Out of Time, Chapter 4

[Climhazard]

How many of those fights had 'Innocent' Bystanders nearer than arms reach for the entire duration of the possible fight?

Kind don't follow your logic... What, someone speak about start shooting MT inside bus? He only need release a hold on one of the bags and then catch a groper hand. That ALL. Where's danger to the "'Innocent' Bystanders"?

[Spokavriel]

I'm not saying something logical. I'm not even attempting to. What I am saying is that the situation didn't allow for the kind of reaction Ranma is use to which is a fight. Even with Happosai and a chest grope the retaliation was to hit but this bus was described as being so full even turning around wasn't an option. Buses here would call another carriage and make you wait long before getting that full but I can imagine that happening. Opening the windows and roof hatches would be mandatory at that capacity to avoid people running out of breathable air.

[Climhazard]

What I am saying is that the situation didn't allow for the kind of reaction Ranma is use to which is a fight.

Mmmmmm... Ranma a pretty adaptive person you know. So i greatly doubt that he could not find a way to stop this groper. Considering that, as i stated before, he only need free one hand and then just give a groper hand a one good squeeze. Clearly he cold do that much.

[Spokavriel]

Ranma almost always loses the first time in a new/unknown situation too. There hasn't been a rematch yet.

[Climhazard]

Ranma almost always loses the first time in a new/unknown situation too.

Maybe. But could you remember a fight when Ranma just stand and do nothing? Stand and just take punishment? And this is exactly what Ranma do here. Completly unlike him. So i say before and say it again "too unbelievable".

PS. Ummm... Almost a 2:00 AM in Russia. So im go to sleep .

[Cheb]

Ranma just stand and do nothing? [...] Completly unlike him. So i say before and say it again "too unbelievable".

Agreed. Admit it, Trimatter made a major OOC here.

Ranma's main characteristic is that he's a very inventive person. At the very least she could squeeze the hand between her legs and twist her hips in the right direction. Crunch.

Or she'd catch the fingers between her steel buttocks long enough to figure out who is the hand's owner.

[Spokavriel]

She did try holding her legs tight together and it didn't work.

[khim]

Knowing how to use a bus is not the same as being experienced enough to train someone in handling dangers associated with it.

For Genma it is. Think about it: this is the guy who advocates paradigm "be always ready and never turn down any challenges". To the point of teaching Ranma to fight in his sleep. And while doing this he's ignoring dangers of buses and trains ? He's gready and stupid but not an imbecile...

Even with Happosai and a chest grope the retaliation was to hit but this bus was described as being so full even turning around wasn't an option. Buses here would call another carriage and make you wait long before getting that full but I can imagine that happening.

I can not. I just don't know what kind of "full bus" we are talking here, but the closest I've ever seen is when bus is trying to close the doors... and fails to do that. Motors are doing "whirr", "whirr" sounds but there are too many people to allow them to close. At this point there are possibilities: driver can just go with doors open (dangerous, I know - but the only option to be on time on the next stop) or can stop and use loud speakers to declare ultimatum: bus will not go any further unless doors are closed. It IS usually possible to close doors in this case, but it's non-trivial: someone should dismount and then jump inside with pretty serious speed - yes, this can lead to injures, but if the only choice is to do that or wait for hour - what you'll choose ? Oh and even in this case it's still pretty easy to turn around. It's hard to move bags around, sure, but to just turn around leaving bags in place ? No problem. Easy to explain really: if someone is pushing from the door (i.e.: from below!) hard enough to make it impossible to turn around - then this someone is more strong then you (at least). And if someone is strong enough to do THAT for Ranma and there are some "normal" humans in the same bus... well - you'll need a lot of medics to treat broken bones on the next bus stop...

She did try holding her legs tight together and it didn't work.

Yup. And this is the only thing Ranma was able to invent in few minutes ? Don't make me laugh. Even if we'll go with the idea that Ranma is totally ignorant as far as buses are concerned (hard to believe, but Ok) he knows how to act in crowd (recall the famous "bread buffet" scene in old boys only school for example) so groper had may be few seconds - no more. Scene implies slow, deliberate, movements, not just a 2-second quick feel up...

P.S. Of course if it's someone like Happosai then Ranma will have hard time catching him - but he'll try to at least do it! The problem is not that Ranma was unable to catch and punish groper. This can happen. The point is that Ranma is passive the whole time (to try to hold legs together is not an active response) while he has quick mind (1000 samples in anime in manga) and physical ability to retaliate. This is unconceivable.

[Spokavriel]

Full agreement on those arguments and it's part of the reason why I think the scene lasts too long and the groper goes way too far beyond what is needed to make Ranma have her reactions. Including the ones after getting back home.