[Episode 141529] [Episode 141529]"Really?" Nabiki asked. There was probably some clever quip for the situation, but her mind refused to produce it.
"Well, yeah," Ranma answered. The two girls stood there, Ranma holding Nabiki up, both without words.
Eventually, Nabiki broke the silence. "So, I guess that's why you're back again," she said, standing on her own. Being held by Ranma like that, without knowing if it meant anything, was too uncomfortable.
"Yup," Ranma agreed readily. "That and Pops had another idiot scheme of his and I didn't want to be part of it. Or there when it blows up, or-" Ranma abruptly cut off as Nabiki felt her face harden. "But, I, uh, guess it was really just and excuse to see you again," the redhead finished uncertainly. Nabiki smiled. She was glad that Ranma wanted to see her, but her smile was mostly prompted by Ranma's earnestness and naivete. She never thought about how what she said might sound because she usually assumed people had good intentions. Nabiki knew otherwise, but what was grating in her elder sister was charming in Ranma. Maybe it was because, with Ranma, the quality was directed at Nabiki.
"Anyway," Ranma continued with more confidence, "last night was the best sleep I got since forever, and I was kinda hoping we could do it again."
Do it again? Another night of hormone induced sleeplessness? Of having their lack of a relationship thrust in her face? It would be torture.
"Of course," Nabiki agreed.
It would be time with Ranma. It showed she trusted Nabiki. It would be a chance to pretend to fall asleep, then roll over and-
No! No, that wouldn't work at all. Better to stick with the fiance plan.
"Great!" Ranma replied. "Maybe we can wake up together this time." Maybe, but Nabiki wouldn't have a chance to do so properly until her nameless fiance arrived. The first night wouldn't be too soon for her and Ranma to put the moves on him, right?
"Let's get home, then," Nabiki said. The neighborhood was safe, but she didn't want to tempt fate by finding an out of they way spot to talk with Ranma when it was dark. Sure, Ranma would protect her, but they'd need to return to the house soon anyway.
"So, what's this plan of your father's," Nabiki asked as she jogged back home.
"Pop wanted me to case some fox's place," Ranma replied, floating along. Given her companion's species, only the least charitable would blame Nabiki for assuming Ranma was talking about a kitsune and not the magazine model Genma had intended to steal from.
"That doesn't sound smart," Nabiki agreed.
"No one ever accused Pop of being smart," Ranma joked.
"I think we've got similar fathers," Nabiki replied as they arrived at the dojo's gates. "Why don't you go up to my room and I'll join you. I'd rather not have to sneak you past Kasumi."
"Yeah," Ranma agreed, floating upwards.
Nabiki entered the gates, then the house proper. She was putting on her indoor slippers when her sister confronted her. Surprisingly, it wasn't the elder one.
"Nabiki," Akane said, "I'm worried about you."
Nabiki raised her eyebrow.
"Really," Akane insisted. "I mean, volunteering to marry that guy and all. We don't know anything about him!"
"Well, we know he's cute and buff," Nabiki countered. "But I don't think that's what you mean, Little Sister. Should Kasumi have gotten him?"
"No" Akane agreed, "but-"
"Did you want him," Nabiki continued.
"NO!" Akane protested.
"Well then, that only leave me, right?" Nabiki finished.
"None of us should have to marry this guy," Akane protested.
"But how do I know I don't want to marry him?" Nabiki countered.
"Huh?"
"I haven't met him, so how do I know I won't like him?" Nabiki repeated. "At least I'll get a chance to date someone."
"There's that Gosunkugi guy," Akane protested weakly. Nabiki just looked at Akane, who quickly dropped the point.
"What if it doesn't work out, then what?"
"Then we'll just go about our lives as it there wasn't any agreement," Nabiki said calmly. Well, she would be going about her life, it wasn't like she and Ranma could marry legally anyway. This boy would get discouraged, find someone else, and break off the marriage agreement.
"Nabiki!" Akane protested. "Think about this. He might try to force you to do something, and everyone would believe you agreed to do it."
"I don't think I have to worry about that," Nabiki calmly replied. She had an invisible martial artist to protect her and, at worst, the vengeance of demons was quick and painful.
"You don't understand, Nabiki," Akane continued, "Boys will try to make you do things."
"I'll be fine," Nabiki said firmly. "Not all boys are jerks, Akane. Besides, even the jerks at school leave me alone." She then hurried up the stairs and into her room before Akane could protest again.
