A good sense of smell was a typical Tribal trait, and it served them well, from letting them track the source of a plumbing problem to allowing them to trail after an escaped prison inmate, if the need should arise. In fact, they could tell a lot of the time who a person was, just by their scent.
And that was something that a particular Tribal was getting at that moment. On the wind was a scent that was as familiar as her own, which let her immediately recognize who it was from. Even though it had been years since she'd last caught a whiff of that particular individual, it was an utterly welcome discovery. For that person was the male that she'd declared would be her future husband, and for a Tribal, that was not a meaningless action, even though it had been so long since she'd done it.
Now, the only question that she had was how she was going to find him.
Ranma tried not to let the shiver that was trying to run down his back do so. He didn't know if was from the chill of the cooling hot water that had been dumped on him, some instinct that told him that there would be danger going on, or that there were three teenaged catgirls each looking him over from across the table, with an adult one sitting nearby, and only one human on that side of the table. As it was, he didn't want to speculate, since knowing his luck, it could be all three.
"Okay, now that things have calmed down," K'thi asked. "Would someone explain what just happened?"
Genma puffed out his chest, and passed a thoughtful look over each of them. "Well, it is really quite simple. You see...."
"It's all Pop's fault," Ranma interrupted.
"Boy! How could you say something like that?!"
"What? It's the truth!"
"How can you say that?!"
"Simple! I open my mouth and talk!"
K'thi pinned both males with a glare, and waited until they were both merely looking disgruntled before speaking again. "Please, let's try this again. Tell me what's going on."
"Like I said, as far as I'm concerned, it was Pop's fault."
"Hardly boy," his father scoffed. "You see, I took the boy to China, to visit the training grounds there. But at one particular one, a problem of great proportions arose. I did not know that the place was cursed, and we went to train. As a result, when I hit the boy into one of the pools there, he gained a curse! Now, it's magic affects him when he gets hit by cold water, and goes back to normal when he gets doused by hot."
"And what is this curse?" Nabiki asked.
"It is nothing too problematic...."
The glare that Ranma gave his father would have cowed another man, but Genma had experience in ignoring things. "For ya! Ta me, it's a pain in the ass! Ya see, I fell in the spring of the 'drowned' cat-toy, though I can't figure out how a cat-toy can 'drown'. So, now every time I get hit by cold water, I smell like catnip!"
"So that's why!" K'thi commented in the tone of one who'd just had a revelation handed to them.
"Yeah, well, it ain't fun for me. And I'm only stuck like this 'cause of a cheap shot."
"'Cheap shot'?"
"Uh-huh. I was doin' just fine, but then the pole I was on started ta splinter right out from under me. It was old, or somethin', so I was put off balance, and this guy goes and makes certain that it breaks. I fall in, and... well, the rest has been a pain in the ass."
"It was a legitimate tactic," his father sniffed.
"Before or after ya shoved me too!"
"Hmmm...." K'thi murmured.
"That is a rather cheap tactic," Akane agreed with a frown. "But it's not quite as bad as...."
"It could be?" Ranma said with a snort. "I'd think so too, if he wasn't constantly doin' things like that.
Genma scowled. "Every day got some sort of thing to 'get you stronger', like putting me in a school that'd make you fight other students, or tying logs to you and then tossing rocks at a wasps' nest nearby. Even dodging people who thought that you did something wrong was a workout."
"Mainly 'cause there was so much trouble that ya started."
Four feminine sets of eyes turned to measure a now sweating Genma.
"And that wasn't the worst of it."
"Oh?" K'thi asked.
"For some reason, he wanted me ta learn how ta fight like... one of ya guys. So, he wrapped me up in fish sausage, and that sorta stuff, and tossed me ta a bunch of catgirls who he'd dragged off for that try. When that didn't work out, he tossed me inta a gym full of adult cat Tribal women from the ceiling. And those weren't the only times. All for some stupid desire ta make me fight like a Tribal!"
"Stupid boy!" Genma barked. "Don't you realize that I have worked hard to get you to the level that you are at now?! Just because it made you afraid of catgirls piling on you doesn't mean that I'm in the wrong! So, there were only a few minor mistakes. They don't really matter in the long run! Who cares what small hurts happened so long as my plans for your training still have results!"
Akane might have had a chance to consider Ranma a pervert, but since he hadn't tried to take advantage of her when she'd been behaving as she had earlier, that was out. However, it was clear that he was a rather clueless guy whose father kept on abusing his trust. That was not something that someone like her could handle, as it was not in a Tribal's nature.
Of course, it was just enormously satisfying to smash Genma under the jaw, and sending flying into the backyard.
"Why'd ya do that for?" Ranma asked with a blink.
"He's a mean man, hurting you and all those Tribals. It's unforgivable!"
"I guess...."
"Just watch him try and spout that crap again. He won't get away with it. Humph!"
"Okay...."
Kasumi came over and knelt by Ranma. "Don't worry. Your time of having to live with so many troubles."
"Eh?"
"I'll take care of your every need. No matter what you might happen, I'll make sure that you are well taken care of."
"Ya... will?"
"Absolutely," she told him, and bowed to him.
Nabiki leaned her elbows on the table, and grinned lazily at the others. "This is so interesting. Almost like we have a scene right out a manga. And we even have a great looking male lead."
Seeing Ranma look rather confused, K'thi shook her head and sighed. The poor boy was apparently overwhelmed, but he would simply have to handle it. As it was, her daughters were clearly interested in him, though she wasn't certain in what manner that was yet. Sure, it looked like they found him attractive and appealing, but only Nabiki had said something in that direction. Akane might simply have a desire to protect him, and Kasumi might just want to care for him, both of which could come out of what they were into, as well as their maternal instincts. However, she couldn't be certain of exactly what sort of relationships that they would have for some time yet.
Though, she did have her own urge to go and smack Genma, but she settled for turning her nose up at his prone form, while:
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