Pluto bit her lip as she observed the Ranma’s introduction to the Tendos. They were so close… Artemis had to be feeling as though something was up — in fact, his instincts should have been roused in Kimiko’s presence. And, of course, for all she knew, they were. Yet the Time Guardian was concerned, for she was also aware that the mooncat/teenager duo thought that Venus would be a teenaged girl, not a middle-aged housewife. After all, Pluto had thought the same thing until she learned otherwise. Thus, there was the chance that Artemis would reject the notion that Kimiko was Venus, simply because she didn’t fit his expectations. A small chance, perhaps, but Pluto was fairly certain that she couldn’t afford to take it.
Yet, her past successes with Ranma and Artemis (or rather, her complete and utter lack of successes with Ranma and Artemis) had her thinking twice about becoming actively involved. She’d already done so much damage… did she really need to insert herself into events again? And if she did try to do so, would Ranma and Artemis accept her help? Pluto honestly didn’t know — and though she was unlike her predecessors in that she could accept that she wasn’t truly omniscient, she was still very much like the Plutos of the past in that she absolutely hated not knowing something. She firmly believed the cliché that “knowledge is power,” and she very much enjoyed having power. Of course, her other motto in life was taken from the equally valid cliché that “power corrupts,” which was why she had tried to avoid overstepping her bounds.
Maybe I’ll just watch a little longer, she thought to herself. After all, there should be plenty of time. This seemed as good a solution as any; she would let events in the Tendo home play out for now, keeping an eye out for any indications as to whether their enemies had begun making their moves. I just hope it works.
Dinner had been quite good, if a little awkward; Akane had apologized for referring to Ranma as a “freak,” though he got the distinct impression that this stemmed from the conversation she’d had with her mother after she’d stormed off. As a result, Ranma still felt a little bit hurt — until the subject of the Art came up, and it was revealed that Akane was the Tendo daughter who had shown the most interest in continuing her family’s school. As he reflected on this afterwards, he found that it appeared to make a great deal of sense. No wonder she’s edgy. *She’s the one who’s probably gonna be under the most pressure ta marry me.
That hardly excuses her outburst.
You sure of that? I mean, if the first thing I’d learned about a prospective fiancée was that she was a cat half the time, I probably wouldn’t react any better. Well, if I didn’t have an actual cat living in my head, that is.
I suppose….
Ranma decided to change the subject to his friend’s sudden interest in Kimiko Tendo. So, how’re we gonna do this, White? So far, it sounds like yer “plan” is for me ta just have an awkward conversation.
Well, I suppose that’s the best I can come up with. I mean, it’s just a nagging… feeling that I get about her.
Uh huh.
Besides, we’re going to need some help if we’re to find and assist Venus, and Mrs. Tendo strikes me as the type who’d be a bit more open about this sort of thing.
Now yer really stretchin’ it, Artemis.
I’m serious. After all, if Mrs. Tendo is open-minded, then she could help smooth things over when we start spending time around a girl who you aren’t engaged to.
Whatever. You still haven’t told me what your plan is.
Look, I just need you to make small talk with her until I can get a good sense of who she is. I’ll figure out what to do next.
But I hate makin’ small talk. All I got ta talk about with people is the weather and the Art, an’ most people are more interested in the fake stuff from the movies than actual martial arts. Unless, of course, you want me to bring up the Silver Millennium….
Ah, no, I don’t think that will be necessary just yet.
So what am I supposed ta talk about with her? Meteorology only gets ya so far in a conversation. Well, unless ya claim ya don’t believe in global warming — but that usually results in people never shuttin’ up.
How about your engagement? I’m certain she’s interested in that.
And I really don’t wanna talk about that.
C’mon, Ranma, please? I’ll… I’ll help you with the Neko-ken.
Ya mean that?
Yes, I do… Look, I don’t know why, but my instincts are telling me that Mrs. Tendo is going to turn out to be really important.
To the point where you’re actually willing ta help me figure out the Neko-ken?
I believe that’s what I said.
Wow. Ya really do wanna talk ta her. Ranma considered this for a few seconds before finally relenting. Okay, I’ll do it — but I’m holdin’ ya to that promise about the Neko-ken afterwards.
Thank you, Ranma.
The teenaged martial artist found the Tendo matriarch (and his prospective mother-in-law) in the kitchen, putting away dishes from the evening’s meal. “Um, hey, Mrs. Tendo?” he spoke up somewhat awkwardly.
“Yes, Ranma?”
“Um, can I… can I talk ta ya for a coupla minutes?”
