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Their relationship has been a volatile one.
She, a boy-hating tomboy.
He, a martial artist cursed to be an aquatranssexual.
Engaged against their will, they learned to tolerate each other.
Now, their relationship is moving on to the next level.
They must learn not only to cope with their new relationship, but with college.
Their names are Ranma and Akane Saotome.
This is their story.
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Daigakusei no Ranma
Episode 2: "Housewarming"
Written by David Tai and Paul Gallegos
Based on characters created by Rumiko Takahashi
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[Morning at Maison Sabaku. All's quiet on the street, and only the occasional
bicyclist heading towards the local university, Mizunoikan, breaks the tranquil
scene. That is, until Ranma wakes up.]
Ranma-chan: [from inside] AAAAAAA! What are you doing?? Get away from me!!!
[Cut to inside the boarding house. Ranma-chan is in one corner of the
apartment - Akane is in the other, holding a pot with something in it.]
Akane: I went through all the trouble to make you breakfast before you woke up,
so the least you could do is EAT IT!!
Ranma-chan: No way! I'm going to register today. I don't want to be sick while
in line!
Akane: Rannnmaaa!!! You'll eat this... or else!
Ranma-chan: [smugly] Or else what?
* * *
[Kazuyo Furuya is walking up the stairs to Room 4. She raises her hand to knock
on the door and hesitates, listening to the bedlam within.]
Ranma-chan's voice: AIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! HOT!!!!!!!
[*CLANG* ... *THUD*]
Kazuyo: [scrambles for her master key] Oh dear!
[Kazuyo finds her key and rushes in to find...]
Akane: [standing over Ranma holding a teapot with a Ranma-shaped dent] Jerk!!
Kazuyo: [standing in doorway looking at Ranma's prone body] Saotome-san! Are
you all right??
Akane: [walking back into the kitchen] I doubt he's ever been "all right".
[Kazuyo stares at Ranma's unconscious form for a bit more, then follows Akane
into the kitchen.]
Kazuyo: Ah.. Saotome-san, [Akane bristles slightly] could I have a word with
you?
Akane: [attempts to smile] Oh, sure, Kanrinin-san! What can I do for you?
Kazuyo: Well, there was this matter of the noise last night... some of the
tenants complained that they heard the sound of a woman in pain...
is everything ok between you and Saotome-san?
[Flashback to the night past - Akane beating Ranma-chan over the head with
several cooking utensils while chasing her all over the apartment.]
Akane: Hai. That was just... uh... Ranma and I trying to catch my pet piglet
that escaped.
Kazuyo: Well, since you're new, I guess I'll let it go this time, but I have
a strict "no pets" policy here. You're going to have to get rid of it.
Akane: Hai, Kanrinin-san! I promise it won't happen again!
Kazuyo: [smiles] Oh, don't fret about it, my dear. I don't mean to sound harsh;
it's simply for health reasons.
[Ranma groans as he recovers his senses while both women re-enter the living
room.]
Ranma: [holding his head] Chikusho... [realizing there is company present]
Ah... gomen nasai, Kanrinin-san.
Kazuyo: [smiles] Oh, don't worry. You should hear Yamakawa-kun sometime when
_he's_ upset. [turns to Akane] Maybe you should get your husband some
ice for that injury?
Akane: Uh... hai. [goes back into kitchen]
Ranma: Uh... Who's Yamakawa-san?
Kazuyo: Oh, he's the resident of Room 6 at the end of the hall.
Akane: [returns from kitchen] Here's your ice.
Ranma: [takes bag] Geez, what time is it, anyway? I have to register for
classes today.
Kazuyo: Almost 8:30.
Ranma: [leaps up] No way! [grabs his backpack] I've got to get going or else
I won't get any classes!! [runs out the open door]
Kazuyo: [to Akane] So... what are you doing tonight?
Akane: [ponders] Well, I have to go shopping for the rest of the furniture,
but since I registered for classes before the end of last semester,
I don't have any other plans.
Kazuyo: Good. We're going to have a housewarming party tonight at 8:00 pm to
honor your arrival here at Maison Sabaku. [glancing at kitchen] If you
wish to cook something for everyone, that'll be fine.
Akane: [smiles brightly] That'd be great! We'll both be there, then. See you
tonight!
Kazuyo: [smiles] Good day, Saotome-san.
[Akane closes the door behind her and leans against it.]
Akane: "Saotome-san". [shudders]
[Akane cleans up the living room a bit, and then goes to get her purse before
leaving for the nearby shopping center.]
