Ranma ½ Zero Interface
- Thread starter goldenarms
- Start date
It's not entirely certain whether the people of the ZnT universe speak French, or if Saito only heard bits of French as a result of the accidental translation magic. We frequently refer to Halkeginia as a pseudo-analogue to Europe, but the reality is that we're not entirely sure. Geographically, it does resemble Europe and has some nations with European sounding (to Saito and the audience) names.
I like it for the most part... I agree with the others in that Ranma seems in character.
This took him from series start though, so he is not as tough or durable or knowledgeable by series end.
However, that does mean he'll have to work at things a bit more. And could pick up different techniques off the mages, even if he cannot use magic... it would give ideas.
Some minor items I caught while reading:
'Wile' s/b 'While
'asn' s/b 'as'
'do' s/b 'down' I think.
I'm a bit conscerned on where you might be going based on comments in the other thread, but will take a wait and see approach.
This took him from series start though, so he is not as tough or durable or knowledgeable by series end.
However, that does mean he'll have to work at things a bit more. And could pick up different techniques off the mages, even if he cannot use magic... it would give ideas.
Some minor items I caught while reading:
'Wile' s/b 'While
'asn' s/b 'as'
'do' s/b 'down' I think.
I'm a bit conscerned on where you might be going based on comments in the other thread, but will take a wait and see approach.
We also need to remember than while he doesn't has, some of his most well known techniques, Ranma has shows that he can so serveral ninja like moves, he's damn fast when he wants to and probably could wrestle Thabitha's dragon with some problems.
But I always thought that his main asset is his own adaptability and tactical mind when if comes to fighting others.
And I woner people still keep considering a commoner, yet he keeps displaying incredible feats of strenght and no one seems to wonder about those, this is supposed to be a commoner and it's probably pulling moves tham mages would need to use magic to emulate.
And another thing Ranma wears silk, something that in a magical world like this one would be considered very expesive, rare and quite sought like it was in the middle ages in Europe, besides that commoners are supposed to be less sofisticated, smart and wordly, I honestly dont see him acting like just another dumb commoner, so people would start wondering about those thigs you know.
Anyway so far it looks good, lets see what happens later.
But I always thought that his main asset is his own adaptability and tactical mind when if comes to fighting others.
And I woner people still keep considering a commoner, yet he keeps displaying incredible feats of strenght and no one seems to wonder about those, this is supposed to be a commoner and it's probably pulling moves tham mages would need to use magic to emulate.
And another thing Ranma wears silk, something that in a magical world like this one would be considered very expesive, rare and quite sought like it was in the middle ages in Europe, besides that commoners are supposed to be less sofisticated, smart and wordly, I honestly dont see him acting like just another dumb commoner, so people would start wondering about those thigs you know.
Anyway so far it looks good, lets see what happens later.
It is all relative... I did not mean he would be weak by any means... even in canon we know he could do some pretty awesome things, and here is shown tree hopping.
Merely that Ranma himself was no where near as capable as he was by end of manga, or as exposed to the abilities of magic.
Think about it... he is physically capable of course and way over human norm, but we will not be seeing him throwing tornados.. or vacumn blades, or energy attacks, or turning invivible, etc....
EDIT: Oops... did not see the last couple posts... they already covered what I said... Oh well...
Merely that Ranma himself was no where near as capable as he was by end of manga, or as exposed to the abilities of magic.
Think about it... he is physically capable of course and way over human norm, but we will not be seeing him throwing tornados.. or vacumn blades, or energy attacks, or turning invivible, etc....
EDIT: Oops... did not see the last couple posts... they already covered what I said... Oh well...
Shouldnt Ranma be running around looking for a cure?
I mean, if it weren't for the obligation of family honor (and Genma literally clubbing him over the head and dragging him along) holding him at the Tendo's he would have swam back to China to find a cure. That was just a few days ago story time.
Now he has the chance at an entire school filled with magical knowledge and mages. Why isn't he harrasing teachers or holed up in the library bullying students to find him a cure?
I mean, if it weren't for the obligation of family honor (and Genma literally clubbing him over the head and dragging him along) holding him at the Tendo's he would have swam back to China to find a cure. That was just a few days ago story time.
Now he has the chance at an entire school filled with magical knowledge and mages. Why isn't he harrasing teachers or holed up in the library bullying students to find him a cure?
