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RPM (Like your new nick? ^_^) wrote:
become irritated over Ukyou's own attempts to follow her destiny and marry
Ranma. Not at all like the sort of disdain the youngest Tendou would show
towards Kodachi (which was actually easy to understand since no one liked
her, not even her own brother) or Shampoo for her numerous attempts at
nabbing Ranma, (of course Ukyou had hated the bimbo as well, if not more.
And she was far less forgiving than Akane). Actually, if Ukyou was any
judge, Akane disliked Shampoo even more than that laughing hyena gymnast.
$It's breast envy. Who wouldn't?
Just wait until the back problems hit, though. :)
The chef never had figured out exactly why Akane had behaved in such
peculiar ways when it came to her. And now, she never would.
Ukyou could live with that.
$Heh heh. I like this Ukyo.
She's being exceptionally pragmatic for a change.
confuse Ranma into believing the youngest Tendou daughter was the one he
loved. Bombing the wedding was a warning Akane chose to ignore. What
happened next was on her head for failing to take heed of the warning. It
was all Akane's fault.
$Sure, sure, blame the victim. Then bash her over the head. ^_^
Yep. Exactly what I was going for here.
even after Akane was gone. Of course, once it became evident to them that
they had lost a second time, they would most likely try to 'remove' Ukyou,
even as they were now working in concert to remove Akane. But that
knowledge
had always played in the chef's thoughts, even as their plot had been
discussed. Plans had already been formed as to what she had to do next to
secure Ranma for herself now and forever.
$Betrayal! Intrigue!
Yep. Everyone has 'Good Plans' in the works. It's only a question of whose
is the best of all.
"All mine," Ukyou sighed.
"What's all yours?"
$The good lines, so far.
Heh.
Tensing for a fight, Ukyou spun and confronted Akane. The black-haired
girl
was just standing there in a plain yellow dress, looking curiously at the
taller girl. No weapon was evident.
$Gee, you wonder? She fights unarmed!
It plays back to the 'I'm going to be stabbed in the back' impulse Ukyou had
when she was surprised.
"You're acting weird," Akane stated flatly.
$Not counting the whole crossdressing bit and six foot spatula. Or the
various obssessions.
Akane; Right. I mean that in the 'more weird than usual' sense.
It was obvious Akane was having none of that. She continued looking at
Ukyou
suspiciously. "Come on. Who are you trying to fool? You didn't call me out
here to discuss finding some Nanniichuan for Ranma, did you?"
$Ukyo: No, I came out here to finally confess my love for you! (Quick,
Shampoo, hit her while she's stunned!)
Akane would be so flattered by the admission in this one though. :)
mediocre at best, while Akane's were certainly a good notch above that.
Had
the others betrayed her or gotten cold feet at the last minute? Ukyou
suddenly panicked, wondering again if it would be her who would fail to
leave the park alive.
$The quickest to betray is always the quickest to suspect.
Too true.
Ukyou watched Shampoo put on a pair of gloves, then check Akane's neck for
a
pulse.
$That's a little difficult to do with gloves on.
Luckily as a martial artist she has sensative fingers. The ability to
understand others' feelings is appropriately dulled to counterbalance that,
though. :)
The Amazon was dressed in a plain, loose sweat shirt and matching
pants, a baseball cap hiding her thick head of hair and making her look
like
any other girl rather than the Chinese Amazon she really was. Ukyou was
sorry she hadn't thought of dressing more casual as well, but it wasn't
possible, since she had to prevent Akane's suspicions from bring aroused
as
long as possible.
$Yeah, almost five seconds.
I think you're being generous there.
"She looks so peaceful, doesn't she?" Kodachi gave voice to Ukyou's
unspoken
thoughts.
$I still vote we chop her up and feed her to the alligator.
Kodachi is afraid it'll affect Mr. Green Turtle's palate, though.
Ukyou nodded her head in agreement.
$ "Now we have sex with her body, quick, before it gets cold."
Ah. Necrophilia humor. What would a review be without a reference to it? :)
The Amazon snorted at that. "And what if construction mens realize someone
mess with their foundation? Or what if we pour it wrong? Or what if the
decide to redo it? Or maybe ground no settle right and they dig it up and
Akane's body is found right away?"
$That's quite likely. It takes skill to pour concrete correctly. I
wonder
who thought of that?
Shampoo.
That perked up Kodachi's inquisitive nature, temporarily overriding her
anger. "And just which way is that?"
$First, it's not feeding her to your pet.
Oui.
"Shampoo have a much better plan," the Amazon assured her in hushed tones.
