alhuang@hcs.harvard.edu http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~alhuang/ Revengefics look fun. >:) Written January 26, 1997. All characters from Ranma 1/2 (as well as the idea of Ranma 1/2) appearing are the property of Takahashi Rumiko and anyone else involved in the production of Ranma 1/2. And now, Oddzilla Productions presents.... "Revenge Attempt" by Andrew Huang <...>: my thoughts --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- It was Sunday afternoon. The FFML was kind of slow, now that the most recent spamwar had died off. I was listening to my Final Fantasy VI soundtrack (a steal at $51! yeesh, imports are expensive) while pondering how to improve that freaking second chapter of "Visiting Nerima". It was going very, very slowly. "Dammit, I hate this. It's turning into _too_ much of an otakufic, isn't it?" That was something I really wanted to stay away from. And this wasn't the only one with that problem; "Insanity on 5 Coulombs a Day" was coming across like that too. I decided I needed a break.... Before I could do anything, though, there was a knock on my door. You see, when we at Mower Hall decide to go to eat, we usually round up as many other residents as we can. Anyways, I got up and opened the door. "This is not real." But I guess it was. Saotome Ranma, holding a bucket, stood at the door. I rolled my eyes. "How did you get in? Do you have a keycard or something?" "Nope. Teleported right in here, in front of your door. Don't ask how." "Get in here before someone sees you." I yanked him in, careful not to touch any of the drops that splashed out of the bucket. "Nyannichuan, I presume." He nodded. "Isn't this kinda early? I haven't been writing for that long. Besides, what the have I done to deserve this?" "You almost had me kill myself!!" "Oh, right. But you didn't do it, did you?" "So?! That's not something I'd do--" "I had you get drunk first. There's no telling what you might do if you were drunk and depressed." "Grr...and what about the hangover? Man, that was bad!" "A hangover? You, the greatest martial artist in Nerima, if not all of Japan, can't take a _hangover_?" "Have you ever gone through one?" I blinked. "Uh...no, I haven't." What can I say? I don't drink. He responded only with a snarl. He started to heft the bucket. This was not good. "Hey, wait a minute, here! Didn't you get what you wanted? An Akane who wouldn't beat the crap out of you? An Akane who loves you? An Akane that _you_ love?" "What?! Me and that--" "Tomboy. Right. Hel-LO! When are you going to learn, dammit? If your freaking ego wasn't so big--or Akane's, for that matter--you two would be getting along so well now." "No way! She--" "And how do you justify calling her uncute? Come on, she's nice looking, and you know it. See? You're blushing already." "What?! No, I'm not...." "And what about me getting Shampoo off your back without anyone getting killed? Ha! You owe me for that one. "Well, I guess--" "Plus, of course, I'm still working on getting Kodachi to lay off of you...." Boy. Reading those "Nabiki verbally bamboozles Ranma" fics really helped me out, I think. "Yeah, but you're kinda stuck in a rut for that one, heh?" I grumbled. "Don't remind me." He glared at me. "Still, I think you ought to suffer...." I snorted. "Suffer? Me? Suffer? Hold on a moment." I reached back towards my desk and picked up a hair band. I used it to tie my hair back into a small pontytail, then removed my glasses. "Does this look familiar?" From what little I could see (sans eyewear), Ranma appeared to take a step back and point at me. "You...you...YOU'RE TAKESHI!?" I put my glasses back on and nodded. "Usually, I'm also wearing contacts, so I can see without the glasses.... Anyways, yes, I've been playing Takeshi. You know how many times I've been knocked around by Akane attacking you!? That's not really pleasant, but I've been doing it, dammit, to give that little serial some much needed humor." I rubbed my cheek in remembered pain. Ranma sighed and put down the bucket. "Okay, already. I won't do it to you this time. But you'd better watch what you write...." "Hello! This is me, Andrew Huang, that you're talking to. Remember? I don't do sadfics or darkfics. Angsty stuff, yes, but never too far. But I won't do lemons, either, to give you your kicks." "Eh. Kun-chan takes care of that stuff anyways...." I nodded. "So, how _is_ your stuff coming along?" I sighed. "Argh. 'Insanity' was doing well, until Stargazer pointed out those problems.... As for the second chapter of 'Visiting', I'm slowly getting somewhere, but it's annoying." "Why did you have to use that old plot? Nabiki falls for the otaku?" "Don't talk about it. That was just bad. Besides, who are you talk? You come in here pulling that old one with the Nyannichuan. Anyways, I've come up with an alternate way of going about it...though it's going to be hard. Uh, say, is Nabs angry with me?" "Yeah. But, if you're going to be changing it, I think she won't mind too much. That is, if you change it the way she'd prefer.... Don't ask me what that might mean, though. Hey, how about the continuation that you're writing? The one based on my near suicide?" Ranma paused to glare at me again. "I've got more planned, but I don't feel like adding anything yet. Besides, there's still more that I need to refine with the first chapter." "Yeah, that first chapter. You go for stressful endings, huh? I mean, with Kasummph--" I had covered his mouth with my hand. "SHH!! No one needs to know about that yet!! Geez. Hey, how do you know about...oh, right. You're in the damn thing." He removed my hand from his face. "Okay, okay. Are you going to be releasing any of it sometime soon?" "Probably not. Like I said, there needs to be major refining. Right now, it seems kind of weak. It doesn't...'grab' me the way that _A Lesson in Love_, or TMTC, or TIL does. And this is my own work that I'm talking about, so there definitely is something wrong with it." "All right then. I guess I should go now." He picked up the bucket. "And I was looking so forward to using this, too...." "By the way, where's everyone else? I would have thought that Akane was going to come too, or something." "Not today. This one was kinda more personal to me, I guess. Feh. Speaking of other people, where is Shiro?" "Therapist. Finally found one who actually does something useful for the guy. Oh, say hi to Kodachi for him, would you? He'd appreciate that." Ranma shuddered. "I wouldn't go near her if it could be helped. Well, I'll see you around. Just hope I don't have this bucket with me again the next time...." I rolled my eyes again. He was about to leave, when I spoke. "Hold on a sec." I grabbed a cup and filled it with water from the pitcher next to my desk, then threw it at him. Instant onna-Ranma. "Heheh. Always wanted to see that happen." "Hey! What did you do that for!?" "Just curious. Is that okay?" She exited, grumbling, and I sat back down at my computer. --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- What can I say? I'm stuck right now with those stories I mentioned, and I felt like goofing off a little bit. Is that so wrong? ^_^