This is the final part to the second chapter.
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ôWeÆre going to class now?ö Ranma said, puzzled.
ôOf course, weÆre going to class,ö Louise said tersely. ôThis is an academy, remember?ö
ôHuhà didnÆt realize I needed higher education while IÆm here, too. IÆdÆve brought my book bag with me then.ö Not that he really missed it, of course; however, aside from the clothes on his back, it was all he had brought with him when he ended up in this world.
Louise cleared her throat. ôThis is a magic academy. As in for mages. YouÆre justà whatever, okay?ö
ôWell, maybe I can do magic, too.ö
Louise paled a bit. ôD-donÆt be stupid! YouÆre a commoner! YouÆre worse than a commoner!ö
ôYeah, yeah,ö Ranma spoke, blithely ignoring her. ôBut you know, I wonÆt really know unless I try it. So, knock it off already.ö
ôI refuse!ö
He sighed. ôDonÆt get so annoyed about it. Right now, I just want to be left alone if everyoneÆs going to be so patronizing at best to me, just æcause you summoned me here.ö
Louise sulked. ôI donÆt want you to be able to do magic,ö she mumbled. ôItÆd just make me look even more patheticàö
Ranma eyed her for a moment. She did have a point, but if she was so bad at magic, why was she at a school for mages?
There was tug at his conscience. Last night, he made a promise to try and help the poor kid out since, well, being a mage here was such a big deal to her. But just what could he do but learn how this magic thing works here?
ôWell, I got an idea.ö
ôWeÆre going to be late.ö
And Ranma decided to save his idea for later. Maybe he could get something more from her studies.
---
It was like he stepped into a college lecture hall. With stone seats.
As he and Louise came into the room, all student heads turned their way. And they began to laugh. Most likely at them.
Yeah, this was shaping up to be a wonderful day, Ranma noted.
Looking around, he caught a glance at the redhead girl from earlier û Kirche? û surrounded by boys.
DidnÆt take three guesses to answer the why to that question.
Other faces he seen only vaguely or in passing. And what he took to be their familiars.
There were definitely some bizarre creatures in the room. A six-legged lizard, a giant floating eye, an octopus-like thingà And there were some rather mundane things. Owls, ravens, a giant snake in the windowà
However, nothing prepared him for the most nightmarish of all the creatures. No matter what, nothing could beat it in the sheer terror it brought to people.
=MEOW=
Louise suddenly found Ranma standing on the other side of the classroom near the wall.
ôG-good seats over here. W-we should be able to hear plenty!ö
ôYouÆre weird.ö
ôTr-trust me,ö he tried speaking calmly, warily eyeing the back. Crap! There were two of those hell beasts in here!
Louise didnÆt have the energy to get into another argument, so she reluctantly decided to take his advice and plopped into a seat. Ranma carefully slid into the seat beside her.
ôYou know, familiars arenÆt allowed to sit in these seats, but youÆre probablyùô
ôYou know what, youÆre absolutely right, I should stand up here by the wall. Just in case.ö
Louise blinked in shock. The guy that complained about people treating him like a familiar, taking heed of the rules?
She narrowed her eyes at him. ôWhatÆre you playing at?ö
ôN-nothingà justà looking out for you.ö He whistled a poor-sounding tune, trying to not-so-casually take stock of the classroom.
ôUh huhàö Let him be a weirdo; she had more important things to do at the moment.
The classroom door opened, revealing the teacher. A middle aged woman dressed in a voluminous violet robe and a hat. She had a plump, round face with a very kind expression.
ôSo thatÆs the teacher?ö Ranma asked as the class settled down.
ôYesàö
Noting where the two hell beasts were, Ranma quickly seated himself beside Louise. Who gave him a look.
ôAll clear, maÆam.ö
She palmed her face. If it wasnÆt one thing, it was another.
"Well, everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Mrs. Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."
Louise sighed sadly.
"My, my. You've summoned quite a... peculiar familiar, Miss ValliÞre," the teacher remarked, looking at Ranma. While it sounded rather harmless a statement, the class erupted in laughter.
"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street just because you can't summon anything!"
Fire burned in the strawberry blondeÆs eyes as she round on her detractor. "No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"
"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast 'Summon Servant' properly, right?"