"Everyone know Akane can no swim at all. So what Shampoo is going to do is
make Akane unconscious, like she is now, and then dump her in the canal
next
to the park. There Shampoo make it look like Akane fall in water and
drown.
It all look like a silly accident. It's a perfect plan."
$Good plan.
Cool. Now you're making the connection with the title too. :)
"This way everyone assume Akane die in accident, and Ranma no waste time
wondering what happen to Akane. There are no doubts about where she is. He
get sad real quick, then Shampoo will be there to comfort him in his time
of
trouble."
$Airen to-to sad over loss. Here, Shampoo make special ramen!
*sniff, sniff* "Thanks, Shampoo. *chomp*
Nah. He's make a plat for Mariko. She's got hair similar to Akane's.
Ukyou shook her head furiously. This was a bad idea.
$Is good plan!
In more ways than one.
Shampoo was barely able to restrain her laughter. "No be stupid. Only
Great-grandmother and Happosai have enough experience to tell pressure
point
was used. Great-grandmother is obviously not going to snitch, and Happosai
not bright enough to think to check. He'll be too busy crying into Akane's
$Not pervert-girl?
Nope. Not anymore.
Shampoo was about to administer a third one when Kodachi prevented it by
haughtily ordering, "Enough! Do you want to alert everyone in a five mile
radius we are here? I am convinced she will not be waking up any time
soon.
Or ever again, truth be told."
$And yes, Kodachi is incredibly astute...
More than you think, but less than is needed for continued survival.
As Shampoo walked off with her burden, she missed the smug look and barely
restrained laugh Kodachi's features held.
But it was probably for the best, since she missed the smug look Shampoo
had
when thinking about her current partners as well.
$Oooh....
Well, you know how trustworthy they all are.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The figure moved as silently as it could, hoping it had followed the path
Shampoo had taken.
$Oh, now, a figure? Ukyo had only said two.
Nabby was hanging around out of sight and making sure everything went okay.
might have sensed its presence and the plan would have to be modified
again.
Proper execution was all in the timing. If it was off in the slightest,
the
ultimate price might be paid, but if it was completed as it should, then
everything would be perfect.
$Somehow, I doubt it.
But only by a little. Aside from one x factor, it is a good plan.
The figure waited for the right moment as Shampoo carefully lowered her
burden to the ground right next to the edge of the canal. The figure
wondered why she was being so gentle when it realized that causing any
sort
of wound on Akane might raise suspicions. It would be ironic if, after the
all the trouble Shampoo had went through to use a pressure point to mask
any
hint of foul play, a casual bump on Akane's head from being handled
brusquely would be misinterpreted by the authorities as a blow that
rendered
her unconscious. Obviously, Shampoo had thought out things very carefully.
$_very_ carefully. Perhaps, a little _too_ carefully.
So, you noticed.
The figure continued watching as again, with a surprising tenderness,
Shampoo crossed Akane's arms across her chest, almost as though preparing
her for a viewing. Shampoo's own hands went to her chest, then she brought
them down and handled Akane's again. As she held on, Shampoo leaned in
close and kissed Akane on the cheek.
$Oh?
Shampoo: You need at least one semi-lesbian scene in fic.
A 'Kiss of Death' administered to an
unconscious person.
$*narrows eyes*
Shampoo: No, really. Is just another Kiss of Death. Surely you no think
Shampoo involved in relationship with Akane.
Quietly, so as not to disturb Shampoo's observation, the figure tucked its
necessary tools behind its back and into its belt, hiding them from sight
as
it moved towards the Amazon. It had covered only half the distance when
Shampoo sensed its presence, for she looked up from the canal and towards
the figure.
$This whole not using names thing is getting annoying.
And it'll continue for another two scenes. Sorry about that.
take the chance of something unexpected happening in order to confirm
Akane's death. Looking down, the figure saw a goose floating on the
surface
of the canal and nothing else. The waterfowl looked expectedly at her,
seemingly aware of the attention it had drawn. The figure smiled and waved
to it, the looked back at Shampoo.
$cute.
Thanks. It is a nice little touch of irony.
"Don't be stupid. Mousse is the last person in the world Shampoo would let
know what she had planned for Akane."
$I'd imagine.
Nah. Mousse is secretly involved with Ryouga, which means it's perfectly
acceptable to him.
"One of us will," And with that the figure brought out the small container
that had been hidden behind its back and flung the contents forward.
$Well, I havn't heard an oh, my yet, so this must be Nabiki.
Good guess. Soun, of course, was the other person strongly hinted at.
The material abraded her skin and rubbed her fur the wrong way.