* * *
[Mizunoikan University. A _long_ line of students winds its way to the
registration area. Near the end of this line is a slightly peeved and out-of-
breath Ranma.]
Ranma: [thinking] I would've gotten here sooner if Akane hadn't tried to poison
me. Now it looks like I won't get the classes I need. [sighs] This
really sucks.
[Flashback to yesterday evening in the cab with Akane.]
Ranma: What do you mean I have to get up at 8:00 am to register??
Akane: If you don't, you won't get any of the good classes.
Ranma: What about you? Why aren't you going too?
Akane: Because I've already registered. You register at the end of the school
year for classes next semester, unless you're a freshman.
Ranma: So what are you going to do in the meantime?
Akane: Go shopping for furniture, of course. Nabiki-oneesan said we'd have to
get our own.
Ranma: Oh. Okay. Just remember to get two futons... I'm getting tired of
sleeping on the floor...
[Ranma's reverie is interrupted by a voice calling his name.]
Ukyou's voice: Ran-chan! Ran-chan! Over here!
Ranma: [looking around but not seeing her] What? [louder] Ucchan?
Ukyou's voice: Over here! By the red pillar!
[Ranma looks over by the red column to see Ukyou beckoning to him. Apparently,
she is closer to the beginning of the line than he is, and he jumps at the
chance to bypass the rest of the freshmen. As he approaches, he now realises
why he didn't recognise her the first time. She seems to have ditched the large
spatula in favour of a pair of jeans and a cream-coloured sleeveless T-shirt
and looks positively stunning. Ranma pauses, still unsure if this is _really_
Ukyou, but her smile brings him back to reality.]
Ranma: Ucchan! Thanks! For a minute I thought I was going to have to wait in
that long line...
Girl behind Ukyou: Hey! Waitasec! What do you think you're doing?!
Ukyou: Makiko, it's ok. This is Saotome Ranma. He's... he's an old friend.
Ranma, this is Kawamura Makiko, my new roommate.
Makiko: Ah, well then, I'm pleased to meet you. Sorry about the rudeness, but
with all these people trying to register, you can't let anyone cut in
front because they might get the class you need. [smiles]
Ranma: Uh... that's ok, really. [pauses] Say, how long have you two been in
line, anyway?
Ukyou: [looks at Makiko] What? About 15 minutes?
Makiko: [looks at her watch] That's about right.
Ranma: [sighs] I would've been here sooner myself, but Akane tried to gag me
with what she called breakfast.
Ukyou: [sympathetic] Oh... if you're hungry we can go out to eat after this.
Makiko: Wait, we need to go shopping after this, remember? I need a new
communications program, and you wanted that word processing program
so you could do your papers...
Ranma: [blinks] Huh? What are you talking about?
Ukyou: Oh, well Makiko has a... [to Makiko] what kind of computer is it again?
Makiko: Macintosh. Quadra.
Ukyou: She's got a Macintosh computer, and she says I can do my papers on it
for my classes, so we're going to go get some programs for it to...
Ranma: [interrupting] Papers? Waitasec...
Ukyou: Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm going to be a Literature major! [smiles]
That of course means I have to type a lot of papers, so I need something
to type them on. Hence Makiko's computer.
Ranma: I see. I hope I don't have to do a lot of writing for Physical
Education.
Makiko: I can't see how you would. Well, with the exception of Freshman
Composition... and Freshman History... and then there's your basic
Philosophy and Psychology classes...
Ranma: Uh... I think I get the picture, thanks. [thinking] This is definitely
NOT what I had in mind when Mom said to try college. But, if that
tomboy can do it, so can I...
Staff person: Next!
Ukyou: [interrupting Ranma's thoughts] That's us! Ran-chan, it was nice seeing
you here. Maybe we can get together sometime soon for dinner, ok?
Makiko: Yeah, that'd be a great idea!
Ranma: Uh, sure, I guess. I'll see you girls later!
[The three separate, each going their own direction in a hurry to get whatever
classes are remaining. Cut to a shot of the outside of the building, where a
small black piglet with a yellow bandana wanders through the grass not in any
particular hurry, nor in any particular direction, before the scene pans back
to a wide shot of the sprawling Mizunoikan campus. The bell rings in the
distance signalling the time is now 10:00 am.]
off one by one. Finally, the Saotomes' light shuts off and all is quiet at
Maison Sabaku... until the lights start coming back on one at a time, while
groans can be heard throughout the building.]
Ranma's voice: Oh, just great, Akane. Instead of poisoning them immediately,
now you make them wait for their suffering!
[*THUD*]
Akane's voice: BAKA!
Ranma's voice: [muttering] Kawaikune.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ finis.
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