The other students chuckled. Ranma sat with a nonplussed look.
"Mrs. Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"
"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"
"Well, your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"
The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string and rigidly sat back down.
Ranma blinked at that. Was that what Mr. Colbert did to him yesterday?
"Miss ValliÞre, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument. Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"
Malicorne spoke first. "Mrs. Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke, but for Louise, it's the truth."
More giggles broke from among the students.
Mrs. Chevreuse frowned severely. Taking a quick tally in her mind, she waved her wand once again.
Several students found their mouths crammed with red clay.
Ranma almost whistled, but sucked back his lips instead. While he wanted to learn a bit more about this worldÆs magic, he wasnÆt eager to find out about it firsthand.
"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."
No one dared even smile after that. Not that Ranma blamed them.
"Now then, let's begin the lesson."
Mrs. Chevreuse coughed heavily and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialized on her desktop.
"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"
"Y-Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."
Mrs. Chevreuse nodded in agreement.
"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total - as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."
The immodest coughing suggested otherwise, but it was a start for Ranma. So, in this world there were five elements one could use. Earth, fire, wind, water and void. Something about one of them being lost or something, which didnÆt make much sense to Ranma. If it was a major element for magic, how on earth could they just ôloseö it?
"Now, everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation'. While there will be people here who have already learned this in their first year, basics build foundations, so let's review it once more."
Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles and twirled her wand over them.
She then whispered a spell, and they began to glow brightly.
When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.
Ranma sucked in a breath as the class itself began buzzing. That couldnÆt be gold, was it?
Kirche spoke up as if reading his thoughts. "Is that g-g-gold, Mrs. Chevreuse!?"
"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..." Mrs. Chevreuse once again had an immodest cough. "A Triangle mage..."
Square-class mage, versus Triangle-class mageà he didnÆt get it. So he poked Louise.
ôWhat?ö she hissed through gritted teeth. ôWeÆre in the middle of class!ö
ôWhat exactly is this triangle-square class thing about?ö
She huffed but spoke in a low voice. ô"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."
"Huh?"
"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly.ö
"Uh huhàö So, more elements you can use, the more powerful a mage you are. Seemed kind of simple.
"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together are called Line mages. Mrs. Chevreuse, being able to combine three elements, Earth-Earth-Fire, is a Triangle mage."
"Earth-Earth-Fire? What does that do, using the same element twice in a spell?"
"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."
ôOhàö So, in a nutshell, Mrs. Chevreuse was doing a little bit of showboating for the class, name-dropping her Triangle status. Regardless, it seemed somewhat simple to him, having it explained to him. So, what if you could use all five elements?
Just as he started to question Louise about it, Mrs. Chevreuse cleared her throat in their direction. Ranma sweated, fearing they were going to be eating red clay themselves.
"Miss ValliÞre!"
Louise jumped. "Y-Yes?"
"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."
"I'm sorry..." She threw a glare at Ranma, who just shrugged. He really wanted to know the answers, though.
"Since you have the time to chatter, perhaps I should have you demonstrate for me?"
Louise jumped again, eyes wide. "Eh? Me?"
The woman nodded, gesturing towards the table with the transformed pebbles. "Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."
Instead of getting up, Louise looked very troubled.
"Miss ValliÞre! Is something the matter?"
Other than she canÆt perform magic worth spit? Ranma thought to himself. His conscience picked at him; even if she was obnoxious, she really didnÆt need (another) course of public humiliation.
Just as he started to stand up, someone else interjected. Kirche.
"Umm, Mrs. Chevreuseà"
"Yes?"
"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."
The teacher looked perplexed. "And why is that?"
"It's dangerous," Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.
Dangerous? How on earth could Louise failing to get any results be considered ôdangerous?ö
"How so?"
Kirche tried reasoning. "This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"
"It is, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss ValliÞre. Don't you worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread making mistakes."
"Don't, Louise!" Kirche cried, her face pale.
Ranma looked from the teacher to Kirche, to every other face he could make out. Save for the teacher, they all looked scared. It made the hairs on the back of RanmaÆs neck stand up, so tense their air was.
"I'll do it," Louise spoke softly, pushing herself into a standing position.
Nervously, she quickly made her way to the front.
Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.
