Hey all!
YES!! Thank KAMI, school is OUT!!
Well...For a while at least...And for the first time in seven years, I am
taking the summer OFF...So, hopefully, I can write more...Here's hoping...
To begin the summer, here is the latest installment of my longest running
series...Grab a long-necked friend and well...You know what to do...^_^
The characters are borrowed, the settings are not...They're
real...Kinda...Anyway, I'm just borrowing Ranma and the cast. I'll put'm
back when I'm done...promise...
C&C is always welcome
gargoyle@glasscity.net
gargoyle9@hotmail.com
or
gargoyle4@hotmail.com
Flames, as always, will be filed in the round folder...
***
The All-Americans
By
Joshua Trujillo
Part 20 - Family Secrets
Ranma looked around him. He had to admit, this was a pretty sharp
car. He looked across the compartment of the car to Ryouga, who
was staring out to the cornfields beyond. He seemed to have
something troubling him. Probably dating Akane. Ranma smirked.
That would trouble anyone. Kuno sat next to Ryouga, his arms
folded, a stoic look on his face. Like he wasn't excited about doing
this. With the exception of Ryouga, only Ranma knew what the
insides of one of these places looked like.
Ranma's smile disappeared. He didn't really want to think about
that. That was a part of his life that he thought about every month.
Every time he changed, he thought about it. He wished he hadn't
done it, but they were so badly in need of money at the time. His
father was constantly drunk; having gone through his paycheck
before all the bills arrived. No one was there to pay them. Ranma
had to answer when they called, that was, until the phone was cut
off.
Ranma sighed and shook his head. Those days were gone. He
wouldn't have to revisit them unless he wanted to. Ranma thought
about it for a second He had made some very good friends when he
was 'on the inside'. Saying it that way made it sound like prison.
When he let the club owner find out about his changing, it seemed
like a prison. At least Ranma was able to fend for himself and the
friends he made there he wouldn't have given up for anything.
They were strong, proud women. Some were in Ranma's position,
having to do what they did for the money, but there were a couple
who did it for the love of showing off, and those two Ranma held
as the strongest. So Ranma emulated them when he was there and
it seemed to pay off. For the first time since he lost Choco, he felt
like HE, Ranma, was in control of his life. He hadn't looked back
since.
Ranma looked over to Hiroshi and Daisuke, who had been
babbling nonstop since Kuno's limo had picked them up at the
school. Ranma wondered for half a second where Kuno's money
came from. His father was the principal at the High School and
Kuno didn't work, so...? Ranma left it for the moment as the limo
pulled into the parking lot of Jackson's Hole.
***
Kuno looked up to the neon sign of the establishment. Jackson's
Hole. He recognized the pun. It was rather crude. A part of Kuno's
brain asked him if Jackson was male or female. He ignored it and
followed Ranma inside. Ryouga was speaking with the rather large
man at the door, probably securing entrance for the rest of them. It
wasn't like Kuno needed someone to secure his entrance, but for
the others, he would let it occur...This one night, anyway.
There were several types wandering in from the countryside. Kuno
wondered for a minute how far some of these people came to go to
a place like this? There were several motorcycles parked along the
front, as well as the dirt parking lot with an odd shallow groove
running down the middle.
Kuno had never been to someplace like this and was very
interested in what the big deal was. So there were a bunch of
women, running around in scanty clothing. Big deal. His sister did
that all the time. Kuno let his thoughts drift as the four of them
chose a table near one side of the raised runway platform that
dominated the room. The lights were not only colored in various
shades of blue and red and purple, but they had been placed in such
a way that a permanent drunken stare glared out from the shadowy
patrons. Cheap chairs cornered cheap tables on a cheaply tiled
floor. Kuno sneered at it as the group took their seats.
A young woman came around and took their drink orders. The two
morons Hiroshi and Daisuke ordered interesting fruit drinks, and
while that appealed to Kuno, he ordered simply water. Ranma,
being the heathen that he was, ordered a Coke. Didn't he know
what that did to the body? Simply barbaric.
Now, if Ranma's sister were a part of this, then that would be
something. Not the young tomboy Akane, or the saleswoman in
Nabiki, but the red-haired beauty. The one that had favored him
with her gentle touch. Kuno touched his nose and snuffled
reflexively. Yes, a gentle touch. Nabiki had some interest in Kuno,
this he knew, but there was always a predatory look in her eyes
that unnerved him. Kuno sipped at his water and looked around the
room. More uncouth, seedy individuals lined the walls and tables.
Smoke had begun to waft around the ceiling fans that whapped
slowly along. Young women of differing ripeness wandered
among them, setting down drinks, getting orders and other things.
Kuno wondered briefly at the other things, but didn't dwell.
