(Geez, I need to find a way to write C&C faster....)
Mark MacKinnon wrote on 6/5/2004, 4:01 PM:
> Subject: [FFML] [Fic][Ranma/SM] On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
> Chapter 16
> Date: 6/5/2004, 4:01 PM
> From: Mark MacKinnon <emmack@sympatico.ca>
> To: ffml <ffml@anifics.com>
>
> Hello again, faithful readers. As regular vistors to my webpage
> know, I've been fighting to get the next part of this story completed
> and released for the last couple of months at least. Now, finally, I'm
> pleased to be able to release it into the wild.
YES! YESYESYESYESYEEEEESSSSsS!!!
Can you tell I've been *waiting* for this? (:)
> So, here it is. I'd like to thank Michael Chase for his pre-reading
> duties, as well as all the people who have encouraged me through the
> long dry spells. Your patience is rewarded at last. I'd just like to
> say that I hope everyone has fun with this next part of the story and
> comes away with an intense desire to know what happens next.
Oh, *that* doesn't sound good.
> Yes, I am that evil.
No comment.
> Raine Jahna Greiv had many duties as captain of Her Majesty's
> personal guard. She found none to be as wearisome as having to be the
> bearer of bad tidings. None, perhaps, save dealing with that lout, Gar.
Gar: "Love you too, Rainy."
> Or had been, until the black day that it had been lost. Raine
> remembered every detail of that day, as one of the last survivors of her
> unit, a raw recruit standing with Queen Larissa and the valiant heroes
> who rallied to break the Dark. In that moment memory fell upon her, so
> intense it seemed real, and she saw Larissa's smile again, a beacon that
> gave them hope in the darkest hours. She would have followed that smile
> to the gates of the hells, and very nearly had.
She sounds like one of the girls describing Usagi.
> "Did she say anything?" Raine asked. She tried not to appear
> anxious, but something flickered in Kendra's eyes at the question, and
> she
> smiled. There was gentleness in that smile, quite at odds with her
> characteristic grin, the one full of confidence and lightly seasoned
> with a
> touch of wildness.
> "No," she replied, her words gentled by memory and the knowledge
> that Raine had adored her. "My mother's shade had no words for those of
> us she left behind, Raine. Only this."
Wellll, she also did some charades...
> "Indeed," Greely said. "Little is known of the great wyrms, for
> they are both enigmatic and solitary, caring little for what they
> refer to as
> lesser beings, such as ourselves. There have been occasions of dragons
> attacking airships in recent memory, but generally only when they've
felt
> that their territory has been infringed upon, or when they've been
hunted
> by the very foolish."
This seems almost like "as-you-know-Bob" exposition. Raine's
reaction
helps mitigate it, but Greely still sounds like he's talking to the
readers more than the room. OTOH, maybe he's just that long-winded
naturally.
> Raine must have been staring, because when Greely met her gaze
> he chuckled. "Raine, my dear, I do have interests outside of
> politics," he
> said wryly.
> "This much activity is definitely unusual," Greely nodded,
> stroking his beard thoughtfully. That particular gesture always put
> Raine in mind of the villain in some old movie; all Greely lacked was a
> sinister laugh to make the visual complete. "I wonder if this is
Now the image of Greely is stuck in my head as played by an older
Leonard Nimoy, wearing the "Evil Spock" beard from the mirror-universe
episode...
> related to
> the artifact retrieved by Royal Operations?"
Yipe. If the Genosphere could summon *dragons*... But if the
Shifters
are anything to judge by (a shaky assumption), the sphere may only be
able to compel non-sentients. Or, if the normal dragons are anything at
all like Dragon, maybe they're just too darn ornery to be compelled.
> "Doubtful. The flight paths of all the Zeroes had one troubling
> factor in common," Raine told him. "They were all headed out of
> kingdom airspace."
Okay, *that's* bad.
> "They're leaving? Why?" Greely asked. Kendra's reply was a short,
> humourless laugh.
> "That," the Queen told them sourly, "is an excellent question.
> Given our limited knowledge of dragons, however, I fear that there is
> only one likely explanation for their sudden exodus."
> "And that is?" Greely pressed.
> "That they know something we don't," Raine said softly.
> "Exactly," Kendra nodded. "A vampire, an artifact from the age
> of the Genrous, Galiraithe's return, and now this. Pieces of a
> puzzle, all
> jumbled together, and us without the big picture to work from. I grow
> weary of this, people. Raine."
Somehow I don't think the dragons would be worried about a mere
vamp.
It *would* be nice to know if anyone recalls anything similar happening
just before the Long Dark.
> On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Unless the curvature of spacetime is positive, in which case
you'll see
the back of your head... Sorry, to much bad SF-cosmology when I was young.
> I understood more now. I had a scar of my own, legacy of a time
> when I'd been young and thought I'd be whole and happy forever. That
> scar lay across my heart, and sometimes it throbbed like a rotted ol'
> tooth. The storms it predicted were darker than mere weather, though.
Nice little metaphor. Almost borders on being too angstful, but
then
angst is one of this Ranma's defining characteristics for the last few
years.
> "Hey, Minako," I sighed. Now I was going to hear about my
> little outburst earlier, when Hotaru had pressed me again about the key.
There seems to be a bit of a gap, there, between the end of ch15
and
now. Hotaru seemed like she had figured out at least part of Ranma's
secret. But nothing came of it?
> "Ranma Saotome, Man of Action," Minako intoned grandly as
> she came down from the peak of the roof to sit beside me. Her tone had
> been light, but I felt my hackles rise regardless.