Nabiki stopped short just inside the door. Absently, she closed it behind her, never taking her eyes off the sight on her bed. In general, Nabiki had become inured to Ranma's constant nudity. This was not one of those times. Ranma sat a few inches above the top of the bed, her upper torso propped against a nonexistent wall. The succubus had her hands laced behind her head, arms to the sides, breasts pushed forward. As if that weren't enough, she sat with her legs bent to the side with the soles of her feet pressed together, openly displaying her crotch to Nabiki.
"Hi again," Ranma said, standing up. "You didn't have any trouble with your sister, did you?"
"Not with Kasumi," Nabiki replied absently. With Ranma's less provocative pose, she managed to gather her thoughts. "Akane cornered me for a minute, though," Nabiki admitted as she settled onto the bed. Ranma lay down with her head in Nabiki's lap, as she'd become used to.
"What about?" Ranma asked.
"My new fiance," Nabiki answered, paying more attention to stroking red hair than speaking.
"What!?" Ranma shouted, bolting upright. Oops. That wasn't the way Nabiki meant to start this conversation. "You're getting married?"
"Well, in theory that would follow-"
"Why'd you go do something like that?" Ranma demanded. "Now you're going to be spending all your time with some guy, going out with him, talking with him-"
"No I'm not," Nabiki interrupted.
"-There'll be no time for..." Ranma's tirade trailed off. "What?" she asked.
"It's an arranged marriage. Sure, he looks like he's pretty cute and buff, but I don't even know his name. Daddy sprung all this on us today."
"Oh," Ranma said, nonplused. "Well, that sucks then."
"It's not so bad," Nabiki reassured Ranma as the spirit returned her head to Nabiki's lap. "I've got two plans. Plan A is to just ignore him, being engaged in name only, until he finds someone else and breaks things off."
"What's the other plan?" Ranma asked.
"Well, I thought we might use him for food," Nabiki forced out, feeling her face heat up. This was it!
"Get him to cook for us? I guess," Ranma replied, distracted.
"Not like that," Nabiki teased her back. "I can get him all hot and heavy, then you jump in with us."
"I don't understand," Ranma complained. Nabiki sighed to herself. With Ranma's command of Japanese, she often forgot that the spirit might not understand some slang or idioms.
"I'll, you know," Nabiki said, overcome with shyness. However, Ranma's blank look indicated she had no idea what Nabiki was trying to say. "We'll start doing, well, boyfriend-girlfriend stuff, then you can join us-"
"Yuck!" Ranma shouted, popping up again and this time floating away from Nabiki. "You want me to do that with some guy?"
"NO!" Nabiki said forcefully. She didn't want Ranma feeding off anyone but herself, but it was the only way to feel Ranma out without risking a crushing refusal. "I thought you'd want..." she offered weakly.
"I don't like guys!" Ranma vehemently stated. "If it was just you it'd be nice, but not with some boy-"
"You'd like to do 'that stuff' with me?" Nabiki asked hopefully, cutting Ranma off.
Genma finished another glass of maotai and signaled the waitress to bring him another.
Stupid boy.
It was the boy's fault he needed the extra money. With that ghost curse, there was no way to make sure he could keep up (and keep him from running off) if they swam back to Japan. Sure, Genma didn't want to be a panda (there was something about that form that made him uneasy, but he couldn't put his finger on it) but was entirely the boy's fault they needed to buy passage on a ship. Yup, just because of Ranma.
There was no way Genma could break into that big house without someone to scout it out (or unsealing those) so he had to find some other way to get back to Nodoka. He'd get to Tendo, have the boy marry, then Genma's lovely (but slightly nutty) wife wouldn't threaten the life her son anymore. The boy ought to be grateful to his father for getting him away from a mother that pulled out blades over the slightest unmanliness.
When his drink arrived, Genma took a sip and shook his head. The boy just didn't understand; it was much harder to get money here in China. No one would give out charity under the guise of engaging their daughter to a wandering martial artist's son. One man here had asked why he would want to bind his child to the progeny of a poor drifter. That was the entire point! No one took the deal seriously and no one lost face.
What was a father to do? Maybe he should give up the second lunch, smokes, and drink? No, that wasn't it. Tendo and Nodoka wouldn't want him to suffer just to get back a little faster. Maybe he should put the boy on less rations; he was always going off on his own lately anyway. Genma needed a big score. Well, a little score would do, too. Really, anything that paid better than those odd jobs...
A Chinese man with a scar under his right eye sat down opposite Genma. "I understand you're looking for some 'work'," he said in accented Japanese.
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(Posted Thu, 02 Jun 2005 02:56)
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