***
So tonight was a night for surprises. Kuno got a couple of snaps in
the game and Ryouga took all of them out for a night on the town.
Such as it was. Ranma sipped his Coke again. He wondered why
Kuno wasn't wearing his mask. Ranma knew he hadn't completely
healed yet. Perhaps it was pride. That wouldn't surprise him.
Hiroshi was basically catatonic with joy. It was amusing to watch.
Daisuke seemed okay with it, even if he was a little overeager
when the waitress took their order.
"Real cuties, huh?" Ryouga asked as he sat down.
Ranma nodded in appreciation. They certainly were. He looked
over to Kuno. The man seemed as catatonic as Hiroshi because he
was just sitting there, trying not to stare out the back of his head as
a waitress walked past. That was funny to watch too. Ranma
turned back to Ryouga.
"I thought you were working tonight?" he asked as he sipped his
Coke.
"I am."
Ranma nodded as the lights began to dim. He thought for a minute
that this would have been impossible, as the room was already
deep in shadow. A couple of bright spots, placed in two corners of
the room, lit the far end of the raised stage where a curtain served
as a glittering entrance.
A hand came out from behind the curtain. Ranma saw that it was
certainly a female hand, polished nails, but also sporting one of
those lollipop rings that you wear. Ranma sipped again at his
Coke. The hand stayed half a count until the music began. Ranma
smiled. He knew the tune. Johnny Lang's "Good Morning Little
Schoolgirl". Ranma had danced to it a couple times himse-
She came through the curtain and pranced down the stage,
swinging a small bookbag. Her brown hair was turned up in two
ponytails that bounced lazily on either side of her head. Her outfit,
which didn't stay on very long, consisted of a white, button-up shirt
which she was undoing for a man on the other side of the stage
from Ranma. She was also wearing a VERY short, green plaid
skirt. Thigh-high stockings and black patent leather shoes made for
a complete naughty schoolgirl look. She swung her blouse around
her head and tossed in on Hiroshi, who didn't dare move. Daisuke
began to laugh and even Kuno smiled up at the beautiful woman
onstage. She began to dance for Kuno and Daisuke who couldn't
stop jumping up and down in his chair.
She slid across the stage and licked at her lollipop ring to Kuno,
who kept his stoic expression but shifted back and forth in his seat
She smiled to him and wriggled out of her skirt in front of him,
which actually made his face twitch. Ranma thought for a minute
that his head would explode like that movie, Scanners. She writhed
around the stage for a couple of minutes, making Kuno shift
around some more, then her eyes met with Ranma. She missed a
beat, but to her credit, picked it back up and finished the dance.
The dance ended. She looked back to Ranma, who raised his Coke
to her as she disappeared behind the curtain.
Ranma sipped his Coke again. He was right. Kasumi was a dancer.
Good one, too.
***
The man with no neck pulled back the little curtain as Ranma
approached. He gave Ranma a scowl and let the curtain fall behind
him as Ranma passed. Ranma supposed that he was used to letting
people backstage. Ranma wondered if Kasumi would want to talk
to him, or if she would do it the next time she came home. He
guessed correctly again. She probably wasn't all that comfortable
with Ranma being able to keep secrets. He smirked at that.
A cute waitress with red hair had come to the table a little after
Kasumi's dance had ended and asked Ranma to follow her
backstage. She brought Ranma down a narrow hallway and opened
a door at the end, standing aside as another woman passed the
other way. Kasumi was on the other side of the door, sitting in
front of a mirror. The mirror set on a table and was surrounded by
strong round lights that made the room uncomfortably warm. She
wiped her eyes quickly and indicated a chair near the table, but
said nothing. Ranma sat down. She pulled at the large white terry
robe that was wrapped around her, trying hard to crawl inside it.
"Kasumi, I think there's something-"
"Ranma please," she muttered as she reached out and put a hand on
his arm, "Let me speak because this is hard enough and I know you
probably don't understand why I'm doing this but I need to get this
out before-"
She had broken down to tears again.
"Kasumi!" Ranma interrupted, taking both her hands in his, "It's
okay. I understand more than you think. *I* used to do this for a
living too."
It had been hard for him to say, but Ranma thought it would at
least let him come at this on a more even level.
"...Huh...?" she muttered.
Ranma smiled and picked up another tissue, dabbing at the tears on
her cheeks. Ranma sighed.
"You're smearing your make-up," he muttered, "You know about
my changing problem. Well, the summer after it happened, father
and I were trying to make ends meet. All he wanted to do was to
drink and forget that his son turned into a daughter a few times a
month. It was all up to me to make sure I ate and went to school. I
don't even know how he was able to make the house payment
every month, but he did."
Ranma stopped and wondered for a second. How DID he make the
payment?
