PERSONALITY MAKEOVER I
Oh no! Akane's mysterious memory lapse
Akane tried to concentrate, but it was
hopeless. She had her history book open on her desk, but the
letters could have been hieroglyphics for all she understood of
them. She sighed and tapped a pencil on her desk absently. It was
unfair that she had to stay cooped up in her room memorizing
birth dates of dead people when she could be outside and feel the
sun on her face. She looked out the window wistfully. Especially
since the day was particularly fine. The sky was the bluest blue,
a dove was cooing as it circled the sky and... Shampoo was
getting off her bicycle??? Akane half-rose in her chair to get a
better look.
Apparently, the Chinese Amazon had just
finished her deliveries and dropped by straightaway to visit
Ranma. Shampoo bounced across the street and threw the front
doors open.
Akane sank back down in her seat.
Instantly, her mind churned with lurid imaginings of what was
taking place downstairs. No, she commanded herself firmly, you
will not go and spy on them. You don't care one bit about what
they're doing. She forced herself to stare down at her history
book again. The combination of letters swam dizzily before her
eyes. ==CRACK!=== Startled, she almost jumped out of the chair,
her nerves were strained so. She happened to look down, and she
smiled ruefully at the broken pencil she held in one hand. She
hadn't even been aware she'd been tapping it!
Rolling her eyes in self-disgust, she gave
in and decided to make the trip downstairs. After all, she
reasoned to herself, as his fiance (even a reluctant one) she
still had the obligation to check up on him and make sure he
wasn't doing anything sneaky behind her back. With that in mind,
she threw the two halves of her pencil into the waste basket and
tiptoed her way down the stairs. Hearing voices, she pressed
herself against the wall and peeked in. Shampoo had her arms
wrapped around him. He tried to push her away, with no success.
"Shampoo...would you please get off me?!
Akane fumed at the sight. Surely he could
do better than that if he really wanted to. She heard him sigh,
and it sounded resigned. She began rolling up her shirt sleeves
in preparation to charge in.
That's when he said it. She stopped dead in
her tracks.
He said it softly, almost under his
breath...yet it reached Akane as clear as crystal. The words
echoed in her head.
"I wish Akane was as affectionate as
you."
She sank down onto the floor, feeling
dazed. What he'd just said...?
A part of her wondered why she was taking
it so bad. Ranma had certainly insulted her worse than that, why
then did she feel faint and woozy?
But another part of her already knew the
answer. Ranma always insulted her to her face, doing it
consciously. But this time... This time it had sounded very much
like his subconscious was talking. He wouldn't have said it
either if he'd known she was listening. I wish Akane was as
affectionate as you. It had caught her off guard and landed
in a soft spot.
She'd always prided herself on her
levelheadedness when it came to boys. She wasn't the type who
went all giggly and felt ready to swoon when a good-looking boy
was near. So when Yuka and Sayuri began jumping up and down and
giggling, all she did was smile and think, No boy can make me act
like a fool.
But in all this, she'd forgotten that boys
liked that in girls. It soothed their frail male ego, a skill
Shampoo had mastered...and she had flunked. She sighed and groped
the banister for support as she hauled herself back up. It was
time to seek advice.
Akane considered approaching Kasumi. Nah,
she'd rather spare my feelings than tell me the truth. Besides,
oneechan is a bit...out of it.
That left only one more person. She
gathered up her nerve and rapped on the wooden door. She hoped
the fact that she was broke would not affect her sister's
judgement. "Come in," came a voice from inside.
Akane turned the knob and let herself in.
Nabiki was seated at her desk, a pencil stuck behind one ear. She
looked surprised to see her, but broke into a grin. "Well, well,
to what do I owe the honor of your company?"
"To a Chinese bimbo," she mumbled, throwing
herself on the bed. She gripped a pillow to her chest
tightly.
Nabiki shifted position so she was facing
her. "I suppose you're referring to Shampoo.
Akane could only nod.
"Personally, I think she's improved these
last few months. At least she's learned how to open doors and
only shatters our walls once a week."
Akane gave her a hard look.
She took the hint and backed off. "All
right, what did she do now?"
All of a sudden, Akane became flustered.
"Nothing really but...do you think I'm too aloof?"
Nabiki almost choked at the bad choice of
words. "To whom? To Ranma?"
This time the nod was barely
discernable.
Nabiki settled down for a lengthy
discussion. She assumed a businesslike air. "Aloofness is not an
appropriate term. In fact, you frequently interfere in his
affairs. Apparent dislike is closer to what you're thinking of.
Now, the person in question has three willing females at his beck
and call twenty four hours a day. You, as his remaining fiancee,
prefer to call him such endearing titles as hentai, baka..."
Akane moaned and placed her hands over her
ears. "OK, OK, enough. I know all that." She closed her eyes
painfully. "Stop treating me like a client and start talking to
me as a sister."
Nabiki blinked, taken aback. She surprised
herself by allowing a reluctant smile. "All right, if that's what
you want." She pondered just how she should phrase her thoughts.
"I think Ranma likes you best." This startled Akane into looking
up. "It's true! But - and this is a big but - you're driving him
away. While the other girls display their affection for him, you
do just the opposite. Sooner or later, if you don't show signs of
encouragement, the poor guy is going to shake his head and give
up."
With that hanging in the air, she got up
and strode to her satchel, which was lying near the bed. She
reached into one of the pockets and drew something out. She
handed this to Akane.
Akane found herself clutching a handful of
photographs. She stared at them in consternation.
Shampoo feeding Ranma ramen.
