Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.
Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.
"Speech"
Time*
Noise*
{Timer}
Arc 1 - Chapter 15: Oh, She Here
2 days later*
"I feel like I'm forgetting something important would happen today." Lawliet thought out loud as he finished teaching Ranma the [18 Dragon Subduing Palm: With a Loss comes Confidence]. This is something that greatly helps Ranma, even more, compared to the other stances and moves in the [18 Dragon Subduing Palm] that Ranma has learned up to now.
Defeat does not mean death. A master of this understanding has learned to accept their failures with grace and learn from them. Any technique experienced at least once will lose some effectiveness if used again, and repeated exposure can potentially allow the master to develop counter techniques to defend themselves. This is [With a Loss comes Confidence], in other words, this allows the user to adapt towards all experienced attacks.
However, Lawliet was a bit unsure to teach this Ranma now than later on, since the [With a Loss comes Confidence] require [Dragon Ki] to make it work, then decided that Ranma may as well learn it now as a way to just set up the foundation for Ranma to use it easier and in a short time the moment he gains access to his [Ki].
"Is it to bring Lala-sensei out to the skating rink today?" Ranma asks his first mentor while breathing heavily, for learning the [With a Loss comes Confidence] took quite a strain on his mind and body. Mostly the former than the latter, since he already learns how to adapt at a young age for the art, but what he learned today had push that to the limit and going beyond it. Ranma begins to wonder what would happen if Lawliet-sensei would go all out on him, making Ranma shiver at the bloody image before shaking his head.
"Not really. Plus, Lala and I went a few days ago." Lawliet still doesn't know if he should be annoyed or laugh at the way people continue to stare at Lala with the way she dressed and with most of them falling on their face or smacked into something before it was too late. "Also, now that I think about it. But, has things been weird lately around the house?" Lawliet asks due to the fact, that whenever he can, he would take a nap that would turn into a full-blown sleep for the entire night unless someone comes over to wake him up. Therefore, making Lawliet miss out something going on during the time he is asleep.
"Well, Ryoga came back into town, but was found by some random strange girl while he was in his cursed form and now being treated as a pet like how Akane did before she found out about Ryoga's cursed form of a pig. Anyway, I clean my hands off of helping Ryoga out and Akane discovered Ryoga, trying to help the random strange girl out by revealing Ryoga's secret of being cursed." Ranma paused for a second to think about the scene that went by today. "However, instead of helping the strange girl. Akane accidentally got challenged into a skating match, which she accepted due to her big ego and temporarily forgot about Ryoga at the time due to learning about the strange girl and her friend being someone great at skating from other, causing whatever Akane was thinking to show off and go against the strange girl and her friend. Even though, Akane really didn't need to in the first place."
Lawliet looks at Ranma blankly for a few seconds before responding, "Isn't Akane still injured?"
"Yup."
"And she wants to compete? In skating?"
"Pretty much."
Lawliet let out a sigh, then give Ranma a deadpan, which he did the same in return. "Try your best not to get involve."
"I'll do my best, Lawliet-sensei, but knowing pop. He will try to make do it somehow, but I will do make sure I push him off until it's too late." Ranma looks at his first mentor with the burning determination not to be under his pop's control again, nor does he have any desire of wanting to help Akane after dealing with how foolish and prideful she is without anything to back it up. In fact, Ranma knew he is a prideful person too, which was knocked down by both his mentors day by day until Ranma understand that one can have pride as long one has a mean to back it up. Otherwise, it just causes unfortunate results.
"Anything else interesting?" Lawliet asks Ranma. "Or is that just it?"
"Eh, not much. Other than Kodachi is still trying to get Mr. Tendo to go on a date again. Though, I honestly don't know how she did it, to make him go on the first one, to begin with." Ranma can't quite understand how did Kodachi do it, but he wasn't that eager to find out. Something about doing such a thing would lead to unfortunate events to him if he dares.
"Well, better him than us. I would say." Lawliet was skeptical at first, that Kodachi would really continue to pursuit Soun, but she still going just like how she does in canon. Nonetheless, this is better for Ranma at least. Plus, Lawliet can already see that Ranma is becoming a lot stronger compared to his early canon before being forced to improve himself to defeat his opponents in a way, that make one call bullshit or just outright looking down at Ranma for being a hypocrite without realizing it due to being under his father's teaching.
"Yeah." Ranma nods at his first mentor, for he has already seen how Kodachi acts around Mr. Tendo and those around him. Making Ranma shiver of the idea of having someone like Kodachi for him. Just the thought alone would cause Ranma a few nightmares. "I'm just glad it just her. Any more like her around would be crazy." Not realizing that he just jinxed himself and without knowing, that technically Kodachi was just the beginning as there will be more later.