> "We waited," I said before I could stop myself. She turned to me
> then, and I knew those blue eyes were seeing more than I wanted to show
> them. There was something going on, way down in the depths of those
> eyes. I didn't know what, but I was beginning to feel uneasy.
> "When your city fell," she said softly, all trace of Minako the
> Flirt gone. "When your world fell."
Not really true, not that that's going to stop his guilt-tripping.
Acting sooner wouldn't have done any good for anyone on that world, most
likely. Heck, the only thing that saved the other Ranmaverse was that
they had advance warning and on on-scene specialist.
> "Yeah." The word was quiet, all sharp raspy edges that hurt my
> throat as it emerged. "We thought ... we thought we had time. But
while
> we sat around and argued about what to do, it got later and later. And
> then it was just too late."
Of course, is he talking about the fall, here, or is he talking
about
his relationship with Akane?
> "You," I said cautiously, "have the look of a woman fixing to do
> something reckless."
> "Yes," she said, a faint glimmer of her characteristic vivacity
> returning to her eyes. "But not alone. And we're going to need a
plan."
<eyeroll> These two *deserve* each other. Idiots, the pair of 'em.
And, oddly enough, you've built a scenario where I can really see them
being good for each other, where I doubt the canon versions would have
meshed nearly so well.
> between the two senshi. The boy was more perceptive than he let on.
That seems to describe several people in this fic, actually.
> "What else do you suppose she's up to behind those walls?"
> Ranma asked.
I'm half-surprised that Mina didn't flinch at that.
> "Hey," Ranma said slowly. "That's sneaky. But it might work.
> Do you think you could convince her, Rei?"
He's actually meshing into the team rather well, at least on
tactical
matters. And I can't help recalling how Usagi was rubbing his shoulders
last chapter, and his Personal Contact Flinch failed to trip. If he's
not careful, he's gonna get used to this life...
> Minako didn't reply for a moment, and Rei fancied she could see
> the wheels spinning behind that glib expression. Minako was deciding
> how much to tell her, and Rei was surprised at how much that realization
> stung. That was hypocritical of her, of course, considering her own
> record with secrets, but that fact didn't seem to assuage her hurt in
the
> slightest.
Sigh. These wounds are still only scabbed over.
> Makoto started as a pair of slender arms encircled her waist.
> She felt hot breath against the back of her neck and sighed.
> "Nice try, Minako," she said, turning down the heat on the
> stove. "But you're not getting any this time until it's ready."
> "That Minako," Usagi murmured. "What a mooch."
Okay, I thought it was Mina too.
> "Mako-chan, I know why you got mad at Rei," Usagi blurted,
> her gaze imploring as she clung to the other girl. "But you two have to
> stop fighting with each other! You've fought together, lived under the
> same roof, and you both want the same things! Can't you trust her?"
Heck, she's probably *seen* Rei put her life on the line for the
rest
of the team more than once. I suspect Mako's problem is more her
subconscious association of Rei with Lily/Yurina... and possibly just a
*bit* of projection, as well?
> "Maybe you should ask her," Makoto sighed. "Okay, enough
> with the death-grip, huggy girl. Dinner's ready."
> "Just in time," Usagi grinned. "I hear the others coming
> downstairs." Usagi whirled and dashed to the door, then paused.
What, Usagi gets Makoto all talky next to a dinner-laden stove, and
fails to mooch a tidbit? The Princess really *is* in full-serious mode.
Whoa.
> "Be fair, Setsuna," Rei said coolly, feeding tiny morsels to
> Phobos and Deimos while she ate.
Note to self: the twins need their own cutlery. And some more
wardrobe.
> "This is revenge," Haruka said, throwing her arms out
> despairingly. "For all the times in the early days when we left you
> all at
> home."
Haruka the Drama Queen. ISTR that it was usually Hotaru sending
the
Inners out on their own, but why let that get in the way of a good rant?
> And what about you? she asked herself wryly. Lying to the
> Nightmistress about such a trivial thing. That was foolish. And
> unnecessary.
Perhaps not. Sass really seems to have a nasty streak, whereas
Yurina
seems inclined to leave uninvolved bystander alone. There's no
guarantee that she wouldn't decide to do something unpleasant if she
learned about Yoshi, Makki, and Lily.
Or, she might decide that Yurina is displaying too much of a
conscience...
> Yurina recalled those eyes again, green as the lush canopies of
> Errith, and closed her eyes. She had seen many things in those eyes:
> sullen anger, hurt, longing. And of course desire, which she herself
had
> put there to wash the other emotions away. But today she had seen
> white-hot fury, made all the worse because she knew that it was not
> entirely unwarranted.
She really did feel honest affection for Makoto, didn't she?
Sass and
Rei have both done a good job of portraying the Sisterhood as a place
where carind and compassion are dead letters, but some of the Sisters
seem to be a little more human...
> And if a part of her was glad that Makki the stubborn, lonely, beautiful
...Makki, the....
> street rat had survived, the rest of her knew that they were enemies
now.
> Even if Makoto had not become Jupiter, they would have been enemies.
Of course, nobody in the Sisterhood seems big on forgiveness, or
redemption. They need a good dose of the Usagi Effect...
> And if that enmity had been incurred for the sake of the Sisterhood,
then
> Yurina could have borne it. That thought had carried her through many
> times when nothing else could. But for the mercenary hunger of such
> contemptible little men? That ate at her still.
