Mina-san, Ohayou!
In message <Pine.SOL.3.91.971027205753.14252B-100000@general2.asu.edu>
Raphael See <raphael@asu.edu> wrote:
: A little delayed. <sigh>
Sebastian: "A little delayed"? A *little* delayed?! I've been
waiting for this so long! Almost as long as... as...
Angus: As long as *you* took finishing volume 3 of _Ranko 1/2_?
Sebastian: Shut up!
: -----
: Scoop of the Day
: A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
: -----
:
:
: Chapter Six: The Only Thing I Could Do
: She sighed with resignation and began to pull the unconscious
: journalist inside to tend to her injuries. *People may think a lot of
: things about me, but I'm no monster,* she thought grimly.
Sebastian: Certainly not.
Angus: A pushy crossdresser, yes, but no monster.
Sebastian: Angus, do you *want* to be beaten to a pulp by Zen?
: Ukyo buried her
: nose in a book ("Zen and the Art of Okonomiyaki").
Angus: I thought she knows everything about Okonomiyaki.
Sebastian: Perhaps she was more interested in the Zen.
Angus: I bet he's glad to hear *that*.
: Alhtough Ukyo acted civilly enough, her demeanor made
: it rather clear that she would be much more comfortable when Noriko was
: out of the restaurant,
"Although"
: Feeling that dark excitement scared her beyond belief, and ever
: since then she had taken pains to avoid ever experiencing the joy of
: hurting someone else, of being a martial artist. But after all these
: years, was that what she still was? Back in the journalism room with
: Ranma, she wanted to hurt him, and badly. And this afternoon, Noriko
: couldn't shake the fact that a small part of her gloried when she struck
: her final blow, rendering the kendoist unconscious.
Sebastian: And how different are her actions with the newspaper?
She was out to hurt Ranma - and all other martial artists. And
I'm sure she enjoyed it just as much as if it had been a physical
blow she dealt.
Angus: The difference is that nobody has to go to the hospital
after this kind of blow.
Sebastian: Only because they don't know a cure there.
: Noriko looked out at the faces of her crew, attentive and loyal.
: How could she possibly let them down? "Hi, guys," she began a bit
: nervously.
Sebastian: That's a *good* way to begin.
Angus: I figured you would say that.
: "I...I didn't know what to do," she finished, a catch in her
: voice. "It was either doom the paper or give up my principles, so...so I
: decided to resign. There wasn't anything else I could do, nothing that
: wouldn't hurt someone else."
Sebastian: She keeps repeating that it's the only thing she couls
do. Whom does she want to convince?
Angus: Who do you think?
: "That's not fair!" Noriko protested, her voice rising a bit. "You
: think this has been easy for me?"
Sebastian: No, it wasnt easy for her, but Suzuki is still right.
Perhaps it wasn't easy - but it was simple. Her integrity or
continued survival of the _Informer_. A *very* simple choice -
almost archetypically so.
: Noriko slumped back in her seat, defeated. "What should I do,
: then?" she asked, her voice tired.
:
: "The right thing. Print the retraction. We can worry about the
: 'Informer's' funding later. But don't give in to Kuno-kouchou's pressure.
: We've got to take a stand." He paused, waiting for Noriko's reaction, but
: none came. "Come on, let's go get that retraction printed. Okay?"
:
: "I...I can't...," she finally whispered, tears beginning to well
: up. "I'm sorry..."
Angus: Look, woman, if you already decided, then don't ask what
to do.
: Suzuki's expression fell. Slowly, deliberately, he got up to his
: feet. "Funny; I believed in you once," he muttered, disappointment nearly
: tangible in his voice. "I guess I was wrong. See you around, Chief." He
: turned and started back towards the school building.
Sebastian: Ouch.
: "Why is it that I always end up doing the wrong thing?" she asked
: aloud in despair.
:
: "Indeed, such a young flower of life should not be thinking such
: self-impugning thoughts," came a response from somewhere behind her.
Sebastian: Ah, the comic relief.
Angus: About time. I thought she'd be pulling out her tantou to
end it all, any second now.
Sebastian: Without a kaishaku?
Angus: Well, she just managed to drive Suzuki away.
: "Need I say the words again?" Kuno replied as he readied himself
: for another lunge. "Noriko Hirauchi, I love you! I would date with you!"