As the teacher walked her through instruction on how to transmute the pebbles into a different metal, danger senses began to scream in RanmaÆs head. Some of the familiars looked a bit agitated. Students were holding their breaths.
He didnÆt understand, even as his body started to move of its own accord to take place behind the desk. Why would Louise be consideredù
=BOOOOM=
It was absolute pandemonium. People went flying. Glass shattered. Familiars ran amok (and according to the screams, at least one got eaten (those hell beasts? Please? Pretty please?)). Smoke and soot filled the area, making it hard to see. And for a moment, Ranma thought something furry with claws had pounced upon his back.
Somehow, he only smashed through the classroom door in his blind panic before discovering it was some kind of really big spider.
After a few minutes, things settled down, causalities noted.
Mrs. Chevreuse was out like a light, having been at ground zero. Her limbs occasionally twitched like a dying cockroach.
Louise, for the matter, was completely sooty, her clothes torn in various places, including a very revealing gash through her skirt.
Striped undies did not suit her.
Other than that, though, she was relatively fine as she took out a handkerchief to wipe face clean. Odd, considering she was even closer to the blast than the teacher.
"Looks like I messed up a little..." she spoke weakly, trying to play it off.
The uproar from her fellow students made it clear they were not amused.
---
ôàI have no idea failure was soà catastrophic.ö Ranma remarked as he helped Louise clean up the classroom. He had already put in the new glass (though those lazy bastards could have wand-waved it into place instead of making him do it û it was their fault for not warning the apparently new teacher about LouiseÆs ôtalent.ö
Louise, for the matter, was silent through the whole process. She cleaned like a zombie with arthritis. The look on her face was even more devastated than the classroom itself.
ôDo all spells blow up like that when they go wrong?ö
She didnÆt answer.
Ranma frowned.
ôOkay, so you just destroyed a classroom today. Big deal. IÆm certain you can do better next time!ö
ôIÆve destroyed almost every classroom in the school at least once.ö
Well, so much for a pep talk.
ôàI turn into a girl when hit with cold water.ö
Louise regarded him blankly.
ôDo you have any idea how traumatic it is to lose your gender?ö
She continued to stare at him, her eyes unseeing.
Ranma frowned. ôWhat?ö
ôàö
He gave up.
Looking at how filthy the water was, he opted to go change it. At this rate, theyÆd be here till after lunch.
=SPLOOSH=
ôWhy me?ö Ranma sighed, noticing his voice had went up a few octaves. He hadnÆt even made it through the classroom door.
ôS-sorry, miss!ö
Ranma recognized the young man with the mop. ôOh, hey, itÆs you from this morning. WhatÆs going on?ö
ôW-well, I heard about what happened, andà umàö
ôYou want to help?ö
The man quickly nodded. ôA-as thanks for this morningà thoughàö
Ranma sighed. ôItÆs no big deal. Stuff like this happens all the time. Come in, come in.ö
Just because Louise was forbidden from using magic (ha!) didnÆt mean he himself û well, herself û couldnÆt sweet talk someone else into helping out.
As he led the young man in, he realized he didnÆt know his name. Which might come in handy should he need someone to find him more hot water.
ôSo, hey, whatÆs yourùô
The sudden gasp from the only other room occupant drew RanmaÆs attention. He found Louise backing away from the two of them, her eyes wide in horror, one hand over her mouth the other pointing her wand at him specifically.
Ranma blinked. ôWhat? I told you about this!ö
The young man looked at Louise and then Ranma. ôI-IÆm sorry. I didnÆt know you had a twin sister, Missàö
Ranma blinked at the man. ôHah?ö
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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ôWeÆre going to class now?ö Ranma said, puzzled.
ôOf course, weÆre going to class,ö Louise said tersely. ôThis is an academy, remember?ö
ôHuhà didnÆt realize I needed higher education while IÆm here, too. IÆdÆve brought my book bag with me then.ö Not that he really missed it, of course; however, aside from the clothes on his back, it was all he had brought with him when he ended up in this world.
