The passengers from a flight form the US started walking through the gate. Most of them were Japanese returning to their country of origin, yet Ranma could see a few Americans walking by.
Ranma nodded his head. “Hmm... Let’s see... Principal Kuno said I was supposed to be looking for a small girl.” His frown furthered. Stupid macadamian nut principals who don’t even know who they’re receiving!
After a couple of minutes few people remained standing there, the others having already been guided out. Standing there were several girls, Ranma knew he was looking for a girl, and two were short in stature. A Japanese girl and a gaijin girl.
Ranma nodded his head and automatically headed towards the definitely foreign one. “Heya... This’s gonna sound stupid, but are you part of the Foreign Exchange program with Furinkan High School in Nerima?”
The girl stared at him and blinked a couple of times. It was obvious she didn’t understand a word he was saying. The other girl, though, did and walked to stand next to Ranma. “Hello? Did you say something about Furinkan High?”
Ranma turned his head, and soon had to look down to catch the eyes of the Japanese girl who had spoken. “Yeah, what about it?”
The girl smiled in amusement, catching on to why Ranma was asking the foreign girl. “Because I’m the exchange student.”
Ranma’s eyes widened. He looked back at the foreigner, and then back at the Japanese girl, and back again. “Gomen nasai!” He apologized to the foreigner, and then turned back to Kasumi. “I’m sorry! God, I must seem like such an ass!” He told the girl before sighing. “Sorry ‘bout that, really. Principal didn’t tell me what to expect.”
Kasumi giggled and waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. I'm Todoh Kasumi.” She introduced herself and bowed at the waist.
Ranma nodded his head, and bowed back in similar fashion, since she was being so polite. “Saotome Ranma. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kasumi-san.” He looked back up at her and gave her one of his cocky, (and unintentional) lady-killer smiles. “I’m part of your host family while you'll be staying here.”
Kasumi noticed Ranma was a handsome boy and smiled. It would be good to have someone like him around, he seemed nice. “Please just call me Kasumi, Ranma-san. I’m not really used to that kind of formality.”
“Only if you call me ‘Ranma’, okay?” He told her, before smiling. Standing up fully, (which wasn’t that much taller than Kasumi) he asked, “I think we should be getting your luggage now, right?”
Kasumi nodded and walked to pick up her bags. “Is your house far from the airport?”
Ranma blinked his eyes, surprised. “A little, but they left me cab-fair... That’s all your luggage?” He asked, changing the subject. He had been expecting a little more.
Kasumi had picked up a backpack and, after Ranma asked the question, fished out a bigger suitcase. “This is it,” She said and smiled, seemingly having no trouble to carry her luggage around.
Ranma nodded. “You sure you can handle that? I wouldn’t mind carrying that for you.”
“I’m fine, thank you,” Kasumi said with a small smile. “It’s not that heavy.”
“All right," Ranma told her. “Well, come on. I’ll tell ya’ all about the Tendo Dojo on the ride over. And the school too...” Ranma groaned. “You REALLY need to be warned about THAT place.”
Kasumi frowned a little. “What can be so bad about a school?”
“Try a...” Ranma held up a fist, which lead to him holding up his forefinger. “A crazed principal.” He then held up his middle-finger as well. “A bunch of delusional people,” Up came his ring finger. “A mercenary that’ll rob you blind.” And so Ranma continued to list a few more of the ‘eccentric’ aspects of Furinkan High.
Kasumi didn’t say a word, but inwardly she was wondering what kind of crazy town did her father send her too. She was here to learn about her heritage, not to be suffering in one of the circles of hell! “You’re pulling my leg, right?” The question sounded hopeful.
Looking at Kasumi, Ranma gave the girl a sympathetic look. “Let me put it this way... When you meet some Chinese warriors named after bath products, RUN!”
“Uh... Okay...” This place was definitely WEIRD! “Anything else I should know?”
