"I'm sorry, Tendo old buddy," Genma mumbled to the long-haired man as they sat opposite each other around the go board, "but it would seem I've failed as both a father and a teacher."
"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself, Saotome," Soun chided, rubbing his chin, "I'm sure the statute of limitations on those abuse charges are due to expire any year now." He put down a piece and crossed his arms over his chest.
"That's not what I meant," Genma grunted, scratching his side. 'Stupid police officers, nosing in on my business. Maybe if THEY had undergone some harsh training as a kid, they'd be able to stop me!' "The boy is undisciplined, Tendo. He's not listening to me anymore. He has friends I've never seen before, and spends his time with them instead of going to school as is proper!" Of course, Genma didn't really care about Ranma's schooling, but it was a convenient way to keep tabs on him and would have forced him to spend each day with Akane.
"It's probably just a phase, Saotome," Soun confided, waiting for his old friend to make a move. "You know how teenagers are these days, with their wild parties and video games and loud music."
Genma sweatdropped. For the life of him, he couldn't imagine that any of those things had drawn Ranma's interest such that he had to spend all day out of the house and away from school.
"Why, I remember when Nabiki reached 'that age', she started becoming cold and distant, and stopped wanting to talk to me. I recall she also seemed particularly interested in making money. It became almost like an obsession with her, to the point that she shut out her family and peers and only dealt with other people as if they were business contracts."
Another sweatdrop rolled down Genma's head as he placed a stone. "And this is a... phase, you say?"
"Oh, sure. She'll come out of it any day now."
Genma remained unconvinced. "Still, I'm concerned that Ranma isn't doing his part to fulfill his obligation to unite the schools and marry Akane." He smirked as Soun started to sweat.
Then Soun blinked and looked up. "Well then, you should have a talk with him. And look, here he is now, right behind you!"
Genma snorted, his smirk widening. "Oh come now, Tendo! Do you think I'm so old that I'm going senile? That clumsy oaf of a boy never could manage to sneak up on me!"
/Splash!/ "No kiddin'?" Ranma said as she upended the bucket of water over Genma's head. "I guess that's why I wait 'til you're distracted. Just like you taught me!"
Genma-panda immediately hopped to his feet and whirled around. [Boy, it's time we had a long father-to-son talk!]
Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I agree."
Genma lifted another sign. [Don't you talk back to-] Then he flipped it around. [Huh? You do?]
Ranma sweatdropped. If Genma's signs were prewritten, why did that one cut off? Ah, the mysteries of her father the panda. "Yeah, I do. I know I've been takin' off without telling anyone where I am, and last night I didn't come home neither. It's about time we set things straight, 'cause frankly it's a pain having to come back to this place constantly." She jerked her head toward the house interior. "Let's go upstairs to talk about this, okay? Just let me get some hot water first."
Genma frowned, feeling extremely uncomfortable. When he had suggested a "father-son talk," what he had in mind was really more along the lines of him yelling/writing at Ranma until the boy got so sick of hearing it that he'd agree to anything just to shut him up.
"Don't you worry, Saotome, I'll wait for you!" Soun said encouragingly. Upon turning around, Genma noted that several of his stones had been moved out of position, and Soun had twice as many prisoners as he did before.
The giant panda's left eyebrow twitched. This had "lousy day" written all over it.
_____________________________________________________________________
Once Genma had gotten some hot water, he immediately strode up the stairs to the room he shared with Ranma, took a deep breath, and then stepped in, preparing himself for a fight (he still wasn't sure if it was going to be physical or verbal, however).
He blinked when he saw that Ranma was packing his things in the relatively small backpack he had traveled with. "Boy, what do you think you're doing?"
Ranma finished tying his bedroll, and then calmly set it next to his backpack, ignoring Genma until his packing was complete. Then he turned, seated himself, and sighed.
"Pop, right now I'm undergoing some pretty tough training," he half-lied. Most people considered Ranma to be an extremely poor liar. This was because the only person he ever had to fool was his father, who was, most agreed, approximately as clever and perceptive as the animal he turned into. To that end, he had reached the point where he could fool Genma, but never did realize that other people saw through the same techniques easily. "That's what I've been doing every day: training to fight demons."
Genma blinked. Well, THAT was unexpected. "Oh, is that all? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I wasn't supposed to tell you at all," Ranma said, planting one hand on a knee while he rubbed his chin with the other, "but you're my old man, and you worry about me, so you should know."
"Worry about you. Of course," Genma intoned. 'Worried about you securing my retirement. How can I talk him out of this?'
"My master says that it's very important that I undertake this training alone, and in secret," Ranma said solemnly. "It's very... what's the word... comprehensive stuff. They have me keeping an apartment, teaming up with a coupl'a other hunters, and I'm even gonna have to get a job to support myself. It's sort of a 'training at life' thing, too."
"Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me," Genma said dismissively, waving his hand absently. "Boy, I've already taught you all you need to know to fight demons! You don't need any fancy training!"
"Yes, I do," Ranma said seriously, suddenly gripping his hand into a fist, "so that I may one day overcome my master and avenge my defeat!" This was a total fib, of course. Ranma could kick Orion's butt up, down, sideways and diagonally, and even the other hunters on his team were no match for him (maybe Negi, if he managed to fly out of reach and then lobbed spells, but Ranma hadn't seriously considered fighting the ten year-old).
Genma paled, however. This was not good. By his own explicit instructions, Ranma was to train relentlessly in order to defeat he who had defeated him, even if it meant lowering him to their level. And even if he were to contradict himself, Ranma's own "I've gotta be the best" complex was more formidible than the boy's debate skills by far. "Oh, come on! Is it really that important to you?"
"'It's a martial artist's duty to banish monsters!'" Ranma quoted, deepening his voice to a near-growl to better imitate his father's voice. "'Sides, it's really good training. I'm learning a lot, and the monsters are really tough!" 'At least, I'm guessing they are. The snake chick sure wasn't much...'
Genma decided to switch gears. "Ranma, you WILL marry Akane!"
Ranma blinked, genuinely surprised the topic had been brought up. "What does the engagement have to do with anything?"
"You're neglecting your duty as her future husband!" Genma said, crossing his arms over his chest as he finally sat down in front of his son. "How is she supposed to marry a man she hardly even knows?"
"That didn't seem to be a problem when we got here, why would it matter once I finish my training?" Ranma deadpanned. "What's the point in marryin' her as soon as possible anyway?"
"To secure the future of the schools!" Genma said.
Ranma snorted. "Whatever. We're still engaged, so it's not like that's gonna change. It can wait until my training's done with."
Genma frowned. "Akane can go with you! She's a martial artist! It'll be good for her!"
Ranma snorted much louder. "Pops, have you SEEN Akane in a fight? I'm gonna be fighting MONSTERS, here. You wanna turn me into a widower at sixteen?" He shook his head. "'Sides, she's got school, and actually gives a damn about it." His father looked like he was going to protest, so Ranma cut him off. "Look, just drop it, alright? Akane's got nothing to do with this. We'll deal with the engagement some other time, but this is important to me!"
Genma growled, but the elder Saotome relented. "Fine. Just don't forget that you're honor-bound to marry her, boy!"
"Don't see how I can, with you takin' every opportunity to remind me..." Ranma wasn't really planning on marrying Akane at all; he didn't like her and she seemed to hate him with a passion that outstripped that psycho Shampoo from China (yes, the Amazon was trying to kill him, but her acts of violence weren't nearly as heated as Akane's, even if they were far more dangerous). As it were, though, he hadn't even given the subject much thought. He had just been recruited as part of a force to save the world, and had been given a brand new, ever-changing challenge with which to test his martial arts skills. Why waste time worrying over some uncute fiancee waiting at home to pound you?
Genma rolled his eyes. "Also, I think I should meet this master and supervise the training, to make sure it's worthy of all this time you're putting into it. Purely for your own good, of course."
Ranma smirked. "Right, right. Pop?" He stood up and walked forward, placing a hand gently on Genma's shoulder.
"Yes, boy?"
CRACK! Ranma grabbed the back of Genma's head and pulled it toward him as he drove his knee forward, striking the man solidly in the forehead and knocking him out instantly.
Letting his father's unconscious body fall to the floor, Ranma let an exaggerated tear fall from his left eye. "You taught me well, Pop. Very well." With that statement, he rifled through Genma's gi for a moment before finding the man's wallet and emptying its modest contents.
"Well, that 'aint gonna buy Sousuke more bombs, but it should get us some food," Ranma commented, writing out a short note and dropping it on his father's chest.
[Dear Pop: I can't have you supervising my training, on account of it being SECRET training. I'll be back in a couple months or so. Maybe I'll be finished by then, or maybe I'll just stop by to visit. I took some cash I found on you. Call it payback for all the times you made me take small jobs and took off with my money. Though it doesn't really cover it; 2,000 yen? Get a job, you lazy jerk.
Sincerely, Ranma
P.S. If you try and come drag me back to this hellhole, I WILL kick your ass. Just leave me alone for a while, will you?]
Ranma couldn't help but whistle a merry tune to himself as he leapt out the window, feeling an unusual sensation he very rarely experienced. What was it?
Ah, yes. Freedom.
Well, not absolute freedom, as Genma would probably try to track him down, and in his new occupation he had to obey the commands and instructions of a militant housecat, but it was a choice he had made himself, despite knowing that it would piss off Soun and Genma.
He knew he should have felt sorry or worried about that, but it was having a hard time penetrating the aura of excitement and anticipation. Huh. Strange.
So without further delay, Ranma...
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(Posted Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:12)
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