Louise cleared her throat. ôThis is a magic academy. As in for mages. YouÆre justà whatever, okay?ö
ôWell, maybe I can do magic, too.ö
Louise paled a bit. ôD-donÆt be stupid! YouÆre a commoner! YouÆre worse than a commoner!ö
ôYeah, yeah,ö Ranma spoke, blithely ignoring her. ôBut you know, I wonÆt really know unless I try it. So, knock it off already.ö
ôI refuse!ö
He sighed. ôDonÆt get so annoyed about it. Right now, I just want to be left alone if everyoneÆs going to be so patronizing at best to me, just æcause you summoned me here.ö
Louise sulked. ôI donÆt want you to be able to do magic,ö she mumbled. ôItÆd just make me look even more patheticàö
Ranma eyed her for a moment. She did have a point, but if she was so bad at magic, why was she at a school for mages?
There was tug at his conscience. Last night, he made a promise to try and help the poor kid out since, well, being a mage here was such a big deal to her. But just what could he do but learn how this magic thing works here?
ôWell, I got an idea.ö
ôWeÆre going to be late.ö
And Ranma decided to save his idea for later. Maybe he could get something more from her studies.
---
It was like he stepped into a college lecture hall. With stone seats.
As he and Louise came into the room, all student heads turned their way. And they began to laugh. Most likely at them.
Yeah, this was shaping up to be a wonderful day, Ranma noted.
Looking around, he caught a glance at the redhead girl from earlier û Kirche? û surrounded by boys.
DidnÆt take three guesses to answer the why to that question.
Other faces he seen only vaguely or in passing. And what he took to be their familiars.
There were definitely some bizarre creatures in the room. A six-legged lizard, a giant floating eye, an octopus-like thingà And there were some rather mundane things. Owls, ravens, a giant snake in the windowà
However, nothing prepared him for the most nightmarish of all the creatures. No matter what, nothing could beat it in the sheer terror it brought to people.
=MEOW=
Louise suddenly found Ranma standing on the other side of the classroom near the wall.
ôG-good seats over here. W-we should be able to hear plenty!ö
ôYouÆre weird.ö
ôTr-trust me,ö he tried speaking calmly, warily eyeing the back. Crap! There were two of those hell beasts in here!
Louise didnÆt have the energy to get into another argument, so she reluctantly decided to take his advice and plopped into a seat. Ranma carefully slid into the seat beside her.
ôYou know, familiars arenÆt allowed to sit in these seats, but youÆre probablyùô
ôYou know what, youÆre absolutely right, I should stand up here by the wall. Just in case.ö
Louise blinked in shock. The guy that complained about people treating him like a familiar, taking heed of the rules?
She narrowed her eyes at him. ôWhatÆre you playing at?ö
ôN-nothingà justà looking out for you.ö He whistled a poor-sounding tune, trying to not-so-casually take stock of the classroom.
ôUh huhàö Let him be a weirdo; she had more important things to do at the moment.
The classroom door opened, revealing the teacher. A middle aged woman dressed in a voluminous violet robe and a hat. She had a plump, round face with a very kind expression.
ôSo thatÆs the teacher?ö Ranma asked as the class settled down.
ôYesàö
Noting where the two hell beasts were, Ranma quickly seated himself beside Louise. Who gave him a look.
ôAll clear, maÆam.ö
She palmed her face. If it wasnÆt one thing, it was another.
"Well, everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Mrs. Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."
Louise sighed sadly.
"My, my. You've summoned quite a... peculiar familiar, Miss ValliÞre," the teacher remarked, looking at Ranma. While it sounded rather harmless a statement, the class erupted in laughter.
"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street just because you can't summon anything!"
Fire burned in the strawberry blondeÆs eyes as she round on her detractor. "No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"
"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast 'Summon Servant' properly, right?"
The other students chuckled. Ranma sat with a nonplussed look.
"Mrs. Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"
"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"
"Well, your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"
The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string and rigidly sat back down.
Ranma blinked at that. Was that what Mr. Colbert did to him yesterday?
"Miss ValliÞre, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument. Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"
Malicorne spoke first. "Mrs. Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke, but for Louise, it's the truth."
More giggles broke from among the students.
Mrs. Chevreuse frowned severely. Taking a quick tally in her mind, she waved her wand once again.
Several students found their mouths crammed with red clay.
Ranma almost whistled, but sucked back his lips instead. While he wanted to learn a bit more about this worldÆs magic, he wasnÆt eager to find out about it firsthand.
"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."
No one dared even smile after that. Not that Ranma blamed them.
"Now then, let's begin the lesson."