Again: Unlike Sass, Yurina at least seems to judge her actions
against
a higher moral code. Sass sees the world as predators and prey --
Yurina seems to admit the existence of innocent bystanders, and a
certain moral obligation to not harm them if her mission parameters
don't require it.
> "It is all right to grieve for her, Bella. I know it seems as
> though
> her sacrifice has not been honoured, but when our Dark Lady is returned
> to us, all those who died in her service will be remembered."
For some reason, this bit really gets to me.
> "There is a difference between turning and being turned,"
> Yurina replied. "In the beginning, she left us because she learned the
> truth about Griitna. Now? Who can say? The Dark Lady will judge
> her, my sweet. If her motives are found wanting, then she will be
> punished."
Yurina also has a wider prespective on motivation, and justice.
Also
faith in Higher Authority.
> "Yes," Bella whispered, her dark eyes gleaming. "Punished.
> And the others? These White Moon girls? Will She punish them, too?"
> "Oh, yes," Yurina assured her, fingers lingering on the contour
> of the girl's cheeks. "Shall I tell you about that punishment, my
> Bella?"
On the other hand, she's still got a mean streak of her own...
> Of course, there were no visitors at this late hour, only the heady
> scents of lush blossoms, nearly cloying in the warm, still air. It
was a
> fine place for a romantic rendezvous.
> Which, Saturn thought darkly, was just typical.
Heh. Shades of Sylia and Fargo.
> "Ah," Gar said as she pushed her way past a flowering bush that
I admit, I didn't see this coming, but it doesn't surprise me
that it's
him.
> "Yes, yes," she sighed, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "Gods,
> man. Don't you ever turn it off?"
> "Of course not," Gar said with a roguish smile. "A man has to
> be prepared for any eventuality."
> "Such as the eventuality that I might suffer brain damage and
> succumb to your sophomoric advances?"
Obviously she's hot for him. (;)
> "My people are extraordinary," she shot back. All that she was
That's a change of tune from when she claimed Mercury couldn't
track
the Genosphere. But hey, she's talking to an *outsider* right now...
(And has anyone pointed out to her that, since it was using a
remotely
cast focus, her plan wouldn't have worked anyway?)
> "I can't imagine that Her Majesty tolerates your particular brand
> of irreverence especially well," Saturn sighed.
I dunno... every monarch needs at least one person who treats
them as
an individual, rather than the Crown Personified. As long as their
loyalty is assured, of course...
> "Osiren Black," Gar repeated softly. He turned to stare out over
> the gardens, and Saturn was struck by the sight of his profile. She
Uh oh. He knows something.
> "Very well," she acquiesced. "Osiren Black currently resides in
> Aethyr Realm. Hanging above something called the Abyss, where it has
> only recently appeared. That is as specific as I can be."
Somehow I think this is going to have repercussions...
> "That is as specific as you need to be," he sighed. Gar stepped
> closer, the light sliding over his face again, chasing the shadows away.
Definitely.
> "A rumour. At least, considering the source, I would call it one.
> While in Shadow, my people were told that succubi are entering our
> realm through some sort of gate located beneath the palace. They are
> operating under the command of someone called the Crimson Queen."
> "Nonsense!" Gar laughed. "Do you have any idea how closely
> the palace is guarded? Nothing goes on around it that isn't caught by
> dozens of mundane and mystical scans."
Hmmm...
> "As I said, a rumour," Saturn shrugged. "But, as the succubus in
> question seemed to have little to gain by lying, I thought it prudent to
> pass it along."
> "I appreciate that," Gar told her, still grinning. "But you'll
> excuse me if I put it at the bottom of the pile, along with sightings of
> Desidinder and Train 13."
Train 13? Ah, another bit of Saeni background. Have I
complimented
you lately on your worldbuilding skills?
> Just that. Then he sketched a shape in the air with his hand,
> turning it over with the sort of flourish a stage magician might use.
> In his
> large, square palm rested a small box, dark surface smooth and
> unassuming. He stared down at it, his expression shading into something
> akin to wistfulness for a moment.
> "Looks like it's finally showtime, Bowser," he muttered.
> Then light appeared around him, coalescing into a gleaming
> portal that hung in the air, shimmering with power.
> Gar stepped through, and was gone.
Oboy. I wonder where he went to? I'll bet dollars to donuts
that that
box contains something that can be used at Osiren Black. And calling up
a portal like that is no minor magic in this universe, is it? Now if we
just knew what *kind* of portal it was....
> The door opened again, slammed as Minako entered. The blonde
That door is really getting its exercise tonight.
> She made to get up, but Minako did not release her grip. "Rei," she
> asked softly, "do you know what a soft marker is?"
> "Yes," Rei said cautiously. Minako squirmed behind her, fingers
> twining nervously over Rei's collarbone.
> "I didn't really rob that estate," Minako told her at last, chin
> resting on
> Rei's shoulder.
> "Oh, hells," Rei sighed as the implications sank in. She turned
I don't get it, although from context I can guess at the general
outlines. I'm sure it'll come up and be explained in detail later, though.
> "This, my love, is the Crescent Compact!" Minako announced.
What, not the Disguise Pen? (:)
> had changed. It was hard to tell how much, of course. Having watched
> the transformation, looking at Minako's face was like looking at a
> picture
> of two white faces in silhouette and having them resolve into a black
> vase.
Very nice, vivid way to describe it.
> Minako flushed with pleasure. Rei knew the girl was probably
> more pleased at Rei's use of her nickname than the praise itself. Well,
> good. After all, Minako really had covered the angles. Even if she
> hadn't wanted to reveal her secret, she had ensured that she would not
> give them away. Rei should have known the girl wouldn't let her
> personal problems endanger a mission.
