Genma's eyes widened as far as they could go. "Your 'friends'?!"
"Hell yeah! And even if I was lookin' for someone ta marry, it'd just feel really bad ta marry one of 'em!"
"HEY!" went Akane, with Nabiki and Kasumi frowning at their friend.
"Sorry, but it's the truth. Marrying any of the three of ya would be like marryin' a sister, and that'd be really creepy."
"Oh, how sweet...." the eldest Tendo sister murmured brightly, smiling as she held her hands to her blushing cheeks.
"That's not the point!" her father barked. "It doesn't matter if you're looking or not! You belong with one of my daughters!"
"And it's not like you already have someone that you like, boy!" the elder Saotome growled.
"Actually, I do," Ranma corrected simply.
"WHAT?!" both fathers yelped.
"There is this wonderful girl that I know is waitin' for me. She's gorgeous, really smart, friendly, and makes me feel good just bein' 'round her."
"You're willing to toss my daughters aside for this single girl?!" Soun demanded.
"Wasn't plannin' on 'tossing' them anywhere."
"Is that so...."
"Yup, 'cause I don't know where you're comin' from, but in my book, ya just don't throw away friends like that, especially really good ones like them. Maybe ya could do somethin' like that, but I sure couldn't."
The Tendo patriarch opened and closed his mouth several times, but nothing came out, so he turned to face his middle daughter. "Why didn't you tell me that he was your friend?!"
"You didn't ask," Nabiki replied.
"Huh?"
"May I remind you that the only time that you ask about our friends is when you want to know how long we'll be gone? Your only concern when we go someplace where we might be sleeping over, or even just going a long distance, is to make certain that it is safe. You've left us alone to be with our friends without any real interference from you."
"You make it sound like I don't protect you!"
"No, you basically do that, and do it well. But you pay more attention to asking if their parents will be home, more than their names. Of course, then there is Kuno...."
"That idiot has never been, is, will never be a 'friend'," Akane muttered.
"Still, the point is that you don't know our friends, and we didn't know yours."
"And I suppose that you know this girl as well?" her father asked.
"Sure do. Young and really pretty, and has two sisters. I don't know what the eldest does, but the second one is a college student, if I remember correctly."
"I think that she's a shrine maiden as well," Kasumi put in, looking thoughtful. "She does seem to be that way...."
"True."
"What is this about a 'shrine maiden'?" Soun asked.
"You see, Ranma's girl lives with her two elder sisters, and the significant other of one of the sisters in a shrine over in Nekomi."
"A shrine? That girl lives in a holy place?"
"If anyone had the sort of spirit that belonged in such a place, it'd be the sister that Kasumi mentioned."
"So, not only am I having to deal with a ruin of the promise," the Tendo patriarch grumbled, "but I'm going to have to deal with a shrine family!"
"Well, think of it this way. Instead of just getting all mad about it, why don't you try thinking of a way to work it out, like having Akane train with him, or an alliance, or something?"
"And what will you be doing then?"
"We're going to go out," Nabiki answered with a lazy smile.
Akane nodded. "We'll take our buddy here and head on out for a little trip, like I heard Mom used to do."
"And don't worry. I left some snacks and drinks for the both of you to enjoy," Kasumi kindly informed them. "So, the both of you enjoy it as much as you can."
"We'll take the food...." her father began.
"That's good to hear. We'll see you later then."
Blinking, the two fathers watched as their children smiled as they slipped out the front gate and disappeared.
"Saotome?" Soun said without any emotion either in his voice, or his face.
His friend's reaction was just as flat. "Yes, Tendo?"
"I really think that I need that drink that they left us."
"The same goes for me."
"Shall we?"
"Let's shall," Genma agreed, and the two men headed inside, while:
(Posted Wed, 19 Jul 2006 23:44)
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