Genma gave off a big huff. "I know that, Tendo. But it seems that what we want is being derailed."
"I can't understand why, though. I raised my daughters right...."
"And my wife and son were always properly dutiful."
"Then they all should understand, right?" the Tendo patriarch asked.
"Too true, old friend. Which means...."
"We only have to make them listen."
"That should be easy enough. All we have to do is head out after them," the bulkier man declared. "Come on now, Tendo. We should be able to catch up to our children!"
"Right behind you, Saotome!"
"I do not think so," Nodoka murmured as she came back into the family room.
"But it is for the future of the schools!"
"Exactly, and that's why we don't have time to lose!" Genma insisted.
"Dear?" his wife idly said. "Sit."
"But I...."
"I said, 'sit'."
"Only because you need it of me...."
"But I really think that we should go...."
The low sound of a sword being slightly pulled from its sheath sounded loudly in that room.
"Sitting sounds good."
"Very good," Genma agreed as the two men sped over to sit as formally as they could by the table.
Nodoka sheathed the sword, took a seat across from them, and started pouring tea. "That's good to hear."
"Still.... I don't understand."
"What is it that has you confused?"
"Why do we have to stay here for?"
"I already told you. We have to talk," the redhead informed her husband.
"About what?"
"Many things, but shall we start by your stupidity involving this planned marriage of yours?"
"It is not stupid!" the balding man declared.
Soun nodded resolutely. "Having your son marry one of my daughters is a very honorable and welcome thing!"
"Did I say that it wasn't?" she asked.
"But you just said...."
"I know what you just said."
"Then what problem could you have with it?"
"I can see no trouble with our wish to have our families joined," Genma put in. "After all, it happens all the time...."
"And I never had anything against that," his wife told him.
"Then what is the problem? Surely you could not have any problem with our actions if that's the case. I mean, all we did was keep it private until now, and that was a simple idea."
"You should have told me."
"And what would you have done had you known?"
"I would have helped you," Nodoka stated simply before delicately sipping her tea.
"WHAT?!" went both fathers.
"It really is quite simply, you know. Had I known that there was a set engagement waiting for my son, I could have guided him into understanding and following that. Unlike what you did with him."
Her husband blinked at her words. "What could I have done wrong with that?"
"Many things. You do realize that an omiai isn't all that out of place even today? Had Ranma known that he was expected to marry a particular girl, or one of a group of girls, he would have been able to deal with it as would be proper. Instead, he was simply reacting to what was dropped into his lap."
"But I wanted to keep him from losing track of what was important at that moment, his training. And I made certain that girls didn't mess up what I was doing in training him, so that this way he didn't get off the right track."
"That is another matter that we will have to discuss," Nodoka informed her spouse icily. "How was he supposed to become 'manly' if you did not allow him to have the chance to interact with girls?"
"Ummmm...."
"In any case, this is neither here, nor there. That was done, and what would revealing the promise really do?" Soun asked.
His friend's wife gave him a level look. "If we had known about this, I could have arranged it so that my son would be looking to your daughters as possible romantic interests, rather than just friends."
"Oh."
"Still, we still do have to deal with what's been happening here. As it is, you both have truly messed up in not simply coming out and saying what was supposed to happen. Certainly, childhood betrothals do happen, and there would be no real stigma to just telling people. Or we could have arranged a marriage meeting more properly than to just drag the children together."
"We didn't realize that it would be so bad. But what's done, is done, right?"
Looking to her tea cup, and keeping her expression calm and collected, Nodoka didn't look at the two men as she spoke. "Actually,:
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(Posted Fri, 30 Jun 2006 09:11)
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