Stepping into the Tendou home, Ranma did his best to be quiet and unobtrusive.
Luckily his quarry was predictable, so she was found with a minimum of suspicion raising looking. Of course even a minimum was too much as Ranma dodged around a suspicious Akane, doing his best to brush her off in a way that wouldn't piss her off.
Finding Kasumi helped his cause quite a bit, as approaching the eldest Tendou sister caused the youngest to go on good behavior.
Getting Kasumi's attention, Ranma called out politely to her, "Hey, Kasumi, could I talk with ya?"
"Of course," answered Kasumi absently, before turning and registering Ranma's worried look. "Is something the matter Ranma-kun?"
Not pleased with his mother's idea, nor having to ask for help understanding it, Ranma reluctantly answered. "Yeah, kinda, Mom has some strange new ideas and your dad already agreed to them."
Finding an opening to assuage her curiosity, Akane popped into the conversation. "Then why didn't you just come to me with it?"
Seeing Akane brought to mind what Ranma was now expected to do to her, causing Ranma to move around behind Kasumi. "Could we uhm, talk in private?"
This of course sent Akane from suspicious to betrayed and angry, "Private? Why the hell do you have to sneak off with my sister?"
Caught in the middle, Kasumi was starting to fret, then realized Ranma was being quiet. Looking at him she realized he was holding back and looking worried, which suddenly made Kasumi very worried.
Akane came to a screeching apologetic halt as Kasumi gently put her foot down, "That's enough Akane. If Ranma feels this is serious enough that we need to talk, we're going to talk, in private."
Getting a meek confirmation from her little sister, Kasumi turned and nodded to Ranma, "My room should be fine Ranma-kun."
Finally upstairs in the sanctuary of her room, Kasumi sat on her bed while Ranma seemed content to pace off his anxious energy.
After waiting a few minutes, she determined he was reluctant to start, which was unsurprising knowing Ranma. "What is it Ranma-kun?"
Pausing his small circuit around the room, the pig-tailed lad swallowed nervously, "Mom said I had to take responsibility for the girls an' punish 'em when they don't behave, which is pretty much all the time." Taking a moment to gather himself, he continued, "an' when I said I don't wanna hurt any of them, she said I should understand 'cause I was a girl part of the time. Then she said I was probably too much of a girl."
Hearing that caused Kasumi several winces. Someone encouraging Ranma to hurt girls was a bad idea. Calling Ranma a girl was very bad, but to hear it from his own mother after that stupid pledge had to be crushing.
On top of that a million ways this could go wrong came to mind, from Ranma beating several girls bloody to committing seppuku and any number of inane possibilities in between.
She couldn't see it turning out well at all considering the turmoil Ranma was feeling now.
Sighing, Kasumi did her best to compose her thoughts on the subject, because like it or not, she was going to have to counsel Ranma in this. "Well, in some ways your mother is correct, the girls are terribly misbehaved, and you are in a position to correct them. Done properly it would be good for everyone involved."
Waiting for Ranma to relax under the relief of her words, Kasumi waited for the opportune moment to continue, "However, there is more to it than merely spanking a girl. They need to be corrected in all manner of ways, and that involves knowing what is right and proper. It is that knowledge you most lack from the way Genma raised you. It would also involve using that knowledge to take control of your own life. That means no longer letting others push you around or decide anything for you."
Apparently taking control of his life sounded like a good idea, but Ranma still had some issues with it, "Are you sure about it being good for the girls? I don't want anyone hating me."
Kasumi nodded pleasantly at his question, because after all it showed that he cared, sometimes a tad bit too much. "All of the girls could use some firm discipline and would benefit well from a strong man in their lives. If they truly care for you, they will accept this."
Blinking at the absurdity of any of the girls taking it without going off like a bomb, Ranma came upon another snag with the idea, one that made him blush. "Uhm, actually, Mom included you and Nabiki. She even said your father already agreed to me punishing all three of you girls."
Now blushing herself as naughty thoughts filtered into her imagination, the wisest Tendou continued, "Well, yes, Nabiki certainly needs a firm hand. . . and I suppose it best you learn directly from me, so I suppose I would be first to be disciplined. Yes, I think that is best."
Seeing how miserable Ranma looked puzzled Kasumi, until she realized to Ranma it probably sounded like he was supposed to be hurting her. "Ranma, you don't need to worry about hurting anyone. The only girls that would get hurt would be the ones you ignore and don't discipline. This is nothing like fighting, this is about having a proper relationship with girls."
Seeing the worry vanish from Ranma's face to be replaced by deep thought, Kasumi left him to his thoughts for a moment as she gracefully made her way to her door.
Opening it swiftly allowed Akane to fall through the doorway to sprawl ungracefully in Kasumi's bedroom. Akane then got a funny feeling in her stomach as her eldest sister's face quirked into a strange grin. "Oh dear, this will never do, we haven't even begun and already someone needs to be punished. How very naughty of you little sister."
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(Posted Wed, 14 Jun 2006 07:05)
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