This is probably...terribly badly written, but I wanted to do something. The notion amused me. =P
"Okay, okay, I admit I could have introduced myself better, but..."
"KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"
...and Ranma fell back, wincing. He flexed his fingers, trying to bring some feeling back into his hands.
His opponent hadn't just blocked the strikes. He'd parried them. Hard, impossibly hard.
On the other side of the roof, Ranma's opponent stood, clutching a weapon in both hands. Some kind of wooden staff, with a knob on the end.
A curtain rod, Ranma realised, with a start. Martial Arts Draperies? That was new.
"Whoa," the other guy said, "I don't want to fight you."
Ranma narrowed his eyes, studying the man. The guy didn't look like a fighter. He was wearing a zipped-up brown jacket that just HAD to restrict his movements. His jeans and shoes had the same problem. But he'd moved fast, too fast. He had to have some kinda trick.
"Yeah," Ranma challenged, as his mind raced, "then whadda ya want?"
The guy lowered the curtain rod, and scratched his chin. "Well, I'm tempted to say I'm a new fianc, but..."
Ranma glared.
"Kidding, kidding," the stranger said, waving a hand in a placating gesture, "nah, I'm here to give you something."
Ranma looked suspicious. "If ya sellin' a cure, I..."
"Sorry, no cure. Some things...you gotta figure out for yourself. This is just a gift, no magic, no strings attached."
With an flick of the wrist, the guy plucked a package from thin air, tossing it across the rooftop. It spun to a halt at Ranma's feet - who made no move to pick it up.
"Huh," Ranma said, folding his arms.
"It's something that belonged to a...hero. A martial artist. Well, kind of. Chaos...it followed him everywhere. You know what I mean? But..."
Ranma blinked. "But?"
The stranger grinned, tapping his curtain rod in emphasis. "But he never let it get to him. And despite everything, he helped folks, you know? That's what he lived for. Think about it."
Ranma bent down, examining the package, and its plain wrapping. Then suddenly, he looked up, jerking his head.
The guy was gone.
Ranma swept the rooftop, but he was nowhere to be found. There hadn't been movement. No ki, nothing Ranma could sense. But the guy just...wasn't there.
That should have sent alarm bells ringing. Or at least, tripped Ranma's curiosity about a new technique. But...no. He found himself drawn to the mysterious gift. Fingers tore at the string and paper, exposing the package's contents.
Inside was...a trenchcoat. One of those really long ones, like in the movies. A vivid red, with lots and lots of buttons.
Ranma stood, lifting the coat and shaking it out. As he did so, something heavy slipped from the folds of fabric - and Ranma caught it before it could hit the ground.
Silver metal gleamed in his hand.
"A gun," Ranma scowled, "the heck am I supposed ta do with a GUN?"
(Yes, curtain rod. I had one as a kid. Favourite toy. It opens windows into different worlds...)
-- Acyl
"Okay, okay, I admit I could have introduced myself better, but..."
"KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"
...and Ranma fell back, wincing. He flexed his fingers, trying to bring some feeling back into his hands.
His opponent hadn't just blocked the strikes. He'd parried them. Hard, impossibly hard.
On the other side of the roof, Ranma's opponent stood, clutching a weapon in both hands. Some kind of wooden staff, with a knob on the end.
A curtain rod, Ranma realised, with a start. Martial Arts Draperies? That was new.
"Whoa," the other guy said, "I don't want to fight you."
Ranma narrowed his eyes, studying the man. The guy didn't look like a fighter. He was wearing a zipped-up brown jacket that just HAD to restrict his movements. His jeans and shoes had the same problem. But he'd moved fast, too fast. He had to have some kinda trick.
"Yeah," Ranma challenged, as his mind raced, "then whadda ya want?"
The guy lowered the curtain rod, and scratched his chin. "Well, I'm tempted to say I'm a new fianc, but..."
Ranma glared.
"Kidding, kidding," the stranger said, waving a hand in a placating gesture, "nah, I'm here to give you something."
Ranma looked suspicious. "If ya sellin' a cure, I..."
"Sorry, no cure. Some things...you gotta figure out for yourself. This is just a gift, no magic, no strings attached."
With an flick of the wrist, the guy plucked a package from thin air, tossing it across the rooftop. It spun to a halt at Ranma's feet - who made no move to pick it up.
"Huh," Ranma said, folding his arms.
"It's something that belonged to a...hero. A martial artist. Well, kind of. Chaos...it followed him everywhere. You know what I mean? But..."
Ranma blinked. "But?"
The stranger grinned, tapping his curtain rod in emphasis. "But he never let it get to him. And despite everything, he helped folks, you know? That's what he lived for. Think about it."
Ranma bent down, examining the package, and its plain wrapping. Then suddenly, he looked up, jerking his head.
The guy was gone.
Ranma swept the rooftop, but he was nowhere to be found. There hadn't been movement. No ki, nothing Ranma could sense. But the guy just...wasn't there.
That should have sent alarm bells ringing. Or at least, tripped Ranma's curiosity about a new technique. But...no. He found himself drawn to the mysterious gift. Fingers tore at the string and paper, exposing the package's contents.
Inside was...a trenchcoat. One of those really long ones, like in the movies. A vivid red, with lots and lots of buttons.
Ranma stood, lifting the coat and shaking it out. As he did so, something heavy slipped from the folds of fabric - and Ranma caught it before it could hit the ground.
Silver metal gleamed in his hand.
"A gun," Ranma scowled, "the heck am I supposed ta do with a GUN?"
(Yes, curtain rod. I had one as a kid. Favourite toy. It opens windows into different worlds...)
-- Acyl