Lawliet looks at Ranma with a deadpan, for he just triggers murphy's law. Now, Lawliet will have to prepare for the chaos that will soon happen one way or another.
A week later*
Lawliet let out a yawn while lying on Lala's lap, where she is currently just enjoying petting her lover's head for the time being. An activity that both Lawliet and Lala can enjoy together. With the former really doing nothing, other than resting and secretly a little happy to feel Lala'a bare skin thighs. While the latter is happy to get to touch the former's head and be able to look at her lover's face too.
"Ranma, you have a guest." Kasumi said to Ranma, who came in just to see someone he never expects as his legs gave out on him.
That someone is Shampoo. A Chinese Amazon from Joketsuzoku. One of the main three fiancees of Ranma's canon and a rival of both Akane and Ukyo Kuonji. Furthermore, is that some of the characters from Shampoo's village are named after beauty products.
Shampoo has waist-length purple hair with a fringe and two strands hanging in front that are secured with ties. She wears an outfit consists of a light colored long-sleeved blouse and pants with the addition of a dark breastplate and a pair of mental arm-guards.
Yup, Shampoo arrived not that long ago, but Lawliet didn't care much since she wasn't causing any harm other than threatening Genma a couple of times in the last few minutes ago before calmly accepting the tea from Kasumi. Also, Lawliet made sure to clearly speak in Chinese to Shampoo that she is to not cause any problem here whatsoever and making sure not to cause any harm to Shampoo that could lead to Shampoo placing the Kiss of Marriage on him.
Lawliet avoids aggroing her into attacking him, which leads to him defending himself and defeating her by accident or something, then this will leads to the Kiss of Marriage. Due to its apparent nature as the counterpart to the Kiss of Death and the apparent formality with which is to pursue the opposite gender to be married. Something Lawliet knew the moment Shampoo give him the Kiss of Marriage. He can kiss his lazy life away.
It's a good thing, there Lala around to speak in fluent Chinese as well, to distract Shampoo from the idea of wanting to fight anyone here. Including Lala herself, who somehow manage to convince that she wasn't a threat to Shampoo. Much to Lawliet's relief, because he rather not have his girlfriend/fiancee to be in harm way, not that Lawliet has to do anything about defending Lala. After all, with Lala's raw strength alone would easily defeat Shampoo. Maybe.
"Also, uncle Saotome brought her." Kasumi happily informs Ranma, who quickly grabs the collar of his panda pop by the furry neck.
Genma quickly pulls out a sign that says: She followed me.
Yet, that didn't stop Ranma nor make him not wanting to punch the daylight out of Genma.
"Are you insane, pop?!" Ranma couldn't believe this is happening!
"Ranma?" Shampoo asks Ranma as she looks across at Ranma and after staring at him for a short while. "Hello."
"Heh... Hello." Ranma greets back as he releases his pop as he leans back a bit, with how close Shampoo is moving so close to him.
Angrily, Shampoo pats Ranma's chest and realizes that Ranma is male. "Man?"
"S-S-S-Sorry to disapp-p-point you!" Ranma became extremely nervous when he realizes, that the moment he turns into his cursed form is the moment Shampoo realizes who he truly is.
Lawliet quickly remembers what's about to happen. And so, Lawliet begins speaking with Shampoo in Chinese, that the female Ranma she is looking for is out at a friend's place for a sleepover and even mentions how the male Ranma is the female Ranma's twin. This is why male Ranma was mistaken for his (fake) twin sister.
"So, the one I'm looking for isn't here?" Shampoo replied back in Chinese, causing those that don't know the language to not understand a single word she saying. Luckily, there are two people here that do. Making conversations a lot easier.
"Nope. In fact, between you and me." Lawliet looks at Genma, then smirks a little, causing Genma to shiver. "That panda over there has caused so much problem for both Ranma and their horrible father, who decided to name both Ranma with the same name just because he too lazy to think about a second name. To make it even worse, for the two Ranma. Their mother is out of the picture and by the time they learn about their name. They only that they are both called as Ranma." Lawliet quickly begins to bullshit his way into slowly brainwashing Shampoo, that Ranma and his cursed form are twins and been raised by Genma as a bad influence.
This is technically true.