$So did being betrayed, but that comes naturally.
Heh
was what the end result was going to be for this betrayal: to eliminate
Shampoo even as she had eliminated Akane. Perhaps it was some perverted
form
of symmetry for the treachery she had done to this other, even if it
wasn't
fully aware of that detail at the moment.
$Interesting. The plot thickens. I gotta admit, this doesn't seem dark
to
me. More like it needs a mystery tag.
True. That seemed to be the reaction from most, though if I hadn't put the
tag on, people would have complained about that instead.
A second kick followed the first, only glancing off Shampoo's left leg,
but
it was more than enough to send a gasp of agony through her clenched
pointed
teeth.
$Do you really need pointed?
No. Has been dropped.
white, then black. The last thing she heard before drifting off into the
night was the sound of a goose honking in alarm. The cry reminded Shampoo
of
the odd little squeeze horn that had been on her bicycle when she first
purchased it. She had gotten rid of it in favor of the ringing bell that
had
served as a warning before she landed her bicycle on someone. The mind
really came up with odd things when it boarded on unconsciousness.
$*shudder* Tell me about it.
Yep. Almost like dreams, in a way.
bottom of the canal. Akane did have the buoyancy of a rock; even Kodachi
knew that. It would be amusing to think no one would ever find the wicked
girl, leaving her corpse to be picked apart by the animals that made the
canal their home.
$Someone once said, 'The trouble with annilation is that you're never
quite
sure where all the bodys are.'
True, true. And the absense of bodies for Akane and Shampoo is proof of that
theory.
In truth that was only an idle fantasy, unrealistic in the extreme. A
simple
drowning really was the best way to get rid of the annoying girl. Besides,
poor Mr. Green Turtle might find the meal too tough to enjoy. Such a
brutal
woman might adversely affect his delicate palate.
$Heh, good point.
Yep. Which was why she would have abandoned the idea anyway.
awkward moments he had shared with that wicked girl. After being with the
one he would share his future destiny with for a while, he would quickly
forget Akane had ever existed at all. Kodachi would see to every step of
his
recovery personally; she loved him that much.
$And had lots of drugs she'd yet to try.
Heh
became of one flesh. He would pluck that single 'Black Rose' from the
field
of red and make her his own. It was so painfully romantic. Kodachi stopped
her work out and hugged herself. So very, very soon, it would be just the
two of them.
$She's dead.
Oui.
Shaking herself out of her fantasy, Kodachi picked up a couple of
gymnastic
pins and began an intricate kata, the weighted objects dancing in her
hands
like they were alive. Never had she felt so happy and satisfied with
herself. Soon it really would be just her and her beloved Ranma.
$Dig yer grave deeper, honey child.
Heh. It is rather obvious by this point.
paid the price for her mistake.
$Actually, I rather figure Kodachi paid for it.
True, true true.
The door to the gymnasium flew open and slammed against the wall with a
resounding crash that echoed throughout the room. Irate that her thoughts
had been interrupted so rudely, Kodachi spun to confront the intruder. She
stunned to see that it was her brother, the look of murder clear in his
eyes.
$Ah. Figures.
He is the perfect tool.
In not so feigned terror, Kodachi backed away. Ice. She had to be ice if
she
was to live to be with her beloved Ranma.
$Hearts of ice.
One is, anyway.
"Did Akane say those selfsame words to you before you killed her?" There
was
pain in his voice, but no hesitation in his gait. He might have been her
brother by blood, but now he would be her executioner as well. The two
positions were not mutually exclusive.
$True, but there was conflict.
True.
Kodachi felt her back brush against the far wall. There was no longer
anywhere left to run. No escape.
$Oh, come now, she could jump over him.
Nah. Too much of a chance he'd nail her with the katana.
"She has a weapon!" a voice from behind Kunou cried out in alarm.
$Go Nabiki! I've got a yen for you!
Good bet.
exterior he bore, there was a core of principle deep within him that she
had
not recognized until now. It was not so bad, dying at his hands. He was a
Kunou, after all.
It was a comforting thought that traveled with her in the afterlife.
$Aww, how sweet. Personally, I'd of held a grudge.
She knows she was a bad girl and needed punished. And not in the kinky way
either. :P
The other nodded in agreement. "True. I had to make sure she died first,
since you're much easier to fool."
$Nabiki's not much of a martial artist. I doubt she could have moved that
fast.
Kunou is still stunned by what he's done.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The smell of tea hit Ukyou the moment she entered the front door of the
Ucchan.
$Suspicious as hell, there.
Yep.
