In an alley near Mugen Academy, three boys in school uniform were menacing a frail frightened girl in a matching outfit.
Not that Ranma could see such things, blind as he was to normal light. In his own way however, he could see them as clear as day.
Which is why one bully suddenly turned around in shock while clutching his head to see who had smacked him.
Hearing their friend's cry of pain and then gasp of shock, the other two youths stopped menacing the girl to gaze at the young man standing before them. The obvious threatening thing about him was the stick he held, which they soon realized looked like a wooden grave marker complete with scriptures. Unlike a grave marker however, it had rounded edges and additional ornate carvings that almost made the stick look like a wooden broadsword.
Tilting his head up to catch the sunlight and gaze upon them, they were treated to something much more scary than being thwapped on the head with a stick. Shakily they met the empty glassy gaze of the young man that wore scars almost like an old man wore wrinkles. Feeling their confidence and bravado leave them, they started subtly backing away from the stranger.
Then he spoke, his voice raspy and cold, the sound tearing itself from a scarred voice box. "Picking on a frail girl. How...pathetic."
Shaking for a moment, one of the boys gave a start, causing all three to bolt.
Waiting for the shaken boys to finish making their hasty exit, Ranma stepped in close to the girl before putting a hand to her forehead. "You seem to be in poor health. Are you okay?"
Looking up in shock while trying to catch her breath, Hotaru stared up at her savior. Unlike her tormentors, she heard the warmth in his voice, and saw the gentle smile on his face, mentally glossing over the scars. Finally getting a little control over herself, she straightened herself up while answering softly, "I'm alright. I've always had a weak constitution."
Closing his eyes, the young man removed his hand from her forehead while nodding to himself. "Ah. Would you like me to walk you home?"
Nodding shyly, she waited expectantly for him. To her confusion he instead put out his left hand while adopting a wry grin. "If you wouldn't mind holding my hand and leading the way. I'm blind you see."
Shocked as she realized she was being impolite, she hesitantly and gingerly took his hand, still more than little shy to be holding hands with an older boy. Before they even began walking together, she noticed not just the power in his hand, but the incredibly rough texture of his scars, almost like braided strands of leather worked into his skin.
As she shyly led the way, feeling a bit awkward leading someone so much stronger by the hand, she noticed he walked with more confidence than she would have expected. His odd wooden implement tapping on the ground in front of him, he not only walked forward with more confidence than her, but more than even the swaggering boys used. Of course, compared to them it was a subtle self-confident mannerism that was the complete opposite of their brazen swaggering.
Walking beside him in contemplative silence, Hotaru blushed at the image that sprang to mind. For a moment she had thought it was like taking a large dog on a walk, the large powerful presence beside her being comforting. Although he seemed dark and dangerous, the quiet way he allowed himself to depend on her made her feel safe in his presence, while still feeling that he would protect her.
Shaking her head, the slight girl attempted to start up a conversation to break through her embarrassment at thinking such things. "Oh, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Hotaru Tomoe...uhm, thank you for sending those boys away."
Chuckling, the harsh thrumming of his chest echoed in her ears. "It's alright little princess. My name is Ranma. Even a blind man can see when something isn't right."
Blushing at the kind words, however raspy and rough the warm voice might have been, the shy girl looked away from her companion. "Thank you Ranma-san. Ahmm...do you not have a family name?"
Nodding his head, the young man kept his empty gaze aimed at the distant horizon before him. "That's right. This stick is the cheap grave marker my father had made. When I was a child, he left me for dead. Now I let this stick guide me through life."
Wincing in sympathy, Hotaru felt herself oddly reminiscent of his sad tale. "...are you trying to find your family?"
Humming thoughtfully, the young man let the rough rumble echo from his chest, sounding like a groaning mountain. "Mhmm, no. My father was responsible for my injuries. Even though he didn't bother to see to my funeral, he left me for dead."
Slipping into contemplative quiet, Hotaru nodded thoughtfully at his words. In a way, their relationship was buried, so perhaps the grave marker represented to him his dead family?
Curiously, she felt she was actually more comfortable in his presence after sharing a little in his pain, almost as if they were kindred spirits. She certainly didn't feel this comfortable among her 'normal' classmates.
Standing before her home before she realized it, she suddenly stopped cold in dread.
While school was often a frightening experience, her home always struck her as feeling especially creepy. The house as a whole, that red headed woman and even sometimes her father, they often frightened her to her core, making her wish she could stay outside more.
Sensing her unease, Ranma didn't need to ask why. The place before him was a veritable pit of tainted darkness, an oppressive miasma swirling out from it. Even those blind to such things could likely feel it, because the birds were certainly agitated by it. Judging by the way they were facing the entrance, he had a clue about how it could get worse. "...is this...your home?"
Nodding sadly, it took Hotaru a moment to realize he wasn't looking her way, not that he could see her anyways. Before she could speak up however, he cut in smoothly, his voice rumbling softly. "I'm sorry, but could you walk with me to see an old acquaintance?"
Nodding all too eagerly, she hastened to blurt out a more verbal answer. "Oh, of course. It's the least I can do Ranma-san."
Subtly leading her now, he started back along the route they took before turning down another street.
On the way, Hotaru mostly just marveled at how he could actually make it across intersections without incident. In fact, she started to notice all the little nuances that indicated that he was perfectly aware of the world around him
To her further amazement as they encountered temple steps, he somehow knew where he was going, as he didn't seem to actually be lost despite meandering a little.
Almost absentmindedly she wondered how she could have walked so much, let alone mounted those stairs without feeling tired.
Such musing was cut short however when Ranma suddenly spoke up, addressing the shrine maiden sweeping the steps. "Excuse me, but I need to see the Shrine Priest. Could you tell him I've arrived with business to attend to?"
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(Posted Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:17)
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