Nonetheless, that didn't stop Lawliet from spitting out so many lies, that he made sure to put in some truths into the whole ordeal to make things more believable in Shampoo's eyes. By the end, Shampoo is looking at Ranma with pitiful eyes and an angry look at Genma, who still in his cursed form, due to learning that the panda was the one that causes the female Ranma to look up at the beginning before he and Lala came into the picture to help the two Ranma out from being raised wrongly and in a dishonorable way. Furthermore, putting the human Genma even more bad light, for being sexist, which just pissed Shampoo even more than before.
"Shampoo. Apology being rude." Shampoo tried to speak in her broken Japanese before giving panda Genma a good glare before unexpectedly attack him with one of her Chui she pulls out from behind out of thin air.
But, Lawliet can detect Shampoo has somehow created a pocket dimension out of her [Ki], where it barely stable and very small that it can only her weapons and little objects could be stored in. If anything, Lawliet wonder how in the world Shampoo is still alive right now with such an unstable pocket dimension that just on the borderline of exploding.
"Uh, Lawliet-sensei?" Ranma looks at his first mentor, for what's going on and why Shampoo attacking his panda pop instead of him like he expected her to.
"Just take it as me helping you out by pointing out the obvious things related to your father's bad influence over you." Lawliet said to Ranma while he watches Shampoo try to kill panda Genma, but that didn't last too long before Ranma got involved once Lawliet explaining to Ranma about how he should maybe prevent his father from defeating Shampoo. As the chance of Shampoo applying the Kiss of Marriage on Genma, something Lawliet find a little amusing since Genma would have to put up an insane Chinese Amazon as a fiancee like how canon Ranma did. But, even Lawliet didn't wish for Shampoo to do something so stupid and a fate worse than death.
30 minutes later*
Lawliet smirk as he watches Ranma preventing Shampoo at all costs from giving him the Kiss of Marriage by pushing her face away after realizing how powerful of a martial artist Ranma is by defeating his pop with ease. Giving Shampoo a good show, that Ranma would be a great candidate to be with. If that wasn't enough, Ranma accidentally defeated Shampoo with a slip of a palm strike that meant for his father and land on Shampoo, who was still doing her best to attack Genma at the time. One good palm strike and Shampoo couldn't move much and required Lawliet to fix her up, and by then, Ranma knocked his father out cold.
Overall, Lawliet is fine with this result because he made sure to remind Ranma how the Kiss of Marriage only works the moment Shampoo gives him a kiss on the cheek in order to take in effect. Otherwise, Shampoo's laws can't work on Ranma no matter how she words it. Therefore, this entire time after dealing with Genma, who is knocked out cold. Its been a game of cat and mouse, with the cat being Shampoo and the mouse being Ranma.
"So, are we going to have another person living with us?" Lala asks Lawliet after taking a sip of water from a cup, then placing it back on the table for later to drink.
"Unless Shampoo here has a place to stay on her own or money to rent a room, then she will have to camp somewhere for public usage. Of course, if Ranma or someone here is willing to provide Shampoo enough money for the first month to stay here to give her enough time to find a local place for a job to support herself. Then, she will be able to stay here a bit longer." Lawliet replied to Lala's question, causing those around that listened along had a thoughtful look. This somewhat includes Shampoo as well since she may have a bit hard time speaking Japanese, but that doesn't mean her ability to understand Japanese is the same level as speaking. Therefore, Shampoo still understood Lawliet's words; however, not nearly enough for Shampoo to understand her situation, but enough to understand she will need money or something valuable in order to allow her to stay here.
"Shampoo doesn't have much. This will do?" Shampoo reaches into her back pocket to access her pocket dimension to pull out a gold bar. Shampoo moves away before Nabiki could even get close, making her scowl at Shampoo, who just huffs at her. For Shampoo knew how valuable gold is and going by how Nabiki react. Then, taking this gold bar, that is the size of her palm should be enough for her to stay here to give her a better chance to give the male Ranma the Kiss of Marriage. "Shampoo give. Shampoo stay." Shampoo said to Nabiki, who narrowed her eyes.
"A month." Nabiki can tell that the gold bar in Shampoo wasn't worth the same as the one Lawliet gave away. But, it's still gold nonetheless. Gold that her desire to possess.
"Shampoo no fool. 6!" Shampoo may not know the exact value of this gold bar in her hand, but it should worth more than just a month of staying here.
"Not happening. 3 months!" Nabiki knew the trouble when she sees it and Shampoo is just a buttload of it, waiting to be set off. Just the thought alone of having someone like Shampoo living with her would make her think twice before accepting any currency from this crazy girl. However, Nabiki did think twice and she wants that gold still. It's worth the trouble that comes along with Shampoo.