<snip>
"I've been busy too," Ukyou agreed. "Making my own final preparations."
$And that's rather suspicious. Hell, I'm just getting supicious all over
the place.
Well, each one is planning on stabbing the other in the back, so they're
both behaving suspiciously.
"It's a surprise."
"I don't like surprises."
"You'll like this one."
$I doubt it. And personally, I hate surprises too.
I'm about 50/50 on them anymore.
<snip>
The other all but slammed the cup in its hand on the tabletop, nearly
breaking it in the process. Without preamble it picked up the cup that sat
in front of it and took a sip before placing it more gently upon the
table.
Ukyou made certain the amount of liquid in the cup was lower than before.
It
wouldn't do to be sloppy at this point of the game.
$And everyone and his brother flashes back to Princess Bride.
Except me, evidentily. :P
The other laughed at that. "Oh, she did. She just made the mistake of not
offering as much as you. In her case, it really didn't pay to be cheap."
$Not that it would have changed much.
Well, there is that.
be a contest to see who gets to you first. If you're lucky, the cops find
you first you end up in jail for life. Even I can't begin to guess what
Ranma will do to you, but I think you'll agree, he can be creative when he
feels the need to be."
$Oooh... Heh heh.
He could take up Martial Arts Origami and paper cut her to death.
Ukyou laughed. "I considered that you might do something like that, but
ruled it out. You see, I have some idea of how your slippery mind works,
and
I refuse to believe you would leave anything lying around that would
potentially incriminate you. And there's no one you trust enough to give
something like that since if they looked it over, they'd be able to burn
your own ass with it."
$That's true.
Yep. And she's right about it as well.
"Bludgeoning you to death with this." The large spatula reflected the
light
almost as thoroughly as Kunou's sword had. "If you stay real still, it'll
only take a blow or two. I'm not much for drawing things like this out."
"What about the getting rid of my body?"
$Ukyo can cook!
Heh. Nice way to work that in.
"You are just full of questions tonight, aren't you?" Ukyou teased. "Since
these are your last moments, I'll humor you and let you know. I've a large
meat grinder that's stored somewhere in back. I'll probably slice and dice
you with my eyes closed and grind up your remains. As for your bones, I'll
pound them into powder with a hammer. Then I'll toss the whole lot down a
sewer or something."
$YAY! I like Ukyo. That's been a personal plan of mine for a long time.
To do that to Nabby as well?
number one. You could have had it all, including Ranma, but you pissed it
all away because you're nothing more than a total piece of shit. I
completely and utterly despise you. Of all the people that have died in
the
last couple of days, you're the only one that really deserves... it. Now
drop... dead?"
$Typical. She spent too much time in her rant. Tell you the truth, I
expected Ukyo to be the last one, but considering how much effort you're
putting into this 'mysterious figure', it makes sense Nabiki would
survive.
Yep. At least for the moment.
A sigh of relief passed through the other's lips as it drew itself up to
its
full height to stand next to Ukyou. "Kami-sama! I thought it would never
kick in. That idiot Kodachi said it would work inside a minute. I'll kill
her for screwing that up. I mean, I would if I hadn't already killed her.
Heh."
$Heh heh.
Grim humor. What would a fic be without it? :)
actually reads pretty well. It all makes sense, from you guys getting
together to conspire to kill Akane, to changing Shampoo into a cat and
dumping her in the river with Akane's corpse, to sending Kunou in a rage
with the pictures, to you finally killing yourself because, 'In the end,
none of us deserved Ranma, not even me'. They're going to love that bit,
let
me tell you.
$*clap clap*
Nabby: See? Told you so.
"Besides, after this matter is over, I think the cops will be perfectly
happy with closing this case quickly and with as little fanfare as
possible.
After all, this is Japan, and we don't have insane, obsessed,
cross-dressing
serial killers running around in our country.
$Unlike America, where we're proud of them.
I was going to throw a comment about that in there, but it felt too forced.
as what little strength Ukyou possessed went into an attempt to prevent
the
cut. All it did was increase the agony as she felt herself disemboweled
more
slowly by the weapon, making the wound more jagged and forced,
inadvertently
making it appear more genuine.
$And hurt more, but that was just a bonus.
Nah. Nabby cares about efficiency now. It's not really personal.
It had been a good, if busy, couple of days.
$Happiest while she's working, ah, a woman I can relate to. Heh, cool.
Thus far this isn't depressing at all. Definitely more of a mystery fic,
and should probably be labled as such
Nah. I'd have people complaining if I hadn't.
Thanks for everything so far.
D.B. Sommer