“Certainly. Is it about the engagement?”
“Um, sorta.”
“Well, I’m almost done here… give me about a minute or so, and then I can give you my full attention.” She quickly finished putting away the rest of the dishes. “Alright, Ranma — what’s concerning you?”
Ranma decided to get right to the point (which is not actually a good idea when one’s goal is simply to make small talk, which is the art of stretching conversations out as long as possible): “Is Akane really gonna be okay with all this? I mean, it seems like she’s the one who’s gonna be pushed inta this, since she’s one of Mr. Tendo’s students….”
“She’ll be fine, I think. She just has to get used to the idea. But that might take some time; you see, she’s rather touchy about the way boys treat her, because of some problems she’s been having at school.”
“What, ya mean like some jerk is tryin’ ta sleep with her?”
“More like several dozen jerks. She’s been a bit quiet-lipped about the details, but apparently, a while back some arrogant boy declared that he would not allow anyone who hadn’t defeated Akane in combat to date her. However, this soon morphed into the idea that she had to date anyone who could defeat her. Of course, Akane has adamantly denied that this is true.”
“Huh. Sounds like the Amazons.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Oh, while Pops an’ me were in China, we ran into a few women from a matriarchal warrior tribe. They’re real keen on adding strong warriors to their gene pool, so they got a rule that says any Amazon woman has ta marry any guy from outside the tribe who defeats her in combat. From what I understand, they’re pretty strict about it. Good thing I learned about that custom before tryin’ ta fight one.”
“Indeed — where did ya learn it from?”
“Uh… well, I….” Ranma couldn’t very well say that he’d learned it from a cat living inside his head who had just remembered a tidbit of information about a particular Venusian warrior caste from 20,000 years in the past and posited that the practice might have lasted until the present day. “I just sorta picked it up, ya know? I mean, ya gotta keep your ears open for information, or else you’ll never know what’s goin’ on.”
“I see,” Kimiko responded. “Well, like I said, I think she’ll warm up to you if you refrain from treating her like a sex object.”
“What about Nabiki and Kasumi?”
“I don’t think they’ll be bothered too much — though I must admit that Nabiki is something of a schemer; if she can find a way to profit off of your situation, she probably will.”
“Oh. Okay.” Is that enough, Artemis?
I don’t know. I know I’m getting something, but… could you keep it going a little more?
Ugh. Fine. “So, uh, what do you think of all this engagement stuff. I mean, how much did you know about it?”
“About as much as you did, to be honest. I’m a little disappointed that Soun didn’t bother telling me, in fact. Most of the time, he’s pretty responsible with this sort of thing.”
“Oh.” That’s it. I’m out of stuff to talk about.
Come on, Ranma, just give me a little more….
A little more of what? I don’t got nuthin’ I wanna talk about.
But what about—
“Ranma, is there another reason you wanted to talk to me?”
“Huh? Um, what makes you say that?”
“Call it intuition.”
Intuition? That’s kind of like what you’re feelin’ with her, right?
I doubt it. You see—
Artemis, however, didn’t have the chance to explain further, because at that moment, Ranma made an executive decision.
“Actually, yeah, there is a reason. I sorta wanted ta get a feel for ya — ta see if I you were someone I could trust. An’ I’m thinkin’ ya are.”
Ranma! What are you doing?!
I’m gonna tell her about you, duh. Ain’t that what ya wanted?
Not yet I don’t!
What, so ya stopped gettin’ those vibes ya were gettin’ earlier?
Well, no….
So what’s the problem? After all, we’re probably gonna need help ta pull this off anyway, an’ it may as well be somebody who can influence Mr. Tendo, right?
I suppose. The Mau wanted to find some obvious fault in Ranma’s plan, but there weren’t any he could think of (the plan had drawbacks and substantial risks, but nothing that he could consider to be the result of faulty logic). Okay. You can tell her.
Kimiko, meanwhile, had grown concerned with the teenager’s sudden silence. “Ranma? Are you feeling alright?”
“What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. I, uh, just got lost in my thoughts, is all. Uh, where was I?”
“You were saying how you thought you could trust me.”
“Oh, right. Anyway, since ya seem pretty trustworthy, I was wonderin’ if you wouldn’t mind lettin’ me, um, get somethin’ off my chest, I guess.”
“Oh, alright. Would you like to go somewhere more private?”
“Uh, that’d be nice.”
“I don’t think the dojo’s in use right now… how about there?”
“Um, okay.”
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(Posted Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:26)
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