"Thanks," Ranma replied, though he eyed it dubiously.
"What's the matter? Don't you like tea?"
"It's okay. I just haven't had a lot of it."
"I'd imagine that'd be the case. Though, couldn't you heat up water on a campfire?"
"Sure, 'xcept ya need stuff ta make proper tea."
"Oh?"
"Pop got whatever he could lay his hands on. Sometimes that meant tryin' ta drink teas that had ta be sweetened without any sugar, or gettin' stuff that was so old that I'm surprise that it wasn't walkin' 'round with canes. And Pop ain't the best at makin' anythin'."
"That sounds like him," the redhead replied with a chuckle. "I remember him trying to substitute scrap wood for the stuff they cover walls with and saying that it was 'just as good'."
"That's him, alright."
"I should know. I did know him long before you came along."
Ranma gave her a long and measuring look. "Ya really are my sister..."
"Didn't I already say that I was?"
"It's just that.... I mean, I can see how my girl side looks like ya, but ta really think 'bout it..."
"I understand. But don't worry. I'm your sister. I should be."
"Why is that?"
"Who do you think used to help Mom take care of you? And with how close we were...."
"'Take care of' me? 'Close'?"
"Only a big sister could go from changing a diaper to having her little brother be proud to show her that he went potty."
"ACK!"
A grin lit up the elder Saotome sibling's face. "You were rather fond of showing everything off."
"Oh man...."
"I remember how triumphant you looked when you dressed yourself for the first time. Of course, pajama pants and one of my blouses didn't really make for a truly wonderful outfit, and you did forget to put on underpants, but you were proud of yourself."
"I didn't."
"Yes, you did. But at that age, it was cute. Now... I just hope that you don't dress that way anymore."
"Of course I don't!"
"That's good to hear."
"I bet that ya did stuff back when ya were a kid just like that."
"Definitely. But you wouldn't know any of it," she replied.
"Lucky me."
"Don't worry. Since we're older, we can laugh about it. After all, you're a teenager now, and I'm...."
"Married."
"Exactly."
"But how'd that happen? I mean... he's so much older than ya. Heck, he trained with Pop!"
Her expression became rather nostalgic. "I start out to try and get this way. You see, I originally came a while after Soun's first wife died. Mom had heard how bad he was doing, and decided that he and the girls needed some help in recovering. So, I came here to just help out. Do a little bit of cooking and cleaning so that they didn't have to worry about it while they mourned, you know."
"I see what ya mean."
"So I didn't think much of it. Except things kept on happening. Things kept on making me stay here, and Soun started looking at me less as a kind helper and more as a woman. After a while, he started wanting to romance me. I denied the possibility, and my own feelings, but he was very persistent."
"And now you're gonna have his kid," her brother replied, and then shivered.
"Do you think that there is something wrong with that?"
"Oh, no. It ain't that."
"Then what is it?"
"Well... ya look a lot like my girl form, and 'cause of that, I'm havin' trouble thinkin' of ya doin' what ya gotta do ta get that way."
"Good!" she blurted, and whacked him on the head. "Keep your mind out of my bedroom, would you?!"
"Sorry...."
"Man.... Aren't you educated at all?"
"Not really."
"Excuse me?"
The pigtailed boy gave a negligent shrug. "I've gone ta school enough ta keep up with the guys my age, but.... I've never really saw the point of even goin'."
"What? How could you think that way?"
"'Cause of a lot of things. I don't like ta study, and 'cause of the trainin' trip, I went ta a lot of schools. Every time I'd get used ta a school, Pop'd pull me out and we'd move on ta the next town or city. Not that he saw it as much of anythin' important. All he cared about was gettin' me stronger, so he sent me when he had ta, and could afford it, and tried ta enroll me in schools like that one junior high...."
"What was so great about it?"
"It was so rough that we honestly had ta fight over the snacks and breads."
"I'd think that you'd have to do that at plenty of schools."
"I mean, jumpin', punchin' and actual fightin'."
"Oh," Ranko responded dully.
"So, the way that I figure it, there ain't any reason for me ta go ta school."
"Absolutely not!"
"Huh?"
"You're going to school, understand me?"
"Why should I?"
"Because I'm not about to have my little brother be some... degenerate loser!"
"Oh... kay...."
"I'm glad that's settled. And if everything works out, you'll go to school with Nabiki and Akane."
"Ya wanna have me take classes with them two?"
"You'd only be in Akane's grade, but, yes, their school."
"That'd be weird."
"Why would you think that?"
"Ya are their mom, right?"
"They are my daughters like I had given birth to them myself," she told him with a happy smile on her face.
"Uhh... yeah. Then they'd be my neices...."
"I see your point. But don't worry. I'm sure that things will be okay. It doesn't happen much, but it's understandable."
"Glad ta know that much."
"You will keep an eye on them, right?"
"Why?"
"Because you're their uncle, and that's what uncles do."
The younger Saotome scratched his head. "I guess you're right. That'd be strange too, but I can see doin' that more than anythin' else."
"I'm glad that you see it my way."
Ranma felt the urge to sigh at the proud way that his sister was looking back at him, while:
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Thu, 07 Jul 2005 23:52)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.