Fortunately for Ranma, Nabiki was only joking about the water and dress. Walking down the aisle, Nabiki snaked her right arm around Ranma’s left and steered him towards a rack of hats.
“Any hats catch your eye, Ranma?”
“I never been much for hats.” Ranma noticed a black cowboy hat. Grabbing it, he tried it on. Winking at Nabiki, he drawled, “Well there, little lady, how does this ten gallon stetson fit on my five gallon melon? Why do ah have a sudden hankering to round up some doggies and drive them to market?”
Nabiki raised an eyebrow and then snatched the hat from Ranma’s head. Nabiki could easily sum up Ranma’s quirky impression with two words. “Cute, Ranma,” she said with sarcasm.
“Really, it looked good? I didn’t look silly in it?”
Nabiki heaved a sigh, “you know what I meant.” An American policeman’s hat caught Nabiki’s eye. She put the cowboy hat back on the rack and removed the police cap. With a jaunty wink, she placed it on Ranma’s head. “Here you go, hero. A hat that’s just perfect for you.”
Ranma suddenly started to shake his hips to his right as he pointed to Nabiki. “Young man, there's no need to feel down,” he began to sing. “I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground. I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town there's no need to be unhappy.” Ranma abruptly stopped singing as Nabiki pulled the hat from his head.
“I guess you never saw any American cop movies. But where did you learn that song?”
“What song?” Ranma asked innocently.
Nabiki quickly put the hat back on the rack. “Are you playing a joke on me, Saotome?”
Ranma blinked for a moment. “Huh, what joke? And why did you take my hat? Didn’t look good on me?”
Nabiki stared at Ranma, suspicions swimming in her mind. “Hmm, I wonder...” She reached out and snagged an Aussie slouch hat. Looking into the mirror as she put it on, she then turned to Ranma. “Crikey mate! I feel like Paul Hogan. Oo don’t think this makes me looks like a bush pig? Take a good Captain Cook.”
Ranma just stared at Nabiki stupidly. “Uh, what did you say, Nabs?”
“Have a gander, mate. Be a cobber, tell me if this hat looks a’right. ... Why are oo staring at me like some min min lights in the neva’ neva’.”
Ranma blinked twice before hesitatingly answering, “The hat looks OK, but it’s just not you. Er, maybe you should take it off now?”
Nabiki glanced at her reflection again. “Ridgie didge? This sheila thinks it’s a right daggy hat. Wanna go throw some snags on a barbie and get a slab?” Nabiki gave Ranma an odd look as he gently took the hat off of her head and replaced it on the stand. “I didn’t notice anything different when I put the hat on. Maybe I was wrong about the hats.”
“I didn’t understand a thing you said. Why were you speaking gibberish?”
Nabiki thought for a moment. “Maybe I was right, after all. Let’s go look at something else.”
Ranma eagerly nodded his head before taking Nabiki by her elbow and pulling her away from the hat rack.
Walking aimlessly, Ranma quickly passed by all sorts of feminine wear and mostly boring menswear. Eventually, he ground to a halt as he noticed a display of all sorts of armor. Nabiki leaned over and gently lifted on his chin to close his mouth.
“We wouldn’t want some poor fly to fly in, now would we?” She teased Ranma. “Come on, let’s see if any are in your size.”
Ranma did not need telling twice, and rushed over to a rather 1930’s pulp sci-fi style armor. Walking up besides Ranma, Nabiki balked at seeing the price tag.
“Wow, expensive, and it doesn’t even look bulletproof. I don’t think art deco is your style, Ranma-baby.”
However, she was talking to only thin air as Ranma had already moved down a few yards. Nabiki rolled her eyes as she caught up to him. He was looking at what looked like samurai armor except it was made from some kind of strange, shiny plastic and its paint job had some sort of pearly and prismatic effect. Besides glittering like a million diamonds, it was covered in an intricate design painted on in thin black lines.
“This one is even costlier then the last. ... Ranma, do you know you’re drooling?”
Ranma shook himself a little before focusing on Nabiki. “Huh, did you say something, Nabiki?”
Nabiki shook her head in amusement. “What about this one?” She pointed to a pink, feminine armor that seemed made up of a kimono slitted up both thighs, a cloak, an extra tall collar, dainty shoulder pads, and padded gloves. She only pointed it out to tease Ranma.
Ranma’s response, at first, was predictably cold. But then he bounced in place like when he used his girl form to scam free food and gave Nabiki big doe eyes. “It almost make being a girl worth it, don’t you think?” He tried to look cute, but broke into laughter alongside Nabiki.
Ranma and Nabiki exited from the store, both in a good mood. “I can’t believe I spent so much time in a clothes store.”
Nabiki smiled at him. “Shopping is suppose to be fun. Where to next?” ‘Shame the things he liked in there was so expensive. Though, if the hats could do that to a person, I hate to think what effects the armors would have had on him. The scary thought is what do the clothes, where you don’t notice that anything changes, do. Can’t ever be sure that they are truly safe, for they may be affecting or cursing you somehow. What do you buy for someone who has nearly nothing, only ever had nearly nothing, and lives for nearly nothing other than martial arts? Maybe I should get him some ice cream. It is getting close to lunch time.’ Nabiki was drawn out of her thoughts by Ranma weaving his hand in front of her face.
“Tokyo to Nabiki, you awake in there?”
Nabiki playfully slapped Ranma’s hand away. “Just thinking that I’d like to go get some food. Preferably one that doesn’t shrink us and allow us to go to Wonderland or Oz.”
Ranma’s stomach rumbled in agreement. “Well then, since we are both hungry, let’s go look. Maybe if we cut through that alleyway there?”
Coming out the other side, they found themselves in a small courtyard. In the center, situated among benches and a well tended flower garden, stood a small stand. The sign, hanging from a pole on top, proudly proclaimed that it was a Fatewatchers deli. The motto announced, “You, and your future, are what you eat.”
Around the edge of the courtyard was many small food shops, interspersed among alleys and tiny paths that lead away.
“Well ... looks like your stomach lead us to the right place.” Nabiki smirked at Ranma. “How about lunch is on me, as long as you show some table manners.”
“Hmm, This one is called ‘Ye Olde Wakka Wakka WOK’ka To-foolery’ ... in the mood for Tofu?” Ranma asked Nabiki.
Nabiki looked askance at it. “What about this one? ‘Khan’s Mongolian Hoard Stir Fryght’? Food so good, it’s scary.” Nabiki processed the name and catchphrase for a moment. “On second thought, maybe not.”
Ranma pointed to across the way. “‘Frozen Waist’ Yogurt and Ice Cream. Another sign says that they have real Italian gelato. What’s gelato? And the other store next to it, ‘Jolly Gyro’s Techs - Mechs Cuisine’ where southern cross style meets Asian fusion. They got a sign saying to ask about their HK-47 meatbag special. Must be a kind of sausage.”
“Do you think any are safe? Let’s look into the windows first or check out the menus.” Nabiki advised, apprehensive of eating anything cursed.
“Sure, how about we peek into...
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(Posted Fri, 07 Dec 2007 04:16)
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