6:

"I think this is her room," Calyx told Ranma as they reached the door.
 
"How sure are you?"

"Pretty sure ... Seira only mentioned it the one time, but --"
 
"Good'nuff," the ancient said, and kicked the door in before Calyx could blink,
let alone say a word. She cringed, awaiting the sudden blare of alarms as the
security system activated to inform everyone on campus that a breakage and
entrance had been committed against the room of one of the students.

After a moment, she realized that there was no alarm, and stopped cringing.

"It was like that when we went into Sheila's room, too," Ranma told her as he
walked through the small lounge towards the half-open bedroom door. "I think
one of the black hats might be messing with the -- hooboy." He broke off as he
reached the door.

Calyx ran foward to where he was standing. "Aw, don't tell me we picked the
wrong room --" And then her own voice stopped completely as she saw what lay
beyond the door.

Her first instinct was to immediately attack the naked young man with
greenish-black hair who was kneeling on the bed over the bound, gagged and
equally naked form of Haneoka Meimi, holding a lit, dripping candle over her
rump as they both stared at the intruders in the boudoir. But the same
paralysis that afflicted the two of them also rendered Calyx incapable of
movement or even thought. She felt like a camera, just recording the bizarre
sight before her.

Then a gob of wax dropped onto Meimi's rear end, and she let out a short gasp
that escaped the gag. The frozen moment ended.
 
Calyx reached for her sword. "YOU SONOFASIRE, GET --"
 
She blinked and wondered how exactly she'd ended up back in the hallway, facing
away from the broken door. She also wondered how she'd gone from a trembling
rage to the weird, almost detached sensation she was now experiencing. It was
very strange.
 
She whirled as she heard footsteps behind her, and saw Meimi, now wearing a
beige housecoat, stepping through the doorway. The magician tried to close the
door behind her, but it swung open as she did. She glared at it for a moment,
then turned a similar glare on Calyx.

The concern that had underlain the anger returned in full force. "Meimi! Are
you all right? He didn't hurt you --"
 
"Daiki wouldn't ever hurt me, you spacy French -- oooh!" Meimi seethed. "We
were just getting to the good part!"
 
Calyx blinked. "Wait ... that's your boyfriend?"
 
"No, I freaking well play sub for every freaking dom who comes down the
freaking turnpike! Of course that's my boyfriend!"

She felt her cheeks redden. "Sorry," she muttered. "It's just ... it's been a
long night."
 
Some of the irritation on Meimi's face faded. "Yeah, Saotome-san told me that
while you were out of it. That's why he sent me out to talk to you." She
sighed. "I'm fine, Calyx. It's just a game. That's all."

Calyx swallowed. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I just can't ... but that's not
important. Look, we need your --"
 
"I think it's pretty important," Meimi interrupted, her eyes hardening a bit.
"Seira told me that you're all right -- for a Goddess-worshipping,
girl-chasing, heart-breaking `playboy'; her words, not mine -- but I'm not
going to work with someone who doesn't respect me."

"It's not that!" she protested. "I just can't see why anyone would let anyone
do things like that to themselves. But, well, I mean, it's your life, and ..."

Meimi nodded. "I ... see. It's really simple Calyx. I know that Daiki will
never, ever really hurt me. I love him, and I trust him completely."

The bafflement must still have been showing on Calyx's face, because Meimi
started to look puzzled herself. "Haven't you ever trusted someone like that?"

Calyx shook her head, slowly. "No ... I guess I'm still looking for Miss
Right."

Now Meimi smiled for the first time that night. "Okay. I understand what that's
like. Forgiveness granted." A beat. "You're still paying for my door, though."

"Okay," Calyx agreed rapidly, glad to be out of the uncomfortable moment. "Did
Saotome-san tell you about what's happening?"
 
"A little bit."
 
"Right ... well, I think we might need a magician. A *good* magician. Are you
as good as you say you are?"
 
The smile broadened and got ever-so-slightly-wicked. "Nope. Due to my innate
humility, I have led everyone to believe that I am less skilled than I actually
am."
 
Calyx decided to let that one go.

Ranma stepped through the doorway then, carrying a bundle of clothes in his
arms. "Everything settled out here?"
 
"Pretty much," Meimi replied. "I'll just tell Daiki about what's happening and
get dressed, and --"

He gestured at her with the bundle. "He already knows. Get dressed."

"Wait a minute --"
 
"Don't have a minute to wait with."
 
Meimi glared at him, then irritatedly snapped her fingers. Abruptly, the
housecoat was draped over his head and the clothes had vanished from his arms
to reappear on her body.
 
"Very cute," Ranma muttered as he took the housecoat off his head. "Let's go."

"Daiki just agreed to let me go without my saying a word to him?" Meimi asked
suspiciously. "He's usually more overprotective than that."

"I'm sure that given a while to think about it, he's *bound* to see the wisdom
of letting you go."
 
Calyx coughed as she realized the implications of that, but said nothing as
they ran off. After all, if Meimi trusted him to let her tie him up, he should
certainly return the favor.
 
                                   TBC



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