Ranma shrugged. “Well, at least some of the REALLY bad stuff doesn’t get mixed up here... Or at least not often. Like pissed-off Phoenix Gods, Chinese Dragon Princes with animal-men minions, Floating Islands, Yeti-Riding-Ox-While-Carrying-Eel-And-Crane mixed with Octopus beasts, and eight-headed earth guardian dragons who have a taste for virgin women.”
Kasumi was convinced, Ranma was definitely trying to pass a fast one on her. “Okay. Say, my father said I would be staying at a traditional Japanese dojo. Is that right?”
“Yep!” Ranma said, smiling. “The Tendo Dojo! One of the two families to study the art of ‘Anything Goes Martial Arts’...” Ranma frowned. “That reminds me. Beware of old, wrinkly, short, 300-year-old midgets. Especially men.”
“Right...” Yup, Kasumi was sure Ranma was trying to play a prank on her. There was no way a place could be as dangerous and weird as he made it out to be. No way at all. “You obviously train a lot. Hard not to notice the fluidity of his movements. Does the Dojo have a lot of challengers?”
“Yeah, you could say that,” Ranma said. “Had a few serious fights, but a lot of the challengers have just been plain... Weird. Like 12' tall, 600 lbs Dojo Destroyers, little girls who use toys for weapons, crepe-chefs gone berserk, shogi-playing martial artists, Anything Goes Martial Arts Calligraphy fighters...”
Kasumi stopped walking and gave Ranma an annoyed stared. “Okay, that’s enough. This joke is going a little too far.”
Stopping once Kasumi had, Ranma blinked his eyes. “What joke?”
“Gigantic fighters, old perverts, dragons? Do you think I'm stupid?” Kasumi questioned, pouting at Ranma.
Ranma shook his head. “No. I’m just telling ya’ what goes on around-” And with a beep of a horn, a car drove by the front of the airport where they had walked out. Hitting a puddle, it splashed Ranma, drenching him... Or rather her.
The redhead spit out a moutful of street-water. “...Here...” Ranma-chan finished lamely.
Kasumi blinked her eyes a couple of times, stared at the small redhead, blinked a few more times, continued to stare... “WHAT THE HELL!?!?”
Ranma-chan shook her head in defeat. “Something else I meant to tell ya’ about. Was hoping to lead you into this one nicely.” Wringing the bottom of her shirt of water, she told Kasumi, “Chinese curse. Water-activated. I turn into a girl with cold water, and back to a guy with warm.”
Still gawking, Kasumi raised her hand and was about to squeeze one of Ranma’s breasts when she stopped and looked up at Ranma’s face. “May I...? I mean... Are they real?” Her voice was definitely shocked.
Ranma-chan sighed. “Well, at least you've got more restraint than A LOT of people I know who just go grabbin’ ‘em,” She said in annoyance. “And yes, they are real.”
Kasumi blushed slightly and lowered her arm. “Sorry, it’s just that...”
“This is too much to take in?” Ranma-chan asked, noticing a taxi was pulling up to them. “Sorry about confusing you like this. I really don’t mean to dump this all onto ya’ at once.”
“It’s not your fault,” Kasumi said. “It’s just that seeing this makes me have to believe all the other stuff you said.”
Ranma-chan nodded her head. “Well, believe it, Kasumi. Nerima is the strangeness capital of the world,” She chuckled. “I’m surprised we aren’t on TV or something.”
Once a cab stopped Kasumi placed her luggage in the trunk. “I’m surprised, too. Tell me... Do people around here use chi techniques?”
“Numerous fighters do, or at least know how to channel their chi to add some force behind their hits,” Ranma-chan told her. “I myself am pretty damn good at it,” She smirked. “Best there is, if I do say so myself!”
Kasumi smirked. “The best, huh? I’d like to see you fight sometime,” She was conscious that many didn’t think of her as a fighter till they saw her actually fight. What with her small size and all.
“Oh believe me, it’s sure to happen sooner or later,” Ranma-chan told Kasumi. “Probably sooner.” With that Kasumi and Ranma continued talking in the cab ride to the dojo.
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(Posted Fri, 02 Jul 2004 13:58)
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