"Do I hafta say those embarrassing words?"
"That's the prescribed formula. You don't hear just, "Rock, Paper"? Or "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe, catch a tiger"?" (Ranma shuddered slightly at the cat's name.)
"No, I guess not," he said sullenly. They seemed something like magic spells, and he was none too happy with magic, lately.
Hardly motivated, he fumbled with the opening and closing of the paper in the correct manner. It took his concentration away from the words, and he fumbled those, too. Nabiki prompted him. He dropped the paper, and accidentally stepped on it reaching for it.
The Tendo girl refolded the paper and took as many creases out as she could. She then placed it back over his fingers. Guiding them with her warm, soft and silky hands, they both said the "spell", "My-Mother-Told-Me-to Pick-the Very-Best-One..."
The rain had let up, and they stood in front of the store that would begin their "magic date". "We don't have to do this, Ranma. I know how guys feel about being in a ladies' shop."
"N, no: No, honestly! {Ha, ha} Pop always told me I hadda face up to my fears."
"It won't be open for a while, we could come back later."
"No! I said I can take it. Let me window, uh, just let me look through the glass."
The store was mainly about teen and young adult fashions. There were a lot of dresses and skirts, and, he was told, shorts that looked like skirts, and shorts that were shorts; short shorts. But there were pants, too. ("If you're going to get in a sweat about them, I'll tell you now that I like slacks.") Away in the corner, almost out of sight from the casual passerby were ladies' underthings. (Ranma unconsciously began to scratch as if he had an itch...in the most personal of places.) "So, uh, tell me about this stuff..."
"...purses, handbags, sashays, makeup caddies, pumps, platforms, strappies, "My Little Kitty" sneakers..." Ranma was still shell-shocked when Nabiki returned to the spot she had sat him down, on a spot out of sight of the shop.
"I bought you something for being a good sport. The coffee should help calm us down." Ranma managed to take it.
"It's hot!" he smiled, finding something to enjoy again.
"I also found this." She placed a straw hat that (to Westerners) Orientals were stereotypically supposed to wear. This one, though, wasn't strictly conical; it flattened out so very little of the face was obscured.
"What's this for?"
"You said you hate water; and you were relieved when the rain didn't reach you. If you're not going to carry an umbrella, maybe this will do."
(Posted Thu, 16 Nov 2006 04:37)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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