Suggested changes: {before : after}
On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 15:42:03 -0700 Steve Thesken
<sthesken@earthlink.net> wrote:
For a moment, he found himself wishing that he had an analog of Shampoo
in his own life, to be able to enjoy the same, easy sort of camaraderie
that this Ranma was enjoying with this version of the amazon. But that
was never going to happen, he realized, feeling a slight emptiness in
his heart at the thought. Shampoo, if she existed on his world, lived
far away from him in the backwoods of China, and the odds of his ever
meeting her were too small to even contemplate, he mused with a wistful
look.
You'd think he'd know better than that by now. Especially since Ukyo
showed up.
Genma opened his eyes, unsure if he was still dreaming. He felt Nodoka
lying next to him, and then he saw Ranma kneeling nearby. Struggling
free of his slumbers, he blinked his eyes owlishly. "<Is that you,
{son : Son}?>"
"<She's been a lonely woman for too many years, because of my analog's
idiocy, son. Let's leave it at that.>" Genma shut the door quietly
behind him.
At least _he_ knows better than to say it's not what it looks like.
Enhancing your basic traits, he mused, thinking over his father's last
words. That would mean, in a sense, that the enzyme the symbiote used
to edit his DNA had left him as more of what he was already inclined to
be. He had always possessed curiosity in abundance and an insatiable
desire to learn, which his analogs had channeled into their martial
arts skills, whereas he had {focussed : focused} it on scholastic achievement.
"A good choice." Lord Kuno walked over to a wall cabinet and opened
it, revealing sets of hanging keys. He pulled one set down and tossed
them to Ranma, still smiling. "Now you'd better hurry. You don't want
to be late for classes, boy."
License?
It read, 'Ranma-kun, please meet me over by the old dormitory after
classes are over. Don't mention this to anyone. Nabiki'
Does he recognize the hand writing?
She was pleased to see that Ranma was making an effort to keep their
date a secret from her rivals for his attentions, and the covert aspect
appealed to her as well. She folded the note back up and pocketed it,
and then she felt a sudden cold shiver run up and down her spine. She
glanced around quickly for the source of danger, expecting some sort of
an imminent attack. When it didn't materialize, she shook her head and
headed over to sit with {Yoko : Yohko}, chatting with the Devil Hunter as they
ate lunch together.
In the back of the room, Gosunkugi ate his meager meal of rice and
vegetables while he absently heard Minami grumbling under her breath
next to him. His attention was {focussed : focused} on Ranma as he ate, his eyes
filled with dark menace. Now and then, he would spare a glance or two
at Ukyo, letting the ninja boy feel the full weight of his glare as
well, hoping something particularly nasty happened to both of them.
Their other classmates had chosen to clear the pair some space during
lunch, since a malevolent cloud of angry menace and evil spirits seemed
to hover around them.
I can understand Ranma being oblivious, but I'd expect Ukyo to get at
least a twinge since she's been trained as a shrine maiden.
She had felt an odd reluctance to kill any of them during the battle,
but many were likely permanently disabled and might never walk again.
She shrugged, dismissing the matter as a necessary act. The guard she
had enticed into her cell had only been the first of them to fall, and
his keys had enabled her to remove the inhibitor collar that had been
fastened around her neck, as well as open her cell door. Idly, she
kicked aside one of the fallen guards, rather disappointed at their
poor showing against a small wisp of a girl like herself.
Note to self: If I ever imprison a superbeing, don't give the guards
the key to her collar.
Nabiki made her way to the old dormitory building for her rendezvous
with Ranma, having spent a little longer chatting with {Yoko : Yohko} after class
than she had originally been planning to. Rain sluiced down from the
skies in heavy sheets and bright bolts of lightning ripped across the
heavens, punctuated by loud rumbles of thunder. She saw one light lit
over on one side of the building, and she made her way towards it. The
door opened easily at her touch, and she saw a single umbrella in the
stand, still wet from the rain.
Nabiki's encounter with the catgirls went about as I expected. Ranma's
got a lot of catching up to do.