener
in his room. The room smells like a pine forest.*
"I usually bring a bowl from the kitchen. And if it gets all over the
place, not that hard to wipe it off."
*I knew I was missing a bowl. Wait a minute. That can't be right.
That bowl fills three liters.*
"It's bigger than I need...."
*I knew it....*
"...I only fill about a liter at most every night, maybe two."
"Uh...," Kasumi tried to say, but found her mouth very dry. How long
had her mouth been open.
"So, Kasumi, what do you think?"
"Ranma, have you considered, maybe, that your technique is bad? A
massage isn't just rubbing. I mean, I have given my father a rubdown at
nights in the living room as you've seen sometimes. I think, maybe, I
could help you out."
* * * * *
The End. (maybe)