"But...You were only about what? Fourteen?" Kasumi asked softly,
"How were you able to do this at that age?"
This brought Ranma back and he smiled.
"The manager of the club found out about my changing ability and
offered me a deal," he said, "I didn't WANT to do it, but I didn't
see a whole lot of choice. And, as I got into it and made some
friends, they helped me see how I could get the marks to fund
pretty much anything I wanted."
"M-marks, huh?" she asked, "That what they called the customers
there? Seems pretty harsh to me."
Ranma smiled again.
"Yeah, marks. Johns, marks, whatever you wanna call'm. Some
Janes too," Ranma said, looking around the room for the first time,
"If I wanted a car, work the marks. If I wanted a new laptop, work
the marks. I could only work a few nights a month, but it was
kinda worth it."
"Ranma, I'm ashamed that anyone found out about me doing this."
Ranma shook his head.
"Don't be. Also, don't worry about me telling anyone," he said,
"You're doing this to work your way through college, aren't you?"
Kasumi nodded as she snuffled into another tissue.
"I know how hard it is because I had to pay the bills for everything
for over a year after the accident," Ranma said, "So I understand.
And, if there's anything I can do to help, just ask, okay?"
Kasumi looked as if she wanted to ask something, but kept it to
herself. She smiled and brought Ranma into a close hug.
"Just...Please don't tell Nodoka, okay? She worries enough about
the family," Kasumi began, "And I know she'd make me quit doing
this and would bring my debt to the family. I don't want that to
happen and-"
"Kasumi," Ranma smiled, "I'll promise not to tell, if you promise
to talk to me if it gets bad here. You let me know and we'll work
something out, okay?"
Kasumi let out a sigh and hugged him again.
"Hey, Cassie, I thought Jim didn't want you to bring guys back
here?" a voice said from the doorway.
Ranma turned and appraised the girl that stood in the doorway. Her
long black hair streamed in a single ponytail down the left side of
her body. She leaned against the frame of the door and idly twirled
a fluffy blue boa in a little horizontal circle near her knees. She
reached out a hand and idly flicked at the collar of Ranma's jacket
with the boa. Ranma began to wonder if her outfit had been
painted on, then he realized...It WAS painted on. The gold and
black paint that covered her body left nothing to Ranma's
imagination and was made to imitate a leotard. Ranma lifted his
eyes to hers and smiled.
"Dachi, let me introduce you to my brother," Kasumi stood up and
Ranma followed suit, "Kodachi, this is Ranma Saotome. Ranma,
this is one of our finest new dancers, Kodachi Kuno."
Ranma raised an eyebrow.
"Kuno?" he asked.
"From that reaction, I suppose you know my brother, Tatewaki,"
Kodachi said as she extended her hand, "You know Kasumi, he IS
MUCH cuter than MY brother. Can we switch?"
Ranma shook her hand and tried to act humble. Ranma stopped
shaking her hand, but she didn't let it go. Instead, she moved closer
to him and began stroking his arm near his right elbow. Ranma
cleared his throat and hoped his excitement didn't show.
"Listen, Kodachi? Can you show Ranma back to his seat, I have to
get back and dance again," Kasumi said as she sat back down.
She began to fix the make-up that her crying had ruined as
Kodachi lead him out.
***
What was this? Her heart? Her face?!
She could feel the blood rushing to parts that were dormant before.
They were suddenly gaining more life than she had ever known.
This boy? Was this boy causing all these new feelings? All these
things were so new...Why did they have to happen at work.
Kodachi tried to calm her fluttering heart and calmly lead Ranma
back toward the stage and seats. The way this boy moved, he was
very well muscled and took care of himself. He was tall and quite
handsome and tried to look coy whenever he caught Kodachi
looking up at him.
His hands were firm and strong. God was he strong! He could
probably hold her down and...
He looked down at her as she shivered slightly. She smiled and felt
the blush rising through her. She was SO turned on by this boy and
yet, he was so YOUNG! Normally, she was with Kasumi when she
was talking about boys and how they're always so 'young'. But
Ranma...He was another story all together.
Kodachi brought Ranma to the curtain. She heard the music begin
and it gave her an idea. Ranma started through the curtain, but
Kodachi pulled at his arm. He looked back questioningly; she
wagged a finger at him and pulled him close to her.
"Why don't we go back to one of the booths and I can give you a
special dance, sweetie?" she breathed in his ear.
He coughed slightly and cleared his throat and tried not to show
just how much he wanted that. Oh yes, Kodachi could tell he
wanted it. He shyly stammered something about getting back out
to the group of guys he was with. Kodachi winked at him and
nodded an understanding.
She was SO turned on by this guy!
