Okay... just to get people to stop asking...
Girl Days 16.5 is in the works.
Paragon 4 is in the works.
And after a long hiatus, Redheads 4 is in the works. In fact... here's a
teaser...
Robert Haynie Presents
Redheads
A Ranma 1/2 / Slayers crossover fanfiction that makes more sense
than it looks like
Chapter the fourth : In which Ranma gets some clothing that she
actually likes, Lina gets a makeover, and someone tries to kill both
of them.
####
"I hate these clothes."
Lina looked at Ranma inquisitively. "What's wrong with them?
They're perfectly proper clothes for a sorceress."
"Which you are, and I ain't. I'm a martial artist, and these
rags aren't really suited to that. Besides, they aren't exactly
flattering to my figure."
Akane sighed. Ranma's ego struck again. But she had to admit
that the redhead (the one named Ranma, that is) was right. "Maybe we
can find something in the next town."
Gourry, who understandably didn't see the point, said nothing.
####
Coincidence.
In the case of both Lina Inverse and her adopted cousin Ranma,
coincidence was a major factor. Both were exactly the kind of person
who would find the lost idol that a tribe of ravening cannibal
accountants would be hunting, or who the ragged princess of an
obscure kingdom would fall across, or the random fiancee would pop
out of the woodwork to accost. No, sorry, the last one's Ranma only.
But anyway, coincidence was a biggie in the Inverse lives.
For example, the town up ahead.
Kepler was rather large as towns go-- it wasn't a city, but it
certainly wanted to be one when it grew up. And it had a somewhat
major reputation as one of the centers for fashion for the adventurer
trade. Stocking everything from fine crafted armor for the knight
errant on the go to improbably skimpy outfits for the sorceress with
nothing to hide and no desire to hide it, Kepler was the place to go
to for fashionable adventuring gear.
Of course, as one sage once said, an adventure is something that
other people have which consists of being wet, cold, and generally
miserable while lots of people try to kill you while you wonder what
the HELL you've gotten youself into this time. But in Kepler, you
could be wet, cold, and generally miserable while lots of people were
trying to kill you while you were wondering what the HELL you've
gotten youself into this time in STYLE.
And Ranma, due to her intensive training in the art of being a
woman had a great appreciation for style. Kepler was HER kind of
town.
As evinced by the fact that her eyes lit up light a pair of
halogen searchlamps at the sight of the various shop windows. And
Akane groaned.
The Girl Days training that Ranma had undergone months before had
made her when she was a he possibly the only male who understood a
woman's desire to shop. And Ranma surpassed it. Nowadays, just in
case, Ranma even in male form carried a small belt pack with a easily
compressible bra and panties just in case he saw a dress he wanted to
try on so that a quick splash later, she'd have the proper equipment
for underneath it. Ranma could care less about what he wore as a
guy, but she had definite opinions about what she wore as a girl.
"Ooooh! Leather!"
And definite tastes, too.
"How many bandit gangs have we taken out in the last week, Lina?"
Akane asked.
"Um... three?"
"Good... then we'll JUST be able to cover this."
Lina blinked. "Huh?"
"We are about to undergo the shopping experience from HELL. You
have NEVER been with Ranma when she decides to start shopping
seriously. It's scary--"
"Look! They have BIKINIS! And it's SUMMER here, not winter like
at home!"
"And so is her addiction to sunbathing. In fact, during a hot
sunny day she'll deliberately go girl just to soak up the sun. Used
to be that all she cared about was eating, sleeping, and the Art...
now it's eating, sleeping, the Art and getting a killer tan. Sigh."
"But... I mean, she'll just buy one new outfit, right?"
Akane almost collasped in laughter.
####
Lina Inverse was not a fashion plate. True, she did know what a
pretty dress was, and she'd worn a swimsuit a few times, but in
general her usual sorceress outfit was good enough for her. To her,
Dress for Success was not a concept. Not when you could Fireball for
Success just as easily, and a lot more cheaply.
But her neo-cousin apparently had different ideas.
Kenko/Robert Haynie-- Author of Girl Days, Paragon, Redheads,
and War and Peace-- Gomen, no the last was Leo Tolstoy. Well,
I was CLOSE...