Ranma awoke bright and early to the sound of giggling. He blearily opened his eyes and saw Hotaru standing over him, looking down at him with am impish grin. "M...morning," he said tiredly, glancing to one side. His father was snoring, but his mother had already woken up. And presumably she had woken up Hotaru.
"We're moving today, right, Papa?" she asked excitedly, clasping her hands together beneath her chin.
He nodded his agreement. "Yep. I guess we should get packed." That thought evoked a frown. A house should have some furniture in it, he thought. Maybe a television, and a phone. Those things would be useful.
"What's wrong, Papa?"
"Ah, we're going to need to do some shopping," he decided. "We need to get you a futon, and probably some place to put your clothes." He climbed to his feet and toed the slumbering Genma until his snoring stopped. "Let's go do our morning exercises, and then get something to eat, huh?"
"Okay!"
***
After morning exercises -- which left Ranma wishing for a sparring partner, and Hotaru winded -- it was time for breakfast. Kasumi had thoughtfully prepared a simple, traditional meal. One that Ranma realized he'd probably need to make himself regularly, unless he wanted to have Hotaru survive entirely on cereal and things he bought from a restaurant.
But there wasn't really time to mull that over -- he was also going to be stuck with managing the apartment building. Rather than put things off, he waited until Hotaru had recovered, and then set out. Akane was busy packing, but Ranma was confident that he'd see her shortly enough.
His father had two futons strapped to his back, along with a generous supply of blankets. Kasumi wouldn't have it any other way, and considering his lack of things to call his own, he couldn't complain. Hotaru had a tiny pack that carried a handful of her own outfits, and all of the scrolls and tea that Tofu had given them.
The rest of her clothes were in another bag Ranma carried, and all of his belongings were in his pack, except for the cloak that he'd been unable to refuse to wear. "Right," he murmured, glancing behind him. "Pops, you lucked out helping me move, first. I don't got anything heavy."
"I think you should carry it all yourself for training," the man grumbled. He looked at Hotaru, and for a moment appeared ready to say something else ... but instead he shook his head and trudged down the street.
"Something bothering you, Pops?" Ranma asked, checking his phone and wondering if it needed batteries. He wasn't familiar with them, but it seemed to be fine. His ID badge was still in his pocket, and the datacube ... could be looked at later.
"I'm worried that your training will be seriously lacking," Genma grumbled. "Surrounded by girls ... wearing that ostentatious cape.... My boy, I'm glad you're pleasing your mother, but you cannot forget that you've got a duty as a martial artist to marry Tendo Akane!"
At that precise moment, two blurs leapt from a nearby rooftop and lit before the trio. Ranma nodded at Shampoo and Ukyou. "Heya, Ucchan, Shan-chan. What's up?"
"Not much," they said in unison, shooting Genma a flat stare. The large man sweated nervously and scratched the back of his head.
"Anyway," Ukyou said, shaking her head and giving Ranma a bright smile, "I took today off from work. I just thought I'd drop by to get the address of my new apartment from you. Me and Shan-chan just met up on the way here. I guess Akane-chan's already packin'?"
"Also," Shampoo added, producing a wrapped package, "bring chicken and pork buns for housewarming. We go with you to new place, yes?"
"Er...." Ranma glanced over his shoulder. "I dunno, I mean, Akane's still packing...."
"Good idea!" Ukyou enthused. "We'll help her pack, and then when you get back, we can all move her stuff together!"
"Very good idea!" Shampoo cheered. "Then, we all move Ukyou's things together! And mine!"
"Ooh, that'll be fun!" Hotaru crowed, hugging each of the girls in turn. "Let's hurry so we can come back, Papa!"
"Yeah, okay," Ranma agreed, frowning. "I guess we'll drop these things off."
"Ah, since you're helping Akane, I guess that means I can stay here!" Genma chimed in, grinning.
"You know, I just realized, if I'm in charge of the apartments, I probably should look over the paperwork," Ranma decided, fixing Genma with a sharp look. "Pops, you're gonna have to fill in for me. Ucchan, Shan-chan, you'll make sure that he takes care of Hotaru-chan, right?"
"W...wait!" Genma protested. "I was going to relax today! The first day you move out of the house-"
"Akane's house," Ranma reprimanded.
"O...oh. Well...." The man looked decidedly glum. "I suppose I'd better help you move, then."
"Thanks, Grampa!" Hotaru cheered, when Shampoo and Ukyou looked doubtful.
"Well, we'll keep an eye on her, sugar, don't worry," Ukyou assured.
"You help us unpack things?" Shampoo asked brightly. "Then Ranma's father can just carry things all day."
"Gotcha," Ranma agreed, as Genma came to a stop, wearily pointing at the apartment complex. Ranma turned and looked it over.
The entire thing was on a square lot surrounded by a high stone wall on all sides, though it had a very wide entrance, and no gate to close. A lawn covered most of the distance between the L-shaped main building, and what Ranma quickly realized was a dojo on the opposite side of the lot. The dojo was in disrepair from the outside, many of the wooden posts rotted or just plain broken, but it still stood, and with care and time, could probably be restored.
Heck, the Tendo dojo had holes in its walls, when Ranma stopped to think about it. The building proper was in perfect repair, as Nodoka had promised. The manager's apartment appeared to be in the center of the wedge.
Genma walked up to it and set the futons down on a bench in front of one of the windows. A walkway ran across the second story, and provided a balcony for the lower floor apartments. "That one's mine," Ukyou said judiciously, pointing towards the second story, to the right of Ranma's apartment. The number was 202.
Shampoo pointed at the opposite apartment, to the left of the manager's, but also on the second floor; number 203. The numbers appeared to alternate, and radiate from the center. Beneath the corner apartment -- number 201, was an apartment labeled 'office'.
Genma unlocked the door and tossed the futons inside.
"This not look too bad," Shampoo assessed. "Well, Ranma will be busy unpacking, yes? Hotaru, we race back to Akane, yes?"
"Wait!" Ranma started to protest when the girl enthusiastically agreed.
"Don't worry, sugar," Ukyou assured him with a wink. "We'll be careful, you know."
All three girls began jogging, though not so quickly that Hotaru would exhaust herself, and Ranma grinned despite himself. "Better hurry, Pops," he chided the old man, before Genma gave him an imperious sniff and jogged after them, pausing only to throw Ranma a keyring.
Ranma caught the keys and smirked. "Today," he decided, "will be a good day."
See other episodes by Sgt. Chibi De'Ohki
(Posted Mon, 10 Apr 2006 03:08)
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