:
: *He...he's not trying to beat me this time,* she thought with
: some panicked relief as she narrowly escaped his embrace. *But is this
: any better?!*
Sebastian: Who knows what madness lurks in the brain of Kunou...?
Angus: Well, Noriko knows now.
: Noriko nodded. "When I got there...you had already left. I meant
: to apologize to you, but I guess I was too late. I'm sorry. For
: everything," she answered, bowing deeply.
:
: "Oh yeah? Well, ah...all right, then," he faltered at the
: unexpectedly meek response, putting a hand behind his head.
Angus: Heh, never had an opponent who apologized before, did ya?
Sebastian: That might be the reason why he hasn't gotten the hang
of it yet, himself.
: "How can you do that?" Noriko asked, a trace of horror in her voice.
:
: "Ah, it's not much," Ranma answered modestly. "It's easy after
: you've practiced as much as I have. The trick is getting your hips--"
:D :D :D :D
: Ranma paused for a moment, a bit taken aback by the unusual
: question. It had always gone without saying that he would always try to
: become the best in the world, but as to why...? Why does a duck want to
: swim? "It's...just part of me, I guess. I started up on the Art probably
: before I could even walk. Besides, I enjoy it."
:
: "You enjoy hurting other people?" Noriko asked, a bit horrified.
:
: "It's not like that!" Ranma shot back.
:
: Noriko winced at her own carelessness, realizing that her
: question had been a loaded one.
Sebastian: *Always* be careful where you point a loaded question.
: "Well..." He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. "Look,
: I don't get jollies hurting people, or anything like that.
Angus: He isn't dressed correctly for *that* anyway.
Sebastian: I'm sure you'd love to enlighten us about the correct
attire for people who *do* "get their jollies" that way...
Angus: Why, sure! See, ya need a leather-
Sebastian: ...but I think I can *contain* my curiousity.
Angus: [sniffs] Well, each to their own. That's all I say.
: Well, maybe
: Kuno sometimes," he amended, jerking his head in the direction Kuno had
: last been seen traveling,
Sebastian: Well, *that* goes without question.
Angus: I think in his prior life ol' Tatewaki was a punching bag.
: Ranma flustered a bit again. "Yeah, well...you're not all that
: bad, actually. You still training?"
:
: It took a second for Noriko to realize what he was talking about.
Angus: "You weren't bad. So how was I?" Haw!
Sebastian: I *think* they're talking about martial arts.
: -----
:
: THE FURINKAN INFORMER
:
: FEBRUARY 7, 199-
:
:
:
: ---CORRECTION---
:
: The January 10th edition of the _Furinkan Informer_ contained a
: feature article titled "Martial Arts: Crime Fodder?" which contained
: numerous false accusations against Ranma Saotome, a sophomore student at
: Furinkan High School. The feature also inaccurately portrayed the
: philosophy behind the martial arts. While the _Furinkan Informer_ is
: aware that little can be done to undo the damage to reputation, it
: extends a sincere apology for the author's lack of professionalism and
: responsibility.
:
: ---Noriko Hirauchi, editor-in-chief
:
: -----
Sebastian: That's a *good* retraction. Usually they smack of
"You can make me take it back, but I'm *not* sorry".
Angus: Not this one, though.
: end part six
:
:
: Author's Ramblings:
:
: And here is where it ends.
Sebastian: That's both good and bad. It's a bit of a pity,
because the story is quite good, and I'd like to see more of it,
but it's also a good thing, because this is how things happen in
real life. Most of the time there *isn't* a miraculous save, and
the only reward for decent behavior is a kick out of the door.
While it is immensely more satisfying to read about good
triumphing and justice being done, it is also necessary to get a
story once in a while that is about doing the right thing
*without* being rewarded.
One point of critique, though: The story is resolved
too quickly and neatly. I remember that you had planned a bit
more conflict and soul searching for Noriko before she returns to
the _Informer_, and that would have been good. Things come to a
head a bit too quickly in this version. Noriko getting a lecture
on the nature of martial arts and immediately seeing the light is
rather anticlimactic. I understand, though, that you wanted to
finish this story and didn't want to wait around any longer for
inspiration to appear magically.
I hope you'll one day return to this story and rewrite
this part again, spinning it out a little more before the
conclusion. Still, it makes a good fic already.
Sebastian