Ironic, that, considering what happens later.
> "Hey, come on," Minako blurted suddenly, reverting to her
> original dress. "You've got to see Ranma. Trust me, you're going to
> like this!"
Which means Ranma is hating it with a passion...
> I'd thought that stopping at Rei's place had been a bad idea.
Okay, that explains the comment about "Rei's inner sanctum" a
few pages
up. That had me a tad confused at first.
> First, there was the body stocking. Actually, stocking was a huge
> overstatement; it was a black fishnet affair that made Minako's lace
> outfit look like a tarpaulin. At least I got a thong to wear under it.
> God, on the list of things I never thought I'd say, that would have
> to be right up near the top.
<rotfl!>
> The outfit started off with a skirt that rode low on my hips. It
> was
> long, hanging down nearly to my ankles, with a long slit up one side.
> There was a belt that rode across the front, black with a big gleaming
> silver buckle on the high side of the arch. I wondered if it was real
> silver;
> if so, then at the very least I could use it to whack any werecats we
> came
> across.
Anything-Goes Tactical Fashion Accessorizing: Your Wardrobe
*is* a Weapon!
> The jacket matched the skirt. That was the best thing I could say
> about it. Oh, it was nice enough, stylishly cut, cropped high at the
> waist,
> with wide shoulders, and it was made of leather so supple that it nearly
> felt like cloth. The problem was that the thing didn't close in the
> front. It
> wasn't a size issue; the damned thing wasn't supposed to close. Each
> side covered my nipples and a couple of extra inches before leaving the
> rest of my chest completely exposed, not to mention the area between the
> bottom of the jacket and the top of the skirt. Which was a lot. A
> simple
> black choker finished off the outfit; I'd managed to talk Minako out of
> earrings or other jewellery.
Somewhere, Kenko's "Girl Days" Ranma is taking notes.
> "It's a Sisterhood duelling outfit," Rei remarked, giving me a once
> over that must have left my face as red as my hair. "A bit much for
> calling on nobility, but I suppose it won't hurt to have an attack dog
> with
> us. Just for show, of course."
That's appropriate on *so* many levels...
> "I don't know," I retorted. "It's a little drafty, you know?"
> "Well, I suppose we could go with an alternate option," Minako
> remarked as she walked around me. Her hand brushed against my back
> and I felt a strange tingle; at least, it wasn't the tingle I usually
> associated
> with her touch.
> Whoa. Bad mental direction. I tried to steer my thoughts back
> into safer territory, stopped as I saw Rei trying very hard not to
smile.
<snicker> The boy's got it bad. Now if he'll just be honest with
himself...
> "Minako," she said, almost sounding reproachful.
> "What?" I asked. "What's up?"
> Then I looked down.
> Risque as my outfit had been, what I was now wearing made it
> seem positively demure. I squawked, dancing in place as I tried in vain
> to cover myself with my hands. I was now wearing what looked for all
> the world like a long piece of string, one that looped behind my neck
and
> then plunged down to cover each nipple. Barely. The string widened
> marginally at crotch level, but I really didn't want to examine the
> alleged
> outfit too closely.
"Alleged." Yeah, that's one way to put it.
"Some dental floss and a cork," I think is the phrase called for
here...
> "Minako!" I bellowed instead.
A Ranma-chan bellow. That would be fun to hear.
> "You don't like it?" Minako asked. "It's from my minimalist
> period ..."
<snerk!>
> "Bring the other one back! I'll wear it, okay? Come on!"
> Smiling sweetly, she reached around me and let her fingers brush
> against the small of my back. It felt like something was there, pinned
> between the string where it looped over my hips and my skin. As she
> removed whatever she had put there, that tingle swept over me again and
> the blonde stepped back, a crooked smile on her glossy red lips.
> "Well, I liked the other one better," she sighed theatrically, "but
> if you're sure ..."
> "Cute," I muttered darkly. "Okay, I get the picture. It could be
> worse. But seriously, isn't there any more to this get-up? Like, I
> don't
> know, a shirt?"
There really *should* be something under that jacket.
> "It gives maximum effect just like that," Rei told me, giving me a
> thorough appraisal.
> "I'll be giving the world maximum effect if there's the slightest
> gust of wind," I told her archly. "How'm I supposed to walk in this
> thing, much less fight?" I fluttered the edges of the jacket morosely.
Point.
> "There's a secret," Rei told me.
> "Oh, don't!" Minako objected. "I was looking forward to a few
> gusts of wind!"
<snrrgl>
> Rei ignored her, coming over to me. She slipped her hands inside
> the jacket, and the room suddenly got ten degrees hotter.
Well, he's definitely been cured of his "dead-below-the-waist"
ailment...
> "There are little hooks here," she murmured, standing
> uncomfortably close as her hands moved in dangerous proximity to my
> breasts. "They attach to the mesh, which keeps the top from blowing
> open. The idea is to tease, not to flash." She looked up as she said
> that,
> meeting my eyes from only inches away, and the temperature spiked even
> higher. She smelled terrific, and there was a glint in her dark eyes
> that
> told me she was enjoying this as much as Minako would have.
> Swell. This, I needed.
Seriously, I think he does. And hey, she's being *gentle* with
him...
> "And these pads here," she went on, her voice thrumming
> through my nerves in a low register, "keep the nipples from getting
> chafed by ..."
> "No chafing!" I blurted. "Chafing bad! Got it! I do have
> breasts, you know!"
No, *really*?
