What if we spit in your eye, stomp on your kidneys, and
steal your puppy?

Alas, I have no puppy.  I have two 17-year-old cats, however, that will be 
very cross if you try to steal them.

Anyone who could get this far could count
themselves among the best-conditioned people
on campus.

"Our DDR club is the best in Japan!"

Heh.  Funny thing is, it's not difficult to imagine a Takahashi-esque DDR 
Martial Arts Contest.

The School's first and most revered precept is this: Keep
your mind open and your body ready, and there is no enemy
that can overcome you."

"More than once. Twice, max."

Hehehe.  Well, keep in mind there's a difference between a precept and 
actual reality.  =)

He followed with a foot sweep, and she jumped over it.

Then he went for an eyepoke, and she countered by honking
his nose with her toes.

This, too, is easy to imagine done Takahashi-style.

Kentaro was planning on going on to medical
school, and quite possibly becoming a surgeon.
Ranma's degree had been in Physical Education,
and she was planning on opening a dojo.

So they compromised: they decided to open the Anything
Goes Surgical Dojo and Martial Arts Hospital.

Heh.  I could see this becoming quite profitable.  =)  "Oh dear, did I break 
your wrist *again*?  Well, I'm certain my husband will give you a Preferred 
Customer discount."

That filled him with a peace and happiness he had never known.

And then the Borg arrived.

Close.  A heavily Zen-influenced Akane.

Kentaro's pulse quickened. All seniors were encouraged to live
off-campus,given the perpetual housing shortage the college had.

Honest C&C time here.

Japanese colleges, especially at the level Ranma is actually
probably qualified to enter, generally DO NOT HAVE on-campus
housing of ANY sort.

I did some very skimpy research years ago, and found a web site that 
described some agricultural college in Japan and used that as my basis for 
this unnamed college.  It had on-campus housing that looked quite similar to 
what you'd find at an American college.  I decided one example was good 
enough to use as my setting; as long as such things existed, I didn't need 
to worry too much about whether such a thing was typical or not.

Mostly I did this because it allowed me to draw upon my own college 
experience when writing these bits.

She was a little taller than Ranma, with
shoulder-length hair and a beautiful face.
She was wearing a blue dress and a white,
wide-brimmed hat.

[Ranma] *hits Kentaro upside the head* "Oi! Quit lookin'
at other girls!"

Hehe.  Somehow, I don't think this is something Ranma would ever get worried 
about.

Much.

Maybe a little, considering how Ranma responded a few times in the manga. 
=)

As an aside, the image of Akane was taken from one of those DoCo "music 
videos".  Man, I loved those things.

"Tell me what you're feeling."

[Kentaro] "Well I'm NOT feeling YOU! You're a DUDE!"

[Aerosmith] "Dude looks like a lady!"

[Kentaro] "NOBODY ASKED YOU!"

Hehehe.  Had me chuckling out loud, that bit.

Kentaro looked into Ranma's face. She was smiling now,
showing sympathy and bemusement

Bemusement? Really? That doesn't seem to fit the scene...

Hmm, good point.

Kasumi's voice, gentle and slightly wistful, was
like a breath of spring air warming the iciness of
the atmosphere around the table. "Perhaps we should
look at this from another angle. Rather than debate
these issues of duty and obligation, let us ask
Ranma-kun what he wants to do."

THANK YOU, Voice Of Reason!

=)  No matter how many different ways I characterize Ranma, my Kasumi's are 
always very "Heart of the Home" Kasumi's.

"It sounds strange to say that. I still think of
Ranma as a man."

"Not that there's anything wrong with that!"

Heh.  It's weird to think that the entirety of Seinfeld was broadcast after 
I first published this story.

"Because you think that in a few days I may be deprived
of your company? Because you think maybe I need a
going-away present?"

Okay, that's COMPLETELY uncalled for. :/

Heh.  That's what I get when I use a "Star Trek" episode as inspiration.

Haven't yet heard anyone like what Kentaro said here, and when I did my 
rewrite, I considered removing it.  But then I decided to let it be because 
I needed Kentaro to be a bit of a jerk.

Looking back over the course of my Ranma fanfiction writing, Kentaro was my 
prototype for Nouma, and we all know how well *that* worked out.  =/  So I 
decided that anything that showed Kentaro as being less than perfect was 
good.

Ah, it was truly a joy to read that again after so many
years--and such a surprise that it's held up well to the
test of time. Kudos. ^_^

Thanks, Lurker.  And thanks very much for the funny C&C.  =)

-Richard 


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