Mrs. Chevreuse coughed heavily and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialized on her desktop.
"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"
"Y-Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."
Mrs. Chevreuse nodded in agreement.
"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total - as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."
The immodest coughing suggested otherwise, but it was a start for Ranma. So, in this world there were five elements one could use. Earth, fire, wind, water and void. Something about one of them being lost or something, which didnÆt make much sense to Ranma. If it was a major element for magic, how on earth could they just ôloseö it?
"Now, everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation'. While there will be people here who have already learned this in their first year, basics build foundations, so let's review it once more."
Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles and twirled her wand over them.
She then whispered a spell, and they began to glow brightly.
When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.
Ranma sucked in a breath as the class itself began buzzing. That couldnÆt be gold, was it?
Kirche spoke up as if reading his thoughts. "Is that g-g-gold, Mrs. Chevreuse!?"
"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..." Mrs. Chevreuse once again had an immodest cough. "A Triangle mage..."
Square-class mage, versus Triangle-class mageà he didnÆt get it. So he poked Louise.
ôWhat?ö she hissed through gritted teeth. ôWeÆre in the middle of class!ö
ôWhat exactly is this triangle-square class thing about?ö
She huffed but spoke in a low voice. ô"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."
"Huh?"
"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly.ö
"Uh huhàö So, more elements you can use, the more powerful a mage you are. Seemed kind of simple.
"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together are called Line mages. Mrs. Chevreuse, being able to combine three elements, Earth-Earth-Fire, is a Triangle mage."
"Earth-Earth-Fire? What does that do, using the same element twice in a spell?"
"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."
ôOhàö So, in a nutshell, Mrs. Chevreuse was doing a little bit of showboating for the class, name-dropping her Triangle status. Regardless, it seemed somewhat simple to him, having it explained to him. So, what if you could use all five elements?
Just as he started to question Louise about it, Mrs. Chevreuse cleared her throat in their direction. Ranma sweated, fearing they were going to be eating red clay themselves.
"Miss ValliÞre!"
Louise jumped. "Y-Yes?"
"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."
"I'm sorry..." She threw a glare at Ranma, who just shrugged. He really wanted to know the answers, though.
"Since you have the time to chatter, perhaps I should have you demonstrate for me?"
Louise jumped again, eyes wide. "Eh? Me?"
The woman nodded, gesturing towards the table with the transformed pebbles. "Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."
Instead of getting up, Louise looked very troubled.
"Miss ValliÞre! Is something the matter?"
Other than she canÆt perform magic worth spit? Ranma thought to himself. His conscience picked at him; even if she was obnoxious, she really didnÆt need (another) course of public humiliation.
Just as he started to stand up, someone else interjected. Kirche.
"Umm, Mrs. Chevreuseà"
"Yes?"
"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."
The teacher looked perplexed. "And why is that?"
"It's dangerous," Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.
Dangerous? How on earth could Louise failing to get any results be considered ôdangerous?ö
"How so?"
Kirche tried reasoning. "This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"
"It is, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss ValliÞre. Don't you worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread making mistakes."
"Don't, Louise!" Kirche cried, her face pale.
Ranma looked from the teacher to Kirche, to every other face he could make out. Save for the teacher, they all looked scared. It made the hairs on the back of RanmaÆs neck stand up, so tense their air was.
"I'll do it," Louise spoke softly, pushing herself into a standing position.
Nervously, she quickly made her way to the front.
Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.
As the teacher walked her through instruction on how to transmute the pebbles into a different metal, danger senses began to scream in RanmaÆs head. Some of the familiars looked a bit agitated. Students were holding their breaths.
He didnÆt understand, even as his body started to move of its own accord to take place behind the desk. Why would Louise be consideredù
=BOOOOM=
It was absolute pandemonium. People went flying. Glass shattered. Familiars ran amok (and according to the screams, at least one got eaten (those hell beasts? Please? Pretty please?)). Smoke and soot filled the area, making it hard to see. And for a moment, Ranma thought something furry with claws had pounced upon his back.
Somehow, he only smashed through the classroom door in his blind panic before discovering it was some kind of really big spider.
After a few minutes, things settled down, causalities noted.
Mrs. Chevreuse was out like a light, having been at ground zero. Her limbs occasionally twitched like a dying cockroach.