> "Yes," she breathed. "I noticed."
> "Ah-HEM," Minako interrupted. "Rei, you're making him
> nervous. That's MY job."
> "He doesn't look much like a he just now," Rei said with a sultry
> smile. "You can carry off a femme fatale attitude, can't you, Ranma?"
By his homeline's standards, yes. By Saeni standards? I
dunnoooo...
> "Of course he can," Minako declared as Rei slowly withdrew her
> hands. She never made contact with my skin, but my flesh tightened and
> tingled all along the path that her hands had taken. She backed away
> from me with a smile that told me I was hers for the taking, and my
> mouth went dry as beach sand in August.
> "Good," Rei said softly, holding my gaze with hers. "Remember
> Ranma, you are a Sister, mistress of your own carnal power. You must
> make them believe that."
> "Got it," I replied. It probably would have been more convincing
> if my voice hadn't squeaked.
Geez, is there anyone in this city *less* suited to this role?
Okay,
*maybe* Ami, but that's about it, I think.
> The girls, in contrast, looked anything but amateur. Rei's wore
Either "Rei wore" or "Rei's was"
> "Rei-sama wants you to stay close to Minako once you get inside
> the estate," the little winged girl told me, pretending to watch Minako
> and Deimos. "And to react as ruthlessly as you did earlier if she is
> threatened."
> "No problem," I told her. I glanced over at the car where Rei
> was standing, and she caught my gaze for a moment, giving me a tiny
> nod. I nodded back, then followed Minako as she joined Rei, still
> sparring verbally with Deimos.
> So. I wasn't the only one that had figured out that there was
> more to Minako's link with this estate than she was telling. And Rei
was
> worried enough that she wanted me watching Minako's back. Fine by
> me. Everything I heard about these Tyrian nobles made me like them
> less and less.
> Minako could pretend all she wanted; I knew as well as anyone
> that sometimes you buried the past for a reason. But if things got
ugly,
> well, so be it.
> I'd get ugly right back.
Yes, he *is* meshing in rather nicely. The girls have obviously
decided that depending on him in a fight is an acceptable risk.
> "I'm glad, too," he told her, glancing over as they stopped at the
> bottom of the ramp. We haven't had much time together lately. I'm
Missing quote mark before 'we'
> "I don't want you to be jealous of her," Usagi said at last.
> "I know you don't," Mamoru replied. "But I am."
> "Oh." She didn't seem to know how to reply to that.
> "Don't worry, Usako," he went on, glancing at her expression. "I
> promised to get along, didn't I? Trust me, it would be more
worrisome if
> I wasn't jealous."
He's got a point.
> "Think of her reaction," Mamoru said dryly, "if she found out
> you were descended from Dasma herself. And that you'd promised to
> help revive her."
> "Just drive, tux-boy," she said primly.
Okay, we know who has the ondangos in *this* relationship... (:)
> "Boys will be boys," Makoto sighed, glancing around the
> uncharacteristically quiet street. "Anyway, Rin didn't shoot Yoshi.
And
> he did help us out with that fae root tip, so there's only so mad I
> can be."
She owes him more than that, though I doubt she'll find out.
> "What I believe," Makoto replied, holding Ami's gaze evenly, "is
> that Rei has a different idea of what constitutes dangerous than you
do."
Yeah, but maybe Ami wants to... stretch her definitions.
Makoto's just
a teeny bit *too* fixated on her mental image of Ami as a total innocent.
> They started walking down the narrow side street, shadows
> clinging stubbornly to every corner and alleyway. Makoto glanced over
> at her friend, feeling a mixture of exasperation and pride. It was
> unlike
> Ami to be so stubborn about something like this. On the other hand, it
> cheered Makoto to see the girl standing up for herself. And the fact
> that
> Ami had thought to speak to Rei and get a guarantee was reassuring.
It *is* the quiet ones you have to look out for...
> "Say," Makoto said as a stray gust of wind tugged at Ami's coat
> collar. "That's new, isn't it?" Ami blinked, and Makoto gestured at
the
> girl's slender throat. "That ribbon," she elaborated. Ami generally
<facefault> Oh, NO! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!
> wasn't given to frippery or any sort of girlishness in her dress,
> which was
> why the glossy black ribbon tied around her neck caught Makoto's eye.
> "Oh, this?" Ami asked, touching the ribbon self-consciously.
> The girl blushed even more furiously than she had during their previous
> conversation, which puzzled Makoto. "It was in with the things Minako
> brought. I was just ... just trying it on. That's all."
Riiiiight.
> "Relax," Makoto laughed, disarmed by the girl's obvious
> consternation. "I'm sure she won't mind. She invited us to help
> ourselves, after all. It's pretty."
> "Mmm." Ami still wouldn't meet her eyes, and Makoto fought
> the urge to sigh again. Ami was a capable senshi, cool and collected in
> battle, and she was clearly not intimidated by the prospect of
> experimenting with untested magickal synergies.
> So how could she get so embarrassed over a simple silk ribbon?
R.O.TF.L.OL
> "She's still around? Wasn't she, like, a thousand years old?"
> "The woman is never going to die," Tyla told her. "I'm certain
Sug: "*That* woman..."
> "Usagi," Tyla said. "Are you in some sort of trouble?"
> "No!" Usagi blurted. "Well, not since I lost the keys to his
> handcu ..."
<Boggle> Oh, the mental images....
> "Mamoru," she said stiffly, "please tell me you haven't let her get
> anywhere near such people!"
