Sunday, 6 April 2014

Story: Shampoo's Grantor Ring: Obsessively Abnormal

Decided to try out a different direction for the thread than was continued from my last update in it. This is also a bit short, but it felt rather necessary given the deluge of potential directions it could go. Love to hear your thoughts.


One of the traits of customer service-related jobs is that any employee in that kind of position absolutely must leave their personal lives at home so that they do not interfere with their jobs. Just because a server had a sucky day does not entitle them to taking it out on their customers, who probably do actually deserve it but for reasons you’re not personally aware of. So don’t. The reason this is brought up is because Shampoo was pretty fuming right now, but nobody could even guess. A ruse intended to get her what she wanted had managed nothing but getting a ring stuck to her finger. A useless ring that cost her money. Hard to blame her for being a bit miffed, really.

“Here is order,” she said in her cutest voice. “Please enjoy!” Nope. Not a trace of the near-murderous rage, not a hint of fury, nor any indication that she was frustrated. Just a foreign waitress doing her job with a smile and grace, and certainly not trying to come up with a new plan that wouldn’t set her back any more money.

Like, say, those two girls over there chatting away to themselves. Normally she wouldn’t have paid them any notice at all, except <b>they are Akane’s friends</b>. Shampoo shook her head. She wasn’t particularly interested in Akane’s friends <b>except that they had just been talking about how they wished they could stand out more so they could spend more time with Akane.</b>

Now, Shampoo didn’t put much thought, if any, into how exactly she knew that. All she knew was that she knew. Probably overheard it but didn’t really register until just now, a simple piece of self justification sweeping the concern under the rug. It was a simple plan she’d just come up with. All she had to do was make those two girls stand out in some way. Then the opposite of what they had been complaining about could occur. They would take away Akane’s time, meaning that Shampoo could spend her own time with Ranma! Yes! Of course! That might well work! Her careful mask of professionalism cracked a fraction, just briefly, but she plastered it back into place and began to think, think, and think some more. It quickly became an obsession for her, taking mere moments before her very being was consumed by the desire to grant their wish. Right now. Immediately. The wish burned through her mind, ate through her thoughts, and before she knew it she was excusing herself to drag the girls outside so she could properly make sure that they stood out. Nothing would distract her from this task. Absolutely nothing.

Unless someone happened to make another wish in her presence. But what were the odds of that?


  1. Naturally, someone else makes a wish in her presence.
  2. Shampoo uses another magical effect on the girls.
  3. Shampoo tries to train the girls into standing out in some way.
  4. Someone sees what Shampoo is doing and tries to stop her.
  5. Something else

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