"5!" Shampoo knew that she came here without much a plan to stay other than camping outside. However, the chance of staying indoor right now is too good to give up. Sure, she can find a place to stay if she put a bit more effort, but her Japanese still isn't up to the level for locals to understand her and for her to understand too without having any misunderstanding going on both sides.
"4 and I'm not going any higher." Nabiki knew that she risking her family, but outside of Kasumi. She can just make sure to avoid being at home until Kasumi and Lawliet come back home. In fact, maybe she should ask Lawliet for a job? Nabiki is sure she be able to get one, that way she has an excuse to stay outside instead of coming home every day when school is over.
Lala blink, then look at Lawliet, "Is gold worth a lot?" Lala has many ways of acquiring gold. In fact, she has a method to make gold easily without the need for her special equipment she still hasn't remake yet.
"Kinda. But, too much would just cause unwanted attention and might lower the value of gold temporarily." Lawliet said to Lala before she could ask any more questions, that most likely to cause Nabiki's attention to be focused on Lala and would do something that would cause Lala to hate Nabiki. Something Lawliet rather not have since he already feels pity for Nabiki and rather not end up having Lala doing something to Nabiki like she still planning to do with Akane.
Lawliet watch Shampoo happily hands over the gold bar as she is now able to live with the Tendo family's home for the duration of 4 months with food included as well. While Nabiki just rushes to her room to keep the gold bar safe from anyone really; well, from the two other male adults in the building.
"Hm." Lawliet thought about all the problems if Shampoo discovers that the female and male Ranma are the same, but by the mouths of people that wanted to take advantage of the problem and make it bigger than it should. In fact, Lawliet is a little ashamed for making up such a lie and quickly plans to inform Shampoo about this before she tries to kill Ranma again when he is in his cursed form. "Hey, Shampoo. I need to speak with you privately for a bit."
Shampoo and everyone else looks at Lawliet, with some looking at the former, who is still trying to kiss Ranma on the cheek.
30 minutes later*
"I might have made things worst." Lawliet said dryly as Shampoo has now doubled her effort into giving Ranma the Kiss of Marriage after finding out Ranma's situation of his curse.
"Ya think?!" Ranma shouted as he has begun using the movement technique he was taught by his first mentor. To avoid being caught by Shampoo, who surprisingly has a strong grip, making him question if she was related to Lala-sensei or not, due to the latter having abnormal strength. Ranma can now count on one hand up to three girls that have abnormal strengths, with Lala-sensei being on top and Shampoo just right below her, with Akane at the last place.
"Well, you can treat this as another training, mainly evasion training. You've been doing great with the water. Maybe it's time for someone like Shampoo that continues to aim for you consistently, making it into training, where you will be alert 24/7 until it becomes a subconscious thing." Lawliet continues to bullshit his way into getting out of trouble related to Ranma.
"This isn't an excuse to let Shampoo here do whatever she needs to place the Kiss of Marriage on me, right?" Ranma looks at Lawliet-sensei with a deadpan while getting used to Shampoo's pattern and slowly adapting to the way she moves, giving him a few extra seconds to plan out his next steps to avoid being capture by Shampoo along with a way to take her down without causing too much harm to her as well as causing damage to the surrounding.
"Eh, I'll be honest. I was planning to find another way to increase your evasion training and among others, but with Shampoo here. Well, at least you have someone else to spar with and talk about the art, right? Unless you look down on the female martial artists?" Lawliet raises an eyebrow at Ranma while ignoring the way Shampoo is now on the ground panting due to running out of steam and no longer be able to move for a while now.
"I don't, but that doesn't mean I want this kind of training!" Ranma glance over to Shampoo before a quick glance over to his unconscious pop, then looks back at Lawliet-sensei. "Actually, maybe having Shampoo here as my training partner might not be that bad." Sure better than having to deal with his pop and him badmouthing all the time. At least with Shampoo, he won't have to deal with it.
"That's good to hear. Well, it's time to sleep. Good luck finding where she sleeps. I'll leave it in your hands, Ranma. You can even ask Kasumi over here for help if needed. Of course, if you're planning to go to bed soon?" Lawliet looks at Kasumi, who just waves her right hand.
"It's fine. I'm happy to help Ranma-kun out." Kasumi smile, then look at Shampoo and have a thoughtful look. "I think I have a room for Shampoo to stay."
"Glad that's taken care of." Lawliet stretches his arms and lets out a yawn before allowing Lala to drag him to their bedroom, where Lala eager for them to cuddle and kiss again before sleeping. An activity Lawliet never gets tired of and if he ever does. Someone should shoot him in the head for thinking such a thing. Especially with someone like Lala.