> "Of course not," he replied. His expression was bland, but Usagi
> knew she would hear about this later. Mamoru and Tyla were, it
Well, he *didn't.* Unfortunately, "letting" doesn't enter into the
matter....
> "We?" Tyla asked sharply. "Gods, Usagi, you can't be thinking of
> getting involved with this! I shudder to think of what those women
> would do with an innocent girl like you!"
> Usagi had a terrible moment in which she found herself
> remembering in vivid detail just what a certain ex-Sister had done to
> her.
And how she couldn't wait for her todo it again... and again...
> No, that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was seeing Tyla's
fervent
> enmity towards the Sisterhood and not being able to share it as she once
> would have. Usagi felt that there must be other girls like Rei in the
> Sisterhood, girls who could overcome the legacy of lies and bitterness
> that they had been fed.
> But to Tyla, they were an implacable enemy. What would her
> old friend think if she knew that Usagi had promised to help the
> Sisterhood? Gods, what would she think if she knew that Usagi was
> descended from Dasma Herself? Would she turn that righteous anger on
> her old friend? Would she look upon Usagi with revulsion before turning
> her back?
> It began to hit Usagi at a visceral level just how complicated this
> situation really was.
Oh, yeah. And now we get to see the level of bigotry on the "good"
side... and it ain't pretty. Of course, we already suspected something
of the sort, after recent revelations about Alieva and Dasma.
> "So the temple will be a fortress," Mamoru said. "Tyla, the
> Sisterhood aren't the sort to try a frontal assault ..."
> "I know what you're thinking," Tyla replied with a wry smile.
> "But believe me, Mamoru, there are priests and priestesses in our temple
> who have fought the Sisterhood for years. They are familiar with the
> tactics of our old enemies. Those harpies will not defile any of our
> people."
> After that, there didn't seem to be much more to say. It was
Hm. Pretty unproductive trip.
> It was like a scene from a movie. Jupiter stopped on the
> threshold of the bar, eyes narrowed as they swept the room. Every table
> was full, as were all the barstools. Several more people stood along
the
> walls in small clusters. In short, it was a typical crowd in a dark,
> busy
> bar.
I can just here the them music from "The Good, The Bad, and The
Ugly"
playin in the background.
> Except for the fact that, in that moment, nobody was talking. Or
> drinking. The entire bar fell silent the moment she entered, and every
> single pair of eyes was directed straight at her. If this had been a
> movie,
> she'd have pushed her way inside, twin revolvers slung low on her hips,
> and conversation would have slowly resumed.
I think I saw that movie...
All she needs now is a Mexican blanket over her fuku. That, and to
walk up to the bar and order a glass of milk...
> "Put her down," a gravelly voice rumbled through the warm,
Uh oh. I think I know who this might be...
> Gareth. Freaking marvellous. The stares from the hunters made
more
Yep. The Big Cat himself.
> "All right, kids," a voice came from behind her. "Everyone
> chill out." Jupiter turned her head to see Junior and Senior standing
> behind them. Junior was cradling something that looked to Jupiter
like a
> big, ugly riot gun. Senior, on the other hand, had a gnarled wooden
club
> slung carelessly over his broad shoulder. The symbols carved into the
> dark surface told Jupiter that it was likely far more than just a
> length of
> dead tree, though.
It's *so* nice to deal with professionals.
> "I said no trouble," Senior went on as though Gareth had not
> spoken. "There can be drinking and talking, but if there is any more of
> what the old folks used to call roughhousing, then I'm going to get
> upset,
> and all of you are going to find yourselves unwelcome. Are we clear,
> kids?"
> He looked at each of them in turn, and Jupiter found herself
> nodding. This bar was a valuable meeting place; she did not want to
> get banned.
> "Splendid," Senior announced. "Do carry on." With that he
> turned and made his way back to the bar, Junior trailing along.
The fact that Senior can get away with talking to Gareth like
this says
something about the level of respect this establishment has.
> "Don't I?" Gareth asked smoothly. "Sakamura's blood was still
> wet on his shirt when Rin brought it to me. Am I to turn a blind eye
> while you indulge in revenge, girl? Are the restrictions of our
> treaty only
> for lesser beings, that you can ignore them at your convenience?"
My, we're leaping to assumptions, aren't we? Although from his
standpoint, I suppose it's justified.
> "It does not take three of you to send regards," Vanka snapped,
> descended the rest of the stairs to the tiled floor. Half a dozen
guards
> stood around the three girls warily; the bold and unapologetic
appearance
> of three "Sisters" had thrown the men off balance. Striding in like
> young
> goddesses, the three girls had acted as though they had every right
to be
<Grin> I didn't think Ranma was that good an actor.
> "And I think that the presence of those cursed sailor girls
here, so
> close to Baniesti, is troubling," Rei replied evenly, meeting the
woman's
> molten gaze. "The Nightmistress agrees. She is most curious to know
> why they should have come here. What might they have discovered, and
> how?"
A lovely bluff, built on innuendo and assumptions. Works great, as
long as no one calls it...
> plan to follow, and Rei had hers. Vanka led her up the stairs and
> along a
> hallway lined with intricate tapestries, sculpture, and paintings. The
> artwork was all exquisite and quite authentic, Rei noted. No surprises
> there. The wealthy and powerful liked to be surrounded by beautiful
> things.
Or perhaps, *unattainable* things -- things out of the reach of the
lumpen proles. I'll bet that's half the reason behind Vanka's
"extracurricular" activities: it's an exercise of her power and
invulnerability. After all, what's the use of being above the law if
you don't *do* anything with it?
