None of this was particularly helping at the moment.
If one were to be kind, they would have taken note of the fact that she wasn't exactly in a situation that was all that familiar or comfortable to her. Running around a school track wasn't odd, but doing so with several cars' worth of tires tied to her waist by long ropes wasn't all that expected. Nor was the fact that she was currently wearing a resistance suit helping, as springs pulling on her limbs from where they were strapped tended to put her under stresses that she had not gone through in a training routine before.
Of course, what she had found was that it was opportune for her need to rest that, just as she came back up to her rather strange martial arts instructor, someone cried out, "What the hell is this?!"
"Huh?" went Ranma, looking up from a book of military tactics to see a woman approaching them. "What's up?"
"What's up? What's this?!"
"Don't see anythin' outta place...."
"You don't? Then what do you call this?! I'd like to know why this girl's being put through this," growled the short haired woman as she gestured at the teenaged girl.
"You know," Akane muttered, standing bent over as she panted. "I'd kind of like to know that myself."
"Even she doesn't know?"
"Nah. Just reminded her that it's for trainin'," the pigtailed boy confirmed.
"And you consider it proper for you to treat her like this?"
"It's easier than how my Pop went on me."
That got a blink from the woman. "'Easier'?"
"The old man didn't think that ya were trainin' enough less ya had at least some danger. Kinda makes for good motivation though. I mean, what guy ain't gonna get a move on when he's got wolves chasin' the meat strapped ta him."
"He strapped meat to you?"
"Couldn't get what he wanted at the start. Seems that the zoo wasn't too keen on havin' their elephants stampede."
"'Stampede'?" the woman sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I didn't come to find this out, but still...."
"What did ya come here for?"
"Oh that's right!"
"This doesn't seem like it'll go well," Akane said under her breath.
"My name is Kurosawa, and I came here because I was supposed to introduce you to a girl!"
"Another student?" Ranma asked, cocking his head to the side with a show of interest.
"I... don't think so," Miss Kurosawa replied, shaking her head. "From what I was told, she's someone whose parents had an arrangement with your father."
"Pop? What did he do this time?"
"Nothing that would be all that unexpected."
"Trust me. He does a lot of things that ain't gonna make me surprised."
"Including setting you up with this girl?"
"Eh?"
"Your father made a promise that you and this girl would pair up," Kurosawa told him.
"And that means...."
"It's time for you to meet her."
Running the words through her head several times, Akane took in the information, analyzing just why there seemed to be something important happening there. It took her several long moments, but she put together the words 'arrangement' and 'pair', and came to what was actually a rather accurate conclusion.
So, she wasn't all that surprised as the adult made a gesture, and a girl came forward, obviously dressed up for the meeting.
Miss Kurosawa nodded towards the girl. "Ranma Saotome? I'd like you to meet, or meet again,:
(Posted Sun, 11 Nov 2007 01:27)
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