She feeding him a knucklepunch.
Shampoo gazing at him with a look of pure joy.
She giving him her best drop-dead glare.
Shampoo cuddling next to him.
She punting him into orbit.
Akane sighed and looked up at Nabiki for
support.
"There's hope for you yet," she offered.
She raised a finger as if to signify, "Don't move." She then
threw her closet doors open. She rifled through the hung dresses
and finally grunted triumphantly. Akane gasped as blinding white
material swished into view. Nabiki beamed proudly.
Reverently, Akane fingered the material.
The dress was a sleeveless affair with a fitted bodice and flared
skirt that ended way above her knees. She couldn't help but be
surprised her sister owned such a dress. It was more to her own
taste than Nabiki's. Then again, the scarcity of fabric wasn't
exactly her style either...
"You like it don't you." It was more of a
statement than a question. "It's just the kind of thing that
awakens a man's interest."
Her pointed glance at what Akane was
wearing made her blush. So her yellow knit sweater and button-
down skirt were pretty conservative. It only seemed so when
compared to Shampoo's indecent, body-hugging, traffic stopping
outfits.
Nabiki took something out of her dresser
drawer and threw it to her offhandedly. Akane caught and stared
at the makeup kit. Her sister glanced at her watch. "I gotta go
now; I have some business to attend to." Briskly, she took yet
something else from her satchel pocket. She was almost out the
door before Akane called out, "Wait!" All of a sudden, a wave of
panic washed over her. She didn't want to go through her
transformation alone.
Nabiki stuck her
head in. "Oh yeah, that's right. I'll collect my fee later."
That changed her mind in an instant. Nabiki
had to duck before a shoe struck her on the forehead. She walked
away, shaking her head and muttering something about ingratitude
and interest rates.
Still shaking with repressed anger, Akane
walked over to the full-length mirror. The sight of her sulky and
pouty expression unexplainably made her burst out laughing. So
all right, perhaps she had overreacted. The expression on her
face was so exaggerated! Giggling, she started to undress...
A half-hour later and she was staring at
her reflection again, this time turning her head this way and
that critically. True enough, the neckline of the dress was a
little too revealing...but the dress itself was so stunning she
found herself not caring. It flattered her figure in all the
right places. She'd also popped the makeup kit open, and at first
she'd just stared at the various trays and implements helplessly.
But then, she'd decided blue eyeshadow was a pretty safe choice,
and she'd moved on from there.
She twirled around and struck a dramatic
pose, which made her grin. So what if she wasn't a great beauty?
She could make the best of what she had, and the results weren't
displeasing.
She stood like that several minutes longer,
and it occurred to her that she was stalling for time. She hated
to admit it, but she feared Ranma might laugh at the new her. If
he did, she'd be more than furious -- she'd be crushed. But I
can't stay here all day, she thought, and if Ranma doesn't like
it, fine! he can go to hell. That made her square her shoulders
and march out resolutely.
But once outside, she felt herself
faltering again. Wracked with indecision, she bit her lip -
"AAAIIIYYYEEEEEE!!!" The eardrum-splitting
cry came from downstairs, and soon enough, footsteps thundered on
the stairs and a red blur streaked by.
"Ranma?" Akane cried.
Then a pink-and-white cat bounded from a
stairs in hot pursuit. On spotting Akane, it hissed and launched
itself at her.
Akane screamed.
CAT! CAT! CAT!!! sang Ranma-chan's brain.
Gotta get away from the cat! He and Shampoo had been virtually in
the same position Akane'd left them. Unfortunately, Soun was
watering the plants with a hose, and he accidentally aimed it at
an open window...
Next thing he knew he was a she and Shampoo
was a cat. The latter was all that mattered to her and she'd
panicked, as usual. Everything that happened afterward was a dim
haze, but the scream jolted her out of it and she looked back
over a shoulder. She saw Akane - then her eyes focused on Shampoo
and panic washed over her once again. Unconsciously, she lifted a
heavy paperweight lying on a shelf nearby and heaved it at
her.
Unfortunately, in her, um, let us say
unbalanced state, her usual perfect aim was off and -
==THOK!== Ranma watched in numb horror as
Akane crumpled to the ground.
She froze. All she could do was stare at
the seemingly lifeless form of her fiancee. She could hear her
heart beating against her rib cage. Then, all of a sudden, her
body was functioning again and she was running to her side. She
knelt down and took a pulse. Good, it was strong. Yet Akane
remained motionless.
Shampoo timidly approached, but she was
oblivious. Her phobia of Akane lying still was beginning to rival
her fear of cats. Come on Akane, she pleaded mentally. Snap out
of it. If you hadn't been standing in the way - no, she amended
quickly, I can't believe I thought that. Just...wake up and you
can beat the shit out of me if you want. A worried frown knitted
her brows. When did Akane get those shiners?
Akane moaned and her eyelids fluttered.
Relief flooded through Ranma. She watched
as Akane sat up, holding her head.
She groaned and fixed blank brown eyes on
her. She blinked in confusion."What is it? Why are you staring at
me? Is my hair a mess?" She patted the top of her head
worriedly.
Ranma's mouth dropped open in surprise.
First of all, Akane's voice had risen several degrees higher.
Almost as if...as if she was mimicking a traditional Japanese
cute voice! Second, that strange empty look creeped her out.
Third, her hair??? Before she could answer though, Akane
interrupted her thoughts with,
"By the way, do I know you?"
Ranma gaped at her.
If it seems a bit rough, be gentle to it. I'll probably get
around to polishing it up soon.