> "He was quite a useful asset in life," Vanka announced, noticing
> Rei's gaze. "But shifters, they are beasts at heart and cannot be
> trusted.
> So he became useful in another way." Vanka's smile told Rei that she
> was quite serious. Rei only nodded, as though murdering a werecat and
> making a rug out of him was the act of a completely reasonable human
> being.
....gah. Okay, somebody needs to KILL this bitch, before this fic is
finished.
Unfortunately, I'll bet there's plenty more where she came from.
> "They normally revert to human form when killed, don't they?"
> she inquired.
> "Oh, yes," Vanka admitted with a thin smile. "But there are
> ways around that. It just takes some ingenuity. And I have that,
> Sister ...
> but you haven't introduced yourself, my dear."
> "Call me Rein."
Ooooh, there are *so* many cracks I could make right here...
> "I am certain you can appreciate just how difficult things are at
> this juncture," Rei said with a smile that contained the first
You know, every time *I* try innuendo like this, I get tripped up. And
yet Rei pulls it off effortlessly. There's no justice...
> "It would be most improper of me to speculate," Vanka breathed,
> reaching out to run her fingers idly through Rei's glossy hair. They
> were
> very close now, but Rei didn't mind. If this was how Vanka wanted to
> play the game, fine. Let them engage in a duel of veiled words and
> tantalizing teases. Rei was becoming more and more certain that Vanka
> did know more than she should of what the Sisterhood planned. And Rei
> wanted to know whatever Vanka knew.
> And what Rei wanted, Rei got.
C3P0: "I've have a bad feeling about this."
> "Perhaps," Rei replied softly, sighing as Vanka's nails traced the
> edge of her ear. "But we cannot take chances, Vanka, not when we are
> so close to our goal. I must assess the danger this incident poses,
> if any.
> It is my duty. Can I count on your complete cooperation?"
> "Of course, Rein," Vanka purred throatily, her hand slipping
> down to Rei's shoulder as their bodies brushed lightly against each
> other.
> "It will be my ... pleasure."
> Vanka's hand slipped along the base of Rei's throat, and in that
> instant white hot pain arced through Rei's body like a ragged knife.
Her
> head snapped back and she tried to scream, but every muscle in her body
> seemed to have contracted at once, and only a strangled gasp escaped.
> She hung in a hellish cage of agony for long moments, vaguely aware of
> Vanka's fingers tightening around her throat.
I knew things were going too well.
> "You called, Sultana?" a voice came from out of Rei's field of
> vision. It was a man's voice, deep and resonant, with a strong Tyrian
> accent. Rei had no idea how or when Vanka had called anyone, but one
> thing was quickly becoming apparent.
Telepathy? Or just some kind of covert signalling system?
> They were in trouble.
That's a gross understatement.
> "I'm sensing an issue with the plan," I muttered, looking out past
> the orange tarp.
> "You mean like the fact that the office I wanted to check seems to
> have been in the part of the house that got smashed?" Minako asked
> lightly. "Yes, I think that might be a problem."
> I glanced at her. Minako was putting on quite a show of being
> nonchalant, but the longer we were here, the stronger that subtle
> undercurrent of tension became. I was liking this plan less and less.
> I'd have liked it more if I got to hit someone.
<eyeroll> Well, I suspect you may get your wish, soon.
> "I wonder what happened?"
> "It may have something to do with Shadow," Minako murmured
> as we walked back down the hallway. "Remember, the building over
> there was completely demolished. Maybe that affected this place as
> well."
Or vice versa.
> "Maybe," I shrugged. I didn't really get the mystic mumbo-
> jumbo stuff. The important thing was that Minako had known where the
> lady of the house kept her files and miscellaneous incriminating
> evidence, but now that room was gonzo. Kaput. "But at least we
> definitely know that this Vanka is linked to the Sisterhood."
> "That doesn't do us any good if we can't find out what she
> knows," Minako said, eyes flicking rapidly along the hallway. I didn't
> know what she expected to see, but her fingers were drumming rapidly
> against her thigh, a sort of nervous tic that I'd never seen her show
> before. In the short time I'd known her, she'd seemed alternately flaky
> and capricious. That is, until things got tight. Then she'd shown
> admirable focus and cool competence. This was unlike her, though, and
> worrisome. Phobos's warning, relayed from Rei, still nagged me.
I smell a time bomb.
> Or, apparently, for other activities; a hoarse cry reached us even
> through the heavy doors.
> "What the hell?" I blurted. Minako actually flinched, her eyes
> wide and fixed on those doors. "Hey, Minako? What's ... hey!"
Crap. Someone just triggered the timer. I knew this was probably
gonna happen.
> It was a torture chamber.
> Seriously, like out of a movie or something. Okay, there were no
> cobwebs or flickering torches like in a monster movie. It was clean and
> well-lit, but that didn't make it any less horrible. In fact, somehow
> the
> track lighting and off-white paint made it worse. Seeing those racks
and
> manacles hanging in a room that was otherwise quite ordinary was
> jarring, almost unreal.
The fact that the walls, ceiling, floor, and furnishings were all made
to be powerwashed apparently didn't register.
And I agree. A 'medical' torture chamber is scarier than a medieval one...
> legs as big around as tree-trunks. I'd seen big guys before,
> bodybuilders
> and the like, but something about this guy, maybe the shape of his
> ears or
> the planes of his face, seemed somehow wrong. As in not human. It took
> me a moment to recall where I'd had that feeling before, but it finally
> came to me that the bouncer at Club Kiss had been the same way. This
> guy, though, he was much bigger.