Louise, for the matter, was completely sooty, her clothes torn in various places, including a very revealing gash through her skirt.
Striped undies did not suit her.
Other than that, though, she was relatively fine as she took out a handkerchief to wipe face clean. Odd, considering she was even closer to the blast than the teacher.
"Looks like I messed up a little..." she spoke weakly, trying to play it off.
The uproar from her fellow students made it clear they were not amused.
---
ôàI have no idea failure was soà catastrophic.ö Ranma remarked as he helped Louise clean up the classroom. He had already put in the new glass (though those lazy bastards could have wand-waved it into place instead of making him do it û it was their fault for not warning the apparently new teacher about LouiseÆs ôtalent.ö
Louise, for the matter, was silent through the whole process. She cleaned like a zombie with arthritis. The look on her face was even more devastated than the classroom itself.
ôDo all spells blow up like that when they go wrong?ö
She didnÆt answer.
Ranma frowned.
ôOkay, so you just destroyed a classroom today. Big deal. IÆm certain you can do better next time!ö
ôIÆve destroyed almost every classroom in the school at least once.ö
Well, so much for a pep talk.
ôàI turn into a girl when hit with cold water.ö
Louise regarded him blankly.
ôDo you have any idea how traumatic it is to lose your gender?ö
She continued to stare at him, her eyes unseeing.
Ranma frowned. ôWhat?ö
ôàö
He gave up.
Looking at how filthy the water was, he opted to go change it. At this rate, theyÆd be here till after lunch.
=SPLOOSH=
ôWhy me?ö Ranma sighed, noticing his voice had went up a few octaves. He hadnÆt even made it through the classroom door.
ôS-sorry, miss!ö
Ranma recognized the young man with the mop. ôOh, hey, itÆs you from this morning. WhatÆs going on?ö
ôW-well, I heard about what happened, andà umàö
ôYou want to help?ö
The man quickly nodded. ôA-as thanks for this morningà thoughàö
Ranma sighed. ôItÆs no big deal. Stuff like this happens all the time. Come in, come in.ö
Just because Louise was forbidden from using magic (ha!) didnÆt mean he himself û well, herself û couldnÆt sweet talk someone else into helping out.
As he led the young man in, he realized he didnÆt know his name. Which might come in handy should he need someone to find him more hot water.
ôSo, hey, whatÆs yourùô
The sudden gasp from the only other room occupant drew RanmaÆs attention. He found Louise backing away from the two of them, her eyes wide in horror, one hand over her mouth the other pointing her wand at him specifically.
Ranma blinked. ôWhat? I told you about this!ö
The young man looked at Louise and then Ranma. ôI-IÆm sorry. I didnÆt know you had a twin sister, Missàö
Ranma blinked at the man. ôHah?ö
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well actually that depend. The lack of breast mean that they won't throw his balance off anymore, not to mention the fact that they MUST have been a literal pain in the back considering their size.
And then there is the fact that whatever Louise may be as a person, she IS pretty high on the Moe-o-Meter. Ranma's ability to scam some poor foll from their lunch shouldn't be hurt any.
And then there is the fact that whatever Louise may be as a person, she IS pretty high on the Moe-o-Meter. Ranma's ability to scam some poor foll from their lunch shouldn't be hurt any.
Deathwings said:
Well actually that depend. The lack of breast mean that they won't throw his balance off anymore, not to mention the fact that they MUST have been a literal pain in the back considering their size.
And then there is the fact that whatever Louise may be as a person, she IS pretty high on the Moe-o-Meter. Ranma's ability to scam some poor foll from their lunch shouldn't be hurt any.
And then there is the fact that whatever Louise may be as a person, she IS pretty high on the Moe-o-Meter. Ranma's ability to scam some poor foll from their lunch shouldn't be hurt any.
Dumbledork said:
Deathwings said:
Well actually that depend. The lack of breast mean that they won't throw his balance off anymore, not to mention the fact that they MUST have been a literal pain in the back considering their size.
And then there is the fact that whatever Louise may be as a person, she IS pretty high on the Moe-o-Meter. Ranma's ability to scam some poor foll from their lunch shouldn't be hurt any.
And then there is the fact that whatever Louise may be as a person, she IS pretty high on the Moe-o-Meter. Ranma's ability to scam some poor foll from their lunch shouldn't be hurt any.