***
This hot girl wanted him! Ranma couldn't believe it. Sure, he'd
been the eye of many a cute girl, but nothing this overt. He wasn't
exactly sure how to handle it, but it looked like they'd make it back
to his seat before she jumped him. Ranma breathed a sigh as she
pulled the curtain aside and led him back into the main area.
Watching her from this side, Ranma could tell that she was indeed
wearing a thong, but aside from the cloth dance shoes, certainly
not anything else. Ranma breathed out and tried to calm himself.
'She's a Kuno, she's a Kuno, she's a Kuno', had been his mantra
ever since she lead him back into the hallway. She stopped in front
of the table and just stood there, staring. Ranma moved around to
his seat and saw that she had her mouth open, a confused look
pealed across her face.
"Tatchi?!" she spat out, loudly.
Kuno turned his head and did the largest double take that Ranma
had ever seen.
"Kodachi?" he replied.
She grabbed the chair nearest Ranma and leaned forward while
Kuno half-stood. Both raised their right index fingers at each other.
"What are YOU doing here?" they both intoned.
Ranma picked up his Coke and grimaced slightly. Watery cola.
There was a slight silence and Kuno dropped himself back down to
his seat.
"I should tell father about this," Kuno said sharply.
"Go ahead," she said as she placed a hand on her hip, "He never
listens to us, EITHER of us, anyway."
She turned back to Ranma and, with a predatory glance to her
brother who seemed all too interested in his sister, wrapped a hand
around his neck and pulled him close.
"Listen lover," she purred, loud enough for Kuno to hear,
"Anytime you want that lapdance, you just give me a call, 'kay?"
She winked at Ranma and planted a kiss on his cheek. She stood
and turned to go, but spun back around and whipped her fluffy boa
around Ranma's neck. He was startled by the accuracy and
tightness of the boa, but calmed as it relaxed against his chest. She
laughed lightly and strutted back toward the backstage curtain.
Ranma paused and turned back to the rest of the group as he heard
a grinding sound. It seemed to be coming from Kuno, but he didn't
know. Maybe it was the gears in his head? Ranma smiled and
settled back into his chair. Daisuke just smiled and shook his head.
Hiroshi hadn't come out from under Kasumi's shirt.
"Saotome," Kuno said as he leaned across the table near Ranma,
"Don't get any ideas about my sister."
"Oh?" Ranma asked as he examined the boa, "Like what? Fucking
her?"
Ranma reached his hand over and tickled Kuno's nose with the end
of the boa. Ranma saw the energy flare along Kuno's arm and
threw himself backward as a shattering sound snapped through the
club. The flip put Ranma on his feet on the table behind his former
seat. Kuno stared up from the kindling, as a snarl rippled across his
face. Ryouga rounded the table from behind Ranma.
"Enough!" he shouted as he pulled Kuno back, "House rules. No
fighting! Got it?!"
Kuno regarded Ryouga and thought better of challenging his
authority. Best not bite the hand that fed him and all that. Kuno
calmed himself and sat back down again. Ranma climbed off the
table and pulled up another chair while Ryouga complained about
the broken one.
"Look Kuno," Ranma started, "I don't even want Kodachi, okay?
I've got Shampoo and girl troubles once a year is enough."
Kuno regarded Ranma and seemed to mull it over. He had seen
Shampoo and he did think she was more beautiful than his sister.
And the girl Shampoo did indeed seem attached to Saotome. She
certainly was everytime Kuno had seen the two together. Kuno
calmed and nodded slightly to Ranma. No sense in squashing him
like the bug he was here. He could do it later.
Kuno calmed more as the spotlight came on once more. A noisome
heavy metal song began to rouse the beasts around the stage,
including the ones in his party. Kuno straightened again as the
woman made her entrance. It was the brown haired godde-
Kuno breathed out again. He only had one goddess. She had red
hair. She-
But this one enticed him so...
She was wearing a leather outfit this time. Oh, how she enticed
him! Never before had another woman drove him to think such
barbaric thoughts! She wiggled at him and did things with her little
black whip...Kuno fervently wished that she would do those things
to him! He mopped at his brow, wondering why the management
decided to turn up the temperature. She writhed around, enticing
him some more as the song ended.
She skipped back to the pole near the back curtain. She stopped
and turned-Yes! She would favor him with-
She blew a kiss to Saotome. Kuno settled back into his seat. Yes,
Saotome would most definitely have to die.
***
Joshua "Gargoyle" Trujillo
"Stone Cold Protector of the Righteous"
"Owner of The Anime Bar and Grille - 2 1/2 years old and acting like it!"
AB HOC POSSUM VIDERE DOMUM TUUM!
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WITH TWO LOCATIONS!!!
Come on down!
Visit The Anime Bar and Grille!
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/1509
AND
Now Open!
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http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/museum/1275
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