Huh. That never got mentioned before. Some kind of golem? Or an
enhanced human of some kind? Or there's always magically-created
Terminators...
> As impressive as the big man was, my attention was really
> rivetted by the other occupants of the tidy, suburban torture chamber.
> There were nine of them, six girls, three guys. The first thing that
> struck
> me about them wasn't that they ranged from striking to stunning in
> appearance; I guess I was just getting used to the unearthly beauty that
> reigned in this city.
You can get used to anything, after a while. Which means Mina and Rei
shouldn't give up yet.
> The triangular ears and tails that each of them
> possessed, though, those were definitely different. I didn't mistake
> them
> for costumes, like Minako's club outfit, not for one minute. The ears
> twitched nervously, the tails lashed, and the pupils of their eyes were
> elongated. These were the real deal.
I recall he saw one or two in passing in the Triangle when searching
for Rei, but this is probably his first encounter up close.
> Most of the girls wore sexy maid outfits as extreme as the ones
> Minako had conjured for the senshi, although one wore a white lace
> number that weighed approximately as much as an impure thought. Two
I gotta remember that one.
> of the guys wore matching outfits, skin-tight leather pants with
> boots, no
> shirt, and white collars with bow-ties and matching cuffs.
ChippenButlers?
> The third wore mostly blood.
<forced humor> Well, red *is* the new black...
> His wounds weren't that bad from what I could see. Hanging by
> his manacled wrists, he'd clearly been given a going-over by Captain
> Gargantua. Besides the cuts, there were ugly bruises forming all along
> his ribs. I could practically see the shape of Gargantua's fists in
> those
> marks, and it made me mad. Mad enough to ignore the tingle of unease
> that these distant cat-cousins evoked in me, at least for the moment.
As long as they don't shift into cats (and somehow I don't think
they're weres), he should be okay.
Someone's about to get a righteous beatdown.
> "Ah, our visitors from the Sisterhood," the secretary said
> casually, as if there was nothing remarkable about walking into a room
> full of terrified cat-people watching one of their own get tortured.
> "Have you come to critique our technique? I assure you, we are quite
> capable of handling discipline amongst the help."
This casual bit of exposition actually ratchets up the creep factor by
two whole notches. Cruelty from anger or psychosis is one thing, but
this bland, bored, *casual* viciousness is just a whole 'nother kettle
of fish altogether.
> "Discipline?" I asked. Whatever was showing on my face made
> the guards come to attention, no longer smiling their bored little
> smiles.
Cover: Blown.
> "Indeed," the secretary told me. I noticed that she was wearing
> black gloves, and that she had something fitted over the fingers of
> her left
> hand, something that gleamed with metallic highlights. Steel
knuckles of
> some kind? "I miss Tyria, you know. The local peasants here provide
> little in the way of challenge. I feel my talents are wasted on the
> likes of
> these. What this city needs is a good slave market, something to put
the
> proper fear into the lower classes. Don't you agree, my dear?"
This is either a deliberate provocation, or a misstep of the grossest
possible stupidity.
> This last was directed at Minako. I felt a queasy sensation in the
> pit of my stomach as I turned and saw her standing, frozen, just behind
> me. Her face was pasty, the pupils of her eyes oddly glazed, and her
> breath was coming in rapid little gasps. Something was wrong, badly
> wrong. I could practically hear this mission splashing into the
> toilet as
> we stood there, and I knew it was time to pull the plug. Whatever
> secrets
> Minako was keeping about this place, she wasn't ready to face them.
> Hell, if they involved a room like this, neither was I.
Oh, damn. I was afraid Mina might explode, but I really wasn't
expecting this. That 'bad feeling' just got worse...
> "Oh, dear," the woman said, her voice dripping insincere
> concern. "Your partner seems unwell."
> "She's fine," I said shortly, trying to catch Minako's eye. "Look,
> I can see you're busy, so why don't we just come back later?" Yeah,
I'll
> be back, I thought. And then we'll see how tough you guys are.
Get Minako out, then come back and nuke the block. Sounds like a plan
to me.
> "Oh, I'm sorry," the woman said, taking a step towards us. "I'm
> afraid there's been a change in plans." Then she stepped past me and
> thrust her hand into Minako's stomach. The metal loop around her
> knuckles made a crackling sound, and Minako cried out in pain,
> dropping to her knees. Incensed, I turned to grab the woman, but
> before I
> could move, a hand the size of a car dropped over my head, fingers
> clamping tightly and lifting me off the ground.
Okay, this must have been a setup. Either that, or that unknown
communication system again. The opening dialogue could have been
innocent, but they slipped from conversation to attack too smoothly.
> That hurt. I kicked, taken off guard, but couldn't make contact
> with anything. Damn, Gargantua was not only big, he was fast. Damned
> fast.
Crap. Even Anything-Goes needs leverage. I suppose she could try to
ki-blast him, but...
> "Arj, take care of her," the woman said, casual contempt in her
> voice.
> "Yes, Karla," Gragantua replied smoothly. I felt myself being
> spun through the air as I clawed at the massive hand, trying to gain
some
> leverage to break myself free.
> Then I hit a wall. Sparks flared behind my eyes as I was hoisted
> with
> ridiculous ease through the air, then hit it again.
> And again.
> And again.
> Then something gave way with a crunch, and I was falling ...
...but that takes some time, and concentration. Once again, the
element of surprise trumps superior skill and firepower.
>
> End chapter 16
It's a good thing 17 came out right after, or I might have done
myself a mischief. Of course, now I have to C&C *that* chapter....
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